#some guy chasing you down to stuff a letter in your face is sorely needed

[ganondoodle]

why the hell was there no postman in totk that chases you down like in twilight princess

[ronnie-azumane]

Kitten?

This is something I came up with at midnight while trying to complete my numerous missing assignments. I apologize in advance

Summary: Tsukishima Kei is a mod of a discord server And with his luck, he finds his first love on the server he runs. He falls head over heels, and vows to fulfill all her needs. However, not everything is what it seems.

Tsukishima was a simple man with simple likes. Granted, However, these likes weren’t as commonplace among his peers.

Sure, he moderated a Discord Server full of people of all ages. In said server, they would play games and talk about the various shows they watched together, some of which were considered children shows.

“Anyone catch the new episode of My Little Pony?” someone on the server would ask.

Tsukishima would bat in immediately, saying, “Remember the two-week spoiler warning, everything else must be covered and properly tagged.” He was the perfect mod, as he was both online all the time he didn’t have school or practice, as well as he was a stickler for the rules. Plus, he had only recently gained access to last week’s episode not long ago, therefore, he had not seen the new episode.

Another thing he liked to do on this server was talk to others on the voice call feature. He enjoyed talking to the many people who decided to join the server, even making a couple of friends, which he refused to believe for the longest time.

One of these many friends was a user that went by the name of gamergirl05. She was a peculiar person, only logging in late at night and logging out early in the morning, only to be away from her computer until late that night again.

She intrigued Tsukishima. Not only was she one of the only girls on the server, she always seemed to be on the voice chat. She never typed messages, never spoke, unless she was spoken to on the voice call. 

Her voice was soft and breathy, with a medium pitch. Her profile picture was a white cartoon cat against a pastel pink background. Sometimes, when playing videogames, you could here her grunt in frustration every once in a while.

Tsukishima couldn’t help from gaining a crush. 

She didn’t seem clingy, she seemed rather chill and independent, it was like God itself sent this woman into Tsukishima’s life. 

She was perfect.

Tsukishima couldn’t help but get excited whenever he saw that she was online. He would always join the voice call whenever he saw she was online.

They would have meaningful conversation. Tsukishima would learn much about her. She was living in Tokyo. She was a year older than Tsukishima; a second year in high school. She had been playing videogames for as long as she could remember. She has an overactive imagination, pretending that she was getting chased by dragons and facing checkpoints every time she walked to school in the morning. She wasn’t popular, but had a couple of close knit friends.

The more they talked, the more Tsukishima fell head over heels. However, the more he started to fall for her, the more he realized that he didn’t know how to express himself in a positive way. He was known as a negative nelly most of his life, with his relationship with the fellow members of the Karasuno volleyball club solidifying that feeling of disgust he felt toward others. Ever with his best friend Yamaguchi he was unable to show positive feelings toward, even though he didn’t feel anything negative toward his best friend.

Unknowing what to do, he looked up online ‘how to show someone you like them,’ only to come up with a website offering a free test to those wondering what their love language was. perfect.

Tsukishima took the test, answering each question as truthfully as he could, even asking his mom what she thought of him for one of the questions.

After thirty minutes of reading, understanding, and clicking, Tsukishima gat the result he was looking for- his love language.

His love language was gift-giving.

He knew exactly what to do at that point. 

Later that night, he stared at the voice call box, waiting for a certain someone to join the call. At 11:00pm on the dot, gamergirl05 joined the call. Tsukishima joined the call soon after.

“Um, hey, uh, how was your day?” Tsukishima asked her.

“My day? I guess it was okay,” she replied. Her voice was still light and breathy as usual. Not too high-pitched as to make Tsukishima believe that she was fake, and not to low to make her sound unattractive to him. The perfect voice for arguably the perfect human.

“Do you have Nitro by any chance?” Tsukishima asked her.

“No, I don’t see the benefit for paying for it myself,” she replied.

“If someone got it for you, would you use it?”

“Sure, I don’t see why not.”

“I-I Don’t mid gifting it to you, if you tell me your Venmo, Ill send the money right now!”

“Ok.” 

She read off a couple of letters and numbers, spelling out her Venmo for him to gift money to. Tsukishima used his mom’s credit card to send her over $50, with the unspoken promise of paying her back one day, even though she didn’t even know her youngest son stole her card.

They talked the rest of the night, until Tsukishima had to go to bed.

XxX

Tsukishima didn’t let up on his gifts to gamergirl05, or Cat as she started referring herself to. Anything she mentioned offhandedly form a new skin to a longing for a fast food meal, Tsukishima sent her the appropriate funds needed to retrieve that item. 

Each monetary gift he sent on Venmo was given a reply of the kissing face emoji.

Tsukishima was over the moon. Not only was he becoming better at volleyball every day after school, but he was also getting closer and closer to Cat. When he found out that he was going to Tokyo for a training camp, he excitedly went online that night to tell cat about how he was going to be in Tokyo and that maybe they could meet up.

“Sorry, but I have plans for that weekend,” Cat said. Tsukishima sighed, but figured as much. He was disappointed, but not surprised.

However, he picked himself up by the bootstraps and packed up his stuff to go to Tokyo for the training camp.

XxX

The weekend was tough. Karasuno faced loss after loss against the Tokyo powerhouse schools. However, the team had learned a lot about both themselves and their offensive and defensive power.

After a long weekend of training, all the guys were sore. All their muscles were aching and screaming, begging for some relief.  The coaches complied, supplying all the players with all the watermelon they could eat.

All the players gathered into groups, talking within each other’s friend groups. Tsukishima kept his distance from the others, with Yamaguchi joining in with them. They talked about various topics here and there, but nothing too serious.

Tsukishima was starting to zone out, thinking about Cat, and what she may or may not be doing. He hated to admit it, but he was head over heels in love, even though he had never seen Cat in a picture, much less in person.

While Tsukishima was zoning out, thinking of his unofficial lover, Hinata, Kenma, and Lev gathered nearby, talking loudly about who knows what. Tsukishima wasn’t paying attention, until the topic of discord came up. All his focus then went into listening in on this conversation.

“So you guys are on discord? What servers are you guys in?” Hinata asked.

“Not too many, I bet Kenma’s on a couple though,” Lev replied, only for Kenma to grunt in reply.

“Oh really! What servers are you on, Kenma?”

“Ehh, just a couple here and there. I frequent a My Little Pony server because a mod there gives me money a lot.”

Tsukishima felt a shock run throughout his body. A My Little Pony server? Maybe he was on the same server as him. He would never bring it up, but he was glad to know someone on the server; talking to 12-year-olds all day did get old.

“Wait, someone pays you to be on a My Little Pony server?” Lev asked.

“No, I think he is somehow attracted to me, every time I mention something I want, he sends me money.” Kenma replied, taking a massive bite out of his watermelon slice.

‘That’s kind of odd, who would give money like that to a guy like Kenma?’ Tsukishima thought.

“How did you do that, Kenma? I could sure use the extra cash,” Hinata asked.

“Well, Kuroo taught me to raise my voice like this to sound like some kind of gamer girl,” Kenma explained in a girly voice. Not too high to sound fake, not too low to sound unattractive. Perfect.

Just like Cat.

‘This has to be a coincidence, there’s no way that Kenma and Cat are the same person’ Tsukishima desperately thought. 

“Oh, do you guys want to be friends on Discord, so we can keep in contact?” Hinata asked.

“I guess. I’m gamergirl05#0000,” Kenma replied, essentially murdering Tsukishima with his response.

Tsukishima stood up from where he was sitting. Forgetting the fact that he was still supposed to be in a conversation with Yamaguchi, he left the area, trying to find a secluded area, eventually settling for a small ally in between two of the gyms.

Once making sure he couldn’t be seen, he let all his held-in emotions out. He screamed up to the sky as the threw his watermelon rind against the wall, watching it break into numerous pieces. 

“My Heart!” he screamed out, “I loved her!” He sank to the ground and let the tears flow. As he wailed out in despair, he covered his face with one hand while knocking his fist against the grass with his other.

Yamaguchi, who saw this all go down, ran up to go comfort his best friend. He didn’t know what was going on, other than the fact that his best friend was a mess on the floor.

How was Tsukishima going to tell his mom, who was already suspicious of him stealing her credit cards, that the money wasn’t being spent on her future Daughter in law? How was he going to log back in on the server, knowing he was cat fished?

He didn’t know what tomorrow would bring. All he knew at that moment was the soft an warm hand of Yamaguchi softly rubbing his back in an attempt to calm him down.

[crispychrissy]

Foreshadow - Part 2

Summary: Y/N and the Winchesters head off to find the pack of werewolves, but will she be able to save them before it’s too late? Characters: Y/N, Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester, other OCs Word Count: 4464 (whoops) Warnings: Angst, hookers?, violence, language, fluff, more angst A/N: Part two of three! This chapter is extra long and instead of breaking it up into a bunch of other parts, I wanted to push this fic baby out and let it grow. lol This was edited by the ever so lovely @dean-winchesters-bacon. Enjoy! Part 1 - Part 3

The drive to Idaho was awkward to say the least. Dean played through every tape he had, singing under his breath and keeping the volume low, before starting back at tape number one when he was finished. Y/N curled up in the back seat and tried to get some sleep, but it never came. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Sam and Dean being killed. They stopped a few times for gas and food, but Y/N rarely left the car besides to use the bathroom.

Finally, after a long and grueling fifteen-hour drive, they pulled into the parking lot of a run down motel that Sam had located before they left. There were two women hanging around outside the furthest motel room dressed in skimpy clothes and heavy makeup, and Y/N watched them eye the Impala curiously as it rumbled into the parking spot outside the check-in office.

The women began making their way over to where they were parked once Dean got out and ran into the office and Sam got out to stretch his legs, but when Y/N stepped out to stretch, they both rolled their eyes and returned to their original spot. Y/N was hardly the most beautiful woman in the world, and the fact that the two women assumed she was a prostitute that could seduce the Winchesters strangely filled her with a sense of pride.

“Bad news, kids,” Dean announced as he walked out of the office. “Only got one motel room, so we gotta share. It’s got two beds so Y/N you can pick if you want to bunk with one of us or if you want to sleep on the floor in a sleeping bag.”

Y/N sighed heavily and braced her arms on the hood of the car. “Can’t we just go to the shack I saw in my dream and get this over with? I’d rather not be an overused trope in a romance novel.”

Dean shook his head, tossing the key to the motel room at Sam. “It’s almost ten at night and I just spent the entire day driving. I need a shower and sleep. I’m not driving around all night to try and find a shack in the middle of the woods that may or may not exist. We handle this like any other hunt.” Dean opened the driver’s side door and slipped inside. “Tomorrow.”

Sam had already grabbed their bags from the trunk, and handed Y/N her duffel with a sympathetic smile. Dean was always rough around the edges, but dealing with psychics and his foreshadowed death? It was dredging up a lot of painful memories of what Sam had gone through, as well as reminding him of people they’d lost.

Dean moved the car down to an open spot in front of their room and rejoined Sam and Y/N as they walked down the sidewalk. Sam opened the door and both brothers began their motel routine. They each claimed a bed, checked out the bathroom, and salted the windows and door. Y/N watched in awe from where she was sitting at the table, understanding how close the brothers were. They were like a well-oiled machine, and it was mesmerizing to watch.

“So, what’ll it be?” Sam asked once everyone had showered and dressed in pajamas.

“I’ll sleep in your bed, Sam.” Y/N moved closer and pulled back the covers on the opposite side of the bed from where Sam was standing. “As much as I’d have preferred my own room, I don’t think sleeping on the floor would be comfortable, even with a sleeping bag.” She lowered her voice. “Tropes be damned.”

Having her back to Dean, she missed the look of hurt that flashed across his face before he schooled his reaction. “Yeah, okay. Me and Sammy will head to the morgue first thing, then go from there.”

“I think I should come with you. Just to see if I recognize anyone from my dream… they could have a werewolf working with the cops or something.” Y/N slipped under the covers and scooted as closed to the edge of the bed as she could. “You guys are experienced hunters, and I doubt you’d fall into a trap like this without them having someone on the inside.”

“Absolutely not,” Dean snapped. “You said you’re the linchpin in this, the only thing that can stop the vision from coming true. I’m not gambling with that. You’re gonna stay in the motel room and lock the door. It’s not open for discussion. Goodnight.”

Y/N turned and glared at the other bed, unable to make out any shapes in the darkness of the room. Most of the hunters she had dealt with in the past were cautious at first, but Dean was going beyond that. He was treating her like a child. Y/N grumbled under her breath and pulled the covers over her shoulders, turning so her back was to Dean. Sam shifted next to her and once there was soft snores coming from Dean, he finally spoke.

“I’m sorry, Y/N. I know Garth gave you the short version of our history, but there’s a lot more that even he doesn’t know. Dean doesn’t trust easily, it’s nothing personal.”

Y/N sighed and nodded, even though Sam couldn’t see it. “I get it, Sam. I do. Most hunters don’t believe a word I say. I got scars up and down my arms from silver blades. I just don’t understand why he can’t accept help.”

Sam chuckled softly. “From your mouth to Chuck’s ears.”

Y/N furrowed her brow. “Chuck?”

Sam snorted, and she could barely discern the smile on his face making dimples in his cheeks through the darkness. “That’s a much longer story. I’ll explain later, try and get some sleep.”

“Okay,” she replied softly, but she remembered something she wanted to tell him. “Oh, Sam?”

“Yeah?”

“I might have another dream,” she admitted quietly. “Sometimes I get follow up dreams after I have a vision and they can get pretty violent. If I start thrashing in my sleep or something, just…”

“Just… what?” he asked.

“Ineedyoutocuddleme,” Y/N said in one quick breath, her cheeks heating up. It was the only way her visions seemed to dissipate when she was stuck in one. An ex-boyfriend was the one to figure it out, and it made life a lot easier knowing someone could pull her out of a dream if it was a particularly bad one.

Sam was quiet at first, but he reached a hand out and brushed his fingers against hers before squeezing her hand. “Of course. Don’t worry about it.”

Y/N exhaled a long breath of relief and squeezed his hand back. “Thanks. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” Sam replied, removing his hand and turning over on his back.

Neither one of them realized that Dean’s snoring had stopped.

***

The following morning, Y/N was woken up by a grumpy Dean pushing a cup of coffee into her hands. Both he and Sam were already dressed in suits, and she blinked the sleep from her eyes until the time on the nightstand clock became clear. It was a little after nine in the morning, and Y/N smiled when she realized she slept the entire night without having a dream.

“We’ll be back. You have both our numbers so if anything happens, just call us.” Sam grabbed his suit jacket and slipped it on. “If you don’t hear from us by this afternoon and we aren’t answering the phone, call–”

“Your angel friend Castiel, I know,” Y/N interjected before taking a sip of coffee, grimacing at the bitter taste. Of course it was black. “You guys go ahead, I’ll be here doing research. The faster we find out where this shack is, the more time we have to plan. I’ll be fine. Just try to snap some pictures of people you talk to.”

Sam slipped on a pair of glasses and tapped the frames, a smile curling his lips. “Got it covered. I’m gonna record the entire time we’re in there, you can look it over when we get back.”

Dean rolled his eyes and grabbed his brother by the arm, dragging him toward the door. “Come on, Clark Kent. We got work to do.”

When the door shut behind them, Y/N took another sip of coffee, groaning at the taste but savoring the caffeine. Finally slipping out of bed once the cup was empty, she stopped at her duffel bag, biting her lower lip. Wanting to be comfortable while she researched, she decided against changing her clothes and instead walked over and sat at the table, opening Sam’s laptop to a strange database with the name “Men of Letters” he’d told her about and diving right in.

The amount of information in the database sucked her in, and it wasn’t until she heard a key in the motel room door did she realize it was almost six in the evening. Lifting her sore eyes from the laptop, she watched as Sam and Dean shuffled in with bags of takeout, the name of the diner they passed on the way into town on the side.

Sam frowned when he saw her bloodshot eyes. “Have you been at the computer the entire time we were gone?”

