#something about found families and feeling safe with a surrogate father figures makes me happy

[daily-rgg-posting]

I havent replayed this yet but Jesus Christ this scene always gets me! Like it’s a perspective thing. This boys mother was missing for a few years or so I forgot, have to replay, and he was alone with his father who’s known to be abusive and negligent. Literally cut Jun with his knives because Jun was CURIOUS. Then the night before this scene he watched a bunch of people die to the hands of his father, was threatened by his father, heard his dad say he killed his moms family, his mom tried killing him, and he was going to make her kill Kaito, who jun saw as his father. (Which is so cute with the diary and him imagining Kaito as a hero because Mikiko did AGHHHHHH). Then he watched his father get brutally murdered and I mean he’s just so traumatized by this point there’s no way he’s not. But when Kaito hugs him he says he’s okay now because Kaito helped him realize he wants to be a protector and he feels safe with his father and I HAVE NO NORMAL FEELINGS ABOUT THIS GAME.

JUN MY CHILD. PLEASE BE HAPPY THE NEXT TIME WE SEE YOU.

[everlarkficexchange]

Naked To the One You Love

by: @ameliaodair​

Prompt #46: They really do toast privately in CF – Katniss wearing an orange dress for Peeta and Peeta making cheese buns for Katniss.  They wanted something their own.  No one knows about it and there’s no baby (as far as they know) but how would this change their relationship? How they make their decisions? Would anyone actually believe them when she gets to District 13? [submitted by anonymous]

Peeta, with the help of Prim and Rye has the perfect day planned for he and Katniss.  This is the day they will finally have their toasting.  Will everything go as perfectly as Peeta planned it?

This story goes hand-in-hand with my current WIP called, “Another Way Out.”  If you want to read more, you can find it on AO3 and FFN.

Word Count: 5768

Rated: M for fluff and smut and lemons.

Warning: Adult content below

Un-beta’d, all mistakes are mine

 Naked To the One you Love

| Peeta |

“What are we doing?” Katniss asks as I lead us toward the meadow.  It’s early still, the sun barely making its presence known along the horizon as it bleeds its hues of purples, oranges, and pinks into the morning sky.

“Having breakfast,” I tell her simply, shivering from the cold.

“In the snow?” She quibbles, rubbing her hands together to warm them up.  I sneak my arm around her shoulder and pull her close.  She allows it, pressing her popsicle nose into my neck.

“Just be quiet and follow me,” I tell her, which grants me a scowl— no surprise there.  When we finally reach our tree, we climb up and I surprise her by opening the door to our tree house.

“Wow, it’s a lot bigger than last time,” she smiles, looking around the tiny room to inspect my handy work.  It was only a little more than a week ago when I found a large plank and, with Rye’s help we got it to the top of this tree.  Using some of my dad’s tools, I nailed the plank to one of the sturdier branches.  Each day since then I have come out here, adding more planks to it, and now it looks like a tiny little house.  Or well, well … more like one … very small room of a rather tiny house.  It is just spacious enough for the two of us to stretch out comfortably, but it’s a place of our own, somewhere to go when we need to get away.  It’s the closest we can get to the woods since the fence is electrified twenty-four-seven now.

We spend the morning in our little makeshift tree home, enjoying the breakfast I packed and watching the miracle of another sun rise.  After surviving the games with the love of your life, you learn to appreciate the little things in life.  Like sunrises and sunsets.  Like sharing meals with your loved ones.   Things you didn’t think were important before suddenly become of the utmost importance.  So, Katniss and I bask in the warmth from the sun and just enjoy being together like this.  With no cameras and no Haymitch.  No Effie or prep teams chasing our tails and scolding us about schedules.  As much as we love and adore all of them, it’s nice to have a break from them.  Finally, it’s just us, which is just the way I like it.

“I think it’s time to get Prim,” Katniss tells me when she sees the sun positioned above the bakery.  It always amazes me how she knows what time it is by the position of the sun.

I frown and jut my lip out, exaggerating my disappointment.  “No, not yet.  Just one more minute,” I whine, leaning in for a kiss.

“Come on Peeta, I don’t want Prim walking home alone.” Katniss contests, squirming out of my arms.  As much as I don’t want to leave right now, I know she’s right.  We leave everything in the tree and climb down, deciding we’ll most likely return once Prim is safely back at home.  Together, we walk to the school and wait for Prim just outside the gates of the school yard.  I’m not sure how much Prim knows much about what’s going on, if anything, but Katniss and I are too afraid to let her walk anywhere in the district alone.  Afraid of what Snow might do. 

Everyone, even Katniss’s mom said her father’s death was just a stroke of bad luck— that he had an aneurysm that no one knew about, that ruptured.  That if they’d had the technology the people in the Capitol have at their fingertips, they could have caught and treated it.  But we know better.  There was no Capitol technology or any fancy device that would have spared his life.  There is no doubt in my mind— or Katniss’s that Snow was the cause of her dad’s untimely death.  Of course, it wasn’t him per say, because he was clearly safe inside the President’s Mansion in the Capitol, but more than likely one of his spies here in 12.  The timing of everything was just too coincidental, not to mention the fact that he offered his condolences before it even happened.

“Oh, I told Rye we’d stop by the bakery on our way home today,” I tell Prim and Katniss, giving Prim a little wink.  It’s a lie, but Katniss doesn’t know that.  When I clued Prim in on my master plan just the other day, she was more than happy to go along with it— knowing that we all need something positive in our lives— something to celebrate.

We stop by the bakery and I breathe a sigh of relief that my mother is nowhere in sight.  She isn’t supposed to be here for another hour or so, but that hasn’t stopped her from making an unscheduled appearance before.  Rye has trouble keeping a straight face as he prepares a bag for us, filled with Katniss’s favorites.

“Hey, I uh … I was about to head out and stop by to see Dad, I can walk Prim home,” Rye suggests, also aware of my plan.

Katniss squirms in place, uncomfortable to even the thought of letting Prim out of her sight but I assure her it’s okay.  Rye will protect Prim and keep her safe.  They have grown rather close over the last few weeks … or, well, ever since Mr. Everdeen got sick while Katniss and I were still on the Victory Tour.

I remember thanking him for being there for my surrogate family and he rolled his eyes and said, “Yeah, like you’d ever let me hear the end of it if I was there and didn’t help if I could.”  

‘Right,’ I thought to myself.  ‘It had nothing to do with you actually caring about them, let alone that you are a decent human being,’ but I kept those thoughts to myself.

“Prim is safe with me, I assure you that I will take extra good care of her,” Rye assuages.  Katniss squirms uncomfortably, so Rye adds, “Katniss, I promise.  You have my word.”

“Extra good?” Katniss smirks after a second, her shoulders slowly relaxing. “Maybe on your way there, Prim can teach you some grammar,” she says in that snarky tone of hers.

“Katniss, we’ll go straight home, I swear!” Prim decrees, clasping her hands together and poking her lip out.  Katniss narrows her eyes, which is preceded with a scowl, but then she finally concedes.

“Fine.  Go straight home.  NO detours.”

Prim wraps her arms around Katniss’s waist and squeals, “Thank you, thank you, thank you Katniss!  You are the best sister ever!”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Katniss remarks, trying to hide her grin.  Like me, she finds it extremely difficult to deny Prim anything.

After Katniss and I collect our stuff from the treehouse, I get an idea.  “I want to make a snowman,” I tell her with a cheeky smile.

“A snowman?  Seriously?  But it’s cold Peeta,” she whines.

“That’s the point.  You can’t make a snowman when it’s warm.”  So, that’s what we do, we build a snowman until she gets the bright idea to chuck a snowball at my face.  And then— it’s on.  I scoop up a ball of snow and sling it at Katniss, hitting her square in the shoulder.

With her impeccable aim, I should have known that I had no chance in the world of besting her in a snowball fight. 

“Hey, that’s not fair,” she whines when she sees the pile of snowballs I have hidden behind the snowman.  She might have impeccable aim, but I am the youngest of three boys— I had to work twice as hard to keep up with them.

“You started it,” I tell her and chuck another ball of snow at her.  For the next hour or so, we have fun, smiling and laughing while getting snow blasted in our faces.  Katniss tackles me from the side and slams me down on my back.  She straddles my hips, pinning my arms to the ground.

“I win, you lose,” she says triumphantly, planting a victory kiss to my lips.

“That may be true, but I think it’s me who is the real winner here.”

Her eyes knit together in confusion, “And just how exactly do you figure that?”

“Well, you’ve got me pinned to the ground, I’m trapped underneath you.  I’ll gladly lose to you if this is my punishment,” I tell her with a crooked grin.

“Come on, let’s go home.  I’m cold,” she says, climbing off my hips and helping me up.  Under normal circumstances I do not need help getting around with my prosthesis.  However, the snow adds many challenges to my already uneven gait.

No longer able to feel either our fingers, toes, or our faces, we make our way back to my house to warm up.  Rye and my dad are hanging out two doors down, at the Everdeen’s, so I don’t have to worry about anyone barging in on us.  Once I get the fire started, we curl up on a blanket I spread out on the floor, soaking up the heat from the flames.

“I’m going to take a shower,” Katniss tells me once the feeling in her fingers returns and then she makes her way upstairs.  Her absence gives me the perfect opportunity to get everything in order.  The moment she is out of sight, I begin creating a mental checklist of everything I need to do.  Once I hear the water splashing against the tile floor, I zip into the kitchen and get to work.  I begin by filling a tray with the cheese buns from the bakery— Katniss’ favorite, and pop them into the oven to warm them up.  And then I take out the dough of the white bread I prepared a few days ago, made for this exact occasion.  I open the drawer that contains the papers and pull them out.  “Certificate of Marriage,” I whisper the words aloud.

“Please be okay with this Katniss,” I anxiously tell myself. “Stop it Peeta.  She loves you, you love her; that’s the only thing that matters.” I remind myself, trying to talk myself up so I don’t chicken out. 

Once all the bread is ready to go, I place them on a table next to the couch and wait for Katniss to come back down.

I am not waiting long when she comes gliding down the stairs in an immaculate floor-length orange summer dress.  The straps holding the dress up on her shoulders are skinny, and for some reason they remind me of spaghetti noodles.  It is snug at the top and gets looser the more the light orange fades into a deeper orange.  My eyes nearly bug out of my head at the sight of her.  She is beautiful, she is exquisite and stunning and just … WOW.  It must be one of the dresses Cinna sent back with her, because I’ve never seen this one before.  And although this one is clearly a dress meant for days with bright sun and scorching heat— it’s not like we’ll be going outside.

It is so unlike her when she twirls around once, a huge smile on her face.  “Do you like it?”

For a moment, I’m speechless, “I … I love it, it’s beautiful; you’re beautiful.”

She blushes, joining me on the floor and I prop some pillows up for us to lean against.

“Are you hungry?” I nervously ask her.  Dammit, why am I so nervous?

“What do you think?” She huffs, her eyes narrowing with her trademark scowl, which forces a chuckle to escape from my throat.  It’s a stupid question to ask anyone who is a resident of 12.  Everyone is hungry, even those of us who are more fortunate than the others.  I hand her the platter of cheese buns, but she’s eyeing the other tray.  “What’s that?” She asks, pointing behind my back.

“Oh, it’s nothing.” I tell her and shift my body, hoping to block her view.

“Oh my God, Peeta; is that—” The papers are all but forgotten as her eyes go saucer eyed when she catches sight of the bread behind me.  She crawls over me and picks the bread up, delicately turning it over and over in her hands.  “Is this—”

I bashfully look away and nod my head, “It is,” I admit.  Her head snaps to the right— and then to the left as she surveys the room.  And then it all hits her at once as she realizes what this is.  For a moment, I am afraid she’s going to go running for the hills, but instead, she reaches for the bread knife and begins sawing at the loaf.  She frees the piece of bread and impales it on a poker before placing it over the fire.  While she rotates the poker to evenly toast the bread, she looks over to me, her silver eyes glistening with the flames and smiles.

“Do I ever tell you how much I love you?  H-how important you are to me?” She asks as her eyes meet mine.  And maybe it’s just the heat from the flames, but her cheeks suddenly flush into crimson.

All my anxiety dissipates into her gray orbs as I extend my hand out, curling a strand of her hair around my finger.  “It is implied every single day, in everything you do,” I tell her softly.

She pulls the poker back and places it down next to the hearth, but not before removing the slightly toasted bread from its prongs.  She juggles the bread from one hand to the other— again and again as she waits for it to cool.

My eyes are cemented on her while my anxiety rises to a new level as I await her next actions.

“Peeta … you are … the most amazingly incredible person I know— have ever known.  And … I never thought I wanted this, but you— you changed everything for me.  You changed the way I see the world, and I … I can’t imagine a life without you.  And … even if I could, I don’t want to.”

Woah, wait a minute, what is she doing?  Those are supposed to be my words.

‘Katniss, what are you doing?’ I ask her in our silent form of communication.

‘I think you know,’ she smiles mischievously at me.

“Uh-uhn, no, that’s my job, I had this all planned out.”

“Oh, so that’s what today was all about?” She exclaims with a bright smile on her face.  I can’t help but return the smile as I lean over and press my lips against hers.  Using my weight, I push her down onto her back and kiss her deeply— thoroughly running my tongue along her lips, sucking … pulling her bottom lip into my mouth until she shivers.

“I love you Katniss Everdeen,” I mumble through our connected lips.  “I love everything about you; even the things I hate about you, I love.” I crawl up next to her, our bodies continuing to absorb the heat from the flames as I stare longingly into her beautiful grey eyes.

“You ruined my plans, I’m not sure if I can forgive you for that,” I quip, smiling and gazing into her perfect eyes.

“What if I …” She intentionally hesitates, lifting the seam of my shirt up and tracing her fingers lightly across my stomach, “do this?” She finishes, sending goosebumps prickling against my skin and I squirm from side to side with her touch.

“Nothing’s ruined,” she promises.  “All I said, was I wanted for it to be ours; that I didn’t want the day I became yours, and you mine to be in front of a Capitol audience.  As long as it’s just us, I don’t care about the rest.”

And she says she’s not good with words.

I take her hands into mine, our heads sharing the same pillow as we stare into each other’s eyes, “Katniss, I was mesmerized by you since I was a five-year old, snaggle-toothed little boy.  I can’t even remember a time I didn’t love you; and for so long, I never thought you would give me the time of day.  I thought … for so long I thought that just being your friend would be enough, but after having your love— after having your heart … I can’t imagine a life without you.  I know you only said yes because of … well, because of everything, but I swear to you, I will be the best husband you could ever hope to have.  I—”

“Peeta, I—” She interjects, but I stop her.

“Please Katniss, please let me finish,” she nods, not pushing it any further.  I glance down to the bread and then back at her, “I offer this toasted bread to you with the promise of being your best friend.  I will listen when you need someone to talk to; when you just need to vent, my ears will be open, or if you just need a sounding board, I will be that too.  You will never have to be alone again because I will be by your side.“

‘Always,‘ I add in our silent way.

“Even when you don’t think you want me there, I will be.  I will hold your hand when you’re scared, and I will be right here, right next to you, scared with you.  I will tell you that everything will be okay— because even if it’s not, we will have each other.  I will always, always be there to catch you before you fall.  And … and I’ll give you a push if that’s what you need, too.  Because I love you.”

Her eyes are pooled with tears and her chin quivers as she reaches for our toasted slice of bread and holds it up between us. It is the only thing separating our lips.  And then I part my lips and allow her to feed me the bread, our bread.  Our little slice of heaven that signifies our love.  I sink my teeth into the perfectly toasted bread, as does she.  Our teeth sink into our promise to the other and then we seal it with a kiss.

“I love you Peeta Mellark, my husband.”

“And I, you; Katniss Everdeen; my wife.”

“I think that would be Katniss Mellark now; get it right,” she tries to scowl at me but fails, erupting in a giggle.

“I like the sound of that, Mrs. Katniss Mellark— Oh, that reminds me!” I exclaim jubilantly, nearly bursting at the seams as I jump up to collect the papers the mayor had given me earlier this week.

“What’s that?” Katniss asks me.

“It’s um … they’re the papers.  To um, make it official.”

“Seriously?  When— How?” I breathe out a sigh of relief when she doesn’t object.  That she seems genuinely excited.

“The mayor.  But … we can’t tell anyone; she’ll be in a load of trouble if anyone finds out.”

“My husband … conspiring with the mayor,” Katniss beams, glowing with pride.  I am incapable of concealing the cheesy, shit-eating grin when she calls me her husband.

As I watch her grip the pen in her hand and sign her name on all the dotted lines, I pinch myself to see if I am dreaming.  I can’t believe it; I am actually, really, truly and officially married to Katniss Everdeen— Mellark.

“Wait!  I have something for you,” Katniss says and rushes up the stairs.  I hear her run into my room and then a drawer slams before she is sprinting back down the stairs.

“You already gave me a ring, and I um … I want you to have this Peeta,” she says, her cheeks flushing as she reaches for my hand.  Refusing to meet my eyes, she slips something onto my finger.

I pull my hand up to look at what she’s placed on my finger to see a ring adorned to the pointer finger of my right hand.  Then she takes her ring off the chain of her necklace— (the one I gave her in District 4 the night of my true proposal to her— the one that once belonged to her mother, given to me by her father) and does the same.  

It’s a tradition in 12 that goes along with the toasting.  Everyone knows that your wedding ring is typically worn on the fourth finger of your left hand, but in 12, it starts out on the pointer finger of your right hand.  There was a tradition from before the dark days that said you start off like this because there is a vein … or maybe it’s an artery that runs from your finger to your heart.  And since marriage is the ultimate promise, by doing this you are connecting your hearts together.  Once the ceremony is over, then you switch it to the fourth finger of your left hand.

Katniss leans over to kiss me and we switch the ring to our proper fingers while our lips are still conjoined.  For now.  I will eventually have to find a clever place to keep mine until … until well, I don’t know.  But the Capitol cannot know we are already married.

After all the traditions are complete, I take our marriage papers to the office room upstairs and tuck them away in a safe place.  Then, with a little extra pep in my step, I find my way back to the main room and scoop Katniss into my arms.

“Peeta!  What are you doing?” She squeals like a giddy schoolgirl, encircling her arms around my neck.  Carefully, I make my way up the stairs and into my room— our room.  Who am I kidding?  It’s always been our room— no piece of paper or ceremony was needed to decide that for us.

“I am carrying my wife over the threshold.  The toasting isn’t complete until that’s been done,” I remind her with a kiss.

“Okay,” she says, nuzzling her head against my chest.  No thanks to my artificial leg, we make it up the steps successfully.  I press my lips against hers as my foot passes the threshold.  Now, all the standard traditions of 12 are complete, except for the final one.  The one that really seals the deal.  Consummation.

Just thinking the word in my head causes me to stumble.  My brain seems to forget how to gracefully put one foot in front of the other and I fall face first onto my bed, my body nearly crushing my beautiful wife.

She giggles; a foreign sound, but it is one that I cherish.  “I love you,” I say, pressing my forehead against hers.

“Smooth,” she says, and I can feel her lips forming into a smile against my mouth.

“So, now, we’re supposed to um …” There is a nervous energy between us; she’s scared, as am I.  Actually, I don’t think I’ve ever been more terrified in my life, and that’s saying something— having survived an arena and all.

“Katniss, you know … we don’t have to do this, we can just—”

“What? You don’t want to?” She interjects defensively.

“No, no— I mean, yes, I do.  I was just saying … if you don’t want to, it’s okay.  We don’t have to, we can wait,” I stumble over my words trying to reassure her.

“I want to Peeta,“ she says certainly, never taking her eyes off mine.  "I have wanted to for a while now, and I think we’ve waited long enough.  Will you … will you help me unzip my dress?” Her eyes flit to the floor as she smiles nervously, her cheeks taking on a rosy hue.

She doesn’t have to ask me twice.  While Katniss and I have done many things, getting caught up in heated kisses, touching in places I would rather not mention, we have never gone this far.  We have never gone all the way.  She turns around and pulls her hair to the side, granting me access to her zipper.  I scrupulously glide the zipper down until it refuses to budge another inch and delicately slide the sleeves down her arms.  A frown of disappointment encases my lips when she begins to braid her hair.

I press my lips to her bare neck and kiss my way to her shoulder, which causes a moan to expel from her lips.  “Leave it down, please.”

“Mmm hmmm,” she moans.

“My God, you are so beautiful,” I tell her, my lips trailing down to the crest of her shoulder.  Finally, I sling her dress into the chair next to my bed and she nervously flips onto her back, incredulously facing me. 

