#so he just chucks em by my entrance gate

[attachablepenis]

in honor of my packer arriving ive changed my name

[childish-ish]

kismet

pairing: michael myers x reader

soulmate au; soulmates that make choices for each other.

part two!

"Bro. I got this bitch ass pimple on my face - what should I do?"

soulmate chooses: let it do it's thing.

"What a bitch. When i meet my soulmate I'm gonna fucking punch 'em in the fucking neck." You sigh, then snicker right after - "If i can even reach them."

Usually, you start off your day with a huge huff of cocaine and a box of Kelloggs™ cereal with the milk with the purple lid. Just kidding! You don't eat Kelloggs, instead, you eat Lucky Charms! Mostly for the marshmellows. Anyways.

You get dressed. Having been naked and looking at yourself in the bathroom mirror, contemplating on whether popping the 3 pimples on your face - one above your eyebrow, very - not visible. Another on your cheekbone - the other on your nose. You popped the one on your nose and washed your face, yesterday, so two pimples.

Anyways. You dress in regular jeans, pull over a plain grey t-shirt over your head, and slip on some socks, then your sneakers, then a hoodie. You checked over yourself and decide you look hot as fuck, and step to your bed, pull off your phone from your charger, shove that bitch in your pocket - and leave.

soulmate chooses: take a bus to school.

"Awh! They care about me <33."

"Hm." You look over the choices you get to pick - buy a donut or have a balanced breakfast.

"Haha!" You laugh, clicking on the 'balanced breakfast'. "Homeboy gonna eat good tonight. Whether they fucking like it or not."

You exit your home, keys in your pocket, and a lollipop in your mouth. You totally forgot to the brush your teeth, but gurgled some mouthwash hoping it would be enough.

You jog towards the bus, enter said bus, and sat next to your friend.

"Hey, kiddo." She waved. Neon pink hair clashed with black hair as it fell over her left blue eye, a major contrast to her paper white skin. She wore a black hoodie with some red symbol, something to do with creepypasta, black pants with large rips, fishnet tights under, and regular ol converse. Red, to be exact. Converse Chucks, to be exact.

"Shut the fuck up, don't call me that." You pull out your phone and lean down, entering your password as the bus begun to move.

"Ah, babygirl, you know that turns me on, aha - " She bites her lip and rubs her hand together like she was rubbing in hand sanitizer.

"Ah, right. I love you."

"Ew." Cheesebird laughed. Some random ass nickname you gave her because she didn't like her name.

soulmate chooses; go to classes

"Ugh." You roll your eyes - had thought about skipping class.

You look over your choices. steal a car, or walk.

Well. You don't want your soulmates feet to hurt.. so. Steal a car.

After the bus pulls up to the school, you exit with Cheesebird. You're a Senior in highschool.

You enter first period. Homeroom.

You sit in your assigned seat, thankfully, next to Cheesebird. You two discreetly passed notes, never getting caught - only once by a substitute.

"Hey, so, i know a neat place to go trick-or-treating. You up for it?" Cheesebird asked, placing her Gir themed backpack next to her feet, under the piss yellow desk -

You shrug. The day carrying on, kind've. You're in fourth period. Gym, when Cheesebird asked you the question again.

"Honestly, I'm thinking of starting in tonight. I have this fucking weird ass bad feeling.." You rub your bare arms, feeling unusually comfortable in the red booty shorts the gym made you wear.

"I can respect that. After i get all my candy, I'm gonna dip over to your house, is that okay?" Cheesebird asked, fiddling with a lollipop stick. She ate the lollipop already, stealing it from someone's backpack because of her soulmates choice - so the stick acted as a candy cigarette of some sort.

"Yeah, that's chill. What are you gonna be?" You swing your legs back and forth. Ankles crashing against the bleachers, giving you a dull pain.

"I'm gonna be a goblin. You know, if i were to guess what you were going to be, you would be a fucking astomi. Cause like, I'm gonna be a goblin.. and you're basically a goblin.. and i don't like talking.. except like, with you." Cheesebird explained awkwardly. She begun to chew on her lollipop stick.

"Yeah, i got it." You chuckle.

soulmate chooses: apple, water, and chicken nuggets.

"Oh, sick." You nodded.

"Oh, did your soulmate choose something? What was chosen your majesty?" Cheesebird asked.

"I got chicken nuggets for lunch. Want them?" You ask, looking over the freshmen that chose to play volleyball on one side, and basketball on the other.

You turn to Cheesebird, watching her eyes peek up.

Her eyes flick to you, and she nods with a smile, "Thanks bro!"

"Ah, yeah." You breathe, "No problem."

You look over your choices. clever or chef's knife.

You make a look, furrowing your eyebrows and jerking your head back slightly before choosing chef's knife.

"Another? What'd you choose?"

"My choices were clever or chef's knife." You tell her with confidence.

"Holy shit - your soulmate is a cooker! Lucky.. mines a fucking idiot."

You snort. "Lucky you.. mine could also be a murderer." You shrug.

"Hot." Cheesebird wiggles her eyebrows at you. "Oh, dude! Remember that guy - Boogeyman of Haddonfield?"

"Yeah."

"Dude, they say he escaped some institution! They might cancel Halloween cause of his bitch-ass." Cheesebird rolled her eyes and leaned back.

"Ah, what a fuck. If it actually gets cancelled, you wanna come over and watch some movies? Maybe order some pizza?" You offer.

"Oh fuck yeah man! Thanks." Cheesebird laughed, clapping you on the shoulder once.

"No problem!" You say enthusiastically, punching Cheesebird on her bare upper arm.

"Ow! Fuck.. you whore." Cheesebird sucked in a breath.

You laugh, quieting down and patting ehr on the thigh. "Wanna go to the lockers? It's almost time to go. Like, 15 more minutes.." You say absentmindedly, gazing at the red blinking numbers.

"Oh yeah. Let's go." Cheesebird was ready to hop off. You count down to 3 to 1 and jump off the bleachers with Cheesebird, jogging across the court and entering the locker room.

soulmate chooses: wash face

I didn't even do shit, though? You shrug off the thoughts and get undressed after putting in the combination for your little locker. After shoving your gym clothes into said locker, you pull on your clothes, slipping on your shoes easily and picking up your backpack. You jog over to the bathrooms, go to the nearest sink, and splash your face.

You look up - the choices; grab a water or get a beer.

You choose water. Gotta stay healthy.

You wait by the gym doors for Cheesebird. And, hooray! She comes. Don't take that out of context.

Lunch speeds by. So do your classes. After school, you walk home with Cheesebird and say your goodbyes. You pull out your keys, inserting the key and unlocking the door.

You enter, closing the door behind you. You toss the keys on the stand next to the door and kick off your shoes, throwing off your backpack and jogging to the living room. You recieve a call from your mom. Saying that she was gonna be late. Maybe coming in around midnight or even later.

soulmate chooses: order pizza.

"hey cool."

And, you do just that. You call some pizza place with breadsticks, grab some money from your room and jog back downstairs. You watch Adam Sandler movies while you wait for the pizza.

The doorbell rings after 15 minutes of waiting. You jump up and run to the door. Opening it and seeing a cute pizza boy.

"Thanks." He salutes, recieving a tip from you.

You call back a 'no problem' and shut the door, placing the pizza on the table in front of the couch. You lie down, pulling a blanket over you.

soulmate chooses: take a nap.

You feel so.. tired now. Fuck it. Let's go to sl-

You awake. The T.V. off, lights out, and warm-ish pizza. You were obviously disoriented. You go to pull out your phone from your back pocket once you sit up.

The brightness blinds you - you quickly put it at a lower brightness.

You yawn, vision vlurry before it subsides and you quickly look over your notifications. A text from your mom 'hey honey, gona b stayin l8r than usual luv u'. You smile, rubbing your eyes and holding your phone with one hand.

You stand, flashing your flashlight. You drop your phone - gazing at the large figure in front of you.

"Who.. are you?" You take an anxious step back, you can feel a stream of cold sweat stream down the side of your head - from your temple. It was fucking disgusting. So.. so dark.

You see the glint from his hand - a knife. A knife. A knife. A knife. He has a knife. He has a knife. He has a knife. Run. Go. Run. Go. Go. Through the backdoor. Now. Fucking GO!

You turn on your heel and bolt through the living room and through the kitchen. Why did you even fucking ask that? 'Who are you' - like?? You don't know him, and he's in your house. Like?? You should've just pulled a knife. Just kidding! You would've been too fucking pussy to do that :\

You inhale and exhale heavily - otherwise known as breathing. You were really close to hyperventilating - but somehow, you slow down your breaths as you quietly slip through the backdoor.

All you wanted to do - you sob in your mind, was eat some fucking pizza - you heave, as you shuffle towards the backyard entrance, that lead to the front yard. And maybe watch some fucking pornhub.. all my plans.. ruined.

soulmate chooses: go back inside your house.

You choke. Eyes growing uncomfortably hot, your bottom jaw trembled as you clench your arms, hugging yourself. Was this - this fucking stalker your soulmate?

You did have control of your body as you calmly walk back through the gate. Your eyes well up, tears blurring your vision. You wipe the tears away and wipe them on your hoodie harshly. You trace therock trail that lead around the corner of your home.

You enter through the backdoor. Closing it behind you gently. You huff, and turn around.

You immediately make eye contact with large breasts that were covered by a dark blue fabric. A zipper in the middle and a single pocket.

"So.." You begin; voice cracking. You feel your face grow hot out of embarrassment. After clearing your throat and looking into the black holes of the mask that mocked a human face, covering the whole ass fuckin head of the tall, buff male, you instantly feel small. You rub your hands together, clenching your hoodie in your hands now.

"Uh.. what's uh - what's your name?" You come to a realization of how fucking stupid that was. Asking a large scary man what his name was - he's your soulmate! A part of you pleaded for some reason. Anyways, we live for the confidence.

You gawk at the man - wasn't he "Michael Myers? Killed - killed.. four teens back in -" you couldn't remember the year. All you could honestly think about the man that was looming over you threateningly. Where the FUCK was your mom?!?

He painstakingly slowly brought up a hand, and dropped it onto your shoulder. You feel tears well up in your eyes once more as you shake under his hold.

"H - hey.. aren't we uh.. soulmates? Sh - should you really be h - HOLDING me that tight?!" You squeak, now trying to pull away. "I'm - not fucking going anywhere - "

The Boogeyman brought up his other hand and let the hand fall on your other shoulder, the hold gradually getting tighter.

You could barely see his actual eyes, due to the not-so-bright moonlight. Despite this, you see some irises..

"I - i.. I go to school.. " You blurt, "I - I have a f - family."

He didn't respond. You get anxious quite quickly due to the circumstances. You feel your eyes well up as he fucking gripe you tighter before picking you up and throwing you over your shoulder like a dead body. His actions were clear - they said 'you aren't fucking getting away'.

He held you with one arm, caging you in over his shoulder. You sob softly, but couldn't help but admire his nice ass as he walked towards the front door.

what's to become of me?

You thought. You couldn't scream - could you?

You couldn't believe you missed Halloween for this shit. You could still see some kids - they would probably run away due to their fragility.

Fuck this. We are not fucking dying. We're soulmates. But what kind of fucking soulmates does this shit? I wish my soulmate was Adam Sandler.

michael: you the bitch thats been making HEALTHY decisions for me??

you: no..?

[kbstories]

impression//expression

“It’s not like Kirishima had come all this way to U.A. to immediately break the promise he made to himself upon arrival.

It’s just that Bakugou is as feral as they come, and the moment Kirishima recognizes it’s fear he felt crawling up his spine that day, he makes it his personal mission to face it head-on until it’s gone.”

(Or: Being friends with Bakugou Katsuki is anything but a linear experience. Kirishima Eijirou would have it no other way.)

Tags: Kirishima POV, Developing Friendships, First Impressions, Slice of Life, Character Study

No additional content warnings apply. Chapter 2. Chapter 3. Chapter 4. Chapter 5. Chapter 6. Chapter 7. Chapter 8. Chapter 9.

***

Kirishima Eijirou had stared at the grin on Bakugou’s face when he pulled the pin in his gauntlet and thought: Holy shit, this guy is insane.

Over multiple screens, a good chunk of Ground β went up in a blast so strong the floor trembled with its aftershocks even here, miles away. Concrete and steel and glass were incinerated in a gust of fire and debris until all that was left was Midoriya’s crumpled form amidst plumes of smoke and Bakugou standing tall in the ruins.

The cameras shorted out once, twice before the image stabilized; the transmission remained silent. There was no sound needed to see how Bakugou’s grin got an edge sharper in the wake of the explosion.

Insane and absolutely deadly.

It wasn’t Kirishima’s first impression of him, per se. Certainly he’d had some sort of reaction to the only name ranked above his own after the Entrance Exams and the total sum of zero rescue points listed beside it. He can even remember the twinge of something in his chest after seeing that infamous quirk in action on day one – be it awe or envy or plain curiosity, that innocent question of How does it work, though? that accompanies most encounters with a new power.

Still: In those first few days, when Kirishima thinks of Bakugou Katsuki, he thinks of the mad glint in his eyes as he went above and beyond in his attempt to murder their classmate (or seriously maim him, at the very least).

In hindsight, having him play the villain was perhaps less coincidence and more fate, given the optics of what could reasonably be described as a shitshow. And, okay, Kirishima knows it’s not exactly fair to judge someone based solely on fleeting observations. His parents taught him better than that. Crimson Riot showed him better than that. It’s not like Kirishima had come all this way to U.A. to immediately break the promise he made to himself upon arrival.

It’s just that Bakugou is as feral as they come, and the moment Kirishima recognizes it’s fear he felt crawling up his spine that day he makes it his personal mission to face it head-on until it’s gone.

Endure and overcome, just like any other obstacle looming over the difficult path ahead. Kirishima smiles around the pencil he’s chewing on as Aizawa drones on, eyes trained on the uniquely tense set of shoulders across the room.

Yeah. Bakugou won’t even stand a chance.

*

It takes many cold shoulders, rebuffed lunch invitations and countless glares – and a villainous intervention Kirishima could’ve honestly lived without – for a rough voice to say:

“You there. Shark Teeth.”

The sun is starting to peek into the room as it hangs low and lazy in the sky. Class 1-A has just been released into a well-deserved weekend: Kirishima is very much aware his mothers want him home as fast as possible after what happened at U.S.J., and he’s throwing his things into his bag at peak velocity. Only after a tap on his shoulder and a subtle nod from Sero does he register it’s him Bakugou is talking to.

Perhaps ‘growling at’ would be a better description, but… semantics. Kirishima throws the guy a look and a smile over his shoulder either way, “Hey! What’s up, man?”, and given Bakugou’s eyes only narrow a little, he’s about 70% sure he’s not done something to land on his shit list.

Yet.

All Bakugou does is direct a decidedly less neutral look towards Sero, who jolts and stumbles over a quick “Um. Gotta– Yup, okay, bye!” before he books it out the classroom. Kirishima watches him go with some bemusement and a muttered “Dude”, not that Bakugou reacts to it in any way.

“Spar with me”, Bakugou says instead – demands, really – and Kirishima feels his brows tick upwards before he can stop himself, hands pausing in his quest to cram his notepad next to his books without wrinkling its cover page too badly.

