#might just let it sit here as a reminder that this isn't tolerated here

[helpfandom]

Candy corn for btas riddler please? ^^

🌽 Candy corn- (Corn maze)

He doesn't quite understand why you were so eager to be outside and out and about in a corn maze, especially considering he already figured out the basics of the maze, but since it made you happy, perhaps he can tolerate other, less intelligent people.

He watches your face light up as he tells you to take off the blindfold, -just in case you outsmarted him and manipulated him into believing you accepted your role as his child- to see the outside from more than just the garden he makes you sit outside in for an hour a day so you can get the vitamins you need.

He hovers, just enough to let people get the correct idea that he's just an overprotective father in Gotham, but far enough for you to explore the corn maze [relatively] by yourself.

He smiles as you make a wrong turn, and then turn backwards again and backtrack your way to him. All it does is remind him that you need him to guide you, that you must be taught correctly.

"Come here, child, do you want me to show you the way?" He gently asks, he is well aware that being too helpful can be detrimental to the child's developmental state, however, he can't stand the way that you look like you might cry from all the wrong turns you've made.

He gently puts his hand on your shoulder and guides the way to the exit for you, going a few wrong turns just so that you don't feel insecure. He ignores the whispers of 'Isn't that the kid who got kidnapped' and the like, they don't understand that you need him.

[lyon-amore]

With you until the end of the world Chapter 10

Chapter 9

*Angel POV*

The streets are full of tourists, it is much easier to pretend to be one of them while looking at something suspicious.

When we met again, Jake showed me the video of John Fusch being interviewed. That worried us a lot and made him strengthen the signal by forcing his tracking program to identify phones at a greater distance. He spent days working non-stop and, as Jack was worried about him, he decided to sit on his lap watching him type. What if I felt a little jealous? Maybe so, but seeing him sitting on Jake's lap, with a concentrated face it was very funny. 

Just like the place we stayed last time, we cleaned everything meticulously so that dust and dirt didn't bother us. We also rented another studio to leave another computer in case we were followed here too.

As far as our relationship was concerned, I now understood my parents better when I was little and I would go to their room because I had a nightmare. It's not that we have the same intimacy as before, but seeing how Jack used to ask us to sleep with us, with that terrified look, It reminded me of those moments of terror that I myself had gone through last year, so we accepted. It was strange. A strange feeling. I watched him as he fell asleep peacefully, with a smile. It made me feel proud to see how I took care of him. Jack became the only child I can tolerate.  

But I have not admitted this in front of Jake. I don't want him to laugh at me when I refused to let him stay with us. But I still don't accept being called 'mom' in private! On the other hand, Jake does usually call him dad.     "It is strange that he call me that." he said nervously.      That's what you get for accepting Jake, now you can't run away from your responsibilities. 

I look at the letter that I am going to send to my parents. I tell them that I'm fine, as always and not to worry. I feel like it's a little hard every time not to get a response from them, to know if it affects them. Maybe they took it to mean I'm on a long vacation. I put it in the mailbox and walk away, shopping bags in hand. I'm like all those tourists who pass by on the street, I'm not afraid that someone might recognize me.  

I stop at the window of a television store. On the news I see an interview from a few weeks ago by John Fusch. He looks too happy. I get to read his lips when he says Jake's name and I put a hand to my chest. Sometimes I feel that because of my superior, I gave myself away at the press conference and he knew that I was still in contact with him because of my attitude despite the fact that I hid it well. Or at least I hope he don't know.     "I should have run out before entering the room." I mutter as I walk away from the room.      At least we're away from him. He can't get to Jake. And he can't get to him using me either.  

I open the back door of the abandoned apartment. I wonder how long we'll be here and where we'll go next. I wish we could go a whole lot further still, somewhere where they wouldn't know what Jake did. Was that possible? But it would mean having to leave my family in the end. Never come back. I guess now it's a big decision, because it's not about two people right now. We are three. And it is that I could not leave them both to their fate. And especially since one is a small child and the other is a grown man who hardly sleeps if I don't make him sometimes. I enter the apartment going to the computer room. As always, Jack is on Jake's lap, watching him work. I walk over to them and ruffle Jack's hair.     "Hey Jack" I say to the little guy ", watching what Jake is doing again?"     "I'm getting better and better at understanding what he's doing" he answers, looking at me and then at Jake ", isn't that right, Dad?"      Jake looks at me and I smirk at him. Now he has to carry the weight of calling himself that.     “Yes dad, tell me, are him getting it right? Do you ask him questions to see if he is paying attention?” I cross my arms, waiting for him response.      He sighs and finally smiles.     "He still have many years to learn." he answers Jack, then looks at me "Any news from outside?"     "We'll talk about it later." I answer, avoiding showing concern at that moment.      I lean down and kiss Jake on the lips. I hadn't greeted him yet. I smile during the kiss and even hear him make a throaty sound, like a laugh.     "I thought you forgot about me." he tells me in a deeply sexy voice.     “I save the best for last.” I whisper, caressing his cheek.     "You're always kissing." we hear Jack say, with a laugh.     "That's because we love each other so much" I answer, tickling him “. Okay, I'll go and prepare the food. Are you here to help me, Jack?”      He nods and gets off Jake's lap, and he thanks me by moving his lips with a 'thank you'. 

We wait for the food to finish cooking on the small stove that heats it up. I notice that Jack has a sad look.     “What's up?”     “You do not love me, do not you?” I am surprised by his words. I was not expecting that question.     “Why do you ask that?”     "Because I think you love Jake more than me."      I take a deep breath, pushing my hair back from my face, uncomfortable.     “Well, there are different ways of loving and obviously I love Jake very much” I clear my throat a little nervous with the explanation “. But let it stay between us, I like you too much."     "Does that mean I can now call you Mom?" He asks me quickly.     "We'd better still wait a bit for that" I answered somewhat nervously “, but don't tell Jake, okay?”     "Why can't he know?"     &lt;<Because then I would have to agree with him.>>     "Believe me, it's better this way" I taste the food and nod. It is ready “. Jack, why don't you tell Jake that out for lunch? “     “Yes!” he runs out and I let out a small laugh. 

   We sit on the floor with the plastic plates. Now that he's not working, I have to talk about him, John Fusch.     “I saw our best friend in a store window.” I say in a funny tone.     “Surely his interview will have been broadcast throughout Europe” he comments putting his plate aside, with a thoughtful expression “, what worries me most is that they know what I am like.”     "We're lucky it's not like that" I take his hand and smile at him “, he still doesn't know what you look like, so you can rest easy, they haven't published any photos of you.”     "That is a relief." he smiles back at me, intertwining our fingers.      He caresses my back with his thumb, slowly. His green eyes sparkle like emerald jewels, with an intensity special to me.     “You are talking about the bad man again, right?” Jack says curiously "why is he chasing you? You're supposed to be the good guys.”     "Well, because…" Jake starts to say slowly and looks at me concerned "Because I watched something important and dangerous, something important people did not like me doing."     “And it was?” He tilts his head curiously.     "I prefer not to tell" He squeezes my hand hard, I can feel his fear “. It is better that none of you know what I saw, to protect you.”     "If it was something bad, you should tell it," he says and I look at him sadly “. I didn't say anything to any adult for fear of Jonas, but you are an adult and they can listen to you, right?”      Jake sighs, squeezing my hand tight again.     “It is not-“      We hear an alarm from the computer and Jake gets up quickly, leaving the room. Jack follows him and I go after them. The boy stands next to him, watching as he begins to type.     “We do this…” I hear Jake mutter “And…. Diverted” I see him smile with pride, although I can see in his eyes that he has been scared “. We are safe.”     “How did you do it?” asks the excited little one “How did you manage to keep the bad guys from finding us?”     "Do you want to know how?" I frown as I saw him pick him up and sit him on his lap, beginning to teach him.      I wonder why this change so suddenly. 

*Jake POV*

Fear seized me when I heard the alarm. I had jumped up straight to the computer, jamming my signal and rerouting it to the first studio. The idea of ​​what would happen if I were not next to them, someone must manage the programs, it crossed my mind. And what better than to teach Jack, a child that the laws will not be able to touch. I taught him few things, something simple. I could see Angel's face looking at me confused by my actions. She knows perfectly well that something is going through my head when I teach him. 

I was working on the computer until night fell. The area where the first computer was was too busy. I pinch the bridge of my nose, tired. I need to rest a bit now that It is calmed down. And they will be entertained for a long time. I get up and go to the room, where I see how she watches over Jack while he sleeps.     "Would you like to take a walk?" I ask whispering.     “But-“     "It will be around the area, do not worry." I smile at her so she does not worry and she nods.      She gets up from the ground approaching me, holding my hand. 

The streets are lonely. Not a sound disturbs the neighborhood. She grabs onto my arm, supporting her head. I hear how she sighs, she sounds happy.     "You deserved a break." she tells me and I look at her. She smile at me     "You should know better than anyone." I let out a laugh and lowered my mask, kissing her forehead.      We return to silence. A pleasant silence that I hope she do not hear my heart pounding right now.     “Why did you do it?” I look at her when I hear her question, somewhat confused “I thought you didn't want to teach him.”      I stop and take her hands, caressing the lats.     “When I heard the computer alarm, I remembered when I had to leave you alone” I look at her warm eyes watching me. they make me feel at home "If something happens, at least I have prepared Jack for the worst."     "Jake..." Shee separates her hands to take them to my cheeks, caressing me carefully “You are not going to leave us alone and nothing is going to happen to us” I lean in a little and she tries to get closer to me a little more, without erasing the smile “. And if something happens, we will follow you wherever, whatever happens, I will not stop being on your side.”      I lower the mask and kiss her. I attract her to me holding her by her waist. I notice her smile.     “Macie” I whisper her name against her lips and I can feel goosebumps rise on her skin “, I am lucky you are still by my side after all.”     "Do you think I'll ever stop being by your side?" She asks with a laugh, surrounding me with her arms “You're never going to get rid of me.”     "That is quite a tempting proposition."      We laugh and kiss again.  

We celebrate tonight that our first detour of our pursuers has worked. Jack left us after sleeping in his room soundly. 

I caress her back from bottom to top, while she begins to fall asleep. I would like to do something special for her, she does so much for me and I do nothing for her.     "I promise that one day I will give you a special day." I murmur close to her ear and she hugs me closer, as if she understood.      I look up at the ceiling, staying awake. I must not fall asleep after what happened. I hope she understands. 

Chapter 11

[sundial-girl]

Do you have any hcs for Heron???

how did you catch me thinking abt him... spooky

i'm like super bad at listing hcs out in an organized manner (*_ _)人 but here's some:

goes for long walks at night to clear his mind when he can't sleep. yeah walking around the dark alone at like 2 in the morning probably isn't the safest thing but he prefers the solitude at that time of day. occasionally he'll also find something like a cool rock or shell or whatever on these walks to bring back and gift to one of his friends (or just keep for himself)

occasionally tries to hide his emotions so those close to him won't worry about him, but he's not actually very good at that (sometimes) and it just makes them worry more :'0. also, very prone to mood swings, which he also tries to hide as to not ruin the mood [pun was not intended i swear]

please don't let him wear roller skates/heelys - he says he'll be fine and knows how to use them but he crashes into everything and nearly breaks his bones 😭

he and oliver don't actually talk all that much but there is a silent mutual understanding (bird instincts 🤝)

used to have a higher cold tolerance prior to losing his hand (& eye), but can't risk being out in the cold as much anymore due to the mechanical parts possibly getting damaged (& the metal gets freezing which is. uncomfortable) so :( rip

scared of the dentist but only a little bit. not completely terrified but doesn't like going there

i know the mauling len to death thing is a joke sorta but i wonder if there is smthn deeper to it. like len reminds heron of himself in a way (even in spite of several differences), and something about that makes him so envious and full of rage and he's not sure why (he does, but wouldn't admit to it)—what's even more frustrating is len just keeps being... len. is he willfully ignorant and is this mockery or is he really that forgiving? and how could you forgive someone after all they've done to you? maybe len represents a lot of things heron is not and that's what really sets him off to attack him, personally. but maybe not thats just a theory a heron theory

very neutral on goldfish crackers

bumps into doorframes a lot b/c. tol

there was a trend years ago iirc? of people just randomly climbing up to really high places and just sorta sitting there. i feel like maybe he'd do that sometimes just cause? like w/ the first point he might just need places to vibe alone sometimes

thang

[pan-fangirl-345]

Promise Me You Won't Fall In Love

Summary: You and Tsukishima have been friends since you were kids, and you made a promise not to fall in love with each other. But of course, everything's fine and great until someone (both of you) fucked up and caught feelings.

TW: swearing, mutual pining, unrequited love (it is requited later), minor harassment (not a lot), and there is some derogatory talk from an extra that doesn't even have a name (Kei puts him in his place, I promise).

A/N: So this wasn't requested, but I've been thinking about this one a lot recently and I wanted to do something with it, hence this.

Note: Anything in italics is a memory! Well, not all of it, but the longer sections. Most of the time the one or two word-er things are simply emphasized, that kind of thing.

"Tsukishima, your girlfriend's here to see you!" Sugawara told the middle blocker, and he turned to see you leaning against the wall near Yachi and Kiyoko, laughing at something they were saying to you.

"She's not my girlfriend," Kei muttered, walking over.

"Kei! I knew you'd be here," you said, digging through your bag. "One of the girls in my class wanted me to give this to you."

You handed him a bright pink envelope with black sparkly writing on the front, his name scrawled in almost perfect handwriting.

"Another love letter?" he asked, taking it.

"Probably, I've stopped asking. It makes them think that we're together," you told him, crossing your arms.

Kei sighed, opening the letter with little fanfare.

He scanned through it quickly, rolling his eyes.

One thing he had noticed was that the letters he had been getting were really sucky poetry and fancy words. They knew nothing about him worthwhile and he was pretty sure they just wanted to check off the 'I have a boyfriend' box on their high school checklists.

Kei made a noise of disgust and walked over to the nearest trash can, dumping the letter in.

"I'm assuming that's another no?" you asked, smirking at him, already knowing the answer.

He nodded, ignoring the smirk on your face.

You, Tadashi, and Kei had all been friends since middle school. Kei had known you longer, since you lived in the same neighborhood, but you had kind of adopted Tadashi when you had heard about him being bullied, hence why Kei and you were actual friends now. Tadashi was the link between the two of you that had stuck. Being forced to make conversation as some of the only kids in the neighborhood had simply made you acquaintances.

"If you knew I was going to say no then why would you give me the letter?" Kei asked.

"Because I'm hoping you'll broaden your horizons," you offered, waving your hand dismissively. "Besides, it sends the wrong message if I just throw them away without giving them to you. Not to mention, a lot of the girls don't like me to begin with because I'm one of the few people you can tolerate for more than a few minutes at the time. You've never had a girlfriend, Kei, even if they aren't girlfriend material, couldn't you at least make a few more friends?"

"I can barely deal with you and Tadashi, I don't need anymore friends," Kei told you, and you laughed.

"Keep telling yourself that Kei. I'll see you guys later, alright?"

Tadashi and Kei nodded, watching you leave before they rejoined practice.

"Are you sure she isn't your girlfriend, Tsukishima?" Sugawara asked, watching the blocker with mild interest.

Despite being second years now, their former upperclassmen were showing up more as tournament season drew closer. Though Kei also suspected that they were being nostalgic and that they missed their underclassmen's chaos.

"I'm sure," he assured the former setter. "Why?"

"Nothing, just a hunch," he murmured.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Guys, do you ever wonder how many people see you on the side of the street and think, 'Wow, they are the most beautiful person I have ever seen'?" you asked, as you hung upside down on the monkey bars.

"I think the blood is going to your head, (Y/F/N)," Tadashi teased.

"No, I'm serious," you said, turning to look at him. "I was thinking, earlier, about how Kei keeps getting all these love letters, and it made me wonder how many people see me as attractive, but never say anything. I don't think it's very many," you admitted, "but I wonder if they are out there."

Tadashi sighed, putting his hands on his forehead in an exasperated manner.

"(Y/F/N)," he said, sounding almost breathless, "just because Kei is getting letters doesn't mean that people don't find you attractive."

"I'm not saying people don't find me attractive," you said, swinging yourself up onto the bars again. "I know someone in the world must have standards that low, but just because they find me attractive doesn't mean they would date me."

"Why are we talking about this?" Kei asked, annoyance riddling his tone.

"Technically Tadashi and I were talking about it," you told him. "You were simply listening to the conversation."

"That doesn't tell me why this is the topic of conversation," he countered.

"I'm just saying! Kei keeps getting all these letters, and it makes me wonder if these girls actually think that they're in love with him. Attraction is really just a release of chemicals in the brain from when we were simply a species trying to survive. But that's not love," you said.

"So what's love to you?" Tadashi asked, curious.

"I think real, true love is when you see something that reminds you of them and you smile, even without realizing it. I think it's when it hurts to see them hurt, but you stay by them instead of seeking revenge, knowing they need you in the moment. I think it's the little inside jokes that mean nothing to people around you, but it's everything to you. I think it's knowing that there are plenty of people that are better than you out there, but wanting to stick around to be better for that person, to prove that you're worth it.

"I think it's seeing all the broken pieces, and loving them all anyway. It's remembering the little things. It's being able to sit in complete silence and know what the other is saying just because of the way their eyes crinkle. It's knowing that they have the power to break off new pieces, and trusting that they won't. It's when . . . instead of breaking pieces of yourself so that they can handle you, you stay whole. If they choke, you know it's not love, not really.

"It's knowing that you can stand on your own two feet, but leaning on them anyway. It's knowing that you are your own person, but wanting to share it with someone anyway. It's feeling free and wild, but content to stay still, because you trust them. For me, I feel like love is knowing that someone would read with me on a window seat, watching it rain, but they would also drive just a little too fast down older roads with the windows down so we can pretend, just for a moment, that we're in a shitty music video."

You smiled as you turned yourself upside down on the monkey bars again.

"I think it's kind of like what we have, but more romantic."

"You've been reading too much fanfiction," Kei muttered.

"Maybe," you admitted. "But maybe that's because I want to be able to spew romantic bullshit like that when I finally find a guy that likes me for me. I realize that, realistically, I'll probably never feel like that. Or at least, I won't feel it enough to put it into words like that. Fantasy never lives up to reality after all. But it's a nice thought."

"So, you don't think you'll ever find something like that?" Tadashi asked.

"I think that I'll either end up married to a man that was good enough, or on my own with no social life except you and Kei. I'll rely on work to keep me entertained."

Kei snorted.

"What's so funny you overly salted French fry?" you asked, raising an eyebrow.

"If I ever think you're marrying a man that's just 'good enough', I'll say 'I object!' at the wedding," he told you.

"Oh yeah?" you asked, smiling. "And why's that?"

"Because you deserve more than that," he said, looking you in the eye. "(Y/F/N), you are not the kind of girl that should end up with 'good enough'. You're too . . . free for that. Although, maybe independent is a better word. You would wither with just 'good enough', and that's not something I'm willing to let happen."

"Aw, so you do care about me," you cooed, swinging yourself upright onto the bars. "And don't worry Kei, we both know that Tadashi and I will never let you settle with 'good enough' either."

"What about me?" Tadashi squawked, and you laughed.

"Come 'Dashi," you chided, "we all know that you won't end up with 'good enough' even if you try."

His cheeks went pink and you laughed again.

Kei, as much as he pretended otherwise, really loved seeing you and Tadashi laugh like this. It reminded him that there were people who didn't see just the bastard act that he threw up to protect himself.

He loved the way your dimple appeared when you gave Tadashi that real smile, not the smirk or the grin you gave people. He loved seeing Tadashi carefree and not hiding behind his hand when he laughed or smiled.

He loved being able to sit and watch the two of you interact, but know that he could pop into the conversation whenever.

"Kei, that look on your face is kind of creepy," you teased, sliding to the ground to ruffle his hair, a small way of telling him you didn't mean it. "What's it for?"

"Nothing," he muttered, hoping to the heavens that his ears weren't turning pink, though they probably were.

"Come on Tsukki," Tadashi said, giving him a look, "we've all been friends for years. We know you better than that."

"I'm just glad is all," he murmured.

"Glad for what?" you asked, wrapping your arms around his shoulders, leaning over them to look at his face.

"You. Tadashi. You know, my friends," he confessed.

Damn it! His ears were definitely pink.

But he didn't shove you off.

Most people assumed that Kei was a jerk all the time, and while that might have been true for anyone else, you and Tadashi were the exceptions to his rule.

You and Tadashi had been friends with him for almost your whole lives, and both of you had been there during the brother debacle.

You and Kei had lived in the same neighborhood for years, and had been a part of more than a few conversations that had been forced by social convention, and your mother had been good friends with his in high school, though they had lost touch after that.

You had noticed Tadashi being bullied in class and had stepped in, defending him and deciding that he was more worth your time than the other kids.

Which led you to Kei, when you found out that he had helped Tadashi on the playground, even if that had never been his original intention.

The three of you had become a trio of sorts in your later years, though your reputations weren't the most . . . innocent.

Kei had always had a sharp tongue and a quicker wit, and his irritation seemed to have no limits.

You were on level with him, though you were much harder to set off than he was.

Tadashi never really provoked, but he watched as the two of you eviscerated anyone that insulted him.

Kei was ruthless with people who made comments on you and/or Tadashi, never giving them a chance to get another word in, though they had often tried, simply making themselves seem more like idiots.

On the other hand, you tended to let people hang themselves with their own tongues, before using that quick wit and sharp tongue to gut them like the pigs that they were.

Tadashi had little confidence on his own, and he tended to be more affected by words than you or Kei, so most of the time he let you and Kei handle people, but every once in a while, he would be set off.

Nothing was scarier than Tadashi getting pissed. He was rarely ever confrontational, but when something set him off, it was terrifying. He got really quiet, and he never raised his voice. There was a quiet kind of fury that radiated from him when he got like that, and if you and Kei used your words to eviscerate, Tadashi used his to give someone hypothermia. He would make them get colder and colder before their brains tricked them into thinking they were too hot, and then ended them.

All three of you were terrifying in your own ways, but that didn't mean you were like that all the time.

Kei wasn't an asshole all the time, and he enjoyed receiving hugs and other types of physical affection, he was just shit at reciprocating it and letting others see that more 'vulnerable side of him', as he put it. He was better at fixing problems logically. He helped you and Tadashi study, or sometimes bought gifts to make you both feel better, little things that still made your days.

Tadashi was someone who might not be confrontational, but he was very good about getting you and Kei out of your heads when something did hit a chink in your respective armors. He knew that both you and Kei were more affected by what people said than most people were led to believe. He was also a very good listener.

You were the giver of physical affection when the boys needed it. Kei tended to need it more than Tadashi, since Tadashi had his moms who were more than willing to give hugs. Kei didn't like his mother thinking anything was wrong, and he didn't completely trust his brother anymore, so physical contact was kept to a minimum.

Tadashi was okay with giving Kei affection, but most of the time, when it came to Kei, you were the one he went to.

You had asked him once, why he always came to you.