‘Oh my God, Katniss is naked, bare to me and in my bed,’ I think to myself as I stare her up and down.

Feeling self-conscious … probably due to my ogling her, she reaches over and pulls the sheet to cover her near-naked body.

“No, what are you doing?” I ask her, tugging the fabric back.

“I just … feel so … naked without my clothes,” she says, flushing with embarrassment.

“Well, that’s kind of the point, isn’t it?”

“Well then … be naked with me,” she says, tugging on the hem of my shirt, eager for me to remove it.  I slide my shirt off and it joins her dress in the chair.  I am hesitant to remove my pants, still self-conscious about my leg.

“Pants too,” Katniss whispers in a raspy— so, so sexy voice.

“I … I—”

“Peeta, I love all of you, even the Capitol-made parts,” she takes charge and flips me over, undoes the button of my pants, and I am too paralyzed to refuse; not that I would want to.  She removes my pants, then sits up and straddles my hips.  With nothing but our underclothes on, we are completely bare to each other, and I understand what she meant about feeling naked without her clothes.  There is nothing to conceal our insecurities, both physical and emotional.  But that’s the point, right?  To be completely open, bare— naked to the one you love.  To have nothing— no secrets between you.  However, underneath all my anxiety, I don’t know if I’ve ever felt anything quite this amazing before.  We slip under the covers and I click the lamp on that sits on my nightstand.  It emanates a soft glow, perfectly lighting the room, while producing a shadow over the insecurities.

“Can I take your leg off?” Katniss asks me.  She must be in my head again— I was just too embarrassed to take the initiative— afraid she would find my mutilated leg … repulsive.

“Okay,” I say.  For the first time I realize she’s had a lot of practice helping me put it on and take it off as she slips it off with ease.

“I don’t want any part of the Capitol here for this,” she says, placing kisses against the scar on my leg.  I pull her up to me and flip her back onto her back.

We are a tangled mess of arms and legs, our tongues dancing together in a frenzy, yet in perfect synchronicity.  As if they’d been practicing for years and years until they reached utter perfection.  I trail kisses along her neck, down to her collarbone and across her shoulders.  I want to kiss every inch of her body; I don’t want to miss a single bit of her skin.  I reach down and cup her perfect breasts in my hands and she moans out in pleasure, which causes my cock to pulse until it is fully erect.

“Touch me Peeta,” surrendering to her every command, I stroke her arms, and then add light touches to her perfectly flattened stomach.  I caress my hands up and down her legs, trying to muster up the courage to touch her there.  Finally, I do, and she’s so hot and wet for me.  I slide one finger inside her center and keep it in there while I use my thumb to rub circles on that little bundle of nerves that I know has the power to make her come undone.

Her body tenses up and I know I’ve hit the right spot when she pants out my name.  “I could be satisfied … happy, just doing that to you … every second of every minute, of every single day,” I tell her once the intensity of her climax has subsided.

“Then how would you make me cheese buns?” She says with a heavy breath.  Smiling, I inch up to her face and kiss her.  Soft and light at first, and then harder, deeper— as if I am starving and her lips are the only way to satiate my hunger. 

“I need you Peeta; I— I need you closer,” she breathes into me and I instantly know what she means. She wants me to be inside her.  We have both wanted this for such a long time, I almost can’t believe it’s actually happening.  I kiss her softly as I fumble my way on top of her.  Using one elbow to prop myself up, my other hands grips onto my cock as I tease her entrance with my hardened member.  Even without being inside her, I can feel how wet she is.  Which only causes my already rock-hard cock to pulse even harder.  She spreads her legs open for me and I fumble nervously, guiding my cock into her entrance and sliding inside her— slowly at first.

“Is this okay?” I ask her, recalling an embarrassing conversation with Rye as he gave me the intricate details that a girl’s first time can be painful, and that it’s important that they are “ready” prior to penetration.

“More Peeta, I need all of you,” she demands, locking her legs around my hips and digging her heels into the back of my calves.  Slowly, I push myself deeper into her, impaling her, until finally, I am fully submerged into her heat.

“Holy FUCK!” I gasp, crying out when my cock is surrounded by her walls.  “Is- is this okay?” I ask her again, not wanting to do anything that might hurt her.  It is taking every bit of willpower that I possess to keep my body still— to prevent my hips from ramming deep— and hard, into her.

“Oh God, Peeta, you feel so good.  Please … please, Peeta—” she begs me, and I’ve never been very good at denying her anything as I submit to her will.  Slowly, I partially retract myself from her center and then slowly, slowly push myself back inside, our pelvises grinding against each other.  Her nails dig into my back, finding their way to my ass and then she squeezes—

“Holy FUCK, how did you just do that?” I ask when her walls tighten around my cock.

“What … this?” She grins, repeating the action, “You like that?” She says in a teasing, seductive voice.

“Katniss— stop … or I’m going to … or I won’t last, and I want … this has to be perfect,” I beg her and then she reaches up, encircling her arms around my neck and pressing her mouth to mine.

“It’s already perfect because I’m with you,” she tells me in-between heated kisses.  And once again, she stupefies me with her words.

“Oh God, I love you too, my perfect, beautiful, amazingly gifted wife,” I tell her, while gliding in … gliding out of her sex.

“Katniss … I’m not sure how much longer I’m going to last if you keep doing that … where do you want me to—”

“Right where you are,” she tells me, knowing what I am trying to say.

“But,” I question her with a raise of my brow.

“I took that pill Effie gave you— I mean, me,” she explains, running her tongue along my ear.

I shiver from the contact and lose all control as I slam into her— again and again before grinding into her center once more.  We both grind; hard and slow, and deep— achieving the perfect rhythm until I feel that familiar stirring deep in my stomach— and then we’re both moaning, and yelling, and whispering— shouting— gasping the other’s name and I’m spilling into her, filling her with my seed; both of us believing that Effie’s miracle pill from the Capitol will prevent any watering of said seed.

0 – 0 – 0

Curious about their “unspoken language”?  Or Katniss’s father’s untimely death?  Or who the mayor of 12 is since it clearly is not Mayor Undersee?  Come check out my THG re-writes: Changing the Game (Complete) and Another Way Out (In progress) (The final book/story is TBA).  Told in multiple POV’s.  AND, find out what happens once Katniss reaches District 13.  Does anyone know they actually and officially got married in 12?  Does Katniss get pregnant?  Does Effie’s miracle pill work for them?

[twoidiotwriters1]

Written In The Stars CXXXVII (Harry Potter xF!Oc)

A/N: Book 6 was beyond complicated to write due to some artistic choices I made lmao but again I do hope you guys like it even if I don’t feel it was perfect bc I enjoyed how most of it turned out -Danny

Words: 4,005

Series’ Masterlist

Previous Chapter // Next Chapter

Listen to: ‘The Black and White’ -by The Band CAMINO.

Chapter Thirty-Five: A Prophecy.

Harry walked back to his chair and sat down heavily.

"Five years ago you arrived at Hogwarts, Harry, safe and whole, as I had planned and intended. Well — not quite whole. You had suffered. I knew you would when I left you on your aunt and uncle's doorstep. I knew I was condemning you to ten dark and difficult years. I considered it almost a miracle when Emily agreed to move in next door so she could keep an eye on you..."

Even though Lord Voldemort perished that night in Godric's Hollow, his followers continue to hunt down answers for months, neither Harry nor Mel would've been safe in the wizarding world.

"You would be protected by an ancient magic of which he knows, which he despises, and which he has always, therefore, underestimated — to his cost. I am speaking, of course, of the fact that your mother died —and your father too, Mel— to save you. They gave you a lingering protection he never expected, a protection that flows in your veins to this day. I put my trust, therefore, in your mother's blood, Harry. I delivered you to her sister, her only remaining relative."

"She doesn't love me. She doesn't give a damn —"

"But she took you. She may have taken you grudgingly, furiously, unwillingly, bitterly, yet still she took you, and in doing so, she sealed the charm I placed upon you. Your mother's sacrifice made the bond of blood the strongest shield I could give you. And as for you, Mel, you were just a baby, therefore Voldemort's followers couldn't tell if you were as skilled as your dad. It was only until last year when Voldemort realized you were hiding great power."

"I still don't —"

"While you can still call home the place where your mother's blood dwells, Harry, there you cannot be touched or harmed by Voldemort. He shed her blood, but it lives on in you and her sister. Her blood became your refuge. You need return there only once a year, but as long as you can still call it home, there he cannot hurt you. Your aunt knows this. I explained what I had done in the letter I left, with you, on her doorstep. She knows that allowing you houseroom may well have kept you alive for the past fifteen years."

"My mother isn't a Dumbledore," Mel frowned. "If that's what kept Harry safe, living with his aunt, then why did I only meet you after I turned eleven?"

"You were a direct descendant from my brother and not me, you weren't in danger as much as Harry. Once I found out about your outbursts I talked to him, I knew you'd need his protection... I'm afraid his guilt stopped him. I've been taking his place, having you come into my office for a weekly lesson as a way to make sure you would be both, protected, while also learning to defend yourself."

Harry came into a new realization.

"You sent that Howler. You told my aunt to remember — it was your voice —"

"I thought that she might need reminding of the pact she had sealed by taking you. I suspected the dementor attack might have awoken her to the dangers of having you as a surrogate son." 

"It did. Well — my uncle more than her. He wanted to chuck me out, but after the Howler came she — she said I had to stay. But what's this got to do with..."

"Five years ago, then, you arrived at Hogwarts, neither as happy nor as well-nourished as I would have liked, perhaps, yet alive and healthy. You were not a pampered little prince, but as normal a boy as I could have hoped under the circumstances. Thus far, my plan was working well."

The memory of that small boy came to her. He didn't look much different from the Harry sitting beside her, except perhaps, for the way his gaze had darkened. 

He'd always known Harry and Mel would eventually be hunted, and he'd made sure they'd be ready. Dumbledore had a plan from the moment they set a foot in the castle. She wondered exactly how much of everything happened accidentally, and how much had been planned.

"I don't understand what you're saying." 

"Don't you remember asking me, as you lay in the hospital wing, why Voldemort had tried to kill you when you were a baby? Ought I to have told you then? You do not see the flaw in the plan yet? No... perhaps not. Well, as you know, I decided not to answer you. Eleven, I told myself, was much too young to know. I had never intended to tell you when you were eleven. The knowledge would be too much at such a young age, just like I refused to tell Mel about the rumours surrounding our family."

'The knowledge would be too much at such a young age'. Now, after four years, Mel felt weaker than when she was eleven. Somehow thinner, and far more fragile.

"Do you see? Do you see the flaw in my brilliant plan now? I had fallen into the trap I had foreseen, that I had told myself I could avoid, that I must avoid."

"I don't —"

"I cared about you too much. I cared more for your happiness than your knowing the truth, more for your peace of mind than my plan, more for your life than the lives that might be lost if the plan failed. In other words, I acted exactly as Voldemort expects we fools who love to act."

Mel visibly deflated, a new wave of hurt crashing against her heart.

"So it's true, then?" She asked. "Caring only makes us weak?" 

"My dear, I defy anyone who has watched you as I have —and I have watched you more closely than you can have imagined — not to want to save you more pain than you had already suffered. What did I care if numbers of nameless and faceless people and creatures were slaughtered in the vague future, if in the here and now you were alive, and well, and happy? I never dreamed that I would have such a pair of young souls on my hands..."

Mel had held something similar whenever she would reach out to kiss Harry, and nothing else in the world mattered when they were alone together... but after the third task, they were always so alone.

"...You came out of the maze last year, having watched Cedric Diggory die, having escaped death so narrowly yourself... you, Mel, gave away part of your own life, selflessly risking your own well-being just for the frail chance to see Harry again, and I did not tell you, because to tell you after having almost lost each other in such a way would've been beyond cruel, though I knew, now Voldemort had returned, I must do it soon. 

And now, tonight, I know you have long been ready for the knowledge I have kept from you for so long, because you have proved that I should have placed the burden upon you before this. My only defence is this: I have watched you struggling under more burdens than any student who has ever passed through this school, and I could not bring myself to add another — the greatest one of all."

"...I still don't understand," Harry responded, though now his voice was a bit more quiet and fearful.

Dumbledore admitted what they already knew: Voldemort tried to kill him because of the prophecy, and he'd tried to stop it before it could be fulfilled. Now, years after and once again in a proper body, Voldemort set his mind on hearing the whole thing, looking for a way to end it.

The sun was fully out now, and as he finished, Mel felt the first glimmer of hope peering through.

"Mel broke the prophecy," Harry said quietly. "She crushed it against the ground..."

She closed her injured hand tightly without caring about the sharp pain that shot up to her elbow. 

"I knew we could get rid of it."

"How?" Harry frowned. "How could you know?"

"Because that orb was merely the record of the prophecy kept by the Department of Mysteries. But the prophecy was made to somebody, and that person has the means of recalling it perfectly," Dumbledore explained, looking at her with a strange glint in his eyes.

"Who heard it?" asked Harry, though he already knew the answer.

"I did. On a cold, wet night sixteen years ago, in a room above the bar at the Hog's Head Inn. I had gone there to see an applicant for the post of Divination teacher, though it was against my inclination to allow the subject of Divination to continue at all. The applicant, however, was the great-great-granddaughter of a very famous, very gifted Seer, and I thought it common politeness to meet her. I was disappointed. It seemed to me that she had not a trace of the gift herself. I told her, courteously I hope, that I did not think she would be suitable for the post. I turned to leave."

As Dumbledore stood up to retrieve something from a cabinet, Mel continued her story.

"That was the reason why my uncle knew what Voldemort was looking for," She swallowed harshly. "As soon as that thing broke I recognized the figure. How could I not? We've been seeing her for three years..."

Dumbledore came back holding the Pensieve, he put the tip of his wan on one temple and pulled, Mel stood up abruptly. 

"Maybe I shouldn't be here to hear it."

"You've earned your place in this conversation," Dumbledore replied. "Your life is linked to Harry's, is only fair for you to hear it too... that way you'll be able to make an informed decision."

"Only if he agrees." 

She was used to Harry keeping her at a proper distance from his doings, nevertheless, Harry grabbed her wrist.

"Sit down... please."

Before she could reply a figure rose from the Pensieve, there stood a small version of Sibyll Trelawney with a voice Mel had only imagined thanks to Harry's tales from two years ago:

"THE ONE WITH THE POWER TO VANQUISH THE DARK LORD APPROACHES... BORN TO THOSE WHO HAVE THRICE DEFIED HIM, BORN AS THE SEVENTH MONTH DIES... AND THE DARK LORD WILL MARK HIM AS HIS EQUAL, BUT HE WILL HAVE POWER THE DARK LORD KNOWS NOT... AND EITHER MUST DIE AT THE HAND OF THE OTHER FOR NEITHER CAN LIVE WHILE THE OTHER SURVIVES..."

Professor Trelawney vanished slowly.

"Professor Dumbledore?" Harry said after a moment. "It... did that mean... What did that mean?" 

"It meant... that the person who has the only chance of conquering Lord Voldemort for good was born at the end of July, nearly sixteen years ago. This boy would be born to parents who had already defied Voldemort three times."

"It means — me?"

Dumbledore eyed both teenagers carefully before speaking.

"The odd thing is, Harry, that it may not have meant you at all. Sibyll's prophecy could have applied to three babies, one of them being Mel."

"What?" 

"I thought it was meant to be Matthew's baby," He sighed, "an Auror and a Dumbledore... but alas, you were born at the start of the month — and you were a girl. There were still two more babies in line. Both born at the end of July that year, both of whom had parents in the Order of the Phoenix, both sets of parents having narrowly escaped Voldemort three times. One, of course, was you. The other was Neville Longbottom."

"But then... but then, why was it my name on the prophecy and not Neville's?"

"The official record was relabeled after Voldemort's attack on you as a child. It seemed plain to the keeper of the Hall of Prophecy that Voldemort could only have tried to kill you because he knew you to be the one to whom Sibyll was referring."

"Then — it might not be me?"

"I am afraid that there is no doubt that it is you." 

"But you said — Neville was born at the end of July too — and his mum and dad —"

"You are forgetting the next part of the prophecy, the final identifying feature of the boy who could vanquish Voldemort... Voldemort himself would 'mark him as his equal.' And so he did, Harry. He chose you, not Neville. He gave you the scar that has proved both blessing and curse."

"But he might have chosen wrong! He might have marked the wrong person!"

"He chose the boy he thought most likely to be a danger to him. And notice this, Harry. He chose, not the pureblood (which, according to his creed, is the only kind of wizard worth being or knowing), but the half-blood, like himself. He saw himself in you before he had ever seen you, and in marking you with that scar, he did not kill you, as he intended, but gave you powers, and a future, which have fitted you to escape him not once, but four times so far — something that neither your parents, nor Neville's parents, ever achieved."

In her mind, an alternate life started to take form: Mel as the orphan, Harry's parents alive and well, it was her the one facing death every time... 

Then poor scarred Neville, while Mel and Harry lived surrounded by their families, perhaps even together. The fact that the only reason why Harry was the chosen one was a matter of gender and dates... 

"Why did he do it, then? Why did he try and kill me as a baby? He should have waited to see whether Neville or I looked more dangerous when we were older and tried to kill whoever it was then — or even Mel... She's a Dumbledore — She's the strongest!"

"That might, indeed, have been the more practical course, except that Voldemort's information about the prophecy was incomplete. The Hog's Head Inn, which Sibyll chose for its cheapness, has long attracted, shall we say, a more interesting clientele than the Three Broomsticks. As you and your friends found out to your cost, and I to mine that night, it is a place where it is never safe to assume you are not being overheard. Of course, I had not dreamed, when I set out to meet Sibyll Trelawney, that I would hear anything worth overhearing. My — our — one stroke of good fortune was that the eavesdropper was detected only a short way into the prophecy and thrown from the building."

"So he only heard..?"

"He heard only the first part, the part foretelling the birth of a boy in July to parents who had thrice defied Voldemort. Consequently, he could not warn his master that to attack you would be to risk transferring power to you — again marking you as his equal. So Voldemort never knew that there might be danger in attacking you, that it might be wise to wait or to learn more. And once Mel was born at the start of July as a girl, and you a boy, this only narrowed it down to his apparent advantage. He did not know that you would have 'power the Dark Lord knows not' —"

"But I don't! I haven't any powers he hasn't got, I couldn't fight the way he did tonight, I can't possess people or — or kill them —"

"There is a room in the Department of Mysteries," Dumbledore replied carefully, "that is kept locked at all times. It contains a force that is at once more wonderful and more terrible than death, than human intelligence, than forces of nature. It is also, perhaps, the most mysterious of the many subjects for study that reside there. It is the power held within that room that you possess in such quantities and which Voldemort has not at all. 

That power is what has aided Mel to know if you're in danger and allowed her to help, that power took you to save Sirius tonight. That power also saved you from possession by Voldemort, because he could not bear to reside in a body so full of the force he detests. In the end, it mattered not that you could not close your mind. It was your heart that saved you. So you see, Mel," He added, "caring it's never useless."

"The end of the prophecy... it was something about... 'neither can live...' "

"'... while the other survives,' " Dumbledore concluded.

"So... so does that mean that... that one of us has got to kill the other one... in the end?"

"Yes."

They stayed silent for the longest time, Mel found her voice at the same time as her courage.

"Okay," She spoke. "We just have to make sure you're the one that lives."

Dumbledore's face hinted at a smile, but it did not form fully. Harry stared at her like the thought of surviving was next to impossible.

"I feel I owe you two other explanations," said Dumbledore carefully. "You may, perhaps, have wondered why I never chose you as prefects? I must confess that I rather thought both of you had enough responsibility to be going on with..."

Mel let out a dry chuckle, Harry just sighed. 

"The second and final... is about the decision you ought to take."

"What decision?"

"Your lifeline," He started, "I've been reading about it since the third task... It's called Unio Azoth — A universal cure for any kind of injury, you heal with life itself, and it's always effective. However, not many people dare use it because it demands great sacrifice from both sides of the connection. It's created through highly complex magic, or it can happen, as it was your case, after multiple shared near-death experiences," He paused. "It can also be removed."

There was a split second in which the students didn't know how to react. 

"You're saying," Mel started. "We've been hurting each other for a whole year — and you hid this from us?"

"You were on bad terms after the tournament, the removal can only happen if both sides consent, and you were holding onto it tightly, Mel."

"Is it dark magic?" Harry asked abruptly. "Our connection?"