Y/N blinked and rubbed her eyes. “Uhhh, maybe? There’s a lot of interesting stuff in here.” Her stomach grumbled loudly and she ducked her head, hungrily eyeing the takeout bags. “Food?”

Dean put the larger of the two bags on the table and dug around, removing a foil wrapped burger and a small container of fries. “You’re not a vegetarian or something are you?” When Y/N shook her head, Dean handed over the burger. “Bacon cheeseburger. Eat up, we need a lead and if you get one from the video, I’d rather chase it down before sundown.”

Sam slipped his glasses off his face and grabbed the USB cord from the box they came in, plugging it in and attaching it to the computer. “I’ll get the video up for you so you can watch it while you eat.”

A few clicks later, the surprisingly high quality video was playing in fast forward and Y/N was watching the screen intently, scanning each face that appeared. Sam and Dean bantered back and forth about the smaller details of the case as they ate, but it only took twenty minutes before a familiar face showed up on the video.

“Her,” Y/N said through a mouth of french fries, tapping the spacebar to freeze the video. “She’s one of the werewolves.”

Sam wiped his hands on a napkin and walked around the table. “Son of a bitch,” he muttered before looking at Dean. “It was the morgue secretary. Oh man, what was her name?”

“Leslie,” Dean mumbled through a bite of burger before swallowing. “She was kinda cute.”

“I knew it had to be her.” Sam clicked around, moving the video about fifteen minutes into the future. Leslie’s desk was in full view, and Y/N raised a brow at the decorations that covered it. “Look, her desk was covered in wolf stuff. Pen holders, paper weights… even her stapler was wolf-themed.”

“She could just be one of those nuts that collects stuff,” Dean countered, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, then licking up the ketchup off that collected there. “You’re sure she’s who you saw?”

Y/N nodded, completely fascinated by Dean’s tongue when it licked his hand. “Uh, yeah. She wasn’t the leader chick, but she was one of the pack members. I didn’t recognize anyone else.”

“So they have a mole in the medical examiner's office,” Sam noted, sitting back down on the edge of the bed and spearing a fork into his salad. “So, you think she runs interference for the pack? Covers up the cause of deaths so they aren’t connected to each other?”

“Yeah, and then when they want to kill some hunters, Leslie tips off the local newspaper of a string of bodies being found with the same cause of death to attract attention.” Dean burped quietly and sat back in his chair. “Once the hunters show up to view the bodies, she tips off the pack and leads them into the trap.”

“But how?” Y/N asked. “Hunters are suspicious of everything, it’s in your nature. If something is too convenient, you guys are overly cautious.”

The brothers were silent for several long moments, trying to figure out what would draw a hunter out into a situation where they would be reckless. Y/N watched them think quietly, skimming through the last several minutes of the video until Sam was back out in the parking lot of the police station. No other faces were familiar, but Y/N wasn’t surprised. Having more than one person as a spy in a town this small would be awkward at best, having a much higher likelihood of being caught.

“I’ll pull some background on Leslie, see if I can figure out who she hangs out with and if she owns property in the area, it could give us a clue as to where this shack is,” Sam announced, closing the empty salad container and tossing it into the garbage can.

“I’m gonna shower and change, get ready for tonight. I’m guessing you’re going to find something. I can feel it.” Y/N stood from her chair and stretched, groaning in relief as her spine and shoulders popped. When she opened her eyes, Dean was staring at her, lips slightly parted and eyes dilated. When she met his eyes, he quickly looked away. “Right, shower time.”

The shower was delightful and surprisingly hot for the crappy motel they were at and after toweling off, Y/N pulled on a pair of comfortable jeans and a faded Marshall Tucker Band t-shirt she’d had since high school. She didn’t miss the impressed smile Dean gave her when he saw the t-shirt, and she was happy he was finally warming up to her.

Sam wasn’t able to find much on Leslie, except that she moved into town four months ago and was not living in any house or apartment in town. There was no property in her name, and even her financial history began only six months ago. After striking out on her, the three of them decided to relax for the evening to see what happens. If they didn’t get anywhere tonight, the brothers would head out in the morning to quietly ask around town about who Leslie hung out with and where they might think she was living.

It was just after the fourth episode of Dr. Sexy when Dean’s phone rang. It was a little past ten-thirty, and Dean held up his phone, showing Y/N and Sam that an unknown number was calling. Swiping the screen to answer, Dean tapped the speakerphone icon.

“Hello?”

There was rustling and rapid thumps in the background; whoever was calling was running. “Agent Nash?” a voice wheezed out.

“Yeah, who’s this?” Dean replied.

“It-it’s Leslie from the ME’s office!” The thumping stopped and more rustling came through the line along with heavy breathing. “I was on my way to my car after working late, and these men showed up! They kidnapped me but when they stopped the car, I ran. I need help!”

Dean raised his eyebrows in surprise, trying to keep his voice steady. “It’s okay, Leslie. I can help you, where are you? Did you see anything streets or landmarks you recognize?”

The thumping and rustling started up again and Leslie’s breath began to come out in short pants. “I saw… Willow Avenue a-a few minutes ago while I was running, it’s on the outside of town. I’m in the woods, I don’t–” Leslie’s words were cut off by a loud grunt and a thump, before a scream came through the line.

“Take her back to the cabin,” an unfamiliar male voice said. “Let’s teach this bitch a lesson.” A low laugh came from the man as the multiple footsteps got softer and softer before the line went dead.

Dean looked up at Sam and Y/N, who were just as shocked as he was. “What the hell was that? I thought you said she’s the wolf?”

“That’s it,” Sam whispered, looking up at Dean. “That’s how they’re doing it!”

“What?” Dean barked.

“What’s the one thing that will make a hunter drop everything and rush in without being totally prepared?” Sam asked.

Realization dawned on Dean’s face and he ran a hand through his hair. “An innocent life in danger.” Dean shook his head. “Son of a bitch.”

Y/N’s brows pinched together and she sat up from her spot on Sam’s bed. “Guys, in my dream, it wasn’t Leslie who was tied to the chair pretending to be the damsel in distress, it was the leader woman.”

“So wait, the future has already been altered?” Sam asked, sitting up.

“No,” Y/N murmured. “Well, I can’t know for sure if this is enough to change your fate. I still need to come with you, just to be sure. I don’t want to risk this not being enough and end up finding you two…” Y/N swallowed and looked down at her lap.

Sam placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed lightly. “It’s okay. If you don’t think it’s enough we’ll bring you along. We don’t want to die as much as you don’t want us to.” Sam slipped off the bed and grabbed the duffel bag full of weapons from under his bed. “We’ll head out in five.”

The drive out to Willow Avenue was nerve wracking. Y/N’s plan was kept to herself, no matter how many times Dean asked on the way there. It took about twenty minutes for Sam to spot the run down shack in the darkness; there was a light coming from inside, likely to draw any hunters in that would come looking for Leslie. When Dean clicked off his headlights and came to a stop at the end of the gravel driveway, Y/N opened her door and handed a piece of paper off to Sam before bolting into the darkness of the woods.

Sam opened his mouth to yell her name, but Dean grabbed his arm, shaking his head and pressing a finger against his lips to stop Sam from saying anything. Sam nodded and unfolded the note, holding it out so Dean could read it at the same time.

I’ll be waiting. Don’t worry, I won’t let anything happen to you two. Wait until 11:34 before you head inside. Treat this like any other hunt.

Sam and Dean looked at each other and nodded before Sam slipped the paper into his pocket. Dean pulled out his phone and checked the time and GPS location on the map, showing it to his brother. They had two minutes to kill. Dean snorted at the voice in his head, hoping that after those two minutes he wouldn’t end up being the thing that got killed.

Sparing one last look at his phone, Dean opened his door. He pulled his pistol from his jacket and slipped his phone into the pocket, watching as Sam mirrored his movements. They both closed their doors quietly and made their way up the driveway, readying up at the front door.

Y/N was crouched in a heavily wooded area right next to the window where the majority of the werewolves were congregated, silently waiting for her cue. When the wolves heard the front door kicked open, they immediately moved around the room, getting into their positions with Leslie tied to the chair, flanked by the remaining pack on either side of her.

Y/N closed her eyes, running through the progression of her dream in her mind. When she heard the gunshot of Sam shooting the werewolf in the hallway, she slipped a bundle of powder wrapped in a thick blue cloth from the satchel around her shoulder, clutching it tightly in her hand. Using her free hand, she dug around in the bag for her silver knife and removed it, clutching it tightly in her fist.

Y/N waited until Leslie opened her mouth and screamed before she wiggled the knife under the windowsill and lifted the window open about six inches, using the scream to cover the noise of the squeaky window. It was in darker corner of the room, so thankfully none of the werewolves noticed it being opened.

The sound of splintering wood, followed by a loud crash made Y/N jump and lean closer, peering in through the window to see Sam and Dean with their pistols raised, glaring at the group of werewolves before them. Y/N heard a low chuckle from the same male werewolf they heard on the phone and watched silently as Leslie smirked and wiggled her wrists, freeing them from the ropes, before standing up. The same pack leader female werewolf Y/N saw from her dream stepped forward in front of Leslie and smiled.

“Gotcha.”

The second the word broke through the silence, Y/N sprung into action. Gripping the bag of powder, she brought it to her lips. “Displodo,” she whispered and watched as the bag began to glow orange, then red. Once it was almost white in color, Y/N threw the bag through the open window. It exploded a few seconds later, scattering a fine powder throughout the room, making everyone start coughing.

The sound of sizzling filled the air as the werewolves began screaming, their skin bubbling and steaming. The Winchesters coughed a few more times, but remained unharmed, readying for a fight once the powder dissipated. Y/N yanked open the window even more, allowing her to easily climb through, landing less than gracefully on the floor before she stood up. As quiet as she could, she readied her knife and walked forward, sinking it into the back of the werewolf closest to her, piercing his heart.

The dying shout from the werewolf she killed made the entire room burst into chaos. Y/N had two wolves rushing at her while Sam and Dean began shooting, trying to take out as many as they could. Y/N managed to duck out of the way of the werewolf that ended up killing Sam in her vision, before spinning around and burying her knife into his chest.

A shout from Dean drew Y/N’s attention and she watched as he fought with the lead werewolf. Sam was scurrying across the floor to grab his gun that had been knocked away, and thanks to the distraction, the remaining werewolf in front of her managed to land a heavy punch to her cheek, sending her stumbling backward, landing on her ass on the floor.

“Y/N!” Dean shouted, throwing punch after punch at the pack leader that was trying to bite him until there was space between them. Dean leaned back and kicked out, connecting with her chest and making her fly backward into the wall, which broke apart with the impact, sending her spilling into the room next door.

Dean scrambled across the small room, pulling his knife from the holster at the small of his back and throwing it at the werewolf advancing on Y/N, landing a direct hit into his back and heart. The large man grunted and slumped to the floor, and Y/N was lucky enough to roll out of the way to avoid being crushed by his body. Five rapid gunshots made Dean tense and look over just in time to see the remaining two werewolves near Sam sink to their knees before falling over dead. Sam collapsed onto his back, panting, but he had a smile on his face.

“Y’okay, Sammy?” Dean asked, helping Y/N to her feet.

“Yep, just need to catch my breath,” he replied. “That was intense.”

Y/N dusted herself off and managed to glance over Dean’s shoulder. The female pack leader stepped back through the hole in the wall she crashed through, yanking a piece of splintered wood from her shoulder. She raised her arm, and Y/N’s eyes went wide when she realized Dean’s gun was in her hand.

“No!” Y/N shouted, pushing Dean out of the way right as the werewolf pulled the trigger. A burning hot pain shot through her stomach and chest, and she sunk to the floor when her legs turned to jelly and gave out underneath her. The pain wasn’t like anything she’d ever felt before, and each labored breath she took in felt like her lungs were full of broken glass.

Straining to keep her eyes open, she watched Sam jump to his feet and fire, taking out the werewolf before both brothers rushed to Y/N’s side. Dean pulled off his flannel and pressed it hard against the two bullet wounds on her abdomen that were oozing blood, making her whimper.

“I know it hurts, but I gotta put pressure on it, okay, sweetheart?” Dean whispered, throwing his keys at Sam before the younger Winchester disappeared out of the door.

Y/N closed her eyes and nodded, trying to distract herself from the searing pain in her body. When she opened her eyes again and looked at Dean, his face was blurry and slowly being surrounded by a darkness that continued to fill more and more of her vision. Dean lifted her into his arms, making Y/N scream, before running through the house and back out to the car where Sam was already waiting.

Dean slipped into the back seat, cradling Y/N in his arms. “Go, Sam! Now!” Dean looked down at Y/N and brushed the hair out of her face, placing two fingers on her neck and cursing quietly when he could barely feel a pulse. “Hey! Stay with me, sweetheart, we’re gonna get you some help.”

Y/N smiled and with the remaining strength she had, lifted her hand, cupping Dean’s cheek and smearing blood onto his freckled skin. “S’okay, Dean. You and Sam are safe now.” Her hand slipped from his cheek and landed limply against his shoulder.

Dean tilted his head, eyes beginning to fill with tears that blurred his vision. When Y/N eyelids began to flutter and her eyes rolled back in her head, Dean pressed harder on her wounds and lightly shook her limp body, making her hand fall from where it was rested against his shoulder, landing against her unmoving chest with a soft thump.

“Y/N?” Dean whispered. “Y/N?!”

***

Forevers [CLOSED]: @katymacsupernatural @queen-of-deans-booty @your-modern-shakespeare @wheresthekillswitch @holyfuckloueh @growningupgeek @jensen-gal @mizzezm @there-must-be-a-lock @atc74 @pilaxia @supernatural-jackles @impala-dreamer @bambi95-blog @wonderfulworldofwinchester @batmmgray @brooke-supernatural16 @dwgrl1903 @hey-bxtch @kittenofdoomage @leanbeankeane @emoryhemsworth @xalgaliareptx @mhnfatima @bi-e-ne @speakinvain @pebblesz892 @lastactiontricia @kassablanca13 @mogaruke @tockettt @imagining-supernatural @wildefire @serienjunkiegirl @mrswhozeewhatsis @stars-and-seas @jaremish @ellen-reincarnated1967 @nyxveracity @andkatiethings @bamby0304 @deathtonormalcy56 @winchesterprincessbride @moonstar86 @missihart23 @mrs-meghan-winchester @miss-rebel-without-applause @dean-winchesters-bacon @researchandbones @wayward-angelgirl @bojabee @maddiepants

Dean/Jensen: @akshi8278 @adoptdontshoppets @focusonspn @spnwoman @spn-dean-and-sam-winchester @sandlee44 @spn--imagines @sadwaywardkid @roonyxx @blackcherrywhiskey @thefaithfulwriter

[comicgeekscomicgeek]

Their Hero Academia – Chapter Forty-Nine: Another Three Stories

Presenting the next raw and unedited chapter of my on-going, next-gen, My Hero Academia fic, Their Hero Academia!

Earlier chapters can be found here

Kenta Sato in Working Lunch

“Oh, who’s that?”

The sound of Nejire Amajiki’s voice made Kenta jump.  He’d just closed his phone after checking his notifications—Takuma had somehow managed to upload a half dozen videos in three days and Kimiko kept texting him about how she was going crazy studying and needed him to make her work harder.  He’d also gotten a few hits on the video he’d uploaded at the start of his Internship, but he was actually trying to take it seriously.  No eating stuff for clicks this week.  Plenty of time for that later.  Assuming of course that Tokoyami’s dad didn’t kill Takuma for some of the stuff he was putting up online.  Kenta swore he was half of Kimiko’s impulse control and nearly all of Takuma’s sometimes.

But when he’d closed his phone, it had shown his lock screen, with a picture of himself, Takuma, and Kimiko:  himself on the left, Kimiko on the right, Takuma with his arms around both of them. He remembered the day they’d taken it, right after they’d gotten their UA acceptance letters.  They all looked so proud (though Kimiko had claimed that she’d blinked).   Takuma had his usual “this is a good idea, trust me” grin and he could tell Kimiko was smiling (he always could).  But if you really looked closely at him, though, you could see the smile didn’t entirely reach his eyes.  He’d been too worried then, about whether or not his Quirk was good enough for Hero work. Even now, he was still pretty sure that he’d come in dead last in the Entrance Exam.