"I sometimes think Tadashi puts me up on a pedestal," he had admitted. "He knows me, and he's my friend, but sometimes it feels like I can't disappoint him. I don't feel that way with you. Besides, your short enough that hugging you feels better. Plus, Tadashi is all bones."

"We're glad for you too Kei," you told him, leaning your chin on his shoulder.

Tadashi nodded, taking a seat beside Kei.

Kei's heart clenched, like it often did when he was reminded that he really did have great friends, and his ears got hotter.

"Alright, enough of the mushy stuff," he muttered, trying to wave you and Tadashi away.

"Come on Kei," you whined softly, gently bumping your head with his, "we all know that you have a heart! Don't be that way, it's just us."

Kei made a small noise, and you laughed, releasing him so that you could sit on his other side, peering up into his face with your adorable fucking doe eyes.

"You know you don't have to pretend with us," you murmured, leaning on his shoulder, taking his hand.

"Yeah, we've all been friends for long enough Tsukki," Tadashi agreed, leaning his head on Kei's other shoulder.

"I hate you both," he muttered, trying to hide his face in his hands.

"Nuh uh," you said, pulling away to pull his hands from his face, sounding like a child. "No hiding from us."

You took his hand again, and for a while, all three of you just sat there, enjoying each other's company.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Tsukishima! You're girlfriend is here again," Suga said, gesturing to where you were walking through the doors of the gym, laughing with Yachi.

"Again, she's not my girlfriend," Kei muttered.

He remembered, suddenly, about the promise you had both made when you were middle school and boys were starting to notice girls and vice versa.

"Kei and (Y/F/N) would make such a cute couple when they're older," your mother had told his, smiling as you both chatted at a neighborhood barbeque, being two of the only children there that could hold an intelligent conversation.

At that point, you and Kei were more than acquaintances, but you weren't exactly friends yet either.

Neither mother had realized that you and Kei had overheard, and when Kei had glanced at you, your nose was wrinkled like it did when you were grossed out by something, your expression mirroring his.

"Promise me something Kei," you had said, turning your attention back to him. "Promise me that you won't ever fall in love with me."

"Why not? I mean, I won't, but I want a reason," he had said, arms crossed as he looked at you.

"Because we're friends," you had said, like it had been the simplest thing in the world. "And because if we ended up falling in love and dating that means Tadashi would feel left out all the time and I won't let that happen. So promise me."

"I promise not to fall in love with you if you promise not to fall in love with me," he had offered.

"Deal," you had told him, offering him your hand to shake on it.

"Ah, Kei, there you are!" you said, smiling at him. "There's another letter. Based on the amount of hearts on it, another confession."

"Keep it," he muttered, pushing your hand away when you went to hand him the letter.

"Kei, I don't want to carry around another one of your love letters," you said, wrinkling your nose. "These aren't for me, and they make me sick, so please, for the sake of our friendship, take the damn thing off my hands so I can wash them."

He sighed, a pained sound that had you laughing, and took the letter, slipping it into his bag, wondering if the girls at school would ever take a hint that he wasn't interested.

"Why is Tsukishima so popular with the girls?" Hinata wondered out loud. "His personality is so crappy."

"And I don't think I've ever heard him say a nice thing to anyone," Kageyama added.

"That's because you guys are irritating to Kei," you interrupted, turning to them, arms crossed and hip cocked out to the side. "Most of the time, he's helpful and respectful. You two just aren't the kind of people he would voluntarily hang out with."

"Rude," Hinata cried, then pouted, "but true."

"The only people Kei really rips into are people he doesn't like, doesn't respect, people who disrespect Tadashi or me, or people who betray his trust. You two are options one and two."

"He just seems like an unfeeling asshole, even after three years of knowing him."

"I think it's the opposite actually," you told them.

Kei could feel your eyes on the back of his head, either unaware that he could hear you or uncaring that he was listening.

"I think he feels all of it, at one hundred and twenty percent. He just acts like that to avoid getting hurt in most cases. In your case though, he really does just not like you. Or, more accurately, he doesn't like that you two are so clearly passionate about something when he gets scared of something hurting him if he cares too much. Like Tadashi told you once, Hinata, if Kei didn't at least like volleyball, he wouldn't be here. Just think about it," you told them.

"(Y/F/N)!" Tadashi called. "We're still studying at your place right?"

"Yeah, just like always," you assured him. "Kei, you still have the spare key, just let yourselves in."

He nodded, spinning the ball in his hands as he watched you walk away.

"Tsukishima, are you one hundred percent sure that she isn't your girlfriend?" Suga asked, eyebrows raised at him.

"Three hundred percent sure," Tsukishima grunted as he served the ball.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Why do you never accept any of the confessions, Kei?" you asked, looking at him from over the top of your textbook.

Your head was hanging off the side of your bed and your socked feet were crossed at the ankles, resting on your wall.

Kei's neck hurt just looking at you, but he didn't say anything to you about moving.

"Because they aren't my type," Kei muttered, checking his notes before writing down an answer on his paper.

"What is your type?" you inquired, rolling onto your stomach, setting you book to the side. "Because I don't think I've ever seen you take an interest in a girl." You frowned, then added, "Romantic interest I mean."

Kei wondered what other interest you had thought he might get out of that, but he decided not to question it. Despite knowing you for years, and being as close to you as he was, you still managed to be somewhat of a mystery to him.

"Does it matter?" he asked.

"Yes, because I want to be able to set you up when you decide you're ready for a relationship!" you said. "Tadashi and I would make great wingmen. Well, wingman and wingwoman, but you know what I mean."

Kei actually turned to look at you at that one.

"You're serious," he muttered, noting the look on your face.

"Yes! Unless you don't think you're going to want a romantic relationship, which is completely okay too. I just want you to be happy is all."

"You know what makes me happy?" Kei asked, pausing to let you answer, but instead you stayed quiet, watching him with those damn doe eyes. "Getting my homework done and not having to deal with confessions from girls that don't know the first thing about me."

Kei heard your small chuckle, and as he went back to his homework, he found himself smiling.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kei had always known that, objectively, you were very pretty (he had heard enough from his classmates over the years to have it verified), but sometimes you did something, and he would realize all over again.

Today you had laughed a little harder as he ripped into someone, and you had given him one of those dimpled smiles that he adored so much, and he had stood there blinking for a moment before he cooled his expression again.

Kei didn't really understand why he got so mad when someone flirted with you in the hallways, or when you came to cheer the team on during games.

He had always assumed that it was merely because you were such good friends, but then he had realized that no one else got that mad, they didn't feel the same painful burning in the pit of their stomachs at seeing you with another guy.

Asking Suga had done absolutely nothing, the setter had merely suggested that Kei was jealous, which was absolute bullshit, and he wasn't desperate enough to contact Bokuto or Kuroo yet, though he might be at the point of asking Akaashi.

He would know if he liked you the way that the older setter was implying. He would know if he was in love with you.

Right?

Kei could worry about that later, right now he was more interested in getting that guy's hand off your shoulder and away from your neck.

"(Y/F/N)," Kei called, striding over, back straight. "The game's about to start, we've got to go."

"Kei!" you chirped, smiling at him, moving to his side immediately, giving the guy that had been bugging you a sugar sweet (and utterly fake) smile over your shoulder. "See you around never, hopefully!"

Kei pressed his lips together to hide his smile, letting you wrap your hand around his.

"Was that guy bothering you?"

"A little, but you got there just in time," you told him, your hand tightening it's grip for a moment before you let him go. "Thanks for always having the most amazing timing Kei!"

"Yeah, whatever," he told you, bumping your shoulder with his.

"Seriously, what is it with the girls that hang around with us and wandering off?" Daichi asked when you walked into the gym with Kei.

"Sorry guys! I just wanted to buy a key chain," you said, holding it up, grinning. "It's not my fault that athletes can't take no for an answer! Sometimes I think your on-court determination bleeds over into everyday life."

There were some nods, and Kei watched as the guy that had been bothering you stepped onto the other side of the court.

He followed the guy's eyes to you, where you were laughing at something Kageyama said.

Did- Did that moron just lick his lips at you?

Kei felt that burning sensation in his stomach again.

Kei didn't realize that he had been glaring until he heard your voice right next to him.

"Anyway, good luck guys!" you told them, affectionately ruffling Tadashi's hair, hip-checking Kei on your way into the stands, flashing him that damned dimpled grin over your shoulder.

"Hey, Blondie!" the guy called. "You, Glasses! I'm talkin' to you!"

Kei turned to see the guy from earlier smirking at him.

"Dude, your girl is so hot!" he said.

Kei felt the entirety of Karasuno tense behind him as they realized what was going on.

"Yeah, she is," Kei agreed.

"Think you'd be willin' to share her with me? I promise I'd take good care of her."

"Oh shit," someone muttered, and Kei saw red for a moment before he got himself under control.

"Is your ass jealous about the amount of shit that just came out of your mouth?" Kei asked, putting his hand on his hip.

Using insults like that was never really his thing, but he was really pissed right now.

"Hey, Tsukki," Tadashi said quietly, "you might not want to-"

"What did you just say to me?" the guy asked.

"Hey, Kei!" you called from the stands, waving at him to catch his attention. "Leave the smack talk for when you actually win! Block his spike down his throat for me, alright?"

He nodded, giving you a grin that had you giving him one right back.

"God forbid if she was a guy and they were on the same team," Suga muttered, and the others nodded.

"Alright, time for the game to start," Daichi said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kei did as you asked: he blocked every single spike that the guy tried to send over the net, and Kei could already tell that the guy was pissed at the end of the first set.

He was spiking more and more aggressively, which was screwing up aim to the point where Kei didn't even really need to block.

"Go Karasuno!" you cheered, smiling at the team from the stands.

Kei, every time he felt his anger getting out of control, looked to you in the stands to calm down.

Finally, the scumbag was so out of control that he was switched out with another wing spiker.

From there, the game was easy.

By the end of it, Kei hadn't even needed to look for you in the stands. Not only had he memorized where you were, but no one else on that team pissed him off as much as that scumbag did.

As soon as the ball landed on the other side of the court, and it was called, you were running down from the stands, running for him.

"Kei! You were so great!" you cheered, wrapping your arms around his neck, jumping at him.

He wrapped his arms around your waist to keep the both of you from falling over, and he buried his face in your neck as he set you down.

"Oh my gosh, Kei that was so amazing! I think that's the best you've played all season! Seriously! Some of those blocked looked like they would've ripped my arms off, that was so cool!" you gushed, holding onto his forearms.

Kei nodded, giving Tadashi a look over your shoulder for a moment, letting him know that it was okay for him to go on ahead.

"Thanks for blocking the slime ball for me Kei!" you said, smiling up at him. "And what did he say to you that got you so pissed off? I haven't seen you that mad in forever!"

"It was nothing," he told you, "it was stupid."

"Are you sure?" you inquired, looking up at him.

"Yeah, I'm sure the team will tell you about it later."

"Alright, I just wanted to make sure that you were okay," you told him, "'cause you looked really pissed. I haven't seen you that pissed off since that one guy tried to make Tadashi cry."

"I don't like it when people make you uncomfortable like that," Kei said. "It really pisses me off."

"Is that why you kept looking at me during the game?" you asked, and Kei wondered if any other girl would've been so honest with him about something like this, or if it as just the fact that you had both spent so much time together growing up. "I noticed that you always looked at me whenever you had the chance."

Kei nodded, gesturing with his head towards the doors, so that he could catch up with the team and talk with you at the same time.

"Yeah, that was one of the reasons. It kept me focused on the scumbag's spikes, and it calmed me down enough so that I didn't punch him whenever we were across the net from each other."

"I kinda wish that you had, but I also know that it would've gotten you ejected from the game, which is not something I want to happen. Anyway, thanks Kei," you told him, smiling up at him.

"Yeah, always," he said, putting his hand on your head.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was when you were over at his house Sunday morning when he realized that he might need to call Kuroo and Bokuto.

You, Kei, and Tadashi had had a sleepover, but Tadashi had left early to spend some time with his moms, so Kei had woken up to you with a hand on his chest and his arm numb from where it was pillowing your head.

The three of you had been sitting on Kei's bed watching a movie, but Tadashi had tipped over sometime near the halfway marker, and Kei had fallen asleep not long after that, so he could only assume that you had fallen asleep sometime after Tadashi had left this morning.

Kei turned on his side slowly, not wanting to wake you up, wrapping an arm around your waist softly.

He toyed with your hair, twisting it in his fingers gently, brushing it behind your ear, threading his fingers through it.

He wasn't ready to get up for the day yet, so he laid there with you, wondering how it would be ten years in the future.

Would your hair be longer? Would you cut it shorter? Would you dye it? Would you have kids by then?

That last one had made him pause.

He had always known that short of you dying or some huge falling out, Kei was in no way going to be able to get rid of you or Tadashi, but he had never even considered dating you, let alone anything beyond that.

So why was he wondering what your kids would look like? Why was he wondering how many you would want, if any? Why was he questioning how many stray animals you might bring home after work?

He sounded like every lovesick fool that got his heart broken in those weird movies that Tadashi liked to watch.

Kei glanced down at your face, and he suddenly found himself unable to think of a reality where he didn't wake up like this for the rest of his life.

When had he stopped seeing you as his little sister, or the annoying female friend that all of his classmates admired? When had he started seeing you as someone he could fall in love with, if he hadn't already?

But even with this new revelation, he couldn't bring himself to pull away from you.

Kei loved it when you both bickered like you hated each other, and he loved when you were able to throw back any insulting thing he said to you. He loved being able to have real conversations with you, but he also liked just sitting quietly with you.

This though, this was by far his favorite thing, seeing all the stress gone from your body, seeing your face without any kind of mask on, he adore seeing the calm serenity that came with sleep.

"Mm, Kei?" you asked sleepily, glancing at him. "What time is it?"

"Still early," he murmured, tucking you into his chest again. "Go back to sleep."

"M'kay," you said, nuzzling in close.

Kei waited for a minute before he grabbed his phone and his glasses from the side table, texting Kuroo.

Normally, he would've talked to Tadashi, but Kei didn't want to drag him into anything until he knew for sure, just in case he was wrong.

Kei: I have a question for you

Kuroo: What's up Tsukki-poo?

Kei: First, don't call me that

Kei: Secondly, and this is completely hypothetical, but how do you know when you love someone?

Kuroo: Aww, is my little kouhai in love with someone? How cute!

Kei made a face, taking a deep breath and glancing at you quickly before he turned his attention back to his phone.

Kei: Just answer the question

Kuroo: We're talking hypothetically?

Kei: Yeah

Kuroo: Can't you use the internet for this stuff? Why ask me? Why not ask Freckles? Or the pretty setter on your team?

Kei: The internet would tell me I have cancer, not that I might be in love with someone

Kei: Secondly, as for the setter comment, I'm assuming you mean Suga

Kei: Thirdly, he would go tell Tadashi, and then the possible love interest, and I don't want to deal with any of those things

Kei: So, please, for the sake of my sanity, just answer the question

Kuroo: Alright, alright. Jeesh. Hypothetically, if you were in love with someone you might start noticing their presence more

Kuroo: It would feel almost like you have a compass where the needle points to them, and you can't turn it off. You notice the little things more than normal, and you know them. I mean, really know them. They feel almost like a part of you

Kuroo: Seeing them hurt hurts you. You constantly feel the need to make sure that they're okay. Even the little things that kind of annoy you are a huge part of what you love about them

Kuroo: You find yourself smiling at them, even when they're doing something completely mundane, and you could recognize their voice in a crowd. Suddenly, they went from just another person, to someone that you could find in a crowd, even if they blend in enough that they normally fade into the background

Kuroo: Hypothetically speaking, of course

Kei was surprised by how much his mentor was able to type out in such a short amount of time, but in the end, he was most surprised by how much it lined up with what you had told him earlier. The basics were the same, and Kei sighed, realizing what this meant for him.

Kei: How to I make it stop?

Kei: Hypothetically

Kuroo: When I figure that out, I'll let you know

Kei blinked at that, then sighed again.

Kei: Thanks, Kuroo-san.

Kuroo: Sure thing Skinny, let me know how it goes

Kuroo: Hypothetically, of course

Kei couldn't help but chuckle softly, and he set his phone aside, wondering whether this was going to change anything, and how long he had been in love with you.

He had always noticed the little things about you, it was just a part of him being perceptive, and he had grown up with you, so he automatically knew you better than 80 percent of the people you went to school with.

But he was more in tune with your presence than even Tadashi was. And he had always managed to pick your voice out in a crowd.

He glanced down at you, and suddenly, instead of being worried about if he was in love you, he was more worried about whether you loved him back or not.

Kei debated texting Tadashi, but he decided that it could wait, and he wanted to enjoy this time with you unhindered.

Kei knew that he was never going to say anything unless he was sure you felt the same way about him.

For one thing, you were nice enough that it was entirely possible that you would date him just because you were too nice to say no. For another thing, he wasn't the kind of guy to make a move if he thought it wouldn't lead to a win. Not to mention, that if you he did ask you out and you said no, that might make things awkward in the friend group, and Kei didn't want that to happen.

He had gone this long, right? What was a few more weeks?

But, of course, things didn't go the way that Kei wanted them to.

As the end of a semester approached, as well as the end of the year, projects piled on, as did speeches and tests.

Kei had always done well academically, and he wasn't as stressed as some of the other people he knew, like Hinata and Kageyama.

You seemed to be feeling the pressure too, even though Kei knew that you were going to be getting some of the higher grades in class, just like always.

You were freaking out more than usual, and Kei realized that he needed to do something if he didn't want you to overwork yourself.

He found you on the swings at the park by your house.

He had gone over to make sure that you had eaten something, but your mother had told him that you had gone out earlier, and that she didn't know where you were.

"Hey," he said, announcing his presence as he settled beside you.

"Hey Kei," you replied, staring at the ground in front of you like it held the key to the universe.

"Are you okay?"

"No," you admitted. "I'm so nervous and freaked out that I can't eat anything. I have that weird mineral deficiency so drinking water just makes me really dizzy and I almost passed out when I stood up at the end of the day and there's nothing I can do about it! Not to mention that, once again, I got stuck with the morons that aren't going to do anything to help me with the project so I'm stuck doing everything by myself. For some of my classes, that's okay, I can just tell the teacher that they didn't help, but for some of them they're going to give me that bullshit lecture about working together. I have no idea what to do my speech about for that one class, and I have so many back to back tests that I think I might forget everything!"

Kei let you ramble, watching the way your hands moved around, trying to communicate the stress and anger and nerves that you were experiencing all at once.

He watched the way yours eyes widened and squeezed shut to add extra emphasis. He watched the way you glanced over at him to make sure that he was still paying attention, to make sure that you weren't annoying him, the way you smiled a little bit whenever you noticed that he was watching you and that you weren't annoying him by talking.

Somehow, you started talking about the constant love letters that he was getting.

"I mean, I get that some girls feel the need to have a boyfriend," you said, rolling your eyes, "but I have bigger things to worry about than their attraction to you, you know? One girl gave me a letter the other day, and I was so tired that I didn't realize what it was, and I started to read it and I was caught between wanting to laugh, cry, and hurl all at the same time."

Kei perked up at that.

"It made me kinda sad too," you admitted, your voice quieting. "I mean, it must really suck for you, getting all these letters claiming that they love you when they don't even know that first thing about who you are. I mean, it was hilarious that she even thought that you were interested in getting a girlfriend, and it was sickening how many times she used the words 'hot', 'sexy', and 'unadulteratedly handsome' to describe you."

Kei knew he made a face at that, with the way you laughed, before you continued, your voice even quieter than it had been, "But it made me sad to think that you keep having to read these things. They claim that they love you, that they want to be with you, and they don't even know who you are. Not in a way that matters at least. I don't know, it was just kind of depressing I guess."

You glanced at him, turning to face him.

"I hope you don't mind, but I started throwing them away. I'm getting sick and tired of being their carrier pigeon, and I really hate thinking about you having to deal with them all the time. If they want to confess they can find another way to do it."

"I don't mind, at all," he assured you, and you smiled at him.

But then your smiled faded into something similar to a frown.

"Hey, Kei?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you remember that promise we made when we were kids?"

"How could I forget? You never shut up about it during middle school," he teased.

"I broke that promise," you whispered. "That was one of the reasons that those letters made me so upset. As someone who has loved you, really loved you, for longer than they've known about you, it made me sick to read some of the things they said. I know that that makes me sound like some kind of possessive bitch, but it's true."

Kei stared at you, wondering if he had just heard that right.

You were in love with him? And had been for more than three years?

Kei felt like the breath had been knocked out of him.

"What's with the face Kei?" you asked. "I thought you knew already."

Kei didn't think that his eyes could get any wider than they were at that moment.

"Y-You . . . I-I what?"

"Come on Kei, you had to have noticed by now," you said, looking more concerned by the second. "I mean, it's not like I act the same way around everyone else that I do around you."

Kei let his brain process the things that you were telling him before he managed to squeak out, "You mean, like a friend thing right?"

You bit your lip, checking his face for something, fiddling with your fingers in your lap.

"No, Kei," you said finally. "I mean like, I want to be your girlfriend kind of love."

You weren't looking at him now, and he was worried you were taking this the wrong way. He didn't want this to end in a misunderstanding so he sighed dramatically.

"So, you're telling me that I could have confessed months ago and avoided the entire overthinking part of my recent internal panic?" he asked, watching the way your brows furrowed with confusion, the way your head whipped up when you finally realized what he was saying to you.

"A-Are you saying that the feeling is mutual?" you asked, eyes wide as you both looked at each other.

"Yes, you dumbass," he teased, smiling softly at you. "I broke that promise too, so it's okay, since we both broke it."

Now you were the one staring at him in disbelief.

Then you were off your swing and pacing in front of them, waving your hands around like a madwoman.

"Holy shit, you love me back," you muttered, glancing at him out of the corner of your eye every few seconds, like you were worried he would disappear. "I-I don't know what to do from here. I never thought that I would get this far. Is . . . is this where we talk about whether we want this to be a serious thing?" you asked. "Is this where we agree that we love each other but we pretend like nothing's changed? What am I supposed to do in this situation?"

"For one thing," Kei said, standing so that he could wrap his hands around your wrists, gently making you look at him. "You could calm down and let me get a word or two in before you make yourself black out."

You nodded, taking a deep breath.

"For another," he continued, "you and I should go back to your house. Your mom is worried sick about you, and you need to eat something before you pass out. We can have a serious talk about what this means once you aren't in danger of passing out from exhaustion or malnutrition."

"Okay, but only because I know that you're going to make me do it anyway," you told him, making him laugh.

You both walked in silence for a while before you asked, "When did you realize?"

"A few months ago," he admitted. "I think I've always known, but that guy- the slimeball that I blocked- got on my nerves enough that I knew it wasn't some platonic 'protect a friend' thing. I started seeing it more and more after that. I talked to Kuroo-san about it when I was nearly 100 percent sure, and that solidified it for me I guess, that night you and Tadashi stayed over and we watched that horrid slasher film. I woke up and you were right there by my side, and suddenly I couldn't imagine waking up any other way."

