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lovesosweeet · 11 months

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better left unsaid

chapter nine

in which orion has leukemia, and calum doesn't know.

calum hood x fem!oc

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july 26th, 2018 los angeles, california orion

Even though I don't want to, I feel myself pulling away from Calum. Of course, that’s not fully possible when we live together. I just know that the more we talk and are happy in each other’s company, the more I’ll want to talk about what’s actually happening, and I can’t do that. I can’t put him through that. I'm crying the minute I'm alone every time, whether it's while he's at rehearsal or when he takes Duke outside. He can tell I'm sad, surely, but I think he just thinks it's because he's leaving.

So instead of pulling away fully, I just find myself scrolling on my phone more often while he’s home. I don’t start as many conversations and I’m less likely to initiate any kind of physical contact. If he notices the small shifts in our dynamics, he doesn’t say anything.

My heart is torn between wanting to savor our time together, clinging to him like glue, or taking a step back so I don’t have to bring myself to painfully expand upon the lies I’m building as a wall between us. It’s hard to pretend like I’m okay and happy, but I have to. I can’t let him know things are going wrong, so when he asks if I want to come along for rehearsal today, I say yes.

I dread having to see Ashton. We haven't spoken since our interaction in the hospital parking lot, but he's texted me several times saying things like "I just want you to know I love you" and "please let me be there for you if you need someone." I just reply with hearts each time.

"Do you want to grab bagels on the way?" Cal asks me while I'm in the bathroom doing my makeup.

I nod, smiling slightly. "Yeah, sure. Rosie's? Or is there somewhere else on the way?"

"Nah, let's do Rosie's."

He doesn't leave the bathroom after that, just stands in the doorway, watching me in the mirror. I'm brushing some brow gel on when he speaks again.

"Are you feeling okay? Did the sinus infection come back?"

So he has noticed.

I clear my throat and nod. "Yeah, not feeling the best."

His eyes show some kind of emotion I can't place. "I'm sorry, do you want to stay home today? You can come to rehearsal another time. We've still got a few more."

"No, I'll come." I shake my head, offering him another small smile.

"Let me know if you want to leave, at any point. Okay?"

"Sure."

Once my makeup is finished, we head down to the lobby, hand in hand. I've always loved holding hands with Calum. Mine are small and always freezing, and his dwarf mine and are always so warm. His hand tattoos have also always been my favorite, mostly because I love the thought that his parents have a hand in everything he does. We're both close with our families, and I absolutely adore his family. We've not spent a ton of time together, but Joy, Mali, and I have a group chat that we talk in a few times a month.

When we get in the car, he doesn't let go of my hand while he drives, except when he needs to use a turn signal or something. Feeling tethered, grounded in the moment — it's a great feeling. It's helping to keep me sane this morning.

I wonder if he'd hold on tighter knowing that I'm dying.

I've placed on online order for Rosie's, so Cal just turns on his hazards in front of the shop while I run inside to grab our bagels and coffees. I always feel kind of rude hopping in front of the people in line, but it's not worth waiting when our food is already ready and waiting for us.

While Cal drives to rehearsal, I unwrap his sandwich in a way that makes it easier for him to eat while driving. He gives me authority over the aux chord, which he rarely does, so I try to make it worth my while. I play some Still Woozy, The Wldlfe, and Medium Build. Part of the reason I rarely get the power over our music is because I like to mess with him and play his own music. I can tell he appreciates today's choices.

We get to the rehearsal facility and are the last ones there, but we brought bagels for everyone, so they don't mind that we're slightly late. Luke lights up when he sees me, setting his guitar down quickly and runs over.

"Orion!" He practically squeals. "I've missed you!"

Laughing, I give him a hug, which leads to him lifting me off the ground and spinning us around. My mood is instantly lifted. "Hi Luke."

"Cal, you should bring her everyday, she's so fun to have with us."

I scoff. "Luke, I literally just sit on the couch and watch you."

"Yeah, but you actually sing along and you always bring snacks."

My feet are back on the ground, and I'm quickly met with hugs from Mike, Ash, and Matt. Ashton's hug lasts a little longer than everyone else's, and his face is sad in the midst of everyone else's grins. It doesn't seem like anyone else notices.

"Cal's the one behind today's snacks, don't give me the credit," I tell him, but he just shrugs and throws his arm over my shoulders.

"Still, you always sing along and dance sometimes. It's nice to have an adoring fan."

It is kind of funny that I wasn't a fan when I met Calum two years ago, and now I'd say they're my favorite band, and not just because I'm dating one of them. I truly just really love their music, and I love dancing, so it's not hard for me to want to dance when they're performing or rehearsing. It's not like they've been performing a ton in recent years, but that summer I remember quickly learning every song so I could sing along whenever I visited Calum across Europe.

"Wish you could come with us," Michael adds.

"Next time," I say, even though I don't know that that will be possible. I'd like to think it is.

"Can I get that in writing?" Cal chimes in.

I playfully stick my tongue out at him. "I'm gonna miss you guys." I look over at Ashton and meet his eyes instantly. He looks like he's trying not to cry, and I have to look away before I start to dwell on it.

Luke wraps me into another hug. "You're so tiny, we could just put you in a suitcase and sneak you on the tour. Your professors won't even know you're missing." When he lifts me up again, Matt decides to cut the conversation.

"All right, you've told Orion you love her. Let's get to work."

"Such a buzzkill, Matty," Michael whines, grabbing his water bottle off the ground and walking over to his guitar on its stand.

Luke still has me wrapped in his hug and awkwardly carries me over to the couch. I wish Sierra or Crystal or Kay were here to sit with me, but it's nice to be able to put my feet up on it. He ungracefully drops me onto the leather cushions before he heads back to his own guitar and mic stand.

I look over and catch Cal strumming a few random chords on his bass. At least, they seem random to me. I'm sure he's got some intention behind it. Everything music-related goes above my head.

It's nice to get to watch the set before they show the world. I've always loved the way they try to offer a different experience for their music when they perform it live. Of course, there aren't any lights or anything in this essentially empty building that's just a step above a warehouse, but that gives the music a chance to shine as what it is. Art.

Watching them do what they love reminds me that this time apart is necessary. This is what they love. This is why they do what they do. Performing, bringing their work to the people who make it all possible. I love that they get the chance to do this. I've never had resentment towards Calum for going on this tour, but still, watching them practice the set is giving the time apart an additional level of worthiness.

While I'm getting treatment, Calum will be doing what he loves most in this world with his favorite people. I'd feel so selfish taking him away from it.

I nearly start crying when Cal practices his speech for his talking break.

"Los Angeles, this next song is dedicated to my best friend, my partner in life, and my biggest fan. This is Better Man."

It's going to be fine. It has to be. He's going to go on this tour and then when he comes back he can be by my side as I continue to deal with whatever leukemia throws at me.

—

"Matty, we're gonna go to the beach after this, wanna join?" Michael calls across the room. He's the only one who calls Matt 'Matty' and naturally Matt hates it.

None of us have swimsuits, but we all agreed that the beach sounds like a good idea. It's still hot out, since it's the middle of summer, but it's not quite as hot and humid as it has been for the last few weeks. Rehearsal also didn't take too long today, so we have a lot of the day left.

"I'm tired of you guys and about to spend four months with you. I'll pass." Matt actually loves the guys, but he's a grumpy person in general, and he does have a point. "See you tomorrow." He walks off then, going through a door that leads somewhere that I've never been. I can understand finding them annoying. They can be a lot — but I love them and I love being part of their shenanigans.

We all head out, everyone hopping into Cal's Jeep to minimize beach parking chaos on a beautiful day. I offer to sit in the back since I'm the smallest and the guys are all very tall, but nobody lets me and the three of them cram in like sardines in the backseat. We drive with the windows down, and Cal even lets me control the aux again, so I just keep the playlist I'd had on earlier.

Once we get to the beach, as soon as the car's in park, Ashton opens his door and jumps out. "Last one in the water is a loser!" He screams, running full force down the wooden walkway and ripping his shirt off in the process.

Luke and Mike scramble out to follow him, also stripping their shirts and trying to kick their shoes off while they run. Luke trips, giving Mike a lead, but naturally Ashton gets to the water first. I have no hope of trying to beat them, so I've not even opened my door yet, and I'm surprised to see Calum still sitting in the driver's seat when I look over.

"You didn't want to race?"

"I know you're not feeling too great. I didn't want to leave you and make you the loser. That's not a fair fight," he explains. "C'mon, let's go after them."

I frown. "You could've gone."

"I'm about to leave you for four months. I don't need to leave you yet."

He makes my heart ache. Why is he so good to me? How can someone love me like that?

Instead of revealing how I feel, I plaster on my best fake smile, kick off my shoes, take off my shirt, and get out of the car. "Let's go!"

He follows suit, and then we walk hand in hand down the beach. The other three are already in the water, each trying to push the others to fall over, which ends up with all three of them falling over. When Cal and I reach them, they're all yelling, "LOSERS!"

"You are literal children," I tell them, wading into the water. I love the beach. Floating in the water, laying in the sun, looking for shells. All of it.

"You're younger than all of us," Ashton points out, laughing.

"Shut up," I say, leaning back so I can float in the water. I don't let go of Calum's hand, and he keeps me anchored so I don't drift off.

I can't get to a point of relaxation, because before I know it, Michael splashes water in my face, making me jump and turn upright. I splash him back, and when he splashes me again, it hits Cal. Once Cal's in on it, the other two join in, and we're all just splashing each other, squealing with laughter and squinting from saltwater hitting our eyes.

When I can't see because of all the water that's hit my eyes, I halt my splashing. While I rub at my burning eyeballs, someone must notice, because they stop.

"Man down!" Luke yells.

I feel Calum's hands grip my forearms, stopping my movements. "Stop rubbing and let your tears flush it out, babe," he says.

I do what he says, dropping my arms and trying to open my eyes, the sting making it impossible to try to look. "It burns!"

He laughs. Seconds later, I feel him pull me closer to him, hugging me against his damp torso while waves lap around us. I keep trying to blink and get the water out of my eyes, but it feels pretty futile so far.

It's kind of strange to think about this life. I'm just swimming in the ocean at a random beach access near LA with my boyfriend and his three best friends. Those four people happen to be internationally famous musicians who are about to embark upon a world tour. They're massively famous but so normal, just four more guys at a beach splashing water at each other.

And I'm just a random girl at a random beach access who happens to have leukemia. The odds that we're all here, right now, together, feels so special. The universe put us here for some reason, and I'm so happy I'm here with them. I'd say I feel lucky to have been handed this deal of fate, but I know that this blip of a moment pales in comparison to my recent diagnosis.

I try to soak in the feeling of the sun on my face and the weight of Cal's arms around me; the smell of salt and the coolness of the water. I even try to memorize the way my eyes burn. I just want to remember the way this feels forever.

We hang out in the water for an hour or so, then go back to the shore to lay out and relax. Luke and Michael are turning pink quickly, so we don't stay out too long. I make sure we get a selfie of all of us on the beach together before we pile back into the Jeep.

Calum drives everyone back to their cars, and we all get out to say goodbye. Everyone is damp and sandy, but I don't care. I give each of them a bear hug, squeezing them as tightly as I can. Luke picks me up and spins me around again, and Ashton's hug feels nearly bone crushing.

"See ya tomorrow, Cal!" Mike says, giving him a quick hug. "Bye, O. Thanks for coming along today!"

"Love you both," Luke adds in. "Have a nice night!"

"I love you guys. Let me know when you're home!" Ash calls.

Once everyone has given each other a hug and we're sick of feeling sticky, sweaty, damp, and sandy, we all clamber back into our own vehicles and head out.

"How ya feeling?" Cal asks once we're on the road.

"I'm okay," I tell him. It's not wrong. I'm okay right now, and I'm not feeling that sick. The beach was mostly a nice distraction from the heaviness that's been consuming me.

"Ice cream?"

I know he's just trying to make the last of our few days together as special as he can, but for some reason it almost makes me feel more sad. I'm lucky to have someone who makes such a big effort, but I feel bad. It's hard to put words to the idea.

"If you want ice cream, sure," I say. "But I think we have some at home, too."

He doesn't take his eyes off the road while he places his hand on my thigh. "Let's get ice cream and take a walk while the sun sets. We can get some golden hour selfies."

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#5sos #5 seconds of summer #luke hemmings #calum hood #fanfiction #ashton irwin #fanfic #5sos fanfic #5sosfam #calum imagine #calum x oc #calum x fem!oc #calum fluff

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bluenpjm · 2 years

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CHAPTER 2 COMING SOON

synopsis. The search for true love is a hazardous quest, indeed. Could such a gracious sentiment be the reason for the appearance of the Duke of Elffire? Certainly, all the Mamas of London will have an eye out on the most eligible bachelor of the season.

genre. bridgerton au ㆍ regency au ㆍ angst ㆍ smut ㆍ fluff

pairing. taehyung x oc ft. bts x oc’s

a/n. to our sweet arina, we present you with this teasing sneakpeak of your birthday gift. in an era where you truly would've shined, we bring back to you sir, with love. you make our lives better with each passing day. thank you for being a kind soul that has entered our lives ♡

♛ 𝓂𝒶𝓈𝓉𝑒𝓇𝓁𝒾𝓈𝓉 — chapter one

My most gentle reader,

What a ravishing week we had. Each minute of each day was more interesting than the other. Of course, I couldn’t stay away long without coming to share all the latest — and greatest — gossip with my ton.

