#misfits/cherrybomb crossover

[seanfalco]

Dog Eared Page | 03. Blank Space

a collaborative crossover fic by @seanfalco​ & @imagine-you​

Pairing: Nathan Young x f!Reader (eventual Luke x Reader & Nathan x Reader x Luke) Warning(s): Language, Recreational Drug Use Word Count: 9.4k (oop, apparently each chapter just gets longer lol;) a/n: Luke’s here babes.

[ masterlist ]

You had hoped that the note in Curtis' locker was a complete fluke.  There was no way anyone could know about Tony, right?  It wasn't like any of you would be stupid enough to go around talking about the two dead bodies you had buried out under the flyover.  Curtis had probably royally pissed someone off and they were playing a little prank on him.  It would be fine. 

You should have known better, though.  The second you let yourself think that maybe everything would be fine, another note showed up.  This time in Nathan's locker, putting to rest the theory that the first note was only meant for Curtis. 

"What d’you think it means?" Nathan asked as he considered the note in his hands. 

"It's obvious, isn't it?  Someone knows we killed him," Kelly pointed out. 

"Maybe it's Sally," Simon suggested.  "She doesn't seem to actually like any of us."

"Who's Sally?" Curtis wondered, his attention seemingly split between the conversation and where Alisha was carefully applying makeup in front of the mirror.  It wasn’t like he was being subtle at all about his attraction to Alisha and you knew that Alisha seemed to be just as interested in him.  You wondered how long it would be before they got themselves sorted out. 

"Sally's our probation worker," Simon answered. 

Nathan shook his head, making a displeased noise.  "You're a twat, because Sally, if that's really her name, didn't show up until after the other one was already in the ground."

"You mean Tony," you interrupted, shooting Nathan a frustrated look.  "Talk a little louder, yeah?  I don't think they heard you outside."

"I was practically whispering," Nathan argued, his brows furrowed as he turned on you.  "Why don't you speak up, then?  This concerns you too."

"Because I'm listening," you stressed, offering him a glare.  "Something you've never been that good at."

"Look, as interesting as this is, we don't have time for this," Curtis hissed. 

"He's right," Kelly agreed.  "We've got to figure out who's sending us these letters.  They're only doing it when we're not here, so they've got to be coming in while we're all working.  We won't be able to catch them."

"Not unless I'm waiting in here while I'm invisible," Simon offered.  "I can just wait here while you all go get started out there.  If anyone comes in and leaves anything in our lockers, then we'll know who's blackmailing us."

"You're just trying to get out of doing your work!" Nathan accused, pointing at him. 

"This is Simon we're talking about, not you, Nathan," you told him, quirking an eyebrow at him.  You knew you were probably being a little harsh, but you still couldn't get over the fact that he had outright lied to you and slept with someone else.  You hadn't so much as looked at another guy since you broke up, but Nathan hadn't hesitated to jump into bed with another girl the first chance he got.  It hurt so much that you could barely keep yourself from lashing out. 

"Maybe we should separate you two," Kelly suggested as she glanced from you to Nathan.  "We're not going to get anything figured out with you two arguing like this."

"She's arguing!  I'm just here minding my own business!"

"This is useless," Curtis muttered.  "But it sounds like a good plan," he added as he looked at Simon.  After he checked that Alisha was fine with the plan, Curtis turned his focus back on Simon.  "Go on, then.  Turn invisible."

Simon shook his head, looking uncertain for a moment.  "I can't do it when everyone's looking at me."

Nathan laughed, the sound harsher than usual, as he reached out to clap a hand to Simon's shoulder.  "So, I guess it's like pissing at a urinal if you've got a tiny cock," he mused as he gestured towards Simon's crotch.  "Zero for two there, aren't yeh?"

Alisha snorted before she turned away from the mirror, taking a moment to size Simon up.  "Well, that's really impressive," she drawled before she moved to leave the locker room. 

The others followed after her, leaving you for a moment with Simon. 

"Don't worry about it," you assured him.  "If it doesn't work, then we'll figure something else out, yeah?" 

Simon nodded his head, shooting you a nervous look.  You offered him a smile before you left the locker room, not hearing Simon calling after you.

——

Leaving Simon behind, you joined the others to find the main area strewn with piles upon piles of clothes, which you were informed by another volunteer that you’d be in charge of sorting for donation.  With a sigh you moved to a pile away from Nathan, doing your best to keep your distance from him like Kelly had suggested, but you could still feel him watching you, and despite your deliberate move away from him, he followed you over to the pile you’d chosen, plopping down next to you anyway.

“Get your own pile, Nathan,” you groaned, trying to ignore him.

“What if I don’t want to?” he countered contrarily, idly pawing through the clothes in front of him.

Growling under your breath, you were about to stand to go join Kelly when Sally stepped out of her office, clearing her throat to get your attention.  Looking up you nearly did a double take.  Next to Sally stood a tall curly haired youth, gazing around the room for a moment until his eyes settled on you and didn’t move away as if taking you in appraisingly.

“Alright, everyone, your attention,” Sally snapped, clapping her hands together briskly.  “We have a new addition to the group.  His name is Luke and he’ll be working off his service hours with you from here on out,” she announced, looking around the room.  “I want all of you to be welcoming, okay?” she added, narrowing her eyes at the lot of you before turning toward him.  “Here is your jumpsuit.  You can go change in the locker room and keep any personal items in one of the unoccupied lockers.”

“Right,” he drawled, unimpressed.  His lilting accent was different from Nathan’s, but it was clear he was Irish. 

Still glancing over at you, he ambled down the hall toward the locker room to change.

Well, he definitely had your attention.

As soon as he left everyone began talking over each other.

“What was that?” Nathan exclaimed, gesturing toward the corner Luke had just disappeared around, his voice practically climbing an octave.

“What was what?” you asked distractedly, finally tearing your eyes away and returning your focus to the task before you.

“What was what?” Nathan repeated incredulously, his brows drawing down as he gaped at you.  “He was totally eye fuckin’ yeh!” he cried.

“Yeah, so?” you countered, feeling your face warm.  “We’re not dating, so what’s it matter t’you?  You actually did fuck someone,” you snapped.

“Yeah, don’t remind me,” he grumbled under his breath.

“Did you see that?” Kelly exclaimed, catching your and Nathan’s attention.

“See what?” he demanded with a sour frown and the others merely stared at him.

“You seriously didn’t notice?” Alisha asked.  “That guy could be your twin!” she exclaimed with a laugh.  “Are y’sure you don’t have a long lost brother or somethin’?”

“Course not!  I’m a classic example of an only child!” Nathan cried.  “Besides, I don’t see it!  We look nothin’ alike.”

“Oh no mate, the resemblance is uncanny,” Curtis disagreed.

“Yeah,” Kelly chimed in.  “He’s tall and lanky, got dark curly hair, he’s even Irish,” she ticked off on her fingers.

“Didn’t y’hear that accent, he’s clearly from Northern Ireland!” Nathan exclaimed as if that made all the difference.  “We’re nothin’ alike,” he insisted heatedly.

Curtis frowned thoughtfully.  He’d been awfully quiet since Luke had walked in.  “He looks familiar,” he mused.

“Well yeah, cause he looks like Nathan,” Alisha scoffed, but Curtis shook his head.

“No, I mean, I feel like I’ve seen him before...”

Before anyone could speculate further, Luke returned and everyone’s eyes turned to him.

“What y’get done for?” Kelly asked without preamble, and everyone waited expectantly.  You’d be lying if you said you weren’t at least a little bit curious.

“Drugs,” he answered with a shrug.

“Usin’ or dealin’?” Curtis asked pointedly.

“Who wants t’know?” Luke countered with a cheeky grin.  

“Can y’hook me up?” Nathan exclaimed and you rolled your eyes.  Of course that’s what he’d be thinking about at a time like this.

“We’ll see,” Luke scoffed, brushing past the others and making his way over to you, joining you at your pile.  “Well, hello there,” he greeted, raising his thick dark eyebrows as he looked you over once more.

“Hey,” you answered, pointedly ignoring Nathan’s glower.

“Y’know, you have me at a bit of a disadvantage here,” he exclaimed nonchalantly, idly digging through the clothes in front of him.

“Oh, and how’s that?” you asked, unable to fight back your grin.

“You already know my name, but I’m afraid I don’t know yours.”

At his words, your grin grew and you saw Nathan roll his eyes, sorting through the clothes with sudden interest.

“I’m [y/n],” you answered, looking into his eyes, noticing they were a lovely shade of green.  Huh, Nathan’s eyes are green, you realized, the thought coming to you unbidden.

“[y/n],” Luke repeated, saying it several times as if tasting it.  “Please tell me you’re single.”

“Hey, who am I?” Nathan suddenly exclaimed, interrupting you and you turned to look at him, annoyance flashing across your face.  He’d donned a pair of large orange ski goggles and looked ridiculous. 

“I’ll give yeh a hint, I’m a giant cunt,” he announced, throwing his arms wide and Luke gave a snort.

“Y’got that right, pal,” he scoffed, already disregarding Nathan.

“Oh, c’mon, anyone?” Nathan asked, looking around expectantly.  When no one answered he huffed exasperatedly as if it were obvious.  “I’m Bono!”

“So, are yeh?  Single?” Luke asked again, ignoring Nathan, his focus swinging back to you.

“Maybe,” you taunted, not only enjoying the fact that the rather good looking new guy was already interested in you, but that it was definitely getting under Nathan’s skin.  Let him get a taste of his own medicine, you thought smugly.

“I can work with a maybe,” Luke replied with a shrug.  “Maybe community service won’t be so shite after all,” he mused and you shared a grin.

You could’ve sworn he was about to say something else when suddenly the front door opened and a rather cross looking black girl strode in, her arms crossed over her chest before she disappeared into Sally’s office, and Kelly scowled.

“Who’s that?” you asked, leaning past Nathan who seemed to be sulking, to address Kelly, feeling Luke’s gaze shift to your ass.

“That’s the girl I got in a fight with,” she answered with a sneer.

“What’s she doin’ here?” Alisha asked.

“I’m supposed t’do some ‘restorative justice’ bullshit with her,” she replied as Sally stuck her head out of her office door.

“Kelly, Jodi’s here,” she called.

Kelly dropped the shirt she’d been holding with a sigh and pushed to her feet, heading to Sally’s office.

As soon as she was gone Nathan began dicking around again, no doubt in a desperate attempt at catching your attention.  Strapping a pair of roller blades he’d found to his feet, he began skating around the room, obnoxiously singing as he rolled past you.

“So, how’d you end up here, then?” Luke asked, effectively ignoring Nathan’s antics.

Tossing the baby clothes in your hand into a nearby box your lips twisted sourly.  “It’s my stupid ex’s fault I’m here,” you explained.  “He wanted to act a bloody fool and got me stuck in th’middle of it,” you huffed, vaguely registering Sally sticking her head out the door to snap at Nathan who nearly lost his balance in his surprise.

“He sounds like a git, but I kinda wanna thank th’bloke, else y’wouldn’t be here,” Luke murmured, wearing a cheeky smirk as he glanced over at you.

“Oh, very funny,” you replied, unable to hold back your own grin.  You were half tempted to tell him the git he could thank was right over there making an arse of himself, but at the same time you didn’t exactly want him to know that Nathan was your ex.

Not but five minutes later, Sally’s door crashed open again and the girl Kelly’d gotten in a fight with came storming out, followed by Sally before Kelly chucked a plastic chair across the hall after them.  “I was tryin’ t’be nice!” she yelled before taking off in the other direction.

“Well… that obviously went well,” Luke quipped and you snorted a laugh as he joined in, your eyes meeting Nathan’s for a moment before quickly darting away again.

The flash of hurt betrayal that crossed his face for a split second made your stomach churn, but you quickly reminded yourself what he’d done to deserve it and suddenly you didn’t feel so bad, returning your attention to Luke.

——

The next morning, you escaped to the rooftop for a moment alone before you were supposed to meet the others downstairs to begin another exciting day of sorting through donated clothes.  Of course, because you obviously weren't allowed the solitude you were looking for, you were soon joined by Nathan and Curtis. 

You didn't so much mind Curtis, because you knew he wouldn't really bother you if you looked like you just wanted a moment of peace, but Nathan loved nothing more than to have everyone's attention on him. 

Sure enough, he dropped down into the chair across from yours and placed an empty beer bottle on the crate in front of him.  Curtis had already settled on one of the lounge chairs, lying back with his arm flung over his face. 

"Come on, baby," Nathan urged as he stared at the beer bottle.  "You can do it," he added as he strained, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the bottle. 

"I almost hate to ask," you drawled, wondering just what Nathan really thought he was doing.  Did he think that he was going to blow it up with his mind? Wasn't that something you were capable of?  Why couldn't he try something else out?  Something less annoying and something that wasn't happening right in front of you. 

"I've got a power," Nathan claimed, not taking his eyes off the bottle. "It's got to be something way better than what this lot have been saddled with and I'm going to figure out what it is.  Maybe I can shoot laser beams from my eyes or get girls to undress just by lookin' at them."  He shot you a lingering look before he shook his head, turning his attention back towards the bottle. 

You rolled your eyes before settling back in your chair.  Closing your eyes, you were intent on ignoring Nathan's grunting and groaning, but when he let out a particularly worrisome whine, you opened them to make sure he hadn't somehow killed himself.  When you noticed a tear beginning to slip down Nathan's cheek, you scoffed before you leaned forward in your seat to consider him. 

"Maybe you should let it go.  You're going to give yourself a hernia or something."

Curtis snorted before he dropped his arm, glancing at Nathan.  "Would serve him right."

"Hey!  You won't be giving me so much shit when I'm saving all your asses with my badass power."

"And what is that again?" Curtis wondered, pulling his arm back over his eyes. "Being super annoying?  Because we already discovered that."

Nathan flipped Curtis off before he went back to trying to smash the bottle with his mind. 

You weren't sure how long you sat there watching Nathan do his best to mentally blow up the bottle before Simon showed up. 

"We've got a problem," he said, drawing your attention away from Nathan. 

Nathan held out a hand, stalling Simon.  "Will you shut up?  I nearly had it."

"You did not," you argued, shaking your head.  "You're no closer to blowing that up with your mind than you are learning how to breathe underwater."

"Now there's an idea," Nathan grunted, his whole body trembling as he stared down the bottle. 

Curtis moved to sit up, finally giving Nathan his attention again.  "I think he's gonna shit himself."

Nathan let out a frustrated yell before he kicked the crate, sending the bottle flying.  You watched it hit the rooftop before smashing into tiny pieces. 

You clapped your hands, sending Nathan an unimpressed look.  "Hey, look, you did it."