“Uh. Like, right now? ‘Cause I can’t. Well, I could but I’m about to miss my train as is and I’d have to tell my–”

A slow blink, and even that is threatening when it’s coming from Bakugou. “No, asshole. This weekend, or something. I don’t care.”

Oh. Kirishima blinks. Something about Bakugou approaching him out of his own free will must be causing a substantial lag between different areas of his brain because– Oh.

“Wait. You wanna hang out?”

Maybe he could’ve hidden the clear surprise in his voice a bit better, that emphasis on you that sort of slipped in there without him really wanting it to. Kirishima’s heart sinks at the twitch to Bakugou’s brow that pretty much guarantees whatever he actually meant to say is forever lost to the ire perpetually simmering in that red gaze.

Well, it was nice knowing what going to U.A. is like. At least none of his classmates are present to see Kirishima’s inevitable – if incredibly untimely – demise.

Then Bakugou… rolls his eyes, exhales a harsh tch for good measure. “Whatever.” He shoves his bag further up his shoulder and, without a glance back, walks out the room–

Oh no, you don’t.

Out of all foolish thoughts it’s that one that shoots through Kirishima’s head before he grabs his stuff and goes after him. Bakugou somehow manages to maintain that no-fucks-given air to his gait despite how fast he walks, and Kirishima falls into a light jog to close the gap.

“It’s a great idea, man. Can’t have us going soft over the weekend! Plus Ultra, just like All Might said, right?”

Bakugou gives him a withering glance of a side-eye for his trouble. Kirishima notes the distinct lack of explode-y manslaughter, though, and allows himself to settle right into Bakugou’s pace.

“Besides, it’s been like a week and we’re already having villains crashing our lessons. I mean, we showed ‘em what’s what and all, but still! Some extra training can’t hurt.”

It’s not like Kirishima minds being the one to carry a conversation yet the fact that he hasn’t been told to shut up is… something? Not enough for Kirishima to point out, it’s just a thing he notices, just something, so he keeps talking. Past U.A.’s gates, down the stairs and onto the busy sidewalk they go, and Bakugou’s hands never leave the pockets of his pants as he marches past clusters of people in an unflinching line.

Head held high, eyes dead ahead. Cutting through the crowd with his presence alone, and in his wake Kirishima follows.

The afternoon light is hitting that glow-y hue that paints even the most mundane of things in shades of gold when Kirishima realizes they’re headed to the train station. He draws up short, slows his step in the split-second it takes to ask himself if the other even takes the train home or–

Bakugou’s eyes are on him, “What?”, that one word barked so impatiently Kirishima throws the thought right out the metaphorical window and keeps walking.

“Nothing!” A flash of his home screen proves: Five minutes left. They’re making good time. Which, actually– “So what time were you thinking for our sparring sesh? I’m good whenever, unless it’s super late at night. Overprotective parents, you know how it is.”

That gets a huff out of Bakugou. That, and a gesture that’s sort of a grab, sort of a wave that has Kirishima a little stumped until Bakugou sighs gruffly. “Your phone, dumbass.”

“Oh, sure! Here.”

The device changes hands. Kirishima contemplates feeling embarrassed about the obvious crack that takes up half the screen; he’d designed his hero costume without his delicate tech in mind, and with the whirlwind of starting and then surviving week one of the new school year, he hasn’t been able to spare a minute to get neither the phone fixed nor the costume amended.

Bakugou doesn’t comment on it – in fact, he pulls his sleeve down to hold the thing as if to cushion it, and when he taps the screen it’s with his knuckles. Before Kirishima can ask, the pre-installed voice control AI chirps its distinct jingle and Bakugou tells it to make a new contact, rattling off a long string of numbers.

Even before the AI has confirmed the input, Kirishima is catching the phone chucked rather carelessly at his head. “There”, Bakugou says, starting to climb the stairs to the tracks two steps at a time.

Kirishima doesn’t have much time to process any of that before the telltale rattling of an incoming train sounds above them. “Oh shit”, he breathes, hurrying onto the platform and to the closest door just in time to see the last passenger get out. Once inside, he pumps his fist.

“Hell yeah! Dude, we–”

The person next to him, who is not Bakugou, looks rather startled. What the…? Kirishima turns a full 360 degrees before a knock just inches from his face startles him and he meets Bakugou’s smirk, firmly on the other side of the window.

Not a moment later, the train starts pulling away. Kirishima presses close to the thick, faintly scratched glass to watch Bakugou turn and walk right back where they came from. His hand is raised, the light catching white and glinting on something in his hand.

A phone. Oh, right!

Kirishima swipes across an image of Crimson Riot’s iconic pose to unlock and reads Bakugou Katsuki, having left the tab open in his haste. First things first: With a soft snort and a few swift taps, the name is changed before Kirishima hits the speech bubble icon next to it.

Baku💣💥

bro what the hell (sent 17:14)

but thanks (sent 17:14)

it’s kirishima btw (sent 17:15)

just text me the details whenever 💪🏻 (sent 17:15)

He watches the tick next to his messages turn blue almost immediately and waits. One station passes, then two. By the third Kirishima is sure he’s been left on read and laughs, shaking his head. Of course.

The rest of his way home is spent assuring Sero he has not, in fact, exited life in a flurry of explosions as well as letting his moms know he’ll be home in a few. The next time Kirishima checks his phone is between brushing his teeth and climbing into bed, two unread messages waiting for him.

Baku💣💥

[link] (received 19:35)

6AM tomorrow, don’t be fucking late (received 19:35)

The link leads to a location which his phone matches to a quirk-friendly gym pretty close to the U.A. grounds. Kirishima scrolls through a few images of the facilities with some interest before his brain registers–

6AM. On a Saturday.

Baku💣💥

/dude/ (sent 22:08)

srsly?? (sent 22:09)

😩😩 (sent 22:19)

f @ my sleep schedule but ok (sent 22:25)

Minutes later, Kirishima stares at the near-painful sight of an alarm set to 5AM before he sighs and flops face-down into his pillow. The things he does in the name of friendship.

>>Chapter 2

[yikesharringrove]

Zoo date as requested by @xgardensinspace

Here is a link to my post about Harringrove for BLM, and here is a link to Writers/Artists Against Police Brutality

Here’s also a link to the Masterlist of Harringrove for BLM coutesy of @harringrovetrashh

Thank you all for organizing, participating, and donating. 

-

Modern au

Please ignore my rhino facts I love them so much

Steve’s encounter with + reaction to the rhino is based on me from a few years ago

-

“Wait, this is, this is where you’re taking me?”

Billy was pulling into a spot in the parking lot of the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park.

“Yeah. You’ve never been to this one, and I know how much you love a zoo.” Steve was vibrating in his seat.

This was one of the best zoos in the country.

He chucked off his seatbelt, making Billy laugh as he scrambled out of the car.

He danced around as he waited for Billy to grab the backpack he had put together for the day, before taking his wrist and dragging him to the ticket counter.

“Baby, I already got us tickets.” Billy shuffled him to the gate, jostling him past the birds at the beginning of the park. “We’re on a schedule, Pretty Boy. Gotta be there in ten.” He led Steve to the Ranger Base, walking up to the ticket window.

“Hi, we’re in the 10 am caravan group.” The woman behind the counter took their tickets, pointed them to another group a little ways away.

“Wait, are we doing one of the tours?” Steve was sitting close next to Billy, all pressed up against him. Billy kissed his forehead.

“You’ll see.”

Their tour leader began explaining a few of the rules of the caravan to them, shuffled them aboard, and set off across the park, leading to the large open African Plains.

Steve cooed at all the buffalo, taking picture after picture of any baby animals they saw, getting yelled at when he excitedly almost stood up in the moving truck.

“So, a few things about feeding the giraffes.” Billy could feel Steve begin wiggling next to him. “You each get three pieces of lettuce. Stand like this, hold the lettuce out, and let the giraffe take it from you. Do not touch the giraffe’s face or neck or anything.”

“Wait, Bill we get to, to feed them?” People had formed a line as one of the giraffes came loping slowly towards them.

“Yeah, this is like, the extra bitchin’ tour. You get to see all the animals real close, and feed ‘em and stuff.” Billy’s mom had taken him when he was little.

Steve was staring up at the giraffe, the first few people posing as the people they were with took pictures of them with the giraffe. Billy pushed him forward a little, taking about a fucking million pictures of Steve looking like a little kid, so fucking excited to feed the tall baby. Billy gave him one of his lettuce pieces so that he would keep smiling like that.

The caravan rattled on, transitioning to the Asian Savanna.

“Oh, my, God. Bill look at the rhino. Bill look.” Steve was slapping his arm. The guide laughed at him.

“You a fan of rhinos?”

“I love them. They’re my favorite.”

“Well, you’re in luck.” The cart stopped as the huge black rhino began lumbering towards them. “So, to feed Edison, our adult male Indian Black Rhino, wait for him to open his mouth, and toss a piece of apple in there for him. Everyone gets four pieces.”

Steve’s eyes were huge.

“You can touch his horn gently, but do not touch his eyes or nose. And he has the jaw power to rip your hand right off, so don’t put any fingers in his mouth.”

Steve’s fingers were tight around Billy’s wrist.

“Indian black rhinos come from northern India, Nepal, and Easter Pakistan. They have one thick horn, whereas African white rhinos have two long thin ones. Unlike most horned animals, a rhino’s horn is not made from bone. It is made from keratin, the same as your hair and fingernails, so it’s essentially like one big fingernail on it’s face.” Steve was nodding along. He knew probably every fact about the different kinds of rhinos. “White rhinos are typically larger, but the black male rhino has an average weight of nearly five thousand pounds.”

The rhino had approached the caravan. Steve was titled over the edge, staring at the thing.

“The Indian black rhino is now longer classified as endangered after the conservation efforts in the Indian subcontinent over the past two or so decades, unlike the northern white rhinos, with a population of two. Here at the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park, we are making conservation efforts in our frozen zoo, where we keep genetic samples from thousands of species. We are currently working on a way to artificially inseminate a female black rhino, or a southern white rhino with a northern white rhino fetus in order to try and grow the population that way.”

Steve was hanging onto his every fucking word.

They let everyone line up before them, Steve was too busy just fucking staring at the animal while he listened to the guide’s speech to move, apparently.

“See, this is why I got us on this one. Knew you’d lose your damn mind if you got to feed a rhino.” The guide handed Steve a few extra pieces of apple, shooting him a wink.

Billy stood behind him as he leaned over the side of the caravan, tossing apple into the rhino’s mouth, patting his horn.

“You’re the sweetest baby in the world. I love you so much. You are perfect, and amazing.” Billy stifled a laugh as he filmed Steve.

When he finally stood up he was fucking holding back tears.

“I just, I love them so much.”

“I know, Baby.” He put one arm around Steve’s shoulder on the ride back to the rest of the zoo.

Steve must’ve thanked the guide about a million times before they set off to do a loop around the park, stopped for close to twenty minutes in the petting zoo so that Steve could pet a little black goat.

Billy lost his fucking mind in the reptile house, spent at least a few minutes with his nose pressed to the glass of every terrarium.

“Stevie, fucking look at that tiny baby.”

The tiny baby in question was a twelve foot anaconda.

Steve kept his distance as Billy cooed over some scorpions, called a Goliath birdeater tarantula a beautiful boy. Steve knew his taste in animals was odd, but then They passed by the giant old tortoises, and Billy went berserk.

“They look like sweet little men. What amazing gentlemen. They are kind and wise.” He was passionately gesturing at the creatures, leaning over the rail around the enclosure.

Steve can’t fault Billy for going all soft at the desert cat nursery, as Steve was shoulder to shoulder with him as they smushed up against the glass to look at the tiny little things.

In the Australia section of the park, Billy only used an Aussie accent, would make Steve laugh because it was actually really good. He would make his voice all deep and say wallaby all drawn out, just to make Steve’s smile get bigger. Steve gasped when they saw the platypus.

“I didn’t think these were even real.”

“Are you serious?” Billy still had that fucking accent.

“Yeah. I mean, they sound so silly. They’re like, a duck and a beaver and a snake. They’re weird little hybrids with venom, Bill. Venom.” They watched the awkward little thing waddle across the field.

“It’s kinda growin’ on me.”

Steve got an amazing picture of Billy with about fourteen butterflies on him in the butterfly pavilion, And Steve got shit on by the parakeet they were trying to feed.

They hit the bird show on their way back to the entrance, would laugh and grab each other’s hands as large birds would swoop overhead.

They finally left the park after spending a minute at the gift shop, Billy surprising Steve with a soft stuffed rhino at the exact moment Steve presented him with a floppy stuffed tarantula. Billy couldn’t wait to put them on their bed.

Billy threw his arm around Steve’s shoulders as they walked to the car, the sun beginning to sink.

“That was a real good day.” Steve was slurping at the remains of an ice cream cone.

“For sure one for the books.” The tops of Billy’s shoulders on either side of his tank top were a little red from the sun.

“Thank you for bringing me. You know how much I love zoos. And getting to, getting to touch and feed a rhino, Billy that made my fucking life.” He kissed the side of Steve’s head.

“I’m glad, Sweet Thing.”

[madlyinlovephff]

Chapter Seven

“X Marks the Spot”

“When someone finds something they have been looking for”

-------------------

“Escapes me why you wouldn’t just get ‘Air Edwards’ printed on it, its your’s for god’s sake” Amelia joked at me as the car stopped on the runaway.

I threw her an annoyed look, having heard the joke before “Shut up or I won’t let you on it”.

She pushed me as we got out of the car, her huffing behind me. My security detail including Kyle and Gary had already started getting both our stuff out of the cars and into the jet.

“Answer me sister, why buy it when you don’t even want to claim it?” Amelia winked at me as she stepped towards the jet and I rummaged through my purse for my phone.

Karol and Lima had gone their merry way already, knowing having a complete week off while working for me is both a blessing and a rarity, they decided to leave before me to start their fun; whatever it was. As much as I know and remember, Lima had gone back home to her mother’s for the week.

“Because we share the surname and there’d be no telling exactly whose it is” I sent a cheeky smile her way as we both laughed getting up the small stairs and into the private jet.

We’d decided to travel apart from the rest of the bridal party and a few hours before both the parties to get the house in order. I don’t know if I’ve mentioned before, but my vacation homes are much more used by my friends and family than me. It was almost an occupational hazard of sorts.

It wasn’t long before the plane had taken off and my sister and I settled low on our seats as we were served dinner. The flight was long; 12 hours and a few minutes to be exact but Amelia and I were no strangers to long flights and sleepy nights; particularly in that order.

She turned to look at me when she heard me sighing, “Hey Addy, thanks for coming out for me today. I don’t know how you do it, but you really don’t let me down”.

“I should be the one saying that, idiot. You’re the one who is always there for me before I even ask you. And what kind of a sister would it make me if I couldn’t even make it to your show while I’m on a break?”

“Yeah, a break that began not even 4 days ago. You’re not really taking a break, to be honest Adds”, she gave me a concerned look.

I frowned at her, “I am taking time off and going to Greece for 5 days. How is that not taking a break?” I asked her, confused.

“Mary Olivia’s wedding is very last minute, I know you didn’t know about it 2 days ago because I didn’t either. Don’t use this as an excuse because we both know you would be here even if you weren’t on a break” she said.

I sighed and turned away from her, knowing I couldn’t win with her.

