#maybe not tonight since i'm exhausted after work and have another early shift tomorrow

[flowerakatsuka]

listening to stuff nakamura has sung yesterday got me thinking about mitsuki saiga's ( kuroba's voice claim ) singing and, by extension, kuroba's singing capabilities. saiga has a pretty pleasant singing voice, but i think it'd be really fucking funny if kuro was just like. horrifically tone deaf.

[aspenforest732]

Mortem ad Wrens Chapter 16: We Are Determined to Live and to Die!

Summary:

tw: addiction, elevated gang involvement, suicide, mass murder, grooming, abuse, shortened life expectancy, multiplicity adjacent activities, kidnapping mention Logistics are logicked, plans are explained, and quirks trained

Notes:

Happy Halloween/Samhain! I'm gonna be dressing up as Present Mic for dnd tonight. Next week will include the first art I made of Akira :) Also, Chapter 2 of Memoirs Mori is up! It's an essay Akira will write in book 2 on Forced Quirk Manifestation. Check it out if you want to see how trauma maps to quirks and what the different types look like ‘text’ JSL Text thoughts

Slipping into their room at almost half past midnight, Akira flopped onto the bed and saw over a dozen chat notifications from the Mad Banquet. Koda and Shinso were thriving, although the latter was going through what they called the Eraser Hell Course. Shaking their head at his theatrics, Akira frowned as they scrolled down to Tokoyami being disheartened with his internship, having learned nothing except how self-centered and seemingly unwilling to teach Hawks was. Only Shinso was still online, but Akira sent a quick update that they just got in from patrol and were about to crash. Shinso immediately sent a facetime request, which Akira blearily accepted, barely sitting up enough to sign.

“Hey, how’d your first- woah, our eyes match!”

Akira cocked their head in confusion before remembering that they’d taken their contacts out a bit ago since Taishiro and Amajiki already knew their birth family. ‘Exhausting. I have to more than double my food budget with the plan he said I need, and I don’t know how that’s going to happen. Fat Gum also figured out more than I wanted him to – at least in this phase – and now Purple Moon knows, too.’

“He- I thought you were barely keeping up with Recovery Girl’s?” Shinso switched gears as Aizawa walked into frame.

‘Hi sensei, and I’ll figure it out eventually. I just haven’t had the time to sit down and hammer out more than an unsustainable work/school/sleep balance that’ll set me back too far on that deposit. I have a week to make it work, two if I need to delay continuing the plan.’

“What about those 1000-calorie drinks you sometimes use?”

‘Those are expensive, though. He gave me a bunch of recipes that are meant for a low budget, but they all require electricity to some degree.’

“Did he give you them before or after he… found out?” Shinso asked, drawing Aizawa’s attention. “Then maybe he’ll adjust it tomorrow? If nothing else, I can make you some of the stuff here and bring it to school.”

‘Blank, no. That’s too much. My base intake needs to double, and part of this week is figuring out how much I need to increase my variable snacks to be effective.’ Aizawa choked on his coffee in the background, and Akira stifled a laugh. ‘Besides, you two need to leave soon for patrol; I imagine that’s why Eraser is lurking?’

The next day, Akira found the morning shift in the cafeteria and was quickly spotted by the Diminutive Hero: Mouse. “Hey kid!” the petite hero bounded up. “I’m Mouse, fae/faer pronouns. You must be Umbra Mortis. Not many first years see me on their first day. Let me guess, Class A?”

They nodded, ‘I remember reading about those, but do you know the JSL? I was having trouble finding signs for a lot of neopronouns.’

“Sure thing, kiddo,” Mouse grinned and went through the signs. “They aren’t coded yet, so it varies between people. Kind of like call signs! Fat Gum and Suneater usually aren’t down here for another two hours, so how about you sit with us.”

Gust and Lizarro waved tiredly from the group’s table while nursing coffee mugs.

“What got you up so early this morning? Did Fat Gum forget to give you the schedule? From the shift overview, it sounded like you had an eventful first night.”

‘I’m just used to getting four hours of sleep. Figured I could go back over my new budget I started working on yesterday.’ Noticing Lizarro’s stare, Akira cocked their head, ‘Do you need something?’

“You’re the kid who danced instead of fighting in the quarter-finals at the sports festival, right?”

Akira quirked a small smile, ‘While not accurate, you’re not technically wrong. I didn’t want the media exposure, so approached Pink Queen with an offer of letting her show off an unusual fighting style. She’s been dancing for years and noticed that most people with vocal quirks along with a few outliers move to a beat that can be followed.’