Nathan made a face before he looked at Simon.  "What is it?"

"We've got a problem," Simon repeated. 

Nathan's attention span seemed to quickly gravitate to something else entirely, because he threw his arms up in frustration.  "I've got a power!  I can feel it in my balls!" he exclaimed as he reached down to cup himself. 

"Just shut up and let him speak," you snapped at Nathan.  "What's the problem?"

"They're going to dig up the bodies," Simon said, finally putting a stop to Nathan's ranting.  "They're building an environmental monitoring station under the flyover."

"That sounds made up," Nathan argued.  "Are you having us on right now?"

"It's real," Simon stressed with a frustrated look at Nathan.  "It's meant to measure carbon monoxide, but we've got a bigger problem.  When they dig the foundation, they'll find the bodies."

"Shit," you breathed, at a loss for anything else to say.  If the bodies were discovered, then you could no longer play dumb about the whereabouts of Gary and Tony.  It would become painfully clear that you had all lied when the bodies were discovered together.  What if you had left some kind of evidence behind when you buried them?  What if you weren't as careful as you should have been?

"We need to talk about this with Alisha and Kelly," Curtis suggested, drawing you out of your thoughts.  "We need to figure out what we're gonna do."

"We can't talk about this around the new guy," Simon pointed out.  "He doesn't know what happened with Tony."

"Oh, yeah," Nathan breathed, as if just remembering that there was a new addition to the group.  "Simon," he said, snapping his fingers. 

"What?"  Simon turned to look at Nathan, his brows furrowed in confusion. 

"What do you mean, what?" Nathan asked, turning his attention on Simon. 

"You said my name," Simon reminded Nathan. 

"What?  No, I didn't.  Simon's th’new guy."

"Oh, for fuck's sake," you sighed, shaking your head. 

"No, Simon is my name.  The new guy is Luke," Simon told Nathan. 

"Simon, Luke, whatever his name is, he still can't find out we murdered our first probation worker."

"We need to come up with some kind of code word," you suggested.  "Something that won't let on what we're talking about while Luke is around."

Nathan snapped his fingers again, his face lighting up.  "I've got the perfect word," he said before he moved to brush past Simon and opened the door. 

You watched the door close behind him, a feeling of dread rising within you at the thought that Nathan had assumed he had the perfect word.  After all, he’d been in charge of your safe words when you were both feeling a bit more adventurous in the bedroom and they always turned out to be something ridiculous and funny and sure to ruin the mood, but you found yourself hoping that he wasn't about to suggest that instead of the word 'bodies,' you instead used something like 'banana dildo.' 

Curtis turned to look at you.  "Are we really going to let the moron come up with the one word that's going to keep us all out of prison?"

You sighed and shrugged your shoulders, moving to follow after Nathan. "Looks like we have no other choice," you muttered, hoping the day wouldn't end with you in handcuffs and being carted into the police station. 

——

"Where's Kelly?" You glanced around the room, but didn't spot her.  You only saw Alisha and Luke waiting near the massive pile of clothes still taking up space on the floor of the Community Centre. 

"Dunno," Alisha answered with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Kelly," Luke mused.  "That's the loud, angry one, yeah?  She hasn't shown up yet."

"Great," Nathan groaned.  "That's really helpful."

"What's going on with you?" Luke asked, his eyes settling on you.  "Y’look freaked out about somethin’."

"Don't worry about her," Nathan cut in before you could say anything.  "Why don't you start on those tuxedos over there while we go talk about something over here," Nathan said before he took off towards the other side of the room. 

"Subtle," you muttered before you followed after him.

Curtis grabbed the sleeve of Alisha's jumpsuit before towing her over to join you, Nathan, and Simon.

"Why do I get the feeling you're about to tell me bad news?"

"Because we are," Curtis responded.

You noticed Sally watching the group and quickly sat down.  "Look busy," you hissed as you gestured for the others to join you on the floor. 

Alisha sighed as she picked up a blouse and started inspecting it.  "So, what's going on?"

You listened as Simon once again explained what was happening. 

"Oh, fuck," Alisha groaned.  "We're screwed."

"Maybe not--" Simon started before he was cut off by Luke walking over to join the group. 

"What are you all whispering about over here?  Not trying to exclude me, are yeh?  I thought I was part of the group."

Nathan scoffed before he shook his head. "Look, mate, if we wanted you over here, we would have invited you."

You couldn't exactly admit that you were trying to come up with a way to get rid of the body of your probation worker and the young offender he had killed.  You and Curtis both quickly glanced at Nathan, silently reminding him that he had come up with a code word to get you out of this situation. 

"Herpes!" Nathan exclaimed. 

Luke frowned at Nathan, looking adorably confused.  "What?"

"Yeah, herpes," Nathan repeated with a smirk on his face.  "[y/n] here has got a ragin’ case of them, so you know she won't be kissin’ anyone any time soon."

"Fucker," you growled before you reached out and pinched Nathan's arm. 

"Ow!  What was that for?"

"He's just joking," you assured Luke, shooting a glare at Nathan. 

"Good t’know," Luke told you, giving you a considering look. 

You felt your cheeks flush as Nathan made an outraged noise, but before he could make any more comments, Kelly finally showed up. 

Right away you noticed she was acting strange -- wearing a baseball cap and a pair of sunglasses, keeping her head ducked, as if she didn't really want anyone to notice her. 

"Where have you been?" Alisha asked, frowning at Kelly. 

"Had to go to the doctor," Kelly muttered as she came to a stop at the edge of the group.

"Well, while you were getting your smear test, big shock!" Nathan exclaimed as he turned to fully face Kelly.  "Weird Kid found out that the bod--" Nathan cut himself off when you elbowed him sharply in the side.  "Oh, right," Nathan muttered, shooting a look at Luke.  "We found out that [y/n] has got a social disease!"

"I do not!"  You turned towards Curtis.  "Maybe you can fill her in while I go distract you-know-who," you whispered to him.  You waited for him to nod in agreement before you stood up.  "So, Luke," you started, moving to stand next to him.  "Why don't we work together over there?"

"Sounds good," Luke agreed, letting you lead him over towards the other side of the room. 

You were just getting settled on the floor, Luke at your side, when Nathan sat down across from you. 

"What are you doing over here?" 

"Just thought you two might get lonely with just each other for company, so I thought I'd join in," Nathan said, raising his left shoulder in a shrug. 

"I don't remember anyone invitin’ you," Luke pointed out, raising an eyebrow at Nathan.  "In fact, I think you're best suited over there," he added, nodding towards where the other four were all whispering to each other. 

"They're fine without me," Nathan said before he picked up a black lacy bra.  "Say, [y/n], I think you'd look ravishin’ in this."

"Dream on," you muttered before you started folding a pair of shorts. 

"So, [y/n]," Luke started, turning towards you.  "Lived here long?"

"My whole life," Nathan piped up. 

"Mate, did I ask you?" Luke asked, scowling at Nathan.  "Is your name [y/n]?" 

"It could be!  Y’never asked for my name," Nathan pointed out. "[y/n] could very well be my middle name."

Luke shot you a frustrated look, as if silently asking ‘is he for real?’

"Well, I'm new in town," Luke continued, deciding to try ignoring Nathan as a tactic.  "So, if you know some good spots to hang out around here, then maybe we can get together some time," Luke suggested. 

"Oh, I don't know about that," Nathan interrupted.  "She's gunna be pretty busy.  She might not have time for you."

You opened your mouth to berate Nathan for butting in on your conversation with Luke when the sound of Alisha yelling reached you. 

"And you're being a whiny little bitch!" Alisha snapped at Curtis before she turned and stormed away. 

Curtis rolled his eyes before he took off in the opposite direction. 

"Well, guess that's that, then," Nathan mused before he stood up.  "We should probably check on that," he told you before he took off after Curtis. 

You sighed before shooting Luke an apologetic look.  You knew Nathan was only acting like more of a twat than usual because he was jealous.  You couldn't help but feel satisfied at the thought that he was getting a taste of his own medicine, but as you glanced back at Luke on your way to follow after Alisha and noticed him watching you with interest, you couldn't help but hope you’d get a moment alone with him soon.

After you’d tracked down Alisha and Kelly in the locker room, they filled you in on the conversation you’d missed. 

Apparently the plan was to meet up at the Community Centre later that night.  Alisha was going to take her dad's car and you'd all drive out to the flyover to dig up the bodies.  You were worried that someone would see you or follow you, but you knew that your hands were tied.  You had to move the bodies or else you risked them being found by a construction crew. 

That night, you met the others outside the Community Centre while you waited for Alisha to arrive. 

"Fancy meetin’ you here," Nathan said, shooting you an appreciative look. 

"Oh, shut up," you sighed before you turned your back on him.  You just knew he was checking out your ass, but as long as you didn't have to see him do it, then it was fine. 

When Alisha arrived, Nathan immediately claimed the passenger seat.  He kept his door open and beckoned to you before he rubbed his hand over his thigh, biting his lip as he considered you.  "Care to go for a ride?" 

Kelly snorted before she climbed into the backseat. 

"Oh, that's awful," Curtis groaned as he let Kelly press against his side to make room for Simon. 

"Please do not have sex in my dad's car," Alisha added, shooting Nathan a disgusted look. 

"I think I'd rather sit in Simon's lap," you told Nathan before you climbed into the back with the other three.  You didn't end up sitting on Simon's lap exactly, but you might as well have with the way you were all squished together in the backseat. 

"Weird Kid!" Nathan exclaimed, shooting you a scandalized look over his shoulder. "You're choosin' Weird Kid over me?"

"That's not my name," Simon insisted.

"Oh, no one cares," Nathan sighed before he turned around in his seat. 

You shot Simon an apologetic grimace as the others started trying to figure out where the bodies would be stashed once they were dug up.  Nathan shot down the idea of throwing them in the lake, pointing out that next week the lake would probably be dredged, landing you all in the same predicament. 

"There's an unused storage room on the second floor of the Community Centre," he offered instead.  "I've got the keys, so we can just throw the stiffs in there."

"Uh, why do you have the keys?" Kelly asked, shooting Nathan a confused look.  "Won't you get in trouble for that?"

Nathan was silent for long enough that you knew something was up. He confirmed it when his shoulders slumped in defeat before he turned around to address everyone in the backseat.  "I nicked them because I've been livin’ in the Community Centre.  There.  Y’happy?  Big secret revealed," he added as he waved his hands in a 'ta-da' motion.  "Now, can we get the fuck outta here?  Six people sittin' in a car in an abandoned parkin’ lot is gunna look mighty suspicious if anyone comes by here."

You felt a flash of guilt at the thought that Nathan was living in the Community Centre.  You realized that his mum must have kicked him out for some reason.  He usually wouldn't have hesitated before asking if he could crash with you, but now... he couldn't.  You felt a moment of irrational anger.  If he hadn't fucked up and landed you both in trouble, and then went and slept with Ruth, then maybe he’d have a place to stay that wasn't a public building.  He could have been with you this whole time, but everything had gotten so fucked up. 

You realized that you weren't so much angry with Nathan as you were upset that you hadn't been there for him when he needed you most. 

After you helped unearth the bodies and wrap them up in a tarp, you began to help fill in the makeshift grave. You were still thinking about what Nathan admitted about living in the Community Centre when you overheard Nathan talking to Kelly. 

"You alright? It's just you're usually a whole lot gobbier than usual. Y’haven't said much of anythin’ all day."

"I don't talk that much," Kelly argued, shooting Nathan a frustrated look. 

"Oh, c’mon," Nathan prompted as he leaned against his shovel. "You haven't even punched me in at least a few hours. I'm worried ‘bout yeh."

You couldn't help but think he sounded sincere in his concern for Kelly. Nathan wasn't as bad at feelings as everyone seemed to assume— he was a bit brash and crude, sure, but he just had his own way of showing he cared. 

You heard Kelly try to ask Nathan about the Community Centre, but Nathan shut her down. He started to walk away and you decided to follow him. 

"Nathan," you called, getting his attention. 

"Yeah?" He turned to face you, a nearly hopeful expression on his face. 

"Why didn't you tell me your mum kicked you out?"

Nathan's face fell for a moment before he affected an unruffled expression. "Would it have mattered?"

He didn't give you a chance to answer, instead turning and walking over to help Curtis stuff the bodies into the boot of the car. 

You felt someone put a hand on your shoulder. When you glanced over, it was to see Kelly standing there. 

"You two'll figure it out, yeah? I think yeh both just need some time."

"Yeah," you agreed, hoping she was right. 

Once everything was taken care of, Nathan sidled up to you. "Y'know, you can always change your mind about sittin' in my lap. It's got to be better than being packed in the back like a tin of sardines."

You shook your head, not able to help the tiny smile that quirked up the corners of your lips. "I think I'll be fine," you told him before you climbed into the backseat to sit next to Simon. 

You expected Curtis to slide in next to you, but you were surprised when Nathan let Curtis take the front passenger seat. 

"Well, well," he mused as he looked you up and down. "Come here often?"

"Oh, for fuck's sake," Alisha groaned before she put the car into gear and drove off. 

You were surprised that Nathan didn't try to flirt with you more on the way back to the Community Centre and you wondered if he was as lost in thought as you were. You knew you wanted to help Nathan, but you just didn't know how to now that you weren't together. You were barely able to have a civil conversation without your anger or jealousy getting the best of you. Although, you suspected that a part of you would always be drawn to him, you didn't know if you could forgive him. Not yet, at least. Like Kelly said, you just needed some time. 

You helped the others cart the bodies up to the storage room Nathan had mentioned as he produced a ring of keys you were sure a janitor was sorely missing before he started trying them out on the door. 

Once the door was open, you helped get the bodies into the room. 

"Hey, I like your cap," you heard Nathan say behind you. 

"No!"

You turned at the sound of Kelly yelling to see Nathan holding up a wig and Kelly's pink cap. Kelly looked upset before she stormed off, not giving anyone a chance to say something or try to stop her. 

"Shit," Nathan hissed, looking uncertain as he held out the wig and the cap, as if he half-expected Kelly to come back and take them from him. 

"Did you know she was bald?" Curtis asked.

"What? No! Of course not," Nathan immediately denied. "I'm not a monster."

There was a moment of stunned silence among you before Alisha broke it. 

"She kinda looked like an alien," she offered, amusement in her tone. 

"Ah, don't be mean," Nathan chastised, but from the way his lips quirked up, you knew he found it funny. He snorted before he looked at Alisha. "But she did, didn't she?"

"Oh, c’mon," you muttered before you moved to go after Kelly. She had looked like she was about to cry and you hated that she had gone off by herself. 