And yet here he was, interning with a Top-Ten Hero, Suneater (He was very sure there was some backroom dealing going on, even if they did both have eating-related Quirks).  Which also meant his wife.  Who made Kimiko look positively sedate.  He wasn’t sure how it was possible for one human being to be that perky or ask that many questions.  At least, not anyone who wasn’t Shota Shinso.

She’d apparently gotten a look at his lock screen.  “Just me and my friends,” he said.  His best friends, really.  As far back as he could remember, it had always been the three of them.  Of course, Takuma was spending a lot of time with Tensei these days, but given how much time Tensei spent in the lab with his sister, it still left plenty of time for the three of them.

Nejire peered at the picture.  “She’s cute!” she said, speaking of Kimiko.  “Is she your girlfriend?”

Kenta nearly dropped his phone.  How could she think…?  Why would she…?  He didn’t… Did he…?  “What?  Kimmie’s not…”

“Are you suuuuuure?” she asked.  “Do you have a girlfriend already?  Or a boyfriend?  Or a special friend of some kind?”

Kenta started backing away. Maybe he could book it?  This really wasn’t a conversation he wanted to be having.  No point to it.  There was no way Kimiko thought about him like that anyway.

“Nejire, you’re scaring him.”  He hadn’t heard Suneater’s arrival, but Kenta was very grateful for it.

“I’m just asking some questions, Tamaki!”

Kenta really didn’t understand how someone as reserved and shy as Suneater had married someone like Nejire-Chan.  Even now, he flinched slightly at her exuberance.  

“Can it wait?” he asked. “We’ve got a call.  I’ll take Sato here and investigate.  You stay on standby.”

Just so long as it didn’t end like last time, where the paparazzi had splashed a photo of them with a caption implying Nejire-Chan was interested in him.  He could have gone his whole life without seeing it, but Kimiko had just had to share it with him and Takuma.

He was never going to live it down.  At least he was pretty sure Suneater and Nejire-Chan hadn’t seen it.  Or were polite enough not to mention it.  

***

Things went gloop.  The Villain they’d been dispatched to stop had a Quirk which let them produce vast quantities of some kind of strange, vaguely greenish colored… gunk.  There wasn’t any better word for it.  It wasn’t a solid, not really a liquid, and it was sticky as hell.  Kenta and Suneater were already buried up to their necks in it, along with most of the street.  

The Villain somehow seemed capable of walking on top of the gunk he’d created.  How that worked, Kenta didn’t know.  He was tall and skinny, with hair the same color was the gunk. No flashy costume, he just wore jeans and a t-shirt, along with a black trench coat.  

“Imagine me, Yuck-Raker, taking down a Top Ten Hero!” he laughed.  “I thought filling the streets with my gunk was performance enough, but winning a fight like this?”  He pulled a cellphone from his coat pocket and snapped a few selfies with Kenta and Suneater in the background.   “My hit count’s going to skyrocket!”

Great.  He was one of those. The kind of guy who gave Viewtube bloggers like Kenta and his friends a bad name.  A Villaintuber.  Someone who used their Quirk in villainous ways just for the hit count.  A trend that had started ages ago, but had picked back up in the last few years.

“Chomp,” Suneater said, using Kenta’s Hero name.  “I can’t morph anything to break loose.  Can you move at all?”

Kenta tried to move his arms and legs and struggled to move them at all.  No good.  Only his neck and head were free.  He could move that pretty good, but…   Oh.    “I think I can get us out,” he said.   The Yuck-Raker was still getting away, but taking his time with it, taking selfies, occasionally spraying more gunk.

This was gonna suck.

He lowered his head and took a big bite of the gunk.  It tasted awful.  Kenta’s sense of taste was, by necessity, a little wonky.  He enjoyed the taste of most metals, especially iron and steel and minerals like rocks were decent.  Wood tended to be a little dry and rubber was way t0o chewy.  And plastics were a whole mixed bag.   He’d even eaten a battery once, on a dare.   It had turned out to be a good thing his ability to eat anything meant his mouth and tongue were pretty much indestructible and that he couldn’t be poisoned.  Battery acid would have been a hell of a thing otherwise.

This gunk?  Absolutely the worst thing he had ever eaten.  And that included the time Takuma had dared him to eat his dirty socks and then filmed it.  It was slimy and sticky, like old gelatin.  Kenta had eaten actual dirt before and this made him want to throw up. But he powered through it, taking bigger and bigger bites, until his arms and upper body were free.  That gave him the leverage to start eating Suneater free.

It didn’t take long. And fortunately, the Yuck-Raker was still taking selfies.  This time, Suneater launched a pair of tenacles at him, wrapping him up. Yuck-Raker tried to fire more gunk at them, but Kenta got in the way, opening his mouth wide and catching it in his mouth.   So gross.

After that, Suneater had the Villain wrapped up and that pretty much took the fight out of him.

“Good work,” Suneater told him.  And for a moment, Kenta did feel a surge of pride.  Maybe some of the others could have done something—Todoriki probably could have frozen her way out and he was pretty sure Tokoyami’s Frog-Shadow wouldn’t have gotten stuck—but he was just as sure that several of them would have been just as stuck as they’d been.

Maybe he Quirk had its advantages after all.  Situations like this were probably few and far between, but he’d take the win today.

His stomach rumbling, Kenta let out of a long and loud burp.  Suneater gave him an incredulous look.  “Uh, excuse me,” he muttered, weakly.  He was going to need a mountain of antacids.  

And then maybe he’d called Kimmie.  

He was feeling lucky.

***

Asuka Tokoyami in The Sound of Silence

Asuka’s Internship with Mob-Goblin (a dark-skinned woman with pointed ears whose Quirk could summon up to a half-dozen small goblin like creatures under her control) had been quite ordinary so far.  A few small-time Villains stopped, a lot of training, and even more meditation.   And while that might have worked for communing with her creations, it hadn’t done nearly as well for Asuka.  Frog-Shadow liked to hum show-tunes during meditation.

Until now.  They’d been chasing a Villain with some kind of powerful blast Quirk.  They’d both launched their familiars at her, only for the Villain to unleash a burst of power that had shattered windows, set off car alarms, knocked them both off their feet, and ripped Frog-Shadow, who was at virtual ground zero, to pieces.

There was a wave of pain unlike anything she’d ever known and then she screamed.  And screamed and screamed and screamed until her throat was raw. Her world went white and even the sound of her screaming faded away into nothingness.

She became aware of being shoved back into consciousness by Mob-Goblin shaking her.  Her goblins had been wiped out too, but they weren’t as connected to her as Frog-Shadow was to Asuka.  “Tokoyami!” she said.  “Tokoyami! Speak to me…!”

Her vision cleared and Asuka found herself staring into Mob-Golbin’s face.  The other woman’s features were marred with worry.  “I…” Asuka began, her voice weak from screaming. “What… what happened?”

“Bad guy got away,” Mob-Goblin said.  “Took us both down.  Knocked out all of my goblins and our girl.  You okay?”

Was she?  Asuka took a moment to take stock of herself.  She appeared uninjured, at least, other than some soreness from her throat from screaming.  As for Frog-Shadow…

No.  It wasn’t possible.  But it was quiet.  Too quiet…

If you’re pretending to ignore me, Asuka thought, your timing is quiet terrible.

Nothing.

Frog-Shaow?  Frog-Shadow?  Are you there?  Speak to me!

“I,” she mumbled, “I can’t hear her.  She’s gone!”

***

As far back as Asuka could remember, she’d never been alone.  

Oh, certainly, there was a window from when she was born (not hatched, as some people might have thought) to when her Quirk manifested shortly before her third birthday, where, while there were always adults at most a few feet away.  But after Frog-Shadow appeared, there had always been another voice, another comforting presence in her life.  Whether that voice was only in her head, with a warm glow inside her body, or whether that voice was external, flitting about with a life of its own and embarrassing her, it had come to be one of the defining features of her life.

Both she and her father had been endlessly studied by and interviewed by Quirk researchers and counselors over the years.  They’d all ultimately thrown up their hands in frustration, unable to fully understand how their Quirk and the symbiotic relationship they shared with their familiars worked.  While the number of people possessing Quirks that could create semi-independent beings had risen over the last couple decades, they still made up less than one percent of the kinds of Quirks out in the world.

Which made the silence all the more deafening.

According to doctor, there was nothing wrong with her Quirk factors.  But with how poorly understood living Quirks like Frog-Shadow were, there was no telling how long it might take her to return.   Mob-Goblin had suggested that it might be psychological, that Frog-Shadow was simply within her and too afraid to come out.

Which was why she was trying meditation again.

She remembers playing in the park, father watching from the bench, Dark Shadow reading the paper over his shoulder and interjecting his opinion of world news, whether it was wanted or not.

She’s not quite three years old, the feathers on her head soft and downy, more fluff than feather.  

Asuka feels strange all of a sudden, warm.  She thinks she’s just been playing too hard when, with a slight pop and a lime-green flash of light, a tadpole shaped ball of light is floating next to her, tethered to her midsection by a glowing cord.

“Hi!” the light thing says.  It’s a girl, somehow she knows that.

Asuka’s eyes go wide.  She stares at it for several long seconds.  Finally, she lets out a shrill scream, starts running as fast as her little legs can carry her.   “DADDYYYYYYYYYY!”

She runs to her father, who’s already leapt up from the bench in a panic, Dark Shadow flying around him like an angry bird of prey. It’s only as she gets closer than she noticed the light-thing still following her, and she grabs hold of her father’s leg, crying.

“It won’t stop following meeeeee!”

“Hiiiiii,” the light thing trills.  She locks eyes with Dark Shadow.  “Daddy!”

“What?” Dark Shadow gasps, surprised.  He gives her father a confused, guilty look. “I’m not…  I mean, maybe?  It’s confusing!”

Her father looks over the both of them, instantly assessing the situation.  Carefully, he peels her from his leg and bends down next to him.  The light-thing keeps trying to hug Dark Shadow, darting this way and that, while Dark Shadow dodges out of the way.  

“Little Bird,” her father says, putting one hand on her shoulder, “I need you to take a deep breath and listen to me.  Can you do that?”

Asuka takes a deep breath, trying to still her tears. “Uh-huh…”  She can’t help but watch the light thing now, she’s managed to corner Dark Shadow and is snuggling up against him while he looks on helplessly.

“Fumi!  Help!”

But her father ignores Dark Shadow to focus on her.  “Asuka,” he says, looking to the light thing, then back to her, “this is your Quirk.  It may seem scary, but there must be light to be shadows, and every shadow needs the light. This is your light and your shadow. Do you understand?”

She shakes her head.  Sometimes, her father talks too funny for her to understand.  But she’s not crying anymore.

Her father pauses for a moment, thinking.  Then, “You know how Dark Shadow is Daddy’s friend?”

This, she understands.  She nods.  “Uh-huh.”

“I think this little one is meant to be yours.”

He stands up and turns to Dark Shadow and the light thing. She’s settled down in Dark Shadow’s arms now.  “May I?” he asks.  Dark Shadow nods and passes the thing to him.

Carefully, her father bends down again, holding the light thing in the crook of one arm.  He runs a hand along the tether connecting it to her.  “See?  Just like me and Dark Shadow.”

The thing gazes up at them, her eyes wide.  “Do you have a name, little one?” her father asks.

She gives them a confused look.  “I don’t know!”

“Maybe you’d like to her give a name, Asuka?”

Asuka looks over the little light-tadpole, how innocent it seems now.  It’s just a kid, like her.  “She’s a tadpole… so she’s a frog!  Like Mommy! So maybe… Frog-Shadow!”

“Ooooh!  I like that!  I like that!” the newly named Frog-Shadow claps it’s flippers together happily.

“It’s a big responsibility,” her father says. “Mommy’s going to have a new baby soon, and now this little one is here too.  You’re going to be a big sister twice over.  Can you be a good big sister, to both of them?”

Asuka nods.  “I can! I will!  I will, Daddy!  I promise!”

“Say, Fumi,” Dark Shadow says, “do you think this is because of the time we…”

“SILENCE!”

Since then, Frog-Shadow had been her constant companion, slowly growing from a tiny tadpole to a powerful frog-shaped light being.  And definitely into a being with a mind of her own.  The number of times Frog-Shadow had appeared of her own volition, to embarrass her or just to insert her own thoughts on things…  Asuka wasn’t sure whether or not having all that out in the open was better than having to just deal with Frog-Shadow’s voice in her head.

But right now, she missed it more than she had ever missed anything in the world.  It was as though a piece of herself had been cut out.

Thoughts of her promise returned to her.  Had she been a good “big sister?”  She often yelled at and argued with Frog-Shadow, tried to shame her into behaving properly.  Maybe she should have been more understanding?  Maybe she shouldn’t have tried so hard to make her fit her idea of good behavior?

“Please,” Asuka said softly, “please, come back.”

She felt a warmth growing in her middle, and with a pop, Frog-Shadow appeared!  She looked weak, her glow very dim, barely floating, but she was back.  

“Hiiii,” she said weakly.  

Asuka let out an unintelligible squeal and pulled Frog-Shadow to her tightly.  “Never, never worry me like that again, you!”

“Hey!  Hey!  I just took a break, okay!  No need to get so mushy!  But… okay, if you insist…”

“Love you, little sister,” Asuka said.

“Love you too.”

***

Tensei Iida in a Flight in the Limelight

Tensei fired his Jetpack, doing math in his head rapidly.  If he let the falling woman’s velocity equal x and his own speed equal y and the distance between them equal z, then he needed to maintain his speed and then reduce it so she would not become a greasy, crimson smear on his armor if he tried to catch her.  

He applied another burst of speed, then immediately cut his forward acceleration, just in time to catch her in his arms.  Her screams stopped, suddenly surprised at no longer falling.  

“I’m…  I’m not dead?”

“Please remain calm,” he said, trying to be reassuring.  Their teachers and his father had always insisted that reassuring the civilians was just as important as the physical rescue itself.  “This may be somewhat jarring.”

Carefully, he activated his Quirk again, slow bursts from his Jetpack to continue slowing them down, before shifting to a steadily decreasing stream to bring them down to the ground.  

On the ground, he was met by the Hero he was interning with, the gold and black-armored Veloci-Queen. She was able to generate a frictionless field around her body, which combined with the disks built into her hero suit, let her move at incredible speed.  The perfect fusion of science and speed, which Tensei respected.  She had a highly credible record as well, which he also respected.  The only blemish, it if could be called such, was her insistence that he needed to “lighten up.”

Of course, his boyfriend (He admitted, he truly did love thinking that word, even if they had only been able to exchange a few texts since the start of the Internship) occasionally said the same thing.

The fact that a mid-air rescue was how he had gotten his boyfriend in the first place was not lost on him.

“Good work, Jet-Blue,” Veloci-Queen said.  “You all right, Miss?”

The woman Tensei had caught—he vaguely recognized her from some Instaglam pictures Takuma had shown him—climbed out of his arms.   Paramedics were waiting for her.  “I’m fine,” she said.  “Thanks to this guy!”

She was blonde, with green eyes with vertical slits.  Now that he looked at her more closely, he could see that she has small scale patterns on various spots on her body.  Tensei was a poor judge of female attractiveness, but if this woman—Or was it girl?  He now realized she was not much older than him.—was an Instaglam content producer, she was likely attractive by those who found women attractive.

“So what caused you to fall like that?” Veloci-Queen asked.   Tensei knew she had little patience for so-called “internet celebrities.” She had found him watching one of Takuma’s videos during a lunch break and made some unflattering remarks about the kinds of people who made such videos.  He regretted not speaking up more in his boyfriend’s defense, but he also felt obligated to respect his mentor.