Dumbledore took another long look at him.

"I believe that what you're trying to ask is if it's damaging for any of you," He replied. "Which is something that depends on the circumstances. There have been moments your connection has improved your lives, but it's also damaged you physically to a great extent. You're asking a question only you can answer, Harry."

"This could've fixed everything between us," Mel felt her anger increasing. "And you just let us argue instead? Why?"

"It was your impulsive actions that kept me from speaking, I couldn't risk one of you trying to cut it without the other knowing, it would've resulted in tragedy."

"We would've acted differently if only we’d known! The reason why we fought was because of how guilty Harry felt about putting me through extra pain — We could've just cut the damn thing — You thought I would've just decided to abandon him?"

"Isn't that what you were attempting this year?" Dumbledore asked pointedly.

"Harry and I couldn't stop fighting, I was tired — I had to keep my distance," Mel stood up. "He spent a whole year drowning in guilt thinking we couldn't change things —"

"When I found out it could be removed," Dumbledore's voice came out just as firm as hers. "You were already far too traumatized. Losing this would've felt like losing a limb. You weren't ready to make a choice then, but I can't keep you in the dark any longer, you have the whole picture now, so you can make an informed decision, but I must ask you to think —"

"I don't need to think it over," Mel said, but Harry spoke at the same time.

"I want to keep it."

"What?" She looked at him in disbelief.

Harry stared at her. 

"It's thanks to this that I knew you were having panic attacks, you've saved my life many times now, I owe you — and it doesn't have to hurt, you can control it, I just need to learn how to do it too!"

"You've been nagging me about how much of a burden this was and suddenly you cling to it as if it were a blessing?" She narrowed her eyes.

"It's just..." His jaw tensed. "It works both ways — if I give it up and Voldemort takes you... I can't leave you to deal with it alone, you'd do the same for me. You've already done it."

Mel shook her head, speechless.

"The decision is yours to make..." Dumbledore concluded. "You have until next term to tell me, and then we'll do whatever you please."

They were walking side by side without speaking. She did not wish to fight, and she felt like it would happen if they were to bring up... well, everything. 

"I'm sorry," He muttered. 

"I don't want to hear it. I'm to blame as much as you are. I ignored you — Dumbledore's right, knowing would've tricked us into thinking we could deal with it on our own, it would've killed us... I've been selfish enough this year to know I would've felt tempted to try and cut it on my own. I won't admit it in front of him, though..."

"You weren't —"

"I don't want to have this conversation," She stopped walking. "Everyone thinks I'm like my father or my uncle... and I'm not. When I was with you I was just Mel... whoever that's supposed to be. When we fought I got lost — you said awful things to me, but you were the only one who wasn't treating me like some overpowered freak..."

"I can't promise we won't fight in the future, but there are worse things than disagreeing and the thought of dying without telling you that I..." He came to a halt, voice breaking.

They wanted to talk about so many things, and yet Mel felt like they would never get to say anything at all.

"You know," She said softly. "We've gone through so much already... and it's hard, looking at you and having to pretend I can continue like this."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm feeling so alone, Harry," She forced the words out of her. "I miss you."

She'd almost been murdered that night, treated like a ragdoll, and traumatized until there was no safe place in her world. Still, nothing made her feel quite as vulnerable and tiny as Harry's understanding of her, the way he knew every single corner of her mind as if it were his own.

Harry gazed at her with hurt, he clenched his jaw and shook his head lightly. She was ready to watch him leave when suddenly, he hugged her.

Mel was having trouble breathing against his shoulder but her arms kept him close, one hand made its way up to the back of his head while the other went to the middle of his back. He was a few inches taller than her, but she still felt like they were a perfect fit.

"I'm sorry," Harry mumbled against her hair, and Mel knew he wasn't just talking about Sirius.

"Me too," She closed her eyes tightly. "We'll find a way through this... together."

Next Chapter —>

Taglist.

@dee123ksha @vampiregirl1797 @siriuslysirius1107 @stardusthigh @mikariell95 @vernon-dursley @thesuitelifeofafangirl @tomshollandz @kylosleftbuttcheek @reverse-hxlland @bloodorangemoonlight @omiwashere @t-rexs-world @just-here-to-escape-from-reality @21bruhs @i-am-scared-and-useless-bisexual @dielgonacoffee @thelastpyle

[satorisa]

Something Old - Chapter 15: Wonderwall

Rating: T

Summary: After living in Tokyo for the past six years, she decides to head back to Azumano to escape the big city. However, she now has to face everything that she tried to flee from all those years ago. How exactly will she fare when the pages of a long forgotten book start turning once more?

Alternate links for reading available in my description! 

Decided to rename the first part of the Lift the Veil Series as Something Old! Hope ya’ll don’t mind too much!

And with that, this is the end of the first arc of Lift the Veil! The retrospective can be found here.

Happy early Valentine’s Day, everyone!

Chapter 15 – Wonderwall

All the roads that lead you there were winding. And all the lights that light the way are blinding. There are many things that I would like to say to you, but I don’t know how.

…

7 PM: dining table at the Harada mansion.

My mother refused to let me help her clean up, allowing her to escape to the kitchen, strategically placing herself for prime eavesdropping out of harm’s way. My father took his usual seat at the head of the table, pouring scotch from a crystal decanter into a glass. And Riku, the instigator of this unusual dinner, was at work.

The decanter clinked as my dad set it down on the wooden table. The ice crackled as it swirled in its amber bath. From the kitchen, the running faucet roared.

I gulped.

“Would you like some?” he offered.

“No thanks.”

I squirmed under my father’s scrutiny. A heavy silence settled between us. Then my mother began to hum from the kitchen.

What did they gain by creating this unsettling atmosphere?

The doorbell rang, and I heard a familiar voice greet my mother. They exchanged pleasantries: him apologizing for not being able to make it to dinner, her reassuring him that it was no issue, before directing him to the dining room.

Hiwatari entered like a blue-haired harbinger of death. The content expression on his face disappeared once he saw me, and he slipped into a seat equally as far from both me and my father.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t come earlier,” Hiwatari apologized.

“That’s alright; this was a last minute invitation, and we understand that you’re busy,” my father coldly responded.

Hiwatari fidgeted in his seat. The silence between us was choking. From the kitchen, the faucet sounded like a roaring waterfall.

This was the plunge. And Hiwatari took it.

“Harada-san, why did you really invite me here?” Hiwatari asked.

The awkwardness he possessed moments ago gave way to an adamant expression. His voice boomed, steadfast, knowing that one sliver of weakness would spell defeat.

My father wasn’t a businessman extraordinaire for nothing.

Hiwatari’s instigation cracked my father’s steely gaze. Composure succumbed to unbridled rage.

“Was this entertaining for you?”

Confusion settled on Hiwatari’s face. “Sir, what—”

“How could you come into our lives like that after everything you did to my daughter?” His voice modulated. “Do you enjoy seeing us in pain?”

“Harada-san, please—”

“You took advantage of my daughter’s feelings and broke her heart. And you had the gall to walk into our lives after what you did, helping Riku through everything, taking advantage of our kindness, and worming your way into our family.” The fire in his voice was gone. “What are you intentions with my daughter? With us, Satoshi?”

Absolute silence. The water stopped running. I could hear my heartbeat thumping. Hiwatari opened his mouth. My breath hitched.

“…I’m sorry, sir. I don’t think there’s anything I can do to atone for that. The intentions I have with your daughter are purely platonic now, believe me, but I understand if that is not enough of a consolation.”

My father stood up, glass in hand. “Please, excuse me.”

He left the room. Hiwatari and I got up, chasing after him. We stopped in the kitchen when he went out to the patio. My father threw the drink down. The crystal shattered upon impact, its contents splaying out on the concrete, and he began to scream. I was about to go out, frenzied emotions unable to process my father’s distress, when someone grabbed my arm and stopped me.

It was my mother.

“Don’t.”

“But, Mom, he—”

“Leave him.”

She turned to Hiwatari who stood there, eyes wide, face paler than a sheet, and fists so balled up that his knuckles were white.

Oh god.

“Satoshi,” she whispered. “Satoshi.”

He couldn’t hear her. She gently placed her hand on his shoulder, and he jumped.

“He’ll be alright. You should leave for now.”

“But—”

“We’ll be fine,” she reassured, patting his back. “Just go. Kazama’s waiting for you, isn’t he?”

“Yes, but—”

“Please.”

Her firm tone surprised us. Hiwatari nodded before turning to me.

“Are you coming with me?”

“No. I think I’ll stay here for a bit before I head home.”

“Alright. Take care of yourself.”

“You, too. Have a safe walk.”

He left the kitchen. Only when I heard the front door open and close did I look at my mother.

“Riku told us,” she explained, looking out towards the patio. I followed her gaze to see my father just blankly staring at the mess he made. He looked like a zombie.

“I…had a feeling.”

“…we really wanted to kill Satoshi when we found out,” she began as if speaking to no one in particular. “How hurt was my daughter for her to think the only solution to her problem was to run off to Tokyo and cut off contact with us for six years?

“I couldn’t even be happy about you going to Todai because I spent so much time worrying about you.” She laughed. “How many hours did I—did we—spend stalking your social media just to know that you were alive? And then Riku happened and—” She took a deep breath. “—it turns out the same person who helped one of my daughter’s heal was the same one who broke my other daughter to the point that she pushed us all away.”

“Mom…”

“It took me a while to see why you felt so alone. Satoshi was Riku’s friend. And how could you have trusted your parents with this if we didn’t really raise you for most of your childhood? Even though we have every right to be upset, in a way, some of this was our responsibility. You attached yourself to people who gave you the love we didn’t.”

My mother was still focused on my unresponsive father. I averted my gaze onto my faint reflection in the window. I bit my lip.

“At first, we were nice to Satoshi because he helped so much with Riku. But, at some point, he became your surrogate. To make up for the mistakes we made with you, we treated him like he was our own son.” She laughed. “I was sure your father would do something, but I think he realized just how important Satoshi is to us and just how important we are to him.”

My mother started to rub my back reassuringly. “We’re sorry for everything, but give us some time to process this, alright?”

She grabbed a bag and washcloth before heading outside to clean up the mess. My mother crouched down and wordlessly began to pick up the shards of crystal. My father bent down to help her and—

My mother started to cry. Her small frame shrank with each wail, and my father pulled her into an embrace as if he were clinging onto dear life.

It took everything in me to not break down. I moved my legs that started to feel like gelatin out of the kitchen, and I left the house by shutting the front door, gingerly, behind me.

…

I called in sick for work the next morning.

When I woke up, my body felt heavy. I couldn’t move, so I spent the morning starving in bed while watching dramas on my phone.

Around lunchtime, my phone rang. It was Takeshi.

I picked up.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Boss, are ya doin’ alright?”

“Not really, but I’m still alive. Miraculously.”

“Better than dead, I s’pose.”

“Did Hiwatari-san come in?”

“Nope. He called in saying he was sick, too. Is there a bug going around?”

“If by bug you mean the blood-thirsty Riku who finally told my parents, then yeah.”

“…oh god.”

“Mhm.”

“Well, um, I can’t really do much for ya right now, but feel better, alright? I hope that everything works itself out for ya.”

“That’s alright. Thanks for checking up on me; I appreciate it.”

“No problem, Boss.” I clearly saw the toothy grin on his face in my mind. “I can’t be there for ya today, but lemme know if you need anything, alright?”

“Will do. Thanks again.”

We hung up. My stomach grumbled, and a pang of drowsiness washed over me.

I decided to have an afternoon nap.

…

I woke up to someone knocking at my door.

Thinking it was a solicitor, I stretched a bit before getting comfortable again. Another round of knocking ensued.

I trudged over to shoo them away, but I saw Ritsuko through the peephole. She had two bags in her hand.

“What are you doing here?” I mumbled after opening the door.

“Wow. Not even a ‘hello’ or ‘what is that’ from you?” she asked as she slipped off her shoes.

“…sorry.”

“I’m kidding.” She flashed me a smile. “Your annoying coworker told me to come by if I could. I figured something must’ve happened if he was concerned enough to reach me.”

“Riku told my parents.”

“…yeah. That warrants shitty takeout.”

She headed into the kitchen, scrounging around for plates and utensils while I lied down on the couch, watching her navigate my kitchen.

“I didn’t know what you’d want, so I got all this,” Ritsuko explained as she started emptying out the food containers. “And don’t force yourself to try to finish this is one sitting; this would probably feed a family of eight.”

“So half of it is fair game?”

She laughed. “Sure, Risa. If you insist.”

After plating everything, she started placing the food on my coffee table. I sat up, reveling in this tiny feast, as my stomach rumbled in anticipation. Ritsuko handed me a plate and chopsticks before she sat down next to me and turned on the TV.

We dug in.

“How bad was it?” she asked.

“Not as explosive as I thought it’d be. Emotionally? It feels like someone stabbed my heart with a thousand needles.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“Honestly, as much as I want to, I don’t think I can find the words for it right now.”

Ritsuko rubbed my shoulder reassuringly. “Take all the time you need, Risa.”

“Thanks.”

Orchestral music swelled from my TV. We barely talked while watching whatever we had on and, when we finished our food, I helped Ritsuko clean up and put away all the leftovers.

And then I heard another knock on my door.

Looking through the peephole, I saw Hiwatari standing outside, hands in his pockets, unsure of what to do with himself. I opened the door.

“Why are you here, Hiwatari-san?” I asked.

“I heard from Takeshi that you didn’t go to work today, so I was wondering if you wanted to grab some food close by.”

“Thanks for the thought, but I just ate.”

“Hey, Hiwatari!” Ritsuko called from the kitchen.

“Oh, hello, Fukuda.” He then turned back to me. “Sorry, I didn’t realize you had company over.”

“No worries. Do you want to come inside and eat? Ritsuko brought way too much food.”

“Each bite’s gonna cost you one hundred yen,” Ritsuko joked.

“I’m sure that’s far too expensive for the quality of food you brought over,” he quipped as he let himself in.

“Help yourself to whatever is in the fridge,” I told him.

While he piled food onto his plate, Ritsuko and I talked on the sofa, catching up with each other’s lives. She just finished talking about her business ventures when Hiwatari sat down next to me.

“I’m sorry if I’m interrupting your time together,” he apologized.

“No worries, Hiwatari,” Ritsuko said. “We’re all friends here, aren’t we?”

“Yes, I suppose we are.”

“You’re not with Kazama-san?” I asked.

“He has dinner with the Niwas.”

“Sounds like fun,” Ritsuko chirped.

“If I want my brain to turn into mush, then yes, it sounds like a ball.”

“Maybe that might be what you need during these trying times.”

“Absolute not, Fukuda.”

She guffawed.

We just chatted while Hiwatari ate. And, when he finished, I dug out a board game for us to play. After one round, in which Ritsuko royally creamed us, she had to leave. I gave her a hug before she left.

Once the door closed, it was only me and Hiwatari.

“Want to grab dessert at Mizuame de Noisette?” he asked. “My treat.”

“I’m down.”

…

After I freshened up, we headed to my favorite café. The scene of food and warm drinks brought a smile to my face, and I couldn’t contain my giddiness when our order finally came out.

“I figured this would cheer you up, but I didn’t think it’d turn you into this.”

“Shut up, Hiwatari-san,” I pouted. “But thanks for this. Truly.”

He ordered an herbal tea (chamomile from what I could smell) and sipped it with a gentle smile on his face. “You’re welcome.”

Hiwatari joked that I looked like a hamster once I began to indulge, but he quickly relented and began to people-watch, giving me some privacy to enjoy my dessert. When I got to my last bite, I offered it to him out of courtesy, expecting him to refuse, but he ate the last forkful and nodded.

“Hm. Not bad.”

“Right? Their matcha mille crepe cake isn’t too sweet, so I figured you might like it.”

“I do. I’ll probably order it the next time I’m here.”

I tidied our table and took our dirty dishes to the bussing station. When I returned, Hiwatari had his gaze focused outside.

“Are you alright?” he asked, eyes still trained on the night’s scenery.

“Yeah” I answered, holding my warm drink in my hands. “Are you?”

“I’m about as okay as I’m going to be right now.”

“And that’s all anyone can ask for.”

He nodded before briefly looking at me. Blue eyes met mine before he lowered his gaze to his cup. A wry smile appeared on his face.

“…do you think it’s terrible that I wish they’d been violent? Punched me out? Cursed me out? Screamed bloody murder at me?”

“A little bit, yeah, but I get where you’re coming from.”

He smirked. “Glad to know I’m not going crazy.”

“You’re already just as crazy as me,” I said. “I mean, as much as I hate admitting it, I used to wish that you did hit me. Maybe it would’ve made it easier for my brain to process how toxic everything was.”

“Harada-san…”

“Sorry.” I forced a laugh. “That’s kind of a low blow, isn’t it?”

Hiwatari shook his head. “You really know how to kick a man when he’s down, don’t you?”

“I’m sorry!”

“…why does it feel like every life lesson you’ve learned is from that situation?”

“Well, it is one of the worst things that’s ever happened to me.”

“Harada-san, please spare me from my misery and just kill me now.”

“Nah. I think you deserve to simmer in that pain a little bit.”

“Good god, Harada-san.”

…

“Hey, Boss! Welcome back!” Takeshi greeted with lunch in hand. “How’re you feeling?”

“Well, I managed to get out of bed, so that’s a start,” I answered, gratefully accepting the bento. “Is Hiwatari-san still off?”

“Yeah. Formally cited emergency family reasons, but we both know that’s a lie.”

“Lucky bastard. I wish I could take the rest of the week off.”

“What’s stoppin’ ya?”

“Well,” I began, snapping off the lid of my container, “the broadcast isn’t going to run itself, there’s a lot I need to review since clearly people don’t know how to do their work, and I certainly don’t want to get caught up in yet another round of rumors again because I so happened to be off around the same time that Hiwatari-san is off.”

Takeshi whistled. “That’s, uh, a lot.”

“Yup.”

My phone began to ring. I expected it to be Riku since I had sent her a message saying we should talk, but I saw Hiwatari’s caller ID. He just saw me yesterday. What did he want from me?

“Well, speak of the devil.”

“What? Your demonic sister?”

“Nope. It’s Hiwatari-san. Excuse me.”

I picked up, trying to avoid Takeshi’s curious gaze in my peripheries. The static of the line gave way to the familiar hubbub of a restaurant. I could even hear Kazama ordering in the background.

“Hello?” I began.

“Harada-san, have you gotten in touch with your parents since that evening?”

“Nope. Why ask?”

“I messaged them, and they still haven’t replied back.”

I tried to stifle my laughter by covering my mouth with my hand. “Oh, I wouldn’t worry about them. They’re probably ignoring you.”

“You’re shitting me.”

“No, I’m not,” I said. “They told me to give them some space before I left, so that’s what they’re doing: keeping their space.”

“…why the hell are you Haradas so finicky?”

“Can’t help it. We love being a pain in the ass for everyone.”

I could see him shaking his head. “Well, thank you for your time, Harada-san. Enjoy your lunch.”

“You, too!”

I hung up and ignored the excitement on Takeshi’s face when I noticed the new message on my phone. Riku answered my text, saying that she was free tomorrow evening. I quickly typed out my reply before returning to my lunch, focusing on my growling stomach instead of the pressure of Takeshi’s curiosity.

…

I hadn’t eaten all day.

Takeshi said I shouldn’t worry about my missing appetite, proposing that I was anxious because of the call I had scheduled with Riku. He did drop by my cubicle later that afternoon with a cupcake in hand from a nearby café, saying to save it for my triumphant encounter with the beast.

And when I finally got home, I sat on my sofa, unmoving, while staring at my reflection on the blank TV screen. This conversation wouldn’t spell the end of the world, but it certainly felt like it could. Riku and I had never fought like this.

Ever.

Who knew that being unable to talk to her casually would hurt so much?

So, when my ringtone echoed through my silent apartment, my stomach fell to the ground, my heartbeat quickened, and I picked up.

“Hello?”

“…hi.”

She sighed. “Oh, thank god. I thought you were going to scream at me.”

“I mean, if you want me to, I could.”

“Please don’t. You’ll blow out my eardrums.”

Silence filled our call. Even a joke couldn’t lighten the mood.

“So, are you here to bitch at me again about my terrible life decisions?” I asked.

“No—oh god, no,” she said. “Risa, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”

“I’m calling bullshit.”

She laughed. “Okay, yeah, I do know. It’s just…a lot.”

“I know. Why else are we having this call?” I could imagine her smiling, and I felt the grin threatening to erupt on my face. “And you’re my sister. I can take ‘a lot’ for and from you.”