"That really was a horrible movie," you muttered. "I didn't think you were going to be the cheesy one today, but then again, you are always surprising me. And you didn't think to tell me?"

"I was worried it would make things awkward, and I didn't want to say something and be wrong, you know? Besides, you can't say anything. How long have you known?"

"Do you remember the summer before our third year in middle school and we all stayed at my grandparents' camp for three weeks?"

"That long? We were- what?- twelve?"

"Yeah. I remember that there was a thunderstorm the first night we were there, and I got up in the middle of the night because I couldn't sleep, so I stood on the deck, in a tank top and shorts because I wanted to. I don't even remember how long I had been out there when you wandered out. I remember calling you a dumbass because 'What if I was a murderer?' and you just called me short.

"We both stood there for a few minutes, and when I shivered, you wrapped your arms around my waist from behind me, pressing your chest to my back and calling me an idiot for wearing something so light in the middle of a thunderstorm. Instead of doing the sensible thing and getting a blanket or a jacket, you just hugged me and stood there with me until I couldn't stand it and we went inside."

Kei remembered that. He had seen you standing out on the deck when the lightning had flashed, and he had been worried when you weren't in your room, so he had gone out to check on you.

You had looked so happy, standing there in the rain, listening to the thunder crash in the distance.

He had wanted to stay with you, so he had.

It was one of the first times he had decided that he didn't care what it looked like, he cared for you, and he was going to show it somehow.

Kei slipped his hand into yours, interlacing your fingers together.

You glanced at him, but you didn't say anything, just squeezed his hand and walked with him.

When you both got back to your house, you grabbed a plate of food and plopped down at your desk in your room.

Kei lounged on your bed while you ate, watching you flip through a textbook and scribble notes in between bites of food.

When you pushed the plate to the side, your turned to face him.

"So."

"So."

You both locked eyes and chuckled.

"I already told you what I wanted out of this," you told him, shrugging. "I'm fine with whatever we decide, but that's my best case scenario ending for this."

"You make this sound like a business meeting," he teased, watching you stand up to move next to him on your bed.

"What do you want from this, Kei?" you asked, glancing down at your lap.

"I want you to be my girlfriend," he admitted. "I want to glare at guys that think they even have a chance with you. I want to kiss you for good luck before a game, all that sappy shit that everyone says that I wouldn't be into."

You smiled, laughing a little breathlessly for a moment before you comprehended everything he said.

"All of it?" you asked, turning those damned doe eyes on him again.

"All of it," he confirmed.

You chuckled softly, taking his hand again.

"Good. Me too."

"Good," he replied, pressing a quick kiss to your temple.

You giggled, something that made Kei stop for a moment, because you weren't the type of girl to giggle, at anything.

He smiled softly at you, and he wondered how much shit he was going to get from his team with you around, but he realized that it wasn't anything he needed to worry about yet.

Then he remembered something else.

"Hey, do you want to cause a little chaos?" Kei asked you.

"How so?"

"Remember how I said I talked to Kuroo-san?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, he wanted me to let him know how it went," Kei admitted. "I have him, Bokuto, Akaashi, Lev, and Hinata in a discord group chat. I want to try something, if you're okay with it."

"What do you have in mind?" you asked, arching an eyebrow, a smirk on your lips that said you were up for almost anything.

Skinny: img.jpg

Skinny: Thanks Kuroo-san

five people are typing...

Kei laughed, leaning over to show you the chaos that had ensued when he had sent the group chat the photo of you kissing his cheek.

You giggled at the many exclamation points and question marks, snickering at Kuroo's reply.

"I love you," you told him, kissing his cheek again.

"I love you too," he said, ignoring the calls that were coming through on his phone as he leaned over to cup your face in his hands.

[trexrambling]

Ooouf I am such a sucker for a good “I didn’t know where else to go”

If it inspires you! 💛

The two, soft raps on your door wake you immediately. Still sleep groggy, both hands already cradling your gun, you slide out of bed and land noiselessly on the carpet. You check your bedside clock - 3:08am - and then cautiously make your way to the window to peek out of the curtains.

A smile finds its way to your lips, but slowly fades as you take in the man standing on your front porch. His forehead leans heavily against the wooden door, one hand resting beside it. You check behind him, out into the long driveway, but only see an empty, moonlit path. No Sam.

You switch the safety on your gun and set it down, brushing your hands over your pajamas and through your messy hair. Then you unlock the door, swing it open, and almost have to catch Dean's whole frame as he falls forward, stumbling into you.

"Whoah, hey, you good?" you grunt out, pushing him back upright and guiding him with a steady hand on his back into your small home. You close the door behind the two of you, sliding the bolts back into place, and turn on a lamp just as he falls onto the couch with a loud grunt.

Well, there isn't any blood. No bruises, scrapes, or monster gunk. You survey him, his head leaned back against the couch cushions, eyes closed, arms folded, long legs extended out. Your nose wrinkles at the scent drifting off of him. "Had a bit to drink, have we?"

He mumbles something not fully coherent, and you sigh. "Where's the Impala? Did you park it down the road?"

"Walked," he replies.

Your eyebrows shoot up. "You walked all the way here?"

He shrugs and settles deeper into the couch.

"Dean, what's going on?"

He lifts his head, finally looks at you for the first time. "I know it's late. I just..." He looks away, rubs a hand on the back of his neck. "I didn't know where else to go."

You lean against the wall, resist the urge to go over and wrap him up in a hug, run your fingers through his hair and just hold him. That's not the type of relationship the two of you have, no matter how much you might want it to be.

"Are you and Sam still fighting?"

He nods, shifts his weight and clears his throat. "Yeah, things with Ruby are...well, they aren't good."

You frown. "Remind me why we haven't ganked that bitch yet?"

A small grin finds his face, and he meets your eyes again. "I ask myself that every damn day."

You can't stop your feet anymore as you cross to the couch, sit down beside him and put a hand in the safest, comforting spot you can find on his knee. "Want some coffee? I can start a pot, we can talk through things."

To your surprise, his hand covers yours, picking it up in his palm and giving a gentle squeeze. He doesn't let go, and you sure as hell don't try to pull away. "Are you good if I crash here? I know I woke you up, you must be tired."

You're anything but tired with his hand holding yours, the heat spreading up your arm, down your back, settling in the base of your spine. You swallow and somehow keep your voice steady. "Yeah, um, of course. You know you're always welcome."

You're trying to figure out how to get him a blanket without letting go of his hand when he suddenly moves, his arm wrapping around your frame, pulling you into his side as he readjusts his position on the couch, turned at an angle so his legs are off the floor. Your head is resting on his chest, your body curled up against his side. Dean's hand rubs up and down your arm, and a long sigh leaves his lips.

"Thanks, Y/N."

You don't dare to move a muscle, just look up at him and listen as his breathing immediately slows, feel him drift off to sleep in a matter of seconds, his heartbeat steady in your ear.

Rather than let your brain overthink what's happening, you just stay there, let his warmth soak into your skin and make the decision that the smell of alcohol is most definitely tolerable for tonight. Because there's no where else in the world you'd rather be right now.

--------

If anyone has a wee Drabble request, I’m very much feeling this list of prompts right now and would love to do some writing! xo

[yandere-daydreams]

Twelve Days of Christmas - Day Nine

Prompt: Gifts.

Pairing: Yandere!Malleus/Reader (Twisted Wonderland).

TW: Emotional Manipulation, Implied Imprisonment, Burning, Threats of Bodily Harms, and Slight Marking.

“Lilia claims it’s a human tradition.”

You couldn’t help but laugh at Malleus’ tone, his usual composure infected by something playful, a childish lilt that only grew more jovial as appeared behind you, his larger form soon draped over yours. Sitting at the vanity he’d provided, your arms resting on the wooden table-top, you could see his reflection in the circular mirror, a soft smile playing at the corner of his mouth, one that was soon obscured as he pressed a soft kiss into the edge of your jaw, then your cheek while you bit back a laugh. You’d never expected him to be so affectionate, behind closed doors, but you couldn’t say you minded. Not when it came to Malleus.

You couldn’t complain, either. You were his guest, here, in the Valley of Thorns, in the castle he’d insisted on whisking you away to after your graduation from Night Raven. It was sweet of him, honestly. He’d given you a room for weeks, let his servants dote on you as they did him, so it was the least you could do to tolerate the sudden change in his demeanor, to grin as you felt gloved fingers brush against your neck, followed by something metallic and warm to the touch. You didn’t look, though, not yet, keeping your gaze fixed on him. You wanted it to be a surprise, even if Malleus didn’t seem to remember part of your ‘tradition’. “You’re a few days early,” You started, more out of habit than anything else. “And it really isn’t necessary. I already feel like I’m leeching off of you, more jewelry probably isn't going to help.”

“Then think of this as a present for me.” If nothing else, you adored his sincerity, how genuine the fondness in his voice seemed - so sweet, you thought you could’ve been sick. Without thinking, you leaned back, letting your head come to rest against his chest as he fiddled with something above the nape of your neck. Malleus was many things, but he wasn’t unpredictable. Already, you could feel the shape of a necklace, weighted down and pulled taut. You could feel it getting tighter as he messed with the clasp, but you didn’t say anything. If it needed to be resized, you could bring that up later, assuming Malleus’ attention didn’t jump to his next gift first. “Your company is all the repayment I need.” You rolled your eyes, but he didn’t seem to notice. Or, it did little to dampen his mood, at least. “Anything I can do to make your time here that much more enjoyable, I’ll do. It’s not like I’m at a loss for resources in my own kingdom.”

It was a jarring reminder, despite how casually he brought it up. It was easy to forget about his status when there was so little to remind. From what you could gather, the fae hierarchy was steep, and although Malleus didn’t try to keep you away from his guards or his staff or any of the other nobles, they kept their distance on their own. It was traditional, you guessed. You weren’t his partner, not officially, but it would’ve been easy to assume you were. It wasn’t like Malleus ever made an effort to address the rumors.

There was a soft click, the scrape of metal against metal. “You can look, my love. I know you’ve been avoiding it.”

Well, you couldn’t say he was wrong.

It was a necklace, you were right about that. A band of intertwined silver threads, braided loosely into a pattern of dipping and rising strings, all joining together to hold a row of small, rounded emeralds in place, all perfectly cut, all perfectly sized, all perfect. It was just the kind of thing you’d come to expect from Malleus, but there was something else to it, a shine that was just a bit brighter than it should’ve been, a level of quality that no craftsman would’ve been able to achieve naturally, regardless of their talent. Subconsciously, you leaned towards your reflection, trying to get a better look, but the necklace didn’t shift as you moved, every stray coil remaining still, as if it’d been fixed to your skin. Your smile dropped, but Malleus didn’t seem to hold a similar concern. He only let out a breath of a laugh, his hands soon settling on your shoulders, too busy admiring your reflection to realize that you might not be doing the same thing.

“It’s lovely, isn’t it?” The question was innocent enough, but there was a hollow ring to it, something that fell between rhetorical and purposefully one-sided. You didn’t answer, you didn’t even try, but Malleus didn’t seem bothered. “I may have actually been a little selfish with this one, in all honesty. I knew it’d make you look stunning, and I couldn’t resist.” You couldn’t tear your eyes away from the mirror, from the chocker slowly growing warmer around your neck, but you could feel Malleus kiss the top of your head, his lips lingering longer than they should’ve, as he went on. “It’s nothing you’ll have to worry about. I just noticed you don’t put my gifts to use, very often. I’m not angry, but the jeweler guaranteed that this piece would come with a certain enchantment to help with your forgetfulness.”

You didn’t need him to explain further. “I can’t take it off.”

“You can’t take it off without my help,” He corrected, gently. “If you want to try, I’m not going to stop you. But, I promise, it won’t be--”

You were tearing at the chain in a moment, clawing at the cords, doing anything you could to get the damn thing off of you, but your resistance didn’t last long. As soon as you made contact with one of his glowing, distorted emeralds, the entire necklace seemed to start to burn, smoldering with a heat so intense, it was all you could do to pull away while just your fingertips were singed. It felt like sticking your hand into a hearth. It felt like having someone drip molten iron onto your collar. Like the gems were coals taken from the pit of a fire, and Malleus was suddenly sadistic enough to string them around your neck and insist it was supposed to be a gift.

You buckled before you could catch yourself, jerking forward and relying on Malleus to catch you. Your whole body was shaking, still trembling with terror and dread and pain, but if he noticed, and he had to notice, he didn’t care. Instead, Malleus occupied himself with the necklace, bringing up a hand to toy with the band of silver, never once hesitating as you flinched and tried to pull away. If anything, he only seemed more confident, more affectionate. “Don’t act so disappointed. This is a present, after all, and a rather thoughtful one, at that.” He paused, waiting just long enough to smother his chuckle, just long enough to pull you much closer than you ever wanted to be to him again.

Just long enough for you to catch the edge of his grin, as it flashed across his reflection.

“I could always resort to an uglier method of teaching you to appreciate my charity, if you don’t want to accept it.”

[deltas-writing-corner]

Courtship (4): The Gargoyle Graveyard

Fandom: Twisted Wonderland (Malleus x GN!reader)

Author note: Again, thank you all for being patient with me and I apologize for having a very inconsistent writing schedule. I'm going to make it my goal to update on a bi weekly basis instead of leaving you all in silent limbo. Also a reminder I suck at figuring out which warnings to put so if there's something that needs to be forewarned that I failed to disclose please lmk!

Warnings: Mentions of heavy bodily injuries | childhood trauma/neglect | discussions/mentions of discrimination | mentions of virginity/sexual history

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AO3 version

Clay. Stone. Porcelain. Plaster. Metal. There are even gargoyles carved entirely of wood! Some statues are stand-alone works of art while others are part of a clear collection or series of similar inspiration. They even come in all sorts of shapes and sizes; as small as an apple or a towering height to rival Malleus himself. No matter what, each grotesque has been crafted with the utmost consideration, by well seasoned and knowing hands. Even the ones that have clear defects and cannot serve their intended purpose are free of overabundant ivy, weeds, or dust. There’s a clear degree of love and care the family who makes these statues has for their craft that makes him feel less alone in his interest in an uncherished form of art.

“It should be around here somewhere,” you muse aloud. Ever since he expressed interest in seeing more sculptures made with non-traditional materials, you’ve been keeping your eye out for a particular one that would fulfill his yearning. You eventually find it and eagerly point to it. “There it is!”

Malleus watches as you approach a massive-sized statue covered with a thick and half-wet tarp. He helps you remove the cover, revealing a winged and slightly humanoid canine. There are many more grotesques with a similar design, but what makes this one stand out the most is the material it’s made out of.

“Amazing!” Malleus awes. “I’ve never seen a grotesque of this size made entirely of glass! They’ve even managed to maintain their attention to detail despite such an abnormal material choice.”

“You can even see the inner channel where the water would flow in and redirect out of its mouth,” you notice.

“They even went out of their way to make it functional despite it being unfit for actual installation?” Malleus inquires with disbelief. “Such a shame.”

“If you’re looking to buy anything here, I’m afraid it's a lost cause. One of the first warnings the grandfather gave me is that none of these are for sale.”

“What was his second warning?”

“If we damage anything, even as small as a scratch, he’ll kill us.”

“How charming,” he chuckles. “I cannot blame him. These statues must take weeks to complete. Time is a human’s greatest enemy.”

“For some, sure. But when I went to visit the family and talked to the old man, he was lunging around all this heavy equipment like he was still in his prime,” you recall. “He lives for his craft. If there’s anything humans are at risk of their entire lives, it’s a lack of motivation and reason to live.”

“I suppose that’s true, but the lifespan of humans and the inevitable effects of aging is difficult to live with, especially once it begins to hinder one’s ability to do what one could previously do without issue. ”

“You’re not wrong,” you acknowledge. “But I think I’d rather live a short life with fulfillment than a dull, long-as-shit life.”

To show that he’s entirely on your side, Gunter lets out a guttural bark while his tail rapidly wags and thumps the damp ground, coating the ends of his bushy tail in specs of dirt and dirtied, remnant snow of the north that has managed to stay frozen on the isles warmer south end.

“You’re only agreeing with them because you’ve been promised food,” Malleus chastises. “Don’t think I didn’t pick up on your grumbling stomach.”

“And don't think I didn't pick up on your stomach rumbling either your highness," you quip back at him. "The family has a small cottage nearby we can use. We'll settle down for a bit and eat before sightseeing some more."

Before you turn and walk in the direction towards the aforementioned lodgings, you reach your hand out for Malleus to take and he latches onto you with restrained enthusiasm. He's taller than you, but he takes care not to take his normal strides as to not leave you struggling to keep up with him. Gunter doesn't know the way, so he trots beside you every step of the way up until the destination is in plain view. The cottage is small but well-attended. There’s a rustic flair to its construction that makes it feel familiar and safe despite never stepping foot in it before.

"Those gargoyles were something, huh?" you remark to him while you tap and shake off the gunk wedged into the soles of your heavy boots against the frame of the door.

"Indeed," he nods, taking your cloak off for you and hanging it on the wooden rack nearby. "I don't think I've ever seen that many gargoyles in one day. Just when my eyes land upon an intriguing one, there's several more that catch my attention."

The way he gets all wide-eyed is outright adorable. It makes you grin just as enthusiastically too. "I bet your club is going to have a field day once you tell them about this!"

His child-like smile turns into one of disappointment. "I'm certain they would, if I wasn't the sole member that is."

Your hands halt from pulling out and setting down all the premade food out of your pack. "Seriously? You're the only one?"

When he nods his head, you feel a twinge of hurt in your heart. Poor guy. You can only imagine how disappointing it must be to go through all those lengths to start a club (you would know since you're technically a staff member of the school and have been given a rundown on some of the school's functions and regulations) only for no one to show interest. Of course, you completely understand that gargoyles aren't exactly all the rage within the minds of teenage boys. Still! He goes through so much effort to build relationships with his peers but they always cower away, either due to his status or even because of the way he looks. You won’t deny that he does come off as rather intimidating at first glance, but he's a sweet guy once you give him the chance to speak.

But to expect teenagers going through social pressures and demanding academics to be as understanding and willing to understand someone like Malleus is an impossible demand. Given that everyone in the school can be a bunch of self-centered and easily agitated bunch of pricks, it's understandable that most of the student body isn't keen on trying to take into consideration the proper etiquette one needs to consider in the presence of a young and noble fae. Deuce has met and talked briefly with Malleus on one occasion, but even he visibly shakes whenever his name is mentioned, even in casual passing.

Wait until they found out who you've gone and gotten buddy-buddy with behind their back. They probably think they're slick or that their intentions are well swept under the rug, but it's clear they feel some semblance of responsibility for your well-being, as both a magicless individual as well as a close, albeit older, friend. You dread the day people begin to make the connections between Malleus and you, but you still can’t help but wonder what their reactions might be. You also dread the high probability those two idiots are going to find out and embarrass the living hell out of you, which you know you do not have the patience or tolerance for.

Gunter jumps up and sits himself down in one of the wooden dining chairs, pushing the small ceramic plate towards you with his nose, as if telling you "Alright, I’ve done what I said I'd do, now feed me what I'm owed." You tell him that you'll give him what he's well earned after you get a small fire started in the brick fireplace. Just because it's warmer near the southern half of the island and not as heavily blanketed with snow, doesn't mean the cold has completely vanished, Winter is still winter after all.

"Where did these scars come from?"

Malleus' unexpected question and closeness nearly make you drop the iron rod you've been using to stoke the growing fire. You've since taken off your boots and rolled up the bottoms of your pants just above your knee as the room starts to warm up enough for a thin layer of perspiration to accumulate and roll down your skin. The scars he's referring to are the ones on your right leg, both side by side at an awkward angle and discolored. You have a lot more scars than these, some much more gruesome in appearance than these two. Malleus has never asked about your scars, but sometimes you catch him looking in the general area of some that peak through your clothes. He likely keeps quiet about their existence out of courtesy.

Yet out of all the markings on your body, why did these two stand out enough that he'd finally ask about them?

"It's a long story," you say in an effort to stall the topic. "Sit. I'll feed you two once the fire is stable."

He doesn’t push you for an answer, instead simply doing as you say and lets you poke at the burning logs until they're properly aflame on their own. You made mostly some of your morning favorites; Creamy and thick potato stew with diced carrots and peas and some eggs, ham, and crispy hash browns sandwich between homemade halved croissants. You teased him about having picky taste buds earlier, but Malleus is content to eat anything you serve him so long as it is not comparable to the likes of Lilia's atrocious cooking.

(Seriously, how does a man as old as Lilia not know the basic fundamentals of cooking? And why does everything he makes end up burnt and tasting like something rotten? You will never understand.)

"Don't eat too quickly," you warn Gunter as you pour a bit of light-colored soup onto his designated plate. Your words are ignored, as the equally marred wolf sloppily slurps and munches on the few bits of potatoes and vegetables you generously scraped out of the thermos. His food is gone as quickly as it’s put in front of him and he looks at you expecting more.

"No. The rest is mine," you scold. "And don't beg Malleus for some either! I know you do it behind my back, you little shit!"

He turns to look at Malleus with an accusatory glare, thinking that he ratted him out to you. Malleus’s response towards the silent imputation is to turn and look out the window as if something caught his interest all of a sudden, cup raised to his lips as he politely sips away at his meal without an air of calmness. You have to slap a hand over your mouth to hide the amusement that overtakes your senses.

"Malleus, stop that!"

"Stop what?" he innocently asks.

"Stop making me want to laugh!"

He sets his cup down onto its matching serving dish. "It's not my fault you have an easily satiable sense of humor."

"Wow!" you say incredulously and put your arms up in offense. "And here I was thinking we were friends!"

His distant demeanor breaks and you both devolve into a fit of laughter together. Gunter unfortunately takes advantage of your joint distraction and slips away with a warm sandwich between his jaw, your sandwich in particular.

"That damn wolf!" you curse. "I knew I should have trusted my gut and pack extras.”

Malleus pities your distress before moving over to sit closer. "Worry not. I'll split mine in half with you,” he reassures.

"No, it's fine," you immediately dismiss his offer. "Have it for yourself."

"I'm not taking no for an answer," he firmly states. “Don’t be stubborn. It’s far too early for that.”

"I thought you liked it when I was stubborn?” you pout.

He shakes his head with a smile. “I would be lying if I said I didn’t”

"At least someone likes my attitude,” you say after chewing and swallowing a mouthful of soup. “Sebek certainly doesn’t."

"The boy is stubborn as well. When two equally stubborn individuals cross paths, you will witness nothing but discord between the two."

"Add the fact I'm human into the mix, and we'll be exchanging fists instead of words sooner or later," you scoff. "I get that some faes don't like humans, but what's his deal with acting like he’s got a vendetta against me?"

"Sebek doesn't hate humans for the reasons you might think," Malleus admits. "It’s more like he finds them difficult to think that highly of. Did you know that he is half-human?"

You nearly choke on your own breath over the sudden revelation. "Really?"