"Wait, no," Nathan said, reaching out to grab your arm. "I've got it. It's my fault, I guess, so I should be the one t’bring this back to her," he said as he brandished the wig and cap. 

Your first instinct was to go with him, but one look at the sincerity in his expression had you nodding your head and stepping back to let him pass you. You remembered him checking in on Kelly earlier that night and you were starting to wonder if maybe he’d done a little bit of growing up since your breakup. 

Something in you wanted to go with him, but not to keep him in line. You realized it was because you wanted to be close to him. As much as it pained you to admit it, you missed having him around. It had been almost nice sitting in the backseat with him earlier and having him pressed close to your side. 

You hated that Nathan wouldn't be going home with you—that at the end of such a stressful night, he’d have to stay here all by himself, alone in the building with two bodies rotting not too far from where he slept. 

You were tempted to offer to let Nathan crash on your couch, but you weren't sure if it was such a good idea. He might have seemed more mature for just a moment, but would it last? Did he really understand why you had broken up with him and why you were so upset about Ruth? 

You weren't sure, and for now, that was answer enough for you.

——

“We should rebury the bodies under the foundations of the environmental monitoring station, before they pour in the concrete,” Simon whispered, looking around at everyone.  Luckily Sally had pulled Luke off to the side to speak with him about something while the rest of you met to decide what to do with the bodies.

“Wait, so your plan is to bury th’bodies in exactly the same place as before?” Nathan scoffed incredulously.  “That’s genius,” he muttered sarcastically.

“You’re right, that’s dead smart,” Kelly agreed as the others nodded as well, Simon grinning, surprised everyone seemed to like his idea.

Nathan gaped at you all as if you were crazy before blowing a raspberry.  “Psshh, it’s okay,” he muttered sullenly as you rolled your eyes.  You had to admit Simon’s plan didn’t sound half bad.  Now all you had to do was figure out how to get the bodies back over there from your hiding spot in the Community Centre.  Hopefully Alisha would be able to get her dad’s car for you to use.  

Glancing around, you still couldn’t believe Nathan was squatting there at the Community Centre, wondering where exactly he was sleeping. You have more pressing matters to worry about, remember? you told yourself firmly.  So what if you’d barely been able to sleep the night before, worrying about him, wracked with guilt and indecision, nearly calling him several times to tell him to just come stay with you.  It’s not any of your concern, you reminded yourself.

“Guys, d’you wanna grab a box and follow me?” the volunteer in charge of the donations exclaimed cheerfully as he walked past, box in hand with Luke trailing behind, shooting you a flirty grin.

No one seemed to want to move for a moment, especially Alisha, whose expression suddenly turned stoney and she turned her back on the guy.  Had something happened between them? you couldn’t help but wonder, having noticed that she and Curtis seemed to be on the rocks.  Shaking the thought from your head, you grabbed a box, hurrying after Luke.

It felt like the rest of your hours dragged on until you were free again, changing into your regular clothes, ansty to get the bodies moved.

“Hey, you doin’ anythin’ after this?  Wanna grab a drink or somethin’?” Luke asked, suddenly appearing by your locker and you bit your lip. Of course he’d have to ask you out now, you thought, grimacing before shutting your locker and turning to him.

 “I wish I could, really,” you sighed, glaring at Nathan who was heading out of the locker room with Kelly to meet up with the others, his eyes locking on you as he gestured furiously toward the door, no doubt telling you to hurry up.

“I uhm, have… plans,” you muttered reluctantly.  Fuck, but you’d much rather be getting a drink with Luke than moving two decaying bodies.  “Important plans, or y’know I would totally bail.”

“Oh, really?” Luke asked, frowning slightly.  “That’s too bad.  Think I could get a rain check?”

“Yeah!  Yeah, course!” you exclaimed, perhaps a little too excitedly.  “I mean, I’d like that.”

“Good,” Luke answered, grinning.  “Maybe later, then.  Think I could get your number?  So we can… coordinate?”

“Uh, y-yeah,” you said, feeling your cheeks warm as he pulled his mobile out.  “Here,” you murmured, taking his phone to enter your number.  Moments later, your phone buzzed with a text from him.

“There, now y’have mine too,” he said, winking at you before pushing off your locker and ambling away.

By the time you finally met up with the others outside, Alisha and Curtis were nowhere to be seen.  “What’s going on?  Where’s Alisha?  Did she go t’get her dad’s car?” you asked.

“Oh, lovely of you t’finally join us.  Did yeh have a nice little chat with th’new guy?” Nathan exclaimed, his words dripping with sarcasm, and you frowned.

“We have some bad news,” Simon interrupted before you could fire off a comeback and you swung your attention to him.  “Alisha’s gone off.  We need t’find another way to move the bodies.  I was thinking we could use Sally’s car,” he suggested.

“Who’s Sally?” Nathan asked and you, Simon, and Kelly all gaped at him, not bothering to answer as you launched into planning.

Turning invisible, Simon snuck into Sally’s office as the rest of you hauled the bodies down from the storage room, meeting him out by the parking lot.

“C’mon, c’mon, c’mon!” Nathan exclaimed urgently, snatching the keys from Simon’s hands to unlock the door and pop the trunk, settling in the driver’s seat as Kelly lifted the boot lid.  Working together you managed to lift Gary in before glancing up to watch Nathan idly picking his teeth in the side view mirror.

“D’you wanna give us a hand?” Kelly cried angrily, glaring at him through the mirror.

“I’m th’designated driver,” Nathan argued, sticking his head out the window to watch you.  “I gotta be ready t’drive away at a moment’s notice!”

“Nathan,” you groaned, imploring him with your eyes as Kelly growled.

“Help us, you prick!”

Before Nathan could get out of the car, rolling his eyes, you felt Tony’s body lighten in your grasp and you frowned, your eyes widening as you turned your head to find Luke standing between you and Kelly, helping you hoist the body bag, shoving it into the boot as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

“Luke!” you cried, your mouth falling open as Simon and Kelly gaped at him, clearly as surprised at his presence as you.  Hearing your exclamation, suddenly Nathan was in a hurry to scramble out of the car, nearly slipping as he rounded the corner.

“Th’fuck are you doin’ here, mate?” he demanded as the others seemed to snap out of it.

“Luke!  Uhm… y-yeah, what— how—?” Simon faltered quietly while Kelly merely rolled her eyes.

“Oh, c’mon, did yeh really think I wouldn’t figure it out?  You lot couldn’t’ve been more obvious if y’tried,” he exclaimed.

“Oh, really?” Nathan countered, propping his hands on his hips.  “So what gave it away then, genius?” 

“I’m a little curious as well,” you admitted, shutting the trunk.

“Did you really expect me to believe y’had herpes like this prick said?” he asked, raising a cheeky brow at you as he nodded toward Nathan.  “Plus, you’ve all just been sneakin’ around this whole time.  It wasn’t hard t’figure somethin’ was goin’ on and t’follow you,” he answered with a shrug, and you couldn't help but be thankful that he didn't think you had herpes, at least.

“And you’re just okay with this?  Aren’t you even the least bit curious why we’re cartin’ around two bodies?” Kelly asked.

“Figured y’had a good reason,” Luke answered, though it was still a little strange that he just didn’t seem to see anything wrong with it.

Before you could say anything more Luke suddenly tensed, grabbing your arm and hauling you to the other side of the car.  “She’s comin’!” he hissed, and you looked past him to see Sally indeed heading your way, digging through her purse, no doubt searching for her keys, which Simon had stolen.  Quickly filing behind a line of bins to hide, you peered through the cracks watching as Sally shut the car door.

 “You’re th’one with all the big ideas, what d’we do?” Nathan exclaimed, glancing over at Simon.

“Where’s the keys?” Kelly asked.  

Seconds later the engine turned over and came to life and you all turned to look at Nathan incredulously while he froze, his adam’s apple bobbing nervously.

“You left the keys in the ignition?” you cried, unable to believe him as Nathan quickly scrambled out from behind the bins to watch Sally drive away.

“Shit!” he exclaimed, throwing his hands above his head and wringing them nervously together as he kept them there.  

Back up on the roof of the Community Centre, unsure what else to do, Nathan called Alisha to bring them up to speed as you sat, staring numbly out over the lake.

“Someone left th’keys in the ignition, but there’s no point in naming names at this stage, it’s done now,” Nathan exclaimed, pacing the roof as he spoke.  “So the probation worker is driving around with th’stiffs in the boot of her car.  Just thought you’d wanna know.  Anyway, call me.”

Hanging up he turned around to look at the rest of you as he headed back over.  “I left a message,” he explained, sitting down heavily on the bench next to Kelly.

“Well, I guess that’s it.  We’re goin’ t’prison,” Nathan sighed, carefully avoiding looking at you before glancing instead at Kelly.  “At least you’ll do well, you’ve got the whole bald thing goin’ for yeh, you’re well butch.”

With a growl, Kelly turned to him, punching him in the arm, several times.

“Ow!  You hit me a lot!” Nathan cried, holding his arm where she’d hit.

“Yeah well, you’re a dick.”  Kelly cried, sharing a disgusted look with you.

“A stupid dick,” Luke added.  “I can’t believe y’left the keys in the ignition, man.”

Nathan’s mouth fell open.  “I— at least I—“ he cut off, unable to come up with a good comeback before scowling.

“Maybe Sally won’t look in the boot,” Simon offered shakily in an attempt at positivity.

“Oh!  Fingers cross, eh?” Nathan replied, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

Could your life get any worse thanks to Nathan Young?  It seemed like it could.  You could end up in prison.

Grand.

——

“Did any of you get any sleep last night?” Curtis asked as you all met early at the Community Centre, arriving before Sally.

“Barely, I was sick from worrying all night,” you groaned, cracking a yawn as you glanced around at the others, everyone looking as exhausted as you felt.

“You know you coulda called me, right?” Nathan murmured, shuffling closer to your side, his hand brushing yours and you felt your stomach flip.

In fact, you very nearly had called him, stopping yourself before hitting send, instead sending a text to Luke to distract yourself.

Though, what did it mean if your first instinct when needing comfort was to call Nathan?

Shaking your head, you were saved from having to answer when Luke walked in, his hands shoved in his jacket pockets.  Pulling his headphones from his head to drape around his neck, he came to stand next to you.

“All right, [y/n]?” he asked.  “Did y’get any sleep after our conversation last night?

At Luke’s words, Nathan’s head whipped toward you, his mouth falling open.

“You talked t’him but not me?” he hissed incredulously.

Ignoring him, you answered Luke instead.  “A little, but I kept waking up every hour,” you admitted.

“So what’s the plan?” Curtis asked, looking around the room.

“We wait for Sally to return, make sure she hasn’t found the bodies and then we finish the job,” Simon explained wide eyed, just as worried as the rest of you.

“What happens if she already found the bodies?” Alisha asked, her voice wavering slightly.

“They probably would’ve arrested yeh already if that were th’case,” Luke pointed out, his words buoying you slightly.

“Unless they’re waitin’ til we’re all in one place!” Nathan bemoaned, making everyone look even more nervous.

“Why would you even say that?” you demanded, directing a slap at his arm.  “That’s not helping!”

“I dunno, it’s made sense!” Nathan replied sullenly, rubbing his arm.

“Okay, she should be here soon,” Kelly pointed out, checking the clock on the wall and you all hurried outside, finding a place to hide behind some bins near Sally’s parking spot.  Anxiety clutching you, you didn’t even really seem to notice that Nathan had crouched down next to you, Luke taking your other side.

“Oh shit, there she is,” Alisha whispered as Sally’s car pulled up.

For a moment everyone held a collective breath as the car door opened and Sally stepped out.  Grabbing her bag, she shut the door and began to round the car, heading for the Community Centre.

“We did it!  She didn’t look in th’boot!  We’re not goin’ t’prison!” Nathan exclaimed in a hushed voice and in your elation you didn’t even care that he’d embraced you instinctively, wrapping your arms around him as well until your celebration was cut short.

“She’s gunna find the bodies!” Curtis exclaimed suddenly, looking over.  “She’s gunna open the boot and find the bodies.”

“What?  How d’you know?” Nathan exclaimed, apparently forgetting about Curtis’s power.

“Because it already—I just know, okay?” Curtis hissed, catching himself before revealing his powers in front of Luke.

To your horror, Curtis seemed to be right, as you watched Sally suddenly stop and sniff the air, wrinkling her nose at the rancid smell coming from the decaying bodies stashed in her car.

“Someone has t’do something!  I don’t wanna go t’prison,” you cried under your breath.

A determined look stole across his face and Nathan suddenly planted a kiss to your cheek before jumping to his feet.  “I’ll distract her!  You guys get th’bodies outta here!”

Before you knew what he was planning, Nathan had already grabbed a piece of brick from the parking lot as he popped out from behind the bins, hurling it straight at Sally’s car without hesitation.  You watched as Sally had been about to unlock the boot when the brick made contact with her windscreen, spider webbing the entire surface with cracks, and she instantly abandoned her investigation of the smell, rounding instead on Nathan with murder in her eyes.

“What the bloody hell are you doing?” she screeched as Nathan grinned awkwardly at her.

“It’s just… pure mindless vandalism,” he replied with a shrug, his answer only infuriating Sally more.  

“Are you mentally deficient?” she cried, pointing furiously to her head.

“If I were mentally deficient, I woulda missed!” Nathan laughed, gesturing to her car.  “Look at that.  Bullseye!”

With an angry growl, Sally pulled Nathan toward the Community Centre by the sleeve and you winced, wondering what sort of punishment would get tacked onto his sentence, almost feeling sorry for him, til you remembered it was his fault that Sally drove off with the bodies still in her boot in the first place.  Glancing over his shoulder at you, Nathan nodded toward the car and you quickly ushered the others out of hiding and into action.

——

Back at the dumpsite, at least you didn’t have to dig any more, you thought as you helped the others toss the bodies into the trench that was just waiting to be filled with concrete, covering them just enough so they weren’t visible before the construction crew returned.

“Well, that was relatively easy,” Luke exclaimed, dusting off his hands.  “Well, once we got past all that other shite,” he added after a sharp look from the others.

“I know this probably isn’t th’best time t’ask this, but… what exactly happened?” he asked, glancing pointedly down at the half buried stiffs.

“Tony… our probation worker… he went crazy and killed Gary, one of th’guys doing community service with us,” you answered, carefully omitting any mention of your powers or the storm.  “When he found his body, Tony tried t’kill us too.  It was self defense, but who would believe that?”

For a moment you grimaced, glancing up at Luke, wondering if he believed you when he finally nodded.

“Well, shite.  I know how that goes,” he muttered, leaving it at that and a relieved breath hissed through your parted lips.