All the little birds are speaking of the disaster that opened the season. I am, undoubtedly, referring to our dearest Middleton debutant. Oh, what a delightful evening she presented us with. No rumor was needed to address this issue as everyone saw. And everyone told. As it turns out, Miss Middleton has quite the smart mouth.

Backstage of the Queen’s humble adobe, the debutants didn’t waste any time showing their claws. The catfight between Eleanor Middleton and Dalia Fitzroy ended up with a clear titleholder. The Queen’s diamond of the season. Although this precious stone might need a little polishing.

Probing for more alluring sights, the arrival of the Duke of Ellfire has had every single Mama on their toes. What a promising bachelor!

It is no secret that every other year, the Duke pays a visit to his distant cousin, Lord Cadman, and his lovely wife, Lady Harin. It’s been proven to be true that whenever the Duke is in town, the Cadman’s parties are always more… buoyant.

The single question that remains lingering in the air is… what mysteries lie behind the handsome’s face of the Duke? And why, after all these years, hasn’t he been able to find a Miss to take his name and title, to rule Elffire alongside him? What a conundrum… I cannot deny that it only makes him more tempting!

Miss Middleton must be feeling fortune, alas, in the middle of all her chaotic debut, the most eligible bachelor wasn’t in town to witness it. One cannot help but wonder about the fate of this Miss.

But, rest assured, my dearest reader, I will bring you all the answers to this season’s enigmas and some, sooner than one might expect.

Yours truly,

Lady Birdwhistle.

You might've thought that you could relish over this chapter's miseries already. Dwell not, my dearest reader, as the wait is not as long as one might've thought. The season has barely just begun and there's already so much to convey...

Don't miss the next issue in @singguks blog, soon!

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thornfield13713 · 10 months

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for the clothes ask - informal for Excellence, footwear for Ned, wardrobe for Thoradin and formal for Rosie

Ooh - nice to have an ask for everyone. And...let's see.

What's your OC's lazy-day look? How do they like to dress when they're winding down?

Excellence isn't a fussy dresser unless she's got someone to impress. So, shirt and breeches, nothing fancy, something easy to pull on and comfortable, if a bit sloppy. After she gets involved with Gale, she also starts stealing his cozy velvet tunics, because they're warm, and smell of him, and comfortable. It stretches out the shoulders and chest something dreadful, but she hasn't heard any complaints yet. She hasn't historically made much of a fuss about colour, but starts doing so more after moving to Waterdeep and suddenly being in a position where she can have clothes made and dyed for her rather than just buying whatever can be made up quickly between adventures. She tends to favour brighter colours, when she can, with a particular fondness for reds and blues - though generally not worn together.

What does your OC wear on their feet?

Boots when actively adventuring, because they're practical and protecting your toes and soles is the sort of thing that matters when you're dealing with all the hazards of the adventuring life, and particularly in the Underdark, which is full of nasty oozes you don't want on your feet. Around camp, however, and when they can get away with it, Ned prefers sandals. They'd go barefoot if it was practical, but are cognisant enough of the risks of rocks, thorns and sudden hedgehogs not to do that.

What's your OC's formal look? Do they like dressing up? Do they have different looks for different occasions?

To be honest, I'm not sure this is something Rosie has ever had to think about. Because first she was a poor Lower City kid, and then she was a ward of the Temple of Ilmater, and then a squire of a paladin order, and then a cult leader living in the sewer. I'm not sure she's ever been to a formal event in her life, unless Gortash brought her along to one, and given that a number of power players in the city know Rosie as a Bhaalist cult leader, that might not be the safest idea.

That said, once introduced to the idea, I think Rosie might rather enjoy it, so long as she could get formalwear made up in her habitual head-to-toe black with subtle golden accents, and Gortash doesn't seem to have had any trouble doing so, so there's no reason Rosie should. Admittedly, her idea of formalwear is probably just a variation on what she wears anyway - long tunic, tabard with blackwork embroidery, boots, leggings - just without the mail and gambeson. Just...made of rather finer fabrics, and possibly with a bit more subtle ornamentation. I don't see her having a lot of different looks, though - clothing has never been a matter of great concern for her, and while she's experimenting with a lot of forms of self-indulgence now she's free, that one has never really caught her attention.

How big is your character's wardrobe? Do they wear things threadbare, or can they afford new clothes often? Are they any good at mending and repairing their own clothing?

This changes over the course of the game for Thoradin. Pre-game and on the road, he hasn't got very many clothes, and wears the ones he has until they wear out, repairing them as best he can as he goes, and often using embroidery and ornamentation to cover over mends and stains. He hasn't got much money, and almost all of what he does have is getting spent on Helja. As such, he has got very, very good at picking up good clothes at a bargain, making over and repairing old clothes, and adding ornamentation to enliven clothes too dull for any self-respecting bard to wear to a gig.

And then he's married to the new Grand Duke, and can have all the pretty clothes he likes. He might go a bit mad about that, once he has the chance, though he keeps up the embroidery and repair habits, just because he gets attached to favourite outfits and doesn't want to lose them, and also because he just likes adding new little details and embellishments.

#baldur's gate 3 #ned #thoradin deepdelver #excellence iathrana #rosie fatrabbit

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voidedjuice · 2 years

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could you please ramble about some obscure oc details that you maybe never had the chance to say? I love hearing about others ocs :D

Thanks for the ask! Here's some Cecily facts from before she and Ilta met:

Her (relative) youth was fairly wild, she would attack and get into fights with humans a lot (first due to revenge-related reasons and then later just anyone remotely strong or important looking out of habit), earning herself a title of "the monster of dark woods". A lot of contemporary folklore would speak of her exploits. "If a group of knights sets up camp with their banners visible, a strange woman with pitch black hair would arrive to sit with them at their campfire and ask them about their actions on the area. Were they to answer in a way that displeased her, all that would remain of their camp in the morning would be torn armor and scattered tents." "A young duke was out hunting near nightfall despite being warned of the dangers lurking in the forest at night. Very soon after the sun had set, the man riding his horse the furthest back from the hunting group suddenly vanished into thin air. Once the group turned back to look, the person riding first went too. Panicked, the group started rushing their way toward the castle, the disappearances continuing to occur, until only one lowly servant barely crawled up to the castle."

Records of more positive encounters exist too, though. There are many stories of people being rescues from their attackers by a similarly described monstrous person, or being taught swordsmanship or other fighting skills by it. (The described gender and appearance of the monster tend to vary due to people just kind of assuming things at glance when being attacked/meeting up in the dark, Cecily kind of likes it like this to be honest, due to some gender stuff I've been thinking about for her idk idk this is a work in progress thought here)

She's actually like, one of the oldest vampires in the setting, becoming one on her own instead of being turned by someone else (I will. elaborate on this some other time because this post is getting pretty long already)

Since she liked having long hair and also fighting (an activity where having long hair is kind of a big hazard), she developed a specific technique to use that seeming weakness to her advantage. Basically like, rigging her hair to explode anyone grabbing onto it when fighting. This feature isn't properly active during her regular day to day life, however petting her hair makes it feel sort of like there's electricity running up your arms due to the specific reflex she's developed (unless she super trusts you). If you can get over the constant reminder how close she is to exploding you, her hair does feel pretty luxurious and soft to the touch though (Ilta tries to game the system by fiddling with it while Cecily is asleep or otherwise occupied).

Alright that's a bunch of stuff, thanks for the ask! I love talking about my ocs

#oc #oc lore #sorry about taking a bit to answer this took a while to think about

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spoilertv · 6 months

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#SpoilerTV

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stabbylambchop · 3 years

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Weeeelllll as promised, here’s my Resident Evil oc/self-insert and Village Lord; Valery Tarkovsky.

Probably the youngest/noobiest of the lords, with estimated date of birth in the late 80s/early 90s. Rumored to have been a hydrocephalic “Chernobyl Child”, sought fit for medical experimentation to see how the cadou would develop in an irradiated body.

She takes up residence in an abandoned WWII-era bunker, connected to the mines by the reservoir. Apparently, uranium was found in one of the tunnels, and has only strengthened the cadou’s bond with gamma radiation. Although obsessed with the radiation, she has a deep-seated resentment towards Mother Miranda for using the very thing that haunted her country and birth to change her into a gross caricature of the hazard itself.

She likes big soft sweaters and traditional Ukrainian embroidered clothing, with lots of layers and jewelry. She is sweet, albeit neurotic and a bit paranoid. She loves to sketch and paint, hates hot weather and bright artificial lighting, and collects matryoshkas. She considers Donna a friend/sister and Angie a little sister, has a crush on Moreau (mutually pining idiots), often bickers with Heisenburg, and is bit intimidated by Alcina, but looks up to her confidence. She visits the Duke frequently, as she often finds him the easiest to talk to and relax around.

Her theming is centered around glow worms/railroad worms, evident in her “monster form” as a large, glowing, translucent beetle larvae-esque monstrosity.

Sorry this was a bit long, I didn’t have this much written down anymore else so this was easier, lol.

#hope y’all like her!#Valery #Valery Tarkovsky #resident evil #re8 #re8 village #the village #ocs #body horror tw #gore tw #my art #The Nuclear Lord #I know I wrote ‘Radioactive Lord’ in the pic but was too lazy to change it and Nuclear Lord sounds better to me

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dukesnukes · 3 years

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Hey Duke! I was just wondering if you’d seen the movie “Small Soldiers”- mainly because the main bad guy, Chip Hazard, reminds me so much of your OCs. He even looks like a cross between Duke and Sarge. The movie seems right up your alley, well worth a watch if you haven’t seen it already, even if it is very much a product of the 90s. (That’s definitely a good thing to me though. Maybe I just like it because I’m old…) -🐐

ALL OF THESE FUCKING ACTION FIGURES ARE ALL MY FUCKING TYPE I N E E D TO WATCH THIS FILM AGAIN

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queenofgotham22 · 4 years

Conversation

Random Batfam Conversations (+ My OCs)

Jason: I am the most responsible one of this group

Tim: You literally just set the kitchen on fire

Jason: Yes and I take responsibility for that

******

Penguin: This is a white flag. I suggest you start waving it.

Nicole: The only thing I'm going to be waving is your decapitated head on a stick in front of your weeping mother!

Batfam: .....

Penguin: .....Good lord

******

Tim: Why are you two always out during rainstorms?

Dick: It's so peaceful and refreshing. I love the smell of fresh rainfall

Noelle: Jason bet me twelve dollars I couldn't get struck by lightning and he's WRONG

******

Jason: Do you think I can fit 15 marshmallows in my mouth at once?

Cass: You're a hazard to society

Nicole: And a coward. Do 20!!

******

Bruce: *Calling all the Batkids together to talk to them after a gala*

Bruce: You were all remarkably well behaved tonight

Bruce: What did you do?

******

Steph: You didn't seriously.....?

Tim: Yep

Steph: You just...?

Tim: Yep

Steph: Does that mean....?

Tim: Quite probably

******

Jason: I have a solution

Dick: Thank goodness

Jason: It involves fire

Dick: Absolutely not

******

Barbara: Where's your shoe?

Nicole: The giant mud puddle down the road demanded a sacrifice

******

Luna: *Wearing Damian's mask and cape* Be afraid villains of Gotham! For I am Robin! *Whooshes around so cape will flutter behind her* I am darkness! I am-

Damian: *Turns on light* Beloved what on earth are you doing?

Luna: Blast! *Jumps on bed* I have been spotted by-

Damian: Stop

******

Jason: On a scale of one to ten, how bad would it be if I-

Tim: At least a twenty

******

Dick: Well SOMEONE thought it would be a good idea to throw our backup plan off a bridge

Nicole: It was on FIRE

******

Tim: I'm cold, I'm tired, and I'm going to kill one of you unless someone finds me some coffee

******

Duke: There is no way that's true

Tim: Of course it is. I read it on Wikipedia

******

Nicole: Why did you kill him?

Jason: *Shrugs* I didn't want him alive

Nicole: Ok, that's fair

Dick: How is that fair?!

******

Luna: What is that THING in your backpack?!

Damian: It's my new pet dragon

Luna: Dragons aren't real

Damian: Then why is there one in my backpack?

******

Nicole: You absolute dumbass

Jason: Hey, I didn't screw up that much!

Tim: The FBI is hunting us down, you did screw up that much

******

Nicole: I don't want to look like a princess, I want to look like a formally evil queen who reluctantly redeemed herself for the sake of the greater good

Noelle: You read too much

Nicole: Damn right I do

******

Nicole: Be nice!

Jason: I am!