“And since she wouldn’t face a quirk like that, you wanted to show her understanding,” Gust supplied. “Smart move if she was looking for an internship with someone with that type of quirk. Did you get many offers?”

‘I had ten in total, but Fat Gum was the one I was hoping to get the attention of, so it wasn’t much of a choice.’

“Because of your quirk drawback, right? That blonde kid with the copy quirk seemed pretty shaken up about it.”

Why does everyone think that? Akira huffed. ‘That was part of it, yes, to see if he had ideas for better management since his is similar. But the main reason was he’s one of the few heroes with core ideals similar to mine and a track record of consistently upholding them.’

Finishing their breakfast while listening to the group banter about various pros’ codes and – mostly questionable – morals, Akira logged their meal before flipping to their budget again. The thought briefly crossed their mind of convincing Boss to let them be a tester a couple times, but the risk of addiction or serious side effects were too high even for them, not to mention if the drug was picked up by a quirk or a trip to Recovery Girl. Wait. Akira sat up a little straighter as they mentally ran through who had been blacklisted after the USJ incident. We are low on security personnel… While not intimidating on their own, Akira could easily be a cloak in the shadows and eyes in the rafters. They quickly made another chart, grinning as the standard security schedule would get them enough for a security deposit before winter.

“You figure it out, kid?” Lizzaro asked, interrupting Mouse’s rant on the difference between mice and rats.

‘Yeah, I think I can make this work. Just need to pick up some extra responsibilities at work. We’re a little short-staffed, so it shouldn’t take much convincing.’

“That’s great! If you ever need help, though, Fat Gum’s helped all of us out of tight situations before,” Mouse pointed out before faer watch started chiming. “That’s our alarm to get ready for patrol, remember to leave some time for fun, kid.”

Akira blinked, wondering at the idea for a moment before turning their chair against the wall and continuing to encode their notebook. Half an hour into the process, Taishiro and Amajiki came in with the night shift, who mostly grabbed small meals, tea, or presumably decaf coffee. The pair made their way to Akira’s table.

Tucking away their notebook, Akira signed, ‘I figured out the budget. There are some openings that would pay enough to cover food while still putting a bit aside.’

Taishiro smiled gently even as an edge creeped into his voice. “What would you be doing and why are the positions open?”

‘Protection detail. Most likely from the shadows or rafters since Boss will still want me out of harm’s way when possible. Some people were blacklisted after USJ.’

“And if a pro arrives?”

Akira gave him a flat look. ‘I’m not giving you our exit strategies.’ After a moment of Taishiro’s smile turning mildly amused, Akira realized what he meant to ask. ‘Sorry. If it’s Eraser, talk. If it’s any other pro, lead them off.’

Once Taishiro and Amajiki finished breakfast, they headed to the large office. After closing the door, Taishiro guided Akira to a chair, the latter realizing they were shaking. The hero moved back to his desk, pulling out a small bin and offering its contents to Amajiki before heading back to Akira, who was just taking out their texture ball.

“Ah, good, you have one already. I always keep fidget toys in here for harder conversations or days,” Taishiro said gently. “Feel free to continue using that one or peruse the bin as we talk. Now, for today at least, I want to understand why we aren’t moving on the Wrens now and what plan you have.”

Akira unsuccessfully willed their hands to stop shaking as they signed, ‘They have decades old contracts with the Hero Commission and understandings with the Police that protect their status and reputation in both hero and civilian circles. As bad as corruption is among limelights, the Wrens account for most of the cover-ups and blacklisting victims with their teams of lawyers and full support from the Commission as a known producer of powerhouses.

As for my plan…I’ll give you the choice: plausible deniability or reality?’

“The more I know, the more likely I am to be able to help you.”

‘Purple Moon?’ At his firm nod, they continued. ‘Once I get my full license, I’ll be an independent underground hero. I’ll grab one of the young Wren heroes and determine if there’s a way to reverse the memory alteration. If not, I’ll be pretty limited in who I can save, but I’ll still grab as many pre-quirk and “weak” quirked kids as I can, using my associates to help with housing them. Once everyone I can get out is out, I’ll kill the Legacy Holder branch, which is in charge of breeding and breaking memory- and emotion-altering quirks to make the empire more sustainable. If fortune is on my side – which it rarely is – that will end the effects currently over most of the Wren heroes. At that point, it’s a matter of bringing the old guard to justice and preventing mass suicides.’

Akira looked up from their lap to check in before the darker alternative. Amajiki once again looked sick, but Taishiro’s prominent emotion was worry with nearly concealed fury. “And if fortune isn’t on your side?”