“Oh, I was up on the roof, trying to get the perfect picture!  The skyline is to die for!”

“…Be careful.  You won’t always have my intern to catch you.”

“Speaking of your intern,” the woman said, “I haven’t said thank you!  Can you take the helmet off?  I want to see the face of the guy who saved me!”

Tensei looked over to Veloci-Queen, who shrugged.  He reached up and snapped the seals on his helmet, lifting it off his head and holding it in the crook of his arm.

Before he could blink, the woman leaned in and placed a kiss on his cheek, snapping the whole thing with her phone.  

***

What was the word that Takuma had used to describe when something spread through social media faster than one could track?   Ah, yes… viral.  He hadn’t quite understood it before, but in the last few hours, Tensei had come to see that the term was very apt.  Like a virus, it first infected one social media platform to another, spreading to various digital news outlets faster than he could blink.  

Instaglam Star Akebono Hebi Kisses Rescuer and U.A. Student Tensei Iida – Is Romance On the Horizon?

There were so many inaccuracies with that he did not know where to begin!   One, he was already in an established relationship!  Two, romances resulting from rescues were highly inappropriate!  Three, one kiss did not a relationship make and it very poor journalism to assume as such! And, of course, four, he was gay!

At least his boyfriend was being understanding.

Takuma Sero: You met Ake?  Super jealous.  She’s got, like, a bajillion followers!

That is entirely beside the point!

Why are you not scandalized by these accusations of disloyalty?

Takuma Sero: Babe.  I know you’re gay.  I’m not exactly worried here.

Nevertheless, this is all highly inappropriate!

Takuma Sero: First time going viral?

Takuma Sero: This can’t be your first time being in the news, Tensei.

Takuma Sero: Your family’s super-famous.  Mom, Dad, Uncle, like, everybody.

Yes, but that has only been in association with my more renown family members!

And furthermore, this has nothing to do with my own merits!

This is merely her using me for…

What is the word I am looking for here?

Takuma Sero: For clicks?

Yes!

This is her using me for clicks!

Takuma Sero: Didn’t your mom use your dad as an advertisement

the first time they met?

Yes, but that is entirely beside the point!

Takuma Sero: Babe.  Relax.  Ake’s a bigger attention whore than me.

Takuma Sero: By this time tomorrow, she’ll be going viral for something else.

Takuma Sero: And you’ll be yesterday’s news.

Takuma Sero: Except to me.

You are much wiser in the ways of the social media than me.

I shall defer to your expertise in the matter.

Takuma Sero: Though if you did want to go

viral for kissing someone

Takuma Sero: I could always stream it

Takuma: Sero: Joking!  

I should hope so!

Though I would not object to the non-streaming part of that.

Takuma Sero: Why, Mister Iida!

Takuma Sero: Did you just say you wanted to kiss me?

Takuma Sero: I thought your sister was the expressive one!

I am fully capable of expressing my own desires!

And please do not discuss my sister.

I have no wish to think about whatever she and Toshi may get up to.

Tensei hoped Takuma was right.  At the very least, he was grateful that his father was not active or interested in social media.  The last thing he needed was more reminders about upholding the Iida family name. That had been impressed upon him and his sister often enough.  Father simply wanted what was best, but even Tensei could admit, his line of thinking was somewhat rigid.  

More importantly, he was even more grateful his sister seemed not to have noticed this.  She would never have let him hear the end of it if she did.

His phone buzzed.

Sora: You now also have a girlfriend?  You really must allow me to better vet your romantic entanglements, Little Brother!

Tensei just sighed. Some things, it seemed, never changed.

[brokenmimir]

White Rose Week 2019, Day One: First (Poem)

The Winter Ball is approaching, and at first Ruby is less than enthused to find a note in her weapon locker.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/19164616

Ruby hummed happily to herself as she headed into the locker room. It had been a good practice, with plenty of exercise for her sweetheart Crescent Rose, and enough exertion to leave her warm and relaxed, if a bit sweaty. Still, nothing a quick shower couldn't cure.

She opened her locker to put her weapon away, making a note fall out, fluttering to the ground. She paused, curious who could've left something, and why they would've done so, before she remembered the dance coming up. With Beacon rebuilt Headmistress Goodwitch had decided to hold a Winter Ball to celebrate the restoration of the school, and to encourage 'togetherness' or some other silly stuff.

Ruby's main memories of the last ball were stupid lady stilts, fighting Cinder, and worst of all her partner fawning all over Neptune. She'd never said anything, at the time she hadn't even really understood her own feelings, but during the battles against Salem she'd finally realized that she'd been in love with her partner for a long time.

Now there was another dance coming, and Ruby wanted nothing to do with it. Just thinking about the winter ball made her want to go back to bed and not get up again. The happiness she'd been feeling after a good combat class faded away, leaving her sore and grumpy, all because of some stupid letter stuffed into her locker.

“What's that sis?” Yang asked, pointing at the paper. “You looked like you wanted to set it on fire with your eyes.”

Ruby just sighed, slumping down on a bench. “Just some stupid letter from an admirer.”

“Does big sis need to beat someone up?” Yang asked, cracking her knuckles.

“No,” Ruby said shaking her head. “Don't worry about it.”

“Who's it from?” Blake asked.

“It doesn't matter,” Ruby said. “I've had people asking me to the stupid ball all week. I'm just gonna stay in the dorm and get some rest. Maybe read a book or something.”

“You're not going?” Yang asked in surprise. “How can you not go?”

“Because dances are stupid,” Ruby huffed. Besides, she thought, I don't want to be stuck watching Weiss dance with some guy all night.

“Come on, it'll be fun, all four of us hangin' out and havin' a blast,” Yang said. “Just without explosives this time. Er… well, Nora is coming…”

“You all having fun maybe,” Ruby mumbled. “You and Blake are dating, and Weiss'll bring a date, and I'll be stuck all fifth wheel all night.”

“You could have a date, too,” Yang said, gesturing at the note, which was still sitting on the ground. “Come on, you have to come. Tell her, Weiss-y. Weiss?”

Ruby looked up, and was surprised to see her partner gone. “Where'd she go?”

“I dunno,” Yang said. “Guess she was in a hurry. Probably off to the library or something.”

Or to check on her date… whoever that is, Ruby thought.

Blake walked over and picked up the note, frowning as she read it. “Uh… Ruby?”

“What?”

“I think… maybe you should read this.”

It took two hours for Ruby to find Weiss. She wasn't in any of her usual spots, but finally, just when she was about to panic, she found her sitting on the cliff overlooking the emerald forest. The sun was setting, and she looked beautiful sitting in her combat skirt, not having taken the time to change after class. Ruby couldn't blame her.

She didn't know what to say, so after hesitating for a while she pulled out the note from her locker and began to read it out loud.

Of all the roses growing in the fields,

The falling snow is drawn to ruby red,

But before it touches the heart it yields,

And seeks to bind the soul with reddened thread.

But soft, can the gentle maid hear my heart?

That flutters, cries and beats for her alone?

For what can it do when faced with such art,

But seek to find how close we two have grown?

Petals falling like rains from the heavens,

And with them all the tears that I once shed,

Were chased away by our heart's keen weapons,

The loneliness from my past has fin'ly fled.

So please, dear heart, do not leave me to fall,

But join me instead for this Winter's Ball.

Weiss turned and looked at her, before turning red and facing away again as Ruby finished the poem. Neither spoke, and finally Ruby walked over, sitting beside her on the ledge, both staring out at the sunset.

“I'm sorry,” Ruby said.

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” Weiss said stiffly. “It was my fault for thinking that you might be interested. Besides, it wasn't a very good sonnet anyway. I haven't written one since I was a child.”

“It was amazing!” Ruby said. “No one's ever written a poem for me before!”

Weiss blushed and played with her skirt. “It wasn't very good. And I'm sorry for bothering you with it. I won't bring it up again-”

“Why?” Ruby interrupted.

“Because I don't want to cause problems, you dolt,” Weiss huffed.

“No, I mean, why did you write it for me at all?” Ruby asked.

“Isn't it obvious?”

Ruby shook her head. “I'm kind of a dunce, remember?”

Weiss sighed, and after a moment to steel herself spoke. “I… I realized when we went to Atlas that I had feelings for you. With the war and everything I decided not to say anything, but I thought the ball would be a good chance to tell you. It was silly of me. I hope that this won't cause any problems within the team. I promise I won't make things weird-”

“Wait, wait,” Ruby said. “I want to say something. Okay?”

Weiss visibly braced herself, expecting the worst. “Okay.”

Ruby pulled out another sheet of paper, where she'd dashed off a few words she wanted to say in the library while searching. They weren't Weiss's fancy people poem, but she'd tried her best.

Roses are red,

Snowflakes are white,

I'm just a dolt,

Let's dance all night.

Weiss stared at her blankly for long enough for Ruby to start fidgeting in place. “Does… does that mean you want to go to the ball with me?”

Ruby nodded. “I've… it took me a long time realize it, but I've liked you for a long time, too. I just thought you liked boys. I mean, you went to the Vytal Dance with Neptune…”

Weiss scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Ugh, that was me being stupid. I thought I was straight, and he seemed cool until we got to know him better. Now I don't know what I was thinking.”

“So… does that mean we're dating now?”

Weiss rolled her eyes again, before leaning over and pressing a quick kiss to Ruby's lips. “Does that answer your question?”

“Yes?” Ruby asked. When Weiss rolled her eyes for a third time and nodded Ruby pumped a fist in the air. “YES!”

It's been a long time since I've tried writing poetry, so I'm blaming any quality issues on Weiss being rusty.

[taizi]

put your empty hands in mine

chapter nine: family

natsume yuujinchou pairing: kitanishinatsu word count: 2145 summary: Kitamoto and Nishimura are soulmates, to absolutely no one’s surprise. But they’re also soulmates with a very shy boy who lives somewhere far away, who writes to them in tiny, careful letters right before bed, who apologizes when the mimicry of bruises pop up on their arms and backs because of him. And that’s a surprise to a lot of people. read on ao3

x

The marks and messages a soulmate leaves always fade within a day or two. Mom makes him wait three before Satoru is allowed to pull the bandages off his arms, just in case.

And in that time, Takashi wakes up, he’s cleared to leave the hospital, and they go back home to Hitoyoshi.

The detective pulled a lot of strings, and now Auntie has temporary guardianship of Takashi. It isn’t permanent, but it’s good enough while they figure out the next arrangement.

She made it pretty clear she wasn’t leaving the city without him. The detective looked one part cowed and two parts impressed, and in the end he was happy to arrange a rental van for them, so they wouldn’t have to take Takashi onto a crowded train.

The doctor said to allow at least six weeks for Takashi’s ribs to heal, and to take him to a clinic immediately if he has trouble breathing because that would increase the risk of pneumonia. Mostly he has to stay propped up in Atsushi’s bed with hot tea or soup on hand at all times, but that’s okay.

As much fun as it is to run through the lotus fields, and go fishing in the river, and climb the steps in the woods to visit Takashi’s favorite shrine, Satoru likes having Takashi right here where they can keep an eye on him all the time. He gets nervous when Takashi is gone.

The worst part is that his soulmates can’t crawl into bed with him at night, because they might roll over on him or something and he’s still so sore. It’s weird to sleep with him three feet away. Satoru is used to being miles and miles apart, or not apart at all.

Tsuji and Adachi come by with their classwork, the way they’ve done every day for the past week. Tsuji is determined not to let them fall behind, and Adachi likes the easy excuse to visit Takashi.

Shibata’s school had a teacher institute right before the weekend, so he’s here for three days and can hardly be pried from his best friend’s side long enough to take a bath or go to sleep. His eyes are red-rimmed from crying and he doesn’t look even a little bit self-conscious about it, clutching Takashi’s hand like he could make up for not being there when he was really needed if he holds on tight enough now.

Takashi, for his part, naps most of the time. Nyanko-sensei is his silent sentry, eating far less than a real cat would and watching everything with his dark intelligent eyes. The therapist who comes to talk to them every now and then said she was surprised the cat wasn’t certified already, and helped them get the paperwork filed. Satoru didn’t understand all of it, but basically Nyanko-sensei will be allowed to go wherever Takashi does, no matter what his next guardians will have to say about it. That’s a relief, even if nothing else about the uncertainty of Takashi’s future is.

“Hey,” Satoru says. “You have a house, don’t you?”

It’s Sunday night, and he has to go back to school tomorrow while Takashi stays home without him. It’s hard to fall asleep, knowing that. It’s hard to fall asleep for lots of reasons these days, and he’d rather be up late thinking about stuff than up late because a bad dream chased him awake.

He can almost hear Takashi’s surprised blink. In the futon next to Satoru’s, Atsushi shifts closer to wakefulness than sleep.

Takashi asks, “My parent’s house?”

“That one,” Satoru says. It’s very dark and his quiet voice cuts through the still room easily. “You know where it is?”

“I have directions written down. I keep them in my book. Why?”

“Because when I kidnap you, it would be a good place to go.” Satoru smiles at the noise of disbelief Atsushi makes, and tilts his head over to look up at Takashi, peering down at him with wide eyes over the side of the bed. “The three of us could stay there together forever and I’d never have to say goodbye to you again.”

Takashi doesn’t answer for a long time, but Satoru is used to his silences. He lets his eyes drift away, following the slant of moonlight spilling into the room from a crack in the shutters, but then Atsushi says, “Okashi, what are you doing? Hey, don’t get up-- “ and it snaps his attention back.

Takashi’s still moving, tugging back his blanket with deliberate, ginger slowness, like every move makes him ache. Nyanko-sensei grumbles in the back of his throat, displeased, as Takashi swings one leg over the side of the bed, and then the other. There’s a stubborn set to his mouth, even as his soulmates scramble to their feet and rush to him.

“Quit it, Bakashi,” Satoru snaps, pressing Takashi down by the shoulders. “If you have to go to the bathroom or something you’re supposed to let us know before you-- “

But then Takashi’s bruised hands are folding in the front of Satoru’s shirt, slowly and surely. It’s not so sudden as to be startling, the careful way he pulls Satoru down. Satoru doesn’t even realize what’s happening, keeps right on talking, up until the exact moment Takashi kisses him.

It’s just a brief press of their lips together, a touch as soft as a flower petal feels. It has absolutely no business making Satoru feel as dizzy as it does. He stands there stupidly when Takashi reaches for Atsushi in turn, and Atsushi is grinning almost too wide to kiss properly, a grin that very clearly is making fun of Satoru’s expression. Even Takashi looks like he’s about to laugh.

“I forgot to tell you,” their soulmate says, so sweetly. “Thank you.”

“You don’t have to say thank you,” Atsushi says, sitting on the bed beside him. His arm snakes around Takashi’s waist, and Satoru’s heart aches with joy when the two of them are together. “Nice kiss, though.”

Takashi turns faintly pink, like he’s just caught up to himself. “You kissed me first.”

“That was years ago! And it was a kiss on the cheek.”

“Hey, I’m not complaining. I’m the opposite of complaining.” Satoru has finally found his voice again and he crowds in closer, all but crawling onto Takashi’s lap, even though it makes Atsushi give him a pointed look to be careful. So Satoru minds his sore chest, even as he tugs Takashi’s hands down from where they’re hiding his face. “Pumpkin. I want one more.”

Of course, he’s not actually satisfied with one. And he has to kiss Atsushi, too, because he can’t live in a world where someone else has kissed Acchan and he hasn’t. And they’re awake a lot, lot longer than they should be, totally preoccupied with this newfound way to express all their impossible affection, so happy that sleep is just impossible.

Morning comes obscenely early and it feels like they only slept for about five minutes each. Takashi is sleeping peacefully when Atsushi and Satoru drag themselves around getting ready for school. Auntie gives them knowing looks over breakfast table in the morning, but mercifully doesn’t comment.

Their classmates are relieved to see them, but Sasada and Tsuji must have passed around pretty convincing threats beforehand, because Satoru and Atsushi aren’t mobbed on their way inside. Taki pulls them aside for a tight hug, squeezing the life out of both of them in turn, and a few other kids get away with murmured condolences and welcomes, but otherwise it’s easy to slip back into routine.