Nicole: *Deadpan expression on her face* You threatened them with a knife

Jason: Well, yeah, but I didn't stab them

#batfam #dc #barbara gordon #dick grayson #jason todd #tim drake #damian wayne #cassandra cain #stephanie brown #duke thomas #bruce wayne #incorrect batfamily quotes #batfam oc #oc #dick grayson x oc #jason todd x oc #damian wayne x oc #dc comics #source: many different places

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sunflowers-and-scales · 4 months

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main oc intro stuff!! (you can also find this in my intro post)

from left to right:

ryu:

little sheltered rich kid boy & ambulatory wheelchair user. he lives in a big beige mini mansion on a coastal cliff and is perpetually bored until ian breaks into his home and drags him on an adventure. he’s also kind of part fish (though my ocs have an elemental system so i guess it’s “water element” technically lol)

he enjoys: rain, cats, his friends, the color blue, video games, alone time

he does not enjoy: the color beige, yelling, crowded public spaces, heat, sunburns

ian:

lives in an elemental village taken over by some guy named Duke who also married his mom. he doesn’t know it but he is NOT dukes kid lmao. he’s part plant element, part air element (harpy basically) (hence the shiny silly wings) and he gets kicked out for being the product of an affair whereupon he breaks into ryu’s home and is like “hey help me find my mom again pls”. he is the pathetic wet dog to ryu’s pathetic wet cat.

he enjoys: sunny days, light showers, his friends, sewing

he does not enjoy: fire, small enclosed spaces, extremely coarse dirt

kei:

is ian’s older half brother and is the more emo of the two. he’s part plant-element and part fire-element and can manipulate fire though cannot prevent burns like a typical fire element. he gets wrecked by duke on numerous occasions for trying to have an opinion and/or existing (todoroki/zuko dupe). dw they get him eventually. he’s also shorter than ian and mad about it.

he enjoys: green tea, the beach, studying biology, ample relaxation time

he does not enjoy: loud voices, being alone, not being able to swim, fire hazards

alyce:

part of a second elemental village, this one ruled by her father (and ian’s father (gasP)) who’s an air element (so is she). in line to rule until ian shows up and her dad’s cringe so he gets the throne by default. he does not want it. also their dad gets burned to death three minutes later but that’s kinda irrelevant. she’s extremely well organized and tolerant but also has talons and knows how to use them.

she enjoys: archery, recreational diving, nighttime, quiet

she does not enjoy: cats, molting season, people who talk and/or chew too loud

#ocs #my ocs <3 #oc artwork #chibis #oc lore #lore #ocs story #babies #sunflowersandscales #kei sas #alyce sas #ryu sas #ian sas

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alkhale · 4 years

Note

I absolutely love your work I've taken the past two days to binge all your work! I adore Hoku, her personality is amazing and so unlike most OC insert characters. I was watching One Piece Film: Gold and was watching the race scene and I dont know why but I imagined with Hoku being in the car either being the driver and just like tokyo drift/Duke of Hazard style driving, or being a passenger and just trying to trying to kill herself. I love all your work and hope you are well, thank you so much!

this is so god damn wholesome i really wanna do a side chapter for the one piece gold film because CASINOS AND HOKU and argh thank you so much for sharing this with all of us and for your kind words ;-;

#memos #hoku #i wonder if u know #how they live in tokyo #if u see me then u mean it then you really have to go #fast and furious #AYE AYE

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eisehaus · 4 years

Text

My OC/MC Eise Introduction extended:

Character Description

Okays, so this is linked here from my post here about my MC regarding her relationships with the Obey Me Characters. The original prompt is here. This post is a more detailed description of Eise as a character...

Eise's characteristics:

She has a background in singing, dance and the Circus, so highly coordinated, acrobatic, flexible and athletic. Also used to model but doesn't bring that up with the characters, it's not a big deal to her. Intellectual, she does have a degree but never did anything with it, enjoys a reckless life of freedom instead. Though she still chooses to study ancient history, mythology, and the occult as a hobby. Loves a good book centered in those themes, and a sucker for the classics. She is very capable of acting proper and well mannered, and is quite spectacular at it really. It surprises the hell out of others when they witness it. She just prefers to enjoy acting like an idiot with little regard for consequences much of the time instead.

She's reckless, wild, and spontaneous... A very 'why not?' attitude. Extrovert, thrives in being active and around others, though does enjoy her much needed alone time as well. She's clever, sassy, and mischievous... Likes to keep people guessing despite initially coming off as open book. Has a male cat that she's raised who is much like her, he's her fur baby for sure.

She's extremely creative so arts and crafts galore: clothing design, jewelery making, painting, drawing, decorating, sculpting, writing, music--you name it, she dabbles in it! Humor ranging from Idiotic to Dark. Swears like a sailor, despite a wide vocabulary, so her language is quite the colorful blend of both. Night owl, extremely grumpy in the mornings. Caffine is a must. Alternative Haphazard punk style, favors purposely destroyed clothing, patchwork and buttons. Jack-of-all-trades. Quite the handyman.

Alpha type personality. Hot temper when provoked, with a tendency to get into fights. Doesn't start them usually but God damnit she sure as hell is gonna finish it. Relentless when driven. Extremely caring and protective of anyone she truely cares about, but couldn't give two shits if she doesn't. Comfortable with her body due to having a performer background, so shes not really shy at all, and sometimes uses that to her advantage for shits and giggles.

Eise's physical appearance:

I've included a few early sketches of mine of Eise. The first image is a front and back of her typical casual wear. I included the second image of her in beach wear I did once upon a time for a better sense of her tattoos. The third image is what I dreamed up for formal wear for her.

I went ahead and wrote out the description as well for a better sense of detail in case your brain is like mine, it's after the images. But you can feel free to scroll past the text.

Female with Androgynous tendencies. Light blue hair, usually kept up in a wildly messy bun with long bangs. Light blue eyes, usually rocking black wing-tip eyeliner and dark blue and black eye shadow. Red lipstick usually, tho occasionally nude, blue or black. Tall, 5'10. Pale complexion. Slim muscular build.

Standard Clothes: red bandana around the neck, black choker necklace and long gold chain with a pocket watch on the end. Ragedy black and blue striped crop tank top, high waisted blue denim Daisy dukes. Long brown leather belt. Thigh high black and blue striped socks attached to garters, thigh high charcoal combat boots, red leg warmers over the top. Hazard Yellow zip up hoodie covered in patches, usually hanging off the shoulders with rolled up sleeves. Various bracelets. And silver rings on each finger except ring fingers. Nose ring, tongue ring, nipple rings, triple pierced ears on both sides with another two on the upper right ear and an industrial bar on the upper left ear.

Tattoos: Sun on the right shoulder with clouds underneath, then rain, grass, then red flowers over green leaves and vines down the rest of the arm, compass rose on that elbow. "Outsider" across the chest. An small ankh over her sternum. Two X's under left eye. "Always" with an infinity symbol on left collarbone. A twisted armband around the top of the arm below the shoulder. "Darkside" on the inside of the left bicep. Alchemaic symbol for blood and a solid black triangle on the inner left Forearm. Green serpent on the left hip and side extending onto her lower back, apple by its mouth, three gold stars above it and "Fallen" in red beside the serpant along the spine. Left leg is an incomplete sleeve ranging from mid thigh to mid calf. The top is water with a starfish above the knee and a red and a blue fish with bubbles on the side below the hip. Pearl strand wrapped around the knee, teal scales as the backdrop. The calf is 9 bands, each with simple imagery depicting the 9 circles if hell. A crescent moon above the outside of the ankle. Down the back of the right calf are 7 small circles, the symbols from obey me of the Seven deadly sins, with a small pair of wings beneath them, just above the heel. The shadow hunter sigil on the top of the left foot.

FIN

So yeah that's pretty much Eise! It was a pleasure, I look forward to making more art of her in the future, and now you'll know who she is when she pops up or if you've seen her in some of my other fan art posts!

Also, shoot me an ask or a message if you're interested in me maybe creating an image of your OC alongside Eise in my style. Let's make an MC squad ✌️✌️

#obey me shall we date #obey me #obey me fandom #obey me mc #obey me headcanons #obey me headcanon #obey me main character #obey me hcs #obey me hc #obey me oc #obey me fanart

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bluenpjm · 2 years

Text

diamond of the first water ♛ kth x oc

genre. bridgerton au ㆍ regency au ㆍ angst ㆍ smut ㆍ fluff

pairing. taehyung x oc ft. bts x oc’s

rating. M

wordcount. 5.5K

warnings. some foul language, fights, tension, and jungkook being cranky most of the time.

a/n. zoë, lily and i have been wanting to write a bridgerton au for months now!! and we found that today was the best way to cross (yet another) au from the list. so, to my other half, my lovely @taespocket. i will forever have you in my life so you can keep me calm and collected. happy birthday sunshine ♡

♛ 𝓂𝒶𝓈𝓉𝑒𝓇𝓁𝒾𝓈𝓉 ― one ; two

Dearest reader,

As the season opens, it seems only fitting that one would stay alert. The most prestigious families are exhilarated with the possibility of their oldest being declared the diamond of the season. I can’t help but wonder if this year, the Queen’s senses will be sharpened enough. After all, what happened to the Belgraves after their oldest was found bilk with a married man was a shame… Wasn’t it?

As such, it does not do to dwell on past mistakes, as now all attention must fall on the arrival of the Duke of Elffire — isn’t he the most eligible bachelor? I wonder if anyone will be able to catch his attention and infiltrate his cold heart. All say that the warmth of spring is the best to melt the ice from the winter. One can only dwell so much on why the Duke acts in such a way.

After Lord Bridgerton’s marriage festivities and, of course, the successful pairing of his sister Daphne in the previous year, one can only expect to see how his cousin, Lord Middleton, will do, as his sister, Eleanor, comes of age and is most certain to be a debutant. I’m certain one would love to know more about this family, as the Bridgertons have had such a perfect record… Does it run in the family, or will the Middletons fall from grace and present us with a thrilling time?

Let us wait, as I will return to you with nothing but the truth of what goes on in the Ton.

Yours truly,

Lady Birdwhistle.

“Honora,” Jungkook’s stern voice sounded across the room, making the youngest of the Middleton family lift her fingers from the piano tiles, abruptly interrupting the song she was playing. “Go check on your sister. It’s taking ages.”

Her eyes lifted slowly from the instrument and traveled across the room to where her brother was sitting. Before she could even open her mouth, he had already raised his eyebrows at the not-so-subtle roll of her eyes. “Now, brother… As you see, I am rather busy. As for you, you’re merely sitting. Get up and go check on our sister.”

Jimin and Hoseok’s laughter fills the room, noticing Junkook’s glare on the youngest of the Middletons and how careless she continued playing, now a more upbeat tune, making the mocking of her brother complete. “What are you two bozos laughing at?”

“Aren’t you in luck that you’re the head of the house, brother?” Hoseok teased, exchanging looks between his brothers. As the middle children, with only a year separating them, they are closer than anyone else in the family.

“I can only imagine Jungkook being easily dominated by his wife.” Jimin joins, hitting Hoseok’s leg as he falls deep in laughter.

“Perhaps we should present you two as bachelors for this year’s season.” Jungkook got up, adjusting the vest he had. “Mother!”

“Hey, hey!” Hoseok was quick to get up, following after the head of the house.

“It does sound brilliant, doesn’t it, brother?” Jungkook continued, now leaving the living room at a fast pace. “After all, you have been spending an awful lot of time on those art things of yours. I believe it would–”

Jungkook is rendered speechless as he comes face to face with his sister, Eleanor, gracefully coming down the stairs. Her hands, covered with lacy white gloves barely touched the stair’s handrail as one pinched the long fabric of the blue dress she wore that contrasted with her pale skin perfectly. Her hair, in a bun plaint, fought to escape, some strawberry-golden locks already celebrating their freedom as they smoothly swayed.

“Sister,” Hoseok steps forward, his features soft as his eyes smile but his mouth is somewhat agape.

“What are you two fighting over?” The smile on her lips made it known that she was used — or better, expecting — her brothers' antiques. A peaceful day at the Middleton residence was rare.

“Hoseok was pondering about being a bachelor for this season.” Swinging his arm around his brother’s shoulders, Jungkook gives his sister a big smile that she decoded as splattered with mischief.

“Is that so?” Eleanor laughs.

“Jungkook, you should follow your brother’s lead. After all, you are the oldest and should be the one giving the example.” Their mother, Grace, speaks.

With a long sigh, Jungkook rubs his temples. “Mother…”

The matriarch of the home ignores her oldest son, hands tightly wrapped around one another behind her back as she strolls into the living room, her children following her shut.

“Are you all still sitting? Goodness, have you all lost notion of time?” Eleanor teases her siblings, hands on her hips as if she were the one waiting for them to be ready. The bag around her wrist was small, with a pearly white color, matching her entire outfit.

“El, you look stunning!” Jimin jumps to his sister’s side, hand finding hers and lifting it up, making the girl twirl. “There will be suitors rounding Grosvenor Square for weeks and weeks on end.”

“Thank you,” Bowing slightly, Eleanor laughs. “And hopefully so! I intend to marry on my very first season.”

“Not that your worth is valued in the number of men that court you, sister,” Honora leaves her seat by the piano. “But I do agree with Jimin. You look magnificent.”

“Alright, shall we go?” Jungkook abruptly ends the hug between the two sisters. The way his hand falls on his hips makes everyone in the room know that his patience is running low.

“At once, brother. With such a serious look on your face, all ladies will run from you, not to you.” Jimin pats his back, leading the way towards the entrance of their home, where carriages awaited their departure.

“I shall keep it then.”

Not many had the privilege of seeing Queen Charlotte’s humble abodes. In reality, only those in the Ton — the high society, aristocrats, and gentry — had the opportunity to muse with the various invitations to the royal parties.

After all, the Queen is the most elegant hostess.