‘If the process is reversible, reverse those I can, but… When justice is an impossibility and the crime too great, revenge is the path to take. I would take my army of vigilantes and “villains” and gut the Wrens. The Commission should then be weakened enough for the kids to take them down in a legal battle.’

“The kids?” Amajiki whispered. “What about you?”

Akira blinked. ‘I doubt I’ll make it to 30 with everything that could go wrong. Given that the Wrens will underestimate the kids they practically or literally left for dead, they’ll have a better chance of surviving the war.’

Taishiro quietly observed them for a few minutes before continuing. “If you took out the leaders, would the group not fall?”

‘No, part of the alterations from the differences I’ve seen is convincing the victims that the abuse was justified and doing the right thing. They will just continue because they were programmed to not know better. They won’t face justice because they’re so ingrained in the justice system, and if I target the Hero Commission and police first, I’ll effectively be facing all of Japan. Anything I expose on their end will be refuted by the family, and they can easily bring in the Legacy Holder branch to turn witnesses and victims.’

“What if you target the Legacy Holders then the Commission?”

‘If I move on the Wrens, I have to keep them on the defensive because they have the quirks to find me once they realize I’m alive and taking revenge. Giving them the time it would take to go after the Commission would also give them the time to make an excuse to obliterate whatever building I’m in along with my followers.’

“Sounds like you need some people on your side, then. Many of the twilight and underground heroes are unhappy with the state of the Commission and have been for a long time. You’ll need people to help evaluate your first target, right? I know some, and we can help with stable environments for the kids you bring.”

Akira nodded, deciding not to bring up Plan B for now, at least. ‘Twilight and Underground only, though, and I want to watch them before they know any part of this. If word gets out, the Wrens will not hesitate to kill anyone they think might be associated with their secrets.’

The somber mood followed the trio to the training rooms after Akira finished encoding their notes and destroying the keys and plain text. ‘When I warped to the lamp post, I noticed a new shadow next to me in my mindscape.’

“Next to you?” Suneater asked.

‘Yeah? I was standing in my neutral space, and a figure made of shadow appeared next to me.’ Akira paused. ‘Do you not see in first person in your mindscape?’

“I… don’t see anything. I know what I have, but it’s just black.”

“Let’s start with you warping, then, and see if the shadow figure is back,” Taishiro suggested. “You can text me while invisible, so we have a line of communication.”

Akira nodded and warped a meter to the side and, closing their eyes to focus, once again saw the shadow figure. They texted “it’s back” to Taishiro before refocusing. Circling the figure, Akira noted that it looked like someone had taken a silhouette of them and made it 3D. They reached out to touch the figure, but their hand passed through with a sensation not unlike petting Dark Shadow.

“It twitched,” Fat Gum called out.

Interesting, I wonder…Akira stepped into the shadow figure and moved into a defensive position. A deep feeling of wrongness settled in their gut, and they quickly stepped out.

“Keep doing what you just did, it changed position.”

Akira opened their eyes to see the clone now in the pose they took. They texted Fat Gum, “Something felt very wrong when I tried to step into the figure to control it, but it moved as I did.”

“The first few times I transformed a body part, it felt unnatural and almost wrong,” Suneater said softly. “It might be the unfamiliarity.”

After a moment, Akira texted that they were going to warp again to see if anything changed when they had two clones active. With Fat Gum’s go-ahead, they noticed that the first figure split into two. Closing their eyes, Akira touched the connecting thread of shadow and startled at the distinct thrum of energy. Slowly reaching their hand back in, they grasped the tendril and felt what was almost like two additional pulses harmonizing with their own.

Even as they stepped back from the connection, they felt the pulses remain. Breath hitching, they quickly dispelled the clones. The pulses faded out slower than the clones, echoing in their chest.

“Are you alright?” Fat Gum approached, eyes searching their frame.

Akira shuddered before nodding, ‘Just… a bizarre feeling. It was like when Pink Queen and I synched up at the sports festival, but I could feel the two pulses.’

“Okay, do you want to slow down or keep going?”

For the rest of the session, Akira focused on getting used to the connection with clones and forming it with only one active. Mentally stepping into a clone still didn’t seem like a good primary control method, but they were at least moving in the right direction. Once it seemed Akira wasn’t being a danger to themself, Suneater started his own training routine, focusing primarily on his arms for the day at least.