I heard her open her laptop, starting to type. “Well if you’re not going to talk to me, I won’t make you” 

I rolled my eyes, “Keith told me to take a break, you know” I confessed.

If Amelia was shocked she hid it well, “You mean to say Keith told you to take a break too” she said.

I chucked, “Yeah. Said my songs are starting to sound the same; repetitive”

She was quiet for sometime. “He’s not wrong, you know. Addy, I love you but your personal life has been a flat road for years now. I honestly am shocked sometimes by the media attention on you because to be honest, you aren’t the most interesting person out there for them”.

I cackled at that, having missed her blunt tongue.

“I know right? I wonder about that too sometimes. How are they not bored of me yet?”

She smiled softly, “You’re going to have to let someone in, you know. Sooner or later” she whispered.

I nodded, feeling drained of having the same talk with everyone. Could I get a break from this?

________________________________________________________________________________

“Kyle, what did Victoria tell you about the house situation again?” Amelia asked as we both scrolled through her Instagram, me laying my head on her shoulder as we were on our way to the villa in the outskirts of Santorini.

The weather was better, trees were greener, vibes were warmer in Greece. It was one of my most favourite places in the world; and that’s saying something because I’ve been to a lot of places. 

The sea is the best in Greece, hands down. It is the absolute best here.

Kyle didn’t turn behind, instead met her eyes through the rear view mirror as he replied, “Vic just said the caretaker had gotten it cleaned. The security has been posted around the perimeter and at the gate and the pool’s been cleaned too”

I hummed. “What about the cook?”, I asked.

Kyle cleated his throat, “Victoria said she was told not to get a cook”.

My eyes widened as I started panicking. No cook? Who the hell was going to attend to the 14 guests that were on their way to the villa?

“Wha-

Amelia shushed me, “Hey, don’t worry. I was the one that told Vic to do so. I said I’d cook”

I turned to look at her, incredulously, “What? Why would you cook?”

“Why can’t I cook, Adelaide?”

“It’s not that. Why would you cook for 18 people? Have you gone mad? We don’t have Nana’s help here, if you’ve forgotten” I ranted, now anxious.

My sister sent me an exasperated look as if I was worrying for no reason. “You react so violently sometimes, I almost want to slap you”.

“You always want to slap me”.

“Not always”, she winked.

It wasn’t long before we were reaching the familiar neighbourhood and I started getting my purse in order, sighing in relief as we entered the gated area, stopping for security reasons. I made sure Victoria called ahead for extra security, specially at the entrance for everyone that is entering the villa because all in all, I took security as a responsibility if the entire bridal and groom party of my old friends were to be held at one place. 

Being too careful never hurt no one.

“You carry so much security. Sometimes I think you’re a country’s president”, of course my kind sister had to have a comment about everything. But she wouldn’t be Amelia if she didn’t make fun of me for everything.

“Shut the fuck up, Em” 

She threw me a peace sign just as the car stopped at the entrance of my beautiful white villa, very aged in reality but it had been with me for just a little under 3 years. 

Some of the workers were cleaning the gardens and the pools, I noticed at once. There was a man using the land mower, making a lot of noise but I was fine with it until and unless they were done with the cleaning before the guests started arriving.

“I thought the house was polished already?” Amelia asked Kyle, stepping inside the main foyer area, the white walls standing tall beside her petite figure. Kyle shrugged, indicating he was going to place a call regarding the same.

It wasn’t soon before we were both bounded inside, our luggage being dragged in after us that we were sat at the familiar couch in the living area, a coffee already on the stove courtesy of my sister. 

“We have so many memories here, no?” I sighed, as I looked around.

Amelia chuckled, “Every summer for the last 4 years now? I love this place Addy, don't know what I’ll do if you decide to ever sell it” she said.

I frowned at her, “We both know you’d never let me sell this house; and even if I do, you’ll probably buy it from me just so you can stake a claim in your name. You’re forgetting I know you too well” I rolled my eyes, laughing.

“Probably”

————————-————————————————————

There was a knock on my door. “You’re done changing or what? Security is sending them in as we speak” Amelia said, hanging halfway inside my room, then almost slipping on her feet.

I rolled my eyes at her, “You aren’t even wearing heels, Em” I say and I follow her out of the room, turning the lights off as I exit. 

She looked down at my feet, seeing my 6 inch stilettos and face palmed, “I feel under-dressed now so let me just go and change. You know, I really hate being your sister”.

“Yeah right”

It wasn’t long before people were bounding inside, Charlotte Wellesley being the first one to step inside, her Hermeś bag on her right arm. Sophia, Willa and Mary Olivia were the next ones followed by a lot of men, most of whom were from Robbie’s side. However, I could hear a commotion outside.

“Look at this place! I always underestimate you, Addy” Charlotte exclaimed, in a tone I knew I didn’t like. So it wasn’t a surprise that my fake smile didn’t bother her in the least. Sometimes you have to deal with aristocrats like her too.

“What’s going on outside?” I asked Robbie, as I pulled out of our hug. Amelia had just arrived on the scene too, now in her beige 5.5inch heels. 

Robert, Robbie’s brother, laughed at that, “Harry’s security isn’t being allowed to come inside. Your security is giving them hell because of some issue” he said.

After kissing everyone’s cheeks, I was outside like a breeze, worried about the issue. I took hosting at my place way too seriously even if the event had nothing to do with me. I hated tarnishing a good hosting.

Apart from the 7 more cars in my driveway, and more people stepping out of the cars or others getting help from my service for getting their luggage out, there were about 6 people right outside the main gate, clearly in a heated argument.

“Kyle? What seems to be the issue here?” I said, not even noticing that my voice had taken an authoritative tone. 

Kyle and Gary both turned towards my voice, along with the rest of the men. All of them were dressed in black suits, and badges indicating how 2 of them were someone’s security detail.

“Look, miss, His Royal Highness will not be stepping inside if his security detail isn’t allowed to. However, he is here off-schedule so we request you do not waste his time on such a trivial matter” a buff man said, very formally.

I squinted at him in anger, how dare he speak to me in such a manner! I ignored as Gary said something to him as a rebuttal.

“No, you look here, mister. No one steps foot on my property until and unless their background checks were sent to my security prior to their arrival. This includes other personnel of security as well. This is my property and an event I’ve taken under my supervision. So I apologise if I’m wasting someone’s time, but this isn’t a trivial matter for me. This matter is solved, Kyle. Gary, show them the way out where they can wait while I speak to Robbie and Mary in private” I said, anger in my tone and fire in my eyes because if there’s one thing I don’t react well to; it’s authority from someone who clearly has no authority over me.

“Yes ma’am” both Kyle and Gary said in unison, before the rest of my security started showing them the way out and I turned.

“Well, that was quite a speech. I must say I’m impressed” came a voice, I detected the posh British accent in it in a second. 

I turned around to face the man, already done with this shit. I hate dealing with stuff like this.

It wasn’t long before I stopped in my tracks, and I noticed the man did too. For a few seconds, we just stared at each other and I wondered why I had to be in this situation with this man, and this man alone. Couldn’t it be anyone else in the whole wide world?

It was Prince Harry. 

Ofcourse. Robert mentioned the name Harry and his security dropped the HRH. It was right in front of my face.

He recovered first, smiling beautifully. “Adelaide, I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure of meeting you yet” he said, putting his hand forward.

I caught his hand, still not breaking the eye contact. I don’t know why I wasn’t able to look away from those baby blues in this instant, but I hoped I didn’t look like a creep.

“Your Royal Highness, likewise”.

He chuckled, something dimming in his eyes as I called out his title and I noted that he probably didn’t like being called that.

“Uh I’m sorry for the mishap, Ms. Edwards. I fully recognise that it was a mistake at our end-“

“So then you also understand how my security can’t do their work if they let inside someone they had received no prior information about” I cut him off, crossing my arms, almost forgetting who I was talking to but I was in my element in that moment.

He paused for a while there, probably not expecting me to act the way I did. He looked at his 2 bodyguards and shook his head at them.

“What is the solution to this then?” He asked, turning to look at Kyle and Gary.

I frowned at him as my security detail looks at me as he questions them. I cleared my throat, now fully realising that everyone was outside at the garden patio and involved in our drama.

“The solution to this is them stepping out of my property for the next 24 hours which gives my security proper time to do background checks” I said, exaggerating a little but I was triggered. 

Harry visibly sighed, “Is there no other way? They are royal security, if they’re with me that means they already have gone through an extensive background check.”

I took a beat, “Look sir, I have a policy about this that I plan to uphold; it’s the same as if you were here without any security and someone else brought in two highly trained personnel with guns on my property”, I gave him a look because I knew I had hit a correct point with this one.

“Ma’am, you have more than a dozen security officers here right now, it is not possible for His Royal Highness to step in without any prior knowledge to this either”, one of his protection officers said.

I frowned, not acknowledging that he was right to a certain degree too.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair and turning to look at Kyle and Gary, “Alright, here’s how this is going to work; these two security officers will be allowed to enter the grounds, however they will not be entering the building or be allowed in the backyard and the private beach”,

I then turned towards the Prince and his officers, “As is the rule for all of my security detail except for Kyle and Gary, here. This is the best I can offer you” I gave them a look, ready to step out of the conversation because I was suddenly reminded of the fact that we still have no cook and almost 2 dozen people to feed.

As I walked away from the scene, I heard Harry berating his officers but by then, I was over this issue. I walked inside the place, noticing numerous luggage bags all over the place and 2 people in the pool already before I entered the kitchen, squinting at Amelia who stood there, hands on her hip and barefoot.

“Is this the time when I get to say I told you so?” I chuckled, laughing harder when Amelia turned around with an extremely offended look on her face.

“I really didn’t realise just how hectic it’d be considering we just travelled overnight too”, she pouted and I decided to just be the bigger person at the moment because we quite literally have a lot of people to feed.

“Dial Kyle’s number and ask him to come inside, lets just get him to get the cleaning people to distribute cookies and juices in everyone’s rooms” I instructed her, and within a minute Kyle was stood in the doorway to the huge white kitchen, trying not to laugh as well.

“Shut up, get me a cook or two from the city as fast as you can, and get me two of the cleaning staff that can give around juices and biscuits, atleast till we figure this stuff out”

“On it, Addy”, and he was gone.

“I have an idea” Amelia said, and I rolled my eyes. “Spare me another one of your ideas, please”.

“Can you just listen? So let’s just start with salad and cocktails because we are going to be able to get done with them in the next half hour while the cook situation gets fixed” she said and I thought that might have just been the only good thing she’s said all day but I didn’t voice that particular opinion.

“Alright, you can get started on the salad, I’ll take the cocktails-”

“What’s this about cocktails, I hear?”, came a voice from the doorway and I turned so fast at that familiar voice, Amelia almost gave me a weird look.

There stood Prince Harry of Wales in all his glory, visibly relaxed than I’d seen him earlier in my front porch, and I pretended the blinding smile of his didn’t bother me. Because, it didn’t. 

“Uh Your Royal Highness, I had no idea you’d be joining us”, my poor sister sounded so confused as she threw me a similar expression, but obviously held her own because we at the end of the day, we were British.

Harry laughed politely at that, “Yeah, a lot people wished they received the guest list earlier”, he said smiling at me, to which I squinted my eyes at.

Amelia gave me another look and by this time, I was so done with her obvious looks; I wanted to get out of the kitchen. Cutting my train my of thought, 2 of the cleaning staff we’d hired entered the kitchen, throwing uneasy looks at the occupants in the kitchen and not having a clue as to why they were sent here.

“Hello, I’ve called for you here; just do me a favour and hand out some cookies and juices to the guests in all the bedrooms and by the pool, yes?” I said as my sister started getting the said stuff out of the cabinets and onto separate trays. All this while, I noticed how calmly Prince Harry stood leaning against the plush doorway seeing the scene in front of him and didn’t utter a word until the staff was out.

“You were serious when you said this was your property” he stated.

My sister laughed at that, already getting started with her famous Mediterranean Salad as I noticed her fetch the soya sauce out of the fridge, “How come you two have never met before?” She mused, pretending as if she was asking the question to herself.

I sighed, not wanting this to turn awkward, “I don’t to know to your question and yes I was serious to yours; now Amelia, can we please figure out the starters at least until Kyle gets the word out?”

“You take this hostess thing pretty seriously, don’t know?” Harry asked and I could almost sense a teasing tone underneath his words as my sister and I ran about the kitchen, setting stuff up for the preparation of the salad and cocktails.

Amelia glanced at me as she noticed I was in no mood to reply to that comment, mostly because it was true, “You have no idea, it gets taken for granted most of the times too” she said, smiling at him.

“Hi, I’m Harry; it’s a pleasure to meet you” he said after a heartfelt laugh as Amelia introduced herself and they shook hands on it. He looked at me for a moment, probably deciding whether or not he should do the same with me but my teasing smile must’ve made the decision for him.

“Hello there, they call me Harry; what do they call you?” 

“They have too many names for me, kind sir”

“Well, what name do you like to be called by, fair maiden?”, he asked, eyes twinkling.

I pretended to think it over, getting ice from the ice-cooler, “Ms. Edwards, if you will”.

He squinted his eyes at me, the teasing smile still on his face and I could just feel Amelia’s eyes on us throughout the conversation; it wasn’t until we heard a crash that we broke eye contact, just to see that my sister had dropped the knife.

The vibe in the kitchen was too chill for me to even think twice about a Royal’s presence in the kitchen of my home with my sister in attendance. He laughed at my sister’s antics and picked up the knife before she could, turning to look around the kitchen as if he was seeing it for the very first time.

“It’s a nice place you got here, Santorini has the most beautiful water”, he said casually and I smirked as I remembered how I said exactly that to my sister earlier in the day.

“Thank you, I got it on sale actually”

“Oh, did you now?” 

It was quiet after that comment as I shook my head, “you can go right ahead to the pool if you’ve freshened up already; we’re sorting the food situation out”.

Harry leaned against the customised white marble counter, “I heard something about making cocktails and decided it would be highly impolite if you weren’t made to taste some of mine specialities”.

“We aren’t having you work while we host, Harry”, Amelia said, shaking her head at him.

“I’m offering it to you”

“Well, we didn’t ask for it. Our nana would turn in her grave if she were here” I said, setting up all the beverages in front of me to get started on the drinks.

He sighed, looking at the two of us as if he couldn’t believe we weren’t accepting his help. “Is it because I’m too handsome?”

A burst of laughter sprung out of me before I could even think about it, “That definitely isn’t the reason why”.

It wasn’t long before he had convinced us that no one in the world could make a better Black and Tan than him, after he saw the bottles of pale and dark beer on the counter. 

“You will love it, just trust me”, he said and I rolled my eyes as I got started on my cosmopolitan. 

A few minutes later, Kyle walked in with three people; two men and a woman. He stopped short when he noticed Harry standing beside me, trying to snatch the single vodka bottle we had left. He didn’t comment on it because he knew better and just introduced us to the three cooks he managed to get to us in the short amount of time. Amelia thanked him before asking him to get more beverages, to which he quietly responded and promptly left the kitchen.

We decided to set up the late lunch in the beautiful wooden Gazebo outside, that I had had visions about for the longest of time before it got installed in this villa. It could seat well over 25 people. Amelia and I argued about that too but we reached a decision pretty quick when we saw the weather outside. 