As carriages began to fill the palace’s entryway, even some of the adventuresses of the Town joined. Greeted by the royal guards, the path to follow was clear; a quick walk through the so-esteemed rose gardens and all the way up to the ballroom. Petals guided the way to guests, champagne glasses being offered as they escorted themselves to the presence of the Queen. Even the finest of families were admired at the care with which Queen Charlotte had prepared this year’s opening of the season.

Perhaps — some summoned the courage to assume as they marched closer to the center of the event — the returning of Lady Birdwhistle had awakened something in the Queen. Something that, for many years, had been dormant.

Lady Birdwhistle seemed to be the successor of Lady Whistledown — that had tormented the Queen and her Ton. But much more important than that, they had tried to damage her reputation, shedding light on the most controversial rumors (that very little had of fabrication) and were constantly questioning every step given by the royal.

Of course, others were witty to determine that the new mystery author — a copycat, by the words shared by the Queen to ones closest to her — was never in the presence of Her Royal Highness, had it needed to be someone completely mad to have the gallantry to provoke the head of the Country.

And the talk amongst the high society was that this year, the Queen was determined to find whoever the filthy creature that had dared to comment so nonchalantly over her past decisions was. As the successor of Lady Whistledown or not, Lady Birdwhistle was certain to pay for all that had been said. Of course, their fate was still uncertain, at the moment, as the Queen secretly was often mixed between disgust and admiration for the audacity of the upcoming writer.

As the Queen’s arrival into the ballroom is announced, maids finish the last details — a mesh of her wig that wasn’t perfectly curled and the smallest wrinkle in the great gown she wore.

The crowd applauds her arrival. The image of the Queen is seen with marvel in the eyes of her people.

The sapphire crown she wears around her wig sets the tone of her entire attire and of what she expects to see amongst the Ton.

Finally sitting on her throne, Queen Charlotte lifts her hand up in the air, signaling she had enough flattery for the moment. The ladies by her sides are considered her closest friends — despite the Queen not trusting them with her secrets, recurring to them instead for the latest gossip. Their attires match the gown of the Queen, dark shades of blue manifesting beside the throne, like background.

“Let us begin, shall we?”

And as the words fell out of the royal’s mouth, everyone went silent.

“If only the Queen were apt to go to war, all would be well.” The oldest of the Cromwells spoke into Honora’s ear, a giggle leaving the lips of the latter.

“One could only truly imagine.”

Sarah, much like Honora, was rebellious toward the traditions of the society she lived in. Not that she hated men and the fate that she was destined to live — in fact, she already had an eye out for one eligible bachelor. But she did find that this courtesy made to the Queen was excessive. And a little bit humorous.

“I assume that by you being here you’re not going to present yourself to the Queen?” Honora asked. As the oldest of her household and as Sarah had just gotten of age, it sounded a bit mad for her to miss this opportunity. Even to Honora.

“Of course not.” Confidently, the blonde clarifies. “I am not an object to be presented. And if I have to be completely honest, I just couldn’t help but appreciate the fuss it caused home.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything else from you.” Only a couple of years apart, the two girls had grown to be inseparable, both relishing in literature and their views of society as if they shared the same brain.

Remaining situated on her throne, the Queen judges every lady called into the room as names keep on getting announced. The silence that once filled the room is replaced by the loud murmuring of the Ton. A head not held high, a back too curved, or a dress not flattering enough was reason to get ascribed as not worthy of any man in the Queen’s eyes — or as Birdwhistle voiced, unworthy of being the Diamond of the season.

“Lady Candice, presented by her mother, the Right Honored Lady Campbell.”

The ballroom was filled by the families of the ladies presenting themselves and some other curious eyes, while the eager candidates awaited outside for their names to be called.

Eleanor grew more and more concerned at the sight of the various reactions of the candidates that returned to the room she was in. Some came back crying, the blush in their cheeks defeated by the tears that rolled down their cheeks. In contrast, others spoke passionately and proudly about the Queen’s reactions.

“I can’t feel my fingertips,” Eleanor whispered in her mother’s ear as the girl called, Candice, came back with teary eyes, her mother trying to catch up to her as she fled from the scene.

“Don’t be foolish now, dear. You look splendid– you are splendid.” Hand carefully fixing the tiara she wore in her head, Grace, the matriarch of the Middleton household, spoke.

“Focus ahead and avoid the Queen’s stare.” A girl spoke to Eleanor, a soft smile adorning her features. “My sister told me to do exactly that.”

“Thank you, Hani.” Eleanor offered the girl a smile but it was weaker than she had intended.

A circle of compassion was quick to form around Eleanor, as the anxious feeling grew more on her chest. In reality, the kind words flying from the lips of the girls around her were making her feel worse, rather than the intended opposite. She wanted to shoo them all away and have a minute to compose herself but she knew it would look bad to act in such a way. Even so, she was about to be called in.

“Is all of this really necessary? Or are you all hypocrites that like to pretend we’re not all here for the same reason?” The voice of Dalia scoffing broke the circle and had it been any other voice, Eleanor could’ve breathed in relief.

Dalia lived right next door to the Middletons with her mother. An only child. After her father left town to be with another woman (or as they told, passed away in a boating accident), her mother shielded Dalia from all the talk of the Town. She became unbearable.

Being the same age as Eleanor, they used to arrange play dates daily. Honora was still a baby at the time. But the friendship faded as they grew older. With Dalia, it was her this and her that. She was always the most beautiful; the most educated; the most graceful; the richest; the best. And her narcissism was quick to make her lonely, and intolerable to her peers. Her only real asset was her family’s position in society as the escape of the man of the house had left both ladies well in life, a tantalizing allowance being established in exchange for silence and freedom.

“There is no room for ugly ducklings, darling. I would suggest going home. Or better yet, paying close attention now,” The sarcastic smile on the girl’s face made Eleanor roll her eyes. “I intend on dazing the Queen.”

“Try to not break a leg, Dalia.” Barking back, Eleanor sighs right after. Only Dalia was able to befoul with her emotions at such an important moment in her life.

“Lady Dalia, presented by her mother, Lady Emilia Fitzroy.”

The dazed look on the royal secretary as he calls the lady’s name is noticeable and those in the room can tell that the Queen's expectations were not being met, as she had grown more impatient with each presentation.

Dalia walks into the room, head held high as her mother follows suit, hands holding the excess fabric of the dress she wore.

“Your Majesty,” Bowing slightly, Dalia never takes her eyes off the Queen.

For a moment the room goes quiet, as the debutant holds her position in expectancy of hearing her Queen's voice. And so, gasps are heard when the Queen lifts herself from her throne. She hadn't done such a thing for any of the other ladies that had presented themselves to her. A smile to another debutant, perhaps.

“Beautiful posture.” The Queen compliments before returning to her seat, the many ladies by her side struggling to fix her dress in the small gap before Her Majesty could sit.

“Thank yo–” Dalia begins to speak but is abruptly interrupted.

“Off you go now.”

Bowing yet another time, she turns, back facing the Queen and her ladies. And as she begins to walk, her dress comes apart, only the sound of the ripping fabric silencing once again the murmuring audience.

Cheeks turning another shade of pink, Dalia glares at her mother, as she whines through gritted teeth. “Mommy,”

“Move along.” Her mother ushers her out of the room, a forced smile on her features as she side-eyes the audience, but not quick enough that some remarks about her status are still heard.

“Hadn’t she mentioned that she got her dress from a Parisian designer?”

“What a misfortune for the most fortunate family of the Ton.”

“Clearly, she didn’t visit Miss Kim's boutique,” Sarah comments to her friend, an amused expression on her features. Not wanting to be cruel, she would never keep the pleasure of relishing over Dalia's misery, as herself had also once been the target of the debutant’s woe.

“Nari refused to dress her, can y’ believe?” Hoseok whispered between the girls, only to be flustered by his own comment as inquisitive eyes fall on him. “Miss Kim, I mean. The modiste.”

“Of course, brother, the modiste.” Honora teases, watching as Hoseok distances himself and into the comfort of his brothers’ company.

Pondering hard over her next move, Eleanor mentally apologizes to her mother, knowing how displeased she will be with her behavior. Once arriving home, she would find a way to appease her mother for the scene. Stepping closer to the lady in distress, she walks with her.

“Step one: look pretty. Done.”

With her hand lifted, the debutant acts as if there were a notebook.

“Step two: get praised. Almost done.”

Dalia stops on her heels, now looking straight into Eleanor’s eyes. The height difference makes the praised debutant look down on the teaser.

“Step three: make a fool of myself…” Hissing, Eleanor gives her rival her best innocent look. “I’ll make an effort to skip that part.”

Baffled, Dalia opens and closes her mouth, yet again embarrassed by how every lady in the room now had her eyes on her, their features with a comical curiosity displayed. Rarely feeling such a way, her hands travel to her dress, doing her best to hide the catastrophe that had gone down in her attire.

“Eleanor, that is quite enough.” Grace grabs her daughter by the wrist, pulling her back into line as Dalia’s mother begins to pull hers in the opposite direction, towards the exit.

“Actually mother,” The ruin-dressed girl begins, recomposed. “I would love to see how Eleanor’s presentation goes. Let us stay a little longer.”

The Fitzroys find a place by the doors that lead to the ballroom. Other than this new found-curiosity for watching Eleanor’s performance, Dalia is blinded by the need to assert no one is complimented as nicely as she was. Despite the final gaffe, she knows that the title of Diamond is hers.

It had always meant a great deal to be praised by the Queen. A line of suitors was certain to follow such compliment and only a disaster would ruin the chances of a debutant not marrying in her first season.

Two more girls go in.

The last, Dorothea, faints as soon as she reaches close enough to the Queen, hadn’t the miss eaten a thing in the last three days, surviving solely on water so she could fit her attire and look perfect for her debut. Her Royal Highness’s closest friends fall into laughter, being silenced immediately after.

Signaling for the royal guards to move the weak debutant out of the way, the Queen frowns, her head being supported by her hand, elbow resting on the arms of her throne. “What a boring day, indeed.” As if commenting to herself, the Queen lets out a whisper. Despite her humdrum expression, the thought of Lady Birdwhistle crosses her mind, the harsh words that the ghostwriter will write about the opening of the season she planned almost palpable.

“Lady Eleanor, presented by her mother, the Right Honorable Lady Middleton.”

The words of the royal secretary sound muffled behind the closed doors adorned with gold specs that reach all the way up to the ceiling. Eleanor can only feel her heartbeat, her senses numbed by the anxiety she had been feeling ever since stepping foot out of the number 17th of Grosvenor Square.

The doors swing open, as the royal guards have had the consent of the Queen to see the debutant. Eleanor catches the curious eye of Her Majesty, that meets her with a smirk at the end of the room, immediately charmed by the color of the dress the Middleton miss was wearing.

“What was it that you said to me, Eleanor? Try not to break a leg?”

The whisper made by Dalia is ignored, as Eleanor smiles widely, preparing to walk with confidence. From the corner of her eye, she spots her siblings, Jungkook, Hoseok, and Jimin, as well as her youngest sister, Honora with her loyal friend Sarah right by her side. Her smile now changes into a calmer one, resting assured that even if the Queen isn’t impressed by her, her family was there to support her.

With Lady Grace right by Eleanor’s side, Dalia sees the opportunity she so long had been waiting for. The chance to humiliate yet again Eleanor, as payback for the teasing she had done to her only minutes ago.

The Queen arranges her posture in her chair, eyebrow lifted as she grows eager to see the debutant closer.

And that is all the motivation Dalia needed. No one was going to steal her title. Especially not Eleanor.

With Eleanor’s dress tail passing right by Dalia, her foot comes in contact with it, securing it hardly. The sudden halt in her flowy movement makes the debutant lose balance from the heels she was wearing and Dalia sees the perfect moment to release the fabric, ending with her rival on the floor.

“Oh, for goodness sake.” The Queen is quicker than anyone to react as gasps are heard across the crowd at the unexpected fall.

Filled with embarrassment, Eleanor gets up, eyes incapable of meeting the Queen’s nor of anyone in the room as she bows to the royal before leaving with haste. As she walks past Dalia, her voice sounds muffled by the ringing in her ears, the fleeing debutant being too heartbroken to care.

Jungkook is quick to act, pushing past the crowd and rushing after his sister.

“Mother,” Honora is by her matriarch in a heartbeat, eyes wide and trembling from the strong squeeze she felt in her chest.

“Let us go, Honora.”

And as the family flees to what they consider to be the safety of their home, the party at the Queen’s abode remains, now the murmuring regarding the Middletons discernibly loud.

Grosvenor Square had never been so quiet.

On the 17th, the mood is ominous. Much like he had been hours prior, Jungkook sits in his living room. Hoseok is also there, despite not a single word being exchanged between the two. After a couple of minutes go by, Honora joins them. Opening her mouth a couple of times, she fails, uncharacteristically, to find the words for the situation at hand.

The matriarch comes into the hall, a pensive expression on her features.

“Is Eleanor’s parade over yet?” Jungkook finally speaks, removing the fingers that had been supporting his temple.

“That’s a little harsh, brother.” Honora stands, arms crossed. Despite the difference in views, Honora and Eleanor always had each other's backs. “Even for you.”

“Oh please, sister. She’s clearly overreacting.” Mimicking the actions of Honora, Jungkook stands as well.

“Is that so?” The mother joins the conversation, her features changing into ones that almost look amused.

And before she can continue, Jungkook carries on. “Of course. Eleanor’s been locked in her chamber for hours now. And the entire house stopped over this childish fantasy of hers.”