“We should probably watch from a safe distance to make sure there are no more surprises,” Simon suggested and you all agreed, moving out of sight to watch the concrete get poured.

“What an excitin’ start t’the day, huh?” Luke asked as he leaned next to you, his gaze flicking over.

“Yeah, no shit,” you agreed, relief filling you.  After the adrenaline that had flooded your system earlier, you felt rather shaky now, your nerves shot after all that plus a whole night spent worrying.

Pulling a joint from an inner pocket of his jacket, Luke slipped it to you, and you gratefully placed it between your lips, letting him light it for you, the first inhale already calming you.  Offering a hit to Luke, your fingers brushed his as he took the joint, stirring up a fluttering in your stomach as he grinned at you.

“Why’d y’help us?” you asked as you watched him take a long drag, lazily letting the smoke trail from his mouth.  Fuck, that’s hot.  “This wasn’t your mess t’clean up.  Why get involved?” you couldn’t help but wonder.  After all, Luke didn’t exactly seem like the selfless type.

Luke thought for a moment, his lips twitching impishly, handing you back the joint. “Would y’be impressed if I spouted some lofty heroic bullshit?” he asked, cocking a thick eyebrow at you.

“Honestly?  No.  Besides, I wouldn’t believe it if y’did,” you admitted, leaning back against the wall next to him and Luke shrugged. 

“Alright, fair,” he chuckled.  “Honestly, I wasn’t lyin’ when I said maybe community service wouldn’t be so bad with you around.  And my chances with yeh would seriously decline if y’went t’prison, now wouldn’t they?” he pointed out, eyeing you appraisingly.

“Y’mean you wouldn’t wait for me?” you teased, flicking the line of ash from the end of the joint.

“Sorry, doll, we just met.  I’m not ready for that kinda commitment,” Luke laughed, spreading his hands apologetically.   “Seriously though,” he continued, his expression sobering.  “I’ve been t’prison, albeit briefly, pretty thing like you shouldn’t ever be locked up like that.”

Frowning at his words, you couldn’t help but wonder what he could have possibly been in prison for, even if it was only a short stint.  

“So, uh, you and… what’s his name seem pretty close,” Luke exclaimed nonchalantly, almost more of a question than an observation, changing the subject before you could work up the courage to ask him more.

“Oh… Nathan?” you supplied with a twist of your lips.  “No, we’re not close, at all.  He’s a prick,” you muttered, not exactly keen on divulging your dating history at the moment, especially with the new guy you may or may not have a bit of a crush on.  In fact, you didn’t wanna even think about Nathan Young right then.  

“Let’s not talk about him,” you continued hastily, taking another long hit before handing the blunt back to Luke.

“Gladly.”  Luke grinned as you turned to head back to the Community Centre.

——

"So, I figure you should be grateful," Nathan said as he sidled up to you. Apparently, Sally had given him a dressing down after he threw the brick that smashed the front windshield of her car. He said he had to promise to pay to replace it before she would let him go. 

"Oh? And why's that?"

"Well, the way I see it, I'm the only reason you're not sittin' in jail right now. I totally saved your ass with my quick thinkin’. Don't you think that means I should be rewarded or somethin'?"

You rolled your eyes before shaking your head. You couldn't believe that you had actually thought Nathan had matured just because he showed a little bit of compassion towards Kelly. He was the same as ever. "If you hadn't left Sally's keys in her car, then she never would've driven away with the bodies in the first place. I should be thanking Luke for helping us out when he didn't even have to," you pointed out. 

Nathan's face scrunched up in annoyance. "That prick? All he did was help you shove a body in the boot of Sally's car. I could've done that too!"

"But you didn't," you pointed out. "You stayed in the driver's seat and only got out once Luke showed up. Face it, Nathan. You got yourself out of your own mess, but we wouldn't have all lost sleep last night if it wasn't for you. Maybe next time don't leave the keys in the car, yeah?" 

You hated being so harsh with him, but Nathan couldn't just swoop in and claim that he had saved the day when he was only fixing the problem he created in the first place. Maybe he hadn't grown up all that much after all. 

"Oh, c’mon!" Nathan exclaimed as you started walking away. "I'm sorry, alright? Is that what you want t’hear?"

"Too little, too late," you muttered to yourself, not bothering to turn back and look at him.

[imagine-you]

March 2021 Fic Roundup

Misfits/Cherrybomb Crossover by @seanfalco​ and myself.  Title: Dog Eared Page Pairing: Nathan Young x Reader (eventual Luke x Reader and Luke x Reader x Nathan) Summary:  You thought your bad luck had peaked when your prick of a boyfriend landed the two of you in community service for two hundred hours. Little did you know, however, that was only the beginning. Between a broken heart, murder -- several murders, mysterious superpowers, and lingering feelings, you're not prepared when a new addition to the group catches your eye. Now on top of everything else you’re torn between two curly haired delinquents, but what if you could have both of them?

Chapters: [1]

True Blood ‘verse in which reader is the middle Stackhouse child and forms a friendship with Godric.  Title: Waiting For the Sun To Go Down Pairing: Eric Northman x Reader; Platonic!Godric x Reader Summary:  You thought vampires coming out of the coffin was the most excitement you would ever experience after you moved to Dallas, but it turned out to only be the start. Between your friendship with Godric, your reluctant move back to Bon Temps after your grandma's passing, and a serial killer on the loose, you were beginning to wonder if your life would ever be anything approaching normal ever again. Of course, you also never expected that once you met Godric's progeny, Eric Northman, you would also find yourself falling in love.

Chapters: [1]

[seanfalco]

Dog Eared Page | 04. Wondering

a collaborative crossover fic by @seanfalco​ & @imagine-you​

Pairing: Nathan Young x f!Reader/Luke x f!Reader (eventual Nathan x Reader x Luke) Warning(s): Language, Drug Mention, Smoking Word Count: 6.1k a/n: Mel and I are always a little curious if you can tell who wrote which part lol.

[ masterlist ]

"You alright?" [y/n] asked, her fingers working through his curls.  "You've been kind of quiet.  That's not like you at all."

"Just enjoyin' this, is all," Nathan mused.  He had his ear pressed to [y/n]'s chest, his eyes closed as he let the rise and fall of her chest lull him into a doze.  She thought he just liked using her tits as a pillow, which he did, but he also liked hearing her heartbeat.  It confirmed for him that this was real.  [y/n] was real and here and his, and she wasn't going anywhere. 

He couldn't really remember why they were lying on his mattress in the Community Centre or how they’d made up, but he was just so glad to have her back with him.  It had been torture seeing her every day and not being able to simply reach out for her.  It had felt for a while like she had been completely over him, but somehow he’d managed to win her back. 

He nestled his head in closer to her chest, enjoying the warmth that spread through him from feeling her pressed so close against him.  "So, you really forgive me?  For everythin’?"  He couldn't help but check and make sure that he was in the clear.  It all seemed too good to be true and he needed to know that what they had was really fixed.

"I do," [y/n] reassured him, tugging briefly on his hair. 

He glanced up at her to see she was smiling at him.  It was the smile that had always seemed like it was just for him— fond with just the slightest hint of exasperation, but love beneath it all.  He hadn't witnessed that look on her face in so long that he’d been starting to forget that it existed in the first place. 

Leaning up to place a kiss on her lips, he was sure he'd be up for another round, but it was at that moment his bladder had to go and ruin the mood. 

"Fuck," he whined against [y/n]'s lips. 

"What?  What is it?"

"I've gotta pee," he groaned before he reluctantly sat up.  "Don't go anywhere," he insisted before he got up.  He took a few steps away from the mattress before he was brought up short by the sound of [y/n] moaning. 

He turned around, thinking that she was merely getting started without him before he realized she wasn't alone.  It took him a moment to recognize who was on top of her, but when he did, his blood began to boil. 

"Fuck, Luke, that feels so good," [y/n] breathed before she turned her head, looking right at Nathan, her eyes meeting his.

Jolting awake, Nathan felt his heart hammer in his chest and he automatically reached out, looking for [y/n], but she wasn't there. 

"Fuck," he growled as he forced himself to sit up, scrubbing at his eyes.  "Just a stupid fuckin' nightmare," he realized, feeling conflicted. It was nice getting a moment with [y/n], even if it was just in his dreams, but then that Luke prick had shown up and ruined it all. 

He knew he was going to have to find a way to separate the two of them. If he didn't, his nightmare might very well come true. 

——

Nathan wasn't in the mood to do his service that day.  Sure, he'd usually jump at the chance to spend time with [y/n], but not if Luke was going to be there.  The new guy had a way of worming his way between them or of making Nathan look like a downright jackass compared to him.  Luke seemed to be ruining any remaining chance Nathan had with [y/n] and he wasn't sure how he was supposed to fix that.

"Fuckin' curly-haired prick thinks he can come in and steal my girl?  Well, he better get in line," Nathan muttered as he pulled on his jumpsuit.  "No one’ll be stealin’ my girl but me," he continued.  "Thinks he's so cool cause he gets people high.  He doesn't even do it for free!  I bet he marks up the prices and pockets the extra cash.  I bet he's a dirty thief too.  What a cunt," Nathan ranted, trying to get over the image of Luke on top of [y/n] his mind had gifted to him earlier that morning. 

He knew it wasn't real, but he had caught the way Luke and [y/n] had been practically eye-fuckin’ each other just the other day.

"No respect for me," he grumbled before he made his way down to the first floor. 

He knew he was probably a little late to join the others for the day, but when he didn't see anyone else waiting downstairs, he went looking, going to go check outside when a sound caught his attention, freezing for a moment before he realized what the sound had been. 

Moaning.  Someone was shaggin’ just behind the door to the storage room. 

Nathan’s mind went immediately to his nightmare and he moved towards the door, trying to figure out if it was [y/n] and Luke.  He tried pushing the corrugated metal door up, wanting to catch whoever it was in the act, but it was locked. 

Banging a fist on the door, he pressed his ear to it.  "Are you two shaggin' in there?" 

"Fuck off, you pervert!" Alisha yelled, causing a relieved smile to break out on Nathan's face.

"Piss off!" Curtis added, hitting the door in an effort to ward Nathan off.  He should have known that wouldn't work with Nathan, of all people. 

Thankful for the confirmation that it wasn't [y/n] and Luke having sex in the storage room— unless they were having some kind of orgy with Alisha and Curtis and hadn't thought to even invite him, he called to them through the door.

"Well, don't keep us waitin'!  We've got things to paint or trash to pick up!  Who knows?" 

"Just go away!" Curtis shouted, prompting Nathan to laugh before turning away.

If [y/n] wasn't shagging Luke in the storage room, then that was all he cared about at the moment.  Now, he just needed to make sure they weren't shagging somewhere else. 

——

You weren't really in the mood to deal with community service today.  If you were being honest with yourself, then you also weren't really in the mood to deal with Nathan today.  You were sure you’d get stuck doin’ something awful and you just weren't all that up to listening to Nathan try to win your trust back by spouting whatever nonsense he’d prepared for you today.  You hadn’t sleep well at all the night before, which you were sure had something to do with the stress of figuring out what to do with Gary and Tony’s bodies.  You were relieved that they weren't going to be a problem anymore, but you had a feeling that your troubles were just beginning. 

You weren't far from the Community Centre when you noticed Luke talking to a guy you didn't recognize.  Their heads were bent low towards each other and you wondered what they were talking about.  Luke was staring into the guy's eyes, an expression on his face you didn't recognize before you noticed a smile quirk up the corners of his mouth.

At first you figured you’d ask Luke if he wanted to walk with you the rest of the way to the Community Centre until you saw him hand over a small baggie to the stranger.  The other bloke nodded his head, handing over a handful of cash in return.

"Shit," you hissed, ducking out of sight when the stranger glanced around, as if checking that they were alone.  You realized then that Luke had been dealing, and weren't really sure how you felt about that, but you figured it was probably none of your business. 

Deciding to take a different route to the Community Centre so you wouldn't have to pass him, you set out again.  Luke seemed nice enough, but you were wary, unsure if you should admit to him that you’d seen him. 

By the time you got to the Community Centre and heard Nathan laughing about catching Alisha and Curtis wanking in the storage room, you hoped that your daily bout of service went quickly so you could crawl back into bed as soon as possible. 

——

Nathan thought joking about Curtis and Alisha gettin’ it on in private would have boosted his spirits more, but one look at Luke arriving at the Community Centre considerably dampened his mood.  Now, they were on trash duty again and even though he'd had fun for a while poking at Weird Kid with the trash picker, it still hadn't been enough to make him feel any better. 

He was just thinking about ways to keep [y/n] and Luke apart that didn't involve telling Luke [y/n] had herpes again when he felt someone bump into him. 

He glanced over to see that it was none other than Luke walking beside him. 

"What d’you want?" he demanded.

Nathan just knew this Luke bloke was a total prick.  He’d showed up outta the blue and thought he was all cool and suave just because he was some hot shot drug dealer?  Nathan could deal drugs too!  If he, y’know, could figure out where to buy them in the first place. 

Point was, he didn't really like Luke, but he was well on his way to outright despising the guy when he leaned over and nodded towards [y/n] walking ahead of them.

"I'm callin' bagsies on that one, mate," Luke told him before he shot Nathan a sly grin.

"What?" 

"Bagsies.  That one.  Right there," Luke stressed as he pointed to [y/n].  "With the, y'know," he helpfully supplied as he brought his hands up to cup under his pecs. 

"That's my girlfriend!" Nathan cried, feeling outraged that some newcomer could just waltz right in and call dibs on his girl.  His nightmare was starting to come true right before his very eyes and it seemed as if there wasn't a damn thing he could do to stop it. 

"Ex-girlfriend," Weird Kid pointed out. 

"Well, okay, yes...but it shouldn't matter!  What happened to bro code?  Honor among men, er well, young offenders!"

Luke shot him an unimpressed look before he clapped a hand to Nathan's shoulder.  "There's just one problem with that, then," he said.  "You're not my bro," he added before he began to make his way over towards [y/n].

"Tough luck, mate," Curtis said as he passed Nathan. 

"You're actin' like he's won [y/n]'s heart already!  I've still got a chance."

"Yeah, right," Alisha snorted before she bumped her shoulder against his as she followed after Curtis. 

Nathan was set to tell them off and maybe point out that they had no business sticking their nose into his relationship when Curtis got distracted by a girl waiting just outside the Community Centre. 

Nathan noticed Curtis freeze before he waved everyone else ahead.  Nathan, nosy as ever, couldn't help but keep an eye on the pair as Curtis addressed the girl.  He seemed awfully familiar with her and from the way the girl was watching Curtis, Nathan had a feeling they shared a past he was trying to hide from the rest of the group. 