The smell of the Greek Sea reached my senses, as the temperature already started to get a little chilly since it was early February. Harry was helping us throughout, bringing his special cocktails out in the sun, walking alongside me, as he placed the tray on the large bamboo table (that I got custom made specially in Brazil).

“This might just be one of the most beautiful views I’ve ever seen”, he said, eyes trained on the vast sea in front of us, which was just a few steps down from the rock the villa was built upon.

I hummed in response and noticed how quickly he got involved in conversation with the rest Robbie’s groomsmen, hearing the word Hazza over and over again. I went inside the kitchen again, checking up on the food when Amelia entered after me and just stood there, staring at me.

“Yes?”

“Don’t yes me; what the hell is going on between you two?”

“Between who two?”, I knew who she was talking about because how could I not with all of her obvious stares.

“Don’t think you can play me, Adelaide. I thought you’d never met Prince Harry before?”, she asked, confused.

I looked around, satisfied that none of the three cooks looked even mildly interested in our conversation. “That’s because I haven’t; well, not before today”, I replied.

“It certainly did not look that way. Why is he being so chill with you?” 

“Hell if I knew. Maybe he’s a fan” I threw her a cheeky smile at that, walking out of the kitchen as she followed me.

“Yeah sure, that’s definitely it”, she said and I didn’t reply to her because for one, I didn’t have an answer to her and second, we were amongst 20 other people as we stepped out once again.

Everyone had started mingling, as I found myself in conversation with Louis Spencer, someone I’d met numerous times before because of his on-again, off-again relationship with my cousin, MacKinley Edwards. He even had been to our family estate over Christmas Holidays two years back.

MacKinley is my first cousin on my paternal side; being the only daughter of my Uncle, Matthew Edwards who is the younger brother to my father. To be honest, I had zero idea about Mac’s and Louis’ current relationship status and I was too afraid to ask. 

I caught Harry’s eyes as I was laughing at something Louis had said and his eyes flitted over to him, frowning as he stepped out of his circle, clearly intending to join Louis and I.

I raised my eyebrows at him, as he handed me another Martini, side hugging Louis as he did some weird fist bump thing.

“You two know each other?” Harry asked, pointing at Louis and I, and we turned towards each other, smiling.

“A little too well, no, Addy?” Louis smiled a Cheshire grin, nudging me with his shoulder.

Harry was clearly very confused at our relaxed attitude. He asked Louis to explain; and I was suddenly hit by the realisation that the two of them looked a little too similar. The resemblance was definitely there.

“You remember MacKinley, don’t you? Adelaide Edwards here is cousins with her”, he replied, sipping his drink.

“MacKinley Edwards? You’ve been going out with her forever” 

“The very same one. Afraid the surname is the same one” I sarcastically said, biting my tongue afterwards as Louis shook his head at my response.

“I’ve known Addy and Amelia just as long as I’ve known Mac; we even spent a Christmas at her estate two- three years back?” 

“Two”

“Two years back”

Harry nodded, clearly a little thrown off by that information as I took that opportunity to ask about their relation, slapping my forehead as Louis relayed the information about them being first cousins as well, on Harry’s mother’s side and Louis’ father’s. I obviously was privy to this piece of knowledge beforehand, however it hadn’t hit me until just that very moment.

“That was wee bit weird, no?” Harry laughed as Louis walked away from us.

“It just keeps hitting me how we’ve never met before today” I replied, taking a sip of my Martini.

He took a deep breath, “That ought to be the truest thing I’ve heard today”.

It wasn’t long until food was being served and everyone was seated around the bamboo table, people pulling their white chairs back to sit. Pizza was being cooked in the natural oven we got installed outside, the smell of chicken overtaking my senses and I realised I didn’t have my phone on me to click the picture of the delicious scene on the table.

I started asking everyone to help themselves as Amelia sat on my right and Louis on my left. Robbie poured everyone Champagne as he remained the only one standing. Once he was done, he told us that he’d like to make a toast and then turned to look directly at me.

“To Adelaide and Amelia ofcourse, for so graciously accepting to host us here and always being the friends that Mary’s frustrated at awful hours of the morning. We love the both of you” He raised his glass as did his fiancé; my sister and I raising it back to them as everyone yelled.

“This is such a beautiful property, Adelaide. I’m in love” Sophie commented and I smiled at her.

Robbie continued his toast only to be cut off by Mary-Olivia as she started hers. We all laughed at their antics. Late lunch which had already turned into an early supper, finally started as everyone helped themselves to it.

I caught Harry’s eyes somewhere in the midst of it, throwing him a smile as he replied with a similar one. I asked Amelia to turn on some music as I didn’t have my phone on me at the very moment as she teased me with ‘Should I play one of yours, hm?’, and I slapped her shoulder at that.

It got worse when someone asked Amelia what had happened as she let out a loud laugh at my reaction; and then she continues to tell them exactly what happened. I rolled my eyes as everyone chuckled at the taunt, Louis being the loudest of them and I mimicked shooting him in the head before he came to an abrupt stop.

An hour later, the guests were sprawled all around the area, some in the pool; others in the hot tub and a few just lounging on the beach chairs. Mary-Olivia and Robbie were dancing quietly and I was conversing with Charlotte because we both happened to be at the outside bar at the same time. I was getting myself a whiskey and I didn’t bother to know what she was getting herself; ducking out of the conversation as soon as I had my drink in one hand and my phone in the other.

I headed down the rocky steps to the beach, initially standing and then just sitting down as I took a deep breath, the wind running through my hair and I felt alive for the first time in a long while. I continued sipping my drink, glad to be away from all the noise when I heard a voice behind me.

Turning to look back at whoever had followed me, I saw Harry; clearly on a with someone. I didn’t think he me until he cut the call, swiping at his phone and turned to look ahead, finding my eyes. I could sense he thought twice about coming over, as he reached me and plopped down beside me on the chilly sand.

“This shouldn’t be considered safe, you know. High tide’s on” he said, eyes locked on the ocean ahead.

“Pretty sure it isn’t”

We sat in silence for the next few minutes, laughter from the house above reaching our ears; clearly someone was thrown into the pool as a shrieking followed. Probably Mary-Olivia.

“I feel like I should apologise, for this morning” he said, turning to look at me.

I shook my head, sipping my drink as his eyes followed my movement; “I wouldn’t worry about it a lot, I do apologise if I let myself get too heated. I just take this stuff seriously because that’s exactly what I’d expect from someone else, you know?”, to which he hummed.

“Also for not letting them inside the property”, he chuckled as he continued.

I joined in the chuckling fest, “You’re very welcome”.

Another silence crawled its way in but it was nice. It was a different kind of silence that wasn’t awkward but serene. Sitting out here with him didn’t feel like an intrusion from either of our sides, and I found myself breathing a little easier. 

Not much had to be said, we were two strangers after all; but at the same time, it felt comfortable. It wasn’t like me to feel so relaxed with someone so soon. There were so many things two complete strangers could talk about, but we chose to be silent.

I caught him looking at me a few times, the blue in his eyes so mellow because of the dark. I thought about what he saw when he looked me.

It felt nice. Normal, even.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Addy’s Vacation Home in Greece

Addy at the Airport

Addy in Greece

[pitviperofdoom]

Fundraiser Commission #2

Thank you for donating $20!

Prompt: “Shigaraki, Dabi, and Toga go to Disneyland (no ships please, unless you wanna include a bit of Dabihawks in which case I will love you forever)”

Sadly I couldn’t fit the Dabihawks in there, sorry! I ended up going AU with it, hope that’s okay!

---

Like most things that made Touya drag his feet and roll his eyes and desperately pretend not to care, it was Himiko’s idea.

She came prancing into the bar while Tenko was hard at work mopping up nose blood by Fuu’s table, because some drunk idiot thought it was a good idea to reach for her chest. “Ten-chan! Ten-chan, guess what!”

Instinct almost made him snap at her for using even a shortened form of his real name, but the only other people in the bar were Kuro and Touya, so he let it drop. “Himiko, I don’t care who you fell head over tits in love with today, I’m not helping,” he said without looking up.

She pouted, her face scrunched up in a way that made her nose even more button-like than usual. “You’re no fun, Ten-chan. Besides, it’s not even about a crush this time!”

“Stop the fuckin’ presses.” Satisfied that the floor was clean, Tenko plunked the mop back in the bucket. “What’s up?”

She bounced eagerly on the balls of her feet. “Want to go to Disneyland with me?”

For a moment he simply stared at her, blinking owlishly as he processed the question. “What.”

From the pocket of her sweater she produced two slips of paper and waved them about. “I got two all-day passes! Let’s go to Disneyland, Ten-chan!”

He squinted at her. “Where the fuck did you get two all-day passes to Disneyland.”

“I won a sweepstakes!”

Tenko stood there, still holding on to the mop handle, processing this slowly. “When did you enter—no.” He threw his hands upward. “You know what? I don’t wanna know. Fine, you won a sweepstakes. Let’s go with that. Disneyland? Great!” He caught his breath, already mentally calculating the fastest way to save up the price for a third ticket.

Blissfully unaware, Himiko tackled him with a hug around his middle and a squeal of delight.

---

Touya was doing inventory in the back when Tenko flung the door open. “Good news! We’re going to Disneyland.”

“Congratulations,” Touya answered, without looking up from his clipboard.

“You’re coming too,” Tenko informed him. “My treat! You don’t have to worry about your ticket, and I’ll buy you an obnoxiously over-priced lunch, courtesy of the mouse.”

Touya shot him a disbelieving look, and the pencil in his hand began to smolder. “Tenko, what the hell. Who else is coming?”

“Just you, me, and Himiko,” Tenko answered, and was cut off by Touya groaning loudly. “C’mon, it’s Disneyland! Haven’t you ever been to Disneyland before?”

“Oh sure, yeah, the old man used to take us every weekend. We got pictures of him posing with Goofy.”

“Great, then—wait, really?”

“No, you fucking idiot!” Touya snapped. “I wasn’t even allowed to watch movies until he decided training me was a waste of time!”

“Oh,” Tenko said softly, and for a moment Touya thought the conversation was over. “Ohoho.” Something about Tenko’s tone made him look up, and he found Tenko staring at him with wide eyes and a grin that showed just a few too many teeth.

“Tenko, what—”

“I get to show you Disneyland,” Tenko said gleefully.

“Yeah, no.” Touya turned back to the inventory. “Have fun with Himiko, bye.”

“Touya, come on,” Tenko gritted out, walking into the back room and closing the door behind him. “You have to come. You can’t make me go alone with her!”

“Why not?” Touya asked. “She likes you better than me.”

“Because I need you to help me rein her in so she doesn’t get me perma-banned from Disneyland!”

It was frustratingly hard not to laugh at that. “What do you need my help for?” he asked. “What makes you think I’ll be any better at keeping her from biting the park staff than you are?”

Tenko shot him an impressive stink-eye. “Oh, I’m sorry, which one of us was an older sibling again?”

“Oh, what, you think that means I’m genetically predisposed to wrangling infants? That’s weak, Tenko.” He turned away with what he hoped was finality. “Have fun without me.”

After a moment of silence, Tenko answered, “I mean, we will. I didn’t think you’d be so bent on missing the show.”

Damn him, that was a good point. “If you’re so excited to drag me to a corporate shitshow of obvious pandering to a target audience, then why do you want me to come on the one day you’re pretty much guaranteed to get kicked out?”

“Because everybody and their grandma will have a camera and internet access, and if we end up plastered all over the internet, there’s a chance somebody’ll look at it and say, ‘Hey, isn’t that Endeavor’s kid getting maced by Minnie Mouse?’”

Touya whipped around to scowl at him. Tenko offered a disarming smile.

“Bullshit,” Touya retorted. “The mascots don’t carry mace. Do they?”

“Nah. Disney’s kind of obsessed with their squeaky-clean image. Did you know that if you die in Disneyland, they won’t let the paramedics call it until you’re out of the park so they can pretend nobody has ever died in Disneyland?”

“How many people die in Disneyland?” Touya demanded.

Tenko blinked. “None, weren’t you listening?”

For a while, Touya stared at him. Tenko stared back. This was a losing battle, and he knew it. Tenko had the patience of a brick wall. “You’re not gonna let this go, are you?”

“No.”

Touya put down the clipboard with a thud. “God damn it. Why are we friends? I hate you.” He turned back to glower at him. “When are we going?”

---

Obviously Himiko pouted when she found out that Touya was coming along on their little impromptu day trip, which was why Tenko waited to tell her until they were about to leave. She liked his company enough to prefer it over anyone else’s, and that wouldn’t do. Exclusive one-on-one positive contact with Tenko and Tenko only did not a well-socialized human being make. Tenko wished he could have invited some more people, but Himiko had sprung this on him on incredibly short notice, so there was no time to bribe anyone else to do it. Besides, his pocket money was limited and a day pass to Disneyland was like, eight thousand yen.

So they were going with Touya, and if Himiko wanted to complain about it, then Disneyland had plenty of distractions available. Once they got through the line, of course.

Tenko and Touya passed through the security check without any problems, because they weren’t stupid. Himiko, naturally, set off the metal detector.

“God damn it,” Touya muttered under his breath. “Why did we bring her again?”

“They were her tickets,” Tenko hissed back. “Technically, we’re the ones who brought you along.”

“Oh, yeah. Why did you bring me again?”

“What’s left of my sanity,” Tenko said out of the corner of his mouth. On the other side of the security gate, Himiko offered a cherubic smile that showed off just a little too much gumline, as the long-suffering security guard pulled a small metal device out of her purse. It was a nail clip, with attachments: a file, a buffer, a cuticle nipper, a cuticle pusher—basically any metal tool required in a manicure. It was like a Swiss army knife without the knife.

With a sigh, the employee put the manicure set back in her bag and waved her through. Himiko joined them with a skip in her step, and together they made their way past the entrance and into the World Bazaar.

“Did you seriously need to bring that?” Tenko asked. “What, are you planning on setting up a nail salon in the Space Mountain line?”

“Nope!” Himiko chirped. “I just didn’t want them to look harder.” She kicked up one heel so she could reach it with her hand. From inside her sock she produced an actual Swiss army knife.

“Himiko, what the fuck—”

---

“I can’t believe you actually bought those,” Touya said, glaring as if Tenko had personally affronted him.

“Bought what?” Tenko said innocently, reaching up to touch his mouse ears. “These? I brought these from home.”

“You still bought them at some point!”

“I think they look cute, Ten-chan!” Himiko hung onto his arm, squeezing tight enough to measure his blood pressure with her bare hands. “Don’t listen to him, he’s no fun! They look super cute, especially with your hair!”

Tenko let himself preen a little, because at least someone had good taste.

“Are those rose gold?” Touya asked.

“Maybe.”

“And you seriously shelled out for that?” Touya pulled a face. “Last month you tore me a new asshole for wanting to buy hero merch.”

“Oh fuck you—hi.” Tenko paused to wave at the park employee who was leveling a cheerfully pointed customer service smile at him. “Touya, you wanted to buy the store’s entire stock of Endeavor merch just so you could burn it.”

“What’s wrong with that?” Touya said sullenly. Himiko pouted, because she usually tried to avoid agreeing with Touya on principle.