“Perhaps you will find it amusing when tomorrow you will be burned by finding her a husband.” Smiling to the maid that had just served her tea, Grace raves scornfully.

“Me?” Jungkook scoffs.

“Of course. You can’t proclaim to be the head of the family just to after zest over the title and influence it has granted you, my dearest son. It’s your duty.”

Scoffing, Jungkook tilts his head slightly to the head, tongue moving through the inside of his cheek. “And it will be thanks to such title and influence that I won’t suffer of a headache over finding Eleanor’s a suitable husband, much like you think.”

“Goodness, brother, you sound insufferable.” Honora strides off the room, going up the flight of stairs.

Before she has the chance to knock, the sobs of Eleanor can be heard from the corridor, the door that leads to her older sister’s room being slightly open. Reaching in closer, Jimin comes into view. Sitting on the bed, their sister’s head lies in his lap, as he delicately caresses her hair, now no longer in a bun but running free through the satin sheets of the bed.

“But you don–don’t understand, brother.” Honora is quick to enter the room, thumb finding Eleanor’s cheeks as a tear falls. Giving her a sympathetic smile, she kneels on the floor by their side. “I deserved it.”

“I know that is nonsense,” Jimin speaks confidently. “You would never deserve such a thing El.”

“I was a brat.” Eleanor now sits on the bed. “All based on a whim.”

“What happened?” Honora presses her lips together, fearing her burning question will cause her sister to start sobbing yet again as she had just started soothing down.

Sighing deeply, Eleanor covers her eyes with her hands. “Dalia, she was being a berk. And I was so nervous— and quite honestly, done with her— so I might’ve been a bit rude.”

“How so?” The youngest presses a little more, now too curious to dare stop.

“I mocked her.”

“Eleanor—”

“Better yet even, I humiliated her in front of everyone. Mother even told me to stop.”

“What did you say?” Jimin was speechless, watching how Eleanor’s face carried sadness mixed with a hint of shame.

“That she made a fool of herself and that I would be certain not to do the same.” Shrugging, Eleanor gets up from the bed. “Honestly, I am just so tired of her antiques. She’s always so rude to everyone and never—not a soul— lifts a finger and tells her as she deserves.”

“You already know Dalia gets her way.”

“That’s the issue at hand, brother.” Sitting on the bed, Eleanor huffs. She was a ball of stress, ready to burst at any second.

“Eleanor…”

Honora stars and by the way she drags the name of her sister in her tongue, both of her older siblings know that they want her to stop speaking, as she is about to lecture them on how the society they are trapped in isn’t ideal.

“You placed so much pressure on yourself, that the thing was bound to turn south. Don’t you agree?” The question is directed to her brother that remains as still as possible, teeth biting his bottom lip.

“Honora.” Eleanor frowns.

“I mean it, sister! And—such festivities are so ridiculous. Not to speak of how humiliating it is to you as a woman!” Speech quick, Honora doesn’t mind the expressions on the faces in front of her. “Your value shouldn’t be measured by how pretty your face is—or your dress. No one should be judging you for it.”

Laughing drily, Eleanor interrupts. “Sometimes I forget how naive you can be. Of course, people shouldn’t be judging. Much like I shouldn’t have behaved the way I did. But the reality, sister, is that I did. And I did it willingly. Well aware of the consequences that awaited me at home.”

“Then are you an idiot?”

“Honora— Eleanor— that is enough.” Jimin intervenes but his voice sounds mute between the discussion going on between the two Middleton girls.

“No, I am not an idiot. But I enjoy doing as I please. Much like you do when you dress inappropriately at events. Or when, instead of attending your dance classes, you prefer to sneak and go read your books with Sarah Cromwell.” Eleanor takes a deep breath, recomposing herself. “Your view of what society should be is as correct as everyone else. No one cares and it won’t change a thing, Honora.”

“As long as there are people that think as you do, of course, it won’t.” Crossing her arms, Honora frowns. “I was just trying to say that it isn’t as much of a big deal as you are trying to make it seem.”

“Yes, El, you will have other opportunities.” Jimin smiles encouragingly.

“No, I won’t.” Desperate and tired of the conversation, Eleanor raises her voice. “I had this opportunity. Only this one. Now, no one will want to come near me. And I won’t marry in my first season. Hell, I’ll be lucky if I manage to find a husband by the time I’m in my third season.”

Distressed, Eleanor doesn’t wait for an answer from her siblings, tired of listening and truly not caring about whatever more they had to say to her, she walks straight to the front door.

Indubitably, the commotion is quick to attract the attention of the prying siblings that wanted to check in on their sister but were too hesitant of making her feel worst. Hoseok and Jungkook are by the front door when Eleanor reaches it and she doesn’t pay them any mind.

“Sister, where do you think you’re going?” Jungkook crosses his arms over his chest, astounded at Eleanor’s behavior.

“Are you alright?” Hoseok patters, features filled with concern.

“Eleanor, are you deaf?” The oldest chips in again. But his oldest sister doesn’t bother to answer and slams the door in their faces.

The beautiful sunny day that had presented itself for the Queen’s party now had begun to fade, the sun already set on the horizon and the moon shining bright in its place. The cold wind felt like a relief against Eleanor’s cheeks and as she walked, further away from her house, her pace began to slow.

Now feeling calmer, Eleanor let out a puff of air she didn’t realize she was holding.

“Is your tantrum over?” Stopping in his tracks, Hoseok mimics his sister’s actions, arms crossed over his chest as he too tried to suppress the smile that threatened to escape from his lips.

“Perhaps.” Eleanor relaxes her figure, the smile finally showing.

“So, should we head home?”

The two speak with a couple of meters between them. At this hour, the streets are calm, but there is still some movement. Hoseok almost feels like there could be a pair of prying eyes in one of the many houses they had passed by in Grosvenor Square.

“Could we stroll around the block?” Knowing she’s undeserving of such grace from her brother, Eleanor’s eyes fall to the ground. “Just for a little longer.”

“Let us do it then!” Hoseok is cheerful as they resume their stroll, Eleanor walking backward as she keeps facing her brother. “As of now, I am pondering on ways you are to repay me for this.”

“Excuse you?!” Indignation is not felt in the miss' face as she falls into laughter. “Repay you for what, brother? Hadn’t it been me, you would still be stuck home. Now, I would dare say that the night is rather lovely.”

“I’d say such perspective depends on the company,” Seeing his sister scoff, he lets out a strident laugh. “Now face forward, you’ll hurt yourself.”

“Not like I haven’t fallen already,”

And like a premonition, as Eleanor resumes her back-walking she bumps into someone as she turns the corner of the street, quickly losing her balance. Certain to fall, she closes her eyes, embracing herself for the collision that never happens.

“Are you alright?” The deep voice makes the Middleton debutant open her eyes. As she realizes she’s in the arms of an unknown man, she is quick to recompose herself, fingers playing with her hair as a nervous tic.

“Forgive me, sir. I was not paying attention.”

“Worry not– sir?” Eleanor tilts her head at the sudden surprised look on the man’s face.

“Pardon?”

“Am I seriously to believe you don’t know who I am?” Despite the pretentious undertone, the man looks somewhat amused.

Eleanor, on the other hand, has her eyebrow arched. “And who would you be, sir?”

And before the man has the opportunity of answering the confused lady standing in front of him, Hoseok comes into view. As soon as he lays eyes on the man, he opens up a smile that confuses his sister even further.

“Kim!”

“Middleton!” With the same enthusiasm, the man opens up his arms, engulfing Hoseok in a small hug. “How have you been?”

“Alright. Jungkook didn’t mention you would come to town.”

“Ah yes… I still have to reach out to him.” Nodding, it seems like the man is taking a mental note. “I had some business to attend. I know the season has just opened so I wanted to keep this quiet so I am not drowned by the frenetic mamas.”

Both men laugh. “Excuse me?” Eleanor glares at them as she had been ignored ever since their conversation started.

“Oh, of course!” Hoseok scratches the back of his neck. “This is my sister, Eleanor. And this is Taehyung, the Duke of Elffire.”

Eleanor is caught off guard at the sudden declaration of the title of the man. “Oh… and how do you know my brother–Jungkook?”

“It’s a pleasure.” Taehyung smiles charmingly, one that widens at the frown that shows on the girl’s face. “We went to university together.”

“I see.” The way Eleanor presses her lips together, suppressing a smile, makes Hoseok sweat.

“Well, we won’t keep you any longer.”

“Your dukeship.” Eleanor eyes the Duke.

“I’ll see you at the club, Hoseok.” Taehyung’s smile changes into a closed face. “Miss Middleton.”

Intertwining her arm in her brother, Eleanor begins to walk home and as she takes one last glance at the Duke, she finds him staring. And as he smiles at her, she turns ahead, now trying to focus on anything but the curious thoughts that cloud her mind about her hasty meeting with the Duke of Elffire.

♛ 𝓂𝒶𝓈𝓉𝑒𝓇𝓁𝒾𝓈𝓉 ― chapter two coming soon.

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is0gild · 4 years

Text

Ice Cream and Fire Oven Pizza - Chapter 19

Pairing: Elsa x Lea/Axel || Side Pairing: Riku x OC

Summary: Modern AU. She's an introvert ball of nerves who works at Ice Palace, a mall food court ice cream shop. He's the outgoing, sassy goofball who works at the Pizza Planet across the way. Hilarity, snark, and fluffy romcom hijinks ensue.

Word Count: 9,165

FIRST CHAPTER || PREVIOUS CHAPTER || NEXT CHAPTER

Credit for super friggin’ cute and super friggin’ amazing cover art goes to the super friggin’ talented ky-jane here on tumblr!

Neverland, as I was currently discovering, was a huge indoor playground at the Dusk Town Center mall. A place where children never had to grow up, or so its big overhead sign boasted. Its vast range of diversions for the little ones included such attractions as a jungle gym in the shape of a large comical skull, a huge green plastic alligator that had a slide built into its long back, and monkey bars supported at either end by large, spooky prop trees. Off in one corner, there were even synthetic, cute yet culturally problematic teepees for the tiny tots to crawl around and hide in. But its crowning jewel seemed to be the kiddie train that ran along the tracks circling the entire play area. Each of its carts were actually little pirate ships that could fit one child in it, maybe two if they were really little.

Since the playground was in the middle of a wide open mall walkway, many stores surrounded it, such as an antique shop by the name of Cave of Wonders. Beyond the rusty brass lamps in its window and past an old, tacky purple carpet draping off a shelf, a friendly young woman with long black hair tied back into a two-sectioned ponytail and wearing a turquoise crop top could be seen running the counter.

Next door to that was Game-A-Saurus Rex, a video game store sporting a green t-rex mascot as part of its logo. An absolute giant of an employee with messy brown hair was currently setting up a display pyramid but his meaty, clumsy hands accidentally knocked it over, wrecking it. I got the feeling this wasn't the first time from the look of being one hundred percent done he was receiving from his silver haired coworker with mismatched eyes.

Neighboring them, I was a bit surprised to discover there was even an Esmerelda's Secrets here as well, a… ahem, lingerie store, to use a more PG term. I found its location so near to the play area to be a bit of a questionable mall layout choice.

I sighed, paper bag lunch crinkling in my grip as I glanced around.

Where was he?

"Are you sure this is where he told you he wanted to meet up?" Kristoff asked beside me, his eyes scanning about as well. Thankfully, he'd forgiven me by now for the minor phone-hurling fiasco and we were back on speaking terms again.

"Positive," I fished my mobile out of my pocket with my free hand, rereading Lea's text asking me to head to Neverland once my lunch break had started.

Since I'd never heard of it before, I'd asked Kristoff (him being the closest person at hand since he'd been working the Ice Palace registers with me) if he'd known what it was. I figured he could at least point me in the right direction, which would be faster than looking at a mall directory. Instead, since he was getting off shift the same time I was going on lunch, he'd offered to walk me there, saying it was on his way anyway.

But now here we were and a certain redhead was nowhere to be seen.

"Bah, I'm sure he'll turn up any second now," Kristoff shrugged off with a laugh. I said nothing, just continued to frown down at my phone before raising my eyes to take another look around. Shoving one of his hands into his pocket while he used the other to ruffle the hair at the back of his head, Kristoff said, "So… your sister…"

"Anna? What about her?" I muttered distractedly, gaze still jumping from face to unfamiliar face. Come on, Lea was a friggin' mountain with hair like a beacon that could light a path home for even the most wayward of lost ships. The guy should have been sticking out like a sore thumb.

He pursed his lips to one side, slightly widened eyes darting about now. "She's… well, she's really… neat." I blinked, slowly looking over at him now. He stiffened, then gave a weak chuckle, "Did I say neat? Not neat, I meant, ah… pretty!" His face blanched. "Pretty… pretty, pretty swell, that is! Yeah, a real bangarang," insert his wince here, "gal that, uh... that's really, er…"

Annnnnd now he was blushing. What was with him, anyway? It was so unlike him to be getting all tongue-tied and-

Oh.

Oh dear. I knew what this was.

Someone had a crush.

Ugh, why did I have to be the one to break his heart by telling him my sister was already in a relationship?

"...anyway," his voice cracked and he coughed, beating a fist to his chest before trying again. "Anyway, what I'm trying to say, or… rather ask is... would you know if, ah… is... is she seeing any-" his idly wandering gaze landed on something past me and he froze, words dying on his tongue. Then his eyelids drooped. "...I think I found your boyfriend."