Notes:

fun fact: I actually have hyperphantasia, which is like the opposite of aphantasia, which I gave Amajiki. I can see all the things in my head and my other senses often interact with them. Great for learning what injuries feel like, horrible when the same activates involuntarily I was double-checking the trigger warning edits for this chapter and registered the “multiplicity-adjacent activities.” Hadn’t really thought about how I picture Stranger quirks working that way, but makes sense. In order to differentiate control mechanisms from Masters and Changers, I set up how I picture each of them being represented in the user’s mindscape. For Masters, are usually strings leading to the people they control or their summons. Amajiki’s description is standard for Changers, although those without aphantasia can see their options, a switch, or some other on/off visualization. Additional note: yeah so I didn't know I'm host of a DID system at the time of writing this. Akira is a bit system-coded between that and her masks being somewhat based off Shallan in Stormlight Archives, who is also canonically a system (forgot about that when I was drawing inspiration)

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[animeyanderelover]

This one wanted to be kept anonymous and what is asked shall be done.

Request: Can you please do Prompt 72 for Claude Faustus?

Tw: Yandere themes, unhealthy mindset, unhealthy relationship, possessiveness, obsessiveness, overprotectiveness, kidnapping, sabotage, manipulation, teasing

Prompt 72: “Do you want your underwear back?”

You hated approaching that man, you hated being with him, no matter how hard he might try to change your mind. Being stuck with someone who wasn't even a human was really everything, but pleasant. Being completely isolated in a cottage you weren't allowed to leave was unpleasant. And the trues cherry on top of everything was his personality, rge unbelievable confidence he seemed to have in himself that he would get you to love him and all the teasing and provoking just to get his sadistic fun out of it.

His methods were rather simple, but smart and effective nevertheless. Whenever you were ignoring him, he did something to leave you with no choice but to seek for him. As much as you hated admitting it, he was the one who took care of you, meaning that without him you wouldn't be provided with the basic needs a human needed daily for living. Because you knew from previous experiences that as much as he chose to be lenient, Claude got quickly annoyed and was ready to punish you when you made him snap which didn't end always well. It wasn't like he hurt you physically, but he very much always showed you that he was the one in power and the one you would have to rely on for everything. Clearing this up hurt your pride more than anything else and you just knew that he wanted to embarrass you by having you admitting it.

Making you come to him, having you pleading him to help you had to be the most shameful for you to do, having to do what he wanted just so you would also get what you wanted. It wasn't good for your own self-esteem and knowing Claude, he did everything on purpose so this would happen. Your guess was to feed his ego a bit by knowing that you had to come to him when you needed help.

He probably intended to push you into developing Stockholm syndrome and forcing you to think that he was all you needed, you had figured out that his kind seemed to be more possessive over persons they had chosen as their "mates".

If you remembered right one of your friends had once told you that it was her dark fantasy to have someone going after her who would be ready to kill for her, everyone seemed to like this thought of having someone loving them who would do anything for the person of desire. And back then you might have even wanted the same, but now you could have beaten your ounger self up for thinking about this. People only knew better after having witnessed certain things, same counting for you. You were alone, helpless, left at the mercy of your captor.

You were in no condition to look in those golden eyes, not wanting to see the same amused and pleased look from all of this. No, absolutely not. But even without looking up, you felt those eyes sliding over your body, causing goosebumps to start coverin your whole body and your face to burn up, knowing what would await you in your nearest future.

It was all his fault, he had done it once again on purpose, you knew it had to be true. Why else would his eyes linger a bit longer on the place between your legs that currently was at it's most vulnerable, unprotected which added a new kind of shame to all of this? He must have done it, there was no other explanation.

"You seem to feel tonight a bit more bold than usual, don't you think so?", he asked, the slight amusement in his voice all too audible which had you boiling even more. How much you would have died to just smash him in his face to feel satisfaction. But it would only be for a few seconds before you might agitate Claude and making him angry was not a good idea, not in the least bit. Especially now that you were left so exposed.

"Claude...Where is my underwear?", you pressed out, eyes still trained on the wooden floor under your feet, not a single scratch or trace of dust on it. That you had to give Claude, he made sure that the house always stayed in top shape. What had he said once before? A pretty house for his pretty made? Something in that direction.

Black and polished shoes entered your vision, the sudden closeness causing your skin to crawl and make you stumble frightened a few feet back, not having sensed his fast approach. A short huff of air was heard from him, sounding like he was a bit annoyed and yet entertained by this small act of yours, making you bite angrily your tongue. Making yourself look like a fool wasn't what you planned on doing whilst being with him. It gave him only more stuff to irritate you with.

"(y/n)...I thought we already talked about this. You have to look someone in the eyes when you want something from them. Otherwise I'm afraid I won't be able to help you and you know I will gladly do anything for you if you would just let me. If you just wouldn't be that incorrigible."