Satoru folds his hands together and watches the clock. His sleeves are rolled up so he’ll see a note the second Takashi leaves one, and his phone is on vibrate in his pocket. At his desk on the other side of the room, Atsushi is equally as tense.

Nyanko-sensei is home with Takashi, and no one in this entire town means him any harm, but Satoru has nightmares about what happened the last time they left him alone. It’s stupid, even though the therapist says it’s not stupid. She says it will take a lot of time to stop being scared.

Color appears from the corner of his eye. Satoru glances down at his hands in time to watch familiar handwriting fill the empty space, those neatly drawn characters that Satoru would be able to pick out of a thousand, a shade of orange that makes his heart beat a little faster.

You didn’t wake me up before you left, so I didn’t get to tell you, Takashi writes. Have a good day!

And just a tiny little bit of that senseless fear goes away. With every new day, it goes away a bit more. 

Ogata sneaks away from home to visit on the weekends, even though it gets her in trouble with her mom more than once. Shibata gets on the train to Hitoyoshi on any afternoon he doesn't have extra-curriculars, and on some afternoons that he does, and stubbornly weathers phone calls from his exasperated parents who say things like "just tell us when you're going so we don't have to find out from your teacher" followed by "and give Takashi our love" which takes any sting out of the scolding.

Takashi has had years to get used to his friends and how much they love him, but he still brightens when Ogata or Shibata texts to say they're coming over.

“Are you guys gonna be around after school?” Suzuki asks about a month later, while Satoru is snatching up his books and his bag. “There’s a new game at the arcade you should check out.”

“Next time, maybe,” Atsushi says, slinging his own bag over his shoulder. “Takashi has a doctor’s appointment this afternoon.”

“Hey, no worries,” Suzuki says with a wave, probably sensing the dark stare Tsuji is directing at the back of his head. “Bring him along when he’s feeling better.”

Takashi has been feeling a lot better recently, but it'll still be a few weeks before he's allowed to do more than walk around the house. Today they're taking him to the general hospital for x-rays, to make sure his ribs are healing like they should. Nyanko-sensei comes along, riding on Atsushi's shoulder since Takashi can't carry him yet, and Satoru holds Takashi's hand because the hospital gives him an uneasy feeling. The doctor is very nice, and tells Takashi he's doing well. There's a rattle in his lungs she doesn't like, so he gets a prescription for antibiotics just in case, but otherwise his progress is right where it should be. In another month, he should be good as new.

"Well, since we have to go out and fill Takashi's prescription, I don't see why we shouldn't stop and get donuts on our way home," Auntie says brightly, leading the way out. "We'll get one for Mana, too. Don't tell dad."

"Thanks, Aunt Mikako," Takashi says, smiling up at her. "For everything. Sorry I've been so much trouble."

"Natsume Takashi, if you say 'sorry' one more time, I'm gonna lose it," Satoru informs him with a scowl. "This is what family is supposed to do. Get it through your head already."

But he squeezes his hand so Takashi doesn't feel truly scolded, and Atsushi rolls his eyes at either what Satoru said or the way he immediately backtracked. Auntie looks amused by the three of them and starts to open the door to the lobby, when a sudden voice calls out, "Excuse me!"

Satoru turns, surprised. He recognizes the woman who hurries across the hall to them. She lives in the big house on the very edge of town, and the one time Satoru accidentally kicked a ball into her yard, she sent him on his way with a snack. She presses a flustered hand to her mouth when she reaches them, and beside her, the man that must be her husband smiles at them pleasantly.

"I'm so sorry for butting in," she says. "We're here to visit a friend, and we happened to overhear. Natsume?"

"It's no trouble," Auntie assures her. She puts a hand on Takashi's shoulder. "I don't think you've had the chance to meet my son's second soulmate. This is Natsume Takashi, and he's staying with us for a little while."

Takashi ducks in a quick bow. The woman claps her hands together, looking delighted. "Is that so? Shigeru-san, you were right!"

Her husband laughs, a kind sound. "It's nice to meet you, Takashi. I've heard your name before from a cousin of mine." When Shigeru smiles, the lines on his face fit it perfectly, worn into place from a long life of smiling. "I'm Fujiwara Shigeru, and this is my wife, Touko-san. As it so happens, you and I are family."

[prettyyoungtragedy]

“It’s all fun and games, Until you catch feelings”

Summary: You’re pining after Steve and Bucky is pining after Nat, what better way to distract yourself from those two perfect humans than to distract yourselves with each other?! Fuck buddies it is then.

A/N: As promised, here is chapter 7! I really hope you guys enjoy it! I promise happiness and fluff are coming soon! Also trigger for anxiety in the warnings! i drew from my own anxiety but in case this affects anyone, please be aware of it. 

Words: 4121

Warnings: Swearing and anxiety trigger. 

Part 1 - The shit idea! | Part 2 - The ill timed walk in! | Part 3 - The consequences! | Part 4- The argument that always leads to sex! | Part 5 - The Bucky Barnes conundrum | Part 6 - The ‘I should have listened to Steve Rogers’ regret! | Part 7 - The six versions of a story you never cared about | Part 8 - The everything is fair game situation | Part 9 - The fuck your feelings letter| Part 10 The unexpected house guest|

It was a Sunday morning, the morning after the mission in east Africa. You awoke later than usual, tired from the previous day’s events. Your body was sore, and not to be dramatic but so was your heart. After Bucky had left your room last night, you cried yourself to sleep. Which to say the least was the most pathetic thing you had ever done in your life.

You decided you didn’t want to get out of bed. Curling up into a ball, you closed your eyes once more, relishing the warmth of your bed and the quiet of the room. A few minutes later your peace was interrupted by a knock on the door.

“Ugh, whoever it is. Go away.” You called out, irritably.

There’s a chuckle on the other side of the door, “Y/N, I’m coming in. Get decent.” Said Steve.

You groaned, you didn’t want to see Steve, in face he was one of the reasons you were crying last night, he was the last person you wanted to see.

But Steve walked in. he was balancing a tray in his one hand as he did so. It had pancakes, and coffee and a tub of chocolate Ice cream.

“Good morning.” He grinned at you.

“Go away Steve.” You groaned, pulling the covers over your head.

“Come on, I brought you breakfast” He chuckled, as he set the tray on the table beside your bed, “And I got your ice cream for you.”

“I don’t feel like eating.” you mumbled from beneath the covers. You feel Steve take a seat on the edge of the bed.

“But I went out and bought you ice cream.” Steve said, he tugged at the covers.

“That was weeks ago Steven.” You sighed.

“I know but you love this stuff.” He replied, taking it off the tray and offering it to you

You sighed and threw the covers off your face, in an irritated fashion and sat up. Steve’s whole face changed when saw your disheveled appearance. You eyes were still red from crying last night, your lips swollen, your hair a mess since you didn’t bother brushing it last night.

“Are you okay?” He suddenly asks, moving closer. placing the ice cream back down, A worried look on his face.

“Yes Steven, I am fine, I just look like shit because I am tired and Captain America won’t let me sleep in.” You said, sarcastically as you took the coffee off the tray and had a sip.

Steve didn’t seem convinced. “You know you can talk to me right? About anything.” Steve said, softly placing his hand on yours. “I worry about you.”

Your heart jumped at that phrase. ‘I worry about you’. You knew it was as a friend but it didn't hurt any less when he said it. You wished it meant more than a simple phrase but it didn't.

“Yes Steven I know.” You sighed.

He smiled at you, but you avoided looking at him. Instead you looked down at the coffee mug in yours hands. It still kind of hurt to look at him, knowing the feelings you harbored for him and knowing that his affections were being placed elsewhere.

“You keep calling me Steven, and it makes me sound like a grandfather.” Steve laughed,

“Well, you’re old enough to be my grandfather.” You retorted jokingly.

This made Steve laughed more and he just shook his head , “Okay well, then I will leave you in peace.” he said, standing up.

“Thanks for the breakfast.” You say to him as he walks out and shuts the door.

When he left you put the coffee down and curl back up into a ball in your bed. You hated all these feelings, it was all too confusing. You loved Steve, and Steve loved Natasha but you also suddenly wanted Bucky, but in the same was as you wanted Steve? You couldn’t tell at this point. Your mind was just fucked from all the emotions running through you and being around both of them was going to destroy you.

You spent the half the day in your room, watching Netflix and feeling sorry for yourself. Until you couldn’t handle your pity party anymore and decided to get dressed and go to the library for a change of scenery.

Taking a seat in one of the comfortable chairs, you surround yourself with books and then immerse yourself in some novel that takes you to a far far away place. When you are halfway done with a fantasy novel about dragons and elves, your guilty pleasure. A book suddenly falls from the shelf causing you to jump, you look up and standing before you is none other than Loki of Asgard.

“Hello darling.” He said dropping onto the couch beside you.

“Loki, what the hell are you doing here?” You demanded, nervously looking around, “And how did you even get in?”

Loki chuckled, “You know why I’m here and do you even have to ask how I got in? I’m a God, Y/N.”

“You shouldn't be here, what if someone sees.” You replied, your heart thumping in your chest as you gaze around the library, making sure no one was around.

“No one can see me, I have cloaked myself from everyone but you.” The god of Mischief said. “Have you come to a decision yet?”

You sighed, and placed the book down. “Loki, I already said no. I am not doing this with you again.”

“It wasn't so bad last time was it?” Loki mused, an amused glint in his eyes.

“You’re joking me right?” You said incredulously.

This made Loki chuckle. “I remember it being wonderful.”

“That’s because you’re insane.” You snorted.

Loki grinned amusedly at you, “Ahh you always were a force to be reckoned with.” he murmured, reaching up and touching your cheek. The palm of his hand cool against your hot skin. Your breath caught your throat, his touch was still electric.

“Loki, Please leave me alone.” You said, sadness coating your voice. “Haven’t you done enough?”

The God of mischief’s face suddenly turned serious. “I’m sorry for what happened Y/N.” he said quietly.

“No you aren’t.” You replied, just as quietly. “I loved you and you ripped out my heart and stomped all over it. I believed you, all your lies, and you destroyed me.”. You paused and took a deep breath feeling those old emotions rushing towards the surface again. It had been years since you had seen him, not since the chitauri battle in New York. You had loved him, deeply but you knew it was a one sided love.

“Forgive me, I never understood human emotions.” Loki murmured, leaning closer to you.

“Please go…” You said closing your eyes, unable to look at his handsome face anymore. The emotions were all too real once more.

“As you wish.” You hear him whisper, and when you open your eyes again, the library is empty. It’s just you and your many books, and the feelings that he had evoked from you. The feelings that made your heart so hard in the first place.

After seeing Loki again, you had retreated into yourself. You were quiet and sullen and avoided everyone. Loki had always had that grip on you, it was a love lost, a love that broke you. A secret you kept from everyone around you. No one would have understood these feelings, no one but Loki and you.

You had to escape the compound for even a few hours, so you opted to go out to a bar or a coffee shop. Either way you needed to leave.

You found yourself sitting in a booth, in a dingy Irish bar in Brooklyn. You grew up in Brooklyn so it was natural for you to always run to ‘home’ when you felt uneasy.

“You okay there darlin’?” the waitress asked when she appeared at your table again,

“Uh yeah, can I have another?” You said, pointing to your empty beer bottle. The waitress flashed you a smile and nodded before disappearing again. Leaving you to your thoughts.

You absentmindedly picked at the table, your mind running a mile a minute. The last few months of your life had been such a cluster fuck. Sometimes you wished you had a simple normal life, and you weren't an Avenger. But then you thought about the compound and the team and you knew that wasn’t true, they were the only real family you had left and no matter how many times you fucked up, they always took you back and forgave you.

“Hi there.” A voice beside your table brings you out of your thoughts.

You look up at the owner of the voice, and you’re pleasantly surprised. A handsome face, piercing green eyes, and blonde hair, he stood tall and burly with a thick Brooklyn accent. “Hi” You replied.

“So my friends back there,” He gestures to the table at the far side of the bar, “Dared me to come over here and ask you why a beautiful girl like is sitting all by herself, looking for sullen.”

You looked at his friends and then back at him, “I look sullen?” You asked, a small smile appearing on your face.

“Extremely.” The guy said, making a face. You half chuckled and just shook your head.

“I’m Chace.” He offered, extending his hand in a handshake.

“Y/N.” You replied, shaking his hand.

“Mind if I sit?” Chace asks,

“It's a free country.” You shrugged in response. Just then the waitress appeared with you drink and set it down before disappearing again.

“So why are you here alone? Waiting for someone?” Chase asked.

“Can’t a girl drink alone? Does she always have to be waiting for someone?” You retorted.

The guy chuckled, and nodded. “You have a point I guess. Why so serious though?”

“I killed a man and I am trying to decide how to get rid of the body.” You replied in all seriousness.

Your response, made his face falter for a moment. He couldn't tell if you were serious or joking. “That’s a joke right?”

This made you laugh, “That’s for you to decide.” You shrugged again.

“You look familiar…” Chace mused,

“If this is a pick up line, I will throw something at you.” You cut in before he could finish.

“Ah...you caught me out. Sorry.” he laughed, and you just shook your head in disgust. It felt weird talking to civilians. You hardly made any friends outside of the Avengers or Shield and now here was this random guy chatting you up.

Chace sat and spoke to you for a little while before he headed back to his friends, leaving you alone again. You sat for a few more hours in the bar, until it was almost 10PM when you drunkenly stumbled out of there.

You fished your car keys out of your pocket, and tried to open the car door. But in your drunk state you were struggling. Tony had given you a car, fitted with the best technology but in this moment you wished you had a normal car. One that didn't require a finger sensor to open the door.

“Fucking Stark technology”You grumbled drunkenly. A few more tries and you finally managed to open the car door. You slid into the driver's seat and and pushed the start button, the car roared to life. You were drunk and should not have been driving whatsoever.

A sudden voice in the car scared you shitess and you yelped in surpise.

“Miss Y/L/N” F.R.I.D.A.Y’s voice sounded through the speakers.

“FUCK ME!” You yelled in surprise.

“You are in no state to drive the vehicle.” The U.I stated.

“I am fine, Friday.”You slurred.

“No you are not, your vitals read high levels of intoxication.” F.R.I.D.A.Y said.

“God dammit, start the car Friday!”You exclaimed, you wanted to just get home and sleep. Your brain isn't thinking rationally and start yelling obscenities at the car and Tony and the U.I.

After a minute or so, you calm down and take a deep breath.

“I have alerted Sergeant Barnes of the situation, he is already enroute.” F.RI.D.A.Y announces.

“Fuck, No Friday wait, tell him it's fine. I will take a cab.” You say quickly, you didn’t want to see Bucky in this state. It was just going to make things worse for you and he would probably yell at you for drinking and driving.

“Unfortunately that is not an option.” She replied to you.

“Please, please I don't want him to see me like this.”You pleaded. You knew it was pointless, F.RI.D.A.Y was a U.I, she had no feelings and she as programmed to keep you all safe.

Suddenly you felt the need to throw up, quickly getting out of the car you keel over the side of the car and throw up the contents of your stomach on the sidewalk.

“Classy.” You hear Bucky’s voice behind you and you groan inwardly.

You stood up and wiped the side of your mouth with your hand You turn to face him, he was grimacing at you. He was driving one of Tony’s other cars which he leaned against. In the dim streetlight, he looked devastatingly handsome, wearing a pair of dark jeans, a grey t-shirt and brown suede jacket over it. He hardly dressed like a civilian, and when he did it was, to put it simply breathtaking.

“Why are you even here.”You sighed, leaning against the side of your car.

“To make sure you don’t kill yourself.” Bucky replied, slight angst in his voice. He walked over to  you and shrugged off his jacket and handed it to you.

“I’m not cold.” You said, not taking the jacket from him, even though you were cold.

Bucky sighed and put it around your shoulders anyway. “Why are you so fucking stubborn.” He murmured, standing next to you.