My brow furrowed at the face he was making before I turned on my heel, following his gaze.

I heard them before I saw them. Cheerful whoops and hollers echoing from the plastic tunnel over the railroad tracks, heralding the emerging train of pirate ships. Then there they were: Lea and Roxas, taking up a full boat each as the locomotive chugged along, their hands thrown up high over their heads as they cackled in almost maniac glee. The two kids in the cart behind them - a carrot top boy in a green cap embroidered with a red feather logo and a little blonde girl wearing toy fairy wings - were giving them funny looks.

I spluttered, my fingers shooting up to smother and hide the grin I was fighting. This was behavior I did not want to encourage.

There he was, ladies and gentlemen. My bad-boy boyfriend in all his glory.

I hope the Duke's spy wasn't here to witness this.

Scratch that, I'd rather no one were here to witness this.

"Those goddamn morons have been at this for over ten minutes now," I heard a grumble from a familiar voice close by. I looked to my right to discover Xion standing there, watching them with a scowl and one eye twitching. As the train drew near, she called out flatly, "Oh yeah, looking real classy there, guys!"

"We're posh as fuck!" Lea replied smugly with a pinky raised, heedless of what nearby young and impressionable ears might overhear. Then his eyes drifted past her to notice me for the first time. His already beaming face did the impossible and brightened even further. As his little pirate ship choo-chooed its way past us, he cried out, "There you are, El! 'Bout time! We're celebrating!"

"El? Who's El? No, you must have me mistaken for someone else. I don't know you," I shook my head, taking a step back. "Quick, let's get out of here," I hissed to Kristoff, snatching his arm with one hand and using the other to hide my face as I tried to make a hasty retreat.

"Oh-ho, no ya don't! You're not getting away that easily!" I heard Lea laugh behind me. I hazarded a quick glance over my shoulder to see him struggling to get out of the cart - he was wedged in there pretty good, seeing as how those boats were never meant to withstand a man of his considerable stature. However, he finally managed to wiggle himself free and jump off the moving kiddie train, stumbling over the railing surrounding it and leaving poor Roxas behind looking quite distraught at having been abandoned.

Then he was charging towards me and I spun around to face him, defensively throwing my hands up in front of me. "Got ya!" he declared triumphantly, snagging me by the waist, my arms instinctively going to hug his neck as he lifted me up and spun me around a couple times.

What was even happening?

"Right," Kristoff said. Don't ask me how, but I could distinctly hear the eyeroll in his voice. "I think I'm gonna go now."

He walked off and I frowned after him as Lea put me back down, though his arms still kept me trapped against him. Then I shrugged. Kristoff's wee crush would have to be a problem for another day. Looking up at Lea, I shook my head with a barely suppressed smile, "What has you so giddy?"

"I got my test grade back today," he chirped, nuzzling his nose to mine for all the crowded mall to see.

"Your test?" I cocked my head at him. Then it clicked. "Oh, the one I helped you study for? You passed?"

"Passed nothing, I aced that sucker! Made it my bitch and it was all thanks to you!" And with that, he was hoisting me up for another twirl.

"Dude, what the hell?!" a shout suddenly rang out across the mall before Roxas came bursting out of the press of shoppers, sneakers screeching to a halt in front of us as he glared at Lea. "Can't believe you just ditched me like that! I looked like a total dumbass riding that thing all by myself!"

"Oh sure," Xion deadpanned at his side, "cuz you looked like a regular Einstein before as a grown-ass man riding around in the widdle choo-choo train with another grown-ass man."

Roxas crossed his arms and stuck his nose up in the air with a harrumph. "You're just jelly cuz we didn't invite you."

She scoffed, "You didn't invite me cuz I turned you guys down the last ten times you tried to drag me onto that dumb thing because I didn't want to look stupid."

"Your face looks stupid!"

Xion lunged at him, but Lea had already put me down and was snagging them both by the scruff of their shirt collars, dragging them apart from each other. He sighed, "Kiddos, please, would you start acting like the grown-ups that you are?"

Said the adult man who'd just been joyriding in the kiddie train.

Seriously, how were these three even college students? They all acted like a bunch of preschoolers.

"Ha, fat chance with this dope," Xion snerked, reaching across to flick Roxas in the forehead.

"Why you-" he broke free of Lea's grasp. Xion gasped and managed to squirm loose herself, bolting and squealing with laughter as she disappeared into the crowd, Roxas hot on her heels.

"Oi, kids these days. I give up," Lea grumbled, shaking his head and tossing his hands up in defeat. "Now where were we?" Looking back at me, his eyes lit up. "Ah yes," he bent forward, bringing us nose to nose with a tiny smirk, "my reward."

Both eyebrows shot up my forehead and I staggered back a bit. "Your… reward?"

"Mm-hm!" he nodded, grin twitching wider. "For kicking that test's ass, I get a reward! It's standard girlfriend protocol."

I blinked, "...it is?"

"Didn't ya read your dating handbook?"

...there's a handbook?!

Wait. No. That was just a joke.

And wishful thinking on my part.

Because I mean, seriously, how much easier would my life be right now if I could consult a handbook?

That aside, I had to get back to the matter at hand: some kind of reward for Lea. Which was my duty as the girlfriend. Apparently. What did that even entail? What was it supposed to be? What was I supposed to do? My face paled and my hands clenched. This was too much responsibility to be thrust onto me all of a sudden! What, was I supposed to buy him something? Or… maybe this was this another PDA situation? I mean, I hadn't made a move in that department since the roller rink a couple days ago. If tripping and crashing into him even counted. Which, personally, I was still chalking up as one for the win column. Had to take my small victories wherever I could! That said… perhaps it was high time I gave it another go?

Yes. Okay. I was going to do this. This… I was going to do.

My gaze hardened and my nostrils flared slightly as I started taking deep, sharp breaths, psyching myself up.

I got this. No more putting it off. Be strong! Be brave! Carpe diem! Seize the day! Grab the bull by the horns! Strike while the iron's hot!

Lea snerked, straightening up, "Woah, El, your face! Relax! I'm kidding! Just teasing ya like I always-"

YOLO!

I dropped my lunch bag, grabbed his head in both hands, yanked him down and kissed him.

...on the nose.

Way to bury the lead there, I know.

But hey, it still counted! Let me have this!

I held it for the space of a few thundering heartbeats before I pulled back, releasing his face and doing my best to ignore the slight jitters I felt from the adrenaline surge.

Lea was stock-still and just giving me a blank, wide-eyed stare.

Huh… not the reaction I was expecting.

A few long seconds ticked by where nothing happened. My eyes darted about nervously. Then I slowly, awkwardly picked my lunch sack back up off the floor. And still nothing from him. Nada. Not one peep.

Should… should I say something?

That's when he jolted upright (startling me half to death, I might add) and brought both his hands up to cup his nose, spinning around so his back was to me now.

Okay, really, really not the reaction I was expecting. At all. Just what-

Then it hit me.

I hadn't asked his permission first! And after he'd been so careful with me all this time too! Apparently I couldn't even return the favor! Fudge, this was like the Kissident all over again. Except worse! At least then, it'd been an accident. This time I'd done it on purpose! This was premeditated! Not to mention this now made me a repeat offender! A… a serial kisser! Would my reign of smooching terror never cease?

Anxiety eating up at me now like a swarm of angry ants in the pit of my stomach, I bit down on my bottom lip and took a hesitant step forward. "Lea?" I asked, my voice small. "Did I do something wrong or-"

"Nope! No, it was good. Really, really good," he said quickly, voice tight and muffled still by his hands. Then I heard him puff out a slow breath, watched his arms fall to his sides and he whipped around towards me once more, huge smile splitting his face in two. "So good, in fact, it's high-five worthy. Whaddya say, wanna high-five? Let's high-five." He held his palm up in front of me. I wordlessly stared back at him, arching an eyebrow. He was being weird, even for him. And why was he talking so fast? He hastily dropped his hand, "Not high-five. Forget that. That's stupid. We should, uh… we should go. Wanna go? Let's go."

As he snagged my free hand in his and tugged me into a walk beside him, I tipped my head to the left and uncertainly gave him some side-eye. "...where are we going?"

Seemingly already recovered, his grip shifted to instead hook our pinkies together as he shot me a wink. "Where all couples sneak off to whenever they have a lil free time. Somewhere dark, secret and secluded so," here he raised his voice for all to hear over the mall hub-bub, "we can make out!"

My feet faltered and I stumbled, barely catching myself as my face spontaneously broke out into its best impersonation of a tomato. "M-make out?!"

He snorted, bending close to my ear and whispering, "Calm down, only said it for show. We'll just find some place to lay low until your lunch is over and let the gossip mill churn." Straightening back up to his full height, he beamed, "Sound good, my knuddelbärchen?" A crease formed between my eyebrows and he chuckled. "Go on, ask. Ya know ya want to."

I sighed, "And knuddelbärchen is…?"

"German for cuddle bear," he pinched my cheek.

"No."

"You can sleep on it, then get back to me."

I rolled my eyes but held my tongue as I continued to let him lead the way to wherever it was we were going. It wasn't long before we entered a part of the mall I was more familiar with and he turned us down the deserted wing that was under construction. Ah, back to the clocktower then, was it? So be it.

Once the locked door was picked and we were inside, I started to head for the stairs but he stopped me with a hand on my elbow. At my questioning look, he said, "Dunno where the kiddos disappeared off to. They may have beat us to the punch and could be up there already, which'll totally bust our whole fake make-out sesh. Better to just hide out down here instead."

"Alright," I nodded as he released my arm.

And there it was again. That strangeness that seemed to hang in the air whenever we were alone together now. Whenever we didn't have to put on the act of being in a relationship. I was now so used to him lacing our fingers together every chance he got that when he didn't this time, instead opting to stuff his hands into his pockets with a grin and a soft "heh," my own hand almost felt… slighted? Bereft? Sad? Could hands even feel sad? Well, whatever the hand equivalent of sadness was, it felt that.

There were a couple large, dusty crates stored in here with us at the bottom of the clocktower. I stepped over to one, gingerly dusting off the surface before setting my paper bag down on top of it. Then I cleared my throat and looked to him with a small, timid smile. "This whole rent-a-boyfriend thing is really becoming a full time job now, isn't it? Sorry… to be wasting your time like this. I'm sure there are better ways you'd be preferring to spend it rather than stuck here with me."

Lea blinked at me, then huffed out a breath of a laugh. "Hey, you already forgetting whose idea it was for us to steal away on our own like this? Ya got nothing to be sorry for. I like this, it's fun! 'Sides," he moved to stand in front of me, leaning one shoulder against the wooden support beam there that was holding up the decrepit old staircase above us, "it's not a waste. I'm a big fan of my El time. Love having any excuse to hang out with ya and have you all to myself."

Cue heart spasm.

Dropping my gaze and tugging my Ice Palace cap down to hide my warming cheeks, I zeroed in on opening my lunch bag with far more acute focus than was absolutely necessary. Let's see what Mama Rayne had packed for me today, inquiring minds were simply dying to know. To him, I just mumbled, "To each their own, I guess."

"So…" he reached a hand out, index finger flicking the bill of my hat back up so he could meet my eyes when he smirked, "...you kissed me."

All color drained from my face.

Crud. Was hoping this wouldn't come up.

"I'm sorry!" came bursting out of me.

His head rocked back before he snorted and sighed, "You apologize too much, ya know that? Fine, I'll bite. What're you sorry for now?"

"I should've asked if that was okay before I did it!" I took off my cap, wringing it between my hands. "I overstepped, I shouldn't have just assumed! I hope I didn't freak you out or make things awkward or uncomfortable or, or weird or-"

"Woah, woah, slow down," he chuckled, holding up his hands. "Ya got nothing to worry about. I was totally, one hundred and ten percent cool with it!"

My eyebrows knit together. "Really?" I frowned, absently setting the hat down on the box. "But you seemed so… I thought I might've upset you or-"

"Upset? Nah, not even a lil bit! Surprised, maybe, cuz I never in a million years expected you to, ah… heh…" he paused, pursing his lips to the right as he dragged his hand along the nape of his neck. Then he closed his eyes in a grin, "How 'bout this? This, right here, right now, is me giving you the okay to do whatever you want to me from now on in order to maintain your girlfriend cover. Anything goes, got it?"

Eyes growing round, I stammered, "A-anything?"

He couldn't be serious! Anything was a lot. Anything was… well, anything.

"Yup, anything! Don't hold back. Just feel free to go to town on me."

This was too much power. Do not want. Take it back.

"I, uh…" What does one even say to that? "O-okay… thanks?" Was this something I should be thanking him for? Seemed like a weird thing to thank him for. This whole discussion just seemed weird, period. Concentrating on my packed lunch once more, I pulled out a ziplock of baby carrots. "...I don't think I'll be, er… going to town on you any time soon though, but the offer is, ah…" Is what? "...appreciated?" Sure, let's go with that.

"Shame," Lea tsked under his breath, then snerked as his hand shot up to block the carrot I threw at him. "Kidding, kidding! Still, just know that door's always open, in case ya ever wanna put on a bit of a show for any audience we might have. I won't be bothered. Promise."

"I'll keep that in mind," I muttered, taking out a second carrot to nibble on as I averted my gaze. Was ready to talk about something else now.