“Uh, one, pollution,” Tenko said, counting off on his fingers. “Two, your money management sucks and you need to get it together. And three, you’re still giving money to the guy you hate. If you really want to snub him, just shoplift it. Or bootleg it. And speaking of which, that’s exactly what I did.” He gestured vaguely upward.

“Those are bootleg Mickey Mouse ears?”

“Bought ‘em from an artist on Etsy,” Touya said proudly. “The mouse had just sent her a cease-and-desist, so I got a pretty sweet deal.”

“Ten-chan, can I wear them?” Himiko asked. “I’ve always wanted Disney ears!”

He tugged on one of her side-buns, making her squeak. “Don’t waste your money, you already got ‘em.”

---

“I’m in hell,” Touya said serenely, slipping further and further down in his seat. “This is hell, right? It has to be hell.”

“I’m getting more of a purgatorian wasteland vibe,” Tenko remarked. “Like, this isn’t quite on the level of, say, Chuck E. Cheese, in terms of children’s media hope-abandonment, but… I dunno. I can imagine this playing as I eternally wander in search of penance for my past sins, or something.”

“I’m just waiting for one of those furry bastards to step off the stage and straight-up eat a kid,” Touya said, earning a glare from a nearby grandmother. “Like that one, with the guitar and the pouty mouth. Imagine that guy just unhinging his jaw like a snake and swallowing a toddler in the front row.”

“Huh.” Tenko leaned on one hand, squashing his cheek to the side. “Yeah, I could see it.”

Two seats down, Himiko continued to bounce and sing along to the twanging country music, blissfully unaware of the dull-eyed mother of three popping an aspirin and glaring at her.

---

“Okay, so we’ve been through the World Bazaar, Westernland, Adventureland, Critter Country—”

“I wanna go on Splash Mountain again!” Himiko cheered, throwing her hands in the air excitedly. She nearly punched Touya in her enthusiasm, but he quickly sidled out of the way, pulling the map close so that she wouldn’t tear a hole in it by accident.

“We can do that later,” he informed her. “We’re in Fantasyland—hang on, why am I the map guy?”

“You’re the oldest,” Tenko said.

“This trip was your idea! I didn’t even want to come!”

“Really? Because that wasn’t what you said when we got off of Thunder Mountain—” Tenko spotted a nearby face character and hung an immediate left. “Oh hey, I just found our next stop.”

Touya lowered the map. “What? Where? If we want to fit everything in before the park closes, then we have to hurry up and get to—”

“Yeah-yeah-yeah whatever,” Tenko called over his shoulder. “This won’t take long, I just want a quick selfie with Alice.”

Touya caught up to him just so that Tenko would see his incredulous look. “Why?”

Tenko stared back. “Seriously? That’s my favorite Disney movie!”

“Since when?”

“Since I saw it! How do you not know this already?”

“I did!” Himiko piped up. “It’s my favorite, too! I love the Red Queen.”

“No, wait a minute.” Touya squinted at him. “You told me literally an hour ago that your favorite Disney princess was Aurora because, and I quote, ‘I, too, want to sleep for a hundred years and let some other asshole fight a rosebush while I enjoy my coma.’”

“Oh, yeah, I was just being a dick,” Tenko said. “Alice in Wonderland rules. No dead parents bullshit, just eighty minutes of plotless colorful mindfuck.” Before Touya could protest any further, Tenko ducked in to grab his selfie. To his credit, it did take less than a minute. Tenko wasn’t picky about selfies. Unfortunately, Himiko immediately wanted one of her own, which then became three, and then ten…

The Alice jumped, and for a split second she seemed to struggle to stay in character.

“Oops!” Himiko chirped. “Did I pinch you by accident? Sorry!” Before the Alice could reply, Himiko darted back to the boys.

“Okay, you both have your stupid selfies,” Touya said impatiently. “Now can we hurry up and get to—”

“There’s a gift shop!” Himiko shrieked. “I’m gonna go see the gift shop!” Before either of them could answer, she raced off through the crowd.

Touya groaned loudly before Tenko dragged him after her. “Yeah yeah, hurry up and let’s catch up before she stabs someone.”

It was easier said than done; the store was packed and the aisles were almost mazelike. “Is there a fake weapons section?” Touya asked. “We’ll probably find her there.”

“Nah, this is mostly clothes…” Tenko looked around. “Maybe… there! I see her!”

“Where?”

“By the costume dresses, come on!”

Sure enough, to their immense relief, they found her pouting over a rack of child-sized princess dresses, with minimal carnage left in her wake. “None of these will fit me,” she fretted.

“Duh,” Tenko said flatly. “Adults can’t cosplay in the parks or they’ll get confused with the face characters. Kids get a pass because nobody’s gonna mistake a four-year-old for a Disney employee.”

Himiko looked close to wailing as they gently herded her from the store. “But—but—”

“I’ll buy you one online when we get home, now come on before Touya throws a tantrum.”

Touya folded up the park map and slapped him with it.

---

“Guys! Guys! Ten-chan look! Look at that Cinderella! She’s so pretty!”

“Himiko, there’s a line!”

“You can’t just trample children, you’re gonna get us kicked out!”

“Me next! Me next! Ohhhh, I want a dress like that! Ten-chan, won’t I look pretty in that dress?”

“HIMIKO!”

---

“Personally,” Touya remarked as they stood outside the park gates near closing time. “I can’t believe we didn’t get kicked out.”

“We had some close calls,” Tenko said. “I thought we were done for back at the Cinderella castle for sure. Also five minutes ago. I can’t believe we actually got out of that.”

“You guys worry too much!” Himiko said blithely from behind a bush. “I’m very charming.”

Touya scowled. “Himiko, you literally had to turn into a different person and point security in the wrong direction.”

“And they believed me, because I’m charming!” Himiko stepped back out onto the sidewalk, once more clothed and wearing her own face. “Thanks for the clothes, Ten-chan.”

“I figured you were gonna need them at some point.” Tenko rubbed his eyes wearily. “Let’s just go home so I can take an aspirin and sleep.”

“And find a Cinderella dress for me online,” Himiko added.

Tenko’s headache kicked up a notch. “Damn it, I was hoping you forgot.”

“Nope! I remember everything you’ve ever told me.”

---

“Hey Ten-chan. Ten-chan.”

“Yeah, Himiko.”

“I just wanted you to know I was kidding about the princess dress. I don’t even need it!”

“Mm-hm.”

“Wanna know why?”

“Yeah sure.”

“You’re not even looking! You have to look.”

Distracted, Tenko turned to look at her, and promptly fell out of his chair when he found himself staring at the Cinderella face character from the park, smiling Himiko’s smile.

“Is it too much?” The disguise sloughed off of her, revealing the Alice face character instead. “How about this, Ten-chan? You said Alice was your favorite, right?”

“Himiko, what the fuck.”

[the-concealed]

Giving Chase: a Monster Prom fic

Brian didn't really care much about anything. In fact, he could care less about prom and relationships but now due to a misunderstanding between him and Damien. He's forced to go on a scavenger hunt with the demon to "confess" his true feelings to Amira when in reality, he's just here to prove that Amira was never into him in the first place. Proving LaVey wrong would be pretty sweet, rubbing it in his face for the rest of high school would probably be even sweeter.

AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14794778/chapters/34227776

Lyfe suxx! Eat dik n snort coaine!

These were words that were in the process of being scratched into the bathroom stalls. Brian was beginning to find out small acts of vandalism were a regular thing whenever one hung out with a certain drug-laced spirit. The stink of unflushed urine and mud wafted through the room, it was a smell so familiar to Brian he began to look back on the bittersweet memories of the past when his father raised him. From the dead, of course.

Ah, sweet nostalgia.

“Wipe that grin off your face, zombitch. It’s creeping me out.” Brian blinks once slowly and swivels his head to stare blankly at a smirking fire djinn. He had almost forgot that there were also other people in here with them, it seemed like half of the gym class skipped yet another one of Coach’s dodgeball matches. Amira and Damien hover close to the door. Each one taking a seat in between the sinks, watching Polly expertly scratch vile language with the help of a blue glitter pen. Brian merely grunts in response to Amira’s insult, zombitch was one of the tamer jabs. It seemed like they were feeling merciful today.

A husky voice breaks out into a chuckle, Damien high-fiving Amira and pointing a vicious finger at the undead boy in front of him, “Nice one, Torch. Zombitch. I think I might keep that one. Who the fuck is this kid, anyway, Polly?”

“Oh, Brian? He’s in our gym class, dummy. He keeps saving my ghostly, and perfectly perky, ass at dodgeball so he totally rocks!” Polly grins widely and shoots you a wink, raising two pale thumbs in approval. Brian nods in thanks and leans further back towards the wall, to avoid the glare and wrath of Damien. The demon was easily set off and while Brian wanted nothing more than to put him in his place, he would also really rather keep all of his slowly deteriorating limbs.

“Think you’re better at dodgeball than me, don’tcha?” The demon’s eyes were alight with a poorly hidden hunger for a fight, a challenge or anything to pass the time, Brian would bet. But this wasn’t the day to prove which monster was better at throwing foamy balls at high speeds. In fact, Brian wished there wouldn’t be any days for it. Damien continued, on his feet now, and with Brian’s tall stature, had to crane his neck up a bit to deliver the threat, “Given the chance, I could crush you like a fucking cake in a fat kid’s birthday party.”

The threat didn’t prove to be as effective as Damien would have hoped, considering that Brian was taller than him by more than a few inches. It was like being threatened by a violent fire-starting raccoon, dangerous but come on it’s a raccoon. Brian grunts again in response which only seemed to piss Damien off more, “What the fuck? Can’t you say anything more than just grunt?”

“Oh don’t worry, Damien, I’m sure Brian doesn’t just grunt. He could moan for you too.” Amira snickers, setting her finger alight and flicking the small flame, it wavered towards Damien. It lands, sticking onto the demon’s leather jacket and sizzling. Polly lets out a loud, “Pffffbbt!” and squeals delightedly, a very loud and open advocate for gay monster sex. The zombie wishes that he could just push aside the boy in front of him and strangle Amira for suggesting that he’d do something as vile as having sex with that pyromaniac. Damien brushes off the small flame and scowls at the other two, taking a quick step away from Brian, “Eat shit and die, Torch. Don’t you have a stupid fucking scavenger hunt with Miranda soon?”

Scavenger hunt? Knowing Amira, it didn’t seem like it was their scene. Hell, hanging out with Miranda was very few people’s preferred scene, less you were one of her serfs in which case you were pretty much forced to. For the first time, Brian’s jaw unhinges and he talks, startling Damien beside him, “Scavenger hunt?”

“Christ, you sound like you smoke three packs a day.”

Brian shrugs and clears his throat, he knew that his voice was deep and somewhat guttural but that was just one of the few traits he took on after being introduced to the afterlife. He couldn’t help it, much like Polly couldn’t help but phase in and out of the bathroom walls. She was clearly on something, or the usually talkative Polly would have been bouncing up and down trying to pry information from Amira about the hunt. He ignores the top half of the poltergeist sticking out from the ceiling and tries again, “What’s that for?”

“Sorry, Brain,” Brian’s eyebrows furrow at the nickname but stops himself from correcting the fire djinn, and lets them continue, “I can’t give you any deets or else me and Miri will be disqualified from the hunt. It’s top secret stuff, you know. All I can tell you is that a bunch of weird guys in robes gave Miranda a list and a map with a skull and crossbones at the end...”

“Uhh..doesn’t sound safe,” Brian tries to interject to which Amira completely ignores. Why did he even ever bother trying to steer the djinn away from any kinds of danger? It seemed clear that the idiot was a natural born magnet for fucked up situations. Amira equaled bad news and bad news equaled a pain in the ass for Brian, these were just facts.

“...and we all know that skull and crossbones are the signs of a killer rager. Miri loves scavenger hunts and I love me a good fucking party so its a win-win situation. It’s an invite only event though, so I can’t have you guys tag along. Soz. Anyways, gotta bounce! It’s almost 3pm, Miranda’s meeting me at the gates for a shopping spree. Catch you lamesters later! Bye, Green!”

The last part was aimed at Brian and with a wink and a wave, Amira was out of the bathroom and jogging towards the main entrance, quickly disappearing out of sight. Brian knew  that he should have gone after them but at the time, it didn’t seem as urgent. Amira was feisty and wouldn’t go down so easy in a fight. So he lets them go, making a mental note to send them a text later. Amira may be a bully but they were his bully and somewhat friend, so he felt partially responsible should they meet a violent end. But at the very least it was quiet now, he hoped that the demon and the poltergeist would leave but no such luck.

The silence was broken by yelling soon after. Damien released an earth-shattering yell and punched a bathroom door, the veins in his neck becoming more prominent as he strained himself further and further. What the fuck? The zombie took a step closer to Polly, in case the demon started throwing objects. The last thing Brian wanted was a hurt Polly, not that he cared about Polly much in particular. It’s just that he’d never hear the end of it should he choose not to protect her. Chivalry is dead, he could imagine her whining. Thankfully, however, Damien didn’t seem intent on chucking toilets out left and right so Brian, bewildered, just stood there and stared incredulously.

“Are you ok-”

“I’m fucking PISSED. Why did I get called a lamester and you get a nice fucking nickname?” Damien is bent over, hands on his face and seething in anger. That was...it? Brian wasn’t sure what to do after such a bizarre outburst of childish anger.

“Oh...Uh, I’m sorry?” As soon as he spoke, in a blink of an eye, Damien was right in front of him and gripping the front of his jacket. He forces the zombie down to his height and hisses, “Damn better be! Now listen here, fucknuts. Amira seems to like you,”

This was a debatable fact, but Brian kept his mouth shut.

“So I’m not going to beat your rotten face in right now. They were calling you so many nicknames it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that they’re probably in love with you.”

“I’m sorry.” This was the wrong thing to say as the zombie had meant to pose it as a question but it ended up coming across as if he was apologizing about being the sole carrier of Amira’s affections. This was absolutely not the case. That was just the kind of person Damien was, full of assumptions and violent temperament. Once something was in his head, it was rather hard to get it out. So Brian tried a different route to diffuse the situation but Polly interrupts him before he could get anything out, “Amira isn’t in love with him.  They’ve seen him before he turned into one of the undead, and trust me he’s prettier now than he was back then. No offense, Bri.”

Ouch. A little punch to his already fragile self esteem but it was true, he had been one ugly motherfucker back then but still she didn’t have to say it like that. The only thing to do was ride this wave out, he adds, “Amira doesn’t talk about love, everything is about sex with them.”

This was also the wrong thing to say. No matter how true it was.

“You absolute bastard, how dare you invalidate Torch’s feelings like that? You think it’s easy to be so nonchalant when you’re around the person you like? It’s like not being able to kill someone for a long time, the anxiety and need for it just sits at the bottom of your stomach and festers and festers. And you know the only thing thats gonna relieve it is if you slide a dull butter knife through someone’s gut and watch the life seep out through their eyes.”

“Oh! Oh! Oh! Like not doing meth after two days and you just start itching everywhere and looking for a fix. Oh em gee, love is totally like an addiction to drugs and murder.”

Where was the exit again? Of course, Damien would be blocking it. Someone please get him away from these weirdos. The demon’s grip on his jacket became tighter and tighter, the neckline began to get a tiny bit more uncomfortable as it rubbed against Brian’s skin. “Why do you care so much?” Brian, as emotionless as he tries to appear to be, couldn’t help but glare at the demon.