"Indeed," Malleus finds amusement at your disbelief. "Have you ever wondered why his ears aren't pointed like Silver, but his eyes are like mine and Lilia’s?"

"Damn,” you scratch the back of your head with embarrassment. “Now I feel stupid.”

"You aren't. Given the way he speaks, not many would assume he had human blood in his veins. His mother was highly regarded within her social circle, but her marriage to a human man tarnished her reputation a great deal. She's happy and does not seem to care what others think of her these days. However, when Sebek set out to be a knight, his mother's marriage and his lineage were often brought up as a way to scrutinize his character and capabilities rather than any of his actual shortcomings as an individual."

"Poor kid," you sigh. "Lilia told me those sorts of things still happen in The Valley, but it sounds so outlandish that I couldn’t take it that seriously."

"Many faes hold old traditions above all else, to a degree that the purity of one's blood stands above all other merits." His eyebrows pressed together in annoyance. "Even my grandmother thinks it's archaic, but as the reigning queen she has to embody a persona of neutrality between the social divide."

"It sounds like you have your work cut out for you in the future," you say, almost apologetically. "What do you plan to do about it once you're the king?"

There's a brief flash of surprise over your question, but Malleus easily answers it as usual. "I think my first course of action as king would be to properly knight Sebek and Silver."

"Bet my rifle that Sebek is going to cry the entire ceremony!" you remark with certainty. "That's all he ever goes on about, being a knight and all."

"He's devoted countless hours and efforts since he was a child. If there's anyone who deserves to join the knighthood, it's him."

"Definitely," you nod to further cement your agreement with him. "He could stand to lower his voice a bit. He'll give you tinnitus before long.”

"At least we won't have to worry about losing him in a crowd," Malleus jests.

"That's to say we'll lose sight of him to begin with," you remark. "He'll gladly lose me in a crowd. You? You'd be lucky to get out of arm's length."

"You underestimate me, dearest," Malleus smirks. "Ever since I've met you, I've perfected the art of avoiding Sebek's insistent searches."

"Have you now?" you razz back. "Don't let him catch onto the fact. He'll have my head."

He reaches over and tucks a strand of hair behind your ear. Each second his skin touches yours makes you tingle. Time slows down ever so briefly if only to savor the small instance of physical connection for as long as possible. "What of your aunts?" he inquires. "Are they as overprotective of you as Sebek is of myself?"

"They’re a trio of mama bears," you proudly admit. "I'm old enough to drink and well equipped to fend for myself, but in their minds, I'll always be the little tyke that couldn't even eat their meals without looking at them for approval. Especially my aunt Gia."

You have three aunts. There's your aunt Marisol, the mother of most of your cousins and the main caretaker of the household. Your second aunt Lucia was well into her studies at university when you came to live with them, but her stress and long hours of mulling over her course materials paid off in the long run. Your gardening skills wouldn't be what they are now without her expertise in agricultural botany.

Then there's your aunt Gia. Oldest of the three. An absolute tank of a woman. No spouse. No kids of her own. She lived off the land like an absolute titan. The woman raised you as if she was the one that carried you for nine months and not your actual birth mother.

How would you describe your parents? If your parents were told to list out their priorities in life, their careers would be at the top of the list and you would be put at the very bottom. Why they carried you to term is beyond your understanding. You later learned that Gia had even offered to take you under her care well before your birth, knowing that your parents might not be well-suited to take care of you in the way she thinks would be beneficial for you. It was a convenient offer that would have saved everyone the trouble years down the line when you had your accident. They worked in a cutthroat industry and were constantly moving up the executive echelons. They had no time for you, yet their pride as a pair of young, successful business magnates made them incapable of seeing past the reality of the situation. That left you mostly in the care of last-minute caretakers and your aunts, but only if they had time from their own busy and preoccupied lives to come out into the city and visit.

You were eight years old when things started to get better, but it was upstarted in the worst possible way. Your parents had to go away for the upcoming weekend for work and left you in the care of a babysitter as per the norm. The babysitter never showed up however and your parents apparently couldn’t be bothered to check up on you even once the entire trip. Their silence wasn’t surprising. You just went on about your business for the next three days on your own like nothing was wrong. Your aunt Gia had even called at one point to check up on you, but you didn’t bother to tell her that your parents had left you to fend for yourself. She would have exploded if you did, but not as much as she did when you woke up in the hospital after falling down the stairs and lying helplessly on the ground for several hours with a dislocated shoulder and a compound-fractured leg. You were lulling in and out of consciousness due to all the medication pumped into you, but what little you do remember seeing and hearing when you regained consciousness will forever stick with you for the rest of your life.

If people think your level of swearing is bad, they should have heard your aunt that day. She swore so viciously that it could set an innocent bystander's eardrums on fire. What will forever stand out the most to you was the fact that your parents didn’t even look the least bit apologetic or regretful. They didn’t even approach you once your aunt was done giving them a piece of her mind to check up on you. They simply talked with the awaiting social worker and doctors and then left. It was for the better, but the small part of you that continued to hold onto the desperate belief that your parents would come around one day sent you into a thrashing frenzy and you had to be sedated before you could hurt yourself anymore.

The next year was spent recovering from your injuries, meeting regularly with your caseworker, and going through therapists like a pack of cigarettes. By the time you were back on your feet and the legal proceedings of your custody case were concluded, all you wanted was to move on with it all. Nearly a decade of neglect left you this unattentive, uncertain husk of a person who couldn’t take a single step forward without looking for some sort of guidance or assurance. Your family was exhausted by the entire ordeal and over speaking with third parties. Your aunts took it upon themselves to help you regain your sense of self in the comfort of your new home, no matter how difficult or demanding it was going to be.

“It took some time, but eventually it clicked in my mind that I was in a better place and I started to get better. As for my parents, I have no clue what they’re up to these days.” You lean back into your chair and let out a shaking yawn. “I like to think they’re getting on well like I am.”

“I don’t understand.” Malleus looks at you with unbelievable confusion. “Your parents treated you poorly, yet you don’t sound the least bit resentful. Why is that?”

You shrug your shoulders. “What’s the point? I'm in a better place now, so I've let bygones be bygones. 'Doesn't mean I don't harbor any anger against them anymore. I do, but getting upset won't change what's happened to me."

Gunter, having sensed your discomfort over the matter, trots over and rests his head on your lap. You gratefully rub the top of his head, carding your hands through his thick, coarse hair. "I'm just glad they let me go without a fuss. Family court was hell for my family.” Your eyebrows knit together. “Expensive too.”

Crackling wood fills the momentary silence that befalls the small cottage. What you've recollected to Malleus is a lot to take in, and if you're being quite honest you'd prefer if he just dropped the subject and talked about literally anything else right now. You hope he doesn't say he's sorry or any other type of apologetic comment. That's all you were ever told that entire year it all happened, during court proceedings, your rehabilitation, by both strangers and distant family members alike.

"I'm so sorry. What happened to you was unfortunate. You didn't deserve it."

No shit you didn't deserve any of that. You were a kid. You don’t need one pity party after another to realize that what took place then had fucked you forever. But as you said earlier, you're in a better place now, with a loving and supportive family that's moved on alongside you. A family you need to get back to as soon as possible.

"I love you."

Well, if he was hoping to take your mind off the past. that certainly did it. How can it not? It came out of nowhere and as good as you are at holding your composure when need be, you're sure you look no less like a gaping fish when warm and plush softness presses right against the corner of your lips. A kiss. His kiss.

"What's wrong?" Your voice sounds shaky. You’re nervous.

"Nothing," he smiles reassuringly. "I simply said what I felt needed to be said."

"Fair enough" you concede easily. He was going to say it sooner or later. He already has actually, now that you think about it. Yet here you are trying to process his words like it’s rocket science.

"Am I going about this too fast perhaps?" he genuinely asks. His hands that have been busy massaging your calves that have settled across his lap somewhere during your long retelling gradually slow down, but his hands never go completely still. "This is my first time experiencing something like this."

"What?" You sit up a bit straighter. "A relationship?"

"Yes."

Your head tilts to the side. "Really?"

He nods hesitantly "Yes?"

For a moment, you go completely quiet. "I don't believe you,” you doubtfully say, head shaking to further showcase your refusal to believe him.

He must not have liked your remark, frowning with clear offense in his eyes. When he dislikes something, the vertical slits in his eyes contract into a thin line. "I cannot lie, yet you still doubt me?"

"I know you can't lie, but I find it hard to believe you haven't been with anyone else before," you explain. Before you can consider the appropriateness that was your newfound curiosity about Malleus's apparently non-existent love life, you blurt out, "Are you still a virgin?"

You slap your hand over your mouth the moment those words come out of it. He's equally caught off guard and nearly drops his warm cup of coffee. Even Gunter is surprised by your question, olive-colored eyes looking at you as if you've lost your mind. It's an invasive question, inappropriate even. You and Malleus have been dating for a little over two days. A question like that is way too early to bring up just yet.

"You don't have to answer that," you tell him behind your palm. "I shouldn't have even asked it. Forget I ever brought it up-”

"I'm not," he interrupts you, leaving you even more shocked than you already are. You’re practically gaping like a fish by now. "I'm not a virgin,” he further insinuates.

A deafening silence, but it’s eventually broken by yourself. “I still don’t believe you.”

Malleus gets further annoyed at your refusal to accept his truth. "I'm not lying!" he insists.

"Bullshit!"

"Do you want me to recount my history to you?" he asks, exasperated as you are at the shift the conversation is taking. "Will that satisfy your doubts?"

"You know what? It will!" you loudly declare. "Who'd you sleep with?"

"He was a young page at the time,” he reminisced. “It happened before I was a century old.”

Your eyebrows raise with intrigue. "Was he cute?"

"Yes," he hushedly agrees. The disconcerting admittance paints his face a pinkish-red glow. "But that's not why I bedded him."

"But surely his looks are what made you interested in the first place?” you make blatant regard of the fact.

“You’re not wrong,” he acknowledges, expertly avoiding agreeing with you outright. “But his looks aren't the sole reason I was drawn to him. He was bright-eyed and ambitious, to the point you’d think him insane given his position in the court. It was also the first time I ever truly met with a group of humans, and my young mind was eager to get a more accurate perspective of humans that wasn’t through the lens of my tutors.”

“An ‘accurate perspective’?” You make playful air quotes, eyebrows wiggling because you know the fact that he knows what you’re implying. The playful comment is met with a sharp pinch on your leg that makes you jump and shriek out in pain. Did he have to dig his nails into you? Apparently so, and now you have small crescent indents on your skin. “I bet Lilia had a good laugh when he found out.”

“He doesn’t know, actually,” he admits to you with what is obviously a proud smile.

“Now I know you’re lying to me,” you scoff. “Nothing escapes the old man’s radar.”

His hands begin to rub out the marks he’s left on you as a form of apology. “Lilia is sharp, but he had lost most of his vigor by the time I was born.”

You go wide-eyed again. “You mean his hearing and eyesight was better than it is now?”

He nods affirmatively. “From what I’ve been told, terrifyingly so.”

Lilia is already frightening as is. His short stature and boyish looks make him perfectly unassuming to those who don’t know any better. You once watched him beat up a couple of bulky, twice-his-height students from Savanaclaw without breaking a sweat, yet moments before he was jokingly scolding himself for dozing off so easily. You never once thought he was ever out of his elements. A cold chill runs down your spine thinking how much more perceptive the older fae may have been back during his prime years.

“Wonder what Lilia’s gonna think,” you ponder out loud in a quick effort to banish out the skin-prickling mental imagery your mind was invoking. “About us, I mean.”

Malleus seems surprised that you would change the topic to that of all things, but his initial shock goes away as quickly as it came. “As you may have guessed, he’s an open-minded individual, but he’s also very realistic and unafraid to say what’s on his mind.”

“So what does that mean for you and me?” you question with a bit of hesitation.

“Well,” he trails off and ponders for a moment. “He’ll surely like the scandal our relationship would invoke. However, as my caretaker and mentor, he won’t hesitate to put an end to it if he feels it necessary.”

Had it been anyone else sitting beside you, you’d have found that comment way too extreme and outright ridiculous. However, you are not speaking to anyone ordinary. You are not sitting before someone normal. It doesn't matter how well you get along with him. It sure as hell doesn't matter how deeply in love you are with him, and him of you. The moment you have been deemed a shortcoming, the outings, the closeness, it all stops. All of it will come crashing down and both you and him will be left wondering what could have been done differently.

Malleus is truly your best friend, because already he can tell that your mind is beginning to spiral even when you go quiet. He calls for your attention by gripping his hand around your bare ankle and carefully tugging the end of your limb. “Don’t fret over it too much,” he soothes, yet also sounding like he’s scolding you for letting your mind wander off so negatively. “Lilia is an exceptional judge of character. From what I’ve gathered, you’ve well exceeded all his marks. He trusts you, and to gain such a thing from someone as old and wise as him is an extraordinary feat.”

You brew over the attempted compliment he tried to pay to you. Unfortunately, it doesn’t snub out all these festering thoughts in your head. It doesn’t even give you temporary relief. Perhaps it would have brought you a sense of peace a few months ago, but with everything that has happened thus far, you doubt even Malleus can alleviate the storm that rattles inside you, even if what he speaks is without a doubt nothing but the truth.

Surely he can see that you are still having some hangups. When you lift his hand and plant a chaste kiss on the back of his hand, you hope he can decipher the gesture as a pitiful request for his forgiveness for dampening the once energetic mood. He is not at fault for your loss and inability to think optimistically at the moment and you need to make sure he knows it.

Today is about him, not you. Even if it’s just for today, you’ll put on a pleasant facade and worry about the rest at a later date. It’s just you and him, and for now, that’s enough.

You do a mental countdown starting from three, before finally giving him a late response to the three words he uttered in confidence to you earlier. “I love you too, by the way.”

You love him. You love him. You love him. That’s all his mind can think of for the rest of the day. He replays your reciprocation over and over like it’s sacred and all-powerful.

He had planned to return to his dorm before the sun began to set, but he found the mere idea of detaching from you deeply unwanted and made the last-minute decision to spend the evening at the Ramshackle dorm. He already has a few articles of clothing and personal essentials set up in one of the many empty rooms, so neither Lilia nor you had any objections at his sudden request.

“Don’t worry!” You shout across the room so that Lilia can hear you over his phone. “I’ll make sure he gets to bed on time!”

“You have my gratitude!” Lilia’s muffled voice responds gratefully. “Don’t cause too much trouble now, you two.”

“No promises~” you sing in jest before Malleus hangs up. Once the call ends Johnny, Benji, Franky, and you turn their attention back to their ongoing game of poker. Malleus watches and occasionally laughs to himself over the friendly banter shared between the quartet. At the end of every round, the winner is assaulted with colorful profanities whilst they take their newly won gambling chips with ebullience. Yet with each new dealing of cards, the animosity goes away and they’re all back to being friendly. He finds your interactions with your incorporeal roommates more entertaining than the book he’s been reading to pass the time.

“Hey, fairy boy,” Franky informally calls out toward him. “Don’t be a stranger now. Play a few rounds with us.”

“I’m afraid I’m not well versed in card games,” he admits, yet he still finds himself setting his literature aside and moving over to join them.

“Don’t worry,” you give him a reassuring smile. “They’ll go easy on you.”

“For how long?” he knowingly asks.

You give him an impressed smirk at his quick uptake. “I give it three rounds before they start to pull back their sleeves.”

Malleus is well-adjusted to the need to quickly learn a new topic and the expectation for him to fully comprehend it in full. None of them are harsh on him for his minor mistakes like some of the tutors he’s had in the past. Answers that he believes may be obvious or not as complicated as he thinks they are being answered with enthusiastic patience. The smallest achievements he makes are met with a proud response. When he makes a surprise turnabout and wins his first game, he’s rewarded with an encouraging round of applause by everyone.

“Not bad,” Benji praises as he shuffles the deck of cards. “You’re a fast learner.”

“So I’ve been told,” he humbly replies. “Is this the part where you all stop going easy on me now?”

“Don’t provoke them,” you half-heartedly warn. “Otherwise we’ll be up all night duking it out otherwise.”

Franky sets his glass of iced liquor down on the edge of the table. “Don’t you little lovebirds worry. We won’t take up too much of your well-needed time together.”

Annoyed at the clear jab at his relationship with you, you throw one of your chips towards his head. It passes through his body and clatters on the floor behind him. Your fawn Blossom jumps down from their spot on the couch and goes to sniff it, thinking it to be food, but walks away with a disappointed strut when he realizes it isn’t anything edible.

“I didn’t tell them a damn thing,” you defensively clarify. “It was so obvious what was going on between us that they figured it all out before we made it official.”

He lets out a deep breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. “That’s...I can’t say I’m too pleased to hear about that.”

“We won’t say anything,” Franky reassures. “Just make sure to put a sock on the door whenever you guys want some alone time.”

“Franky!” you hiss at him. “What the hell?!”

“What?” he looks at you, unbothered by your clear embarrassment. “Do you honestly expect us to think you guys went out just to look at a bunch of statues?”

“Oh, I’m sure they were looking at something,” Johnny smirks. “It wasn’t made of stone though.”

“I hate you guys,” you growl out, arms crossing and leaning back into your seat with an angry huff. You don’t mean it. He can see the tremble of your lips as you try to contain the urge to grin. “Even if we did end up rolling around in the sheets, I wouldn’t be yapping about it for all to hear, much less you guys!”

“What happens in the gargoyle graveyard stays in the gargoyle graveyard, eh?” Franky winks at both Malleus and you, nudging you with his elbow.

“Exactly!” you affirm, batting the large ghost away from you for some much-needed distance. “Now stop being so damn nosy.”

They cackle one last time and everyone seamlessly goes back to their ongoing game. Conversations like the one that just concluded are commonplace in your dormitory. Even if he contributed next to nothing to the discussion, he enjoys watching them interact. You come from a world where ghosts are hardly as overt as the ones in this world. Ghosts are said to entertain themselves by picking on the living, to the point that it can be fatal. Your ability to come up with witticisms at a moment's notice is something he enjoys seeing in action. He feels great satisfaction not only knowing that he has secured your love but to also see you in a state of tranquility and within your elements.

As Benji and you have a hushed conversation on the sidelines, he reaches over and places his hand on your knee beneath the table. You quietly reach over and put your hand over his, stroking the back of his hand with your thumb like it’s instinctual. Unfortunately, the heart-fluttering moment is ruined by the sudden buzzing of his phone. He has half a mind to ignore it, but when he gives the screen a glance he realizes ignoring the caller is not an option.

“I’ll be out for a moment,” he excuses himself once he sets his hand down and stands himself upright. “This shouldn’t take that long, hopefully.”

They all stop to look up at him inquisitively for half a second. In unison, they ask, “Sebek?”

“Sebek,” he affirms.

There are simultaneous displays of annoyance, pity, and silent wishes of good luck directed at him. He’s tempted to ask where all this contempt for the boy comes from, but then he remembers the many times Sebek barges his way into their dorm at the worst possible moments. It is either when everyone is beginning to settle down after a long day or in the middle of an important house project, the former more so than the latter now that the dorm is much more stable and in need of less restoration. Malleus learned the hard way how ill you and the ghosts will react when your peace is unwantedly interrupted and your space invaded by an unwanted guest.

Sebek is also quick to scrutinize whatever he sees out loud without a filter. You never seem to mind half of the time, merely rolling your eyes and moving past Sebek’s ill-meaning remarks as if you never heard them. As you are someone Malleus highly regards and holds close to his bosom, he hopes Sebek can one day set aside his strife with humankind and give you the due diligence you deserve.

...Though, he completely understands that reaching that point will take time. While you can endure Sebek to a certain degree, there are times where he, unfortunately, pushes you past that threshold and, without flinching, you will tell him to “Shut the fuck up”. Your words, not his.

“Young master!” Sebek's transmitted voice peaks and he has to half pull it away to give his pained eardrums some relief. “I was informed by Lord Lilia that you will be spending the night over at the Human’s dorm. Have you all your accommodations at their estate? If not, I will swiftly-”

“That won’t be necessary,” he half laughs at his enthusiasm over such a small task. “I have enough to keep me comfortable and well for a few days. Your offer is still very much appreciated.”

“Y-Yes, of course,” he stutters. “If there’s anything you should ever find a need for, please inform me at once! I will fulfill your every wishes no matter the hour!”

He’s enthusiastic and ready to act at a moment’s notice, even during the middle of a cold and dark hour. Malleus doesn’t necessarily dislike this part of Sebek, but he’s starting to understand why someone like you would find such subservience difficult to deal with. At any moment, Malleus could ask Sebek to grab some insignificant item of his and tread through the thick snow to deliver it to him, and the boy would do so with jubilation and utmost timeliness. You on the other hand wouldn’t be caught dead ordering someone to do something on your behalf when you believe you are well and capable of doing it yourself.

You don’t put expectations onto the backs of others, choosing to trust yourself first before anyone else. He knows now that it’s a result of the one instance where you expected something from someone, only to be thoroughly let down and left wondering if it was you who did something wrong.

Malleus cannot make up for the pain you’ve been subjected to, but he hopes that he can become the outlier in your life that surpasses any preconceived notions you may hold onto others. He hopes...No, he absolutely will be the one who brings you your well-earned and deserved joy and repose, just as you have done for him and continue to do so.

You love him, and he will ensure he is worthy of every last drop of your fidelity.

[harold231]

It wasn't real

Pairing: Bucky x reader

Posted: 04/30/2021

Word count: 2.5k

Warnings: None? Maybe a lil angst just a lel bet.

A/N: I think it might be good? Idk You let me know. But like frfr, don't just give me feedback in your mind, put it into words. Also I apparently have a thing for Bucky in a dotted apron soooo yeah.

FYI: time zone/era is open for interpretation. Bucky never became an avenger/soldat and steve isn't part of this one.

The wind that blew around you was warm and sweet with the scent of freshly bloomed flowers. Perhaps it was an act of kindness from some God trying to distract you from the cold bitterness settling into your bones. Closing your eyes you conjure the very memory that left you so desolate.

The sun snuck it's way through the curtains to illuminate the room, effectively disturbing the sleep that you always seemed to be craving. Waking up is always hassle but whenever you remember that you get to spend your day with the only person who tolerates you and you him, getting out of bed is the easiest thing. Bucky is crazy and the damn boy is never in one spot for to long and he always has something to say, but you can't imagine how boring your days would be if you guys had never met. well technically if your parents had never met.

When you were a child you parents had to move to new york for business and they decided that Brooklyn was the place to be. You had been Bucky's neighbor and the first day you guys moved in his mom had dragged him over with the most delicious angel food cake that he so proudly claimed to have made mostly on his own. He just loved cooking and baking since forever, he would tell you that he just liked experimenting with foods but you knew the truth was that the boy liked to eat and didn't have the patience to wait for his mother to come home.