“But—”

“Nu-uh. Spill. You’ve got all evening to do so.”

“Well,” she began, “when Daisuke told me, I was shocked. I couldn’t believe it. Satoshi, your best guy friend, guy you were practically in love with, was the one who hurt you. I was livid.

“And he told Daisuke about it. Satoshi, master of secrecy, shared this secret, while you, unable to keep a secret to save your life, couldn’t even bring yourself to tell me. I was hurt. Like, did you really not trust me enough?”

“…I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize, Risa. I probably would’ve reacted the same way even if you had told me earlier, so don’t worry about it,” she said. “Honestly, I’m still in shock about the whole thing. Why would you put yourself through so much shit just to have him back in your life? After everything he put you through, it just didn’t make any sense.”

“Well, there’s just some things that you just…deal with,” I answered. “If Hiwatari-san and I didn’t get along, it’d be hell for everyone.”

“It’s alright to be a little selfish, yanno.”

“I know, but I wanted—needed—to get through this. For me,” I said. “I didn’t want it to control my life anymore. I was tired of it.”

“Yeah. I know what you mean.”

I had a feeling she was referring to what happened to her after I left, but I couldn’t ask. If she wanted to tell me about it, she would. And this conversation wasn’t exactly the best time to bring it up, anyway.

“You know, Risa, I can’t imagine how you felt when you were in Tokyo.”

“What do you mean?”

“You literally decided to start over; I mean, you refused to contact us for years. How could you do that?”

I shrugged. “I just had to.”

And then Riku started to cry, softly, until those sniffles turned into heaving sobs. Each whimper cut through my heart, but I bit my lip to stop myself from joining her.

“Risa, I’m so sorry. Oh God, I’m so sorry.”

“No, Riku, it’s fine. I—”

“I should’ve been there for you,” she sniffled. “Instead of leaving it to Satoshi. I should’ve known that something was wrong but I—” She continued to cry.

“Riku…”

“I just…didn’t know what to do and I—and I couldn’t contain it so—so I told our parents and—oh god. Oh god, I told our—”

“Riku, please—”

“What have I done?”

I nearly messaged Daisuke to go and comfort her, but I couldn’t. I let her cry, while holding in my own tears, waiting for her to calm down. And, when she finally did (it took someone ringing the doorbell on her end to calm her down), she just laughed.

“Why are we like this?” she asked.

“What do you mean?”

“We literally have to raze the whole world before we’re content.”

“It’s our stubborn Harada blood. Even Grandma’s still got it.”

“Yes, yes she does.”

I smiled at the levity in her voice.

“Well,” she said, “ as much as I’d like to continue this conversation, I’m exhausted. Do you want to grab dessert tomorrow to actually catch up?”

“Yeah, that’d be great.”

“Awesome. I’ll see you tomorrow then! Good night!”

“Night!”

I stared at the phone in my hand like it was something completely foreign. Its bright screen singed my eyes.

And, possessed, I sent Hiwatari a text that I had just talked to Riku and aired everything out. He called me seconds afterward. The screen with his caller ID illuminated my living room while my cheery ringtone echoed between my walls.

Why was he calling me?

I sent him to voice mail. A message popped up, in all caps, telling me to pick up. What was the urgency?

My phone rang again, and I sighed before answering.

“Hello? Is everything—”

“Are you alright?” he asked. What was that loud noise on his end?

“Yeah, I’m alri—”

“Bullshit.”

“Excuse me? What the—”

“Stop trying to be strong! Stop acting like your life is put together, you stubborn idiot!” I blinked, trying to hold back my tears. “Your sister tried to ruin your life! Your rocky relationship with your parents finally reached its peak! It’s okay to break down!”

“Not, it’s not!” I screamed back, trying to pace my breathing. The lump in my throat only worsened. “Life isn’t going to stop just because I need to! I need to keep going or—”

“Or what?” I heard a car honk on his end. “Harada-san, you don’t have to keep pushing yourself like this! You’ve done enough! You can slow down and relax now!”

“No, I can’t! I need to—”

“Stop acting like you’re still alone! Stop trying to carry all of your burdens by yourself, dammit!” I heard another car honk at him. He screamed an apology. “All of us are here for you, so start letting us in! Not because of the circumstances but because you want to! It’s okay to cry on someone else’s shoulder!”

“Absolutely not! I don’t—”

A loud knock on my door startled me. I got up and looked through the peephole to see Hiwatari, face flushed and slightly winded.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, panicked.

“Harada-san, just open the door.”

“No.”

“Risa, please.”

I unlocked the door. Hiwatari hung up and slipped his phone into his back pocket before running his hand through his hair. Several strands stayed upright.

Something inside of me broke.

I hurled myself at him, digging my face into his chest as I cried my guts out. I heard him close the door before he returned my embrace, rubbing my back to comfort me.

He didn’t say anything. His chin rested atop my head, and we stayed like that until I finally let go. My tears had dried out by that point, and there was a face-sized stain on Hiwatari’s sweater. My make-up rubbed off, too.

I pointed at it, and he looked down and laughed.

“There goes my favorite sweater.”

“You needed to get rid of it anyway.”

He shook his head with a smile as he leaned back against my front door. “Sounds like someone’s feeling better.”

I shot him a toothy grin before standing up. “Anyways, we should probably treat those stains before they set.”

“I thought you wanted it gone?”

“Sure, I do, but that’s not my sweater is it?”

He laughed. “Thanks. I appreciate it.”

My stomach growled. And, in that moment, I just remembered that I hadn’t eaten yet. Hiwatari stared at me in concern.

“You haven’t eaten all day, have you?” he asked.

“…yeah.”

He sighed. “Harada-san, I swear…”

“Look, I wasn’t hungry today, okay? And I’ll get myself food, later, I promise, so just sit tight while I find something for you to change into.”

I retreated into my room and dug through my dresser. A lot of the casual tops I wore in college were at least two sizes too big, and I eventually found the biggest Todai sweatshirt I owned tucked away in the back of one of my drawers.

When I came out, Hiwatari was in my kitchen, arms akimbo in front of my stove. He was so focused on the pot in front of him that he didn’t notice me. And, when he did, he jumped.

“Oh god. You scared me.”

“Sorry.” I handed him the shirt. “Try this on and lemme know if it fits.”

He unfolded it and smirked. “Your style really hasn’t changed at all if you’ve still got over-sized clothes like this.”

“You are in no position to be calling me out like this right now.”

“Touché.” He gestured over to the instant ramen packets he managed to dig up. “Make sure you put them in if the water starts boiling.”

“I know,” I pouted.

Hiwatari disappeared into my room to change. He came out moments later; the shirt was a perfect fit.

“Nice swag, Todai grad,” I joked as he handed me his clothes.

He huffed in response while I started to treat the stain on his sweater. After tossing it into the washing machine, I plopped down onto the couch. Hiwatari joined me moments later with the noodles, and he handed me a bowl before we dug in.

“So, uh, what now?” I asked, blowing on my food.

He shrugged. “Up to you.”

I groaned in response.

“Movie?” he suggested.

“Nah. Let’s watch a documentary.”

Hiwatari went along with it sans his usual snark. I expected him to say something about how unfitting it was, but he wordlessly put something on while we ate.

When my washing machine beeped, signaling that his shirt had also finished drying, he took it out before heading back into my room to change. He came back out with the grey sweater on, my sweatshirt neatly folded in his hands, and he handed it to me.

“Thank you again.”

“No problem.”

“Well, I’m going to head out now,” he said. “Um…I honestly didn’t mean to make you cry.”

“Really? ‘Cause I don’t know how I couldn’t have cried from that.”

Hiwatari chortled. A small smile graced his face. “Yeah. I suppose I should’ve held back a bit.”

“You think?”

We awkwardly stood by my front door, unsure of what to do with ourselves.

“You know,” I began, “I think I needed that. So, um, thanks. For talking some sense into me.”

“That’s just what friend do, Harada-san.”

I beamed. “Please, drop the ‘san.’ God. Who am I? My dad?”

Hiwatari blinked before he laughed, mirth radiating from his expression. “Alrighty then, Harada. Whatever you say.”

“Thank you, Hiwatari.”

He pulled me into a hug. “Take care of yourself, alright?”

“Mhm.”

Hiwatari let go with a gentle smile, and I opened the door for him. “Good night, Harada.”

“Good night, Hiwatari.”

…

Riku and I met up at Mizuame de Noisette. We chatted while enjoying the view and entertaining a bottle of Moscato between us. She had a danish in front of her; I had a strawberry shortcake in front of me, and we laughed while she recounted her Zurich trip.

While sharing the details of Daisuke’s embarrassing proposal, our phones rang.

It was a message from our mother.

“She says she’s planning a dinner,” Riku said.

“Does it say anything about disowning us if we don’t go?”

“Yup.”

I sighed. “The crazy lady is back.”

“Do you think Satoshi’s going to be there?”

“Absolutely.” I raised my eyebrow. “Why does that matter to you?”

“Risa, please let me sock him!”

“Um, shouldn’t I be the one socking him in this situation?”

“Yes, but you’re never going to do it.”

“I don’t see why I would need to, but why should you?”

Riku shot me a look that I had just lost my mind. She made a grand gesture meant to signify, well, everything.

“Okay, yes, I get it, but why are you asking me for my permission?”

“I felt like I needed to.”

“I do not like what you’re trying to imply here.”

“Risa, please, I’m begging you—”

I rolled my eyes. “Look, okay, I don’t care what you do, just leave me out of it, alright?”

“Thank you!” Riku sang.

She cracked her knuckles.

It was nice knowing you, Hiwatari.

…

7 PM: Harada mansion.

My parents opened the door. They pulled me into a hug, and we stood there at the entrance of the foyer like a horde of penguins braving the winter. Both Riku and Hiwatari were running late, the former still working her shift while the latter was held back, working overtime on an important case. Honestly, I just wanted them to get here ASAP so I could see them duke it out.

I bet one thousand yen that Riku would obliterate him.

Daisuke arrived shortly after me, greeting our (?) parents before giving me a hug. We then sat down in the living room.

“Are you excited for later?” Daisuke asked.

“Of course! Who do you think is gonna win?”

“Riku. Hands down,” he replied with no hesitation. “Satoshi stands no chance.”

We laughed.

“Is your family coming?” I asked.

“Of course.” Daisuke rolled his eyes. “My mom found out, so she’s planned a stern lecture for him later. My dad found out about what my mom’s doing, so he’s tagging along to make sure she doesn’t get carried away. Grandpa claims he’s coming for the show, but you know he’s just waiting for just the right moment to deliver his own blow. And then Argentine and Towa overheard them talking about it at the table, so they insisted that ‘Satoshi-sama’ needed a lesson on how a gentleman should treat a lady.”

“Would you like some popcorn for tonight’s festivities?”

“Yes, please!”

The doorbell rang, again, and I opened the door to see the Niwa family in all their chaotic glory. Emiko greeted me with kisses before skipping off the kitchen. Her uncontainable, middle-aged energy collided with my mom’s uncontainable, middle-aged energy, and they were so loud that you could probably hear them at the station on the other side of town.

Grandpa Daiki gave me a knowing smile before joining Daisuke in the living room. My dad came by, drinks in hand that his guests accepted, before he sat with them and they began chatting away.

And Kosuke stood there, smiling that kind smile that I came to hate in Vienna.

“How does it feel like to be on the other side of everything?” he asked.

I blinked. Kosuke laughed.

“Well,” I answered, “I wish I didn’t have to go through it, but it feels great. Like a weight’s been lifted.”

He nodded, content with my answer, before joining the group in the living room. Argentine and Towa bounced up to me, pulling me into a tight group hug before letting go, concern pooling in their eyes.

“Are you alright?” Argentine asked.

“Mhm.”

Towa huffed. “I can’t believe Satoshi-sama did that! How rude!”

“Well—”

“Honestly, Risa-sama,  he doesn’t deserve your apologies,” Argentine continued.

“The only thing he deserves is a good wallop!” Towa chirped.

The doorbell rang. And, lo and behold, it was the man of the hour. Argentine and Towa, bubbly moments ago, turned silent. The atmosphere that began to sour muted Hiwatari’s greeting, and I escaped to the kitchen to grab some popcorn and watch the first pickings from a distance. Daisuke joined me.

We watched the shenanigans unfold beautifully. Towa and Argentine eventually turned into their animal forms; the former perched on Hiwatari’s head while the latter crawled under his clothes, lecturing him about manners.

“Well, they’re going at it.”

Daisuke and I broke free from our fit of laughter to see Riku. She held a goblet of red wine while looking at the scene with a smirk.

“But this is only the beginning.”

…

My sides were sore from all the laughing. The whole evening turned into a roasting session exclusively for Satoshi. And Towa recorded the whole thing.

After everyone calmed down, the Niwas had to leave but promised to return soon to actually catch up with my family. Everyone aahed at the quick kiss Daisuke gave Riku and then the Niwas were gone.

Riku and I began to tidy up while my parents went outside to talk to Hiwatari. I kept glancing at them through the window, monitoring the situation in case—

Riku smacked me in the face with a wet dish rag.

“Ever heard of the concept of privacy?”

“Yes, but—”

“Nu-uh. Not hearing it!” Riku exclaimed before shooing me out of the kitchen. “Just give them some time, alright?”

“What about cleaning up?”

“I can manage myself.” Her face lit up. “Oh, you should totally check out what Mom did with your room!”

Following Riku’s suggestion, I headed upstairs to see the renovation. Gone were the dollhouse-pink walls and the wooly white carpet. In their stead were light gray walls, sporting a slight hue of blue, and wooden floors waxed to reflection. My mom replaced the furniture I used in my childhood with sleek, modern pieces; she transformed the space into one of those aesthetic rooms found in an interior design magazine.

Out with the old, in with new.

I sat down on the faux fur rug, reminiscent of the room’s original flooring and looked up at the ceiling.

It was still the same view.

Someone knocked on the door. I looked over to see Hiwatari leaning against the threshold.

“Shouldn’t you be downstairs helping Riku clean?”

“Nope. She kicked me out,” I said. “Shouldn’t you be downstairs helping out like a good guest?”

“They kicked me out, too.”

“Ah.” I patted the empty space next to me on the rug. “Welcome to the Reject’s Club.”

Hiwatari sat down next to me. He leaned back, stretching his arms behind him as he put his weight on his hands, straightening his legs out before him. I curled into a fetal position, resting my chin on my knees.

“How was your evening?” I asked him.

He groaned, and the strange funk that surrounded him dissipated. “Awful. I’m emotionally wounded, and I don’t know how long it’ll take for me to recover.”

I giggled. “Stop being such a baby about it.”

Hiwatari pouted, and I snorted. He laughed at me, his grin so wide that I was sure it hurt, eyes so upturned in joy that I wondered how he could still see, that I felt my expression match his. We eventually calmed down, sighing in content.

He looked at the balcony. I followed his gaze. There was nothing there. Only our faint reflections on the sliding door were staring back at us.

“How was your talk with my parents?” I asked him.

Hiwatari hummed in response. I didn’t expect him to answer. But I also didn’t expect the words that followed.

“Did you ever think this would happen?” he gently asked.

“Never. I thought this would stay locked up in the back of mind for the rest of my life.” I looked over at him. He had a wistful look in his eye. “Did you?”

“No. I had resigned myself to thinking that I would never see you again.”

“And yet, here we are, sitting on the floor of my room, chilling out as if none of that ever happened.”

“Wack.”

I laughed at his uncharacteristic response. He just smirked.

Proud bastard.

“Honestly, I still can’t believe that this is happening,” he admitted. “And I didn’t realize just how much I missed this until now.”

I felt a pang in my heart as all the times I spent with Hiwatari flashed through my mind. Memories that were once bittersweet became nostalgic; I could finally look back on them with fondness instead of pain.

Perhaps, eventually, there will come a day when I could comfortably share this intimate feeling with Hiwatari, but today was not that day. This conversation was becoming far too cheesy for me to stomach, and I couldn’t hold in my sarcastic streak anymore.

Sorry to ruin this, Hiwatari.

“Aw. Look at you getting all emotional!”

Hiwatari balked. “Harada, I’m being genuine here. Did you really have to insert your sarcasm now?”

“I’m sorry, but this whole thing’s just so corny!”

“Oh my god, this girl.”

Maybe it didn’t seem like much: Hiwatari and I bantering in what used to be my room. But, to me, this meant the world. Somehow, despite everything that happened, we were able to fall into step again.

And, with that seemingly menial evening, I was finally able to flip the pages of my life again.

—ARC 1 END—

[dilfbatman]

do you ever just cry because percy jackson was a lonely and abused kid that always felt like he didn't belong until he got to camp half blood and now he's the one that everyone admires and always wants to be with him or that annabeth felt like she never had something as permanent until she got too camp half blood and she made an effort to make every demigods life worth it and then she met percy who healed all her issues that she was projecting on the younger kids

well i’m CRYING NOW - it makes me so sad bc percy has not only gone through physical/emotional abuse but was also bullied by kids at school and HE was labeled a troublemaker & dumb and he was already dealing w adhd & dyslexia & low self-esteem/anger management issues and having an absentee father and a mother who worked full time to provide for her boy + who went through abuse herself had to fill both parts is heartbreaking + let’s not forget he was sent to military school and like percy fr just never caught a BREAK. YET. YET... he ALWAYS kept his compassion & empathy for those who deserved it in his eyes - he STOOD up for people who couldn’t stand up for themselves no matter what happened to him - he is a good person INNATELY and he just wanted to live a normal life, have him & his mom be safe & happy, and have a great group of friends - and then coming to CHB he FINDS that and he meets annabeth, he has grover, chiron is a mentor figure, and everyone at camp is just there to help out lil baby perseus and charlie sees him and is like Guess I Got A Lil Brother Now and percy just has his own found family and i cry <3 and everyone admires and loves him and he feels their gratitude and he’s grateful himself

and annabeth my BABE, she grew up at CHB and it sucks bc she’s been neglected by her family who didn’t believe her and who didn’t see the spiders she always talked about and who thought it was better to run away than stay with them (then later her stepmom says how it hurt her how she left and that she wanted a relationship w her and wanted her to be safe) and then thalia & luke find her and take care of her (which don’t get me started bc they’re BABIES themselves!) and annabeth later gets betrayed/is constantly manipulated by luke and she sees thalia sacrifice herself to save her friends and she sees grover sob over her and she stays at camp just WAITING to be dealt a quest to prove herself and the fates being their true selves bring a bright eyed, exhausted, terrified boy to camp and she sees him & grover & chiron who’s a surrogate father to her who knows her incredibly well and thinks to herself that this is her chance and little does she know that they’d change her whole life entirely - her eyes are opened to new ways of thinking and problem solving, she regains trust in people who in turn trust her willingly, and she has a sense of found family as well

all the demigods at CHB know how important it is to make friendships and trust in your brothers/sisters in arms and to always hold out HOPE and that family is genuinely where your heart is and i just. i love them all so much

[lilulo-12fanfiction]

Do The Unexpected

@fafulous requested this forever and a day ago. I wrote it and apparently never posted it? Well here it is.

"You look amazing tonight" Elijah fluff/smut please!

So I don’t do full blown smut. But I hope you like this!!

You stood in your room at the Salvatore Boarding House staring at yourself in the full length mirror. It was the night of the Mikaelson Ball and Elijah had invited you to be his date. The thought of him made the heat rise to your cheeks. The dress you wore was a dark teal. The bodice was a satin with a sweetheart neckline covered in black beading. The full skirt was made of tulle. The dark teal color accented your hair and skin beautifully.

You didn’t start out having feelings for him. Quite the opposite actually. Elena was like your baby sister. Your Mother, Miranda, Abby and Liz Forbes were all close friends. Like Abby and Bonnie, you and your mother were also Witches from a strong bloodline. You were the sole survivor. Miranda and Grayson had taken you in when your mother died. You had most recently learned that Mikael had killed your mother before Abby and entombed him. 