He so badly wanted to know what they had going on, but his attention was snagged by [y/n] going off with Luke, separating from the rest of the group.  He felt his hands clench into fists at his side, jealousy washing over him as his nightmare replayed in his mind.

He figured at this point he would do just about anything to keep Luke and [y/n] from getting any closer, but he wasn't sure just how to accomplish that yet. 

——

You were walking ahead of the group, swinging your trash picker idly at your side, when you noticed someone sidle up to you. 

"Fancy a smoke?" Luke asked, nudging you in the side.  "We could play a little hookie and let th’others get started without us.  I'm sure they won't miss us."

You glanced over your shoulder to see Nathan was distracted by Curtis talking to some girl and you found yourself nodding your head in answer, curious about Luke and what he’d be like once the two of you were alone together. 

"Let's do it," you agreed, letting him lead you around the corner of the building away from the others.  He brought you to a picnic table situated away from where you were supposed to be picking up trash. 

You felt only the slightest bit guilty about leaving the others to start without you, but you figured you were owed at least a few moments of peace with a cute guy after the chaos of the last few days.

Luke hopped up onto the table before he gestured for you to join him and you sat down beside him, not able to hide your amusement when he scooted closer so that your thighs were touching. 

"You mentioned something about a smoke?" 

"Right," Luke muttered, patting down the front of his trousers before he reached into his pocket and produced a pack of cigarettes. 

"Oh," you breathed.  You weren't sure what you’d been expecting, but after seeing Luke dealing that morning, you’d just kinda assumed he meant something other than an actual cigarette when he mentioned smoking. 

"What's th’matter?" Luke asked, frowning over at you as he lit the cigarette. 

"It's just..." you trailed off, not really sure how to continue.  You figured that you might as well come clean, since you didn't have a better lie ready to tell Luke anyway. "I saw you this morning," you finally admitted and he nodded. 

"Right," Luke said, taking a drag from the cigarette before he held it out to you.  "Thought I pulled you over here t’get high?" 

You couldn't tell if he thought it was funny or insulting, but you still decided to tread lightly.  As much as you wanted to get to know him, you honestly didn't know all that much about Luke yet.  You weren't really sure how to act around him or what his sense of humor was like, but you were startled to realize that you wanted to know.  You wanted to know anything he would tell you. 

"Sorry," you offered with a grimace.  "I just don't really... know you, and I'm not really sure what y’want."

"Then let's change that, yeah?"  He shot you a pleased smirk when you finally took a drag off the cigarette.  "What d'ya wanna know?"

You shrugged your shoulders, not really sure where to start.  "Why were you dealing before heading to community service?"  You knew it was kind of a heavy question to start with, but you couldn't help but wonder. 

"I gotta provide for myself, and that's all I really know how to do," he answered, something in his tone giving away that it wasn't completely accurate, but you didn’t press the issue. "Besides, it got a whole lot easier t’do after that freak storm that blew through here."

You felt your eyes widen at his words.  It couldn't be possible, could it?  What were the chances that the new addition to your group had also ended up being affected by the storm? 

"What’re you talkin’ about?"

"Well," Luke started before he took another drag, breathing out a cloud of smoke before handing the cigarette to you.  "I noticed somethin' funny after that storm.  When I’d first moved here, I had trouble findin’ some loyal clientele, but after that storm, it was like I could make ‘em interested, y’know?  I could make ‘em want the drugs even if they didn't at first.  It took me a while to understand what I was doin’, but I was makin’ them addicted.  Oh, don't look at me like that," he said when you shot him a worried look.  

"I don't really know how it works, but I've never harmed anyone with it.  No one's died or OD'd or anythin’.  It's just...a way to make ends meet," he finally offered with a shrug of his shoulders.  "I ain’t exactly proud of it or anything, but I've gotta support myself somehow.  Y’wouldn’t want me t’be homeless would yeh?" he asked.

"Huh," you breathed, at a loss for anything else to say.  Helping Luke finish off the cigarette, you sat there in silence for a while.

"So," he started as he dropped the cigarette to the ground and stubbed it out with the toe of his sneaker.  "Have you got one too?  A power? Noticed anythin’ different after the storm?"

"Sort of," you started, not really sure how to explain what was going on with you.  "I think it's tied to my emotions.  I get angry and I blow shit up.  That's all it's been so far, but I figure there has t’be more to it than that, y’know?"

"I bet there is," Luke agreed, shooting you a considering look.  "You should try testin’ it out.  See what happens when you feel different stuff.  Happiness or sadness or fear.  Lust," he added after a moment, eyeing you with a smirk.  "You should definitely test that one out."

"Oh, I should, huh?" you couldn't help but laugh, shaking your head as you glanced away from him. 

Luke was silent for a moment and you glanced over at him to see him lost in thought.  He grabbed another cigarette before lighting it, taking a quick drag as if steeling himself, before he seemed to finally decide to just go ahead and ask what was on his mind. 

“Okay, I hafta ask, is that prick, Nathan, really your ex?  You dated him?” Luke asked, blowing a stream of smoke skyward as he looked over at you, his brows hiding in his curls.

Snatching the cigarette from his fingers, you scoffed.  “Yes, okay!” you answered, fighting back a grin in response to the one on Luke’s face that said he was holding back laughter.

“But why?  Does he have a giant cock or somethin’?”

“Luke!” you gasped, laughter spilling forth despite your best efforts at holding it back.

“What?  C’mon, it’s a valid question!  I had t’ask!  I mean, what other reason would you’ve had t’date a git like that?  What could y’possibly see in him?”

“Rude,” you exclaimed, gasping playfully as you looked over at him, your laughter infectious and soon he was joining you.

“I’m sorry!  I didn’t mean it like that,” Luke explained, grinning at you.  “I’m just curious.”

“You really wanna talk about Nathan right now?” you asked, raising your eyebrows at him.

For a long moment Luke considered you, bringing the fresh cigarette to his lips, holding it between his slender fingers.

“No, not really,” he admitted, his laughter dying away.  “I’m more interested in whether I have a chance with yeh,” he said, catching his bottom lip between his teeth.

Feeling your cheeks heat, you quickly looked down.  Clearing your throat, you avoided his question, answering instead his earlier one.

“Nathan’s not a prick all th’time, y’know?  Just… most of th’time,” you murmured.  “Sure, he’s an immature arse, which is part of the reason we broke up, but it’s been exacerbated lately by the fact that he’s jealous…” you muttered.

“He’s jealous, huh?” Luke asked, a cheeky grin tugging at his lips that made your stomach somersault.  “Of me?”

“Clearly,” you answered, again fighting back a grin.  

“Should he be?” Luke asked coyly, eyeing you expectantly.

Hesitating for a moment, you let your gaze travel over him before answering, grinning as you snatched the cigarette from his fingers to bring back to your lips.

“A little, yeah,” you answered and Luke’s brows shot up excitedly.

“So I do have a chance with yeh?”

“Play your cards right, yeah,” you answered, feeling slightly giddy.  You had to admit, you missed the excitement of being chased, the flirty back and forth banter, the sexual tension.  

Silence fell as you smiled to yourself, watching a piece of litter blow past you, carried by the wind as you lazily blew a trail of smoke.

“Can I ask yeh somethin’?” Luke mused, and you glanced over at him.

“Yeah, shoot.”

“Y’said the other day that th’only reason you’re here is cause of your ex,” he pointed out, and you grimaced, sensing where he was going with this.  “So, what exactly did he do?  It can’t really be from eatin’ some pick ‘n’ mix,” he scoffed.  At the flat stare you directed at him, Luke’s brows rose.  “No fuckin’ way!”

“Oh, yeah,” you exclaimed, flicking the spent cigarette butt away.  “It’s an oversimplification, but yeah, basically.”

“Okay, now I have t’hear this,” Luke muttered as you launched into the story of that night.

——

“Are y’ready t’get your arse whooped?” Nathan exclaimed smugly as he pulled his bowling ball from his bag to set in the rack with the others.

“No fuckin’ way, I’m totally gunna cream you,” you countered cheekily, picking out a ball for yourself.

“Just cause we’re datin’ doesn’t mean I’m gunna go easy on yeh!” Nathan pointed out, waggling his eyebrows at you before pulling you into his lap, his mates groaning, tired of your rather frequent public displays of affection.

“I don’t need you to, t’wipe th’ floor with yeh,” you countered with a smirk.

“Shall we make a little wager, then?” Nathan asked, his grin growing.

“Like what?”

“How ‘bout, loser has t’give th’winner victory head afterwards… in th’ public toilets,” he suggested, raising his brows at you.

Considering for a moment, a flash of excitement rushing through you, you held out your hand to shake on it.  “You’re on, Young,” you exclaimed, letting him up to take his turn, rolling your eyes as he suggestively licked his bowling ball before sending it down the lane, holding his surprisingly graceful followthrough as he watched the ball’s progress.

“C’mon you beautiful bitch!” he muttered, his eyes following the ball as it began to roll toward the outer edge, missing every single pin as it fell into the gutter.

“So close!” he exclaimed, turning to face you and his friends, holding his fingers close together, completely unbothered by his gutter ball.

“Oh yeah babe, you nearly had it,” you laughed, watching him try again.

To your chagrin however, Nathan managed to beat you in the first game.  Barely.

“Best two outta three?” you offered, hoping for another chance, even though you really weren’t all that upset about losing the bet. 

“Alright, fine, but I’ll just beat yeh twice as bad, then,” Nathan exclaimed with a boastful laugh.  “But first, I’m hungry.  I’ll be right back, princess!” he exclaimed, pressing a kiss to your check before ambling off.

“Okay,” you called as Nathan wandered toward the concessions.  He’d only been gone for like five minutes when you heard his voice over the P.A. system.

“Help!  I’m bein’ attacked by a chick with a dick!  Aaaaaaahhh!” he cried before being cut off.

Frowning, you jumped to your feet, instantly finding the source of the commotion as several security guards rushed in to take Nathan down not far from your lane.

“Nathan?  Nathan!” you exclaimed, hurrying over.  “Nathan, what th’fuck?”

“You know this delinquent?” the manager demanded, pushing his glasses back up his nose as he frowned down at Nathan.  Before you could answer, however, Nathan began convulsing on the ground, rather convincingly, even if you knew it was nothing more than a wind up.

“Get off him, he’s havin’ a fit!  Call an ambulance!” the manager cried as Nathan flopped over once more and fell still, the guards pinning him down quickly letting him loose.

Seconds later, however, he cracked an eye, glancing up at you before he was back on his feet and had grabbed your arm as he took off running, a wild look in his eyes and a grin on his face.  “Nathan, what’re you doing?” you hissed as he dragged you with him, leading the rent-a-cops and the bowling alley manager on a merry little chase across the room, ending with the pair of you slipping down the greased lanes, attempting to crawl through to the back where they caught up to you and carted you back to the manager’s office anyway.

“I was like you when I was younger.  I thought I knew everything.  I was a right cocky little arsehole.”

Nathan leaned forward against the manager’s desk, sizing the bloke up, an amused look on his face.  

Oh, this approach, huh? you thought, rolling your eyes.  You knew Nathan better than that, it’d never work.  His problem was, he didn’t care.  He saw everything as a joke, and this would be no different.

“And look where it got you,” Nathan replied cheekily, gesturing to the cramped little office.  “You’re livin’ the dream, man.”

“You think you’re better than all this?” the manager scoffed incredulously, his gaze flicking to you as if asking if Nathan was for real.

“I know I’m better than all this,” Nathan insisted, he too glancing over to you for a moment.  “Because, Bev, if I’m not, I’ll probably hafta kill myself.”

You couldn’t help but groan as Nathan fired a staple across the table at the man, playing with his staple gun before it got wrenched out of his grasp.

“Look, I’ve done muckin’ around!” Bev cried, his voice raising.  “You either pay for this damage, or I’ll call th’police.  What’s it to be?” he asked, his gaze now taking in the pair of you.  “You seem like a reasonable young lady, I’m sure you want to avoid all this unpleasantness,” he reasoned.

“Of course I do,” you exclaimed through clenched teeth as you flashed a glare at Nathan.  “I don’t… I don’t have any extra money right now.  I just paid my rent…” you trailed off, shaking your head, your stomach churning.  

“Call the police!” Nathan exclaimed suddenly to your horror, and you gaped at him, Bev looking between the two of you uncertainly as he reluctantly picked up the phone.  As soon as it was to his ear Nathan threw his hands up.  “No, wait, hold on.  Hold on.  I’ll pay th’damage, alright?” 

Bev hung up the phone with a confused look on his face and you let out a breath as Nathan turned to grin at you, mischief in his eyes and your stomach flipped once more.  

“Nathan—” 

“Actually, y’know, forget it.  Call th’cops!” he exclaimed, turning back to the manager.  Before the phone was back in his hand, Nathan was already changing his mind again.

“Stop dickin’ around!” Bev cried, looking at you almost apologetically.

Pulling his wallet from his back pocket Nathan finally handed over his debit card and Bev left the room to go run it.  As soon as the door shut behind him, you turned on Nathan.

“What’re you playin’ at?” you hissed, anger welling up inside you.  “All y’hafta do is pay for the damn pick ‘n’ mix, but you’ve pulled me into this stupid stunt of yours and you almost let him call the fuckin’ cops!  I can’t believe you, Nathan!  Don’t you care about gettin’ me in trouble? ” you demanded.  This was the last fuckin’ thing you needed right now.

“Relax, will yeh?” Nathan said, turning in his chair toward you, holding his hands out in a soothing gesture.  “I’ve got it taken care of, babe,” he assured you.  “Y’think I’d really let you take th’fall for this?  Besides, it’s nothin’,” he insisted, his lips curling.

Suddenly the door opened and Bev stormed back in, throwing Nathan’s debit card at him.  “It’s expired, hasn’t it!”

“Bev!” Nathan cried, fighting back laughter and your mouth fell open.  

“You’ve got t’be kiddin’ me!” you exclaimed incredulously.

“Get someone down here right now t’pay for this!” Bev insisted, angrily and Nathan let out a sigh. “Alright, okay,” he gave in, pulling his mobile out, no doubt to call his mum.

“Hey mum, it’s me!  Yeah, everything’s fine, it’s all good!” he insisted, turning to direct a smile at you, which you met with a stony glare.  “There is one little thing I need yeh t’do for me…”  After a minute or so, he hung up the phone.  “I forgot, she’s on holiday in Spain.”

“Nathan, c’mon,” you exclaimed, trying not to let your voice waver, your frustration beginning to border on tears.

“What about you?  You have family that can get you out of this?” Bev asked, turning to you and you grimaced.  

“They’re on holiday too,” you grumbled, doubtful if they’d come to bail you out anyway, not if they knew Nathan was involved.