Only a few years after your family had moved to Brooklyn you and Bucky had already built an unbreakable bond. You guys had found a beautiful cherry tree one day when playing tag and had deemed it to be your's and Bucky's spot. Whenever you had a bad day or needed time away from the world you guys would go to the tree and just pick cherries, in the winter time you and Bucky would lay under the tree and kick the trunk so that the snow would fall from the leaves. It was the place where at only 15 years old bucky swore he would open his own Bakery and to quote him "I'm serving my ma's food my way doll, It's gonna be the next best thing to hit New York."

You were laying on the ground with your hands crossed behind your head looking up at Bucky swinging upside down from a branch when he told you all this. You felt something you had never felt before at that moment, looking up at the wild haired boy who loved to eat, loved his family, and had the most ambition you had ever heard from kids your age. Your heart felt full and your cheeks grew warm as you looked up at the same blue eyes you had know for years now, only this time you notice the way they twinkle in the sunlight and how rosy his lips are. Now 7 years laters you and Bucky were preparing to open the very bakery he promised you he'd open. Banners were beautifully strung along the walls and cute retro china was set out, ready to be filled for opening day. There was no hesitation from you when Bucky had asked you to run the bakery with him, you were excited to spend your days with the person you hoped you would spend the rest of your life with.

At around 6:30 in the morning you had arrived at the bakery but it seemed that Bucky had beat you to it. The smell of fresh angel food cake and cocoa danced up your nose as soon as you opened the door. Closing your eyes you smiled at the memories that it brought back. Moving to the back you grabbed your Disney themed apron and placed your bag and coat in its place before scurrying over to the kitchen while trying (and failing) to tie your apron. There in all his dorkiness was Bucky wiggling around to the chordettes. He knew that you loved the 50's aesthetic so he found a way to incorporate it without going overboard, by adding little trinkets, a jukebox, and even those cute little dining tables. In fact at the moment he was wearing a ruffly red polka dotted apron as he frosted some cupcakes.

Apron tied, you were finally ready to get to work. You walked up to Bucky bumping his hip as you reached for some cupcake pans, "Whatcha doin here so early Buck, we don't open until 12" he looks at you with squinted eyes, "The hell are you doing here so early." "Woah,woah,woah completely unprovoked. I'm just saying cuz' you were the one complaining about the opening time being set at 8. Like damn." Breathing out a huff of air he wipes his forehead with a towel "I'm sorry doll, I'm just super nervous and I couldn't sleep so I came to start baking things. I already frosted the ice cream cakes and I just finished the pies, but I was thinking that maybe we needed some cupcakes too, even though we already baked so many pastries and stuff last night I'm worried it won't be enough."

Setting down the trays you move to hug Bucky from behind holding him close to you. "Buck I know we'll do great your food is too good to pass up on especially when it's free." You place a soft kiss to his shoulder " I promise you'll do great, everything you do is amazing you try your hardest at everything Buck, You've worked your butt off and made mine considerably larger to get here, don't start losing your mind on me now." A cute little laugh from Bucky lets you know that he's hearing you and he isn't so stressed anymore. "I just want this to be perfect ya know?" with your head still against his back you nod, "I just want it to be a special day for my special girl."

You couldn't stop the slight blush that rose to your cheeks or the way that your heart suddenly started beating three times faster. You had also wanted to make him something special which is why you had got here so early. Finally releasing your hold on Bucky you straighten your apron out before gathering everything you need for some red velvet cupcakes. Bucky loved your red velvet cake so you loved making it for him. After hours of mixing, baking, and frosting had passed, you guys were rewarded with a bakery that looked as great as it smelled. "Alright doll, I'm heading out, I gotta go get ready. Meet you back here at 12 , Love ya." He didn't even give you a chance to answer as he ran right out the door. "Love you too."

You had stayed behind just a little while longer as you perfected your secret project. Carefully you added snowflakes to some of the cupcakes because you knew how much he loved snow even if he hated winter, some cats, flowers that reminded you of bucky, and one extra special cupcake. When you finish you decide to clean up a bit more and prepare some drinks for later before heading home to get ready. As soon as you got home you took a shower and did the simplest of make up with a light pink lip. You had decided to wear a dress to match the blossoming flowers that spring had brought. Pink with a yellow lace trim and flowers embroided all over the dress, matching it with some yellow flats.

You had decided that it was a perfect day for a walk so you grabbed a light scarf and slung it over your shoulders, grabbed Bucky's cupcakes, and headed over to the bakery. You felt as if a Hundred pounds had been lifted from your shoulders knowing that Bucky had felt the same way about you. You had decided that you would tell him today with your special cupcakes. As you rounded the corner you felt giddy and you couldn't wipe the smile from your face no matter how hard you tried. As you reached the bakery you saw that a majority of the people had already arrived and you knew that it would put Bucky at ease to see all the people enjoying his food. You stopped at the window, closing your eyes to take a deep breath to prepare yourself to join the celebration.

Opening your eyes you reached for the handle only to stop at the sight on the other side of the door. Bucky stood there arms wrapped around a woman eyes locked on hers as he leaned in for a kiss. It must have all happened in about 30 seconds but it felt as if time himself had slowed it down for you to watch the way he tilted her head and ran his tongue along her bottom lip before finally uniting their lips. Your heart dropped as quickly as your smile did and suddenly you felt so stupid for thinking this could be real. You willed yourself not to cry as you allowed your legs to carry you anywhere but there.

That's how you found yourself sitting underneath a blossoming cherry tree. A tree that held only happy memories because it wasn't a place you could be sad... back then. With your back against the tree and box of cupcakes full of unrequited love in your lap you realize how much you over romanticized Bucky. Opening the box you decide it would be a shame to let them go to waste. The first one you grab has a big red heart frosted in the middle, you let out a deep sigh before breaking the cupcake right down the middle. You shove half of the cupcake into your mouth and only then do you allow the tears to fall. You sat there for hours crying eating cupcakes, watching the sunset, and thinking about everything that Bucky did for you, as a friend. You realize you had no right to be angry at Bucky, after all you never told him how you felt you just assumed that he would feel the same way after so many years. With every broken memory another cupcake vanished.

He was always there for you, when no one wanted to come to your slumber party Bucky did and he even did all the girly things with you. Painting your nails, doing your hair, watching chick flicks, and pillow fights. once he even asserted that no one could protect you as well as he could, when you had decided to go camping with your friend from class so he insisted on taking you himself. Your friend was most noticeably gay so you had assumed he wanted to spend time alone with you. But now that you think back on those memories these are things that anyone would do for their bestfriend. And that's what you realized 8 hours and 11 cupcakes later.

The moon floated above you and as it's white rays settled upon the lake you decided it might be time to go home now. You get up and dust your dress off before leaning down to grab the mostly empty box. Turning around you are stopped again by what's in front of you. Bucky stands there brows furrowed as his eyes flash from you to the box in your hands. "Where the hell have you been, I've been calling you all day." swallowing the lump in your throat you go to answer but are interrupted. " everyone's been asking me about you all night and I had no damn idea what to tell them, but apparently you were just out here being inconsiderate. You go and tell me I can do great tonight, that you'd be there for me, but you weren't." You try to answer him but are again interrupted. "You could have told me something earlier instead of leaving me there like a dumb-" "SHUT UP!" this time it was your turn to interrupt him.

Taking a deep breath you look into his eyes before explaining. "Of course I was ready to be there today, you think I wore this dress to sit under a damn tree? Well I didn't. When I left my apartment I was ready and I was excited, so excited. I couldn't even stop smiling on my way over, but then I got to the shop and I saw-" Immediately you stopped as you realized what you were about to say. He cocked an eyebrow and shook his head slightly as if to say 'Hello?' "You saw what? What did you see that would make you abandon ship just like that?" Shame flushed through your being and you could no longer keep eye contact. "Nothing, you know what, it doesn't even matter. I'm sorry I was being dramatic I should have been an adult and dealt with it on my own time. And I'm sorry I abandoned you all, but the night was about you anyways."

"The night was supposed to be about the both of us so it does matter if you saw something that made you want to leave. Just tell me doll, what did you see?" his voice is soft as he pleads with you. "I saw... well I saw you kissing that lady and I just wanted get away and ended up here okay!?" You said it all in a jumble hoping that he wouldn't be able to understand what you had said. But luck wasn't your friend so of course he did. "So seeing me kiss another person was so gross to you that you had to run away, what the hell? are you 13 again?" You hadn't admitted it outloud yet and it seemed that the dumbass in front of you was going to force it out of you.

Stepping around Bucky you pull your scarf tight around your body as you focus on not crying anymore until you get home. You distract yourself by thinking of all the love you saw in all the little things Bucky did for you. Dancing around the newly furnished bakery body against body as frank sinatra brought you heart to heart, watching rom-coms and ugly crying together, but by the time you get home you force yourself to face the ugly truth. The Love was always in your head. It wasn't real.

A new wave of tears blurred your vision as teardrops fell perfectly to the ground. "It's because I have feelings for you Bucky, and I now know you don't feel the same way." Sniffling you don't bother looking up because your heart is to broken for that right now. "I'm Just gonna need a little bit of time and I'll be back good as new like nothing even happened." Still unable to lift your gaze from the ground you decide to focus on the last cupcake left in the box. 'I Love You' is written in tiny light blue frosting letters. "I uhm, uhh." That brought your attention to Bucky, as embarrassment pulsed as strong as ever through your veins. " You don't have to say anything Buck, It's fine, I'll see you next week, on monday" you hand him the box as you go to pass him "I think you would have a better use for this than me I ate 11 others already so."

Divider credits: @firefly-graphics

[imagineabrighterworld]

A/N: I fought tooth and nail for this prompt so I hope you like it anon 👀

—

Dabi had left the Nightscape for several reasons.

For better scenery, for less screaming, for.. for a third reason, and to escape his crazy as fuck ex girlfriend who never seemed to get the point that they were done. She was a phase, she wasn’t the endgame.

Did she get that as he tossed her ass out of his apartment? No, she just came back with a lighter to set his home ablaze. But the woman didn't realize he controlled flames as easily as he did breathing.

So he left. He packed a few things, clothes and whatever currency the humans were using nowadays and went up to the world beyond. His father was one of the lords of the Nightscape, but he didn't need to worry about slipping past him, Dabi was thought to be dead for ages.

More like “Touya” had been dead for ages, but that was a clusterfuck of different issues he didn't care to unfold.

Living above ground had added perks beyond escaping a crazy ex and not being surrounded by shades and wraiths on the daily. He could take on the form of a true human, not the horned and fanged form he usually wore. His tail was gone, and his scars and staples were replaced with tattoos and piercings, but he grew used to his new form very quickly.

In the human world, humans had long since developed quirks, so his flames were not an oddity. He was thankful for them when he was questioned about how he got his scars, scars that would occasionally show through his glamour. It was an easy answer, his body couldn't handle his “quirk”. People gave him sad eyes and let him go.

Easy.

What he did struggle with was the occasional demon hunter nearly tracking him down, but he always managed to turn their eye the other way. Was it testing the line choosing to live so close to a school that trained demon hunters? Yes, but he was always good at magic, a simple glamour always did the trick.

When he scored a job at a coffee shop, he was pleased to see it was a simple transaction kind of job. No one would be able to ask him why his eyes were constantly rivaling the blue of his flames or why a phantom tail would lash out and occasionally spill the row of cups behind him.

He pegged it as a ghost haunting the shop, and so it became a little inside joke within the workers ranks and some of the shop's patrons.

Opening on a rainy Wednesday, he looks around the room before lighting the candles at the tables with a flame on his pinkie finger. Setting up the tables and scooting in the chairs, he walks back to the counter and sets up the machines when the door rings, signalling someone had entered.

“Welcome.” He rolls out in a soft purr, a habit from years of toying with his playthings as an incubus. Eventually he would get rid of the habit. “What can I get for you today?” He turns around.

You were soaking wet with a satchel above your head, you were shivering and looking at the coffee machines as if they were god sent.

You looked adorable.

He leans on the counter with a growing smile. “Wet out there isn't it?”

Your gaze snaps to him. Your eyes were a soft mahogany color, reminding him of a tree. It wasn't the most romantic thing he could come up with, but trees were also very rare to find in the Nightscape, so he supposed it was based on your point of view. “C-Coffee. Please.”

“Sure thing babe, what kind?”

“A mocha cappuccino with three shots of espresso.”

He quirks a brow as he types in your order. “Three?”

“I usually get five but my doctor told me I need to cut down.”

“How about you aim for two?”

“I don't think I’d survive that loss sir.”

He chuckles. “Sir?” He asks as he tells you the price of your drink, accepting your soggy wad of cash and giving you your change once the transaction was complete. “Well madam, your drink will be out shortly, take some napkins to dry up, they’re by the sugar.”

He spots a small blush on your face as you go to the condiments counter. “Thank you.”

“Of course.” He prepares your drink as he hears you pluck a plethora of napkins out of their container. Small curses are all he hears as you open your bag, he hears the clicking of latches and the zipping of zippers. You scuttle past the counter and stop in front of the register again.

“Do you have a bathroom? My bag is drenched..”

He brings you your drink and tilts his head as he debates your question. A bathroom wouldn't solve the water issue, you just thought it would.

Dabi places your drink on the counter and holds his hand out. “I can dry your bag.”

You smile, adjusting your glasses in the mean time. “You have a wind quirk?”

“I'm not a blowdryer.” He grins. “But I can still dry it for you.”

You debate his words, looking down at your soggy satchel that was only getting worse as time passed. You hand him the bag with an accepting sigh. “Please.”

He takes your bag and lights his hands on fire. You nearly scream before he speaks up. “I can control my fire, this one won’t burn anything, it's just warm.”

“Oh.” You shut your mouth with a sheepish bow of your head. “Sorry.”

“It's alright.” He turns the bag in his hold, looking at the patches and bad attempts at embroidery on its edges. It was cute. The sad little attempts seemed to get better as they reached the top, which led him to believe this was your first attempt at embroidery.

What would you do if he had burnt it to ash?

His flames were highly destructive, and sometimes even he couldn't handle them.

Maybe he was being risky to test his powers like this. It had been ages since he last used his flames for something more than lighting a silly candle or a cigarette.

“So..”

Oh right, you were still there.

He looks at you and rotates the bag in his hold. “Yes?”

“Is it always this empty?”

“Only when you're here.” He winks.

“Rude.”

“Rude, sir.”

You laugh, and from that point on he's hooked to the sound.

-

Dabi used to like his job, now it was turning into something akin to gratitude. It allowed him to see you on most days.

He had learned quite a few things about you ever since that rainy day.

You were a teacher in training, specifically the nearby high school. You were aiming for Shiketsu and had a foot in the door with the vice principal taking notice of you during their mock trials. He didn't peg you for a demon hunter, but everyone had a hidden side to them. Hah. You had two pet birds named Sweet Pea and Darlington, you had a snake named Petra and were looking into getting a newt.

You loved coffee but hated it black, it needed sugar or chocolate of some kind because you couldn't stand bitter food. You loved spicy food even if you couldn't tolerate it, and you adored sour candies.

While you looked book smart, you were also street smart, and he was beginning to believe you might be vying for a spot as a demon slayer teacher. He just didn't know what your quirk was yet.

“Hey Dabi.” You chime in unison with the doorbell as you walk inside, this time with an umbrella to keep yourself out of the rain.

He leans on the counter with a grin. “Hey babe. What is it today? The usual?”

“Just a shot of espresso this time.”

He narrows his eyes. “Are you sick?”

“Nope.” You fold your arms behind your back, rocking back and forth on your heels with a huge smile on your face. “I got news.”

“Do tell.” He says as he starts preparing your shot.

“I got the job!” You squeal in excitement, arms coming out of hiding so you can clasp them in front of you. “Starting in the spring I’m going to be the new first year homeroom teacher!”

He genuinely smiles. So you wanted to ruin your happiness with a shot of liquid bitter? He didn't understand you sometimes.  “I thought your celebration drink would be a sakura latte, not a shot of espresso.”

You wave your hand dismissively, already removing your wallet from your pocket. “I'll come back for one.”

“Two visits in one day? Is that a gift for you or for me?” He chuckles and hands you your espresso, taking your yen and entering it into the register.

You adjust the glasses on your face. "I figured I would grace your presence because you've been so humble as to fuel my caffeine addiction."

"It's my duty to make sure you don't kill some other sorry bastard with a coffee maker."

Your eyes flash green for a split second, and in that moment he has to keep from reeling back. Did he really see that?

The cups behind him tumble to the ground.

His tail had appeared in his brief moment of shock.  

You cock your head to the side. "What happened?"

He kneels and collects the cups. "The shop's ghost. Don't mind it."

"I thought I saw a-"

"How about I give you the latte now? On me." He interrupts you mid sentence, standing up with the cups in his arms.

The blush on your face was one of his favorite sights in the human world.

"You don't have to Dabi."

"It's just a drink." He waves you along to one of the booths. "Sit, it'll be ready soon."

You take your shot of espresso and go to the booth he had motioned you to.

The way you scrunched your nose in disgust as you drank your shot was also one of his new favorite sights.

Maybe it was just you.

--

After you had gotten your job at Shiketsu, you were around every morning to prepare for the day. Sometimes you would come by for lunch, unfortunately he clocked out on those days, but sometimes he would make sure he was in the area just to catch you off-guard. Those days he spent his lunch with you, and you got to tell him stories about your students.

It was one of your lunch breaks when hell came to toll.

His eyes were trained on you as you spoke, you were talking about a girl who wielded fire similar to him when the bell of the cafe rang.

The sound resonated through him, and in that moment he knew who was at the door.

What was at the door.

His glamour of his new human form nearly drops as he hears a woman's voice ask from the counter of the cafe.

“Is Dabi here?” She croons in a sickly sweet voice he hadn't heard in nearly a year. He doesn't hear his coworkers' response but he feels the air fill with the flowery scent of her. He grits his teeth to keep his fangs from showing through as he hears her heels click against the ground.

You had stopped your explanation and looked behind him, adjusting your glasses as you did so. “You're looking for Dabi?”

“I am, what a sweet peach you've got here Dabi~ I didn't know you still had it in you to snag such a cutie, your charms must still be working even in this sad form.” He feels her hand on his shoulder, her fingernails drumming along the stitching of his jacket. “Did you catch her, or did she come crawling to you?”

He knows he has to speak up, before she says another word, but his fangs were already piercing the inside of his lip as his glamour slipped.

He looks at you with the most apologetic gaze he can muster. Grabbing his coffee, he lifts it to his mouth to hide his fangs and he speaks. “Excuse me.” He stands up and slams the cup on the table, grabbing the wrist of the woman behind him and dragging her out of the shop and into the closest alleyway.

He slams her against the wall with her arm pinned above her head. His glamour drops completely, his scars and horns bared for the world to see as he growls with rage. “You!”

The succubus in front of him smiles coyly, dragging a finger across his scars and the staples holding his mouth together. “Aren't you happy to see me? To see one of your own again?”

“No. What do you want?”

She plays at pulling on one of the staples but is stopped as he pins her other hand up as well. The succubus sighs and turns her head, “I come see you and all I get is this. And seeing you with a little human.” She peers at him with violet eyes. “Don't tell me you've gone soft Dabi. She’s human, she’ll die just like a human too.”

He hadn't let that thought slip into his mind and wasn't planning on starting to. He tightens his grip on her wrists. “We broke up, I made that clear.” A feral grin forms on his face, pulling at the staples on his face. “I told you, if you try me again, I’ll kill you.”

“I heard you had a human now. We all heard.” She whispers, her eyes glowing in the dark of the alley. “They know Dabi.”

His grip falters.

Shit.

Shit. Shit Shit-

He lets go of her wrists and he paces in the alleyway, flames licking at his face as his emotions spiralled.

“They need your power, but you’re squandering it here with a girl who will die before you know it. While you're full of youth, she will be an old crone with nothing but a coffin awaiting her.” She didn't sound bothered at all as she rubs her wrists. “Honestly Dabi, you were the one that taught me never to fall for a human. They’re too brittle, their life essence too weak.”

He did teach her. He taught her to keep her heart shut and to leave it open only for him. He taught her a little too well, as she now believed she had rights to him.

But he never taught himself as well as he did her.

He fell for you bad, and you were mortal.

“Anyway, I was told one of two things. Either bring you back with me, or expose you so you have no other choice but to return.”

He looks back at her, his rage quelled only by the dread that was now spiralling in him. “You will do no such thing!” He roars, his flames igniting and setting him ablaze. “If you dare go near her-”

The succubus’s body transforms into mist starting from her feet then rising to her waist. She puts a finger to her lips. “I’ll be back in three days. If you don't do it, I will.”

She was gone. Leaving him alone in the alley with nothing but flames that wouldn't stop burning.

-

Dabi spent the next two days trying to find ways to tell you, but with each scenario came the same question.

What would you do if you knew he was a demon? You worked at a school that trained demon slayers- what other option for you would there be if not to turn him in? It was your duty to turn in any demon that showed up at your door, and here you were having coffee with him.

He couldn't do it.

On the third day, it was raining, just like the day he met you.

He hated the mist that had surrounded the shop, reminding him of the succubus and her promise.

Three days.

He had to tell you.

But why was it so damn hard to do? He used to be cold and calculated, having his fun toying with human emotions and killing without regret. He had no empathy, no sympathy for the lives he ruined.

But you were kind. So incredibly kind.

He rests his head on the counter as the door opens. He scents you in the air before you even step through, the smell of milk and honey wafting in the air as you approach the counter.

He had to tell you.

“Morning Dabi!” You cheer as you fold up your umbrella. “A mocha cappuccino with two shots of espresso please!”

He looks up and smiles crookedly. “Finally down to two?”

“I figured I would finally listen to you.”

“That's my girl.” He chuckles as he grabs a cup and prepares your drink. His hands were shaking, but he knew what he had to do.

When your drink was ready and paid for, Dabi keeps his hand on the cup as you take it from him, your hand overlapping his. You look at him with curious eyes behind your wide rimmed glasses. “Dabi? What’s wrong?”

“If I told you I was a bad man, what would you do?”

You narrow your eyes, but keep your hand over his. “Stealing a croissant from the place you work at isn't evil Dabi-”

“Not that.” He laughs but it's noticeably strained. “Not that.” He looks you in the eyes, greedily taking in the sight of you, for perhaps the last time. “What if I told you I was a bad man, who did horrible things. Whose caused terrible things.”

Your hand tightens around his, he feels the tremors in your body before you still.

“I would tell you I know better than to judge you for what you've done, and tell you that I judge you for who you are now. Does that forgive you of what you've done or what you've caused? No. But I judge what I see. And I see a good man.”

He lets out a shaky breath as his glamor drops, revealing his true form of scars and fangs and horns. His flames curl around him as he whispers. “What if I'm not a man?”

You jump back, hands flying to your glasses before they could tumble off of your face. You stare at him with your jaw hanging.

He looks at the coffee still in his grasp. At the scars covering his body.

He knew it.

He puts down the cup.

He knew it.

Clapping comes from the corner of the room where the succubus has taken form, her body still halfway between corporal and mist. She smiles, showing off her sharpened canines. “Bravo Dabi, I almost thought I’d have to do it myself.”