Ah yes, that shit again. Your manners and the tantrums you sometimes threw about the situations you were stuck in, the disapproving looks from Claude whenever you acted out of the place, the constant lecturing that came afterwards. He really came in such scenarios over as a butler who wanted to make sure that others were behaving like they should be and scolding them if they didn't. It put you always down whenever he pointed those things out, you knew you weren't perfect and him rubbing it constantly under your nose wasn't helpful. It led you to such moments where you just felt like you were under average, reaching your lower points.

It was no reason to give up nor was it an excuse to stop fighting, especially since the butler planned on making you feel that way, to slowly break you. Still, he was currently the only person you were able to see, meaning there was no one to cheer you up, no one to tell you otherwise. You were all on your own with the only source of comfort being the golden-eyed man. And there were those times where you questioned if giving up your pride was the better and less painful option and indeed just giving in would make your life easier. The moments where you became all too aware of the one and only fact. That a human wouldn't be able to beat a demon, at least not a human like you.

This was one of those moments where you felt like a fly trapped in the web of the spider and where the only option was pleading and hoping he would choose to be lenient with you. "Just standing there and not saying anything won't help you nor can I help you when you are like this. If you don't have anything to say, please go back to bed. It's pretty late and I have to leave tomorrow morning early to work in the manor of my master."

He didn't sound happy whilst saying it, you knew that he didn't really like how his master was constantly bossing him around and on some days he complained for a few seconds about what a brat that boy really was, even more when because of him Claude had to be kept busy which meant leaving you longer alone.

You were stuck in denial, not thinking it would be good to do as he said. Not letting having it the way he wanted it to go was important for your own sanity, to prevent you from getting caught in his trap and grow over time too dependent on him. But you also could estimate what would happen afterwards. He would take something else from you away to push you into having to ask him once again and he would continue this for as long as he had the patience. That meant for you more and more embarrassment and hurt. Was that what you wanted? Or should you just go with the easy option to keep the damage as small as possible and live with this scratch on your pride?

You heard his footsteps slowly fading more and more away from you telling you that he was leaving you in your frozen state behind. Why wouldn't he? He had the time and the power to do so. Claude knew that the one way or another you would have to come to him and it was what allowed him to have confidence. This luxury was sadly only open for him whilst you were only allowed to live a good life for as long as he was pleased with how you acted. It was cruelly unfair, but you knew that this was how life was. The one in power and the one at the bottom.

"Wait.", you called faintly after him, making him stop, golden eyes being met with yours, the look in them being comparible with being tired and done with something. You looked leached out, your pride already having taking so many blows before and every time it became harder to fix the damage and pain he put you through like this. Maybe there would come a time where you would have to give up indeed, you doubted that anyone would be able to stay strong whilst suffering from this. But maybe you were wrong and there were people out there who would be able to stand their ground. And maybe you just weren't this person.

"Claude...My underwear.", you slowly muttered out, forcing your gaze to not waver too much and stay on him, knowing you would have to repeat it again if you would look away. And that would mean more poison for you to swallow.

"Do you want your underwear back?", he asked with a silk-like voice, smoothly walking with a few huge steps over to you to take a better look at your current state. How wonderful, he felt extremely satisfied in that one moment. You were slowly being stripped off your stubborness to accept him, instead starting to to him when you needed something. Just two months ago you wouldn't have even thought in your wildest dreams to ask him for help. It just told him that you were slowly breaking, were getting exhausted from all of this.

"Yes. Please.", you said in a more quiet voice, now that he was being so close to you again you felt your gaze shifting somewhere completely else, still not being able to shake the drilling look of him off. Hopefully he wouldn't force you to ask him once again.

"See? This wasn't as hard after all wasn't it?" His voice was laced with a certain sweetness in it, leaving you with a bitter stinging in your heart. That was not true at all. You had just now sacrificed a part of your own confidence. Not like he would care. And not like you would tell him that. You didn't feel in the mood to do so and now it would be dangerous to do so, whilst you felt so incredibly small and helpless. It would be too easy for him to get in your head.

Instead of answering you let out a noise akin to a gentle hum, making yourself a bit smaller, feeling a bit intimidated by the way he was towering over you. Claude seemed to take notice of this and to your surprise he was suddenly kneeling in front of you, although you had almost bet he would push your buttons a bit more right now. But maybe he didn't feel in the mood to be that way, not after you had for the first time ever finally broken a bit in front of him.