The demon’s eyes widened for a fraction of a second but then quickly narrowed, he bared his fangs, “I’m their friend, don’t friends look out for each other?”

Brian cocks his head curiously to the side, the glare melting off his features, “No, it’s more than that. I’ve known Amira for a while but I’d never get heated about something as stupid as this.”

“T-then you just don’t care about them as much as I do.” His grip on Brian’s jacket loosens and he takes a step back, wiping a red hand over his flushed face. Or perhaps it was just his red skin that made it look as if he were flushed. Either way, Brian’s pretty sure he’s already got the reason why Damien was being so touchy on the subject. The idea of love really had a way of turning people into spastic intense idiots, it was somewhat nauseating. Briian’s been undead for a while now and he’s glad that most of his more passionate emotions got left behind along with his mortality. If he ever turned into a mushy pile of overly jealous goo like Damien did, someone else could eat his brain.

The zombie fixes his clothes, straightening the wrinkles Damien had made. Polly sighs and glances over at the demon, “If you like them that much, why don’t you go and join their scavenger hunt. Confess at the end of it and take them to prom. It’s simple and not as flashy as some promposals are but Amira was never one for romantic gestures anyway. No need to get so physical, jerkface.”

Damien growls, “I don’t like them, dumbass.”

“Don’t you?” Brian asks curiously. The scowl on the other boy’s face deepens as a deeper red crawls its way up from his neck and spreads to his ears. Like Brian said, nauseating.

“I told you, they like you. Not me. Get your head on straight, Stiff.”

The zombie grunts once again, pushing Damien aside to leave, “Whatever, lover boy.”

“Fuck you.”

It was at this time Polly chose to interject, “Yes! Just fuck each other already. God.

But you two should totally go after that scavenger hunt though, maybe it’ll strengthen the bond between two monsters. It’s not as exclusive as Amira wants you to think tbh. Half of the coolest ghouls in town know about it. The party is going to down at the crazy Doomsback Mountain, or named hopefully in your case, Brokeback mountain.”

Damien scowls and Brian merely blinks at the saucy wink Polly sends both your way, “If you weren’t already dead, I’d kill you right now. Anyways, let’s go, Stiff.”

“Uh, where?” As if he would go anywhere with that psycho alone. It would be stupid to think that Damien LaVey wouldn’t have at least five knives stuck to his person at all times.

“To Brokeback mountain!” Polly cheers, raising a pale fist high up in the air.

“To Doomsback,” The demon insists, his glaring silences Polly as she sticks her tongue out and phases out of the room. Damien turns back to the other boy and narrows his eyes, “You’re gonna tell Amira how you really feel so they don’t waste their time pining.”

“Wasting one day of my undead life to prove you wrong would be so good,”

A dark chuckle rises from deep within Damien’s chest as he cracks his knuckles menacingly, a glint in his eyes as he replies, “And beating your ass after you apologize to Torch would be pretty fucking sweet too.”

“We’ll see about that.”

[brimbrimbrimbrim]

Hi I hate to ask this but I've had the worst day of my life, a sprained ankle and then a car accident. It's been horribly rough. Could I get a small one shot Lucas fic of taking a liking to and comforting a found captive?

Don’t apologize for asking, Anon. That sounds like a terrible day. I hope you recover mentally, physically and financially very soon. Car accidents are terrible and a sprained ankle is rough. I hope this fic helps ease some of the crappy feels that today has given you. Much love for you on your road to recovery.

It started off with Lucas getting bored enough to watch all the VHS tapes he could salvage - ending up with a bundle of his Ma’s collection and nothing else to do. So, he sat around with his thumb up his ass and suffered through Beaches, Titanic and… some stupid Wayne Newton thing while eating bags of cheese puffs and peanuts.

By the end of Steel Magnolias, he felt like someone had ripped his balls off and sewn a pussy on him. All he could think about was cuddling and fawning over a girl of his own, and it made him nearly sick.

He sat around for another two days thinking about what it’d be like to have a girlfriend and jus’…hold hands. Hold hands?! Like he was some fuckin’ prepubescent brat. He wanted to fuck and cum balls deep in some hot cunt, not sit around and hold hands all day. But he did, and so he sat around with a blank TV and a heartache, not knowing what to do with himself.

On the third day of his self-inflicted misery, the ol’ man came in with two bodies.

“Morgue’s overrun, boy. I’m sticking these down in the stalls. They ain’t been fed yet so don’t you touch ‘em, ya here?!”

“Whatever,” he replied, not thinking twice about it cause on account of the goop his brain had become and got a nice crack in the back of his head with a baseball bat for his trouble.

After dear ol’ dad had taken down a charter bus full of shitheels lookin’ to spend the weekend in New Orleans for the big fuckin’ Mardi Gras parade, Lucas got stuck with two captives when the basement started overflowing with new arrivals. Two too many, he grumbled, hearing one of them start screamin’ after only two hours strapped up.

Ain’t nobody got time fer this, he thought.

He had other shit to do (he didn’t), and it wasn’t even like he could use ‘em for test subjects either so what good were they but an annoyance? They’d both been there since this morning, and it only took until now for Lucas to realize one of ‘em wasn’t screaming - hadn’t been since Daddy brought ‘em by.

Typically it wouldn’t peak his interest - the silence - but the last bitch he’d tossed in the rat’s nest had long since turned to bones, and he was bored. The tapes had made him weak at heart, and he couldn’t stand watching another one of his Ma’s sentimental tear fests.

Just the thought was making him wanna puke.

Lucas hunched over his desk, frowned and gave the little joystick a push to the right, panning camera nine over to the quiet one all tied up in one of the horse stalls.

A girl, Lucas noticed immediately. She was quiet, reserved and hadn’t moved much. Without much reason to, Lucas hadn’t gone down since they’d been brought in and secured to their posts. He hadn’t bothered to look at ‘em either since he wasn’t supposed to play with ‘em. Shoulda took a little trip down though, cause the chick looked kind of hot once he zoomed in a bit. Get rid of the blood and dirt, and she’d been the nicest lookin’ bitch to ever get past the gates.

“Ain’t it just peachy ah’ get stuck with a dumb whore in the barn…” he grumbled.  She looked like one too (not really), but guess that coulda’ been the fact that she’d been stripped down to her panties. At this angle, he couldn’t see her tits, but her back was bare, so she wasn’t wearing a bra or nothin’.

Shame - shame he didn’t have a good angle for a free viewing.

His Pa never said he couldn’t have himself a look-see. As long as he didn’t chuck her in the Birthday Room, who cared if he had a little fun? All he wanted was a look and maybe a hug or some snuggles - No! No, he just wanted to watch her heaving tits as he jerked off on the floor in front of her. He wanted to slip his dick between ‘em and… ugh…

Lucas wanted good night’s sleep with a warm body beside him, in all honesty. It got pretty lonely now that he was off the grid more or less - just enough connection established to contact his people and set up communication between all the cameras and speakers. No more porn to toss his rocks off to. No cam girls to watch while he fucked his fist, pretending it was a pussy. And now, worst of all, he’d brainwashed himself into wanting something more innocent than a good fuck. Maybe when the girl down in the barn passed out, he’d go lay next to her…

The girl down in the stall shifted, stretching a long pale leg across a bed of musty hay.

Shit! Where was his Polaroid at? Worse case scenario he’d snap a picture of her and lay in bed looking at it like a freak.

Four upturned boxes and a messy bed later, Lucas was loading up his ol’ polaroid camera with a dozen blanks, fingers shaking. He was only a bit ashamed of how low he was willing to go for some semblance of intimacy, but hell… he was desperate, and it was hard enough keeping his head clear as it was.

It was pretty pointless, but he rubbed his face clean of the blood from earlier and threw his door open. Lucas kicked his heels into the stairs, eyeing the molded that were hanging off the walls. They’re gaping jaws clicked open, swinging towards him jus’ enough to know it wasn’t some escapee running fer the hills. One of ‘em gurgled, gagged and puked up a messy wad of bones as Lucas passed it by.

Easily ignored, when his heart was busy jackhammering at the thought of this girl his Pa had brought in.

The girl was sitting in the stall, a chain wrapped around her waist, connecting her manacled wrists and branching out to the pole she was resting against. She didn’t have much wiggle room, but all in all, it wasn’t as bad as getting cramped into one o’ them dog crates.

She didn’t even bother lookin’ at him as his sneakers crunched over brittle hay, pausing outside the wooden gate. A fountain of pale hair hung down in front of her face, covering the tops of her tits.

“Hey-hey, come on, bitch! Wake up!” He snorted as she jerked but did little else. Only when he growled and gave the gate a hard kick did she swayed. A hint of perky nipple poked out of her thick hair as she lifted her head; blood-matted hair slipping out of her eyes. Blue eyes, like his own, looked up at him, gazing under wet lashes.

She was a hottie, and Lucas was struck half dumb for a good long minute jus’ looking at her.

“My leg’s broken,” she whispered. Pain made her voice throaty, ragged enough he found himself licking his lips, wondering if he should have brought her a soda or somethin’. He palmed his Polaroid, nodding to her with the tip of his chin.

“I’ll set it fer ya if ya give me a smile. I’ll even bring you upstairs and get ya somethin’ to eat. How about that? Sounds like ah sweet little deal, don’t it? Jus’ gotta say cheese!”

“It doesn’t and I won’t,” she said, leaning back against the wooden pole, exposing her bare tits through a curtain of dirty hair, uncaring.

Lucas popped himself a picture without obscuring his view with the shitty glass lens. All she did was blink at the flash and nothing more. No rebuttal, no tears or anything else he’d have expected. Hell, Lucas even had a running shower up there. How could she say no that kinda offer?

Slowly, checking the barn entrance with a narrowed look, he smashed the lock on the gate and swung it open. The noise or the implication made her stiffen over the hay bed. In her lap, she curled her fingers and closed her eyes. Dry, cracked lips, which probably looked pretty full and sexy when she wasn’t dehydrated, mouthed words… no, they mouthed numbers.

Lucas shoved his shoulder into the wooden post as he read her lips while she chanted math equations, solving for X and Y in some weird, brainy coping mechanism. Probably thought he was gonna rape her or somethin’. All the chicks that came through here thought he would…kinda got insulting after ah while.

“Ya forgot to carry the four, sweetheart…” he told her, watching as she ignored him, continuing despite her fuck up.

Kinda interesting. Usually, everyone just begged and screamed for someone to come rescue ‘em - like they were a princess in some wild fairy tale. This one accepted her fate, or at least what she thought was gonna happen, and did her best to prepare for it. Lucas liked that - respected it. And so he yanked the film from his camera, gave it a couples flaps until the badly lit sight of her with those cute tits came full color. He threw the picture at her, snorted when she kept on dividing and subtracting and left her there.

It wasn’t until the next morning that Lucas got itchy again.

All night he’d been watching her through the camera, ignoring the stupid asshat in the stall beside her as he screamed. It was hard to see through the snowy lenses, but Lucas was pretty sure she was still miming mathematics to herself. She didn’t sleep, at least not for more than half an hour maybe. Her unbroken leg would kick or stretch and once he saw her turn her head up towards the camera, staring at him.

“Come and do it already,” she’d say, making his gut churn sickly.

After his ol’ man had come in for the retard with the broken vocal chords, Lucas stuffed a bag of skittles in his pocket, grabbed a can of soda and hopped the stairs to see his adorable brainiac.

She was docile, only watching him, never begging, as he swung the gate open and stepped inside. The stall was narrow but spacious, but Lucas threw himself down beside her despite having enough room to host an orgy if he wanted. The girl tipped her head back and breathed deeply, ready for whatever she thought he was gonna do.

“Skittles?” he offered, shaking the packet near his jaw with a feral grin that made his cheeks ache. He’d forgotten how to smile, so a grin would have to do.

The barest touch of her tongue between her lips made Lucas swallow. In her lap he noticed her fingers twitch.

“…why?”

He didn’t need a reason, but he had one, ‘course he did. Lucas wasn’t gonna tell her, though, so he just shrugged and tore the corner off the packet, shaking a few into his palm. All he needed to do was stare at her hands fer a few seconds before she got the idea and offered her palms to him; shackles clinking. Bruises and bloody scabs ran like bracelets around her wrists.

He dropped a few sickly bright skittles into her palm and watched her wince, trying to put them in her mouth. If he weren’t so sure she’d bite his fingers off or curl her nose in disgust, he’d have fed them to her.

“So, ya like numbers, huh?” He waited for her to say something, but she merely sucked the Skittles in her mouth with half-closed eyes; savoring the sugar in silence.

“Me too,” he sighed, scooting a little closer to her until he just missed bumping her broken leg.

“My Pa said I was gifted when ah’ was younger. But hell! - Guess geniuses go crazy every damn day, huh? Jus’ another one with a bad brain.” It felt better talkin’ to someone that wasn’t Eveline…or imaginary like Oliver had been (sometimes still was). Even if she didn’t talk back, Lucas liked laying back in the barn with her. Nothin’ else better to do anyhow and it was the closest he dared to get to something resembling cuddles. Not that he wanted that… obviously.

“… can I have some more?” she asked, sounding so tiny and small that somethin’ in Lucas started to hurt. He looked up at her from the soft ground, saw how empty her eyes were - like a dead sea - and handed her the whole bag of skittles. The little, hopeless smile she gave him made his chest tighten like there was a hook buried in it.

The only thing that sucked about dosing himself with that serum was all the emotions he had coming back to him. That’s all it was. Could’ah done without ‘em, if he were honest, but the girl ate her candy through the pain, meeting her hands halfway down and somethin’ about giving her that little act of kindness made him wanna do more and more… and more.

For the next two days, he spent most of his time either telling himself not to go down and see her, or sitting with her in the barn, feeding her junk food, handing her bottles of water or talking to her (actually talking to himself, but that was neither here nor there).

Eventually, he went down to see her with a real goal in mind - not just trying to keep her alive. He brought the bolt cutters with him. The ol’ man wouldn’t sweat one little captive - not when he had dozens of ‘em fresh and ready to be hatched. If his Pa said anything, Lucas could just tell ‘im the molded got hungry and climbed the gate. Easy.

She withdrew at the sight of him with the cutters in hand, but still, she didn’t beg or scream. Lucas cut her chains without a word and tore her manacles off as easily as if they’d been clay. When he grabbed her around the waist, careful of the raw red skin where her chains had been, he felt her muscles tighten. Not one to take that shit personally, Lucas tried to smile but ended up grinning and slung her over his shoulder… only then did she scream. He could feel her tears soak through the back of his hoodie and her broken leg bang against his chest.

Lucas tried not to let the sounds of her agony bother him, but they did. Every step made him wince as she bawled her eyes out, shouting and begging him to stop - that it hurt 'it hurt so bad!’

In a few minutes, she’d be right as rain, but the pathetic, sloppy sounds still wedged their way under his skin somehow.

She sobbed when he set her down on his couch, fingers running along her broken thigh like fluttering leaves; listless. Pain lined her body - her face and brows. The lights above their heads highlight the heavy fall of tears that made Lucas feel guilty for some fucking reason. Not like he’d broken her leg…

He grumbled and left her there to her misery as he went to the kitchen, pulling out a bottle of the good stuff for her and his last candy bar. Maybe she’d be more apt to forgive him if he showered her with sugar. Wouldn’t hurt, right? - And he was pretty desperate at that point.