Shaking his head, the manager was called out to the front, once more leaving you and Nathan alone, with the admonition not to make a mess while he was gone.

Crossing your arms over your chest you carefully avoided looking at your boyfriend, stewing in your anger, not trusting yourself to talk at the moment, but Nathan didn’t seem too worried, leaning back in his chair to prop his feet up on the edge of Bev’s desk.

You’d lost track of time, but maybe a half hour later the door opened back up and Bev came back in with a man that looked familiar, though you could’ve sworn you’d never met him before.

“Your dad’s here.”

Nathan sat up, letting out a heavy sigh, carefully avoiding your gaze.  “What’re you doin’ here?” he scoffed, frowning over at the man Bev had introduced as Nathan’s father.  You could definitely see the resemblance, you thought despite your anger.  His unruly salt and pepper curls giving it away.

“Your mum called me from Spain,” his dad answered, his gaze flicking from Nathan to you.  “So what’d you do?” he asked.

“Nothin’,” Nathan answered with a shrug and your mouth fell open.  

“I get dragged out in th’middle of the night, and hafta come all th’way down here because you did nothin’?” his dad exclaimed, annoyance filling his voice.  

“It looks that way,” Nathan replied stubbornly.  You knew he could be contrary, but this was something else entirely.  You’d never seen Nathan this obstinate before and you gathered there had to be history there.  Probably why he’d never brought you round to meet the man.

“So, what’s it gunna cost me t’sort this out then?” Nathan’s father asked, turning his attention to Bev.

Before he could answer, Nathan spoke up, anger tinging his voice.  “I don’t want your money,” he said firmly and you sat up straighter.

“What?” you snapped.

“Oh, really?  Cause I don’t see anyone else rushing down here t’bail you out,” his dad snapped.

“Yeah well, I didn’t ask yeh t’come down here and bail me out, so—“

“Nathan!” you exclaimed.

“Don’t be a wanker,” his dad exclaimed, drawing an amused chuckle from Bev.  You watched, incredulous, as Nathan and his dad argued for several more minutes until finally his dad straightened, shaking his head angrily before shooting you an apologetic look and pushing out the door, leaving Bev to call the cops after all.

“Think they’ll give us a moment for you t’make good on our wager?” Nathan asked as you waited for the police to arrive to arrest the pair of you.

“You think I really wanna suck your cock right now, Nathan Young?” you snapped, ignoring the way Bev’s eyebrows rose.

“Maybe,” he answered, eyeing you hopefully.

“Dream on, you arse,” you muttered, angrier than you felt you ever had been before.  “I can’t believe you’re gettin’ me arrested,” you cried.  “Your dad was gunna help us—!”

“Yeah, well, I don’t want his help!” Nathan replied, Bev watching your back and forth argument like a tennis match.

“But what about me?  D’you even care that I’m gunna get in trouble?  I can’t afford t’lose my job over this shite, Nathan!”

“Oh, you’ll be fine!”

“How d’you know that?” you demanded.

“[y/n], c’mon,” he scoffed.

“No, you c’mon.  I can’t believe I thought you cared about me.”

“I do,” Nathan insisted, looking at you as if you must be joking.

“No, y’don’t.  If you did, you wouldn’t let me take th’fall for your childish actions.  You’re a fuckin’ prick, and we’re done.”

“You don’t mean that!  I give it a day and you’ll be running back t’me!”

Bev shook his head, a pitying look in his eye that Nathan didn’t seem to like, his facade beginning to crack, desperation beginning to fill his expression.

“Y’don’t—“ he insisted again.

“Watch me.”

——

“So, that’s why y’broke up with him?” Luke asked, crushing the rest of his cigarette butt out on the concrete, blowing the last of the smoke away.  “Not that I blame yeh.  That was a real prick move.”

“Thank you!” you exclaimed, feeling rather vindicated.

Yes, getting an ASBO and two hundred hours of community service out of Nathan’s little stunt was a big deal, but what bothered you the most was that he didn’t for a moment seem to care that he might be fucking you over by his actions, it was all just a big joke to him.  You knew Nathan could be selfish, and immature, and irresponsible, but you’d hoped that when it came to you he wouldn’t be, but he’d proved you wrong, and it hurt.

“Hey,” Luke said, pulling you from your thoughts, noticing the frown on your face.  “Fuck that guy.  He didn’t appreciate a good thing when he had it.  So, fuck ‘im.”

“Luke…” you murmured, the swarm of butterflies in your stomach taking flight, unable to stop them as you found yourself lost in his emerald gaze before you realized you were both leaning in, your lips mere centimeters apart.

You should just kiss him.  You know you want to.

And you did want to… but a thought struck you.  Did you want t’kiss Luke right now because you wanted him, or because you just wanted to kiss anybody?

“Luke...” you breathed, sighing as you pulled back slightly.

“What is it?” he asked, frowning as his eyes flicked to yours.

“I can’t.”

“What?  Why not?” he asked, disappointment thick in his voice.

“It’s too soon,” you replied, shaking your head slightly.

“Is it cause of him?” he asked, his brows drawing down.

“No!” you answered quickly, your hands running over his chest.  “It’s just… too soon.  I don’t want this t’be just some rebound, y’know?” you explained, your words seeming to placate him.

“Alright,” he murmured with a sigh.  “I mean, one little kiss ain’t gunna hurt, but alright.  I get it.  I can wait,” he paused, brushing a stray lock of hair from your face.  “It’ll be worth it.”

——

“Oh ho, and where have you two been?” Alisha exclaimed, wearing a knowing smirk as you and Luke rejoined the group, your arm brushing his as you walked.

“Went for a smoke,” Luke answered truthfully, though his eyes danced with mischief, his insinuation clear, and guilt flooded you with one look at Nathan’s hurt expression. 

You were about to insist that nothing had happened when you remembered that Nathan had already done much more than just almost kiss someone else.  You didn’t owe him anything.  Not anymore.  

Anger washed through you afresh and you merely lifted your chin defiantly, plastering a coy smirk to your face that only made his frown deepen.

“Smoke break, right,” Alisha scoffed doubtfully.

“Oh whatever!” Nathan grumbled, kicking a can out of his way as he stormed ahead.

“Y’know, you should get used t’this,” Luke muttered as he approached Nathan some time later, grabbing a stray piece of litter with his trash picker.

“Used t’what?” Nathan shot back, furtively glancing past Luke to [y/n] before focusing on his new rival.

“Used t’seein’ me and [y/n] together.  I told yeh I’d bagsied her.”

Nathan’s expression darkened, his lips pursing as his thick brows drew down.  “Yeah well, good luck with that.  You dunno what she likes, how t’... pleasure her th’way she likes!” he exclaimed, clutching at straws.

“Yeah well, that’s th’fun part isn’t it?  Figurin’ it out,” Luke countered smugly.  “She fancies me, mate.  Face it, you had your chance and y’blew it.  No hard feelin’s though.  In fact, I ought t’be thankin’ yeh,” Luke exclaimed, clapping his hand to Nathan’s shoulder.  “So, thank you,” he said before moving away, leaving Nathan to glare after him, mouth agape.

“Oh, it is on!  I’m not given’ up without a fight, y’twat!” Nathan called after Luke.  

However, the only person to pay him any mind was Simon.  

“Good luck,” he offered awkwardly, but Nathan merely scowled, walking away.

Oh, he was gunna win [y/n] back.  He would.  If it was th’last thing he did.

​

[seanfalco]

Dog Eared Page | 01. Say Something

a collaborative crossover fic by @seanfalco​ & @imagine-you​

Pairing: Nathan Young x f!Reader (eventual Luke x Reader & Nathan x Reader x Luke) Warning(s): Language, Canon Typical Violence, Minor Character Death, Blood, Break up/make up Word Count: 7k a/n: Mel and I have been wanting to collaborate on a fic for ages now and we’re super excited to share this project with you.  We hope you guys enjoy it as much as we’re enjoying writing it!

[ masterlist ]

Summary: You thought your bad luck had peaked when your prick of a boyfriend landed the two of you in community service for two hundred hours.  Little did you know, however, that was only the beginning.  Between a broken heart, murder — several murders, mysterious superpowers, and lingering feelings, you're not prepared when a new addition to the group catches your eye.  Now on top of everything else you’re torn between two curly haired delinquents, but what if you could have both of them?

I'm just a dog-eared page you turn back to. Where's the place for me When we're both in love with you?

“This is your chance to really make a difference, to give back to the community—“

You rolled your eyes as the probation worker continued, already tuning the rest of his stupid speech out as you glanced down the line at the others.  You didn’t belong here.  

Two hundred bloody hours of community service, and it was such bollocks, especially when the only reason you were there in the first place was standing next to you.

Nathan fucking Young.

The only thing you were guilty of was being in the wrong place at the wrong time, with the wrong person.

“You know what, Nathan?  We’re through!  I know y’can be a twat sometimes, but I thought I meant more t’you than that!  This wasn’t just some stupid prank, you got us arrested and it’s all just a big fuckin’ joke to you!”

“But what if they’re right?  I mean, some people are just born criminals, am I right?”

Nathan’s exclamation jarred you from your thoughts and you groaned, glancing over just in time to watch him continue to antagonize the angry looking chap on his right.

“I’ll rip your head off and shit down your throat!”

You had to admit, part of you really wanted to watch him get decked, but against your better judgement you decided to intervene.

“Nathan, cut it out, will yeh?” you hissed, jabbing him sharply in the ribs with your elbow.

“Ow!” the gangly curly haired prick yelped, turning to gape at you.  “What was that for?” he demanded, rubbing his side sullenly.

“Savin’ you from getting your arse beat, that’s what!” you replied, crossing your arms over your chest.

“Aw, so y’do care,” Nathan exclaimed, attempting to sling his arm over your shoulder as the hot girl down the line from you’s phone began to ring.

“Get off!” you hissed, shrugging Nathan’s arm off you while the girl answered her phone, much to your probation worker’s chagrin and he went off on her, the scene quickly spiraling out of hand.

“This isn’t gunna work out, I don’t even belong here!” the tall black guy on your other side exclaimed, rolling his eyes as he leaned back against the railing behind you.

“Yeah, fuckin’ tell me about it,” you groaned, running your hand down your face and he looked at you, raising a curious brow.

“You too, huh?”

“Oh yeah, you have no idea—”

Before you could continue, the blonde with the ponytail frowned as her head whipped toward you, her brows drawn down.

“Oh, so you’re too good for us, yeah?” she exclaimed fiercely in a thick accent that took you off guard for a moment, but not Nathan, who had to go and open his big mouth.

“What is that accent?  Are we supposed to even understand that?  It’s just noise!”

Heaving a heavy sigh, you leaned back against the handrail behind you, letting the scene decay into complete chaos, the probation worker finally needing to physically separate the chap with the hat from Nathan who continued to fuck off until you punched his arm and walked away.

——

Painting benches, easy right? you thought, picking the bench furthest away from Nathan.

Five minute in however, the chap with the cap, who you’d come to gather was called Gary, stormed off after getting paint on his hat, kicking the can across the ground and into the lake.

“I know you, you’re that runner guy,” Alisha, the girl with the cell phone from earlier exclaimed, suddenly breaking the silence while Nathan started guessing why Kelly, the girl with the ponytail and accent had been given an ASBO— getting in a fight at Argos, apparently.

Big surprise there, you thought, glancing at her warily out of the corner of your eye.

“What about you, weird kid?  No offense, but you look like a panty sniffer!” Nathan continued, turning his sights on Simon, the quiet one off by himself.

Attempted arson, you found out.  Good t’know…

“What about you then?  What you get done for?” Kelly demanded, rounding on Nathan.

“Me?  I was just done for eatin’ some pick ‘n’ mix,” he exclaimed, feigning innocence.

“Oh, please,” you scoffed, snorting softly, and the others looked over at you.

“You know what he really got done for?” Kelly asked. 

You felt Nathan’s eyes on you and you shrugged.  “Yeah, his stupid arse’s th’only reason I’m here too after all,” you explained bitterly.

“Oh, c’mon, you gotta admit it was entertainin’, at least,” Nathan exclaimed.

“Wait, so you know each other?” Curtis, the runner asked, remembering what you’d said earlier about not deserving to be there either.

Shit, you thought, chewing your lip, you hadn’t exactly meant to let that slip.

“Oh, we know each other alright,” Nathan boasted, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

“Wait, are you two—?” Alisha trailed off, raising her eyebrows as she pointed between you and Nathan.

“Oh yeah, baby,” Nathan answered almost as soon as you exclaimed firmly, “Not anymore.”

At the look on Nathan’s face, the others began to laugh and you had to turn away.  You were not about to let that prick make you feel guilty.  A nearby rumble of thunder, however, caught your attention and you glanced up at the sky as Tony, the probation worker, approached to check on your progress.

“What happened?” he exclaimed, gesturing to the paint can Gary had kicked over as he’d stormed off.  “You’ve only been out here for five minutes!  It’s painting benches!” he cried exasperatedly.

Before anyone could answer, a crack of thunder exploded overhead and you flinched as suddenly a huge boulder of ice fell from the sky to land on a nearby car, completely smashing it in as several more car alarms began to blare.

“That’s my car!” Tony cried as Nathan laughed.

“Classic!”

There wasn’t any time to enjoy the irony of the situation before more ice chunks landed in the lake, raining down a spray of water over you.

“Run!” someone shouted and they didn’t have to tell you twice.  Taking off back toward the Community Centre, you ran like your life depended on it, feeling stray chunks of ice hit you, nearly slipping as you rounded the corner to the side door.

“[y/n]!” Nathan cried, pulling you to your feet, but you were still stranded, locked out as Tony fumbled to find the right key.

“C’mon!  Hurry up!”

“Open th’door!  What’s takin’ so long?”

“Open the fucking door!”

The panic stricken voices of your fellow ASBO-mates overlapped and you unconsciously reached for Nathan, balling your fist in his orange jumpsuit before Tony turned to bellow in frustration.

“DON’T SPEAK TO ME LIKE THAT!”

You hadn’t even realized you’d been thrown backwards until you found yourself flying through the air, the crackle of electricity filling your ears as a surge of power ran through you.  One moment you felt suspended, falling in slow motion, the next you were on your back, the sky overhead completely clear, as if there hadn’t even been a storm at all, save for the car alarms still blaring.

“I feel dead weird.”

“That would be th’lightnin’.”

“We should be dead.”

Groaning, you reached up to feel your pounding head, only half listening to the others’ conversation.

“Are you alright?  You’re actin’ like a freak!” Kelly pointed out, addressing Tony, who seemed to be twitching strangely, his eyes rolling wildly.