With his own face suddenly so close to his, you had no other place to avoid those golden eyes, scanning slowly over your embarrassed and ashamed expression. "You don't have to be scared of me. You know that I wouldn't hurt you. I'm not lowlife like other creatures you might have met."

"Then why do you do this to me?", you stuttered out, by now feeling your eyes tearing up. "Because I only want the best for you. I know how to treat you good, better than anyone else. And all I try to do is helping you to realize this. It would make life easier for you too. I just want you to trust me."

[cow-joji-chop]

James Imagine

It was a few months after everything had settled down. James had officially left Cow Chop, and was working on a few of his own projects. He wasn't getting out too much with the broken ankle and all. Between that and work, he was completely occupied it seemed.

When you two had discussed him leaving Cow Chop, obviously it was for his own happiness to persue projects that interested him more. But another reason was to focus more on your relationship. When he left for the warehouse early in the morning, and came back late at night, it was exhausting. With you working late hours as well, you never got to see him much.

The same thing was happening while he was at home.

So you decided to confront him about it, you just wanted the relationship to grow stronger more than anything.

After your shift, you went to the grocery store to pick some things up for dinner.

You: "Hey babe, at the store, any preference for dinner?"

James: "Actually I won't be home for dinner.."

This was a surprise, his doctors appointments were always early in the day.. and what about his streams? Concerned, you grabbed items for a quick dinner and headed home. As you arrived, James was nowhere to be found. You made some pasta with pesto sauce, made extra for James and out it in the fridge, grabbed a can of lemonade, and made your way to the couch. You watched Chopped as you finished your dinner for one.

It was getting late, around 10:30, James still hadn't returned home.

You:"I don't know how late you'll be out, but I'll probably be asleep by the time you get back. Stay safe, love you <3"

James:"<3"

Disappointed by the response, and not seeing him all day, you fell asleep under the knitted throw blanket on the couch.

An hour later you wake up by the front door opening. You stay snuggled in your spot on the couch, not having the will to move to the bedroom. You hear the sound of crutches make its way closer to you.

James lightly kisses your forehead and sinks into the couch next to you. Stealing a bit of the blanket, and turning your body so you snuggle into his side. You smile slightly and fall back to sleep.

James' POV

All he wanted was this for the rest of his life. The way you were so supportive of him and the way you love him just blows him away. He thinks he doesn't deserve all that you give to him. For the past few months, the past years even, he's thought about ways to return the love. And a few weeks ago he finally came up with the best way. He smiled to himself knowing how tomorrow will change everything.

In the morning, still on the couch, you started to stir in James' side. He reached down and brushed your hair out of your face.

"Good morning beautiful," gushed James.

"Mornin'.." you yawned back.

He leans in and kisses your nose, and goes in for your lips.

"Agh, no morning breath!" you said as you buried your head in his chest. You felt it bounce as he chuckled.

"Hey I'm sorry for not being around for dinner last night, can I make it up to you tonight?" he asked.

"Hm, depends, whats in it for me?" you taunted.

"A surprise.. maybe," he teased.

"Ohhhh okay sure what did you have in mind?"

"I'll take you to your favorite restraunt how about that?"

You wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling yourself onto his lap. "What did I ever do to deserve that?"

"By being so pretty."

"Lame, but I would love that"

Later that night..

"You know I would be escorting you to the door all gentleman like and be holding the door for you, if it wasn't for these crutches right?"

"Oh I know babe, it's alright," you said back.

After a beautiful steak dinner, you both sat back and enjoyed each others company. You admiring the nice suit he put on and his curls pulled back, and him admiring the beautiful navy blue dress you were in. You were loving the fancy little date night you were having. You never got to do this too often anymore. Your thoughts were interupted by the sound of his voice.

"I love you so much y/n, you have no idea."

"I love you too hon," you gushed.

"I've been trying to think of some ways I could show you how much I love you though.."

"Aw, well this night out is perfect, we don't get to dress up all nice too often anymore."

He smiled, "Remember when I said I might have a surprise for you?"

You nodded your head, not thinking of any other way this night could be better.

"Well.." he began.

He was interupted by the waiter coming by with desserts for the both of you. Flustered, James thanked the waiter. You both began to eat again, seeming to forget about the conversation for a second.

"Oh no, dropped my napkin.." James said.

You didn't even realize he had dropped anything. "I'll get it for you babe, you got the boot and all," as you begin to scoot your chair out.

"No, you do too much for me, I got it." he said as he got down onto his knees. As he began to stand back up, he paused, on one knee now. You began to giggle as it looked like he was proposing.

"Y/n?" he asked, still from the ground, as he reached into his pocket.