Your mother was strong enough to break the Hybrid Curse without the Sacrifices. Mikael wanted to make sure that Klaus could never find her. Sheila had been protecting you while Abby took care of The Mikaelson Patriarch. Sheila knew that had Mikael known that you were the last of your bloodline he would have slaughtered you as well. She knew that you too one day would be strong enough to perform the spell. So she burned the pages of your mother’s Grimoire to keep you safe. The spell died with your mother. When you met Elijah, he had kidnapped Elena, attacked Damon and Rose and then made some asinine deal with Elena that you knew would end her life. So you went after him. You didn’t care that he was an Original. He had admired your courage and loyalty to your family. That had enraged you. The way he acted as if you were simply and itch that needed to be scratched. You unleashed your substantial power on him, after his shock wore off, he figured out who you were. No one had ever told you the truth about your Mother’s death. Elijah held you as you sobbed at the thought of the pain your mother went through. She endured torture at the hands of Mikael. You spent a substantial amount of time with Elijah as he told you stories about your mother before you had been born. He had found information on your bloodline when he had been searching for a way to break Klaus’ curse. At that time they didn’t know that Katherine’s bloodline had continued. They didn’t know there was hope for another Doppleganger. Originally he wanted her to break the curse. However he had discovered your mother after he and Klaus had their falling out. Elijah instead found her to warn her. They became friends and he promised to protect her. Unfortunately he was too late to save her from his father. The two of you researched to try and piece together the spell to break The Hybrid Curse. You were getting close and then Katherine convinced Damon to dagger Elijah. You felt his absence. That’s when you knew you cared for him. You had tried to convince Damon and Stefan to undagger him. That you had almost figured out how to stop the sacrifice, but almost wasn’t enough. So you continued searching. Fearing for Elena’s life and missing Elijah. You and Elijah had continued to work on the spell once Elena removed the dagger. He had a contingency plan. But that was useless once Damon fed her his blood. At that point Elijah asked you to stop working in the spell. Elena would survived the sacrifice. He was afraid Klaus would kill you even if you did break the curse for him. Elijah couldn’t have that. He felt for you what you felt for him. That night he had betrayed you all when he didn’t kill Klaus. You hated yourself for not finishing the spell. Had you, Jenna and John would still be alive. It was then that you moved in with Stefan and Damon. Your mother was dead. Miranda and Grayson, your surrogate parents were dead. And then Jenna. You needed a change of scenery. The betrayal and grief were a lot to deal with. Elijah had left you a long voicemail explaining himself and asked for you to meet him at the apartment when he and Klaus returned. That was when you watched Klaus dagger him again. Stefan made you run as he worked on Klaus to save Damon. You, Elena and Damon had spent that summer hunting for Stefan and grieving. You just had to add Elijah to the list of those you had lost. You smiled at yourself in the mirror thinking about the day Damon had undaggered Elijah. After everything that had happen, there was a light at the end of the tunnel. The monster that took your mother was dead. Granted that meant Klaus lived but you couldn’t help but be happy karma had been served. Stefan was back and filled with humanity even if he pretended he wasn’t. And you were going to see Elijah again. You had went with Damon to meet up with him after he had surprised Klaus. You couldn’t stop yourself from running to him and jumping into his arms. No one had ever kissed you like that before. “You look gorgeous.” Damon’s voice came from the doorway. You turned and smiled at him. “Thank you.” “Elijah is a lucky guy.” He had the signature Damon smirk on his face. “He better keep you safe from Mommy Dearest and the rest of his psycho family.” “I can take care of myself you know. I might not be able to kill them, but I can sure as hell make them wish they were dead.” Damon smirked. “Stefan still pretending his humanity is off?” “Yes. I just don’t know why.” “Yes you do Damon. Stefan’s guilt knows no bounds. He slaughtered dozens of people because Klaus told him to. He attacked Elena when he was compelled and was pretty much an obnoxious dick to her. And while his sarcasm amused me, it hurt her. And then him threatening to drive her off the bridge? He doesn’t think he can come back from any of that. So he pretends.” “You’re right. I just hope he behaves tonight.” “He will. He’s been on his best behavior. Elena will be there. If he ever wants a chance of getting back with her he won’t make a move she won’t approve of.” You studied Damon’s expression. “I know that’s not what you want. And I know that you love her and want to be with her. But if she chooses Stefan...” “You mean when.” He huffed. “No if- then promise me you’ll move on. You’re not the monster YOU pretend to be. And you deserve to be happy too.” You patted his cheek. “Wait- what do you mean Elena will be there? She promised she’d stay home.” “Uhh no. She didn’t. You demanded, she ignored. Stop trying to control everything.” “If I was you certainly wouldn’t be with Elijah. You smacked him in the arm and headed out of the room. “See you later.” You winked at him and headed downstairs to the car Elijah had sent for you. “Well hello darling...” Kol oogled you as you walked into the Mikaelson Mansion.“Kol I wouldn’t unless you want Elijah to feed you your entrails.” Klaus quipped. He kissed you on the cheek. “Elijah will be down shortly. Primping and what not. Come, we’ll get you a drink while you wait Y/N” Klaus gestured for you to take his arm and you complied. Klaus on his best behavior was something you weren’t used to. You figure you should enjoy it while it lasted. He led you to the bar area and handed you a glass of champagne. “I hope you know that Elijah will lose his mind when he sees you in that dress” Klaus had his signature teasing smirk gracing his face. You wished he was like this all of the time. When the paranoia didn’t rule. You expressed your gratitude and he left you to your drink. A little while later you had your back to the party, it had just started filling up. You hadn’t even noticed him approaching. You were in your own little world. You almost jumped out of your skin when his hand graced your waist. When you spun around your face grew crimson in embarrassment. Elijah looked handsome as ever in his tuxedo. “You look amazing tonight.” Was the first thing that came out of his mouth. You didn’t know if it was the champagne or the grandeur of the evening that made everything seem fuzzy. It was like a movie. When Elijah leaned down and kissed you, you felt like everything around you was spinning. You spent the evening on Elijah’s arm, shipping champagne and dancing. You couldn’t have been happier. A while later you and Rebekah were upstairs giggling like school girls but you just couldn’t stop. “Y/N you are absolutely drunk!” Rebekah exclaimed while laughing. “I blame Klaus really. He got me my first drink.” “But not the remaining 5.” You shrugged and took a sip out of the bottle you had in your hands and passed it to her. “When in doubt- blame Nik.” “That is an excellent motto Y/N” Kol was smirking from the doorway. “Why are you two hiding up here?” “She’s annoyed with Elena. I’m annoyed with Caroline and the Salvatore drama is too much of a buzz kill. Elijah was chatting Elena up so I slipped up here. Apparently she had a sagey closed door meeting with your mommy and he’s curious.” You shrugged. “She is smashed.” Kol laughed he picked you up and spun you around. You’re giggled again and then stumbled. You were about to take another drink from the champagne bottle when Elijah snatched it from you. “You know Rebekah I would think you would explore some sense knowing she’s human and doesn’t have the tolerance that you do.” You rolled your eyes. “Wiiiiiitch! Not human.” You poked Elijah in the chest. He didn’t seem as amused as Kol. He took a deep breath and steadied his patience. “Kol, Rebekah- leave us.” He demanded. Neither argued and quickly fled the room. You removed your silver strappy sandles knowing you were in for a lecture. “You know I never expected this kind of behavior from you. Drunkenly slurring your words and acting like a child. I expect more from you. This is absolutely juvenile. If this is how you are at parties then I can’t say I’ll be inviting you again. It’s a shame you can’t behave more like Elena.” Elijah didn’t expect you to whip around and slap him. He was more surprised than angry. He didn’t expect to see your eyes so filled with rage. “Screw you Elijah. I apologize for forgetting to ram a stick up my ass so I could keep up with you this evening.” He went to say something but stopped when he saw the look on your face. “For someone so intelligent you really are an idiot sometimes. I was having fun tonight Elijah. Fun. Getting along with your siblings. Laughing. Do you even know the last time I genuinely laughed and had a good time? Because I don’t!” You felt sobriety hitting you fast and hard. “When I met you, it was after stopping Katherine from killing more people I loved. Then it was trying to save Elena from Klaus and figure out how to reconcile loving you and saving her. Then Jenna died and Klaus didn’t. Then I had to watch him dagger you in front of my eyes and take Stefan on a murder binge. Fighting to save him and get you back. Not to mention all I lost prior to that. So how dare you judge me. Talk to me like I’m your damn child. I did NOTHING wrong. I wasn’t embarrassing. I even charmed Finn for Christ Sakes. Don’t you ever- EVER speak to me like that again. Loving you won’t stop me from making your brain drip out from your ears.” You tried to stalk away but he grabbed your arm and pulled you back. You felt your anger build. But his words disarmed you. “I love you too.” You looked at him like he was crazy, not realizing what you had admitted. “What?!” He realized that you probably hadn’t meant to admit that you loved him in your tirade. “You said that you loved me. Well you yelled it at me. But none the less you put it out there. And I want you to know that I love you too.” He watched as your fury started to burn out so he continued. “I’m sorry for what I said. Maybe it’s because I’m not very good at letting loose like that.” “Maybe you should try it sometime. Do the unexpected. Be a little reckless.” You saw a slight twinkle in his eye. “Okay.” Before you knew it he had you pinned to the wall, hands all over your body, kissing you. You felt his nose travel down the side of your neck and felt electricity travel to your core. He spun you around and eagerly undid your dress and let it fall to the ground. You stood there in nothing but a pair of black lace panties. When he turned you back around you slid off his jacket and undid his tie, then slowly unbuttoned his shirt. You had no idea when he had taken off his shoes and socks. He was kissing you again. As his lips trailed your neck you knew he was holding back. You didn’t want him to. There was something erotic about him feeding from you. “Do it Elijah. Don’t hold back.” “No- I won’t hurt you.” You stared at his face, he was fighting back his fangs and the veins around his eyes. “Elijah I want you to. Please” you begged. That was all he needed to hear to not be able to control himself anymore. When you felt his teeth sink into your skin you moaned. In a flash you were on the bed. You whined slightly when he removed his teeth. He quickly finished undressing and slipped off your panties. He licked the blood off your neck. He was slightly amazed when you used your own magic to heal yourself. You were mesmerized by him as you enjoyed watching him care free and let loose with you. He brought you to peaks of extascy you didn’t know were possible. Deep down you knew as well as he did that there was another fight coming but he followed your lead and let it go just for that one night.

[usopp-writes]

For my lovely @one-piece-25 , @ryathenaughtykitsune and those enjoying my writing and likes MaTch.

Marco leaned against Thatch, using the other male’s chest and shoulder as a pillow. Thatch held his lover in his arms, as the two of them watched Grimm together. It was just another evening for the couple, enjoying each other’s company and spending the evening with a series both enjoyed. Even after three years together, the two were close and not a day passed where they weren’t cuddling – much to the surprise of some people. In fact it was just their love language. Both were physical and they didn’t often voice their love towards each other.

“Marco.” Thatch looked at the blond hair, while said man hummed to tell Thatch he was listening. The series had just ended and so Thatch had decided now was the time to talk about something that had been on his mind lately, especially after both had moved in a house together. “I’ve been thinking and I would like to have a child with you. Through adoption.”

Thatch bit his lip nervously. He knew Marco loved children – it was no secret – as Marco was a child doctor. However, Thatch wasn’t sure if Marco ever had wanted children of his own. So he was nervous what Marco said to his proposal. The blond shifted and turned to sit so he could look at his lover. A soft smile grazed Marco’s lips and Thatch relaxed lightly.

“Only one, yoi?” Marco sounded teasing, but Thatch felt like there was more behind the words than just a tease. So he shook his head lightly. “Well, to begin with one will be enough and when we’ve found out how to be parents, I wouldn’t mind to have one or more.” Thatch smiled lightly. Marco leaned forward and kissed the lips gently. “I would like that. To be a father with you, yoi.” He spoke, looking into Thatch’s brown eyes.

With a pure and happy smile, Thatch pulled Marco onto his lap and kissed him sweetly. 

It wasn’t as easy to adopt as Thatch first had thought. There was a lot of paperwork and the fact they were a gay couple didn’t make it easier. However, with the help of Marco’s father and Thatch’s mother, they had now been approved for adoptions. Now they just waited for the agency to contact them about possible children they could adopt.

“You’re really ready for this?” Izo raised his brow, sipping on his tea.

He’d been touring around the world with Ivankov – who was a stylist for a famous rock band – and so Izo hadn’t been around when the two went through all the trouble to get approved. He was worried that the stress to even get approved had influenced their decision, but both were stubborn and therefor had continued to push forward.

“Yes.” Came the prompt answer from Thatch, sounding more sure than Izo had thought he would.

“It is a dream we both have, Izo. To be a father and have a family. Even if the road have been hard and stressful, I haven’t been more determined, yoi.” Marco continued on, while intertwining his fingers with Thatch’s.

Izo nodded lightly. “I just wanted to make sure. It’s going to change your daily life, but you both would be great fathers. You have enough love and care to give. I know it’s not everything, but it’s a base that should always be there.”

Thatch smiled to Marco, love evident in his eyes. It was at this moment his phone rang. He looked at the number and his heart raced. He answered, before miming to Marco it was them. While talking, both Izo and Marco waited patiently, Marco nervous and holding Thatch’s hand tighter. Izo noticed and knew who was on the other end. The adoption agency.

“We’ll be there. Thank you so much. See you.” Thatch hung up and grinned brightly at his lover. “They have a young girl needing a new home and they think we can give her a safe and loving home. She’s 3 years old and her name is Stella.”

Marco smiled brightly and brought Thatch into a happy kiss. “I can’t believe it, yoi.” His heart felt like it was going to burst. Just like when the two of them first kissed and he realized that Thatch did indeed love him more than just friends and brothers. This was a feeling Marco loved and always could recall on days where they had fought or when he in general had a bad day and thatch wasn’t around.

“That’s wonderful. Congratulations. A girl, hmm?” Izo smiled, emptying his cup. A girl would be nice and balance everything out. She would get spoiled, but also raised to be responsible and independent. Of that Izo was sure.

“Welcome back, Marco, Thatch.”

“Thank you, Miss Makino.” Thatch smiled and took her hand.

Marco just nodded, trying to hide how nervous he was. His eyes went from Makino and around the room. Of course the girl wasn’t there, but he liked how cozy and relaxed the place was. The room almost looked like a living room in any home and Marco liked that. It invited people to ease up and be welcoming towards each other. Probably the purpose, seeing at in this room many met their possible child/parents or met the surrogate to their child/the possible future parents to your unborn child.

Both male sat down, as Makino gestured it. “She is adorable. I’m sure you will get along and you can give her the home she deserves.” The woman smiled, before leaving the two alone to get the child.

It didn’t take long, though both Marco and Thatch got more nervous and excited. Soon they would meet their daughter. They were sure Makino was right and they would match with the girl. It made both men have butterflies in their stomach. The girl had soft blond hair, brown eyes and she held onto Makino’s skirt, as they came into the room. Both Marco and Thatch smiled kindly and softly to her. Makino gently brought Stella with her to the couch and chairs.

“Stella, this is Marco and Thatch and they want to be your fathers.” Makino introduced them, pointing at the men, as she said their names.“Two fathers?” The girl looked puzzled, her eyes on the two males.

“Yes and a grandfather and a grandmother, yoi.” Marco smiled, showing her it might sound weird, but there wasn’t any need to feel odd about it.

She blinked. “No mother?”

“If you need a motherly figure too, I’m sure my mother, who’ll be your grandmother, will be there for you.” Thatch assured her.“Don’t need any. I want a home.” The girl started to tear up.

Marco rose from his seat and got onto his knee in front of Stella. “And we’ll give you one. With your own room, a small garden and a playground nearby. You’ll get all the love you need, so you can be as wonderful as you are now, when you grow up, yoi.”

Thatch stood too and placed a hand on Marco’s shoulder. “You’ll be safe and loved with us.” He smiled to her and it seemed it was just what she wanted to hear, as she let go of Makino’s skirt and took Marco’s hand.

“Me call you dad.” She said to Marco, before looking at Thatch. “And you Daddy. Okay?”

Marco chuckled and ruffled her hair gently with his free hand. “More than okay, Stella. Are you ready to go home, yoi?”

She looked at Makino, who gave a soft nod. Then she looked back at Marco. “Yes, dad. I want to go home.” There were tears in her eyes, but he could see it was happy tears.

Marco rose, still holding her hand. She reached up to take the hand of Thatch, which he gladly gave her. Both men had a pure happy smile on their lips and Makino smile too. She rose from the chair and patted Stella’s head gently.“She has a few things, but she will need more.” The woman spoke.

Thatch chuckled. “Don’t worry. We’ll take her shopping tomorrow.”With that they went to get Stella’s things and sign the papers, so she was legally the adopted child of Marco and Thatch. After everything was done, the men thanked Makino and the three said their goodbyes. Marco helped Stella into the car and seated her in the car chair they had borrowed from a friend, while Thatch got her stuff in the back. It was Marco that drove back. 

Stella looked curiously around, as she stepped into her new home. Marco and Thatch let her walk around, exploring every room. As she came to her room, she gave a squeak and jumped onto the bed. Neither men had done much to the room, they wanted Stella to have some saying in what stuff to be in her room, but they had bought the most necessary things, like drawers, closest and a bed. 

“So soft.” She sighed and cuddled into the blanket and pillows. 

Marco and Thatch smiled, as the latter placed her bag in the room. They let her soak in the bed for a little while, just watching her. She seemed to like it so far and it made them feel relieved. Both had been so nervous that she wouldn’t like them and/or their home, but Stella seemed to be an easy child.

“Daddy? Who cook? Can I have meatballs?” She looked up at Thatch.

“I’m the one cooking in this home and yes, I can make you some meatballs. You can help me if you want to. Or play with dad.” Thatch smiled, liking how the word dad sounded when coming from his lips. It was sweet and cute that she had decided what to call them and it had melted his heart even more. He knew Marco’s heart also was melted.

“Play with dad, please.” She said, looking at Marco.

Marco chuckled and ruffled her hair affectionately. “Of course we can play while daddy cooks, yoi.” It felt so normal to say daddy about Thatch and Marco knew that it was right. That this was how their family should be like, how it should start.

Cheering, Stella went to the shelf, where they had some games stored. She took out one and looked questioning at Marco. He just nodded and led her to the table in the kitchen, so they were all together. Thatch was cooking and the other two playing a game. This was how their first afternoon and evening as a family started.

[sa-lt-ys]

A Second Chance

Universe: Detroit: Become Human Pairing: RK800 x reader (eventually) Warnings: Mention of death, but its minor. Word Count: 1088 words

Have some healing Hank fluff with his android son.