You shut your mouth and look at the succubus. “You're from before-”

“I am.” She purrs. “And I’m here to take Dabi home. Shigaraki will be happy to see his lieutenant again.”

Dabi burns away his apron, leaving him in his normal attire, the stitches of his black coat catching his eye. Memories of your embroidered bag slip through his mind, though are soon flushed out entirely when he hears the shattering of tables as a high pitched shriek comes from the mist succubus.

He phases through the counter in a wall of heatless flame as he sees you covering your ears.

The shriek had destroyed the tables and windows turning them into scrap, and had shattered your glasses. Blood was running down your ears from between your hands.

He stands between you and the succubus, his arms lit with powerful blue flames. “This wasn't part of the deal!”

“Not our deal. Shigaraki doesn't want you to have any temptations for returning to the human world. We need your girl gone for good.” She grins fiendishly. “She will never grow old, isn't that the best gift you could receive?”

“Dabi-” You call out from behind him.

“Stay back!” He yells at you. “Get out of here!” But he knew if you went into the rain outside, you would be done for. The succubus would be able to drown you where you stood.

Her body turns to pure water as she rushes at him. With her power boosted by the rain that washed in through the broken windows, all he could do was send wave after wave of fire to evaporate the water.

But what was evaporation if not mist?

He was fighting a losing battle as he backed up until he finally reached you. He covers you with his body as he puts up a wall of flame.

“I’m sorry.” He whispers to you as his flames are soon put out. “I’m sorry.”

You lift your hands to his face, eyes still closed, and pull him in, pressing your forehead against his.

“Don't be sorry for the things you can't control.” You whisper in return.

The succubus’s body turns corporal from the waist up. She coos. “How sweet, one last goodbye.”

You press a kiss to his lips.

“Don't open your eyes.” You murmur against his lips before letting go of his face and turning around to look at the succubus.

He closes his eyes, prepared to hear you scream in pain, prepared to hear your body drop to the ground.

But all he hears is the loud boom of thunder from outside and the crackle of rock breaking.

Rock?

He opens his eyes and sees you on your knees in front of a marble statue of the succubus.

His eyes widen as he sees you stand up. From the reflection of the marble, he can see your eyes flashing green.

“Did I ever tell you my mother was a demon?” You ask as you kneel and pick up your eyeglass frames from the floor. “She called herself Medusa. Silly, huh? My dad was human though, and well, as you know, they had me..” You turn around, your eyes now closed. “I guess you can say my quirk is having a very strange lineage.”

Dabi gets to his feet and runs at you, barreling into you with his arms swiftly wrapping around you.

You return the hug, your face nuzzled into his chest.

“So.. you're not mortal?” He says quietly, as if the good luck that had been shone upon the both of you would wither out.

“I'm not. It's my hundred and twenty-fourth this year.” You look up from his hold, he could see the faint glow of green from under your eyelashes. “Will you be there?”

He tightens his hold and presses his lips against yours.

“As if I'd ever leave.”

[katsukikitten]

Part 1!  Part 2

Bakugou slumps angrily on the couch in the common space of his shared apartment.

Although if it were up to him he would have had his own apartment.

Especially with the way Kirishima brought his girlfriend over to sit on the love seat in the small living room being all...touchy feely. It was enough to make him gag.

Kirishima had begged him to sign the lease with him and so Bakugou begrudgingly agreed.

But he didn't expect a third party to be living here.

And no it was the cute pink haired woman who sat giggling beneath his sculpted arm.

It was you.  

You who bursts through the doors, practically running into the living room as you slip off your shoes.

"I need someone's help during the undergrad agency summer break." You pant as you look around the room. Eyes first flying to Kirishima before landing on the growling Ash blonde, "It'd be half work half vacation for a couple of weeks. Please."

You sound desperate causing Bakugou's stomach to churn. While it caused Kirishima to panic. In the year or so the three of you had shared an apartment you had never asked for help.

Not even with the dishes after your turn to cook. Glittering rubies dance across your form while scarlet burn holes into your skin.

"When? Which month?" Kirishima asks, pulling Mina closer to his muscular form.

"This upcoming month. So next week." Desperation is in your face again, "It's just a simple job I would pay…"

"I wish I could but Ashido and I are going abroad for our final summer internship before we are stand alone pros." Kirishima watches your face become crestfallen. You look to Bakugou desperately who avoids your puppy eyed gaze purposefully.

"Could you get Denki to do it?" Kirishima prompts. You chew your lip as you try to picture it.

"He isn't a good fit for the job. I need...someone a little more serious." Pacing as you think, going down the list of your classmates that might be free. Each step becoming more anxiety fueled, Kirishima's eyebrows knit upwards before his gaze lands on his friend.

"Bakugou, you got the summer off as a reward didn't you?" The ash blonde cuts his "friend" a harsh glare.

"Oi so what if I did?" All venom as he makes eye contact, instantly regretting it as he watches hope bloom on your face. His heart pangs as his stomach twists. He let's out an angry growl, "I'm not helping any fucking extras."

He stands, headed to barricade himself in his room for the rest of the evening. Between you and the fucking love birds he was more than ready to tear out his soft locks.

Your heart pounded in your chest now that Kirishima had mentioned it, Bakugou could potentially be perfect for the job. And you didn't have much time. The two of you would need to leave this weekend.

Desperate times called for desperate measures.

"Please Bakugou! I'll make that super spicy ramen you love!" Your voice is higher than normal and whiny. Something the two men are unused to. Sinking your knees into the soft carpet in front of him. Your hands raised above your head as you speak.

"Please please please. I'll make the ramen anytime you want it for the next YEAR! 330 in the morning. 4 in the afternoon. 8pm! Please Bakugou Katsuki please!" You clap your hands, clasping them tightly together trying to hold onto what little dignity you had left. Groveling to a man you hardly knew and tolerated because Kirishima asked you to. Broken pride lodges like a lump in your throat, burning your eyes with unshed tears.

Katsuki blinks slowly, It was the first time you had used his first name.

And to be honest he hadn't ever imagined you to beg for anything.

He grabs onto your wrists yanking you to your feet.

"No one wants to see you on your knees, Brat." He snarls, yanking you hard enough you lose your footing as you're pulled into his godly chest. He watches you look up at him through long lashes. Your voice carrying in his head long after you've stopped speaking. Plush lips pointed in a forever pout.

"Please Katsuki."

He suppresses a shudder, grip tightening as he holds your forearms.

"I'll do it. Now shut up." He snarls, giving you a small shove.

Most people would feel embarrassed or hell even a little shameful. But you were not most people.

Bakugou hears you jumping for joy as he slams his door shut. Wondering what the hell he agreed too.

××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××

He finds himself still wondering what he's said yes to as he stands in the train station staring at the map of the stops.

The town you named as your stop was in the middle of fucking no where. Where the hell were you two going?

Was this where you murdered him like you always promised?

"Katsuki! There you are!" Of course it's you who's shouting across the damn station, and if you didn't already attract enough attention with your easy on the eyes looks.

His own eyes watch your thick frame, powerful legs pushing you forward to him while your backpack among other things jiggle as you run, "You didn't get your ticket yet did you?"

He produces the slip as his eyes are finally drown downward towards the large duffle bag overstuffed with what looks like toys and souvenirs.

"Fucking Bakugou!" You snarl, "I was gonna buy your ticket."

He slides his digits against the smooth grey paper to reveal another ticket.

"Had I waited for your dumbass we wouldn't have made it there." You follow his eyes to the board to see your stop was SOLD OUT.

"What's with all that shit?" Again you mirror his gaze to your giant bag.

"Presents." You snarl, pushing him toward the platform as the grainy voice overhead announces boarding.

Bakugou shoves his small black bag into an overhead compartment, motioning with his broad hands for yours. You pass him your obnoxiously large bag that he growls over as he shoves it in, slamming the door shut.

He takes your book bag from your shoulders roughly before carefully placing it between his foot and the metal wall. You offer him a small smile before anxiety and anger begins to dance beneath your skin. The train becoming more and more crowded as people board. The last thing you wanted was your ass accidentally pressed against some perverts hardon each time the train jerked this way or that. You really should have asked Bakugou to help you get here early. If you had maybe you could have at least grabbed a seat. You just keep reminding yourself that after three stops the train would practically be empty.

But it was becoming a difficult mantra as more men pressed themselves against you as they piled onto the train. One or two ghosting their hands over your defined denim clad cheek.  You bite your tongue counting down from ten knowing full well that causing a scene would only make things more difficult for you.  

A suck of teeth is heard before you're being harshly pulled off balance just for your back to be pressed into the cool metal wall of the train. You're about to throw a punch when you realize it is Bakugou who has you pinned in the corner of the car. One strong hand pressed above your shoulder to keep from crashing into you as the train moves while the other holds tight to the bar overhead, shielding you from wander eyes but most importantly wandering hands.

Your heart thumps in your chest as you're caged in, all the while harsh scarlet eyes look down at you in a sneer.

"You should have left earlier Baka." He growls as his eyes cut to the corner of the window to stare at anything but you.  

A blush creeps into your cheeks as silence washes over the car. You take deep breaths to calm yourself only to be smothered in a heavy and almost charred sugary scent. A smile ghosts your lips as it reminds you of late summer nights and fireworks at festivals.

Over the next hour you steal glances up at the hot head who looks more than displeased as his scarlet eyes bore holes into the passing cityscape that slowly turns into a suburb just outside of the city limits. As you said the bodies on the train have thinned significantly as Bakugou pulls away, pointing to the first open seat he can see.

You gladly take it, nestling beside a kind old man who gives you a knowing look. Somehow it makes you blush more.

Bakugou wasn't going to take the news well as to why you really begged him on this adventure.

But what he didn't know didn't hurt him. He was already fitting the job description although he had his own way of doing it. His eyes cut to your bag by his foot to make sure it is still there before they cut to you.  

They linger over the old man questioning with his gaze if you're being bothered. You give a small shake of your head no before he sighs out. Taking with it some of the tension in his body as he pulls his phone from his pocket, his other arm still holding onto the bar. His muscles and bare skin peeking out from beneath the sleeve of his skull tee. Flexing with each pull of the train.

Heat floods your cheeks when you realize you are staring, you fish for your own phone to distract yourself as time seems to creep by.

Before long the older gentleman's stop has come, he ruffles the paper as if to fold it but uses the sound and ink as cover.

"You should just tell him." He gives you a wink before he folds the news neatly, tucking it beneath his arm as he slowly steps out of the training. Stopping just to give you a wink.

"Uuuugghh." Your heart sinks into your stomach before Bakugou finally takes a seat beside you.

"You sure that geezer didn't give you any trouble?" You nod as he scoots further away as the train empties until it is just the two of you.  

"What exactly am I fucking doing anyway?"

Fuck.

Fuckity fuck.

He wasn't supposed to ask yet.

You had hoped he wouldn't ask at all! That he would have kept his gaze sharp, arms crossed and mouth shut.

But here he sat, close enough you could smell his sugary scent once more.

"Don't get mad."

"Oh here we fucking go." His forearms threaten to pop as he holds your gaze head on.

"It's not really a job. I'm still going to pay you but…we're going to my hometown to see my family. So many people are going to be there I just didn't want to go alone. I haven't been in well over a year or so due to hero training and schooling. It's my grandmother's 95th birthday and well I…"

He watches sadness creep over your features, pulling your lips southward. He sighs out, letting go of the popping sensation that pricks at his skin.

"Oi, just means you owe me more than a years worth of ramen." His voice is gruff but it doesn't match his scarlet eyes. The train stops as two woman and the six kids between them get ready to board.

Thankfully you spot them before they spot you.

You lean close to Bakugou whispering almost too quickly for him to hear.

"From this point on. Just follow my lead."

You stand, a smile wide across your face as the kids yell, "Jushi-saaaan!!!"

Bakugou holds his breath and counts for a moment, realizing much too late that there's no turning back now.  

Conversation is light between the two of you as the kids play on their switches. Laughing loudly before more and more people pile on.

But this time they aren't strangers, no each time they are a new relative. Scarlet eyes narrow as the begin to wonder just HOW big your family was.

The train stops but the adventure doesn't as the large family loads onto a small bus ride that last another hour.

The sun begins to set as bus finally stops just outside a large estate and much older estate.

"No fucking way." He mutters to himself as he grabs for your bags, keeping his grumbling to himself as he climbs towards the estate.

"I can take one of those Katsuki. I don't mind."

"Dumbass I need it since you took away a month of training from me." He growls, pushing past you as he rises to the top.

Once there an elderly woman greets the two of you, he eyes roaming over Bakugou with a dull but interested look before passing back to you.  

"Separate rooms of course. Set your things down, Mei will take them. For now Sobo wants to see the two of you."

You bow, stomping on Bakugou's foot until he follows suit. Glaring at you the entire time.

Still he follows you around the large estate until you come across an open tatami door. Before you can sink down to your knees your grandmother calls for you.

"Come in dear! Don't be shy." She smiles delightfully watching the ash blonde with deft eyes.  Bakugou wouldn't have guess your grandmother was 95 if you hadn't told him. She sits stick straight in an old. iromuji kimono with bright eyes.

You sink to your knees and he mirrors your actions. Curiosity softening his burning ember eyes.

"How have you been my sweet mago?" She smiles wide enough that even her eyes seem to smile, reminding Bakugou if you.

Guess the apple never really does fall far from the tree.

"I'm well. I'm almost done with my pro hero internship. Then I can freelance and do work as I please." You smile, going on about your life as you catch up with your grandmother.

"Well I've got something for you as promised." She leans forward passing you a black kimono with cranes stitched in silver and golden thread. A small shrill shriek leaves your body as you hug onto her tightly pulling the fabric away from you to see.

"It's gorgeous grams!"

"A gorgeous piece for a gorgeous woman." Her smile is directed towards the ashen blonde "So Bakugou was it?"

He gives a nod, his body fully relaxed as he tries his hardest to be respectful desire his wanting to scream what the hell he needed to waste a full day's journey to the middle of no where for.

"We've heard so much about you! A pro hero with a powerful quirk." Bakugou smirks over the compliment, "You look strong. Good my mago needs it. She and this family do not do well with pushovers. She needs someone with a strong will. Since you are her fiance I have a few questions."

"Fian…" He shoots a glare towards you to which you return tenfold, he glances towards your grandmother. He grinds his teeth in temporary defeat.

"I need to know you can take care of her. My granddaughter is independent, almost to a fault. She comes from a long line of stubbornness and strong willed women. She needs to be supported without being overshadowed. She will need to be offered help because she will never ask and you will need to watch her closely as she will show two emotions. Determined and composed anger to get the task done and happiness should you be lucky. But the real question is." Grandmother leans in close holding Bakugou's darkening gaze, "Would you die for my granddaughter?"

His brows furrow from such an old fashioned question, your grandmother's eyes begin to narrow, gaze unwavering as she stares into crimson pools for the answer.

"I'll ask a final time. Would you die for my granddaughter?" Bakugou holds her gaze and answers without thought or hesitation.

Speaking an unspoken truth he hadn't realized was there.

"Yes." His voice is gruff and serious, even causing you to be taken aback.

All the while your grandmother's eyes cloud with what you think is suspicion before a giant smile plasters onto her face.

"He's going to fit right in." The old rotary phone in her study begins to ring, "I'll see you two tonight for dinner."

[argonavis-hcs]

Kenta with bartender crush

Summary: You've been working part-time as a bartender since the start of second year college at the bar Miyuki also work at. While you usually have work on the same shift with him once or twice a week, you're familiar with his regular costumers, and one of them is none other than Gyroaxia's guitarist himself.

Note: This is gonna be my first fic here and i've been thinking about it for some time. Also i hate Kenta (yes i'm in denial leave me alone)

Genre: fluff

Warning: mention of alcohol and grammatical error, OOC

The soft jazz music was playing in the air. Tonight the bar isn't that crowded with people and you're glad because Miyuki couldn't make it due to his band emergency or something, so now you have to cover for him. It's not that you mind anyway since he's a good co-worker of yours, he never hesitate to share tips and trick of bartending. Like a good senior does.

"Welcome–" you stopped after looking up from the glass you've been cleaning and found a red haired guy with black glasses, sitting on the other side of the bar in front of you. Whom, from as long as you can remember, was here two days ago when Miyuki was the one doing shift.

"I'm sorry, Is Miyuki here?" He asked.

"I cover for him tonight. I thought you would be with him now since he said he has some band stuff to do," you said with a slight confusion. He closed his eyes in attempt to calm himself down and sigh in annoyance. "I-is everything alright?"

"Yes, of course. I will deal with him later. I'm sorry for bothering you, I'll be on my way now." He said as he get up to leave.

"Wait!" You almost shouted, "I might not as good as Miyuki as you always ask him to make your drink but, maybe I can make you something similar? You've came all this way after all."

Kenta swore his heart skipped a beat. His intention on coming to the bar wasn't exactly to interact with you, not entirely. He often came to the bar to relieve stress by drinking anything Miyuki prepared him while stealing once or two glances at you and Kenta only came when you're also present. By putting the two and two together, Miyuki realized it's a perfect way push Kenta's button and also do him a favor, both of you.

As much as his and Kenta's constant bickering, he knows Kenta is a good person and will make you happy.

And it'd be amusing to tease him even further.

You felt as though you can't let him got out just like that after stopping by, not after seeing that annoyed expression which most likely caused by your co-worker. You work here too, after all and the number one rule in the bartender book is that no one leave the bar without feeling better than when they came.

"Ah, you're right. Thank you for reminding me." He said, returning back on his seat.

"It's all good. I'll tell Miyuki you were stopping by later. So, how can I serve you?"

"I'll take the best wine you have, please."

"Oh-oh, should I call Miyuki to ask the brand he served you before?" You jokingly asked.

Kenta chuckled, "You won't disappoint me. Even if you did, I won't tell your manager."

"How kind of you," you giggled. "One glass of our best wine coming right up."

~

Hours passed by, words were exchanged. You found him very comforting to talk to. Your smile and voice was more intoxicating than any wine Kenta has ever tasted. Signing in relief as you're glad the bar wasn't as crowded as usual.

"Are you sure you want another glass? You look pretty tipsy now, sir." You asked teasingly.

"I'm certain. Don't worry about me, i have a high alcohol tolerance," he passed his wine glass to you. "And didn't I told you to not call me 'sir'? You make me sounds old when I'm just a year older than you."

Pouring the wine from the bottle, "I apologize, but that's the bar's policy, sir." You don't mind calling him by his name but you still need to mind your attitude and professionality when working. Turning your back from him, you put the bottles and clean glasses back on their places

Kenta sniffed the wine, "Too bad. My name would sound better coming out of those lips." He muttered as he took a little sip.

"Hm? Did you say something, sir?"

"I was saying the wine taste even better after every sip." He lied smoothly. That was close.

"Is that so? I'm glad then." You said with a smile on your face.

A phone rings from Kenta's pocket, he reached for it and checked who it is, "Looks like I'm needed. I should go." He put money on the table, "Thank you for tonight. It was nice talking with you."

"No, thank you for agreeing to stay here. If the manager see me slacking off and not serving anyone, he would cut half of my salary." Kenta looked at you questioningly. "It was a joke. Any costumer of Sakaigawa-san is also a costumer of mine."

"Isn't the saying supposed to be 'friend', y/n?"

"Oh? You want to be friends with me? Hmm... Since you ask nicely then sure thing, Satozuka-san!" You really are Miyuki's junior, huh?