You gasped as your silly thought was becoming a reality.

"You are the most beautiful person I know, inside and out. And this was the only way I thought I could repay you foe all you have ever done to me. Will you do me the honor, of being with me forever, and marrying me?" he asked.

A tear left your eye as you began to happy cry. Not being able to form a sentence, you nodded your head and smiled. He got to his feet and placed the beautiful ring on your finger. Standing to hug him, he pulled you in tight. The tables around you started to clap in congratulations.

On your way back home, he was the one who drove since you were in a daze. Arriving back home, and stripping off your date clothes, you both hopped into bed with pajamas on.

"I cannot fucking believe that happened, can you fucking believe that happened?" you asked him. He laughed at your bewilderment.

"I mean, I can believe it, I was the one who kinda did it."

You bopped his chest, "Shut up, I'm happy."

"You're so happy you hit me?" he teased.

"Agh stop!" you exclaimed as you turned over and straddled him. You leaned down to kiss him. He grabbed your hips and deepened the kiss, and pulled back.

"How do you feel now being a married woman?"

"We aren't married yet silly.. But being an engaged woman? Fucking amazing. Can't describe it. How does it feel being an engaged man?" you taunted back.

"I feel on top of the world, and happy to have you right at my side." he gave you his classic smile.

You cheesed back and went in to kiss him all over his face.

"If you're this lovey now, imagine how you'll be when we make some babies," he said beneath your kiss attack.

You pulled back, "Since when have you been thinking about babies?" a serious tone in your voice.

"Ever since I got hurt at CC, I just reevaluated my life. Took a step back and thought that if we ever had kids, they can't have a dad doing all these stupid stunts."

You gushed at his comment and was about to reply when he interupted and said, "Want to try to make one right now?"

"Moment ruined!" you laughed as you rolled off him.

You both chuckled as he cuddled up behind you. Wrapping his arms around your waist, you both fell into a deep, peaceful sleep, dreaming of all your future adventures.

[keelywolfe]

FIC: While I'm Far Away From You

Summary: Stretch is Home Alone while all the other skellies are out diplomating. It's super. 

A prequel to the other stories in the series, by any other name You probably don't have to read the other stories to understand this, but why wouldn't you?  AO3 Link

Notes:

Each night before you go to bed my baby Whisper a little prayer for me my baby And tell all the stars above This is dedicated to the one I love

The house was too quiet.

It was also a chaotic mess, with plates and glasses, bowls with spoons poking out of them littering every flat surface in the area, papers on every other in cluttered stacks, schematics and notes, and a screwdriver or two lying exactly where they could be painfully stepped on in the night.

Not that Stretch knew from experience or anything.

Stretch took a moment to kick halfheartedly at the pile of books that was rising around the sofa like turrets in a paper castle. It was enough for him to gain access and he squeezed through to settle onto the cushions. He gave the television a considering look but he'd just sat down and since the remote was currently lost somewhere in the bowels of Castle Sofa Cushions, he decided to give it up as a loss. Spending an hour not finding anything to watch on Netflix was a decent time waster but he'd gotten sick of it two days ago.

He was trying to decide between the choice of going to the kitchen for the seventh time to find nothing he wanted to eat in the refrigerator or poking through the books surrounding him and not finding anything he wanted to read when his phone rang. That, at least, was in his pocket and it only required him finding which one it was in rather than braving the medieval furniture chaos.

On the third ring, he managed to press answer, "thank you for calling the skellie whore zone, you phone 'em, we bone 'em, how may I pleasure you?"

"You aren't funny." Despite his words, Stretch was pretty sure he could hear a smile in Edge's voice. Pretty sure. Either that or it was the weird underlying buzz that Stretch could always hear when he took a call from overseas. Sans said he was imagining it and Stretch had told him that it was size of his dick that required imagination. The conversation had gone somewhat downhill after that but at least Stretch had gotten half a dozen new insults out of it.

"my thousand twitter followers beg to disagree."

"They don't live with you," Edge pointed out and yeah, that was definitely a smile.

Stretch closed his eye sockets, listening to the buzz and the very faint sound of Edge breathing. "you know, you don't have to call me every night. i know it's three o'clock in the morning there."

"It is and if I believed for a minute you'd allow it, we'd be Skyping," Edge said. "But since I know you the way I do, I am fully aware that you've been working on whatever blasted project you've got going on right now the entire time I've been gone. I can also guess that you don't want to give me a chance to see the dark circles under your sockets, that you've been wearing the same clothes for three days, and that you'd need at least a couple of minutes to push all the dirty dishes and clutter out of camera range."