There will be a part 2, and maybe a part3? Depends what happens next, I'm not too sure yet.

~~~

Even now, the memory of walking through the front door and seeing Hank in a drunken stupor, Cole's favourite toy clutched in his hand as he snored... it was still etched into your mind, like ink stained on skin. It would never go away, and you would never forget it.

But, having that memory, and being unable to forget the raw agony in Hank's voice as he mourned for his little boy, it meant that you felt such a huge amount of pride when you once again opened the door four years later and saw a now healing Hank laughing heartily for the first time in years.

"Hank!" You called out to the grizzled man as you locked the front door behind you. Sumo came to say hello, and you gave him a hug, avoiding his slobbery chops.

"(Y/N), you doin' alright kid?" You looked up at the lieutenant with a smile and nod, standing up and giving Sumo one last pat on the head.

"Yeah, just work being boring as always. Why were you laughing?" A smile you had never seen fought it's way onto Hank's face, and he turned away slightly, jabbing a thumb in the direction of the living room.

"Come and see, I think you'll like this." You frowned, but followed your neighbour-turned-friend into the living room, where a young lad was sat on the sofa, wearing an oversized hoodie you were sure belonged to Hank.

"(Y/N), this is the newly adopted Connor Anderson," Hank gestured to Connor, his smile that of a proud father. "Con, this is my neighbour and a family friend, (Y/N)." You smiled and waved at the lad-- wait, no? There was an LED on the side of his head.

"An android? I thought you hated androids, old  man." You fell onto an armchair next to the sofa where Connor was, sticking out your hand with a kind smile.

"Nice to meet you Connor, I hope Hank here doesn't give you too much trouble." The android took your hand with a chuckle.

"No, no," he said kindly. "Actually, I'm glad that Hank was kind enough to call me his son, and he's been great with helping me out in regards to figures of speech." You laughed, taking your hand back and curling up.

"Well, just be careful, Hank isn't always the best person to ask with speech and how to speak to people." There was a chuckle from Hank, his smile never seeming to fade away.

"I can't argue with that, you want a drink, (Y/N)?" You nodded.

"Sure." Hank nodded and walked out into the kitchen, leaving you and Connor alone.

"(Y/N), may I ask a personal question?" You looked at the android and nodded. "How do you know Hank?" You smiled.

"Well, I used to hang out with his son, Cole, when we were little, and my parents used to drop me off here when they needed someone to babysit for them, since Hank always loved having me round. Since my parents died a few years back, they left their house to me, which is next door, and I simply became friends with Hank." Connor nodded thoughtfully.

"What about you?" You asked. "How come the android-hating Hank has adopted an android as his son?" The android smiled shyly.

"After the Uprising, CyberLife wanted me destroyed, but Hank saved me, saying he had adopted me, and therefore CyberLife couldn't destroy me." He chuckled wryly. "Plus, now that Kamski's taken back control of CyberLife, he made sure that I was left alone, saying that I was as human as anyone else." You frowned as Hank came back in, a steaming mug in his hand.

"Kamski? The Elijah Kamski?" Hank snorted.

"Yeah, right creep that one. You know he has like, three of the exact same model in his home? Apparently they were the first intelligent models or something. Guess he feels some kind of attachment to them." You snorted as well, taking the drink Hank offered and having a sip.

"Like you're one to talk... but I'm glad you have Connor." The old man frowned as he sat down next to his son.

"You are?" You nodded.

"I haven't seen you this happy since Cole. Connor seems like he's a good influence on you, and I haven't seen a single bottle of whiskey here." That got a groan from Hank, but it was good-natured.

"Yeah, well, this one here won't let me drink more than twice a week." You laughed, giving Connor a lopsided grin.

"Well done, Connor. Lord knows how you managed it though." There was a chuckle from Connor as you sat back and watched both father and son talk.

Since Cole had died, you had found it hard to make any friends, since there were none that wanted to be near you. And, you knew that Hank had struggled too. After the death of his son, he cut off most contact with you until your parents died, at which point he began to talk to you again, almost taking you under his wing like a surrogate parent, but it was never the same.

He had never smiled again like he had when you and Cole played together. He never laughed like he had when you came in soaked from the rain or covered in mud. He never looked at you both fondly when you picked weeds and flowers for him, or braided his hair badly, or snuck daisies in his beard when he napped on the sofa. None of it had happened.

But now, with Connor sat beside him, and you curled up nearby, you could see that twinkle in his eyes again, you could see the beginning of that smile again, and you could almost hear his fond laughter hanging in the air.

No, Cole was never coming back, and you would both miss him terribly, but it warmed your heart to think that somewhere, Cole was probably happily watching his father heal and move on. And though he may have been sad that it wasn't him sat with his father, you were sure that Cole was happy to see his father with someone he could love as his own.

Connor was his chance at happiness.

And for Cole, you would make sure that Hank had the chance to take that happiness. You would make sure that Cole could watch with a calm heart, safe in the knowledge that his beloved father was now safe, and had a new hope to live for.

He would live.

[ugly-crying-over-bucky-barnes]

Get To Know You Better Part 31

Summary: Gabrielle has a nine-year-old son who is a huge Captain America fan. He notices one of the actors on the subway and loudly points it out to her. That’s when Gabrielle realizes that actor was the man she had a one-night-stand with the week before.

Chapter Summary: Gabrielle learns good news about James but struggles with Stela’s behavior. 

Warnings: Arguments

           “Mom?”

           “Hey baby, can you hear me?” I walked out of the laundry room, a basket resting on my hip.

           “Yeah, I can hear you.”

           “How are you?” I felt my heart ache like usual when I heard my son’s voice. James graduated high school with honors. He was accepted to his dream college and graduated with a degree in marketing. He became an up and comer for marketing in TV studios. He lost touch with Gabriel when they broke up in their senior year of high school. But they rekindled the relationship when they realized they were going to the same graduate school. Now they were living together in Chicago, which seemed millions of miles away from me.

           I held the phone between my ear and shoulder as I folded laundry.

           “You’re sister’s acting up again.” I sighed as I hung up some of Sebastian’s dress shirts.

           “Well, I’ll talk to her, but she’s a teenager, mom, she’s supposed to act up.”

           “Mhm…it’s not easy when your dad is traveling.”

           “Yeah, we talked yesterday,” James replied. “I’m surprised he didn’t tell you the news yet.”

           “What news?” I paused by the bed.

           “Gabriel proposed.”

           I gasped and lifted a hand to my mouth. “Oh my goodness, no he didn’t!”

           “Yep, he did. It was really sweet too, just perfect.”

           “Oh, Jamie.” I felt tears in my eyes as I clutched the phone. “I’m so happy for you. You two must be so excited.”

           “We’re definitely looking forward to it.” James’s voice was full of joy. “I told dad yesterday and he promised not to tell you but I kind of expected he would because he’s so bad at secrets.”

           “No, he didn’t say anything. Oh, we’ll have to fly out to celebrate.” I said. “Maybe we’ll throw a party, you can invite all your friends and I’ll see if your grandparents will come out.”

           James laughed. “Okay, okay. You don’t have to get carried away. We can have a small get together.” He bargained.

           I sat down on the edge of the bed and touched right over my heart, “James, I’m so proud of you. You’ve found real happiness and that’s all I ever wanted for you.”

           “Well, I couldn’t have done it without you, mom. You and Sebastian let me be myself.”

           “But you were so brave, much braver than us.” I bit my lip. “I’m just so happy.” My voice broke.

           He sighed softly. “Mom, you don’t have to cry. It’s okay.”

           “I know, I know.” I laughed weakly and dabbed at my eyes. “Anything you want for your wedding you can have,” I promised. “Your dad and I won’t spare any expenses.”

           James chuckled. “I kind of figured but it’s okay. We don’t want a big blowout. We just want friends and family to be there in a small ceremony.”

           “Okay, whatever you want we’ll make it happen.”

           “Our friend already wants to be a surrogate for us.” He laughed. “I think she’s getting a little ahead of herself but it’s nice to think about. Gabe and I are just too busy right now.”

           “You’ll know when the time is right.” I didn’t want to say I wanted grandchildren right after the wedding even though I did. I didn’t want to rush them.

           “So, I had something else to tell you.” His voice changed dramatically. It sounded smaller and hesitant.

           “Okay…”

           “My father reached out…I mean my biological dad, Nick.”

           “Oh.” It was out of nowhere. I hadn’t heard from Nick for years. James didn’t show any interest in meeting him even after he turned eighteen. I knew from the grapevine that Nick and Jessie had three kids together, James’s half-siblings.

           “Sorry, I didn’t want to upset you.”

           “No, I’m not upset.” And I wasn’t lying to him. There was no reason to be upset. Neither of them had reached out to me since the last public debacle after the custody case was finished. It seemed they knew when they were beaten. They hadn’t interfered with my life and vice versa. I was happy with my own husband and my own children. And it sounded like they were happy with their family. It had been too long to hold any grudges.

           “We talked for a long time. I don’t know if he’s changed that much but he sounded sorry about what he did. He said he was upset that he hadn’t been in my life but he didn’t blame you, which is what I was sort of expecting.”

           “Well, …that’s different.” I agreed. The Nick I knew would blame everything on me until he was hoarse.

           “Yeah, I thought so too. I offered to meet him. He wanted me to meet my half-siblings too.”

           “I think that’s a good idea,” I reassured.

           “I’m scared.” He admitted.

           “I can imagine. But you need to build ground rules for him so you feel comfortable. This needs to be on your terms, not his.”

           “That’s what Gabe was saying. We kind of worked on what I wanted to say. I wrote some stuff down.”

           “That’s good. It’ll be easy to get your thoughts together beforehand.”

           James was quiet on the other end of the line for a moment. He took a deep breath. “I kind of feel like a kid again, before dad came into our lives. I wanted to meet Nick but I didn’t at the same time. Now I’m going back to that and it’s sort of pathetic.”

           “It’s not pathetic,” I said gently. “James, it’s okay to feel scared. Do you think you would want Gabe to come with you? I’m sure he would and maybe that would help you feel safer.”

           “We talked about that. We’ve talked about it a lot. I guess it’s just a matter of time before I decide.”

           “Well, your dad and I are here to support you.”

           “I know…I know.” He sounded deep in thought.

           I wasn’t sure what I could say to reassure him. When he was a child, I could protect him and I made the decisions when it came to Nick. But he was an adult, almost twenty-five-years old. He needed to make his own choices and I couldn’t protect him as I wanted. But I felt assured knowing he had Gabriel to comfort him like I had Sebastian to comfort me.

===============

           Sebastian came home a few days later. Stela wasn’t grounded anymore from her last slip up so we let her go to a friend’s house for the night.

           But Sebastian was on edge. He felt like he was losing control over her. And it wasn’t because he felt the need to be domineering over her it was because he felt helpless when it came to protecting her. Of course, we didn’t love her any less when she screamed at us and told us she hated us and wished we were dead. She could yell at us all day as long as she was home. When she went out, that’s what scared us the most. The more I heard about violated and even murdered young girls, the more I feared for Stela’s safety. But it was hard to keep her in our grasp even as we set ground rules. She snuck out if she didn’t get her way and we’d had to report her missing over four times.

           The last thing I wanted was to call the police on her and get her in trouble. But knowing she was safe in their custody was better than not knowing where she was.

           It didn’t help that Sebastian wasn’t handling it very well. He traveled less than he used to but he still didn’t deal with her on a daily basis as I did. When she got in trouble, he yelled at her and laid down the most severe punishment he possibly could. I knew that if he had the choice, he would walk her to and from school, check in with her every hour, and lock her in her room for the rest of the day. But I knew that would only make her rebel more.

=============

           As the time neared Stela’s curfew, Sebastian paced by the foot of the bed. I sat up, trying to read but it was hard to concentrate. I was just as worried as he was.

           “She promised.”

           “I know.” I sighed and stuck my bookmark in between the pages. “Maybe she just lost track of time.”

           “Sure, just like every other time.” He said through gritted teeth. “Gabrielle, I can’t take this anymore.”

           “I know.” I bit my lip.

           The teenager had made him age at a much faster rate. I could stand seeing him so tired and stressed. It made me feel like I had no control over my own family anymore. I didn’t want to blame Stela but I wanted to blame someone. I usually focused on her friends. They were bad news, always getting her into trouble, and introducing her to dangerous things.

           “Maybe it’s time to pull her out of that school,” I suggested.

           “She’ll still see them.” He shook his head.

           “Maybe she needs to go to Chicago for a little bit, live with Gabriel and James.”

           “Yeah, so we can pass off the little hellion to them? I’m sure they’ll be grateful for that.”

           I felt anxious at the idea of sending her away. But we couldn’t uproot our lives either. “Maybe…maybe she needs to go to boarding school then.”

           The pain in Sebastian’s eyes was evident. The idea of sending away his baby girl was unbearable. “She’ll hate me.”

           “Maybe she will at first but she’ll never stop loving you, Sebs, you know that.” I murmured and held out a hand to him.

           He walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. He leaned into me, resting his cheek on my shoulder.

           I ran my fingers through his hair to soothe him. “Maybe one day she’ll thank us. The way she’s going…if she keeps at it we won’t be able to save her down the line. It’ll only get worse so we need to stop it now.”

           He closed his eyes. “I don’t want to lose her.”

           “If we don’t intervene then we will lose her.”

================

           Stela snuck into the apartment three hours after her curfew. Sebastian was waiting for her.

           I sat at the kitchen table, too tired to take the lead.

           “You’re late.” Sebastian crossed his arms over his chest.

           “Whatever.” Stela rolled her eyes and started to head down the hall to her room.

           “Ah, ah, ah, we need to talk.” Sebastian blocked her path.

           “About what?” She already looked ready to explode.

           I stood up just waiting for the lit match to hit the gasoline.

           “We’re pulling you out of school and sending you out of state.” Sebastian tried to stay firm in his voice.  

           Stela stared at him. “No.” Her voice rose a little.

           “You can say no all you want but you have no choice in this,” I spoke up. “Your father and I are tired of your behavior. You need more structure and you need to get away from the city for a while.”

           Stela looked like a trapped animal. “I’m leaving then.” She pushed past Sebastian.

           “And where do you think you’re going to go?” He followed her.

           “I don’t care! I’m not staying here!”

           “You’re a minor, the police will just keep bringing you back. Or they’ll send you to juvie. Instead, your mother and I are offering you a better chance at a nice school.”

           “Go to hell.” Stela spat at him.

           “I can choose where I go because I’m an adult, but you’re going to boarding school. I won’t sit around and watch you mess up your chances at success.”

           “You can’t do this! You can’t tell me what to do!” Stela started to shriek.

           “I’m your father, I can tell you anything.” Sebastian stuck a foot in the door before she could slam it on him. “Phone, laptop, now. I paid for them, they’re mine. Your so-called-friends aren’t coming near this apartment so don’t even try to contact them.”

           “I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!” Stela screamed and tried to push her entire weight against the door to shut him out.

           “That’s so sad to hear because I love you so much. I love you enough not to let you throw your life away!” Sebastian yelled back at her. “You’re a beautiful young girl who has so much potential. I’m not letting you become some homeless drug addict!”

           “I can do whatever I want!”

           “No, you can’t! Now give me your phone right now!”

           Stela threw her phone at the hallway wall, shattering the screen. “There! I don’t want your money! You don’t fucking care about me anyways!” She finally managed to push him out and slammed the door.

           “If you sneak out, I’m calling the police and I’m telling them to lock you up! I won’t pick you up again!” Sebastian shouted. “You want to live like this? You better get used to jail because you’ll either end up there or dead!” He turned and went into the bedroom.

           Rattled by the argument, I followed him. “Sebs…” I whispered.

           He sat on the bed, crumpling in on himself. His shoulders heaved as he cried.

           I sat next to him and held him close, letting him lean on me.

           “I don’t know what happened.” His voice cracked. “I never saw her turning out like this. I don’t want to bury her, Gabby, I can’t.”

           “We’re not.” I soothed but my body was trembling. “We’re going to get her help. We’ll do everything we can. I promise.”

Note: I think the next chapter will be the epilogue 

Permanent Tag: @what-the-buckybarnes

Tag list: @jazzwoman897 @gurveersidhuu @kimmiestrawberrykiwi @take-my-life-not-my-heart @kimberlydyan @darkrose97 @spideyhoecoming @jennabenna12 @musicalburrage

Masterpost

My Masterlist

[mrs-dragneel-stark-solo]

Unforseen Chasm (Part 69)

Part 69 of Unforseen Chasm

Prompt: Two sisters fall for men that are absolute enemies. The love they have could tear all of them apart, or it could bring them together. Word Count: 6733 Warnings: Language, fluff!, worry, fear of rejection, over-excited Peter Parker, time for relaxing, the fights been won, change in the ending for endgame, a fluffy end! Note: This is by far the longest thing I’ve ever written (including my other fic series). first major Collab with my best friend @thorne93​ what was first a simple “what if” moment turned into a two year writing session and I’ve never been more prouder of myself than when i started my first series. goes through most of the MCU plots there are some changes to accommodate for what we wanted and there is a bit of a crossover between the MCU and other characters. I hope you guys enjoy reading this just as much as I enjoyed writing it.

_______

It was over, really and truly over.

Everyone was safe.

Shannon and Tony invited everyone back to their cabin. Well you supposed it was Bruce’s cabin too, but the point remained.

All the heroes joined at the cabin, ready for a much deserved and needed celebration after all the fighting, all the battles, all the villains… It was finally time to celebrate something good.

Bruce made sure that Shannon and the babies were still healthy, and they were fine. Shannon somehow had party food ready to whip up and serve to people. Within minutes tasty treats were laid out in an elegant spread and then she and Tony whisked off to somewhere private with Peter. 

Both Tony and Shannon thought it would be a good idea to have a chat with Peter outside on the porch swing. They let him sit down and Tony sat across from him and Shannon next to him. Things were quiet for a moment when Parker broke that silence.

“Gee, Mr. Stark, this place sure is peaceful.” He smiled looking out towards the lake.

“Thanks, Peter, but that’s not really why we came out here to talk.”

Another moment of silence Tony wasn’t really sure how to say it and Shannon couldn’t contain herself anymore.

“Hey, Peter, you remember what I promised you when we were back at the compound about telling you everything?” she started off, hoping to refresh his mind.

“Yeah, umm you called me your son.” He turned to look over at her. “I’ve always considered you two like my parents ever since you took me in.” He rubbed his neck getting a little embarrassed.

“Well that’s just it. This is probably going to be hard to understand, kid” Tony said. “But we’re your parents…”

There it was. The truth came out. They never thought they would get the chance to do this. They were so grateful that May had agreed to letting them tell Peter.

“Wait, what do you mean you’re my parents? Aunt May said they died in an accident when I was little.” He was so confused. He’s pretty sure there had got to be a good reason for them to be saying these things. “Mrs. Stark, you would’ve had to have had me very young, right?” He was facing her.

“We are your biological parents, Peter,” Shannon said. It was harder than she had expected. “You weren’t conceived like other babies generally are.” She went on to explain what had happened to her during her time in the Red Room and what she had done for the potential future. “This is probably a lot to take in, would you like me to stop?” she asked him.

“It is a lot to take in but I'd like to hear the rest please.” He looked up to where Tony was leaning on the railing. He always looked up to the man in front of him and loved him like a father. He never in a million years would have thought that he would be his biological son. And that she would be his biological mom. “Why did you leave me with May? Did you not want me?” he asked, hoping that wasn't the case.

“Oh heck no, Peter if things hadnt of happened the way they did you would have grown up at the compound and at the tower,” Shannon said. “When Tony and I got together after about a year, I told him the truth about me and he said that he would be willing to help me create my dream, so we went and had one of my eggs and some of his sperm put together to create some embryos. Along the way, I had been changing various parts so that they would be healthy and have certain attributes but my hand slipped and it created a change in your strength and gave you the ability to climb walls and such it also created an age modifier that made you mentally and physically older but you’re actually quite younger,” she explained how May offered up to be the surrogate and how it would be safer if he were hidden during the battle of New York and how they regretted not being able to get him  back sooner after everything that happened.

“Wow this really is a lot to take in…” He hesitated for a moment.

Shannon feared that her biggest nightmare might come true and that Peter wouldn’t want anything to do with them. Her eyes were watery but she refused to cry in front of him.

“Can I go walk around for a moment and let it all settle in?”

“Of course, kid. Take however long you need we’ll be right here.”

Peter got up and started walking down to the dock. With his heightened sense of sound, he heard them talking.

“What if Peter wants nothing to do with us, Tony?” she cried. “I lost him twice, I can’t lose him again. I don’t know if I can take it.”