"Still, fact of the matter remains," one corner of his lips curled up, "you kissed me."

Gah! Would he stop saying that already!

A soft harrumph. "Only on the nose."

"One lucky nose!" He hunched forward slightly, pointing at it, "I'll have you know I'm never gonna wash this puppy ever again."

I snorted, setting the ziplock down on the box and reaching back into the paper sack to see what other goodies it contained. "Be serious."

"I am! Wouldn't wanna lose the divine blessing you've bestowed upon it on this fine day!"

Biting back a smile now as I continued to root around in the bag, I shook my head. "Does this mean that you also haven't washed your lips since the-" I abruptly froze, eyes widening and mouth clamping shut.

There was a pause, then I could see out of my peripheral the slow cheshire grin spreading across Lea's face. "Go on, since the…?"

Since the Kissident, was what I'd been about to say.

I knew it.

He knew it.

But did I have the guts to actually power through and finish that sentence?

Frantic fingers grabbing the first thing they could out of the lunch sack, I shoved it into his face with a weak laugh, "Chocolate pudding cup?"

Nope. I sure as heck most certainly did not.

Elsa, Queen of the Skillful and Seamless Subject Change.

"Oo!" he chirped in delight, taking it. Well, he was easily distracted. That, or he was just being nice and letting me off the hook. Probably the latter. "A nose kiss and pudding? Big day!"

With a soft, relieved sigh through my nostrils, I fished out a plastic spoon to hand him as well. "Don't forget about the train ride too. Big day indeed… do you and Roxas do that often?"

Having already torn into it and taken a spoonful into his mouth, he swallowed. "Not really. Only for special occasions. Wouldn't wanna cheapen the experience."

My eyes crinkled. "Because it's already so sophisticated and highbrow to begin with," I said, forgoing the PB and J sandwich at the bottom of the bag for now and instead opting to pull out some string cheese. Removing the wrapper, I asked, "Passing an exam counts as a special occasion?"

"Only the hard as balls ones that can make or break my overall grade for the course," he shrugged, scooping out some more pudding and offering it to me, to which I just shook my head.

"Ah," I rested one hip against the crate, peeling off a thin strip of mozzarella and slipping it into my mouth. "How many years do you have left on your degree anyway?"

"Couple more. Though I hear if I'm a model student, they'll let me graduate early for good behavior."

"Don't think that's how it works," I hummed a low laugh. "Then after that… what was it again? ...a nice little ice cream shanty by the seashore, I believe?"

Lea grinned around his spoon, "Something like that."

Pulling off another strand, I hesitated with a slight frown. "...but why ice cream?" At his cocked head and raised eyebrows, I worried my lower lip between my teeth. How to phrase this? "...it's just been something I've been wondering about actually. What with your mother dropping you off at an ice cream shop before she, ah... split when you were so little, I would have thought it would just be a… a source of bad memories, is all."

He snorted, looking down at his spoon as he swirled it around in the chocolate goop. "S'not the ice cream's fault my deadbeat mom abandoned Saïx and me when we were kids. She's taken a lot from me, I won't let her take that too. 'Sides, also got a lotta good memories tied to ice cream. Fun times with friends and whatnot. It's nice that something so simple can bring a smile to people's faces and I just like the idea of being a part of that. Sounds silly, I know, but what can I say?" He thrust the now heavily pudding-laden utensil up high in the air, "I have a calling! And answer it I must!"

I brought a curled finger to my lips, hiding the tiny smile. "Some calling. You still haven't even guessed which one's my favorite yet."

"Told ya, it's a process," he stuck the spoon into his mouth, holding it there as he squinted thoughtfully. "Speaking of… lessee, what other flavors haven't come up yet… ah! Three Wishes?" he asked, pointing the plastic implement at me. Then he scoffed, "Yeah right. Way too gimmicky with all that blue cotton candy. It's trying too hard. Classy and effortless is more your speed."

My smile ticked wider as my fingers plucked further at the string cheese. "Are we still even talking about ice cream anymore?"

"Course! Trust me, I've got this down to a science. I know my shit."

"If you say so," I gave a soft snort. "You really have me at the edge of my seat here. I can't wait to see which one you finally land on."

"Me neither. I'm just as much on this journey as you are," he chuckled, tossing the now empty cup onto the crate alongside the paper bag. Propping one shoulder against the post again, he looked down and scratched his cheek. "...hey, so, ya free in a couple nights? Saïx's been wanting to meet my new lady friend and suggested we have you over for dinner."

Finishing the last of my own snack, I quirked an eyebrow at him. "He knows you have a lady friend?"

"Wasn't hard for him to guess since I've been out all night a lot recently, what with your couch being my new home away from home."

"Oh." My fingers reached for a tendril of my ponytail to twist as I mulled for a second. "Yeah, I suppose… I don't have any closing shifts coming up for a while, so I'm free for the next few nights. Just let me know when."

"Sweet! We can see this as a test run of sorts. Practice for the big weekend with your folks and-" he suddenly fell silent, head jerking to his right. I blinked, confused. Then I heard it too. This soft rattling coming from the doorknob - the telltale sounds of a lock being picked. "Crap! The kiddos! Hide," Lea hissed, grabbing my shoulders and shoving us both beneath the staircase, my back hitting the wall behind me.

The door burst open. I didn't so much see it since the stairs were now between me and it, blocking my line of sight, but I heard it along with the echoing laughter of two very familiar voices. As it slammed shut again and the staircase began to quake from feet running up it hard, I heard Xion ask, "Think we'll find them up there?"

"Probably." That was Roxas. I turned my head to the left, watching through the slats between the steps as his sneakers blurred past. "Giving each other tonsillectomies, no doubt."

My face heated as I realized they were talking about Lea and me.

But good news! Lea's plan was working. People thought we were off somewhere, er... shall we say, necking.

Or at the very least, those two thought so anyway.

I heard a snigger from Xion as her boots rushed past the gap not too far behind him. "Perfect. Let's scare them shitless."

They both cackled and tried to shush each other at the same time as I heard their thudding footsteps fade further and further away above us. Once I was certain they were gone, I puffed out the breath I'd been holding.

That's when I became aware of several things. Very, very aware.

Aware of the familiar feeling of Lea's eyes on me. Aware of how close we were. Of his grip still on my shoulders. Of my hands on his chest. Of the gentle thud of his heartbeat beneath my fingertips. Of his warm, spicy boy scent. Of his body pressed to mine, pinning me to the wall still from his rush just seconds ago to get us both out of sight. Of the fact that I could still sense his gaze on me.

Oh gosh, was there something on my face?

I slowly turned my head to look up at him and meet his eyes. He had that look in them again that I'd seen once or twice before. The one that made my insides twist and flip-flop.

Emergency! This is not a drill, people! Fetch the conceal-don't-feel armor and suit up, stat! I repeat, this is not a drill!

The slightest hint of a grin tugged at the corner of his lips and when he spoke, his voice was low. Barely above a whisper. "You know what would… really sell this make-out sesh? ...if right along here..." he ran the tip of his index finger along the side of my neck down to where it met my shoulder, so lightly I hardly felt it, his eyes following its trail the whole time, "...there was a hickey. Maybe two or three. Ya know… just for appearances, of course..."

I just stared at him for a second. Then two. Then I smiled, "That's a great idea!"

He looked taken aback, his gaze widening. "Wait, really?!"

"Of course! Did you bring any makeup with you?" I asked. He just gave me a blank look. "You know, like your guyliner. Do you have anything else? Something that could make the fake marks look convincing?"

He blinked a couple times. "Makeup… right… that's what I meant… heh..." his eyes darted to the left. "But shoot, you know what? Didn't bring any with me." A slow smirk stretching across his face now, he bent down to press his forehead to mine as his eyes hooded, "But hey... we could also always make 'em the old fashioned way."

Once more I stared, expression neutral.

Processing… processing…

Then my eyelids drooped. "...you're messing with me again, aren't you?"

Lea stiffened. Then he relaxed, straightening back up and bracing an elbow against the wall above my head, resting his brow to his forearm as his whole body shook with a soft chuckle. "Yup! Yup, you uh… you caught me alright! Totes was."

Conceal-don't-feel armor saves the day once again! If it hadn't been for that, my heart might have exploded in that situation.

Man, was I getting good at deflecting these little jokes of his now or what?

He shifted over and away from me, giving us both some breathing room now. "Do you think maybe we should go somewhere else?" I asked, my gaze drifting up the clocktower as I returned to the crate, repacking my lunch back into its bag and picking up my hat. Thank goodness the "kiddos" hadn't noticed this stuff before dashing upstairs. "Just so Xion and Roxas don't catch us down here?"

"Sure, good call. I gotta few other secret spots 'round this place we can hole up in until your lunch is over." He went to the door, pushing it open a crack so he could peek out.

"Okay," I nodded while waiting for him to make sure the coast was clear. Then I grinned. "You know, you almost had me going back there with the hickies."

"If only," he muttered so softly, I wasn't sure I'd heard correctly.

"Hm?"

His shoulders tensed, then he breathed a feeble laugh as he glanced back at me, "If only… I'd, er... remembered to bring some makeup! Ah well, maybe next time, huh? C'mon, let's go." His hand reached for mine.

I took it and suddenly my hand didn't feel so sad anymore as I let him lead me back out into the mall.

I couldn't sleep.

I rolled over onto my left side, pulling the sheets up to my chin and curling in on myself a bit. Then over to my right. A few seconds ticked by. Then I rested my back to the mattress and frowned up at my bedroom ceiling, at the long thin patch of frail moonlight slashing across it from between the curtains of my window. Sighing, I tossed over onto my side again and tried putting my head beneath the pillow this time, hoping the added darkness and some light hypoxia would do the trick to knock me out.

No such luck.

With another heavy sigh, I sat up, letting the pillow fall back down behind me. I brought a hand up towards one of my earplugs, stopping just short of reaching it as I frowned over at the wall I shared with my roommates. Then I tentatively pulled it out, already preemptively grimacing as the noises I might hear.

Instead my ears were greeted with a very different sound and from a different direction no less. Coming through my closed door from the living room was a faint, hollow murmur of voices. I squinted towards it, tipping my head to one side. Was that… the TV? Tugging the other earplug out, I set both down onto my nightstand as I listened for another minute, my fingers fiddling with my braid. Then folding my sheets away from me, I got out of bed, smoothed my nightgown and crept over to the door to open it.

Lea was sitting on his couch out here, the glow of the television screen the only thing illuminating him in the otherwise dark living room. Since him couch-surfing here was becoming a bit of a habit now, he'd started bringing an overnight bag with him for things like toiletries and the pyjamas he was currently wearing - a black tank top and PJ pants patterned with tiny fireballs sporting evil smiley faces. In fact I think it may have been the same design on the frisbees I'd seen back at his apartment. Some kind of brand logo, perhaps?

His elbows were braced up on the backrest behind him, temple propped against one fist as he watched the screen. He glanced over at me as I stepped out, quirking an eyebrow and lifting his head off his knuckles. "El?"

I gave my braid a tiny tug before dropping my hands and clasping them together, forcing them to be still as I gave him a small smile. "You're up late."

He grinned back. "Yeah. Never really could pass out to total silence," he nodded towards where his own earplugs laid discarded on the coffee table. Then he wrinkled his nose, shooting a sideways glance towards Rayne's and Riku's room. "But shit, you weren't kidding 'bout those two going at it like jackrabbits in there. Had to do something to tune 'em out, so turned on the ol' tube and guess what I found?"

I moved to stand beside him for a better view of the TV. The scene was currently zoomed in on a couple riding in the back row seat of a trolley. The girl was distracted, lost in whatever she was talking about while the guy was reaching his hand over to tuck her hair back, only to awkwardly snatch it away when she suddenly turned to look at him, completely oblivious to the gesture as she continued to enthusiastically ramble on. My smile grew as I took a seat next to Lea. "It's Before Dawn. Imagine that."

"I know. What timing, right?" he hummed a small laugh. We were both quiet for a few seconds, simply watching the movie. Then he nudged my knee with his, "And what brings ya out here in the middle of the night? Other than the pleasure of my charming company, of course."

That earned him a soft snort as I slouched more comfortably into the sofa and picked up one of the small throw pillows, hugging it in my arms. "Trouble sleeping."

"Oh?" he looked over at me, relaxing his hand along the top of the cushions behind my head. "Something on your mind?"

I gnawed on my bottom lip, not taking my eyes off the television even though I wasn't really paying attention to it anymore. "...it's just coming up so fast."

Brow furrowing, he squinted up at the ceiling in thought for a second. "You mean our visit to the parental units?"

My insides churned as I gave a small nod. "It's only a week away now. It doesn't feel like enough time. I don't know if I'll be able to go through with this… if we… if I will be prepared in time… if I'll be able to face them."

"Hey, don't worry 'bout it," he flashed a warm grin. "You and me? We got this. I like to think we've become quite the awesome dynamic duo. Gotten pretty good at this whole girlfriend-boyfriend thing. Got the entire mall buying into our story and if we can fool them, we can fool anyone."

"But it's not anyone," I muttered, squeezing the pillow more tightly to me. "It's Father. And Mother. And..." my face scrunched up, "...the Duke too? ...for some reason? Anyway, tricking Father for a grand total of five minutes was one thing, but now? Now it's my whole family. For a whole weekend. What if they find out?" Oh dear, I could already feel a panic attack coming on just thinking about it. I turned my head, frowning at him. "...what if I can't do this?"