“Wanker,” he grunted under his breath as you watched him warily.

“Did he just call me a wanker?” Nathan asked incredulously and Tony blinked, seeming to come back to himself.

“I think we should call it a day,” he announced shakily.

“Yeah, y’think?” you muttered sarcastically under your breath as you pushed yourself to your feet.

“[y/n], you alright?” Nathan asked, catching up to you after changing back into your regular clothes.

“I’m fine,” you replied, not slowing, though he easily fell into step with you, his long legs carrying him quickly.

“Y’sure?  That lightnin’—”

“I’m sure,” you said firmly, cutting him off.  If he kept acting like he cared, you didn’t think you’d be able to keep the precarious wall you’d put up between you two in place.  “As if you really care anyway,” you huffed, shoving your hands in the pockets of your jacket.

“Well, maybe I do!  Have y’ever thought of that?” Nathan countered, jogging a bit to step in front of you, walking backwards to keep ahead of you.  When you didn’t answer, he reached out toward your wrist.  “C’mon, [y/n], don’t be like that.  At least lemme walk you home.”

“Nathan,” you sighed, quickly averting your eyes before he could use that pout on you.  The one that used to get him almost anything he wanted.  “Just go home, okay?”

When you wouldn’t budge, he scowled, throwing his hands up in the air.  “Alright, fine!  See if I care, then!” he exclaimed, stuffing his own hands into his jacket as he stalked away, peeling off in the direction of his mum’s house.

——

“Mum?  It’s me, my key doesn’t work!” Nathan exclaimed, knocking at the door before trying the handle again.  “Mum, let me in!”

“Nathan, I can’t.  I need t’give my relationship with Jeremy a chance and if you stay, he’ll leave!”

“Oh, very funny,” Nathan exclaimed, crouching to look through the post slot.  “Has Jezza been crying again?” he joked.

“Nathan, I’m serious,” his mom replied sternly.  “I’ve changed the locks—“

“What?” he exclaimed, panic starting to creep in.

“Your things are by the garage and I’ve left some money in your rucksack,” she continued.

This wasn’t happening!  She was joking, right?  She had t’be.

“I’ll call you in a few days.”

Nathan turned behind him to find his bags piled in the corner like she’d said and his mouth fell open.  Turning back to the door he smacked his hands against the glass frantically.  

“Mum!  Mum, c’mon!  MUM!  Where am I s’posed to go?”

When there was no answer, he sighed and grabbed his bags.

This was alright, give her a day and she’d come to her senses.  He had mates he could stay with.  At least one of them was bound t’let him crash on their couch for a night or two.

As he walked aimlessly down the street, he pulled his phone and scrolled through his contact list.  Picking the number he hoped would be the most likely to help, he dialed and put the phone to his ear.

“Hey Petester!  The Petemeister!  How’s tricks?  How the herpes?” he asked, wincing at his friend’s reply.  “Alright, it was just a joke, jeeze!”

The next number was a bust too… and the next after that…

By the time Nathan had made it through the majority of his contacts he’d lost all enthusiasm.

“Yeah, no, I understand.  Thanks anyway, I’ll… figure somethin’ out,” he sighed.

Dragging his feet, he came to a stop, sagging under the weight of his belongings.

There’s one number you haven’t tried yet, he thought grimly.  Chewing his lip he looked down at the name on his screen, his thumb hovering over the call button.

[y/n] would let him stay with her… right?  Yeah, they were broken up, and maybe she’d been pretty cold to him earlier, but she’d still wanna help him, right?  She hadta still care about him at least a little… at least enough that she didn’t want him to be homeless… right?

Considering a moment longer, he straightened, shoving his phone back into his pocket.  He’d just go back to the Community Centre for the night.

Yeah, that’s what he’d do.

——

As if the first day of community service hadn’t been enough of a banger, little did you know the second day would prove to be even more exciting.

“You’ve gotta be shittin’ me,” you groaned as you joined the others outside the Community Centre, met by the words ‘I’M GOING TO KILL YOU’ in red paint, splashed down the entire side of the building.

“Did one of you do this?” Kelly demanded.

“Why th’fuck would we?” you replied, throwing your hands up.  “That’d just be givin’ us more work t’do, innit?” you pointed out, several of the others nodding as if it made sense to them.

“I’ll tell you who did it!” Nathan exclaimed, an unlit cigarette dangling precariously from his lips.  “It was that Banksy prick!  There’s a hidden meaning behind it.”

Rolling your eyes, you didn’t even dignify his words with a response.  Before anyone could say more however, Tony came round the corner, a sour look on his face.

“Alright, suit up,” he exclaimed without preamble.

“Did you see this?” Curtis asked, pointing to the wall, but Tony merely shrugged.

“Yep, what a shame, all this anti-social behavior,” he muttered.

“Is he makin’ a dig at us?” Nathan gasped as Alisha’s phone went off.

“Oh no, no one’s making any more phone calls today,” Tony grumbled, snatching the device out of her hands.

“Are you allowed t’do that?” Alisha countered, but Tony merely continued to confiscate your phones.

“Wait!” Nathan cried when he was next.  “I’m expectin’ an important call from my mum!” he protested, but Tony didn’t seem to care, taking Nathan’s phone and finally yours.

Frowning, you side eyed Nathan, wondering what that was about.  Was something wrong with his mum?

No, you thought firmly, cutting that line of thought short.  It was none of your business.

Back in your orange jumpsuit, bucket at your feet, you and the others set to work scrubbing the graffiti from the wall and it was slow going, especially when Alisha decided she’d rather sunbathe than work.

“So…” Nathan ventured, glancing over at you, only scrubbing halfheartedly at the panel in front of him.  “How was your night?” he asked, the innocent tone to his voice almost more suspect than anything.

“Fine,” you answered warily, just waiting for the conversation to turn inappropriate.  “You?”

“Oh, perfect, y’know.  I slept like a baby,” he exclaimed, a wry twist to his lips.  “Y’didn’t think of me at all?” he asked, waggling his eyebrows.

Ah, there it was.

“Nope, can’t say that I did,” you replied, focusing on your task.  You could hear Nathan huff in frustration before turning to glance over at Kelly.

“Did anythin’ weird happen t’yeh guys last night?” she asked suddenly and you froze.

There had been something… at least, you could’ve sworn you’d seen something out of the corner of your eye as you’d laid in bed, but it was probably just your imagination, and then you couldn’t seem to get warm no matter what you’d tried, but that was probably just the building’s furnace on the fritz.

“Yeah, I have a tingling sensation in my anus!” Nathan exclaimed and you groaned, rolling your eyes.

“There was something—“ Simon muttered before quickly taking it back as soon as Kelly confronted him.

“Don’t you wanna hear about the tingling in my anus?” Nathan laughed.

“Oh, I’ll give you a tingling in your anus,” you grumbled, Nathan’s head swinging toward you, his brows climbing.

“Oh really?” he asked with amusement.  “Well, if you’re offerin’, I’ll take what I can get, luv.”

“Ugh!  Will yeh shut up!” Kelly exclaimed exasperatedly, giving Nathan a shove before storming off.

“What’s her problem?” he cried, scrubbing his hands on the front of his already grimy jumpsuit as he righted himself.  “I wasn’t even talkin’ t’her!”

——

Taking a break for lunch, Tony was nowhere to be found and Kelly still hadn’t returned yet, so the rest of you decided to dick around a bit longer, no one very keen on getting back to work.

Leaving Alisha in the locker room to fix her make-up and stare at herself in the mirror some more, you found the guys gathered around the foosball table, catching the tail end of their conversation.

“So, you and [y/n], huh?  She really used to date you?” Curtis asked, spinning one of the rods to block the ball.

“Course she did!  What’re you implyin’?” Nathan demanded defensively.

“Nothin’ man, I’m just surprised, that’s all,” Curtis countered with a shrug while Simon watched quietly.

“Yeah well, she still wants me,” Nathan announced with bravado.  “Just you wait, she’ll be beggin’ t’get back together in no time.  She’ll be all over me, you’ll see!  I mean, a bunch of young people, doin’ mindless shit all day… face it man, it’s goin’ t’happen sooner or later.  It’s biology… or physics… one o’ those,” he muttered.

“Right,” you interrupted, planting your hands on your hips as your gaze took all three of them in, Simon and Curtis glancing away awkwardly.

“Keep dreaming, Nathan,” you quipped, flicking his ear as you passed, plopping down on one of the benches in the hallway.

“Oh trust me, sweetheart, I will!” he called after you, turning back to the guys with a smirk.  “Y’see?  She totally wants me.”

Curtis rolled his eyes, but he didn’t comment further, while Simon merely looked doubtful.

“So what’d you get done for anyway?” Alisha asked Curtis once she’d returned, the five of you congregating near the vending machines.  “I heard you were dealin’ crack.”

“No no no, the papers said it was steroids,” Nathan pointed out.

“I heard that stuff’ll shrivel your dick,” Alisha added, glancing pointedly downward as Curtis fumed.

“It wasn’t steroids!  I’m not a cheat!  The stuff in the papers was bullshit!  I got caught with a little bit of coke, alright?” he explained, throwing his hands up.

Nathan’s lips curled impishly as he plopped down in one of the Community Centre’s wheelchairs.  “You let yourself down, man.  You let the kids down.  You let your parents down, you—“

“Shut the fuck up!”

Nathan cut off with a yelp as Curtis took an angry step toward him, but before he could deck him you smacked him across the back of the head.

“Will you shut it?” you exclaimed, giving Curtis an apologetic look.  Why were you still looking out for him?  You could’ve just let him get punched like he deserved.

“Ow!  I can’t believe you’d hit a person in a wheelchair!” Nathan cried, looking up at you, though amusement danced in his eyes.

“Do you wanna know what I got done for?” Alisha asked, leaning back on the bench, her water bottle in hand.

“Not really,” Nathan exclaimed, uninterested, until he glanced at you, his expression changing.  “Actually, on second thought, I’d love t’hear it,” he insisted, leaning forward to rest his chin in his hands.

“Okay so—” she launched into her story, pushing herself up, looking ready to really get into it.  You half listened as she spun a rambling yarn about her mate Chloe and this house party and some slut who was shagging Chloe’s boyfriend, only for them to get pulled over on their way home.  

“I’m already banned from driving, so I am like fuuuck,” Alisha groaned, a giddy grin tugging at her lips, as if the next part were especially amusing.  You glanced around at the guys and even Curtis looked rather bored while Nathan attempted to look interested, but you could tell he really wasn’t.

“So, this cop, yeah, he hands me the breathalyser, and I’m like… ‘do I suck or blow’?” she recalled with a smirk, suggestively running her tongue along the neck of her water bottle.  Instantly all three guys sat up straighter, their eyes going wide and you rolled yours.

“You’ve gotta be fuckin’ kidding me,” you grumbled under your breath as Alisha began a thorough reenactment of blowing her water bottle slash breathalyser.

One look at the guys told you they were rather enthralled with her “story” now, though every few seconds Nathan would pointedly glance over at you to see if you were watching him, watching your reaction.

“Now I don’t know if this cop was gay or what, but he tells me I’m four times over th’limit.  It’s bullshit!  I didn’t even wanna go to that party,” Alisha exclaimed, slumping back down in her seat.

You were beyond annoyed by Nathan and even Alisha by the time Kelly came running into the Community Centre. You knew Nathan had just been trying to rile you up, but what got under your skin even more was that it was working. You couldn't stand to see him flirt with Alisha and even though you knew Nathan likely had no chance in hell with her, you still couldn't help but feel jealous at the sight of his look of blatant interest aimed at the wrong girl. 

You jumped at the sound of the door banging open. "He's gonna kill us!" Kelly yelled as she hurriedly slammed the door closed and locked it behind her. 

You heard Nathan laugh and begin to clap his hands. "Nice entrance! Very dramatic," he mocked. 

Kelly glanced around at the rest of you. "The probation worker's gone mental! He just attacked me," she said as she took a few steps away from the door. "Somethin’ really weird is happenin’. I'm hearin’ these voices. It's like I can hear what people are thinkin’."

Alisha, Curtis, and Nathan didn't believe her, but Simon seemed to think it was real. You weren't really sure what you believed, but you wanted to take Kelly at her word. She looked like she’d been crying, her mascara running down her face, and you didn't think she was the type of person to make up something so ridiculous just for kicks. 

"Nathan, knock it off," you hissed when he didn't seem like he was going to stop making fun of her. 

Kelly let out a frustrated noise before she kicked Nathan in the shin. 

"Ow! Jesus!" He quickly glanced to you, shooting you a wounded look. 

You rolled your eyes and quickly looked away, not wanting to admit that your first instinct was to defend him from Kelly. Even if he did deserve a good kick to the shin every once in a while, you still didn't like to see him hurt. 

"What was that about the probation worker attacking you?" Curtis asked Kelly, his brows furrowed as he watched her. 

"It sounds like complete bullshit," Alisha offered from where she was leaning against the wall. 

"He's out there, alright? He chased me! He's gone mad or somethin’ and then he tried to kill me!"

"Oh, come off it," Alisha demanded, but from the tremble in her voice, you suspected she feared that Kelly was telling the truth as well. 

Simon started trying to explain that he could turn himself invisible, but Nathan was quick to cut him off. You watched Nathan roll up to Simon in the wheelchair before he tried to goad him into vanishing. You knew he was only winding Simon up, but you were starting to wonder if you were all somehow in real danger. Kelly still looked like she was terrified out of her mind and Simon looked so earnest about his supposed ability. Were they both telling the truth? 

"I think y’both need to go back on whatever prescriptions you've been skippin’," Nathan said before he started wheeling himself over towards the door. 

"No!" Kelly jumped in front of him, stalling him from moving any closer. 

You heard Curtis draw in a sharp breath and you glanced over at him, worried that something was going on with him too. His eyes went wide and he suddenly looked just as freaked out as Kelly seemed to be. 

"Don't! She's tellin’ the truth!" Curtis moved toward Nathan, but he still looked like he was trying to process whatever was going through his mind. 

"Oh! Are you psychic now too?" Nathan asked, a smirk appearing on his lips. "Tell me my fortune and maybe I'll believe you."

"I'm serious," Curtis bit out, his patience clearly beginning to run out. "All of this has already happened once. I opened that door and the probation worker burst in here and killed you," Curtis claimed as he turned to look at Kelly. "It's like time went backwards or something."

"This is gettin’ ridiculous," Nathan muttered before he finally brushed past Kelly and moved towards the door. 

"Nathan—," you began, unsure if it was such a good idea. If Curtis had now jumped on the bandwagon and claimed there was a crazed probation worker out there set to kill all of you, then Nathan was about to put himself right in the line of fire. 