You’re both quiet for a moment, then he turns to you. “Come on let me get you home.” Bucky says,

“Why are you being so nice to me?” You said.

“Why wouldn’t I be nice to you?” He shoots back, questioningly.

“Well, we’re not friends, and I’m just a quick fuck to you.” You said, bitterly

Bucky looked at you and frowned. “You know that’s not true.” He replied softly,

“Ah don’t try and make me feel better about this, I brought this on myself. This was my stupid idea.” You said, waving him.

“Y/N, You’re not just a quick fuck to me.” Bucky said, insistently.

“Last night I sure as shit was.” You replied, feeling tears prickling in your eyes.

“I’m sorry about last night, I wasn’t in a good headspace Y/N.” Bucky said, cupping your face with his cold hand.

“It doesn't matter James.” You sighed, “Just take me home.” You stepped out of his touch then you move to the passenger side of the car and get in.

Bucky got into the car beside you. The entire way back the compound you were both silent. When Bucky pulled into the massive garage and stalled the car, he turned to you as you were about to get out of the car.

“Just so you know, I have never looked at you as just a quick fuck Y/N.” Bucky said.

You just shrugged at him and got out of the car. In your drunk state you didn’t want to talk to him for fear you would say something you shouldn’t.

“Y/N, wait. Talk to me.” Bucky called after you, getting out the car and hurrying after you.

He fell into step beside you, as you drunkenly stumbled through the compound towards the elevator. “There is nothing to talk about Bucky.” You snapped at him.

“Y/N stop.” He said, he grabbed your wrist and stopped you as the two of you reached the elevator.

You hit the elevator button and sighed tiredly. “Bucky just let it go, please.” You said, almost pleadingly.

“No.”

You turned to look at him, and suddenly you wanted to kiss him. There was nothing you didn’t like about Bucky, the realization hits you like a ton of bricks. You adored him, you adored the way he made you laugh, the way he said your name, the way he always kisses your cheek before he left a room you were in, the way he always treated you like an equal, the way  you felt in bed with him, the way he smiled whenever he saw you.

When you looked into those pale blue eyes, its like something inside you shifts and you realize you are irrevocably unconditionally in love with him.

“Y/N?” Bucky says, snapping you out of your sudden realization.

You blinked rapidly as you look at him, unable to fathom any words after your realization. “I’m going to bed.” You said quickly then step into the elevator, Bucky stepped into the elevator beside you and doesn’t say anything.

The quick ride up to your floor seemed to take forever. The second the elevator dinged on the landing you stepped out and strode quickly towards your room. Bucky didn’t stop you as you shut the door behind you, locking it.

There is a sudden panic inside your chest, as you grapple with your sudden intense feelings for Bucky. You could never admit it out loud. It was all just too much. You drunkenly stumbled and tripped over the carpet landing on all fours, your breaths coming out in rapidly gasps, as panic washes over you.

“Miss Y/L/N.” F.R.I.D.A.Y.’s voice calls over the U.I system, “You are in distress, should I alert Mr Stark?”

“N-n-no. Dont!” You gasped, it feels like you can’t breathe. Your mind is spinning as your chest heaves in panic, your body cannot register what is happening as the panic attack surges through your body.

“Breathe Miss Y/L/N, you appear to be having a panic attack.” F.R.I.D.A.Y stated.

You are suddenly curled up in a ball on the floor, tears blurring your vision, fighting with your mind to regain control over your body. “F-f-friday.” You gasped, “Call Steve, now.”

“Right away.” She responds.

Its not even 30 seconds later, when Steve is banging on your door. But you had locked it, Steve doesn't even hesitate. He breaks through the lock as he shoulders through the door, and is immediately pulling you into his arms.

Steve knew what was happening, you had spoken to him about your anxiety before, in the long conversations the two of you had in the library. You had asked him not to say anything to anyone, and he obliged your request. He had witnessed it once after the anthrax bomb incident and did the only thing he could in that moment, just hold you.

“Hey, hey, hey.” He murmured, clutching you tightly as you gripped onto him. Still gasping for breath, crying. “You’re okay, just breathe Y/N.”

The comfort Steve’s arms around you brought, was enough to bring you down from the ledge you had climbed up on. You take three deep slow breaths and then your heartbeat begins to slow down.

“It’s okay. You’re okay. I’m here.” Steve kept repeating. He provided a sense of comfort to you, as strangely intimate as it was. And when you finally calmed down, he released you from his grip and both of you sat on the floor. Leaning against the bed.

You brought your knees to your chest and hugged them. Steve was quiet for a moment, before he put his arm around you shoulders and pulled you closer. “Tell me what triggered it?” He said quietly.

You placed your head on your knees and sighed deeply. “Steve, I can’t be here anymore.” You say quietly.

“Tell me why?” Steve encouraged, he knew what the anxiety did to you and had always been a strong advocate for helping you through yours, as when he had PTSD no one helped him heal.

“I cant…” You whispered.

“Its okay Y/N, you can tell me anything, i’m always going to be here for you.” Steve replied, reaching up and placing a hand on your neck, he squeezed it gently, comfortingly.

This, this is why you loved Steve, he was kind and confident and no matter what he ever gave up on the people he cared about. You were glad for him in that moment.

You let out a soft sob, as you start crying again. You knew what it would mean if you told Steve about your feelings for Bucky. It meant whatever dream or idea you had of ever being with Steve would be shattered forever. There was no coming back from it, if you admitted to him you loved Bucky, it would mean transitioning your love for Steve into something entirely different. Your love for Steve would become a different kind of love.

Beside you, Steve was quiet. He knew you would eventually talk to him, you always did.

“I-I think I love him.” You said as another sob wracked through you.

“Bucky?” Steve replies, understandingly.

You nod and start crying again, covering your face with your hands.

“Hey, Hey, stop crying. You know I hate it when you cry.” Steve hushed you, pulling your closer.

“I just can’t do this again.” You said , through tears.

“Do what again?” Steve coaxed.

“Heartbreak.” you replied sniffling.

“Why do you think Bucky is going to break your heart Y/N?” Steve asks.

And you knew you couldn’t tell him, You knew it would ruin everything for him and Natasha and Steve didn’t deserve that. So you just shrugged and let more tears fall.

“And is this what all these tears are about?” He says, reaching up and wiping your cheek with his thumb.

You swallowed the lump in your throat and nodded. Steve’s kindness in this moment suddenly making your heart swell. He was one of the only people on the team who had seen this vulnerability to you, the only person you had let look beyond the facade. Not even Bucky who was practically your best friend had seen you cry, seen this side of you.

There’s an intimate friendship with Steve, for you it’s love and for him its love too but a different kind. Your heart is in a conundrum.

“Y/N, If you talk to Bucky and tell him how you feel, trust me, he will be honest with you if he feels the same way.” Steve said with confidence.

“And if he doesn't?” You say.

“If he doesn’t feel the same way? Well then he is an idiot and I’ll kick his ass for you.” Steve says, giving you a reassuring smile.

This makes you smile as well. “Ahh there we go, a smile!” Steve said, “That’s I needed to see.”

“Thank you Steve.” You said softly.

Steve smiled at you, his dazzling Captain America smile that won over the hearts of everyone who witnessed it. “Anything for you.” Steve replied as he pulled you into his arms, enveloping you in a hug.

After Steve helped you to your feet, he said goodnight and apologized for breaking down your door. Promising to get it fixed in the morning.

You had sobered up since talking to Steve, and had quick shower before you climbed into bed. Drawing the warm covers around you and falling into a fitful sleep minutes later.

Its 3AM.

His quiet footsteps pad across the hallway as he makes his way towards your room. He knows he shouldn’t but he needs you. The nightmares plagued him again, his thoughts an endless torrent of ill feelings and memories he wished to erase . You provided the distraction from it all, your scent, your body, your voice. You were the calm eye in the hurricane that was his mind.

He slowly pushed open the door to your room and notices the broken lock as he padded silently in shutting the door behind him. He hears you sigh as he climbs into the bed beside you, your body automatically melting into his as he places an arm around your waist.

“Bucky…” You sighed. Your voice is like a light guiding him through the dark tunnel.

He nuzzles your neck and holds your body against his, “I need you.” he murmurs. That was all it took for you to submit to him, and like before you provide the distraction he needs to draw him out of his head.

The night quiet and still as Bucky Barnes, fucks you into oblivion again.

Tags: @daybreakseventeen @buchonians @violentlybarnes @not-reptilian   @mixin–it–up @all-my-favourite-things91 @peacefulwriter88  @mp8130 @infinidadesua @sarahp879 @stillheregayandweird @yourunicornweirdo @stuxky107 @flightofthefantasies @homemade-parisian @vivianbabz @agentsinstorybrooke @songsaboutcupcakes @buckyisthatyou @hellolarry34 @xocaii @lumelgy @breezy1415 @iamwarrenspeace @commonarthoe@wearegoldeninthenight @kolsminion07 @whimsicalbarnes @merandalynnvarela @marvelsavengersforever1227 @blackcoffeeandgreenteaforme @mistyeyedworms @ultranamurcatherineus @29s2 @vintage-switch @juststufftoread @lilpandaowl @lovemarvelousfics @justreadingfics @gabby913 @gracieelizabitch @savetoreadzx @re-q @esther-maslow-90 @loki7ms @kgajecka @propertyofpoeandbucky @teamcap4bucky @steve-rogers-personal-hell  @terensebastianstan @chandlerbing22 @glassteethclan @filmmil @hollycornish @pandalandalopalis @chamongangae @making-chocolate-pudding @yachknow @buckyfluffmostlu @clare-m-k @shieldgirl95 @justsomegirlyness @teresaoliva20 @lyndsey-idjit@impatient-witch @4theluvofall @sumafamouxx @saharzek @chook007@lostinthoughtsandfeelings @thatrandomreadhead-blog @sebby89 @emmaveale123@xcandyslice @silverwolf7850 @choco-3-101 @qxmxp @imkindajustheretho @seabassbarness @redstarstan @lilypalmer1987 @chipilerendi @buckysforeverprincess @feelmyroarrrr@strongerthansheknows11 @nikky-the-writer @celinejfong @doctrinavolare @ibmerxyy @omgsindylove @my-halo-on-fire @camillechan @sebastianstanisagift @breehumbles @marlii-lavellan @kiddo-with-a-doggo @adonikosmos @antoniamarie1989-blog @aletheladyinred @astudyology @buckys-newarm @writing-obrien @brieannakeogh @whyisbuckyso @debbielovesbucky  @cosmopclitan @somewhereinimagination @accio-procrastination @seabassobrien @mrbuchanan @ria132love @tiffanypooh @letslejlalove @fairchild21 @huntermichelle @buckywhitewolf @plsboys @badassbaker @hereforsumbucky @existentialmalaises @supernaturaldean67 @letsgetfuckingsuperwholocked @mercyiy @zeenee @helloworld1980 @photography-to-all @quotemeow @wemettonight @chatterbean@10kindsofderp @twentyjuanpancakes @marvelously-dead-inside-24 @queenophelia@fakinginterest @walkingtravesty97 @lovemarvelousfics @champion-ofthe-sun@shieldsandsunsets @im-not-strawberry-blonde @gentlegiantspike @msvega24 @nyleveeee @pineapplebooboo @parkerrpeterr @projectxhappiness @faakelanadelrey @lxdyred @tabseus@thestarlighthotel @whyisbuckyso @ailynalonso15 @fortunatelysaltydreamland @2017booklover@wishingforahome @vanille-laecheln @imeannooffensebabybut @addictionmarvel @ofheroesandvillains @yknott81 @thecaptainslady @diinofayce @marvel-lucy @kandiidreams @bhodi-black @abstract-postmodernist-ghost @thee-winterr-soldierr @tinyfistwarrior @some-blondes-unicorn @somethingwitty-somethingsweet @guera31 @theeyeofthefuckingtiger@sprinkleofpoop @haterpenny @dia-greine @httpmcrvel @acebabe @whothehelisbarnes @henrietteoaks @awinterloveuniverse @greeneyedgirls4 @mad-girl-without-a-box@marvelfan18 @waitforthehurricanelore @aurorgoldstien @casiadilla @lara1smith @missinstantgratification @anotherotter @mustbenot @daiiybuugle@brooke-supernatural16 @whenallsaidanddone @jemmaisokay @holding-roses@frealluvbabe @sergeipoluninfans @btamezzz @rodkrake @iwillbeinmynest @jemmaisokay @jbbarnesgirl @fallen-stark @mrsstanbarnes

SORRY GUYS, BUT TAGS FOR THIS FIC ARE CLOSED!! If you don’t leave feedback I will unfortunately take you off my taglist!!! If i clean up my taglist and spots open up i will open it again. Until then, you can turn on post notifications!! :) thank you!

[ladyofmind]

July... Oh, July

Where did you go?

Seems like it was just the other day that I got home from that weekend trip and tried to find my routine again. Yes, I didn’t post much about my Nano camping or victory, but that editing work got done. The book itself isn’t finished, but I need a break!

Where else did July disappear to? Some good things came with my minor query attempt... I am waiting for more answers and managed to find myself an AMAZING editor to help me get this massive series into some shape. (Seriously, message me about her, I will be glad to share!) So yeah, that’s where I’ve been, plus or minus a sugar coma birthday weekend... 32 years old now, and that was way too much food. Well loved and over fed for sure.

As with any of my month end wrap-ups, I do like to keep those hashtag games in one place... For the above-mentioned reasons, I didn’t finish all my games this month so I will try my best next month...

More after the jump...

#wipwordsearch

1- Woods started tuning and testing his guitar before finally deciding on the one he wanted, a wicked little smile of his own forming. Two could play this game.

2- Pulling into the parking lot of Woods' building, Remmy stayed silent again, about what was ahead for Tweet.

3- Malta went in bounding search of Remmy, flying at the man for the second time that day.

4- Unfortunately, Malta took his compliment, despite his eyes traveling Tweet's form as discreetly as he could.

5- "He's certainly got my attention, cute little fishy he is." When both girls gave Tweety a look, she shrugged "You know like plenty of fish in the sea?

6- Tweety wanted to be Woods' muse, his sexy little siren, the thing he didn't take his eyes off of and drew inspiration from.

7- NO TURQUOISE

8- Rounding, she held the giggle at Brandon's confusion, even as the show went on. She felt a bit like those streakers that ran through sporting events, the way she was disrupting things. Though this time it wasn't her fault, but if you're already making a spectacle of yourself, might as well go full on.

9- Grabbing his music player and speakers, she continued on, shirt starting to climb up her back as she walked to the bathroom, tossing it just inside the doorway.

10- Woods wasn’t helping the cause, leaning against the door he held open, a mix of dented pride and cat with the canary.

11- NO BLOSSOM

12- She started to move again, softly swaying to the song.

13- He could tell Bebe was the type to do as Tweety wrote, and now Sly wondered if that was the reason miss Tweety sponged down that particular table so.

14- In Frost's mind, this was what a successful operating business looked like; something he'd been trying to have happen in the years he'd been the manager.

15- He had to think a moment to make sure he hadn't said anything other than a comment on food. He couldn't help but smirk, she looked as if he just said the smartest thing ever, and he knew himself well enough to know that couldn't happen.

16- That left Malta and Tweety to finish attempting to send the men on their way. Of course they were not being forced out, but the party had wound down nicely, and those boys needed to be up early to ship out, so they were trying to be mindful of this.

17- It could be called pretty, even if it sorely needed some updating. She looked past him, down the row of empty spaces, her own history easily meshing here too.

18- NO CHISEL

19- She somehow had bags of stuff again but knew the last stop she needed to make before getting to work; ordering two boxes of assorted cupcakes from her bakery boys, who seemed a bit surprised (she) came back.

20- Tweet just felt it more, the enormous mistake this would be.

21- That didn't quite help because he gripped the edge, and sunk down a little. "Maybe you should take ten first? You don't look so good."

22- Returning her attention to the drinkers, who had abandoned all the empty bottles, moving instead to the couch, swigging from some dented flask.