“Honey, relax breathe, you know getting upset is bad for the babies,” he reminded her, rubbing her back. “This is probably all too much to unload on him right now. We just fought off an entire army of alien creatures. He’ll come around just give it some time,” he reassured her.

Peter didn’t know what to think. His Aunt May wasn’t really his Aunt, the parents he thought he had aren’t really his. There’s been so much that’s happened that he needed a moment to breathe and what’s the harm in this? He always believed there was more to them than he thought. He had parents! And great ones at that and now he has a little sister too and a half brother/sister to be born soon. What more could a kid like himself want? He knew what he had to do now and he was nervous and excited at the same time. He walked back to the couple on the porch swing.

“Umm… I did some thinking and I’m really happy to know that you two are my parents,” he said, looking between the two and his eyes began to get watery. “I’ve always wanted a family and it seems that I’m finally getting one.” He broke down not being able to contain his tears. “I'm just so happy that it got to be with you guys.”

Tony and Shannon rushed to hug him and they all got emotional and shared a moment as parents and son. “We love you, Peter Parker Stark!” Shannon said, covering his face in kisses and Tony ruffled his hair.

“I have a family!” he yelled at the top of his lungs. And ran inside to tell everyone.

“He gets that from you.” Shannon laughed seeing how excited he was to tell everyone.

“No, he gets that from you, dear,” he teased.

They walked back into the house to relax and see the house full of life and family and their friends.

———-

Wade was still watching over Morgan, with Happy and Bruce right beside them. You smiled happily down at them. You were standing on one side of the porch.

Your niece… You smiled and laughed to yourself.

“And who is that little one?” Loki asked as he came up beside you, his voice somehow even more inviting than you remember.

“That would be your niece Morgan,” you informed proudly, thrusting your chin towards her, your hands in your pockets.

“A niece, my my,” he teased slightly.

You turned to him. “A lot has happened since you’ve been gone.”

“Clearly.”  

“Shannon is about to have twins,” you informed. “That will make four children.”

“Twins? I know she’s pregnant, but where is the other one?” he wondered, thoroughly confused.

“Do you remember Peter Parker? Spiderman? I teamed up with him when Tony and I were fighting for the Accords.”

Loki nodded, vaguely remembering you mentioning it.

“Long story short, he belongs to Shannon and Tony.”

Loki seemed to absorb this information well.

Just then Peter ran in where everyone was gathered. “My parents are Mr. and Mrs. Stark. I have a family!” He ran back around hooting and then went to sit with the rest.

You chuckled. “I guess it’s not a secret anymore,” you said happily as you watched the young boy run around the property. You turned to Loki, your hand stroking his face, the other one resting on his chest. “You’re here. You’re real. I can’t believe this.” Happy tears started to roll down your face. “I’ve missed you so much.”

He reached up and wiped your tears, keeping your face cupped in his hands. “Don’t cry, my darling. I’m here now.”

“I know,” you said through a sob, "and I just can’t believe it.”

“Believe it. I’m here. In the flesh.”

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

Shannon had noticed that Remy was a little away from everyone else. Then she noticed why. You were with Loki. She walked over to him to talk. “Hey, Remy why all alone over here?”

“Just watchin’ her and thinkin’,” he answered.

“Thinking about what?” She figured she knew but she could be wrong. “Is everything alright?”

He smiled, it was somehow full of love and sadness at the same time. “Oh, everything’s fine, just fine.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets as he nodded toward you and Loki. “She’s never looked at me the way she looks at him, and I don’t think she ever will.”

Shannon nodded, understanding now, it was sad knowing that he put himself out there knowing that she wouldn’t give the same amount back. “Ohh yeah…I think that she’s always going to have a part of you in her heart. She loves him like nothing I’ve ever seen.” She squeezed his hand.

“You said it best,” he agreed with a bit of a sigh. “It’s gonna be hard lettin’ her go. But I can’t hold on. I know that. Hell I knew it the day I found her in Paris, and I still went with her, everywhere. Couldn’t help it.”

“You’ve been with her the entire time she’s been gone?” She looked at him surprised. “Here I was thinking she was alone feeling like she had lost all her friends.” She wanted to get mad because she could have found you earlier but she let it go, now wasn’t the time to fight. Not now, not ever again she hoped. “At least you kept her company and I’m so grateful you were there for her when I couldn’t be.”

“That’s what you do for people you love, right?” he asked sorrowfully when he turned to her. For the first time that anyone had ever really seen, Remy let his charming exterior slip away and he showed just how heartbroken he truly was.

“Yeah, we all tend to do things that will make the person we cherish most happy even if it means letting a part of yourself die and live on in them.” Shannon knew where he was coming from. She had felt the same when she had been forced to lose part of herself to survive.

“I’m just glad she’s finally happy,” he admitted, admiring the glow you seemed to have. All of the horribleness wasn’t looming over you.

No Thanos, no brainwashing, no prison, no probation, no Accords, no fucked up powers, nothing to keep you from Shannon, nothing to separate you from her or the Avengers, nothing to get between you and Thor, nothing to keep you from being with Loki. You were finally home, you were finally happy, and he knew that.

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

You frowned for a moment before wondering if you should ask Loki this next question, but you dared too anyway. As you two strolled the Stark’s stunning property, you stopped and turned to him, getting his attention. “You were asking me something, just as you disappeared. Do you remember what it was?”

His eyes shot down to the ground for a second in thought, before they lifted back to you. “Yes, I do seem to remember it. I think it went something like this.” He slowly got down on one knee, his hand gently taking yours as your breathing halted. You had no idea he’d be doing this here, now. “Y/N, will you do me the absolute honor of marrying me?”

With joyful tears in your eyes, you managed to squeak out a “Yes” through the lump in your throat.

Loki’s eyes lit up and he sprang up to wrap you in an embrace, and as he did so, you suddenly heard cheering and yelling. You blushed and the two of you turned to see most of the Avengers clapping and hollering. You thought the two of you were alone… guess not.

From somewhere in the crowd, Tony yelled, “Took you long enough, Reindeer Games!” and everyone laughed.

As you two clung to each other in loving adoration, you smiled. When the cheers died down, you two began walking hand in hand in the yard again. It felt like life had been restored to your body since Loki’s return and you couldn’t get enough of him or the feeling.

“Uh, Loki, when I mentioned a lot had changed, I wasn’t just talking about Shannon and the other Avengers. When the snap happened, I went a little crazy, or a lot crazy. I searched day and night for Thanos. We finally found him, but he had destroyed the stones. We lost. It took us five years and a miracle to get back to this point. When I realized we had lost any chance of getting anyone back, of getting you back, I just spiraled. I went awol, on purpose. But…”

You swallowed your tears. How would he even handle this? The last time Remy kissed you, and you punched him, Loki ran off to Asgard. But he had a right to know. He had every right to know. But would he understand that you weren’t replacing him? That you weren’t using Remy? In a few seconds, you could ruin your entire relationship with Loki.

“What is it, love?” he urged, ducking his head to look at you. “Please, just tell me. I can’t imagine what you’ve been through. I’m sure whatever it is, I can handle it.”

“Remy found me. He made some of the darkness go away and I had no idea if you were ever coming back...”

Loki glanced down and then back up. “Are you trying to tell me you dated another man in my absence?” he guessed.

All you could do was nod as the tears erupted. You thought you were done crying once everyone returned, but you guessed not.

He took his hands and cupped your face, wiping away your tears. “My love, calm down, and look at me,” he gently ordered.

It took a moment, but you did. You finally began breathing right.

“I’m not angry. If anything I’m glad you had someone to share your life with and comfort you. The thought of you living with a lonely broken heart hurts me worse than anything else.”

You reached up and held his wrists as they still held your face. “Really?” you asked in disbelief.

“Really,” he assured with a smile. “I love you more than anything, and when I saw you today, on that battlefield, it only took one look to see how broken you truly were. I can’t begin to even imagine what life has been like for you. You and I have lost our fair share, perhaps even more than our fair share, and to be as selfish as to think you wouldn’t try to seek comfort with someone would be naive on my part.”

“You mean that?”

“Absolutely,” he assured.

“And you still want to get married?”

“I’ve wanted to marry you since you stopped me from killing those frost giants years ago. Nothing will ever change that.”

All you could do was fall into his embrace, collapsing from sheer joy and relief. You two held each other for what seemed like years, but you didn’t mind in the slightest.

Eventually though, you two let go of each other and just over Loki’s shoulder, standing on the horizon, leaning against a tree, you saw him. When your eyes met, Remy tipped his hat forward, nodding once at you with a warm smile on his face.  

You glanced back to Loki before saying, “Give me just one momeent, please?”

Loki nodded and said, “Of course.”

The two of you let go of each other’s hands and you set forward, walking up the small hillside to greet Remy. Your stomach was already riddled with guilt and anxiety for what you were about to do.

“Quite a show you put on today,” he stated, admiration in his voice.

“Thank you,” you replied. “You weren’t so bad yourself.”

“I try.”

A heavy silence fell between you two. You knew you needed to break it.

“Remy… I--” you started, twiddling with your hands, your voice already thick with sadness and dread.

“You don't have to say a thing, chere. I know. I've known this whole time. I was never under any kind of illusion that I could take his place. I just wanted time with you, that's all,” he assured in a soft, sweet voice.

Hell, him being understanding made it worse somehow.

More tears spilled down your cheeks as your face fell, and you looked down to the ground. Why was this so goddamn hard?

"I never meant to hurt you. I wasn't using you. I hope you know that,” you finally managed to say.

He reached up, wiping away one tear before pulling his hand away. "I do. Seeing you happy, no matter who it's with, is worth it to me."

“I meant what I said yesterday, about loving you.”

You couldn’t believe that it was just yesterday that you’d said that to him, that you’d ensured he knew you did love him, just in case Loki did return.

“And I you, mon cher. Always have, and I always will. Now don’t forget to invite me to that weddin’ o’ yours,” he ordered, changing the subject. “I wanna chance to see you in all that ivory. Not to mention, I know you’re gonna go all out on the food.”

You smiled, laughed, but then even more tears came.

“Come’mere, darlin’,” he ordered before opening his arms and pulling you into them. You gripped his long jacket so hard you thought you’d rip it. “Shh, shh. Don’t cry, sweetheart. You’ve got him back. Go be happy, for me. I’ll be alright. It’ll all work out.”

All you could do was nod. The two of you let each other go and he sent you off with a nod towards Loki.

You rejoined him for a moment before he said, “I’d like to go say hello to Thor, if you don’t mind.”

“Not at all,” you said. “Go see your brother.”

He nodded, kissed your forehead, and swept off. Meanwhile, you were walking the edge of the lake. As you were walking, you noticed Clint and Wanda. You peered at them, wondering what they were up to. They weren’t in the festivities, back in the cabin enjoying themselves.

Then it dawned on you.

You stepped a little closer and said, “I hope I’m not interrupting anything.” You stepped between them, putting your arms around their shoulders.

The two of them seemed to startle slightly at your approach.

“No, no,” Clint assured. “Just… thinking.”

“Ah,” you hummed as you looked out over the sparkling water.

“You know, I wish there was a way– that I could let her know. That we won. We did it,” Clint said looking to the two of you.

“She knows. They both do.”

“Both of them were the bravest, kindest people I’ve ever met,” you said. “You two were so lucky to have them, and them you.” You took a deep breath. “I know this is very little comfort, but they both left this world knowing they were so very loved, and that’s something to be treasured. They both left knowing they had family. That we all are. In the end, that’s all that matters.”

Wanda rested her head on your shoulder while Clint nodded his head and patted your back. Pretty soon the three of you were hugging tightly.

Vision was your good friend, and Natasha and you weren't close but she had your back and you had hers. She gave up being a maid of honor to Shannon so you could do it. She sacrificed herself to save the universe. Vision was the same. They both fought hard to the bitter end, but their sacrifices wouldn’t be forgotten.

The three of you made your way back into the festivities inside. You had no idea how this cabin was holding this many people. As you made your way through, greeting some old friends you hadn’t seen in a while, nodding to a few others. You came across Stephen who was just sipping a drink, watching everyone from the corner. A tiny smirk came to your face as you stepped up to him.

“So, one in 14 million, huh?” you asked with a bit of whimsy in your voice.

“It was,” he confirmed with a friendly smile.

“What a wager,” you mused. “And all you did to help this very fragile outcome was to help hold back a waterfall. Interesting.” You shot him a coy smile and he shook his head.

“You do realize how this works, right? One outcome, which means I know what does and doesn’t need to happen. In the event that we were to win, it was imperative I stay out of the way.”

You nodded. “Oh, of course, all powerful one. I just think it’s funny how we only win if you’re being a human dam.”

“Alright, I get it, I didn’t exactly use the powers to my fullest ability--”

“Yes, and I can’t imagine a scenario where that’s even possible. How is it that in a world where you help fight Thanos and his army, we lose?”

He shrugged. “I’m not sure, but it was. I watched everything. In all of them, we lost. I’d get involved and something would kill me, you and I would get in the way of each other, Thanos would dispose of me just in time to get the gauntlet. Trust me, the best way for us to win was for me to stay out of the way.”

A fond smile fell over your face as you put your hand on his shoulder. “Thank you, so much, for what you did. It’s not easy to trust everyone so completely, that it will all go according to plan. Not to mention dusting yourself in the process.” You punched his arm. “You left me pretty much alone, asshole.”

He bobbed his head side to side. “Well, without me though, you wouldn’t have learned all those powers you have now. The shield, the lifting people with your dark energy… Because of me leaving, you’re a better fighter.”

“Always an ego trip, eh, Strange?” you teased before he lightly chuckled. You pulled him into a hug, holding him tight. “I missed you.”

“I know,” he reiterated with a heavy tone. Stephen had seen it all. He watched 14 million futures, and in this one, the one where you all won, he saw just what you’d gone through. It killed him to put you, and everyone else, through it, but it had to be done. He knew how much you’d suffered, but now he could take solace in the fact that you were truly happy.  

When you two let go of each other, Tony was standing up on his fireplace, clinking his glass trying to get the attention of nearly one hundred people. He cleared his throat as soon as everyone was looking his way.

“So yesterday, I was thinking that things might not work out the way I hoped, the way we all hoped. Of course, I tried to be optimistic, prayed we stopped that angry Grimace…”

A laugh rolled through the crowd.

“I hope families are reunited, I hope we get it back, and something like a normal version of the planet has been restored. If there ever was such a thing. God, what a world. Universe, now. If you told me ten years ago that we weren't alone, let alone, you know, to this extent, I mean, I wouldn't have been surprised. But come on, you know? The epic forces of darkness and light that have come into play. And, for better or worse, that's the reality Morgan's gonna have to find a way to grow up in.” He stopped and looked down to Shannon who was right beside him, and glanced to Peter only a few feet away. “The reality that Peter and Morgan, and the other little bundles of joy will have to grow up in.” He looked around the room, glancing to faces new and old, all ones he loved. “This time travel thing that we were gonna try and pull off today, it's– it had me scratching my head about the survivability of it all. That's the thing. Then again, that's the hero gig. Part of the journey is the end.”

Everyone took a moment to remember those they had lost over the years.

“Everyone did fantastic, but I want to take a moment to thank Y/N,” he suddenly said. Your eyes shot up at him, bemusement in your eyes. “Without her, Thanos wouldn't have been vulnerable for me to take the stones, and help keep me alive. Y/N, do you care to say a few words?"

“Tony, I--”

From somewhere back in the room you heard Remy shout, “Speech!”

You laughed as Stephen nudged you forward. Tony helped you up on the fireplace before he stepped down.

“I, uh, where to begin? Well first of all, I want to thank each and every one of you. We wouldn’t be here at all today if it wasn’t for Scott Lang and his Time Heist idea.” You raised your glass to him. “We wouldn’t be here if Stephen Strange hadn’t gone forward in time to check all the possible outcomes, then with an enormous leap of faith, give the time stone away.” Stephen nodded at you and lifted his glass. “We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Tony Stark and Bruce Banner’s intelligence.”

“Of course not,” Tony responded nonchalantly and everyone laughed.

You smiled at him before continuing. “We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the optimism and perseverance of Steve Rogers. He kept the team positive through dark times, and trusted Tony when things when a little hairy during the time traveling. Not to mention, fighting Thanos hand to hand several times, with no guarantee of backup. We wouldn’t be here without Rhodey and Nebula navigating through time to help us find stones. We wouldn’t be here without Clint and Natasha, both risking their lives on Voromir to get the soul stone. Natasha gave her life to save the universe. We wouldn’t be here without Wanda and Vision, Vision gave up his life to prevent Thanos from winning, and Wanda had to do the hardest thing anyone would have to do in that situation. We wouldn't be here without T’Challa, Clint, Peter, and Carol, all who tried to defend the stones and keep them from Thanos, even if it meant dying. We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Carol who helped destroy the ship and really kick Thanos’s ass.”

You looked down for a moment, trying to make sure you didn’t forget anyone.

“Most importantly, we wouldn’t be here without all of you. It was the love we all have for each and every one of you that kept us all going. To hope that one day, we’d get all of you back, that we’d get everyone back. Not only was it our love, but yours. You returned and within moments, each and every one of you were ready to tear Thanos and his army apart, and that’s what we needed. That’s what you do, for family, for the ones you love.”

You raised your glass. “So thank you, to everyone who fought, whether it was today, five years ago, or every day in between. Thank you to Tony Stark who wielded the stones, and thank you to Shannon Stark who helped keep both of us alive so that we could get you all back, where you belong.”

Slowly, a clap started from the front row of the audience at the cabin to the back. There were happy tears, there were shouts of joy, there was cheering, hugging, kissing. People were reuniting and the celebration began in full swing again.

You hopped down off the fireplace mantle.

“Hey, Y/N, I’m gonna go check on Morgan and Wade. Meet me out there?” She touched your shoulder before Tony showed up.

“You trying to give Cap a run for his money on the speech thing?” he teased with a grin.

“Hey, you gotta learn somewhere, right?” you asked. You put your hand on his sleeve. “Tony, I want to thank you for keeping your word. You said if you had a way to bring him back, you would, and you did that. So… thank you.”

“Any time, kid.” He shot you a warm grin. “Do you think Reindeer Games would wanna meet his niece and nephew properly?”

A smile spread across your face. “I think he’d love that.”

You waved Loki over and the two of you walked outside where Wade, Shannon, Morgan, and Peter were.

“Alright, Reindeer Games looks like we’re family now so let me introduce you to my kids.” He gave Loki a hard pat on the back. “Y/N,” he said and offered his arm.

You took it and he led you two to the back of the cabin where Peter was making Morgan laugh and Wade was just holding Morgan in his lap. He finally got used to dressing comfortably around them with no mask on.

“Wade, could you give us a moment?” Tony asked. “It’s a family reunion of sorts.”

“Gee that hurt, Stark. Here I was thinking I was part of the family,” he feigned being hurt. “Alright, sunshine I’ll be back in a bit, okay?” he told Morgan, helping her move off his lap.

“Okay Uncle Wade.” She smiled up at the man.

“Hey princess, I have some people I'd like you to meet.” Tony sat between Peter and her. “You remember what Mommy and I told you about your aunt and uncle right?” he recalled.

“Yeah, Daddy you said they were away for awhile.” She looked over to you standing and holding Loki’s hand. “Daddy, I’m happy my big brother Peter is back. I know you and Mommy missed him a lot.”

“Well I think it’s time you said hello to your Aunt Y/N and Uncle Loki.” He waved you two closer. “Yes we did, princess and now you can get to know him better too.” He kissed her temple and ruffled Peter’s hair.

You were suddenly nervous. More nervous than any time you’d ever faced Thanos. What if they hated you? What if they feared you? “Hi there,” you greeted in a sweet voice, cringing, wondering if you sounded like an idiot.

“Alright, Y/N, Loki, this is your niece Morgan and your nephew Peter.” Tony pointed to the kids. “Peter, meet your Aunt and Uncle.”

“Hi there, it's nice to meet you two.” Peter smiled. “Wow not even a day back and I have more family now!” He looked to all the people in front of him, he started getting teary eyed. “Sorry, I don’t usually get like this.” He wiped the tears away.

“Hey, Peter, it’s good to see you again,” you greeted with a big, warm grin. “And Morgan. I am so sorry I missed you growing up,” you apologized as you leaned down to get eye level with her. “But I intend on being here for many years to watch you grow. You look so much like your parents, and I bet you have their brains too.”

Morgan moved closer, drawn to her. “It’s okay! You can make it up to me later.” She grinned sounding much like her dad. “My mommy says I’m daddy’s mini him.” She giggled.

“Yes you are, princess and don’t you forget it,” Tony cooed.

“It’s good to see you too Ms. Y/L/N.” Peter blushed realizing what he said. “Aunt Y/N.”

“I better only get reports on good grades,” you warned with a teasing smile.

“Aunt Y/N? Are you and Uncle Loki going to live with us like papa Bruce does?” she asked

Immediately, you blushed intensely as your gaze snapped to Loki who looked just as equally flustered.

“I uh, I’m not sure, sweetie. I doubt it. Your parents don’t want us crowding their space. They just got Peter back and I don’t think they’d want us here.”

“Morgan,” Loki suddenly said, kneeling down, “would you like to see a magic trick?”