The hand behind me lifted, hesitantly hovering and shifting about for a second before settling on a quick, reassuring pat to my head. "Just say the word and you can pull the plug on this whole op anytime ya want. Don't force yourself to do anything you don't wanna do. But just know you're a lot stronger than you think. And chances are? It won't be as bad as you fear." He poked himself in the side of the head, just above his left ear, "Our brains like to mess with us, tell us things will be a lot worse than they actually turn out to be. And 'sides, you won't be doing this alone. I'll be right there with you the whole weekend. Your sister too. We got your back. You got a support system. Consider us your safety net. We'll be there to pick up the slack and catch you if you fall."

I bowed my head, nose perched on top of the edge of the pillow now. "...thank you. That helps," I muffled into it, my tiny smile hidden. And I meant it. I could already feel some of my unease starting to slip away. Straightening back up and tossing my head back onto the couch, I inhaled deeply before loudly exhaling. "I should just stop thinking about it. Stressing out over it now does me no good. I need to be talking about something else."

"Something else, huh?" he mumbled, eyes returning to the movie as he scratched the tip of his nose. "...so I had a thought. Remember the other day when you said you'd be looking for a new place in a few months when lil Baby Hewley arrived?" His knee started jiggling up and down while out of the corner of my eye, I could see his fingers fidgeting with the seam of the backrest cushions. "Well, what if… and ya know, this would only be if you weren't able to find somewhere on your own and if, like… you had no place else to go and were up shit's creek and whatnot, but… what if you moved in with…" he glanced back my way, "...me?"

I blinked at him. "...you?"

His face brightened. "Yeah, whaddya think? We got plenty of space for ya! It'll be a total blast! And hey, we could even get ya a puppy."

Fighting a grin, I quirked an eyebrow. "A puppy? But what about Saïx?"

"Psh," he brushed off, one hand batting the air. "Saïx can fight me. You want a dog? You're getting a dog, end of story."

I snerked and looked down. Lips pursing to one side, I did a mental replay of what I could remember of when Lea had given me the grand tour of his apartment. "...am I forgetting a third bedroom you guys have?"

"Nah," he shook his head, "just the two. But you can have mine and I'll just… I dunno, sleep on the couch."

"You can't sleep on the couch in your own home," I scoffed.

"Sure I can! I'm actually growing quite accustomed to catching some Z's on 'em. These bad boys are surprisingly comfy," he pat the armrest next to him and beamed. "In fact, dunno if I can ever go back to a lame ol' bed again!"

Rolling my eyes, I said, "I meant because Saïx will see you. Won't he have questions about you sleeping on the sofa every night?"

"Oh. Right," he laughed, fingers ruffling his hair. "Well then I can just… sleep in the room with you. On the floor," he hastily amended. "Yeah, it'll be fun! Like a slumber party every night!"

One side of my lips twitched up as I toyed with the corner of the throw pillow I was still holding snug. "You're sweet, but… no, that'd just be crazy."

"...yeah. Crazy," he averted his gaze with a tiny chuckle. Then he frowned, plucking the short hairs at the nape of his neck. "...is it though? I mean, think about it. It'd be like the next stage of our dating evolution. That's what all couples do sooner or later, right? Move in together?"

"But the baby will be here in, what…" both my eyebrows rose as I stared off into space, "...four more months? Five? I figure we'll have probably staged a breakup by then."

"Breakup?!" he jerked forward in his seat, eyes widening slightly.

I knit my eyebrows together. "Well yeah. You… didn't think we were going to be fake dating forever, right?"

"Well, I…" he hunched forward, propping his elbows on his knees and folding his hands together beneath his nose as he narrowed his gaze on the floor. "...no, I guess not."

I tilted my head at him. Then opened my mouth. Then closed it. I focused on the TV instead. "...I figured… it'd be some time after we visited my parents. Depending on how it goes, of course. Once I was…" I shrugged, gripping the pillow more tightly, "...sure they weren't going to try to interfere with my life anymore. After that… maybe a few more weeks? A month, perhaps? Just so it wouldn't look too quick, too… suspicious or raise questions…"

Why was this so hard? Why did it make my heart squeeze, just a bit? Come on, it's not like it was a real breakup! Besides, this could maybe, possibly, eventually open up the door to actually start something more real with him in the future. If I ever got the guts up to even pursue something like that… whenever he started dating again… which would be when he no longer had to focus on his schoolwork… aka when he graduated...

...in two years…

Why did that suddenly seem like an eternity?

"...yeah," he sighed and slumped back again, his arm returning to its position behind me as he stretched them both out along the backrest once more, "that all makes sense, I guess." His lips were a flat line for a few seconds, but then he grinned over at me. "Tell ya one thing, though. Fake getting over you ain't gonna be easy. Might have to try and fake win you back."

"Oh no," I stifled a soft laugh into my fingers. "Hang on, let me guess… You. In a trenchcoat. Standing in the middle of the bustling food court. Boombox held high over your head and blasting out some old, cheesy love song. That about sum it up?"

He smirked, "Ah, fan of the classics like me, I see. Good guess, but I was actually thinking less John Cusack in Say Anything and more Heath Ledger in 10 Things I Hate About You. Me. With a mic hacked into the food court's overhead speakers. Singing and dancing around on table tops while mall security chases me all over the place."

This big dork really was a sap. That is, if his taste in movies had anything to say about it.

Shaking my head in amusement, I said, "Who's to say you'd even fake want me back? Maybe it's you who ends up fake dumping me."

He huffed out a derisive snort, "Not a chance. I'd never be dumb enough to let someone like you go." I looked away, grateful the light from the TV wasn't bright enough to reveal the gentle warmth spreading into my cheeks. Lea shrugged as he went on, "Now, dumb enough to do something stupid and royally fuck it up so you'd kick my ass to the curb however? Yeah, now that sounds like it'd be pretty on brand for me."

"No, I don't think so," I smiled, resting my chin atop the seam of the throw pillow. "...thanks, Lea. I feel a lot better now. You're a… a really good friend."

Lea was quick to return the smile, "It's what I'm here for!" His gaze went back to the screen and there was a brief pause where the only sound was the low drone from the movie. "So… was that your roundabout way of wishing me a good night?"

"Hmm..." A beat before I shook my head, "Not yet. I think I'd like to stay and watch for a little while longer, if that's alright."

"It's more than alright," the corners of his eyes crinkled as he settled into his seat more comfortably. "It's alright times two."

I'm not sure exactly when it was I nodded off. Last scene I clearly remembered was our leading couple sitting at a restaurant together, their hands miming phones to their ears as they made imaginary calls to one another, so it must have been not too long after that. Next thing I knew I was blinking blearily at the television as it showed the girl now sitting on a bed in a small apartment, serenading the guy with her guitar. They both looked maybe a few years older. Must have been one of the sequels to the first movie. I was less familiar with those. It seemed Lea had stumbled upon some sort of late night marathon.

As consciousness returned to me piece by tiny piece, it slowly came to my attention that there was something... off about the pillow my cheek was resting against. Like the fact that it was oddly firm. And warm. And…

...breathing?

Eyes fully snapping open now, they darted about to realize I'd fallen asleep on Lea. Against his chest, to be exact. Embarrassed and panicking maybe just a smidge, I immediately tried to straighten up and away from him, only to be held firmly in place by the arm - his arm - that was draped heavily around my shoulders. I furrowed my brow over at it. Wha-?

Then he made a noise and I tensed.

Took me several heart-pounding seconds to register that noise for what it was.

A snore.

Puffing out a hushed breath and forcing my muscles to relax, I tentatively, cautiously turned my head to try and look up at him. Didn't work, and it only took me another second to realize why. There was a weight pressing down on the top of my hair that I hadn't really noticed until just now.

He was using my head as a pillow.

Welp. This was quite the predicament I found myself in.

Oh gosh, I just hope we'd fallen asleep roughly around the same time and had just, I don't know... naturally gravitated toward one another in our slumber? If I'd been snuggling up to him like this while he was awake the whole time, I'd never live it down.

Next thing my brain decided to alert me to was the fact that I'd misplaced my throw pillow. I must have dropped it when I'd dozed off for I was pretty sure I could feel it on the floor brushing against my bare feet. But that wasn't the important part. No, the important part was what my hands had decided to do in the wake of its disappearance. Left hand? It was good. Just laying there in my lap, all well behaved and polite-like. The right one, however? Had found its way over to rest atop Lea's knee. The little trollop. Especially considering that one of his hands was currently covering it. Had it no decency? No shame?

I considered my situation for another minute. Then taking a deep breath, I decided to commence with the extraction. Should be easier now that I was fully awake and aware of my circumstances so I could approach it all with a cooler, more level head.

First I used my free hand to gently lift his arm from my shoulder and gingerly set it back down on the couch backrest. Another snore from him and I froze. After a few seconds where nothing else happened however and I was sure I hadn't disturbed him, I then proceeded to bring my hand back up, this time to delicately press my fingertips to his chin.

Careful now, careful… wouldn't want to wake him…

I slowly pushed his head off mine and kept going until it lolled back onto the cushions behind him instead. With nothing left weighing me down now, I crept up onto my feet and peeked back at him to make sure he still snoozed. I was rewarded with yet another soft snore. That was all the confirmation I needed. I turned to make a break for my room.

Victory! Success! Elsa, Queen of The Daring Escape and-

Ack!

...okay, so something had just happened. More precisely, two somethings, both occurring at the exact same time. The first? Was my arm being pulled taut and bouncing me back like a rubber band stretched too tight. I stumbled but caught myself, the carpet muffling any sound I might have made. The second? Now that was just a word. One single, solitary word:

"Stay."

That one word sent my heart catapulting up into my throat as I whipped around to discover Lea had pulled his head up and was now looking straight at me.

Fudge, fudge, fudge, fudge!

...but actually… wait… his eyelids were sagging heavily. Half closed and groggy. His expression slack. And now that I thought about, when he'd spoken, it had come out sounding a little… sluggish? One might even say… drowsy?

...was he still half asleep?

I haltingly raised a hand to wave in front of his face. No reaction. As my shallow breaths began to slow and my heart rate calmed, I next looked down at my other hand to see what the snag had been there. This was the one that had been on his knee with his hand on top of it. Was still on top of it and, in fact, had tightened his grip around my fingers. This was what had snared me and brought my getaway to a screeching halt.

Yeesh, what a clingy sleeper he must be.

I brought my gaze back up to his face. He was still giving me that droopy, zombie-eyed stare. I tucked in my lower lip, studying him for a moment. Then I took a tiny step closer and bent over him slightly. My free hand came up, reaching for him. I froze midway, fingers curling towards my palm, hesitating. But only for a heartbeat before I was pushing forward again.

"Shh… go back to sleep," I whispered, gently stroking his hair just above his ear.

His really, really soft, silky smooth hair.

Which I'd not been expecting. Not at all.

Crud, I shouldn't be blushing this much.

However, it seemed to have the desired effect. His eyelids drifted all the way closed now as his head sank back down into the couch cushion. His hold on my hand relaxed enough for me to slip it free. I straightened back up, rubbing my rescued hand with the other as I watched him sleep for a few more seconds, my head tipping to one side. Then I retrieved the throw pillow from the floor and put it back on the sofa next to him before picking up the comforter to drape over him. It was only now I realized that it was too small for him for if I brought it up to cover his shoulders, it left his feet exposed.

The friggin' behemoth. Why hadn't he said anything? I'd have to see about finding a bigger one for him tomorrow.

I briefly considered turning off the TV but decided against it on the off chance the sudden lack of noise would wake him. Turning, I tiptoed back towards my bedroom, stopping in the doorway for one last backwards glance at him. Still out like a light. A grin pulled at one side of my mouth as I murmured, "Sweet dreams, sleeping beauty."

The only answer I got was a snore.

Author's Note: Our awkward penguin did it! She intentionally "made a move" for the first time, I'm so proud T_T Looks like our fire boi tried to make a bit of a move himself under the clocktower staircase there… with far less successful results xD One step forward, two steps back, huh? *Siiiiigh* ah well, these two will get there eventually :P And this is yet another chapter I lament not writing anything from Lea's POV… so many scenes in my head going on for him off camera that will never see the light of day xD Fun fact: The ice cream this chapter, Three Wishes, is named after (you guessed it) Agrabah's keyblade and I imagine its description on the menu would look something like: "This blueberry flavored soft serve will have you wishing for more! Comes in a blue cone wrapped in a ring of matching blue cotton candy, with lamp-shaped sugar cubes and a sprinkling of extra sugar to top it all off."

Next chapter, with that "make a move" hurdle finally overcome, what's next in our couple's fake dating adventures? Looks like there's a certain dinner with a certain Moon Boy on the horizon, how will this lil "test run" go? Will it be a resounding success or could it spell utter defeat for our pair? Not to mention the weekend with the folks is fast approaching, will our couple be ready in time? And just how DOES Lea fit his behemoth self into those itty-bitty pirate ship train carts? Some things will forever remain a mystery, but for the rest, stay tuned!

Thanks for reading, I super duper appreciate it! And an extra BIG thank you to those of you who’ve liked, reblogged, and followed so far, seeing those lil notifications always brings the biggest, goofiest smile to my face!

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