23- NO ZOOM

24- She'd lost count of them all now, and that probably wasn't a good thing to admit to. Just because she chased after one man, didn't mean she wasn't being tailed by more than enough of her own.

25- "Maybe if I could get another drink? I guess I can't drink through my skin." Deej gave the stink eye to Roger, before shrugging and rubbing the back of his head with a chuckle. "Anyone got an extra shirt?"

26- Woods laughed with a nod to the rest of the group, stepping a little closer to the microphone "I do believe the naughty nurse Trouble just issued another challenge, one we intend to take on."

27- Malta started to sway to the music, causing Tweet to do the same, and then they covered an ear each when the club could hear the way Frost boomed "Lass!"

28- Making a face as he downed the drink, Collar figured partying too hard wasn’t as bad as alliteration. "Good luck sir." He saluted and then wandered off, finding a nice table of random people to bother.

29- She could write a book about how to divert attention from yourself.

30- NO HAPHAZARD

31- Her back ached as if she had jumped into a pool and met with the solid wall of water, stinging her all over.

#CharactersTell

1/7- "Ballentine Rajneesh Siyamak, but you can call me Sly for short." In an old school fashion, Sly bent at the waist. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance, and welcome to Soulful. Are you here to see Tweety about the Red Letters series?"

2/7- Sly- "Back in the old country, I slept under the stars, or in a tent a time or two. Now? I suppose one might consider me a hotel camper, if one sees the club's bedrooms as a hotel, even if I hardly use it…"

3/7- Sly- "I know my way around a few things, been around a while. I once managed a spider infestation with a loo brush and pail."

4/7- Sly- "I love the outdoors, big fan of walking around at night, contemplating life in the darkest time of day."

5/7- Sly- "I don't get scared, so I must be telling them? I am not aware I am telling scary stories though, given that I am already often told how terrible I am at noticing flirtatious behavior aimed at me."

6/7- Sly- "Cooking? I am more of a concocter. I make a mean milkshake, and have been known to mix up some drinks and make something new."

7/7- Sly- "I like music, I do, but I don't sing. Not unless it will lighten the mood, and that is a last resort option."

8/7- "Oh? I've never been to camp! Hey fellow campers, I'm Raven, and I'm in a cabin all by my lonesome, stop by for a visit won't you?"

9/7- Raven- "Stargazing? I mean there was this one time, in an outdoor hot tub," *blushes* "We were under the stars but I didn't notice them much…"

10/7- Raven- "Why do we talk about me so much? I want to know about you. What's your favorite activity? I'll try anything once, twice if it's a good time…"

11/7- Raven- "Why ask me something like that? Do you want me to follow you? Because I totally would."

12/7- Raven- "Depends on if I'm taking that dip alone or not. Will you be joining me? I'd do it with you."

13/7- Raven- "Of course I am, anything you want, I'm willing to do, even change for you, so long as you love me."

14/7- Raven- "The bar that was home changed, so that sense of home is gone for a while now. But if you're offering to have me move in with you, of course I will!"

15/7- "Cop" Collar- "Hm, the Intel said that scumbag was here. Better let Nira know Tim's still out there." *texts back and forth* "What do you mean go camping for a while? I wasn't prepared to camp here…."

16/7- "Cop" Collar- *chuckles while unloading car* "Depends on the mountains… More of a poolside camper lately, but apparently I'm stuck in this forest for a few days."

17/7- "Cop" Collar- *finishing pop up tent* "I flirt all the time, ladies love the man thong, men too. Unless you mean a different kind of tent?" *pulls half deflated blowup doll from trunk into tent* "Leftover from a prank, but a good mattress you pervs."

18/7- "Cop" Collar- "I really shouldn't because alcohol starts the party… but I am off duty for a few days before the big bash…" *Chugs a large high proof bottle*

19/7- "Cop" Collar- *bleary eyed* "Always… Where's my thong? WHO TOOK MY THONG?" *spies a guy lost on the path* "You! You must have taken it!" *gives chase to poor guy* (this author spares some details for PG purposes)

20/7- "Cop" Collar- "Oh, great with knots, not so great with shelters."

*finishes hog tying guy with only man thong as rope*

"Collar, dude, it's Nathan Winners. Chef Nathan, you know, your buddy? I never stole your thong! You gotta stop that. Man, Deej owes me for this mess."

21/7-"Cop" Collar-"Usually I'm great at weathering a storm, but in this case, I gotta head back, someone has to help with club security. The big bash is a big deal. If you can get free & bring my man thong, you can get home Wieners." *pats hog tied man & leaves.*

22/7- Chef Nathan Winners- *struggles to get free* "It was a cute joke or pet name the first time. Haha, Chef Wieners. I am never helping Deej by delivering a meal to the woods again. Never stole the stupid thing!"

23/7- Chef Nathan- "I like walking thru the parks and taking the scenic route on my 4am supply runs. It's calm and quiet, plus who doesn't love getting the freshest food to cook with?"

24/7- Chef Nathan- "Did… did you not see what happened this time? That's the worst it's ever been for me. I prefer going alone and wandering the farmer's markets. No danger there, just me and the ingredients."

25/7- Chef Nathan- "I am not adventurous beyond my food. Unless you count navigating the strange people that are my friends, like Collar and Deej."

26/7- Chef Nathan- "I wander and take the long way home on nice days, but never get lost. Probably why a certain cat man calls me whenever he's hungry or lost but not lost."

27/7- Chef Nathan- "Urban legends? Not that I know of. I know a lot of food legends, and there are myths about some of the wilder things that happen in the bar's front of house."

28/7- Chef Nathan- "Is anything weirder than getting hog tied with Collar's man thong? Like seriously… I better get it back to him before he comes back to torture me more."

29/7- Antag Raven- "OMG I SING!!"

MC Sly- "… I suppose that means I shall be forced to play music?"

30/7- Yes! NO!!

SC Collar- "What do you mean no?"

BG Nathan- "You are not someone I want to turn my back on, let alone close my eyes around…" *returns the rope thong*

31/7- Sly- "Tell stories?"

Raven- "Karaoke!!!"

Collar- "Can't we just drink instead…?"

Nathan- "Time to pack, definitely time to leave camp."

#WIPJoy

2- Quick pitch? A women's journey through a life that is 'Cheers' crossed with 'Animaniacs' and surviving mostly sane. That's the Red Letters series!

3- Tweety took a breath before a gorgeously wicked smile spread her face. "Wouldn’t you like to know deary?" Shoulder lifting in a halfhearted shrug, "Probably will have to stick around to find out."

Song- Trouble for me/Britney Spears https://youtu.be/DQNm-P_1VVY

4- Woods started tuning and testing his guitar before finally deciding on the one he wanted, a wicked little smile of his own forming. Two could play this game. #RedLettersTeasers

5- Side char love?

-Malta the Cockney with a bold streak.

-Bebe that crazy friend who makes you do things.

-Roger the lynx cat with an attitude and cupcake addiction.

6- #1randomques Tweet's sorta done this before. But she'd say "It's just a woman's life, full of love, friends, and some legendary stories. It's up to you to believe me or not."

7/8- Tweet's care package includes:

-purple and red pens

-fun notebooks

-new music for her player

-cupcakes

9- Tweet likes pancakes and bacon or chicken fingers with french fries.

10- Tweet's got some food issues, being a picky eater… But Woods, another MC is allergic to cherries.

11- …close enough lol…

"He's certainly got my attention, cute little fishy he is." When both girls gave Tweety a look, she shrugged "You know like plenty of fish in the sea?" #RedLettersTeasers

12- Cupcakes. Thank goodness there is a temperamental cook or two that can make real food too…

13- #1randommques I'm a Gordon Ramsey fan. So, one char would be in trouble for the "herbs" in his brownies. Another might have a distance contest about flinging food, while a third would just be trying to figure out how to frost the chef…

14/15- Tweet has a chef to cook, but left to her own devices, it's candy. Or basics learned as a kid- cereal, quick processed foods, the no cook, doesn't expire for 5 years types of things. So, might be going to the diner to eat.

16- Tweety- "Things were rough growing up, but I always enjoyed chances to be near the water. Pools, oceans, it always called to me.

17- Antag- Brandon- "That's simple. Get off the stage, drink until that night's groupie is ready to play, and pass out around dawn."

18- Collar stepped up to the sink, like he would wash out his shirt, careful to slur his speech as well. "Swell party, til your drink ends up on your gut, not in it." #RedLettersTeasers

19- Tweety- "I can't tell you that. I have a few regrets in my life, but I also try to be a private person, even in the middle of a crowded nightclub."

20- #1randomques - Let's see… My chars are glad that I have managed to overcome bouts of depression, and that I am progressively working on the crippling anxiety. But they are still concerned about what part of the brain "Tim" comes from, and the things he does…

21- Antag- Lady S- "I hired her."

22- Most tech savy- Nira, considering he runs and watching the security system

Least- Deej fries his fur on the jukebox regularly.

[ephemerational]

Direction (V)

Message to “headless herald of hexadecimal hackery”:

“Sup. What are we gonna do about that webcomic idea?”

“I would need you to write it, otherwise I don’t know what to draw. Also how do you intend to pay me?”

“Just wanted to check in if you’re still interested. What do you mean, we’ll get money from selling merch and s…

“Don’t even try claiming that it will finance itself, I know comic artists, it’s never profitable”

I delete the message

“Don’t worry, I’ve still got a bit of cash, and I can write some articles for a quick buck”

“Fair enough, but you’ll have to pay for each page in advance.”

“And write comprehensive, comprehensible scene descriptions, from the explanation, it really wasn’t clear what tone you’re going for”

“Picture some insane posturban clusterpunk bullshit with metasensical absurdo abstractivist elements”

“Hold it right there, that sound sick, and real aesthetic, but those descriptors don’t mean anything. Posturban doesn’t even sound like a word. Be concrete and this is gonna be dope.”

“Yeah, I’ll send you some shit later”

In a strange state of inspired panic, I open Word. Last edited-turns out to not be anything related to the comic. Barely even three lines of text.

“My brain is broken, my mind is melting, and my psyche splattered across an uncountable number of unfinished documents but it’s thankless thinking with this corpse of a cortex, this cracked cranium full of incoherent ideas”

Sort of ironic for that to be the message of an obviously directionless, unpolished and unfinished piece of writing from a me that was either very tired or very drunk. Doesn’t matter. Delete.

“Hey brother, care for a good time?” called the coarse voice of a man, whose lung had clearly come into contact with more THC than oxygen, from a dark alleyway, trying to sell either bitches or drugs. I didn’t look to check which, seeing how I couldn’t afford either. “dark alleyway” in these parts at least is only a contextually meaningful descriptor, seeing how someone from pretty much anywhere else would consider the street I was running through at that very moment a particularly dark specimen. It had however not the slightest chance of comparing to the sheer amount of unfiltered lumodeficiency and delinquency that radiated from the offshoot the dealer/pimp called his own.”

What? No! This is a comic and not a fucking novel. Also wasn’t the protagonist supposed to be a hoodrat himself, why would he think/talk like this then? Fuck this, tabularaza the shit out of that and start from scratch. Jesus!

“ya’ll n****s…”

Can I say “N****s”? It would be kind of immersion breaking if I didn’t, or rather the characters didn’t. Not me who’s talking after all. On the other hand I’m pretty sure that’s not something those who would get upset over it are likely to care about. I could just claim that I am black, which is arguably even more racist, but they leave me no choice. Sacrifices have to be made to preserve the believability of a story.

Words flow onto digital paper the way it has always been. Opening a document and reemerging from the trance once a substantial amount of words has come to fill it. The text rarely even correlates to the thing that had been thought up, if there even was earlier consideration of what the white space might hold. It’s fascinating. Getting up is hard, speaking is hard, remembering is hard, but thinking? Thinking is passive. Not thinking is impossible and writing is just thinking while sitting at a keyboard.

Paragraphs about a young man trading the keys to a run down apartment to some thugs in exchange for them pretending to pursue him through the neighborhood replace nothingness. The chase, accompanied by gunshots, leads down the complex’s stairwell, through busy streets, a woman’s kitchen window and some dimly lit alleyways, one of which contains a bar called “Exisle”. Only the letters E-s-l of the neon sign are illuminated in a slightly on the nose reference to the cult classic “Regilith- The king’s rubble”.

The so far and henceforth unnamed main character, a morally light grey scam artist, upon bursting through the door, meets his contact. The journalist pulls on his cap twice as a signal, though this isn’t remotely necessary, as his nervous demeanor and pretend-poor style of clothing make him stick out like a sore thumb. He is dressed the way I would if I were to attempt to fit in in the huts, something I would imagine to be entirely unconvincing.

As the outsider scrolls through a newsfeed, reporting on the commotion outside, he is approached by the main character, whereupon they engage in some banter about who blew their cover more. The scam artist’s chase outside was of course a farce to present the image of someone worth chasing. He trades a USB-drive of unknown content against a decent amount of cash before ordering two whiskeys, the joke being that the bar owner is an Indonesian refugee who does not speak English, every order therefore resulting in a mystery drink, something the reporter did not expect. The main character’s scheme of unknown purpose proves successful as the two men part ways amicably.

That’s a good start, keeping things unexplained, building mystery. Good shit. I should ask Jerald if the “Exisle” thing is too on the nose though. Explicitly mentioning that the owner is Cuban so quickly after establishing the establishment seems kinda cheap, as opposed to simply having him talk with an accent, or acknowledging his origin later in the comic, when the audience has gotten used to the bar’s name. Whatever, that stuff can be ironed out later, for now this is a pretty solid hook. A bit of Momchelo… ah shit, it’s empty… A swig of actual whisky to celebrate then!

Just as I lift the bottle to my lips and tilt my head backwards in a “strangely cartoonish” manner which was once described as “Clearly indicating that [I] value the aesthetic of excessive drinking almost as much as the act itself”, Lloyd enters the room, contorting his face in a combination of pity and disgust.

“You made it to the kitchen, I see”

“Prepare to be even more impressed, as I tell you that I sleepwalked there from Lo’s room”

“Apart from the fact that I somehow find that less impressive than you moving your waking ass self to the ground floor; why the fuck were you in Lo’s room? Is he actually here for a change?”

“Nah, I just ate his stuff. Also talked to him for a bit, wrote some scenes for a webcomic… Pretty productive day overall if you ask me. If that was all the same day.”

“Man, I haven’t seen the guy in months now. I see how this house isn’t particularly welcoming to socially functional people, but still. Does he have a new girlfriend?”

“Haven’t heard anything since space girl broke up with him”

“Catherine?”

“Yes. Who else could I possibly mean by that?”

“I don’t know? I just find it weird that she got a cool sounding nickname”

“Just going with what fits, there are no personal feelings involved, freeloader.”

“Good to know. Say hi to Lo if you talk to him again, he never responds to me.”

“Will do. After I empty this bottle that is.”

“You can’t be serious”

“I wasn’t, but after that challenge: Watch me!”

A two thirds full bottle of hard liquor doesn’t go down as easily as a few cans of Momchelob, but it has the interesting effect of numbing my throat after the first few gulps, making the sensation of the liquid flowing down into my stomach almost surreal.

Lloyd either hasn’t dropped his disgusted expression over the duration of our talk, or he has chosen to reuse it now.

“I’m going to bed, try not to throw up on the floor again.”

I enjoy a few more minutes of almost sobriety before my vison cuts out.

[idorkish]

Little Munson - Chapter 8

A/N - Yes this chapter is supposed to end like this. No I will not explain anything just yet. Things will become a little clearer as the story progresses. The next few chapters are shorter but we are almost to the end of this book! Which means we are getting closer to the actual show episodes!