It was too late to try to stop him, though, and he opened the door, barely getting a peek of what was outside, before he was quick to shut it. "He's right!" Nathan exclaimed as he turned to look at Curtis. "The probation worker's out there and he looks completely mental!"

Someone hit the door, throwing their body against it heavily, prompting Nathan to yelp, quickly scurrying away from the door. 

It didn't take you long to realize that it was Tony trying to break down the door. He was yelling, his words frenzied and barely distinguishable as he pounded on the door. You heard something metal striking the door as well and couldn't help but think that you were all about to die. 

"He's the one who wrote the graffiti on the wall," Simon surmised as he glanced at the rest of you. "'I'm going to kill you,'" he reminded all of you with a grimace. 

"I knew there was a hidden meaning!" Nathan claimed. "Or not," he conceded when you shot him a disbelieving look. 

You didn't realize just how well and truly screwed you were until you thought to call the police. Tony had taken all of your phones since Alisha had proved she couldn't be trusted to stay off hers long enough to actually complete the service part of her community service. 

Kelly and Alisha started arguing since Alisha thought Kelly should have run straight to the cops. 

"I came here to warn all of you! I could have left you for dead, but I didn't!" Kelly insisted, looking like she was moments away from truly losing her shit. 

"I'm gettin’ out of here," Alisha muttered before she took off down the hallway towards the back of the Community Centre. 

"Let's go," Curtis said before he followed Alisha. 

You all made a run for the rear exit. You hoped Tony hadn't made it around to that side of the building yet, but just as you were rounding the corner, Nathan slipped and fell on the floor. You felt your eyes widen at the sight of the pool of blood beneath him, Nathan's orange jumpsuit and hands now streaked with blood. 

"What the fuck?" He stared down at his hands for a moment before he let out a sound of disgust and started frantically wiping his palms off on the pants of his jumpsuit. "Get it off! Get it off!" 

You realized that there was a trail of blood leading towards one of the lockers and Curtis slowly advanced towards it. You took a step back, not sure if you actually wanted to find out what was inside. You felt someone's hand grab yours and when you looked down, it was to find Nathan's fingers wrapped tight around your hand. You didn't have it in you to push him away, too freaked out at the moment to do much of anything except helplessly watch as Curtis finally opened the locker. 

You gasped as Gary's body curled forward and fell out of the locker.

It took you probably a beat too long to realize that Gary was dead. You could feel your heart beating so hard in your chest that you were sure you could hear it as you stared down at his lifeless body. Your vision swam for a moment, shadows dancing along the walls and the blood on the floor blurring, before you forced yourself to focus. 

"Hey," Curtis called as he considered Alisha. He took a step towards her, his hand reaching out for her. "Are you okay?"

You noticed the tears in her eyes as she stared down at Gary. She moved to hastily wipe away the tear that had slipped down her cheek, but at that moment, Curtis' fingers wrapped around her wrist. 

His head snapped back, his body trembling before he moved even further into Alisha's space. "Oh, I've got to shag you right now," he said before he started trying to unzip his trousers. 

"Get off me!" Alisha bit out as she attempted to push Curtis away. 

"Hey, mate," Nathan started as he took a step towards them. "No means no, alright? Even I know that."

"I've got to have you," Curtis insisted as he tried to force himself closer to Alisha. 

You were about to step in when she finally managed to get Curtis to back off. 

Curtis shook his head, his eyes going wide for a moment, before he glanced around in confusion. "What the fuck just happened?"

"I'll tell you what just happened," Nathan began as he took a step closer to Curtis. "You touched her and started goin’ on about wanting t’shag her before you started tryin’ to pull your chap out," he explained gesturing down towards Curtis' half-open trousers. 

"What the fuck," Curtis hissed before he hastily pulled up the zipper on his jumpsuit. 

"It was when you touched her," Simon pointed out. "You touched her and then you tried to have sex with her." 

You noticed the thoughtful look on Alisha's face before she reached out and grabbed Simon's arm. 

Simon went rigid for a moment, his eyes widening, before he advanced on Alisha. "I've got to fuck you right now," he insisted as he reached for her. "I want to rip off all your clothes and piss on your tits," he growled before Alisha broke her hold on him. 

"You sick bastard!" Nathan exclaimed as Simon took a few quick steps back from Alisha. 

Simon looked like he was about to say something, but at that moment, Tony crashed through the door. 

You jumped back with a cry, rushing to get away from him.  The others did the same as Tony brandished the wicked piece of metal in his hands. There was a crazed look on his face and his eyes had gone white with rage. 

He pulled the metal up and made to swing, but Kelly had managed to grab a can of paint and swung it at Tony with all her strength, hitting him square on the back of his head with it. Tony collapsed onto the floor, going sickeningly limp as blood started to pour from the wound on the back of his head. 

"Is he dead?" you heard Alisha ask. 

"Y’see the way the back of his head is all caved in like that?" Nathan pointed out, his voice going high and warbly at the end of his sentence, like he was about to well and truly freak out. 

You felt like you were going to be sick, too distracted to notice Tony moving until you heard him shout. 

"Chav!" He yelled as he grabbed Kelly's leg and attempted to pull her down.

Kelly instinctively lashed out, her foot coming forward to connect with the back of Tony's head. "I. Am. Not. A. Chav!" She insisted as she kicked his head in. 

You noticed the looks of shock and fear on everyone else's faces as a stunned silence fell over the group. 

"What the hell did you do that for?" Alisha asked as she gestured towards Tony's body. 

"He was gonna kill me! He would've killed all of us!" Kelly told her as she took a few steps away from Tony. 

You forced yourself to take steady breaths as you listened to the others talk. Curtis and Alisha wanted to go to the police, but Kelly swore that they wouldn't believe the self-defense angle. She claimed that even if no one mentioned the time-travel or mind-reading, that the cops would still think all of you were to blame for not only Tony's untimely demise, but Gary's as well. 

"If there's no body, then there's no crime," Simon finally interjected. "We should bury them under the flyover."

"And how the hell would we do that?" Alisha wondered, impatience growing in her tone. "There's two bodies to get rid of in case you hadn't noticed."

"Well, why don't we just," Nathan started before he whistled and gestured towards Tony's body, "put them in some wheelchairs and wheel them over there. If anyone sees us, then we're just a bunch of young offenders taking some specials out for a nice walkabout in the sunshine, yeah?"

You weren't sure if it would work, but you figured that you couldn't just leave the bodies in the Community Centre. Your window of opportunity was closing and the six of you had been lucky enough that no one had heard Tony yelling and tried to investigate. 

Nathan's plan seemed simple enough and even though you were secretly worried that it would all somehow go horribly wrong, you couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief when you reached the flyover. 

You still felt like you were in shock as you pitched in to help dig the hole for the bodies. You let the sound of the group's chatter wash over you as you tried to forget the sound of the paint can hitting the back of Tony's skull. It was a sound you never wished to hear again and yet you couldn't seem to stop it from ringing in your ears. 

You absently agreed when the others started promising that no one else would find out about the powers or the bodies.

"But doesn't it seem like total bullshit?" Nathan wondered as he glanced around the group. "How come all of you have a power except me and her?" He gestured towards you, a frown briefly pulling at his lips as he considered you, before he shook his head. "Maybe I've got somethin’ cool, y’know? Like maybe I can't feel pain or somethin’ like that!"

Kelly rolled her eyes before she reached out to smack Nathan on the back of the head. "Did you feel that?"

"Ow!  Would you stop fucking hitting me all the time? Jesus!" Nathan yelled before he glanced at you, as if silently willing you to back him up. It was something you would have done just weeks ago before your break-up, but Nathan seemed to quickly realize his mistake as he hastily looked away, seemingly focusing back on helping dig the hole for the bodies. He seemed to distract himself by poking fun at Simon, claiming that maybe his affinity for wanting to piss on tits was best kept between Simon and his internet service provider. 

After the bodies were buried and you’d returned to collect your things from the Community Centre, you found yourself wishing that you didn't have to return to your apartment all alone. You hesitated at your locker, trying to force yourself to leave, but you couldn't seem to make your feet move. 

"Hey," you heard from behind you. 

You glanced over your shoulder to see Nathan standing there. He looked oddly nervous as he shifted on his feet. "You okay? Y’seemed a bit out of it back there. Y’didn't give me nearly as much shit as I'm used to gettin’ from you."

You bit your lip, fighting away the urge to step into Nathan's space. All you wanted after everything that had happened that day was to feel his arms around you, but you couldn't find it in yourself to ask him for something you knew he’d eagerly give. You wanted Nathan to walk you home, because you hated the thought of being alone more than anything, but you knew that you were still badly shaken up by the events of the day. 

"I'm fine," you found yourself muttering, knowing that there were countless things you weren't saying, but hoping those two words would suffice for now. 

"Yeah, hey, I-I get it," Nathan insisted as he held his hands up, showing you his palms as if to let you know he was harmless. "You're done with me now, but y’can't blame me for makin’ sure you're alright, can you?" He looked for a moment like he was going to reach out for you. His hand coming forward until his fingers had nearly brushed against your sleeve, before he sighed and pulled his arm back. "See you tomorrow, I guess," he told you before he turned and walked away.

You stood there for a few more moments, trying to work up the courage to go home, before you finally managed to unstick your feet from the locker room floor. 

When you got home, you immediately showered. You felt like you were covered in dirt and grime and you couldn't stop glancing down at your hands, as if you expected them to be painted with blood. 

After, you sat on your bed, staring down at the flecks of dirt still caked beneath your fingernails. If you shut your eyes, you could still see the way Tony's body went still and lifeless, blood pooling beneath his head. You could still see the way Gary's body had fallen out of the locker, his clothes blood-soaked. 

You couldn't get over the fact that you had helped bury two bodies. Getting community service because your ex stole some pick 'n' mix was one thing, but covering up a murder? Two murders? It was a lot more than you’d ever expected to happen during your first week of community service. 

You caught a glimpse of your cell phone lying on your nightstand. It would be so easy to just pick it up and dial Nathan's number. Even though you were rightly livid with him, you still couldn't help but think that having him there with you would make you feel better. You missed having him in your bed at night. You slept so much easier knowing he was right there at your side. 

You reached out for your phone, your fingers ghosting just over the screen, before you forced yourself to pull your hand back. You couldn't call him. Nathan might have always been there for you before, but he was still the prick that had deliberately landed you both in trouble and gifted you with two hundred hours of community service. 

But still... you couldn't help but want him. You’d only been with Nathan for a year before your relationship had crashed and burned, but he had been a constant in your life for years before that. Nathan Young didn't seem like the type of guy to make a good best friend, but he was yours and you were his. 

You thought back to Nathan's offer to walk you home after getting struck by lightning the other day as well.  The freak storm that had come out of nowhere seemed like the least of your problems now. The lightning had affected Kelly, Alisha, Curtis, and Simon, but had it done anything to you or Nathan? Did either of you have a power? You weren't sure if you would mind something like Simon's power, but if you had something like Alisha's? It didn't seem worth it. 

You glanced back down at your hand, realizing that it was shaking. You curled your fingers in towards your palm, forming a fist, as you tried to force yourself to calm down. You hated to admit it, even to yourself, but you were scared. 

You thought something moved just out of your sight, a flicker of shadow on the wall, but when you looked up, there wasn't anything there. 

You didn't want to be alone. Even though you hated what he’d done to get you both in trouble, you wished you had taken Nathan up on his offer to walk you home tonight. If you hadn't been so stubborn would you have caved and made up with him? 

Would he be here now to keep you from thinking of the rage on Tony's face as he charged at Kelly and the way Gary's body lay crumpled and lifeless on the floor? Would he know what to say to help put you at ease or would he only make the situation worse? 

The fact that you weren't quite sure, not anymore, spoke volumes. And yet still, you wanted him. 

You reached out to grab your phone, not quite able to stop yourself from following through on the urge to seek him out. You found yourself scrolling through your contacts, stalling on Nathan's name in the list. 

You stared down at his name in your phone. Only weeks ago, you wouldn't have hesitated to call him. He probably would have already been in your bed, your fingers running through his curls as he rested his head on your chest. You couldn't help but think maybe you wouldn't feel so scared, so restless, as long as he was there with you. 

But then you remembered why Nathan wasn't there with you. You didn't really regret breaking up with him, he’d well and truly broken your heart and your trust, but you missed him. He had a way of putting you at ease and completely distracting you that would have been so welcome while you tried to forget that you had been witness to a murder just hours before. 

You forced yourself to drop your phone onto your bed. You couldn't call him. Not now. Not when you knew it would be oh-so-easy to just ask him to come over and then simply fall back into the familiarity of Nathan Young. You didn't want that. At least, not like this. Not when there was still so much left unsaid. 

You settled down on your bed, turning your back on your phone and closed your eyes. You tried to think of anything but the lurid wash of blood on the tile floor of the community center and sightless eyes staring up at you. You tried to think about anything but Nathan and the storm and digging graves for two men who had both died violent, bloody deaths. 

Eventually you drifted off, dreading the next day of community service and fearing what it might bring.

[seanfalco]

Dog Eared Page

A Misfits/Cherrybomb Crossover.​​

Nathan Young x f!Reader x Luke (Cherrybomb)

a collaborative crossover fic written by @seanfalco​ & @imagine-you.

You thought your bad luck had peaked when your prick of a boyfriend landed the two of you in community service for two hundred hours.  Little did you know, however, that was only the beginning.  Between a broken heart, murder — several murders, mysterious superpowers, and lingering feelings, you're not prepared when a new addition to the group catches your eye.  Now on top of everything else you’re torn between two curly haired delinquents, but what if you could have both of them?

I'm just a dog-eared page you turn back to. Where's the place for me When we're both in love with you?

ONE — Say Something TWO — Blow Me THREE — Blank Space FOUR — Wondering FIVE — Baby, One More Time

[seanfalco]

Are you, or anyone that you know of, working on any Robert sheehan characters? Specifically Luke from Cherrybomb or Vincent from The Road Within? I need them more in my life. I love Nathan but these two characters really stick out to me I love them And your writing 😭😭😭😭😭

I don’t know of anyone that is currently writing for Luke or Vincent and I don’t have any new fics for them unfortunately, though I do plan on writing some more at some point.

I know @/super-unpredictable98 has a Vincent x oc series (masterlist)

and I’m pretty sure @/robertsheehanownsmyass has some Vincent fics as well (masterlist)

I’m assuming you’ve read what I have already, but just in case: vincent masterlist // luke masterlist

@/santacarlahorrorshow and I wrote a luke x reader x nathan misfits!au crossover which is unfinished, but here’s the masterlist for that too. 💚