He only chucked, "Then I'll see you later, y/n."

~~~

Walking to Gyroaxia sharehouse through Tokyo night street, Kenta looked at his phone and see Miyuki is calling him, "So tell me how's the date? I'll gladly accept any form of gratitude from you." Miyuki teased from the other side.

"That was your plan?" Kenta asked in disbelief.

"Well, not exactly. You're too obvious sometimes, you know that?" Kenta cringed at that, "but I agree that she's cute. Aren't you glad she's not falling for me first, eh?" Even though they're miles apart, Kenta could hear him smirking while saying that.

He could even feel himself loosing his cool, "I'm hanging up." He pushed the red button before the drummer got the change to protest.

Kenta's face felt hot but he's glad he stumbled upon you today, because he knew deep down he would take way too long to approach you. Maybe he does need to pay Miyuki's meals for the next few days.

Because now, Kenta has you as his new friend.

And it'll one day be something more.

[voidstilesplease]

Attractions

Demigod AU Ficlet [3]

Stiles

"Stiles?"

Stiles turns around to the source of the call. He finds himself facing the new Ares camper. The boy gives him a tentative but wide, slanted smile, stepping closer. Stiles is not going to lie; the excessive gushing he hears from the Aphrodite cabin about the guy are well-founded. But he's not going to say that out loud. He replies, "Hey,"

"Chiron said to look for you," the boy tells him, looking far brighter and good-natured than what Stiles anticipates from an Ares kid speaking to a child of Athena.

"Give me a sec, will you?" At the boy's nod, Stiles rushes inside the cabin to retrieve the materials he prepared for their brief session today. He assigns one of his half-siblings to take over the cabin clean-up while he's out. When he returns outside, the Ares boy is standing patiently, hands in his pockets, watching the flurry of activities inside.

"Your cabin looks like a library," the boy comments when Stiles is near enough to hear. He doesn't sound mocking and what he said isn't in particular insulting, but Stiles gets defensive all the same. From his time at camp, he gets this automatic response to the Ares bunch.

"And yours look like," he pauses, and they both turn to look at cabin five right across from Athena. Its blood-red paint job is giving Stiles goosebumps. Not to mention the stuffed boar's head on the doorway with soulless eyes that seem to be following everyone's movements, and the ugly barbed wires on the roof. It's an angry-looking cabin that's very fitting to its aggressive and violent occupants. "-a nightmare."

Stiles expects the boy to sneer, but he gets a different reaction. The new Ares kid laughs. "You think it looks bad outside? It's absolute chaos inside." The boy turns to him, smiling cheekily. "You should come and visit sometimes."

Stiles stops short and takes a moment to consider the boy. He's never made an Ares kid laugh before, at least not that isn't derisive. They all think Stiles is stuck up even when he was only new to the camp. Only Fred, the head counselor, tolerates him, and he only does so because Stiles handed his ass to him in capture-the-flag last summer. His grudging respect is because he got beat by a rookie. Typical. This boy, though, doesn't seem to be corrupted - yet. It's only been a few days. Stiles replies with a serious, "I will," the boy's face lights up in return, probably mistaking it as Stiles flirting back. So he adds, "When it's my turn for cabin inspection. I give decent scores."

The quick shooting up of his eyebrows means he doesn't quite believe that.

But Stiles does. Last summer, he gave them 1/5. It would have been zero, but Fred had made an effort to upturn the bunk beds back in their upright position and shove all strewn underwear inside a box. He only hopes those were burned after and not distributed back to their owners. Stiles is a saint, considering.

He moves them forward, tracing the steps to the Big House. They walk side-by-side in surprisingly companionable silence for a moment, then Stiles begins introduction. "So, as your official welcome wagon, albeit a few days late," Stiles spreads his arms in an all-encompassing gesture. "Welcome to Camp Half-Blood!"

The boy laughs a little and regards him with amusement. He looks pleasant, but it's disconcerting and just a tad suspicious. An Ares kid is not supposed to be a charmer, newcomer, or otherwise.

"My name is Stiles," he says, pausing in his tracks to politely offer his hand to the boy. "I'm Athena cabin's junior counselor."

The boy smiles and takes Stiles's hand in a firm grip. He mentally registers that the boy's hand is mildly calloused and only slightly bigger than his. And the boy's eyes are blue, like the sky and ocean on a fine day. 

"I'm Theo."

Theo is a nice name, too, his brain whispers kindly. Probably short for Theodore. Stiles knows another Theodore from his previous school. That Theodore is bland; this one is far from it. But he's not going to admit that out loud, either. 

Stiles clears his throat, breaking their contact. His mind runs on him sometimes (all the time); he hates when that happens. The last time it did, Stiles got humiliated by his crush in front of the others during combat training. What a fun memory. He really shouldn't be thinking about that right now. So he picks up his steps, and Theo follows dutifully, not losing the open expression.

"I'm supposed to give you a starter kit today: the camp's map, our camp brochure, and your study guide for our next sessions." Stiles holds up the book and papers on his other hand. "As much as I'd like to tour you around, we don't have that much time."

Stiles waves a hand to one of the Hermes kids, who's carrying a trunk-load of garbage for disposal. The boy smiles back brightly despite the strain on his face from the weight of the junk. Ever since day one, everyone from cabin eleven has been friendly to Stiles, most especially the head counselor, Kira. So, Stiles always makes a way to return their kindness.

He shifts back to Theo to find him observing the interaction with attention. It's not malicious, though, which still baffles Stiles. He didn't know there could be nice ones from his cabin. 

He continues as they near the Big House. "There's a meeting with Chiron and the cabins' head counselors in an hour. Haley, our head, went with Demeter and Dionysus' cabin leaders to Manhattan to deliver strawberries. You know, the camp's source of funds? You'll see that in the brochure," he says, raising the object in question. "I'll have to attend as a proxy."

They arrive at the porch, and Stiles motions for Theo to sit on a bench. He passes the materials to him, "I'll let you check these, and if you have questions, you can ask me."

Theo shuffles the papers absently before lifting his head, "I do."

Stiles is pretty sure he hasn't read a thing yet, but he gestures for him to proceed.

"How did you manage it?" He asks, a genuinely curious look on his face. "You're here for one summer, but you're already second-in-command."

Stiles searches his face and tone for ridicule. He doesn't find it, still suspects it, so he schools his expression to its neutral - not friendly, but also not dismissive. It's a sensible question, anyway. It's not every day that he gets one from an Ares child. "It's not all about tenure here at camp," he starts, gauging.

Theo leans forward to indicate he's listening.

Stiles takes a seat adjacent to his position. If this kid is civil to him, there's no reason not to act the same - even if Stiles still thinks their cabin is the worst. "The eldest or the longest camper automatically gets the head counselor post, and they assign their seconds. Usually, they pick from the next eldest campers, but they can also base on achievements disregarding age or length of stay."

Theo inclines his head, eyes level on Stiles. "Achievements?"

"Yes. Like winning in the camp's games, or successfully returning from a quest."

His eyes flash in thought, and it is with revere when he says, "And you did both."

Stiles blushes embarrassingly. He tries to mask it by ducking his head and rubbing at his cheeks. Stiles is suddenly self-conscious when he is usually gloating. Stiles never passes up an opportunity to rub it in an Ares kid's face how he's defeated them in capture-the-flag like he's born for it.

When Stiles looks up again, the boy is smirking at him, blue eyes darting around his face in a thorough examination. Stiles's guard kicks in again, feeling measured. 

He straightens in his perch, lifting his chin haughtily. "Yes," he makes sure that his tone is sharp. "I led my team to victory against yours. If you have any doubt to the legitimacy of that claim, you can remind Fred how he uselessly hung upside-down like a wet market chicken while I plucked the flag from his hands."

Stiles waits for the offended snarl and stream of profanities, but once again, he's knocked off his careful balance. Theo's face splits in a wide grin, and he laughs. "So, that's why he doesn't share details, the loser."

Stiles goggles, starting to feel annoyed by the unusual behavior. "Aren't you going to mock me and defend his honor?"

Theo snorts, "What honor?" He snickers for a few more and then puts his attention to the reading materials when he recovers.

Stiles finds the situation peculiar, so he stays quiet and allows Theo to read, answering when he has more questions and volunteering information that isn't in print.

Later, when they adjourn, he prepares to leave when Theo leans to tell him, "I'm not like my siblings. I don't hate clever people." He pauses, and with an easy grin, adds: "Fred might even be right. I think I'm attracted to one of them."

He doesn't wait for Stiles's reply - not that Stiles has one to that statement. He only stands there, taken aback, and red as a startled tomato.

Theo, finally displaying the familiar audacity comparable to his kins, winks. "I'll see you later, Stiles."

And well, it's impossible not to notice him everywhere now.

~•~

[1][2][companion]

[official-wayward-keener]

Irondad Bingo

Peter gets a Stark Internship. He isn't Spider-Man yet. Here is the story.

Ao3 Link here

Peter knew he was smart. He would be stupid not to realize that and it is now establish that Peter is in fact smart. He just didn’t think he was qualified for a Stark Internship.

“Of course you are,” Ned reminded him. “You are going to be valedictorian one of these days.”

“Peter, you are just like your father and mother. You have all these ideas that could change the world and one of these days you are going to change the world,” Ben told him. Peter didn’t know what to say to all of this so he just hugged his uncle and held on to him tight.

“I’m proud of you,” May had told him as he told her. She had made sure he was hugged and reminded that he deserved this.

Peter knew they were all proud but not he was nervous and worried that he would mess this all up. It was a big deal to get a Stark Internship. Especially when he was in high school. Not many people got the Stark Internship so Peter getting it was a surprise for him. He just had to deal with his first internship day.

~

Peter had loved his first day at the internship. There were five high school interns besides himself. They all seemed nice and Peter figured this wouldn’t be a bad internship as he worked with his partner, Harley.

“I heard you go to Midtown,” Harley told him.

“Yeah, I’m a Freshman there currently,” Peter said.

“I start next week,” Harley told him. Peter seemed excited to have his new partner in crime go to school with him. Peter didn’t think he would make any friends but he was thankful to be friends with some of the other high school interns.

“Hey, can you spare Harley and whoever he is working with for a second?” a voice broke out in the lab. One that Peter had only heard on tv.

“Of course,” Natalie, their manager, told Tony Stark. She was just as shocked. Harley seemed to look down, embarrassed.

“You save a man once and he forever thinks he's in your debt,” Harley mumbled. Peter didn’t know what that meant but he was now about to meet the one and only Tony Stark. Harley and Peter walked over to Tony who seemed to look over Peter amused at the young boy.

“I need someone who has worked on the Iron Man tech to look over some stuff. Figured you and your partner would enjoy a look at a battle damaged armor,” Tony told Harley. Harley didn’t seem amused but the two agreed to go up. Peter is excited and talking to Tony asking about certain things with the Arc Reactor. Tony was impressed by Peter to say the least so when they entered the lab and the boys were looking at the suit giving their suggestions, Tony took both into consideration. Peter didn’t realize how much Tony was impressed by Peter.

~

Peter got home and told Ben all about his day. Ben was impressed by everything that Peter was telling him. His nephew was working with a literal genius.

“My partner and I got to work with Tony Stark. Like it was amazing. He even helped me understand some things about the arc reactor that confused me in the past,” Peter told Ben.

“That is amazing. I’m glad you had a good first day at your internship,” Ben let Peter know.

“Who had a great first day?” May asked.

“Peter got to work personally with the owner of the company,” Ben told her.

“You don’t say,” May said.

“Harley and I both got to. I think Harley knew Mr. Stark from something else. Just by the way Mr. Stark treated him as family and such,” Peter said. May and Ben seemed surprised but didn’t say anything more focused on how happy their nephew was.

~

Tony Stark had been impressed by Harley Keener when he first met him. Harley had become the only kid he could tolerate. Until today.

“Pepper,” Tony whined.

“No, Harley can not be your personal assistant,” Pepper said.

“How about Harley and Peter?” Tony asked. Pepper looked at him confused.

“Who is Peter?” Pepper asked.

“Peter is Harley’s intern partner,” Tony said. “He might even be smarter than me.”

“I’m not giving you two high schoolers as personal assistants,” Pepper said.

“Pepper, this could be a big opportunity and look good on their applications to college,” Tony reminded her. Pepper seemed to think before she sighed.

“Only because I want them to have a good future,” Pepper said. “But I am going to monitor any projects connected to the internship and they will still have to do monthly team meetings with the other interns.” Tony agreed before running off to tell Harley.

~

Peter didn’t expect that text saying he was now Tony’s personal intern. He didn’t know what to say. Harley had told him that he was just told and to expect a phone call. So when he got the phone call he was even more surprised. He was excited for the change in his internship. Peter knew May and Ben would hear soon so he told them. He was vibrating as he told them about the new changes.

“I should have known you would blow away their minds,” May said. Ben agreed with her, proud of his nephew even if he was iffy of Tony Stark.

~

Peter and Harley did a lot together while also assisting Tony. Tony got to know Peter and realized the kid reminded him of a younger version of himself. He enjoyed working with both of them but sometimes just hearing Peter rant about his latest idea made him wonder if the idea would work but he normally let Peter figure it out himself. Tony didn’t want to steal the boy's credit. Peter was always excited when Tony asked him to work on one of his ideas. Harley would even give his two cents and Peter would enjoy listening to their feedback. It was nice working with both boys and Tony was starting to enjoy it. That was until Fall Break came.

“Do you really have to go?” Peter asked the Thursday before Fall Break. Harley looked at him with a kind smile.

“Yeah, Ma wants me home for a bit so next week will just be you and Tony in the labs,” Harley told him. Peter still was pouting but he seemed to understand. The day went by without a hitch and Harley left the next day after school. Tony didn’t know what to do without a kid around for a few days until Peter was in the lab. That’s when it hit Tony. Peter was like a son to him just like Harley. Yes, Peter had his own family but he treated the kid like he was his own. Maybe he could invite the Parkers over sometime to get to know them.

~

Peter was excited when Tony suggested meeting his uncle and aunt. After a bit of planning courtesy of Ben and Pepper. The three ended up having dinner with Tony, Pepper, and Harley. Peter had told his uncle about what he had been up to and Ben was interested in meeting Tony after Pepper told him about how much Peter had affected her boyfriend.

“Harley and Tony have their bond but Tony seems to just adore Peter and find him interesting which he rarely does with children. It took him a while to warm up to Harley when they first met,” Pepper informed Ben. He expected as much from his nephew. He had a way around people.

“He is that way around everyone he meets,” Ben told her. “He is something special. I’m just sorry that his parents couldn’t see it before they passed.”

“Well I’m glad he has you,” Pepper said. “I met him once and he talked about how important you were to him.” Ben seemed surprised but didn’t say anything about it. He didn’t think he was that important to his nephew. Tony had made sure to talk to them both and all he said were praises for their nephew. Ben saw the way he looked at Peter and Harley. It was the same way he looked at his nephew.

“He has this way of pulling people close to him,” Ben told Tony.

“Well he did that. He just is something else,” Tony said. “Reminds me of myself at that age before everything happened in my life.” Ben seemed to be glad that Tony wasn’t like the man he had once heard about in the news. He had seemed to change. Maybe it was a start to something better.

~

Peter had been sick for four days and so he hadn’t been in the labs. When it had been almost a week without him seeing Peter, Tony was concerned. That was until he got a phone call from May telling him that Ben was gone. Tony had got to the Parker residence quickly and found Peter freshly showered in pjs on the couch. May told Tony he had been there and held Ben as he passed away. Tony made sure to sit next to the kid and slowly. Peter moved closer to him and hugged him as the kid cried. In the past, Tony would not know what to do but now he was getting used to hugs.

“Thank you for being here,” May whispered to him after Peter fell asleep in his arms. Tony knew he had become connected to this family since he met them. Peter was like another kid to him.

“Thank you for calling me. I know it's hard to lose a parent,” Tony told her. She just nodded as she helped get Peter to bed before Tony asked how he could help. May just let him know being there helped. Later when Peter woke up and Tony was asleep on the couch, Peter smiled before thanking the hero while he slept. He knew Tony didn’t hear it but he didn’t want to thank his hero. He sat at the table with a notebook and worked on his next private project, codename: Spider-Man.

[katedrakeohd]

Cordonia 1885

[Masterlist]

Previously on Cordonia 1885 - After being rescued from the bloody prison of his hotel room, Drake has been taken to the safe haven of Mary's family home.

But how safe is he really?

Cast of Cordonian characters: Drake Walker, Bastien Lykel and Bloody Mary (OC)

____________________________

Series Notes / Warnings :

Major character death, blood, vampirism, graphic descriptions of corpses, angst, swearing, content of a sexual nature, animal death. -

(sorry folks this isn't a romantic comedy)

Word count: 2080

____________________________

- Chapter Four -

The stair treads creak under their feet as they go up. The smell of decay is thicker up here, and it makes Drake's eyes water. He was starting to suspect that there was a dead body, or bodies in the house. At the top of the stairs there are four doors, all ajar except for one.

Drake covers his mouth and nose with his bent elbow, muffling his voice.

“M – Mary? Seriously don't you smell that? Is there something or someone dead in this house? You said that your father died, but what happened to your mother?”

Mary doesn't answer at first and just leads Drake to a bedroom at the end of the hall, “Mother and I exchanged letters monthly while I was working for the Beaumonts, but two months ago her letters stopped. She had mentioned an illness, and doctor visits.”

“Were you able to come see her before she..passed?”

“Just once, and she had become so sick that she had taken to her bed to await her end.”

“Is she still here?”

“N..no,” she lied.

Before Drake can respond, Mary grabs him by the elbow and pulls him into her father's room.

The bedroom contains a large wooden bed, wash stand with basin and mirror, and a dresser. In the corner a coat rack is wearing a wool overcoat similar to Drake's. A pair of men's leather shoes sit on the floor at the base of the rack. A bar of shaving soap and a straight razor sit next to the wash basin. Mary lights the candles on the dresser, near the wash stand, as well as one on the windowsill.

Drake sits on the end of the bed and watches her prepare the room. She opens dresser drawers and shows him the contents, “Father was a tall man, but not too tall, and wasn't an overeater. His clothes should fit you.”

Drake looks around the room again, appreciating how neatly it's been kept. Mary takes off Drake's wool coat and hangs it on the rack next to her Father's. When she walks back over to stand in front of him, he notices the smeared dark stains on her undergarments for the first time. But none of the bloody areas were fresh, or spreading, so her clothes weren't hiding any wounds.

He looks down at the blood on his own hands, and clothing. “The blood all over the hotel mattress wasn't yours was it?”

Mary shakes her head slowly and steps over closer to unbutton his shirt. “Definitely not mine.”

Her fingers feel cool against his skin as she slides the shirt down off of his shoulders, letting it fall down his arms and pool around his waist.

“But..but I didn't find any cuts on me either.” He says nervously, as she unbuttons his trousers.

Mary puts her hand on his neck and brushes her thumb across the itchy welt below his ear, making him shiver and his skin pimple with goosebumps.

She leans in and kisses his mouth, continuing to rub gently at the spot on his neck. When he leans forward to kiss her back, she pulls back and then shifts her mouth to his ear, whispering, “I didn't cut you Drake. I bit you.”

Drake recoils at her cool breath on his skin, scrambling backward on the bed, his arms tangling in the sleeves of his shirt as it gets trapped beneath him.

“Y- you bit me? Hard enough to make me bleed!?”

Mary unties the ribbons at the bodice of her undershirt and then slides down the waistband of her underpants, letting her clothes drop to the floor. Drake watches her climb naked onto the bed after him, her eyes looking darker than they did before. But it's not passion he sees, but a hunger of a different kind. The mark on his neck starts to tingle and the itching in his groin flares to life when he sees her lick her lips.

Mary straddles his lap, and traps his forearms by his sides. Drake is shocked at how incredibly strong she is for someone so slightly built. He looks up at her with panic in his eyes as her lips spread into a sharp toothed smile. He sucks in a breath and his mouth drops open.

“Sssh, screaming won't help you one bit. There's nobody to hear you.”

“But..but..Bas..Bastien?” he stammers, twisting his shoulders up off the bed and trying to break free. “What in the hell are you?”

Mary releases his arms and strokes her fingers down the sides of his neck and along the contours of his shoulders and chest, smiling at the way he tries to swallow down his mixture of fear and desire. His eyes travel down her naked body, and he tries to wet his lips though his mouth has gone dry.

Mary tips her head back and laughs, “We're vampires, Drake.”

“You struggled too much the first time I bit your neck and it made me waste so much of your blood. And when I bit you here,” Mary rocks her hips against his groin, causing Drake to gasp at his body’s response. “You liked it so much you wouldn't stay still so I could finish what I started. You have a remarkable tolerance for alcohol, and I was expecting you to be more drunk while I fed from you.”

Drake is speechless as he struggled to understand what he was being told. His attempts to buck her off are halted by the viselike clamp of her thighs. She shakes her head and clucks her tongue to scold him.

“Struggling is just going to bruise your beautiful skin and exhaust you, and I want you to be awake for this.”

“Awake..for w-what?” he protests, as she leans forward and covers his body with hers.

“We want to make you one of us.” she purrs seductively, as she nuzzles his ear.

Laying chest to chest, Mary can feel his heart thumping against his ribs.

“Try to relax, Drake. Pretend we're just lovers cuddling after sex,” she whispers, turning his head to the side to expose his neck.

“I..I can't move. And this hardly feels like cuddling.” Drake whimpers as he feels her tongue touch his skin.

Close your eyes, and try to calm down. The faster your heart beats, the quicker you'll bleed out. I just want another taste of you. You're so damn delicious.

Drake blinks rapidly in surprise when he hears her soothing voice in his head. “How..how do you do that?” he whispers.

It's one of my gifts, now sssh. Just listen to the sound of my voice and relax a little. The hammering of your heart is deafening. Just breathe, and you might even enjoy this.

“Enjoy..wh- ,” but his words are cut off when he feels the pinch of her fangs and the suction of her lips against his skin.

Mmm, so delicious. Just breathe and relax. I want you docile, not dead.

Drake feels an overwhelming dizziness and fatigue numb his senses and limbs. It was like being heavily intoxicated and mildly aroused at the same time. When he tries to open his eyes he can't.

A sensuous moan resonates out of Mary's throat and Drake is transported back to a few hours ago and their romp in the hotel room. As he slips into unconsciousness he recalls mental flashes of soft perfumed skin and impossibly red lips being pressed against him. His heart skips and falters in its rhythm and his last thought is Mary..please stop.

“Mary, stop!” Bastien's voice booms out as his tall figure fills the doorway.

Sitting back, Mary wipes at the trickle of blood running down her chin and glares in Bastien's direction for the interruption. When Bastien takes a menacing lunge forward, meaning to grab for her, Mary leaps from Drake's unconscious body and scrambles over to the other side of the bed.

She makes no move to cover herself as she rushes around the corner and tries to push Bastien back out of the room.

He easily sidestepped her attack and spun around to catch her by the wrist before she can regain her balance and strike again.

“Stop it, you fool!” he warns, “I'm stronger than you and can snap you like a twig.”

Mary snarls at him, and tries to claw at his eyes, but he grabs her arm and forces her down onto the floor on her knees. He tightens his grip on her and crisscrosses her wrists up under her throat to subdue her. “I said stop!”

Mary looks up at him with anger and contempt in her eyes, but stops struggling.

“I want him for myself! Show me how to make him mine.” she wails.

Bastien shakes his head, “No, I told you to get him cleaned up and dressed, not to finish him off.”

Mary sags down onto the floor in defeat and Bastien lets her go. She turns away from his disapproving, piercing gaze and looks over to Drake's prone body on the bed.

Bastien grabs the sleep shirt hanging on the back of the bedroom door and tosses it at her. “Cover yourself for Christ's sake! He's still a mortal man and your nakedness is too much of a distraction. You were a decent chamber maid once, now do what I ask. Go prepare him a bath. I'll pick him out some clothes and then revive him, if it's not too late.”

Mary sighs, getting up from the floor and pulling the oversized sleepwear over her head. It was hardly as elegant as her own frilly undergarments, but at least she wouldn't be performing her chore naked.

“Are you forgetting that I was fired because of my poor housemaid skills?”

“No, you were fired because you were a mistress who couldn't keep her mouth shut.” Bastien snaps back, as he pours water from the pitcher into the wash basin. “Now, go. Before I get more angry.”

She turns to give Bastien a dirty look before she leaves, but his attention is already taken by rummaging through her father's dresser for clothing.

Bastien pulls a simple button down cotton shirt, underpants and a pair of wool trousers, along with a set of braces to hold them up. The clothes were in decent condition despite being of lower quality. He had to remind himself that this was the home of a commoner and not to expect a Noble’s finery. He lays out the clothes on the top of the dresser and then sighs with dismay at the horrible state of Drake's shaggy beard and hair. Both were matted with blood and in desperate need of a trim.

Thankfully there's a razor and soap handy because the poor bastard needs a shave.

Grasping Drake's ankles he drags him down to the end of the bed and removes his trousers.

My goodness, he's hairy everywhere it seems.