When he returned, she was halfway across the floor, dragging herself towards the door. A long, scattered line of dark blood following her line a snail trail.

“Hahaaaa’ah shit, sweetheart. Where’d you think yur goin’? Ain’t nothing out there but moldy freaks with them teeth waitin’ fer ya,” he laughed at her, hamming it up as his gut pulled when she merely whimpered and pulled herself another few inches across the floor.

Badass, bitch. Smart and sturdy and cute… didn’t find many of those anymore. Not that Lucas would know really. He never did get out much before Evie showed up - didn’t do much talking to girls even before he was labeled the crazy head.

Lucas swallowed and knelt down beside her, pulling at her ankle. She howled, hissed and threw a fist into his face. Took him by surprise, but it was weak and barely did more than sting. He hadn’t meant to pull at the busted leg like that.

Didn’t matter, though. He was gonna fix her, and she could hit him all she wanted if it made her feel better, Lucas could take it even if she broke his jaw. He gave her a hard look and poured the bottle’s cool, slick contents over her thigh.

Those wet blues fluttered closed, as the shit took effect.

“… I can feel my bones snapping.”

Lucas grinned, biting his lip to keep most of the infectious glee inside until he could breathe it back down, “Yeah, how about that? Feelin’ pretty good by now I reckon.”

She twisted at the waist, running a hand over her healed thigh before giving him a calculating look, “I-I don’t understand.”

“Bout what?”

“Everything,” she whispered, pulling her legs in, laying an arm over her chest with a slight blush. Guess now that she wasn’t in so much pain she had enough sense to be embarrassed by her tits hanging free. Lucas liked lookin’ at ‘em, but that free fun was over. If he’d wanted to keep ogling her, he coulda just kept her in the horse stall. Naw, Lucas wanted her - wanted to hug her close and wash away the blood and dirty, pat the wounds dry and kiss them better. It was real fuckin’ sappy and stupid and yet he didn’t bother worrying about it now that her leg was healed.

“T-this,” she started, inhaling brutally as Lucas dared put a hand on his calf, “you can’t kill her, take her away from me like that - you can’t snap my fucking leg in half and throw me in some damn pig pen and… and… and feed me candy like some pet and now this?!”

Lucas frowned, feeling like someone had a knife stuck in his stomach, giving it a good wiggle with each seething word.  She shook and cried silent tears, staring heatedly at him while he sat there frozen, just wanting to wrap his arm around her.

As more grief poured outta her, her lips started to quiver like they were hooked up to car batteries, “That asshole h-he killed 'er and now you wanna… just do it already! Just do it!”

Her fists coiled and like a feral cat, she came at him, throwing a jab at his chest and another up into his chin.

Lucas hissed, grabbing at her wrists and pulled her up over his thighs, keeping her claws out of his eyes as she trembled and sobbed; leaking wet tears down into his lap. The only crying girl he’d helped was Zoe when they were teenagers when some cunt had called her fat during lunch. This was… Lucas tried to stop looking at her tits as they bounced while she cried - sought to halt the boner from growing between his legs as her hair tickled the back of his hands. Her eyes opened wide, stared up at him, and suddenly she collapsed into his chest; sniffling.

“Ain’t gonna rape ya…” he told her; pretty lame sounding in truth, but he wasn’t sure what to do with a crazy chick in his lap, curling her fingers around his sides… hugging him hatefully. Bitch was insane, but Lucas couldn’t ignore the warmth he felt as she held him around the middle, trying to suck some sort of comfort from him.

Lucas found himself wrapping his arms around her, holding her bare shoulders, rubbing her shivering, naked back as she whimpered into his chest. Shit circumstances and all, but Lucas loved every second of the contact. She was warm and soft…

“Shh… Hush, now,” he muttered, doing what his Mama used to do for him when he had nightmares… or scuffed up his knees on the stairs. The words just sorta came out without much thought to it, and before Lucas knew what was happenin’, he was whispering sweet nothings to this chick while she breathed easy against him. There on the floor, he held her, feeling her heart thud gently against his stomach.

It was the first real intimate contact he’d had since Eveline showed up, long before that even…and suddenly he couldn’t get enough of it. Lucas groaned, pulling her up and cradled her carefully in his lap. She only struggled for a second before sinking into his arms silently, breathing slow and gentle. Lucas inhaled the stale, blood tinged smell of her hair, found something sweet buried underneath the dirt and sighed.

“Thanks,” he muttered; lips on her scalp. Down beside his stomach, he felt a soft touch, like a thumb brushing the jut of his ribs and shuddered in pleasure.

If this was how good it felt to be held - to hold - and offer comfort then Lucas decided he wasn’t gonna let his Pa get this one. Lucas was gonna keep her safe and sound, and she wasn’t ever gonna feel pain again. If he had to kill ‘em all… he’d do it, just to keep her from cryin’ ever again.

[tappity-tap]

FOREVER BElonging WITH YOU

PART II - THE THRESHOLD

<< PART I || PART III >> Story Rating: M Chapter Warnings: Some sexual content. [This chapter *could* be considered nsfw but nothing explicit happens yet]

Once all their guests had departed, the couple had insisted on staying to help with clean up but were firmly shooed away by multiple people. In particular, the Kuchiki family’s personal servants and valets.

“But…it was our wedding party,” Rukia protested when several of them whisked the plates she had gathered up right out of her arms.

“Exactly! We cannot allow you to lift a finger!” they maintained even as Renji slipped past and tried to clear more of the used dinnerware from the abandoned tables.

It was only with the arrival of their hired rickshaw for the ride home (paid for by Byakuya, of course) that Renji and Rukia finally allowed themselves to be sent on their way.

Now here they were. Seated side-by-side and wrapped in a warm fur robe across their laps big enough to shield both them from the crisp chill of night as they rode through the deserted streets of the Seireitei. Under the robe, one of her hands fit snugly in his and the other clutched the veil their friends had made for her. In her mind’s eye she could clearly picture every beautiful detail as her thumb traced over the strawberry flower designs threaded into the fabric. The radial shapes closely resembled the stars twinkling merrily in the dark sky overhead.

In front of them, the top of their runner’s hat bobbed up and down repeatedly, distinguishable from the darkness only by the twisted white straps that dangled down from the sides and tied under his chin. Under the cover of night the distance between the two of them and the runner was enough that it allowed Rukia to comfortably display a little more affection towards Renji.

Although she was a captain class fighter who could handle herself…and anyone else for that matter…she never felt safer or more at ease than when she could drop her guard and bask in the familiarity of Renji’s presence. He was everything. Her everything.

She didn’t even have to look at him to know he was content with this.

Normally flared from the adrenaline spike that came with the heat of battle or fluctuating with each breath because he was a passionate man and it showed through in every last aspect of him, his reiatsu washed over her like a warm, soothing bath in its rare calmness and she lay her head against his arm to indulge in it. His giant frame, strong and steady even as it sank into the cushions behind them, did not give.

Only when she leaned herself on him fully did he let out a deep sigh and his breath clouded before his face. Then the cloud broke into scattered wisps, vanishing as suddenly as it appeared and he was silent once more.

Other than rhythmic creak of the rickshaw’s wooden wheels and the slow patter of the runner’s sandals slapping stone, there were no sounds to disturb their comfortable silence. Everything was quiet, peaceful.

Perfect.

“Hey, don’t fall asleep on me now.”

Rukia blinked heavily and shifted her limp body further into him. “Why not?” she asked with all the poise and dignity befitting any Kuchiki noblewoman. That is, if she were two years old and badly in need of a nap.

But then, she realized with a pang, she was no longer a Kuchiki, not really. Only in name as a soldier in the Gotei 13. She would slide back into her old patterns soon enough, likely even sooner with Renji’s encouragement.

“Because what happens if we hit a bump?” Here Renji moved his arm and jostled her for emphasis.  “’An you go flyin’ out?”

He was teasing, she knew, and she played along. “You wouldn’t let me,” Rukia replied with a nuzzle to the firm bicep that had just so rudely disturbed her, “You swore you’d never let me go. I expect you to hold to that, Abarai Renji.”

 “And I am, Abarai Rukia.” His hand gently squeezed. Under her cheek and through the fabric of his clothing she felt the defined muscles of his arm flex. “Besides, the idea of becomin’ a widower the same night as my wedding doesn’t sound too nice.”

 Rukia drew back with distain. “I would never do that to you,” she chastised.

 His other hand reached across to her. “Yeah,” he grinned with a swift chuck to her chin, “I know.”

 Whatever response she was about to give never had the chance to be expressed; at that moment, the runner turned their rickshaw onto a street teeming with nightlife and she reflexively jerked away from his touch. Lively music and the smell of sizzling meat wafted over them, and a chorus of cheers arose when the occupants realized the couple in the rickshaw was recently wed. People waved furiously and called out well wishes as they passed, one group even raising their cups and belting out a few loud verses of some traditional drinking song.

 Rukia bit her lip and looked down at her lap, angry at everyone in the vicinity for pulling her private moment with Renji out from under her. And despite the kind intent of their gestures, she never particularly enjoyed receiving more attention than necessary from complete strangers. Especially when it pertained to her love life.

 Unconsciously desperate to either hide or sulk, she huffed and burrowed herself further under the thick blanket. The hand holding hers squeezed firmly. “Ignore ‘em. We’ll be home soon,” Renji muttered. She noted with some satisfaction that he also sounded annoyed.

 No sooner had those words left his mouth when they turned again, this time onto a residential street lined with handsomely built houses. One that as of a few weeks ago was now theirs, and their ride slowed to a halt in front of the gate.

 “Ah. See?” Renji cocked his head smugly.

 Rukia was unable to put much effort into her reply face; all that went to keeping upright when the carriage gave a small lurch forward as its driver prepared for their disembarkation.

 Once he had laid the handles on the ground, he carefully stepped out from between then and walked over to Renji’s side of the rickshaw. He bowed deeply and swept one arm out in front of him in presentation.

 “Pardon me, Abarai-sama. We have arrived.”

This was announced with perfectly practiced reverence, though by the sound of his voice he couldn’t have been past his late teens.

 Renji let go of Rukia’s hand to fling aside the robe covering their lower halves. With the thick fur gone, all the heat it kept in so nicely for them the entire journey home rushed away into the night and the cold quickly took its place. Both passengers flinched from its sudden bite.

 Then, perching on the edge of the carriage in a surprising display of dexterity, Renji stood and stretched his long, lithe form up to its full potential before roughly dismounting onto the pavement with a grunt of satisfaction.  

 “Right. Thanks a lot!” he grinned and patted his now-vacant seat, “Never rode in one ‘o these before. Gotta say, it was kinda fun, huh Rukia? Real smooth, too. Definitely gonna put in a good word to your boss!”

 The young man started and nodded vigorously in thanks, apparently unaccustomed to being addressed so directly and informally by cliental, but nonetheless grateful for Renji’s sincere words of praise.

 After giving the cushion one last firm slap for good measure, Renji reached out his hand for Rukia to take once more. She grasped it tightly as he helped her descend, internally grateful for the gesture; Being bound in her kimono’s many layers of delicate silk brocade made it very difficult to move in any direction that wasn’t straight forward on even ground. Having her other hand occupied with the delicate veil hindered her balancing ability somewhat as well.

 Rukia gave their driver one last word of thanks and allowed Renji to take the lead through the large wooden gate. It was now she noticed all the lanterns hanging outside the perimeter of the house had already been lit before they arrived. Bright and flickering, they bathed the entire yard in a deceptively warm glow as the couple trekked up the stone path to the main entrance.

 “So…” Renji released her hand and spun about to face her when they reached the single stone stair leading up to the veranda. He towered over her, eyebrow cocked and fists placed jauntily on his hips. “Now a good time?”

 Rukia had no idea what he was talking about until one hand left his side to softly caress her cheek, and she then recalled what had been denied to him earlier at the banquet.

 Her heart leapt. “Um…is he gone?” she asked, referring to the runner.

 Renji gave her an incredulous look but still cooperated and glanced over her shoulder at the gate to make sure. “Yeah. He’s gone.”

 “A-alright,” Rukia nodded and let him slide his hand around the back of her head.

 He drew her in at last.

 They may have been out there for hours or only a few minutes. Who could say? Time always seemed to get away from her whenever it was just her and Renji, though this was something she never found herself concerned about.

 His eyes shone brightly (it could have been merely a trick of the lantern light) when they finally broke apart. “How’s that for a welcome home?”

 Giving a pronounced roll of her eyes, Rukia unwound her arms from his neck and waist and folded them in front of her chest. The veil fluttered and draped itself over one elbow. “Could’ve…been worse,” she responded dryly, trying not to let the catch in her voice give away how much she actually enjoyed that kiss.

 But of course, he knew. He always knew her too well. Shaking his head with a laugh, Renji knelt down at her feet. To her utter confusion, he proceeded to take one of her ankles in his large hand and lift it to slide off her elegant sandal.

 She stared, bewildered, as he set it on the ground next to him and reached for her once more empty-handed. “Renji, what are you doing?”

 Renji froze with his outstretched hand just inches away from grabbing the other foot. “I…uh…I’m gonna carry ya inside?” he answered with the look of a man slowly coming to realize the brilliant plan he is currently in the midst of carrying out is, in actuality, a very bad idea.

 Rukia squinted at him suspiciously. “Why? I can walk by myself perfectly fine.”

 He slowly withdrew his fingers, one at a time. “Um…well…apparently it’s a tradition in the West for grooms to carry brides into the house for the first time after the marriage ceremony.”

 “And what’s the reason for this?”

 Renji awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged. “I…dunno really. Lieutenant Sasakibe mentioned it once. I just…kinda liked the idea of it. Sounded nice.”

 Being carried into the cozy warmth of their home from the freezing cold nestled in Renji’s arms did sound nice, actually. But it was disconcerting enough just thinking this in her own head, let alone telling him directly. Try as she might, however, Rukia found it impossible to concoct a valid –sounding excuse without giving herself away and was resigned to shrugging at him in reluctant agreement.

 With that gesture he perked and looked up at her hopefully. One finger twitched back out over her foot. “So…uh…”

 Rolling her eyes, Rukia lifted her foot so Renji could more easily finish what he started. “If you must.”

 He happily complied. Once it was off, he picked the other one off the ground and held both of them out so she could hook the fingers of her free hand through the straps. As he stood, Rukia asked, “Why was Lieutenant Sasakibe talking to you about wedding traditions, anyway?”

 Renji faltered. “Ahhh…that.” He brushed the dust off his trousers and reached out for her. With one fluid movement, she was swept off her feet and into the cradle of his arms. “Ya know when you were…gonna be executed?” he asked hesitantly while she settled herself.

Comfortably situated, Rukia raised her eyebrows at him and leaned into his broad chest. For support. “I remember that, yes,” she responded dryly.

 “Right.” He cleared his throat before moving in front of the stoop with her. “It was before a Lieutenant meeting not long after. We were the first ones there ‘an got to talkin’. He said…” Renji’s grip on her shoulder and thigh tightened slightly.

 When he failed to continue, Rukia tapped her fingers (and by proxy the toes of her sandals) on his chest impatiently. “What did he say, Renji?”