Need to catch up on this story? Check out The Reaper’s Angel Masterlist Want to be notified on updates? Shoot me a message and I’ll add you to the list! Or you can now add yourself to My Tag Lists (this is a Google Doc). Just find the story or character you want to be notified about when I post. Ignore the numbers, just add your tumblr name at the end of the list! Tag list: @mrstellerwinston @howmanywastedmoments @soafanficluvr1 @redwoodog @chaosmieu @khyharah @5sos1dsex @opies-oldlady @queen-ofthe-bikers-soa @mrsirishboru @fortheloveofthesoa @samcrolivesforever @ineedthesons @mwesterfeld1985 @divathelover @happys-crazy-queen22 @kitkat1690 @sons-of-anarchy-imagines-blr  @tellermorelli @juiceboxxortiz @ladyannikki @mybabysons @jade770 @kacilove26 @jaaxsoadeaanspn @myworldoffandomfics @brriik @jchona @nessy-bearxb @trashling101 @dmagicreality

With David and Tara gone, Angel felt lost. Jax refused to do anything that wasn’t required by the club. Opie and Donna were always off on their own. Bambi was shuffling between Charming and Bakersfield, depending on where Tig & Happy were, or shuttled off to Tacoma with Kozik. Bobby and the guys were on more runs that seemed to be longer than usual. When Precious was home, she was focused only on Tiki.

Angel did her best to keep out of everyone's way.  Most of her time was spent writing letters to David or pouring all of her time into her schoolwork. Angel had been doing extremely well in school and had talked to Precious and Bobby about the possibility of taking night classes at the community college to help prepare her for college. With very little pleading, Bobby had agreed and they went to sign her up for classes.

The school year was stressful for Angel. Aside from her normal classes, she had the college course she signed up for, plus Bobby was able to get her the last spot in the baking class she had been clamoring on about. Angel tried to stop by the garage and club house every other day so she could say hello to everyone. It seemed like they were all too busy when she was there. Like every day of her life, the Sons were busy in their own world. Slowly Angel stopped dropping in. Instead, she found herself more often at CaraCara with Luanne or at Luanne’s home.

Luanne enjoyed having Angel around. She had kept in contact with the club but still maintained her distance. She was there if they needed her, she went in if there was a lock down, and she helped if they needed but she always waited until they reached out. She refused to offer first. Angel couldn’t blame her. No one had really gone to visit Otto or check in on Luanne aside from Angel, David, and Bambi. Luanne had made it known that Angel always had a space in her home. Angel had been at Luanne’s so much that she had cleared out the guest room so Angel could leave stuff there. Luanne loved her niece spending time with her. She could see that Angel needed a place to get away from everything. She loved the Sons but Luanne knew that they would siphon every ounce of happiness and life out of the girl if she had nowhere else to turn.

Angel was exhausted but knew she had to go back home. She knew that Precious needed her help with the now toddler who was always attempting to run and grab everything in sight. Bobby had been around less than normal, some days not coming home to see them for a week. Angel and Precious were getting used to it but it still hurt. When Angel finally reached the door to the Munson residence, she could hear screaming and crying coming from inside. Angel threw the door open and ran inside. Bobby and Precious were in the middle of the living room, screaming about who knew what. On the floor was her baby brother, red faced and wailing as loud as possible. Without much thought, Angel readjusted her bag and stomped over to between her bickering father and stepmother and grabbed her little brother. “God fucking dammit, can’t you two fucking lower your voices!” She screamed at them as she tried to console the toddler. “What the hell did you say to me?” Bobby stared at his daughter who was standing between him and Precious. Angel glared at him and rolled her eyes before walking away, still clutching the crying child. “HEY! I’m fucking talking to you little girl! Where the hell do you think you’re going with my kid?”

Angel stopped and turned. “Your kid? You have a funny way of showing it. I’m taking him to my room, getting him changed and cleaned up. And since Ma should be leaving for work soon, I’m taking him to the park to get away from you!” Angel made her way to her room and closed the door, locking it behind her. She had never locked her door before, heck she didn’t even know why there was a lock on her door but today she was glad for this. “Shhh Tiki monster. Big sis got you,” she bounced the still crying child as she walked around the room, “I know Daddy was being a big ol’ meany with his screaming. It’s ok though, I won’t let him yell at you. Shh, shh little Robbie. Let’s get you out this house today.”

She sat her brother on the bed and grabbed clean clothes from the basket she always kept in her room. Precious had always found it amusing that Angel kept a basket of necessities for the baby in her own room. Angel had shrugged it off as there were days and nights she didn’t want to leave her room so it was better to have that stuff in there when she had him. She undressed the boy, changed his diaper, and redressed him quickly before going back and filling up his diaper bag. She hadn’t heard their father’s bike leave yet so Angel was trying to work quickly. Things had been tense in the Munson household and she had heard the two arguing before but never had they yelled that much and continued while the baby cried. Angel wiped the tears that began to spill. She had grabbed extra diapers and a set of clothes for the baby, as well as the stuffed puppy she had passed down to him. “Come on, time to get some fresh air,” she pressed soft kisses to the boy’s face to get him to smile. Tiki giggled and rested his head on her shoulder, one hand clutching her shirt as the other wiped at his own little face. Angel hoisted her backpack and the diaper bag onto the other shoulder and quietly opened her door. She could hear Precious and Bobby attempting to whisper to one another. Even then, Angel could hear the anger in their voice. Angel didn’t want to talk to either of them at the moment and they were both blocking the front door. Neither had noticed her watching them and she quickly  made her way out the back door, taking care to not let it slam.

The day was perfect, it always seemed to be this way. The sun was shining bright, there was a slight wind to keep its residents cool, and there were people being friendly to one another. Halfway to the park, Angel greatly regretted not taking the extra minute or two to grab the stroller. Her shoulder was sore from the weight of two bags and her arm was growing tired from carrying the toddler. Angel tried to keep the smile on her face and talk to her baby brother, pointing out things along the way and having him try to repeat the names after her. Since she had taken care of the Tiki since he was born, Angel had grown accustomed to all the rumors around town that he was actually hers. No matter how she tried to explain that he was her baby brother, not her baby, it seemed the people of Charming wouldn’t believe otherwise. She understood though. Daughter of a Son? Obviously the lifestyle had corrupted her and she had a child. It was much easier to deal with when David was around. People refused to whisper those things when he was around.

The two Munson children spent the rest of the evening at the park. Angel had pushed the toddler in the swing and then set him down, letting him run around the park as she chased after him. Soon the sun was beginning to set and Tiki was fussy, obviously hungry. Angel looked in her wallet and saw she had some money. She really didn’t want to go back to the house so she packed their stuff up and made their way toward the dinner. She didn’t often go there, as she much preferred to eat at home but this was better than dealing with Bobby, who was probably still pissed off. “Are you hungry little monster?” Tiki smiled and held up his arms, waiting for her to pick him up, “Yay! Foo time!”

Angel picked a booth in the furthest corner of the room and sat so she could look at the door and tucked Tiki next to the wall. She ordered them a small dinner and helped her little brother eat. They didn’t get too many looks but Angel could feel a pair of eyes on her throughout the night. Anytime she looked up, she could find no one who was looking at them. Angel had a bad feeling and quickly asked to get the rest of their food packed and the check. The garage wasn’t too far from the diner and she knew she could make it sooner if she walked faster. The waitress noticed Angel’s hurried movements and put an arm on her shoulder, “Are you ok sweetie?”

Angel jumped at being touched. She looked up and shook her head quickly. “I think someone has been following us, I keep feeling like someone is watching me.” The waitress nodded and told her to stay seated. Moments later, she reappeared with their packed food. “Do you want me to call someone for you?” Angel explained that she would be going to the Teller-Morrow garage, which wasn’t too far. The waitress insisted that she call someone but Angel didn’t know who she could call. “Actually, yea. Can you call the garage and ask for Herman Kozik? He should still be working right now.” Angel scribbled the name and number down and the waitress nodded, hurrying away to make the call. Angel took her time, making it seem as she was adjusting everything in her bags. The feeling of being watched came back but this time Angel couldn’t bring herself to look at anything other than her bags or her little brother, who was quickly falling asleep in the booth.

Minutes later, Angel saw the tow truck pulling into the parking lot and the waitress was coming out from the back room. “Alright, it seems he’s here. We were lucky that this guy was still working. Is he the little one father? Are you safe? Do you need anything else?”

Angel smiled at the older woman and shook her head, “No, this is my baby brother. My mom is at work and my dad was heading out of town. I’m just keeping the little guy out of trouble here. Herman works with my dad. Thank you though.” The waitress smiled and nodded, producing another tiny box “Cake, for you and the little one to share. I’ll make sure no one else follows you out and until you are in that truck and out of here ok?” Angel sniffled and wrapped her arms around the older woman. She gathered up all her stuff and Tiki and quickly made her way out the diner. Kozik was already out of the truck and waiting for her. “Hey Kiddo? What’s wrong?” Angel shook her head and held tight to Tiki, who was now fully asleep. “Can we get in the truck first please? Like now?” Kozik grabbed the bags from her and walked to the other side, opening the door and waiting until Angel was seated. She put on her seat belt but refused to let Tiki out of her arms. Kozik quickly made his way back to the driver side. Tossing the bags between them, he started the truck and began their way back to the garage. “Now, what’s going on Angel? Get a call at the garage from someone asking for me by my full name, saying there is a young girl and baby at the dinner who needs MY help and was scared. You know I won’t tell anyone shit if you don’t want me to, but the way you’re holding your brother, something happened so I need you to tell me.”

Angel stared straight ahead, unsure of how to explain the feeling she had. It took a few moments before she could actually speak. “Someone was following us. I don’t know who. But at the park it felt like we were being watched. I thought it was just other parents judging me again. They always see me and Tiki and just assume, so I thought nothing of it. But at the diner, someone was watching us. Any time I looked up, I couldn’t see anybody looking but I know someone was. And I just kept thinking what if they took him away? What if I just ignored that feeling and someone snatched my baby brother from me? Daddy’s already pissed at me because I yelled at him. And then if Tiki was gone? He’d hate me. Precious would never forgive me. Hell, I would never forgive myself. I was going to walk to the garage but the waitress, she’s the one who called, she wouldn’t let me leave until someone came and got me.”

Kozik sat in silence, glancing in the mirrors every few seconds. He was glad he got the call to get her and the baby. She was right and wrong. If Tiki was taken, he would never forgive. But it wasn’t Angel he wouldn’t forgive. They all knew of the issues at the Munson house. Bobby had vented about the problems he and Precious were having. She wanted Angel to have more freedom and do as she pleased. Bobby needed Angel to stay close for his own sanity. He wouldn’t forgive himself if anything happened to either of his children. Kozik looked back once again and saw the same car following them. “Don’t worry kiddo. You’re safe. I’m glad she called. Instead of going straight to the garage, let’s make a quick stop. I gotta stop by the gym and talk to Lumpy about something. We’ll go inside so you can rest for a bit, probably get the little guy changed. Then we’ll go back to the garage ok?”

Angel nodded and smiled at Kozik. He was sweet. Whereas the others would treat her as a fragile flower, Kozik refused to. He treated her like Bambi. He told her what she needed to hear but was fiercely protective. She had confided him in the past and talked to him when she had questions. He knew that she and David had almost had sex but never did. This was his brother’s baby girl but Kozik wasn’t stupid, she was growing up and would do what she wanted. “Thanks Koz. This means a lot.”  Kozik reached over and patted her knee. It was a simple touch but it spoke volumes. “Don’t worry about it kiddo. Like I said, my lips are sealed.”

Angel felt nervous over the next few days, unsure if she was actually being followed. Any time she got scared, she called Kozik. He had kept his word and showed up whenever she asked, no questions asked. It would be a few weeks before Angel no longer had that feeling and she went back to distancing herself from SAMCRO.

Angel was lounging in the living room, her homework spread around her and little Tiki was in his play pen taking a nap. The sound of bikes pulling into the driveway had Angel nervous. No one really came around the house anymore, not if Bobby wasn’t there and dragged them over. Angel moved her work around and got up to check on Tiki before rushing to the door. As she opened the door, there was Kozik and Clay getting off their bikes. Angel folded her arms and watched the two walk towards her. “Hey Princess,” Clay gave a smile and opened his arms for her. Angel rolled her eyes and stepped forward and became enveloped in his arms. “I miss you princess,” he whispered and squeezed her tight before letting her go. “I missed you too Uncle Clay. So what brings you both over. Dad isn’t here. Hasn’t really been, but you all know that.”

Clay smiled and nodded his head toward Kozik, who gave a small wave. “Kozik here is going to take over watching the kid tonight. Precious and Bobby both know. You need to go get changed into something more comfortable to ride in because, you and I?” Clay motioned between the two of them, “Well you and I are going for a ride. I need some company on a quick ride.” Clay watched his niece glance between the two. Before she could speak, he held up one hand and placed the other on her shoulder. “Angel, princess. This is not up for discussion. You are going to get changed and grab your jacket. Kozik knows how to take care of a kid. It’ll only be a few hours. Now Go.”

With much protesting Angel went back inside and changed out of her pajamas and pulled on jeans and a long sleeve shirt. She pulled her hair back in a low ponytail and rummaged through her closet for her helmet. It had been some time since she even needed this thing and hoped she could find it. Once ready, she went back out to the living room where Kozik had a very awake and giggly Tiki on his lap. Angel knelt next to the two, “Ok Tiki monster, you behave for Uncle Kozzy, kay?” Tki turned and smiled at his big sister, “‘Tay. Cookie? Pwease?” Angel chuckled as the little boy batted his eyelashes at his big sister. “Not right now Tiki. Uncle Kozzy is going to feed you dinner, THEN you can have a cookie. I’ll be back in a while ok?”

Tiki frowned and shook his head. “No leave.” Angel tried her best to keep smiling. “Aww, cmon little monster. Uncle Clay needs my help. I’ll be back soon. If you behave for Kozzy here, maybe he’ll give you two cookies!” Angel held up two fingers and wiggled them. Tiki gasped and looked between the two, Kozik just laughed and nodded his head. “Hey little man, maybe...if you’re really good and don’t tell your big sis here, maybe we’ll have three cookies ok?” Tiki squealed happily and bounced in his seat. Angel pressed a kiss to the little boy and bid them goodbye. She hoped that he would be ok with Kozik.

Clay was waiting by his bik, finishing the rest of his cigar. “Alright, I’m dressed. I have my helmet and jacket. And I’m out the house. Is this enough to now let me go back inside?”

Clay chuckled and put out his cigar before mounting his bike and pulling on his own helmet. “Come on Princess. It’s been awhile since it was us. Let’s go.” Angel put on her own helmet and climbed behind her uncle, wrapping her arms around his midsection and resting her head on his back. It really had been a long time since she had ridden on the back of anyone’s bike and as they hit the road, Angel wondered why she had gone so long without this. This was home for her. The wind hitting against them. The roar of the motor and vibrations underneath. The landscape was nothing but blurs as Clay sped up. Angel laughed the faster he went, much like she did when she was younger and begged them to drive faster.

It didn’t take too long for them to reach their destination. They were near the cabin, Angel knew that much. Clay shut of the bike and removed his helmet. “Alright, let’s go. It’s a bit of a walk.” Angel didn’t protest, instead just removed her own helmet and left it with the bike before following her uncle. They walked for a few minutes, stopping only when Angel had to die her boots back up or she wanted to pick up some of the falling leaves. Clay let her take as long as she wanted. Right now, it was just the two of them; something that hadn’t happened in a long time. Clay leaned against a tree and watched his niece laugh as she picked up leaves. Some held caterpillars on them, which Angel gladly let crawl over her hands before setting them down on a plant. As much as he never wanted to admit it, Clay knew the club life would never be for this little girl. Whereas Bambi would one day be part of the club and thrive under it’s wings, this he would make sure happened in his lifetime, Angel seemed to lose her flame when they bared down on her. She was their little hippie child, they had all made jokes about it. At one point he had hoped that it would turn out different and she would eventually be an Old Lady to one of the Sons but the more he looked at his niece, the more he realized that would probably be the worst for her. She needed the freedom from the prying eyes of the club. He could see now why David and her did so well for each other. She gave him the sense of normal families with little expectations. He gave her freedom and a chance to explore.

Shit, Clay thought to himself. This was going to be much harder than he and Gemma thought.