Balling up his smelly and worn out trousers into a ball he tosses them to the corner. Cocking his head to the side he smirks with disapproval at the bites Mary had made on the inside of his thigh.

Amateur. If her fangs had torn a bigger hole he would have bled out his whole supply in seconds. No wonder the hotel bed was in such a foul mess when we found him.

She had stupidly left fang Mark’s on his penis too. Poor guy must have been in a state of itchy, firey agony.

With a sigh, Bastien tucks his fingers in the junction of Drake's thigh and groin to test for a pulse. He's pleased to detect a faint throb of life under the skin amid the bloody mess of his pubic hair. Oh good, she didn't totally kill him…yet.

Pulling him upright, he relieves Drake of his shirt, and then repositions him on the bed so that he can give him a shave.

..

When Mary returns to tell Bastien that the bath was ready, she's pleased to see Drake with a clean face and a handsome moustache on his lip. His hair has also been dampened and combed into place.

“He's starting to look better,” she grins as she appreciates his nakedness. “Do we have to put clothes back on him?”

Bastien sighs, “Yes, Mary. Is the bath ready and the fire stoked?”

Mary nods.

“Good. Now while I carry him downstairs I want you to bring along his clothes.”

::

tagging:

@texaskitten30 @janezillow @hopefulmoonobject @dcbbw @pedudley @ravenpuff02 @marshmallowsaremyfavorite @indiacater @kingliam2019 @walkerswhiskeygirl @bobasheebaby @emceesynonymroll @kimmiedoo5 @sirbeepsalot @xxrainbow-princessxx @losingbraincellseveryday

[xxisxxisxxis]

Gateway Drug | Part Thirty-Five

Table of Content or Part Thirty-Four

View chapter on wattpad here

Word Count: 4k

A/N: Happy birthday to Nikki Sixx who is aging like wine. I'm so proud of how far he has come and here's to another 61 years and an eternity more🖤

Warning(s): Explicit language, Mentions of drug abuse, Abuse

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"Alright, assholes, shut up and listen for two minutes." Doc tells us in the airport we wait in line at customs. "We're gonna be here in Japan for a week. Japan is not like it is back home. You can't act like you don't have any sense. They will lock your asses up in a heart beat. Do you understand?" He warns Tommy, Nikki, Vince and Mick. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Daddy." Nikki sarcastically lets out, smacking his gum.

"Hey, wise ass, I don't need your comments, alright? I'm being serious, guys." Doc tells them.

"We got it, Doc. You don't have to worry about anything, bud." Tommy assures him, sincerely.

It was our first time in Japan and I've got to say, it's personally my favorite place ever.

The fans were extremely polite, and all of them had enthusiastic, wide smiles...my favorite part was that the girls actually respected the fact that Nikki's wife was with him, and didn't try to screw him in front of me like audacious rats in other places tried to.

They would just smile shyly and introduce themselves to us, and then get a picture with the guys.

If I had a dime for every time Fred has had to keep me from assaulting someone for grabbing Nikki's crotch in front of me, trying to shove their tongues down his throat, give them hotel room numbers to meet them in, etc. I would have been rich enough to afford Nikki's $3,500 a day on heroin.

Groupies were insane.

And I don't mean I saw these girls attempt this stuff from a distance.

I mean, I'd be standing right next to him, the girls would introduce themselves to me, then go on to grope Nikki before he could say a word about how it was nice to meet them.

In the midst of trying to get me on the ground before I could throw a punch, the girls would run off, and Nikki would always say "sorry, babe" and mean it.

He stopped apologizing when he stopped caring.

"...And we need blow." Tommy says to Sparkie, who's about to go on the hunt for a drug dealer in town for the guys, and I roll my eyes.

"Doc told you guys to behave because they don't tolerate bull crap here." I remind him and he and Sparkie look at me, and Nikki's grabbing at my waist and pulling me to sit on his leg before taking a swig of Jack, his striped outfit and bright, over the top makeup is the complete opposite of their Shout at the Devil era.

"What Doc doesn't know won't hurt him, Viv." Tommy says it like it's common sense. "Hey, Vinny, what do you want from a dealer?" Tommy asks him, a sharpness to his voice, and Nikki laughs.

I don't find their bullshit funny.

Vince just rolls his eyes and drinks his water with no reply.

Vince was on court mandated sobriety. And was being tortured by Nikki and even Tommy. They would offer him things they knew he couldn't have and then would play it off like they forgot.

They would have him pass them their drugs, pour them their drinks and count out how many pills they had left.

It ticked me off seeing Tommy go that fucking low all because he and Nikki were so close.

He even started being a little disrespectful to me whenever Nikki was.

Nikki's leg is shaking a little, despite him throwing back alcohol and I look over my shoulder at him.

"Are you okay?" I mouth so the others won't hear it, and Nikki nods, but I know he's full of it.

"On in five, guys, c'mon!" Doc calls out from the other side of the door and I pat Nikki's other leg and stand up, grabbing his hand and pulling him up.

We step out and head to the stage, and Nikki's turning to give me one last kiss before going on.

When he pulls away, my hands are quickly taking my crucifix off and reaching up to fasten it around his neck and it ironically overlaps with his pentagram necklace.

"For good luck." I explain and he gives me a little closed mouth smile and gives me a quick peck on the lips before following Tommy, Vince and Mick.

By the time they got off stage, Nikki was growing pale, and sweating, and not just because he was running around on stage.

Nikki had gone over 48 hours without heroin. Alcohol could keep his tremors to mere, barely noticeable shakes, but didn't do very much for his sweating and sickness.

The guys didn't know he was that deep into heroin, yet, so he didn't want to tell them it was making him that ill without it or they would realize he was further down the hole than they expected.

So, what did I do? I covered for him.

"He thinks he might have food poisoning." I explain to Tommy and Vince as they stand outside of mine and Nikki's room.

"Well, is he alright?" Tommy asks me.

"He'll be okay. He just doesn't feel like going out." I assure him.

"Alright, we gotta go." Vince nudges him.

"Tell him I hope he feels better." Tommy says.

"I will. You guys be careful."

"We will, goodnight."

"Goodnight." I reply and shut the door, hearing Nikki groaning in the bathroom.

The door's locked, and I sigh out in frustration.

"Nikki, open the door." I tell him calmly.

"Fuck off, Viv." He tells me for the hundredth time tonight.

"Open the door or I'm telling Doc." I threaten him, even though it's a complete lie.

"Tell him I want a divorce while you're at it." He snaps.

I don't say anything for a moment, and hear him sigh out, before he unlocks the door.

I step in, seeing him soaked in sweat, pale, the smell of vomit is potent and I try to keep a calm demeanor as he grips the side of the tub to help himself stand up. 

He nearly falls, tremors spazzing through his body, but I'm quick to nestle under his arm and help him stay up.

"I just need some Jack." He tells me. "It'll help."

He doesn't sound like Nikki.

He sounds like a defeated child.

"Nikki, I don't think—"

"Okay, Viv, now isn't the time for your bullshit. Get me some Jack." He orders desperately, nearly pleading.

I get him on the bed, starting to tug his boots off, before pulling his shirt over his head, and unbuckling his belt.

"Never thought...I'd ever say this...but the last thing...on my mind right...now is...fucking around." He takes heavy breaths, squeezing his eyes closed and groaning when I get his pants off.

"Yes, because seeing my husband in so much pain really turns me on." I sarcastically let out.

"I'm cold." He tells me, his hand gripping mine.

I pull the bed covers over his naked body, glancing at my necklace he's still wearing.

"I'll get you some Jack." I say, stepping to the phone on the bedside table and ordering his necessity.

I turn back to face him once I'm done, and he's curled up and shivering, and he's kicked the blankets off of him.

"Nikki?" I ask, furrowing my brows.

"I'm hot." He cracks out, shot eyes looking at me, teeth chattering together despite his tight jaw and wet, black hair clings to his soaked skin that seems to be turning transparent.

That moment I realized I was married to a junkie, and Nikki realized he had become the very thing he had been in denial of becoming.

Neither of us said a word to one another about our revelations.

The alcohol and pills they managed to score kept Nikki's roaring withdrawals at bay and allowed him to play his illness off as the flu throughout the rest of the Japan tour, and the second we got home, he was phoning every dealer he could get a hold of.

One I had never met before, Jason, was the first one to come to his aid and it didn't take me long to come to the conclusion I would inevitably have to kill that motherfucker to keep him away from my husband.

He just wanted our money, laying out an elaborate display of everything from cheap tar to clean China White, cocaine, and a pharmacy of prescription pills.

I always left to "go to the store" anytime Jason came over.

Once I was practically having a full on emotional affair, I would go find Duff but before any feelings for him emerged, I would just drive my car around the corner of the street going by the house, pull into the driveway of a half-way burnt down house, and cry. 

My husband, my Nikki, was destroying himself from the inside out, and the more I tried to do help him get better, the worse he got.

Every time I prayed for him, his demons would hold tighter to his legs and keep him shackled in place with a needle and lies that weighed him down and made him feel the need to do the only thing that made him happy, even if only temporarily.

By the end of '87, I was exhausted. I had been screaming, crying, pleading, for years for someone to do something, for someone to threaten the band, threaten them individually, get them off the road, at least try to start a conversation addressing their obvious addictions...

But they were making everyone above them money. That's all that mattered.

I was screaming into a void, and nobody could hear me. Well, they could...they were just ignoring me which was even worse.

I don't know how the hell I managed to face the same thing with Duff and his band years later.

I step into the house once Jason is gone, seeing Nikki by the fireplace, laying on the carpet, and I go to lay beside him.

We've been back from Japan a few days, and they're suppose to be preparing for their U.S. tour starting in a couple weeks.

Nikki's been in heroin land ever since we have gotten home.

And I've been in my own personal hell, being that I just added a third picture to my dead baby drawer as of yesterday.

I would go to a doctor to see if there's something wrong with me to prompt not ever making it past week twelve, but Nikki would find out somehow, someway. I've already risked enough as it is by going to the obstetrician.

"Babe," I nudge him and he opens his eyes just enough to show his pinpointed pupils, and he hums a little. "I gotta go get Tansy from the airport."

"Mmkay." He mumbles, and I force myself not to cry, remembering how miserable he was in Japan, and now we've gotten back and he's back to square one. 

Was it really square one if he never wanted to move to square two in the first place?

Tansy gets into my car, wearing what I'm assuming she wore when they taped her interview with David Letterman hours ago, while a security guard puts her stuff in the trunk.

"Well." I say, looking at her as she lays her head against the back of her seat and looks at me from behind her sunglasses. "How did the interview go?" I ask and she tugs off her heels.

"I don't know." She tells me and I furrow my brows. "The bits and pieces I remember were great." She sounds like she's about to cry.

"Were you...?" I trail off and she moves her fingers under the blacked out lenses and sniffles. "Babe, it's not anything to cry about."

I grab at her hand as she starts crying even more.

"I bombed it, Viv." She says with certainty.

"Tansy, if you don't even remember it, how do you know for sure you did a bad job?"

"You know how I act when I'm fucked up."

"I also know, by the grace of God, somehow, someway, you manage to differentiate between a setting you need to be more composed in, and a setting you can be wild in. Even when you are stoned out of your mind. I have seen you do it." I assure her. "It's really freaking creepy."

My comment has her chuckling a little and she wipes at her tears again. 

"It will be okay. I am sure you did great. And if you didn't you can just do what I do when I'm not acting normal and blame it on Mötley Crüe." 

None of us, not even Tansy herself, knew why or how she scored an interview with David Letterman, but we were all proud of her nonetheless, even if she couldn't remember much of it.

"Sparkie said Japan went good." Tansy says after we're driving for a couple minutes.

"Yeah."

"Thank you for letting him go. I know you aren't the biggest fan of him." She adds.

"I didn't let him go. The guys insisted he went because they needed someone to find them drugs." I state.

"Point is, he went. And he had fun. So thank you." She replies.

"I only tolerate him because I love you." I tell her.

"I know, and I—" she presses a quick kiss to the back of my hand. "—love you, too."

I rub my lips together and get an idea.

"Would you be up for a girl's night?" I ask.

"What do you have in mind?" She asks and I raise my brows. 

In hindsight, it was probably a bad decision to introduce Tansy to Guns N' Roses while she was still addicted to drugs and alcohol, because all it did was create toxic friendships that thrived on the struggles of everyone involved.

Tansy was very easily influenced by other people, but I figured if she had survived that long being friends with Nikki, Tommy and Vince, she would be just fine around Duff, Axl, Izzy, Steven and Slash.

Tansy and I make our way through the crowd, hand in hand, lacing through people and eager groupies.

She's heard me talk about them every now and then but now she has the opportunity to see what the hype is about.

The Troubadour is packed out, and a sense of pride swells in my chest.

"They must be good." Tansy comments, glancing around. 

Normally at least one person would have already asked for her autograph or a picture of her, but everyone is too distracted by the anticipation of the band that's been tearing up and down the strip ever since Nikki, Tommy, Vince and Mick set the bar so high. 

They're not even onstage yet, before all lights in the place shut down, and  Axl let's out one of his infamous screams that somehow mimics a melodic siren. 

The crowd goes quiet for a split second before realizing it's him, then they start screaming, clapping, stomping their feet. 

The lights come back on to reveal Axl, Duff, Izzy, Slash and Steven, picking up into the fast paced rhythm of "Anything Goes." 

With teased hair, heavy glam-rock influenced outfits and makeup, mixed with their sound, it's safe to say there isn't one dry vagina around...including Tansy, who's eyes don't leave the singing red head for the rest of the night.

Back stage is crowded, but Tansy and I manage to be the first females in their dressing room by the time their set is completely finished.

She's already broken into their Jack and Vodka stash, guzzling from both bottles simultaneously, and I look at her like she's crazy because I know it's got to hurt her throat.

"What?" She asks me, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

"You are a crazy person." I state just as the door opens, revealing Slash and Steven first, girls under each arm.

"Hey, Viv!" Steven pipes, smiling widely and Slash looks confused for a moment before realizing the blur standing before him is indeed Vivian.

"Hey, Viv." He repeats what Steven said.

Steven does a double-take really quick, seeing Tansy, his hand patting at Slash as he stands, starstruck. It's a domino effect.

First Steven, second Slash, third Duff, then Izzy and lastly, Axl.

Except Steven, Slash, Duff and Axl are frozen because Tansy Lyn is standing before them. I'm sure Izzy appreciates her beauty and participation in Playboy for the last four years, but he's more worried about her breaking into their alcohol. 

"Man, that's Tansy Lyn." Steven states.

"Drinking our booze." Izzy adds and Tansy guiltily puts it back where she got it, smiling.

"Hi." She says to them, and they immediately pretend they weren't just remembering what her naked body looks like.

Steven, as always, is the first to make himself known to a beautiful girl, extending his hand to her. 

"I'm Steven." He tells her.

Slash is shyly hiding behind his curly hair the best he can as Steven puts an arm around him.

"This is Slash." He adds. 

"The grubby fingered alcoholic is Izzy." I tell her as he lights a cigarette. 

"Read this grubby finger, Viv." Izzy states blankly, flipping me off and I hold back a laugh.

"I'm Duff." Duff introduces himself next, and Tansy has to look up so high, her head is tipped completely back before shaking his hand.

Axl doesn't introduce himself, he just stands and stares at her for a moment, black sunglasses blocking our eyes from his.

"Axl." Is all he says before grabbing the bottle of Jack, grabbing one of the girls Steven and Slash walked in with, and leaving.

"He's not an asshole seventy-five percent of the time." I try to defend him against her as she looks like her feelings have been hurt slightly. 

"But when he is an asshole, just avoid him for a few hours and stay out of his way." Duff scoffs out, grabbing the bottle of vodka.

They all knew that piece of advice too well.

Not entirely sure how we ended up back at mine and Nikki's house, but Nikki wasn't home, and probably wasn't going to be home until early morning, so Duff, Steven and Tansy were all in my house.

"If you break a mirror, you buy it!" I call out to Steven and Tansy as Duff and I have our legs dangling in the pool water, hearing something breaking inside the house through the open french doors that lead into the kitchen.

Duff blows smoke out of his nose, laughing at Tansy and Steven calling back, "We didn't!" 

"Jesus." I mumble, grinning to myself and Duff joins in with me, laughing harder at me as "Get Down Tonight" starts blaring through the speakers in the house.

Tansy has officially met her match. 

"I'm glad they get along." Duff says smoothly.

"They both like weed and the same music taste. Seems like a beautiful friendship to me." I shrug and he smiles. 

There's a pause in the air, and he keeps looking at me. 

"What?"

"There's dancing trophies in your house." He tells me and I raise my brows, remembering the day Nikki had demanded my hard earned proof of years dedicated to such a difficult art form, be put on display on a shelf right next to his awards for Gold and Platinum records.

"Yeah? I told you I use to be a dancer." I reply.

"I thought you meant you were a stripper." He confesses and I widen my eyes, elbowing him gently.

"No!" 

"Well, I'm sorry! You're married to a rock guy, you said you use to be a dancer, rockers and strippers go hand-in-hand. It's, like, written in stone or whatever." He tells me. 

"Oh my gosh, Duff." I rub my face and he finishes his cigarette before pulling out another one. 

"So, why don't you do it anymore?" He asks and I think for a second and lick my lips.

"It just wasn't really..." I trail off and he furrows his brows. "...I guess after over a decade of dancing, after graduating, it just  wasn't my thing anymore. I just moved onto bigger and better stuff." 

"What's your thing now, then?" It's obvious he doesn't buy my explanation.

"Being Nikki Sixx's wife." I admit and an odd silence falls over us. 

"You gave up school--Julliard--and dance, only to be known as somebody's wife?" 

"Well, damn, Duff, when you say it like that..." I try not to be hurt because I know he doesn't mean any ill will from it and he immediately starts apologizing. 

"I didn't mean it like that." He tells me. "It's just a waste of talent if you never utilize it anymore. You can't just be dependent on being Nikki's wife, Viv. You need your own thing." 

I wanted to tell him I couldn't afford to be anything but Nikki's wife, or else I'd lose everything.

Nikki's home sooner than I expect as I get ready for bed.

Steven, Tansy and Duff are all asleep on the living room floor, and Nikki comes into our bathroom to splash water on his face.

"The fuck is in our house?" He asks me and I raise my brows.

"Why're you home this early?"

"Jason's coming over." He tells me. "And he's bringing his girlfriend."

"Umm, baby, it would be nice for my friends not to wake up and be met with a drug dealer naming off poisons like an auctioneer."

"Tell them to fuck off." He mumbles, digging through his pockets of the clothes he was wearing yesterday. "Have you seen the check?" He asks me and I raise my brows.

"The check from the label for the Japan tour?" I ask and he nods. "You asked me to cash it yesterday and I did."

"Okay, so where did you put it?"

I step to my top drawer and hand him the stack of cash and he starts thumbing through it, his brows furrowing when he stops halfway through.

"The check was for $150,000, Viv. Where's the rest?" He snaps and I cross my arms.

"You said put 20% in savings and told me I could give 10% to tithes." I remind him, and he looks like he is going to murder me.

"You gave fifteen fucking thousand dollars to a church?! Are you out of your fucking mind?!" He seeths, his face twisting angrily.

"You told me I could Nikki." I try not to get upset. "I asked you and you said—"

"—I said 'yes' because I was fucked up and wasn't thinking, Viv!" He yells, throwing the pile of cash across the room, causing bills to fly everywhere. "And that's exactly why you waited until you knew I couldn't pay attention to care enough about what you were saying because you knew I would laugh in your face if I were sober!" He accuses me.

"Is it so bad if your money goes to something other than drugs?" I stupidly ask him.

He's lunging at me, grabbing my wrists, and pinning me to the bed while screaming in my face.

"That's my fucking money! Mine! How I want to spend it is my fucking business, Vivian!" He shakes me, and I can no longer hold back tears. "You're gonna go tomorrow to that fucking shit hole and tell those fallacious bastards you need that $15,000 back!"

"Nikki, I already told them it was their's." I try to explain, shaking my head a little, sobbing so thickly I'm not even sure he can understand me.

"You'll get my fucking money back or I'll give you something to fucking whine about." He threatens darkly.

He shoves himself off of me and storms out of the house, slamming the front door.

I go to make sure he didn't wake Tans, Stevie, or Duff up, but to my horror, Tansy and Steven are sound asleep while I hear the door slam a second time and realize Duff followed Nikki out.

[irismalon]

How to Keep Going When Everything Else Isn't

These times are hard. Everyone is adjusting to a new routine that could potentially be the new normal. Our society is in a state of transition. The things we used to know as it is are changing for the purpose of preserving our kind. Who would have thought that something so small could change the course of our lives so drastically? We are living in a time that will be etched in future history books. This is a difficult time for everyone regardless of your status in life is. Our struggles are uniquely our own and it cannot be invalidated by other people because we are all affected by this shift from basic necessities to crucial career plans. Just because you do not experience the struggles of others does not make it any less real for them. This is a time that we must be understanding with one another and with ourselves, all the more. We must help each other but let us also not forget to also help ourselves. Here are a few reflections I have drawn during this trying time:

Accept Powerlessness

I started the new year with hope. I started it with motivation to make things right and to actively contribute to the realization of my plans. I was overjoyed with the idea that this year is mine. I even sent messages to my friends encouraging them to make this year as theirs and we will be experiencing breakthroughs after breakthroughs. The start of 2020 was like a blank slate. A year where we can finally thrive until the first wave of news came. There were rumors of the third world war due to an assassination of an important figure. After that, there was the eruption of the Taal volcano then we were faced with a novel coronavirus. Fast forward to three months later and it is still here and have claimed countless lives. These events have shaken us to our core. They serve as tragic reminders that we are nothing but passers-by in this world. We have no control over what nature chooses to do next. For a person with so much to lose, this is untimely and sets adverse repercussions. No matter how much we plan, prevent, prepare or whatever, we must accept the fact that we do not have control over our planet. We are puny and powerless compared to the forces of nature and the sooner we accept that, the sooner we can be at peace with life.

Normalize necessary pain and suffering

If there is something that anybody from any walk of life could testify into experiencing, it is pain and suffering. These are present in whatever situation that may arise. We could be an active participant in the manifestation of pain or we might have caused it to some but not all pain and suffering is the same. There are some that contribute nothing to the greater good or to your goals therefore are unnecessary but there are some pain that you need to go through if you want to achieve something. Pain and suffering is necessary for our journey. It changes us and depending on how we approach this pain can we determine if it is for the bad or for the good. Right now people are suffering. Some of us are away from our families, some could be frustrated from delayed plans and others could be struggling trying to survive. Pain and suffering will always be there in whatever situation, but let us be reminded that it is time we stop subjecting ourselves to nonessential pain and ask ourselves if it is worth it.

Keeping a Positive Outlook on Life (in general)

Change is difficult. It is disorienting. The movements of our society has been paralyzed and it seems everything is being out of character. This sends us to a spiral of overthinking that will drown us with stress and negativity. I know this because I have been there. During the first weeks of quarantine, I felt the intense need of going out but even if I drive around there is no one outside. It made me feel isolated which worsened my mental state. Thankfully, my family are a fun group, they helped me out of my negative outlook on how our community is now. Since then, I tried to keep a positive mindset on things. Instead of beating myself with hopeless self talk, I encouraged myself. I know that we will rise from this adversity as brand new people and our society will be better than before. There will be many more sufferings in the future but we must always keep in mind that even in the past, we have always risen up and kept fighting. We did it before, we can do it again.

Find encouragement

Like I said from my previous reflection, for weeks I was downtrodden. I missed a lot of my friends. I missed going to places and eating outside. It was like my routine was thrown upside down. Lucky enough, I was surrounded by positive people. Had it been otherwise, I would have struggled immensely during these times. I listened to a lot of upbeat songs these days. I just cannot tolerate listening to sad songs because it feels like I am accepting defeat (in my opinion) and I do not want to sit in my room and succumb to sadness when I can do better things with my time. I subscribed to uplifting newsletters and watch motivational videos online. I also downloaded TikTok for entertainment. It is very important that you choose to surround yourself with things or people that will motivate you and lift your spirits. You may read a book that celebrates courage and perseverance during difficult times or watch videos wherein you can learn something new. We must always be an active participant in our life and to constantly choose calm and contentment.

These are only a few of my realizations for weeks now. I believe I am not alone in this situation and you should too. When life becomes unbearable, please always remember that we will rise from this adversity once again like we always have. Often times we get carried away by our emotions and while it is important to acknowledge them it is also equally significant to overcome them. These days, I am growing fond of productivity videos and topics on philosophy. It has greatly helped me in coping with this new system. Do not forget the importance of acceptance and positivity.