 Renji chose to look down at the step as he mounted it and then at the wooden floor of the veranda, instead of at her. “He said how I held ya as I ran away reminded him of a groom carryin’ his bride over the threshold to start a new life together. I didn’t get it at first so he had to explain it to me.”

 They both fell silent save for the boards creaking under Renji’s feet. Neither of them had gotten to know Lieutenant Sasakibe very well before he died during the Quincy’s first invasion and they still harbored some regret over this. He always seemed like a very kind man, especially now with what Renji had just revealed. Rukia felt a rush of emotion towards the late Shinigami.

 Here he reached the door and stopped to adjust Rukia’s position so his elbow supported her knees and he could extend his arm from under her. “But…um…it makes sense, I guess. We kinda did start a new life together after that.”

 Rukia scoffed as he took hold of the door and slid it open. “Not a married one. You didn’t even confess to me until shortly before the Quincies attacked!”

 Renji stepped inside. “Might as well’ve been. We were always together, weren’t we?” His expression slackened into a dopey grin. “’An even if we hadn’t said it yet, we were still in love.”

 Rukia had to smile back at that. Though they had started out as friends in childhood, she had come to like Renji in more than just a friendly way in their later adolescent years and was sure he felt the same about her. (This remained unconfirmed until he broke down and confessed almost three years ago) She was certain they had even come close to kissing once in the hallways of the Academy, however the surprise arrival of a group of Renji’s friends from the advanced class had abruptly put a stop to that.

 But before they had the chance to properly explore their feelings for each other, she was whisked away by the Kuchiki family and all hopes of what they could have been were dashed. She tried her hardest to forget him, even found herself interested in other men-including one of her own superiors-during their 50 years apart. Despite that, nothing worked. No one could ever come close to him.

 Then in an unexpected twist of fate, Rukia was (quite literally) thrown back into his life and they were given a second chance, a chance that they whole-heartedly took. They quickly became close again and rarely left each other’s side…much to the chagrin of her brother.

 With as much time as she spent with Renji over the next year and a half, the smoldering embers deep inside were rapidly reignited and Rukia found herself strongly attracted to him once more. That he grew his stunning red hair almost down to his waist and started wearing his uniform open in a deep V to expose a good percentage of his well-muscled chest may have helped speed along the process. Just a tad.

 When he finally confessed to her at the height of a heated argument between them, that night they were caught in a sudden downpour and were forced to huddle under a tree panting and soaked through from the rain, she didn’t even hesitate. She kissed him and scolded him for keeping quiet for so long, then kissed him once more. The rain magically decided to let up shortly after.

 It was not until Rukia fought with the Quincy Äs Nödt during the war and was shown the greatest fear in her heart, what she was so desperately afraid of was losing Renji again for good, that she realized all this time what she had been feeling for him was no mere attraction; She was in love.

 There were no qualms in her mind when she grasped his hand and quietly professed she wanted to be with him as they recovered in the aftermath of the final battle. And again when she accepted his clumsy (but sweetly sincere) proposition of marriage and agreed to become his wife.

 The door shut and they both involuntarily relaxed as the air around them quickly warmed up. Renji wiggled his sandals off just inside and stepped up into the entrance hall in his stocking feet. When he made to set her on the floor, Rukia pressed her veil hand into the front of his kimono to stay him.

 “Wait.” She reached back over his shoulder and dropped her own sandals on top of his. He tilted his head as a question and it suddenly made her feel almost too shy to voice hers. “Can…can we stay like this for a bit?” she asked quietly.

 “Oh. Sure, if ya want,” Renji replied, sounding only too happy to honor her request. He took a breath and looked around with eager interest. “Those’re new,” he stated, motioning his head at several decorative pieces in the receiving room alcove that she now noticed and recalled had not been there when they left that morning.

 “So they are.” Rukia pointed to a pair of iridescent painted screens visible through the open kitchen doorway. “And those as well.”

 Renji moved to the entryway of the living room. “Geeze. How much stuff did the captain send over?” he wondered aloud with amusement as he eyed a beautifully carved tea cabinet in the corner.

 It was true Byakuya tended to get carried away with gift giving, and the things he bestowed on them in celebration of their marriage were no exception, but Rukia knew it was only because he cared about her (and perhaps Renji, too) very deeply and this was one of the few ways he felt comfortable with showing it.

 Feeling herself grow flush, Rukia turned her head away from Renji and concentrated on fiddling with the tiny 6th Division crest adorning the right breast of his haori. “I’m sure he only ordered what he thought we needed.”

 “Ah, right. Always said how much I need one ‘o those.” Renji nodded back at the scroll covered in intricate calligraphy that hung in the tokonoma.

 Taking a closer look, Rukia recognized the precise swirling script almost instantly. “Renji,” she scolded flatly with a fingertip poking into the flower emblem’s center, “you realize Nii-sama made that himself?”

 He winced. “O-oh. It’s…uh…nice. I like it.” Clearing his throat, he adjusted his hold on her and continued further into the house.

 This new home was nowhere near as big or grand as the Kuchiki mansion, but it was still a nice size, more than sufficient for two people. Even after getting used to her adoptive family’s lavish living space, Rukia had always felt too small compared to the large splendor of the estate and she was secretly thankful to have downsized quite a bit.

 For Renji, on the other hand, this was a significant upgrade from his lieutenant’s quarters and being fairly poor all his bachelor life, he had never lived in a space of his own with more than two rooms to it. Watching his eyes get bigger and bigger as he took in each residence they looked at while house hunting started off as a source of amusement for her until she remembered this.

 They passed a few spare rooms, one of which they already decided to convert into an office of sorts in case they wanted to bring their work home. That was now outfitted with a low table desk much like the one Rukia had seen Byakuya use on several occasions.  

 In the bath, a large wooden tub overtook the space where previously sat a much smaller one that Renji frequently complained was barely big enough to fit him so this new addition seemed to please him most of all.

 “Very nice,” he remarked casually, glancing it over with an air of satisfaction, “Could fit two people in there, easy.”

 This was said (and likely intended) as an offhand comment but for Rukia, it was acting as a suggestion.

 Now that he had given her the idea, she could easily picture them sitting in that tub after a long day, talking and relaxing in the hot water as they scrubbed each other’s backs. Just like when they were kids bathing in the river, she would lather up Renji’s long hair and gleefully dunk him under to rinse it out after a vigorous scrubbing. He would let her have the upper hand at first before bursting out of the water, laugh triumphantly at her frustration when he loomed over to shake his wet mane out and shower her with thousands of tiny sparkling droplets. And he would push wayward strands of damp red locks out of his face to grin down wickedly at her, “Oh, just you wait, Rukia, I’m gonna getcha back good for that!” Lean forward at the same time she rose to meet him. Her hands sliding across his glistening tattooed chest, his tightening around her hips, drawing her to him. Flushed, slick bodies pressed together into a writhing mass of slippery bare skin swathed in steam…

 “Hey, you okay? Ya look at little…lost.” Renji peered down at her curiously.

 “What? I’m fine!” Rukia squeezed her eyes shut to try and clear her head. Where on earth were those images even coming from? That last part never happened when they were kids.

 “Well. Looks like that’s everything,” he stated plainly once they’d moved back into the hall.

 “S-so it seems.” Rukia nodded, still slightly rattled from the strange daydream.

 “So…” Renji’s voice suddenly took on a deeper, more husky quality and she immediately whipped her head up, surprised to catch him gazing down at her with a completely new expression. His dark eyes smoldered with something that had her heart skipping a few beats. “Waddaya say…we head on in to the bedroom now?” he asked, quietly. Pointedly.

 There was absolutely no mistaking what he intended to do once they got there.

 Rukia froze. “Oh. Um…yes.” Her voice sounded faint and far away.

 She barely felt the warm kiss on her forehead or the thumb rubbing in circles along her shoulder. With each step he took down the hall, her heart throbbed infinitesimally faster and the surface of her skin fizzed in pulsating buzzes. By the time they reached the bedroom even her stomach had started fluttering and whether it was nerves or excitement or both, she was unable to tell. As soon as Renji slid open the door, she nearly leapt straight out of his arms in shock.

 At the center of the room, the two single futons they had slept on since moving into the house had been taken away. In their place was a low platform with a frame made of deep red cherry wood and topped with a pair of woven tatami mats to match the flooring. A wide futon big enough to fit both of them and two generously stuffed pillows had been laid out over it.

 “Huh.” Renji nodded his approval. Then, smoothly, he tipped Rukia onto the floor (and wobbly legs) in front of the platform and spun her by the shoulders so they were face to face. She had held on to her veil the entire time he carried her through the house and now he gently took it from her shaking hands and laid it on a low table nearby.

 Having taken care of everything, Renji shuffled back to stand before her once more and dropped his arms to his sides, eyebrow cocked.

 “Ahem.” Those dark, burning eyes flickered from her to the futon. Then back to her.  His eyelids lowered themselves ever so slightly and the corner of his lip twitched up. “Shall we?” he asked, the low huskiness from before returning and bringing with it a suggestive tilt of his head. His bravado never wavered once, not even when faint pink patches stared blossoming onto his cheeks.

 At that moment, Rukia abruptly sobered up and became very, very cognizant of her current situation. As of the ceremony this afternoon, she was officially Renji’s wife now and he, her husband. They were in their bedroom. Alone. In front of their bed. Her husband was looking her up and down with an intense hunger she had never seen him display before, like she was the only thing in the world he wanted and would ever want again. The only thing holding them back now was the absence of her expressed consent.

 The fluttering sensation in her stomach spiked dramatically.

 Rukia whirled around so she faced the bed instead of Renji and jammed her fists onto her hips. “Th-this is a very good bed!” she declared hotly, hoping the tremor in her voice went unnoticed, “Nii-sama has excellent taste, as expected!”

 She jumped when she felt the sensation of callused fingertips meeting her skin, travelling slowly up her neck and over her jaw. The locks of hair framing the left side of her face lifted and moments later a soft kiss took their place.  

 “I didn’t bring ya in here to admire the furniture, ya know.” Renji’s low murmur vibrated into her cheek.  That, and his lips barely grazing her skin, felt…well…she was unable to describe it exactly but it scattered the flutters into a strange thrill that radiated through her.

 I wonder how it would feel if he did that a little lower…

 The unexpected appearance of that thought startled her more than the actions that caused them. “I know that!” she snapped, perhaps a little more shrilly than necessary.

 Renji recoiled and she found herself missing what he had been doing to her. “Um, hey…look…it’s okay,” he assured her in a quiet voice. His broad hands started hesitantly kneading calm circles along her shoulders (for a fleeting instant she imagined those hands moving to other places) and he spoke as soothingly as possible, “It’s okay, ya know. No one said we had to consummate the marriage tonight.”

 Rukia deflated, leaned back into his surprisingly gentle touch. “I…I know that,” she repeated, this time in a tone that matched his. Again, the images flashed through her mind. She tried to will them away but then his strong arms encircled her. Arms that she very much wanted to push her onto the bed, hold her down and what was WRONG with her?

 Meanwhile, Renji had mistaken her response as accepting his offer to postpone things. He sighed with a smile and kissed the top of her head. “Right. We won’t do it now.”

 Rukia stilled. The crushing disappointment that set in at those words turned out to be the final straw. With that, she finally conceded to her lustful cravings and allowed her imagination take hold of and play out all the fantasies that were forming until she was physically quivering with the burning thirst to make them real. She wanted to know…no, needed to know what it would feel like.

 What he would feel like.

 Renji’s voice filtered through, “Let’s go to bed. We’ll wait…”

 I don’t want to wait.

 “…til you’re ready…”

 I’m ready NOW.

 “…okay?”

 “N-no.”

 There. It was finally out. After a pause, Rukia drew herself up and repeated firmly, this time without hesitation, “No.”

 Renji’s firm embrace held even as she turned in his arms and rested her forehead on his muscular chest. She felt him shift around her.  “Rukia…?” he asked, hushed and confused.

 “Renji…I don't want to make you wait any longer.” Her trembling finger traced the edge of his haori. “That is…I don’t want to wait any longer.” Rukia nearly swallowed back her next words from the unfamiliarity of saying such a thing, but at this point her yearning for him was so strong it brought about a sudden burst of boldness.  

 “I…I want you to…make love to me, Renji. Tonight. As my husband.”

Embarrassment flared within her the moment that declaration left her mouth but she had already made up her mind and she was determined to see this through.

Renji stayed silent. His arms slackened ever so slightly and for a moment Rukia considered the possibility he was having second thoughts. Then the hairs on the top of her head rustled gently with his amused chuckle. Though his face was out of sight, she knew he was grinning that lopsided smirk he put on whenever he was up to something.

 “Well, Rukia…as your husband, I’m more’n happy to do that for ya . But we’re kinda overdressed for that sorta thing, dontcha think?” he pointed out with an air of feigned innocence.

 In her current frazzled state, her nerves misfired and translated the enthusiastic YES her brain automatically responded with into a rapidly jerked nod, complete with burning cheeks and a racing pulse.

 Renji’s hold on her finally loosened. One hand (followed closely behind by a light shiver of anticipation) trailed down her back until it reached the bustle of the obi bound about her waist, then it turned and slid along the obijime until the knot in front pressed into his palm. He stepped back to look her in the eye and slowly slid his bandana off his head with the other hand, revealing the tattoos that wound their way from his eyebrows over his scalp.  Though his face was tinged with color and his heart was hammering so hard she could actually hear it, his gaze was determined, filled with desire.

 Desire, she knew, that was all for her.

 “Then let’s fix that.” Renji whispered with a sly smile.

 As soon as she responded with a smile of her own, the bandana fluttered free from his fingers. Then his mouth eagerly pressed itself to hers and she in turn eagerly accepted it, igniting the most ravenous, desperate kiss that had ever occurred between them. Several frantic tugs and fumbled unwindings later, the many layers of her sash fell to join his bandana on the floor. Rukia hardly noticed or cared, already completely caught up in the thrilling energy of their first joint undressing, and immediately moved to help Renji shrug off his haori. Difficult as this was at first due to his having to stoop to accommodate her much smaller stature, it too eventually reached its final destination at their feet.

 The rest of their clothes followed soon after.

Author’s Notes: So I don’t know if anyone’s noticed but the chapters titles are all puns/wordplay based on the themes and content of the chapter. For example, this chapter is “The Threshold”, referring to both the wedding night tradition and that they are about to take a step into completely new territory in their relationship. (and worry not...that’s coming up in the next chapter *WINK*). Part IV is the best because it’s basically a quadruple+ pun like good golly was I flipping out when I read up on all the different meanings of the word and almost every meaning applied to the chapter somehow. XD

Since I’m not an expert on Japanese culture I spent a lot of time (days) just doing research for this story including playing a flash game for elementary school kids learning about traditional Japanese households that I somehow stumbled across. The best part is some of the things I learned from that research actually applied to/helped me better understand a few of the WDkALY translations that came out while I was writing this. lol I’m hoping I got things right but if I didn’t I am more than willing to correct mistakes that are pointed out to me.

I’ve also been made aware that there are non-English speakers who have expressed interest in this project but are obviously unable to read it. So I am hereby giving my permission (as in you do not have to ask me first) to anyone who wishes to translate any parts of it into another language AS LONG AS you give proper links and credits back to me and the original work.

Continued in [PART III - THE CULMINATION]