"you know me so well," Stretch murmured. He lounged back on the sofa, ignoring the lumps of unwashed laundry and the occasional shoe beneath him. "how are things going?"

"The negotiations are going fine, probably because I have nothing to do with it," there was a creak of springs and Stretch imagined he was settling back on the bed. "They can list me as a diplomat if they like, but as far as trade agreements go, I'd rather keep to the security detail with Red."

"yeah? how's that going, taking orders from your bro?" Stretch teased. With a grimace, he reached under his back for whatever was poking him. A hardback copy of 'How to Talk to Dogs in Spanish’. When had he gotten that?

"On the first day he told me that since I went by 'Boss' in Underfell, he'd made a list of more appropriate titles for me to call him," Edge said dryly. "Amongst them were, 'His Honorable Grand Poobah, Holder of the Fires of Tintantabar' and 'Kevin'."

"i hope you went with kevin."

"I went with ignoring him and calling him Red, exactly as I always have."

"uh huh," Stretch shifted, trying without success to find a more comfortable position. No wonder no one used laundry as furniture, it was terrible for lumbar support. "so, is this where we have phone sex? i'm asking for a friend."

"I would normally be agreeable to that, but I am actually tired," Edge said softly and Stretch couldn't even pretend that his own exhaustion wasn't relieved to hear it. "I only wanted to hear your voice before I went to bed."

There should be something smart and clever he could say to that. Something teasing and distracting, a quip or a pun, something that would make Edge sigh in exasperation, and he'd make that expression. The one that looked like he was annoyed but that Stretch knew meant he thought Stretch was hilarious, that inside he was laughing and he loved it. Stretch could see it in his eye lights, Edge let him see it, always, he never hid it, he always let Stretch see it. Always.

Except right now.

Instead, Stretch said, his voice rough and small and probably not at all what Edge was hoping to hear, "yeah."

Another rustle, Edge shifting on the bed and Stretch knew for a fact that Edge had stripped the bed when he'd gotten to the hotel and put on his own sheets. He'd make do with borrowed blankets but never sheets. One of his quirks and Sans had speculated on it once, how odd it was that a Fell monster would be so fussy and Stretch wished he could explain better that it was because he was from Underfell that Edge was so picky, control issues all the way around.

Sans hadn't been mocking him for it, though, had even offered to pack an extra set into his own meagre luggage, and if they weren't already friends, Stretch would have kissed him for it. With tongue, if necessary.

"It's only for three more days, snowflake," Edge said softly.

"i can count, asshole."

"I know. Do me a favor? Try to get some sleep tonight?"

"you don't need to worry about me so much," Stretch said and it was a challenge to keep his irritation from his voice. Edge had called to hear him, not his issues.

"I know I don't. I do it anyway because I love you, brat." And Stretch had to close his eyes against that warm affection, the love in that voice that ran so much deeper than the simple words. He wasn't…he…it was too much for him and Stretch figured they probably both knew it. He didn't deserve all that, he really didn't.

But he took it as greedily as a wilting flower in a rainstorm.

"i love you, too," Stretch managed, forcing it past his tight throat; not because it wasn't true but because it was. It sounded raw and wrong, and yet he could almost feel Edge relaxing from a thousand miles away.

"And make sure whatever cleaning service you're secretly planning on bringing in comes the day before we come home, to give the house time to air," Edge said dryly.

"no idea what you're talking about, lover," Stretch breezed out. "get some sleep yourself, okay?"

"I will. Goodnight."

"'night." Stretch touched the end button and let his hand drop to his chest, eye sockets closed as he lounged in his own chaos. He startled when his phone vibrated, looking at the screen to see he had a text alert. Curiosity was rough on cats and skeletons, and he opened it immediately to find a picture of all the others, Sans, Blue, and Red with their arms slung around each other and Papyrus and Edge standing but not touching. Behind them was a view of London with that huge fucking wheel Stretch recognized from the intro to Sherlock.

The text said, 'Next time, you'll be in the picture, too.'

He sent back, 'only if i get to be in the middle.'

There was no reply and Stretch tossed his phone a little too roughly onto the coffee table. Briefly, he considered going to bed and dismissed it as pointless. He'd never admit it, not for torture or money, but he couldn't sleep there right now. It didn't smell like Edge anymore.

Instead, he tugged a blanket out of the mess of twisted fabrics on the sofa and curled up amidst his own dirty socks, books, and maybe the television remote. May as well try to get a nap in, he had to be up early tomorrow anyway.

That was when the cleaners were supposed to get here.

-finis-

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