“You can do magic?” she squealed. She ran up to Loki, grabbing his hand. “Come sit with me, Uncle Loki.” She pulled him and surprisingly she managed to pull him to the ground. “Morgan, what did Mommy say about using your strength?” Tony looked over at her. “Sorry about that, we’re still helping her control her powers,” he said sheepishly looking to the other man.

Loki smiled at Tony and Morgan, before answering, “That’s quite alright. I grew up with Thor not knowing his strength either. I’m rather used to it. She’s just excited.”

“Hey, Y/N remind me to have a chat with you and Loki and Shannon later tonight?” Tony asked somewhat quietly while Loki performed his trick to the kids.

You frowned, unsure what he could possibly want to talk about but you nodded. “Sure,” you agreed.

“Wow, Mr. Loki that’s really cool, how’d you learn to do that?” Peter asked. “Can I just say how much of an honor it is to meet you, sir?” he excitedly said. ���You’re one of my favorite mythological gods.”

He frowned, but he showed a smile of appreciation. “I’m flattered. Thank you for that, Peter. Although, I apologize for bursting your bubble but I’m very much not mythological. So feel free to refer to me as just a god.” He grinned proudly, making Peter laugh. “Also, my mother taught me that trick,” he informed after he showed them a simple concealment trick.

“Alright, Reindeer Games, no funny business,” Tony playfully warned.

“Don’t get your iron rusted,” he teased to Tony with a sly smile.

“I’m going to let you all get acquainted,” you said sweetly to Peter, Morgan, and Loki. “I need to go talk to your Mom,” you informed. You ruffled their hair, smiled at Loki, nodded to Tony with a smile, then turned to see Shannon standing on the back porch.

You walked up the steps, taking the iced tea from Shannon’s offering hand. “Thank you,” you mused before turning to watch Wade, Loki, Peter, and Morgan. “I can’t believe you leave your daughter alone with that idiot,” you noted in jest as you stared at them.

Shannon turned around and sat on a loveseat that faced them. You followed suit and joined her, sitting next to her.

“Well it was either him or Happy.” She shrugged. “Plus it was part of the deal with him finding you for me.” She took a sip of her drink. “Plus someone was off on a rampant killing spree.”

You shot her a side glare with a smile. “Someone had to. It’s hard work being an assassin. Since you retired from it… someone had to pick up the torch,” you responded with a grin.

“Who says I ever retired?” She laughed and felt one of the babies kick. “Alright, alright, I was only kidding. They know exactly what I’m saying!” She rubbed her belly. “So you ready to be Mrs.Odison?”

You let out a laugh that held all the emotion you’d been holding in for the last twelve years. “I’ve been ready to marry him since I saw him at that crash site,” you admitted. “I could marry anyone with cheekbones like that.”

“So the cheekbones is what did it for ya, huh?” She winked. “Should’ve known, I thought it was his brooding manner.”

“That certainly helped, but let’s just say his tricks weren’t the first things I saw on Asgard that really sealed the deal,” you answered before taking a sip of your tea, staring straight ahead with a blush on your cheeks.

“Well I’m just glad I got you back and that you’re finally getting the happiness you deserve.” She stretched her hand to you. “God it’s been so hard—- I’ve missed you so much.” She teared up finally being able to have her other half back at her side.

“I missed you too,” you sighed, holding her hand. “I promise to never leave you again. And, because I missed Morgan’s shower, and I guess somehow Peter’s, I’m going to throw you the biggest, most obnoxious baby shower you’ve ever seen for these twins. Gonna have Wanda and Pietro help too, seeing as they’re experts in the field.”

“Who would have thought that on my second pregnancy I’d end up with twins?” She shook her head. “Damn twin gene. I know I don’t have it so it must be Bruce’s,” she said. “I’m sure they’ll be a big help, speaking of where’s Pietro?”

“Oh, I saw him earlier. I think he’s inside, fighting Sam for some of those spicy appetizers you made,” you informed. You glanced up to her, giving her an intense look. “You know, I really am sorry for leaving. I just… I lost my shit when one morning I looked up and you had everything and I had lost everything and to be honest…” You took a deep breath. “Everywhere I looked, I was reminded of Loki, and everyone we all lost, and how it was my fault and I couldn’t stand it. I thought if I left, it wouldn’t be a glaring reminder of my failures and everything I’d lost.”

“It wasn’t your fault, Y/N. Out of 14 billion, we only had one shot. It was out of our hands so please don’t go blaming yourself. I just wish that you’d had come to me to tell me this. I’m your sister!” She squeezed your hand. “I would move heaven and earth to help you feel better. I’m sorry that things seemed like it was still perfect for me.” She took a breath. “The snap had taken away Peter and my family all I had left was you and the hope that I hadn’t lost Tony too. And then he came back and later on you were gone, it felt like I had lost the last bit of family I had left. The Avengers are friends, yes but it's not the same as a connection like the one we have.”

"I never wanted you to feel that way. I just thought you were finally happy with Bruce and Tony and everything that you didn't want or need me in your life anymore, especially not after I let Thanos get away, three times. I thought maybe you wouldn't want me around. I'd only serve as a reminder for the idiot that couldn't save the universe."  Your head dropped down as you spoke. "You once told me that I was strong enough to fight Thanos. It was right after Loki and I were arrested after New York. And you were right. I told you I was too afraid. To be honest, Loki and I were pretty outnumbered and I had no idea how to control my powers back then. And then, we got another shot at him in space and I didn't kill him, and I didn't kill him in Wakanda... I couldn't help but think 'You have the power to kill him, and you didn't. This is all your fault.'" You shook your head. “But it’s all behind us now. I was an idiot. I missed you. And now you can never ever get rid of me,” you said, resting your head on her shoulder.

The two of you laughed softly, looking on at your happy family.

______________

Unforseen Chasm Tag list- @reigningqueenofwords @oldfreakything @adefectivedetective @dontbetooobvious

Tag list- @cas-you-assbutt-dean-needs-you @winchester-writes @winchesterenthusiast @deansdirtylittlesecretsblog   @sammysbuttcheek @misz-adrii @sandlee44 @womanxofletters @natsuccs @childishhoebinoo @expecteddifferent @girl-next-door-writes @fanaticfanfiction @dakotapaigelove @sassy-spn-knight-of-hell @reigningqueenofwords @oldfreakything

Marvel: @reigningqueenofwords @flowerbunbunny @zelda2248 @misz-adrii

[hekate1308]

The Baggage We Carry, Chapter Eight

Read it on AO3

One and a half years sounded like enough time to ensure he’d make it to college (he thought a normal one wouldn’t be too bad, even as Crowley insisted “Ivy League, I don’t take second best“), but in reality, Dean had never paid as much attention to his grades as he should have, if he wanted to pursue this course, and he was a mediocre student at best, as far as his teachers were concerned.

Which meant they’d probably be suspicious of his efforts for a while... Except Miss Moseley, of course. Dean had the feeling that nothing got past her.  

Despite the adults’ mistrust, people started to catch on. Slowly.

“Man, you are awesome in biology!” Garth claimed one day. He’d been sitting next to Dean during the test.

“Are you telling me you cheated?”

“Never, man. Just saw how much you wrote, you must have studied your ass off!”

He shrugged.

“I had help”.

Both of his best friends had studied with him.

And Dean could have sworn that Cas didn’t need to period and Crowley didn’t even know what studying was.

“Still, though – glad for you, man! Oh hi, Cas! Hi, Crowster!”

Dean glanced up to see Crowley frown at the nickname.

Weird to see them together, really; they only had a short break between classes right now, and normally Crowley didn’t bother to show up if there was no time for a proper chat.

Dean looked at Cas and raised an eyebrow.

He shrugged.

He didn’t know what was going on either, then.

None of them realized until Crowley actually walked right into Geography class with them.

“Ahm, Crowley...” Dean began, aware of the shocked stares of their classmates as he sat down at a desk.

“This is a classroom”.

“Your observation skills will never cease to amaze me, Squirrel.”

“A classroom where class is about to start” he continued.

“I am perfectly aware where I am, thank you”.

“A class with a teacher teaching, and other students”.

“I do also happen to know the definition of “high school””.

“Dean” Cas said, “if he wants to stay, let him.”

“I’m not throwing him out, I’m just wondering – “

“You sound like a couple bickering over their teenage son, guys” Garth said.

Lisa chuckled behind Dean.

“They really do”.

Most of the class was listening to them, although half of them were pretending not to.

Because Fergus Crowley actually walking down hallways where one could see him?

It was no big deal compared to him actually attending class.

As Dean had expected, Miss Rachel entered and immediately did a double-take.

“Mr. Crowley...”

He just looked at her, completely unconcerned.

She swallowed and forced herself to begin the lesson.

Dean was impressed. She didn’t throw half the strange glances Crowley’s way the rest of the class did.

“Seriously” he asked him at lunch, “What was that? I thought you’d graduate without having spoken to a teacher once”.

Crowley shrugged.

“I was bored and you two were there”.

Dean decided to best leave it at that.

That afternoon, he was studying with Cas in the library. Karen had already brought them pie.

“Ugh, I’ll never get this. Why do physics have to be so complicated anyway?”

“You love physics” Cas reminded him.

“Yeah, well... lots of things I love tend not to treat me that well, if we’re being honest”.

Cas reached out to squeeze his hand once more.

“Dean, you can do this”.

And he returned to his own book, not seeing Dean swallow and turn away.

Because one of the other things Dean loved?

Was sitting right next to him.

It wasn’t just a crush anymore; he was in love with Cas.

Oh God.

How could he let this happen? This was Cas, one of the best friends he had on this earth... He couldn’t go and pine after him for years to come.

But exactly that would happen if he didn’t remember that they were friends and that was all there would ever be to it.

After all, he’d kind of decided that ending up with a woman and eventually producing kids might help Dad get over his disappointment from Dean not taking over the shop.

And Cas was a very clearly not a woman and b incapable of having kids. Not that that would necessary stop them from adopting one, or using a surrogate, or...

You’re supposed to work through this, not make it worse, he chastised himself, but sadly, it didn’t work, and only Cas’ hand on his shoulder lifted him from his mental freak-out.

“Dean? You look a bit pale. You should eat your pie. I’m sure it’ll help.”

Why did he have to be so perfect? It just wasn’t fair.

“Yeah, thanks Cas, I’ll do that”.

He forced himself to smile and swore that this too would pass.

It didn’t.

Cas was just... so Cas: smart, caring, cute and no sign of stopping soon. He had become good friends with Sammy too, and Dean finally decided that he could take him to his house and introduce him to his parents after all.

As long as they didn’t notice...

Well, they had no idea he was bi, so they probably wouldn’t get suspicious.

The night he brought Cas over for dinner, Dad was baffled. He could see it in the way he eyed Cas, like one of those European cars with their “needlessly complicated motors” according to him (Dean had always thought that at least with some features the Europeans had a point, but knew better than to bring it up).

Cas was just... too different from the friends Dean had brought over before. Hell, Dad could even handle Aaron (then again, he hadn’t introduced himself with “Hey I’m gay and know your son is bi” so he probably assumed the guy was looking for some tips how to score a girl from Dean).

But Cas... Cas was quiet and a bit shy at the beginning of every acquaintance, not to mention he could be rather blunt, not at all like his other teammates or the jocks he brought around now and then when Mom asked about his friends.

“So, Casteeel” he tried, and Dean winced. Sam frowned at their father, but Cas didn’t even bat an eye. Probably was used to people butchering his first name.

“You said you like... reading”.

It almost sounded like a joke, coming out of Dean’s mouth.

Cas nodded.

“Yes. Me and... my best friend often go to the library”.

He’d almost said it, good God. Mom’s questions Dean could have dealt with but Dad’s well-meant ridicule would have hurt him.

“That’s... nice. So you know Karen?”

“He went with Sam and Dean to the Singers for dinner, John” Mom said. “You really could have remembered that.”

“Sorry, son. Dean just has so many friends...”

Yes, but only two close ones, Dad, and one of them I can’t even mention because you would throw a fit.

“I know” Cas said quietly while looking at Dean, as if assuring him that he knew the truth.

“Yeah, well, that’s my boy. Always out and about with his friends” Dad boasted and Dean wondered who he wanted to impress. Cas certainly was friendly enough, and even though by no means small Dad didn’t have to feel threatened by him of all people.

“Dean is a very good friend” he said gently, smiling at him.

Dean took a sip of water so he wouldn’t start coughing.

Damn it.

Why, Cas?

He couldn’t make heart eyes at him across the table, even Dad would notice, even if Cas was thankfully still unaware of his feelings.

And Mom...

Dean had never really thought about how much his mother knew about him.

Did she suspect? He was safe from Dad; he’d never even let a suspicion come into his head; but Mom?

He glanced at her, but she was beaming as always, happy to have her family around her, making sure everyone had a full plate.

She probably expected him to look for someone like her, Dean realized, someone exactly like her. Someone who was happy being a housewife, caring, doting, and yeah, he could see the appeal, and his mother was one of the best persons he knew, but with Cas...

He couldn’t imagine living with someone like Mom as his partner.

But Cas...

Waking up, bickering, having breakfast, saying goodbye at the door with a kiss...

Sam kicked him under the table, and his expression was enough to tell Dean.

Yes.

His brother knew.

His brother knew he was in love with Cas.

He swallowed and looked away.

Cas was busy telling Dean about the Kingskiller Chronicles, a book series Dean had always found a bit dense (but then he was way more into sci fi than Cas, and he could easily see why it was called “the new Lord of the Rings” Patrick Rothfuss had some serious game) and he was obviously still trying to figure out where this guy fit into the picture he had of his son.

He didn’t, and that was the whole problem.

“Tonight was nice” Cas told him when he was about to go, “thank you, Dean.”

“Nah, thank you, Cas, for dealing with my parents.”

“They’re not so bad... they noticed me”.

He reached forward and hugged Dean close. Surprised, he hugged back before seeing Cas off and walking back into the living room where his family was waiting.

“He seems smart” Dad said when he stepped in.

That was... not a lot of praise. He knew Dad, and “being smart” was usually not something he considered that important.

But then, Dean hadn’t expected him to like Cas a lot.

“He’s definitely a sweet-tempered boy” Mom said, “And so polite”.

“Yeah”.

“How did you get to know one another?”

“We sat next to each other in geography”.

“Ah, that’s it. You needed some pointers”.

“Actually I’m pretty...”

“I thought you’d find some use for that giant brain of his”.

Dad laughed.

“Good choice of friend, Dean.”

“John”.

“Sorry, Mary. I am just joking. If Dean wants to hang out with nerds now and then...”

“As a matter of fact they’re fun” Sam chimed in, glaring at Dad. “I’m one too, if you haven’t noticed”.

“Come on Sammy, just making a bit of fun. Isn’t that the point of Dads, anyway?”

Dean preferred retiring to his room so he could Skype with his friends for the rest of the night.

To his surprise, Crowley ended up inviting them to his house after school the next day.

“I have it all for myself this week. Mother is on a cruise with Devon”.

“How are her marriage plans going?”

“Considering I’m pretty sure Devon was called Tim last week, not too well.”

And that was how Dean and Cas ended up standing in front of Crowley’s, or rather Crowley mother’s pretty big house.

Imagine that. Crowley actually had a place where he lived.

It was stupid enough, but he’d never even considered that he needed to sleep.

“Why does your mother even need a millionaire?” he asked when Crowley opened the door for them.

“I never asked her where she got the money for the house. I considered it safer that way”.

It was probably was, but that didn’t keep noticing through the whole afternoon just how freaking empty this house was.

Say what you want about his parents, there were more pictures of him and Sam on the walls than he could count.

He almost couldn’t tell anyone lived here, for crying out loud.

They hung out in the living room, watching movies on the giant flat screen, when Dean went to the bathroom and accidentally the only pictures in the house.

The door next to the bathroom was open, and from the copy of Edgar Allan Poe on the bedside table, Dean immediately knew it was Crowley’s room.

He shouldn’t have snooped, but them...

The room was as meticulously clean as the rest of the house and yet felt warmer somehow.

Maybe it was because of the few pictures Crowley had carefully framed and hung up.

Dean recognized them immediately.

A few weeks ago, after they’d been playing football with Sam, they had fooled around in a photo booth.

Dean had had no idea Crowley had taken the pictures with him.

He smiled even as he ignored how much he and Cas looked like a couple in some of them and went to rejoin his friends.

And if he and Cas moved closer to one another throughout the afternoon, who was he to notice?

[post-bronze-medals]

PJO AU

Hi! I posted awhile ago that I have a Percy Jackson AU for Yuri on Ice! in my head and I thought I would finally get around to typing it all out. Super thanks to @forovnix​ for not telling me to piss off when I sent her most of this drunk off my face and for encouraging me. Jus, you’re the best, ily a lot. Also I heard through the grapevine that her and @actualyuuri​ are writing one together, which was the whole inspiration for this universe I have thought up, so I am crediting them too ;) . It is very long - so I will put it under the cut!

Let us begin with...

THE CHARACTERS

Yuuri

CHILD OF: Hecate

PANTHEON: Greek

POWERS: Magic - specialism in spiritual and shielding; Mist control; Astral Projection into the lives of other Demigods and godly beings; Dance is his primary spell casting method.

BACKSTORY: After Hiroko had Mari, she found her womb was too damaged to bear another child. Wanting another child, they tried everything from medicine to, eventually, prayer. The only one who answered was Hecate, who was a distant relative of Toshiya from many generations ago. And with a little divine interference, Yuuri was made from three parents.

Yuuri’s eyes go gold when he uses his powers, a throwback to Kronos that Hecate thinks is kind of adorable. Zeus banned visiting their godly children back after WWII, but he can only really control what happens in the US, as it is the current seat of Olympian (and Roman) power. As such, Hecate has visited Yuuri four times a year since he was a baby, and drops in on him occasionally for a few hours at other times too.

Viktor

CHILD OF: Persephone

PANTHEON: Greek

POWERS: Control of flowers and plant life - especially creating and killing them; Strengthen harvests in the early stages (springtime); Talented at poison creation; Spreads poison through his flowers (airborne) and generally though touch.

BACKSTORY: Victor’s mother had zero need or desire for a husband, partner or indeed, physical sex. She, being somewhat dramatic, prayed to Persephone in a ritual handed down from mother to daughter for generations but generally regarded as a bit. Persephone, bored and wanting to create some life in the world, agreed to help her conceive a child with her as the other mother. She however, recalling how much Hades’ indiscretions had hurt her, told him about her plans beforehand, and Hades’ was absolutely fine with it. He knew he had no room to talk about extra-marital children and he loved his wife a great deal. Something that came of her would surely be only a good force in the world.  

Victor has his human mother’s silver hair, and his godly mother’s eyes that cycled through colour according to the weather, the state of the plants around him and his mood. He settled on a teal he liked as his day to day eye colour, and controls himself to keep it that way. Persephone and Hades, taking advantage of the same loophole as Hecate regarding non-interference, bring him down to the underworld every so often. Hades is actually a very doting uncle and is immensely fond of Victor’s loving and giving nature. He teaches him about poisons and summons spirits Victor wants to talk to for a chat whenever he asks. Persephone loves him a lot as well, but in a more distant fashion. It was her that taught him French, and they like to sit together in the pomegranate orchard underground and read.

Yuri

CHILD OF: Apollo

PANTHEON: Greek

POWERS: Graceful; Slight Precognition; Archery.

BACKSTORY: Yuri’s mum had a relationship with Apollo for two weeks, in which she could have sworn she was careful with condoms, but apparently not. Yuri was conceived and he left long before she found out or could tell him about it. The loss of the relationship didn’t really hit her hard, it was only really a fling to them both. She decided to have Yuri anyway, and once she recovered from the birth, she went straight back to work to earn money to support them all, leaving Yuri with his grandfather.

Yuri inherited his fathers colouring but his mother’s face. He also had Apollo’s artistic talents but enjoys dance the most, so generally ignored poetry and music - until he discovered hard rock at age 11. He is also a little precognitive, his instincts have got him away from more than one fight and also led him to the rink where Yakov took him on.  His mother doesn't care about his father’s absence but he kind of does, and really really hates the guy, whoever he is. Apollo never bothered to think of a loophole to the decree of non-interference and so never even tried to meet Yuri - he fairly quickly forgot about him and his mother when his newest conquest came around.

Otabek

CHILD OF: Thanatos

PANTHEON: Greek

POWERS: Sense when someone is about to die and if it is their ‘time’; Gravitas; BACKSTORY: Otabek’s parents were cultists when they were younger, cultists in service of Thanatos. Although they settled down a bit when they were older, dropping most of their worship, Thanatos never forgot about them. He doesn't often get cults in his name! So when they were trying for a kid and it turned out his father was infertile, Thanatos helped out without even being requested.

Otabek’s parents love him a lot, as an unexpected and much appreciated surprise. After his birth they figured that it must have been some kind of divine interference and began to pray to Thanatos again. The god sometimes comes to chill out with Otabek and teach him how to use his senses. Unfortunately, his heritage makes him seem creepy af to non demigods. Yuri is his first true friend.

Christophe

CHILD OF: Cupid

PANTHEON: Roman

POWERS: See the truth of love - as threads binding people; Cause lust (orgies); Wings

BACKGROUND: Chris' dads are a very gay, very happy couple who are somewhat overdramatic (being theatre actors) but love with all their hearts. While performing in Paris they prayed they could have a child through their love and nine months later, Chris was dropped on their doorstep in Switzerland. Whether he is the child of all three parents, or of one of them and Cupid, or if he is adopted is unknown.

Chris is seriously loved by them, even though they definitely know something is up because he has large bird-like rose pink wings that show up every so often when he is excited and cannot control himself. His dad isn’t around often, it isn't his nature, but he leaves gifts for him whenever he is in Switzerland, so Christophe doesn't really mind. He has his parents either way!

Seunggil

CHILD OF: Athena

PANTHEON: Greek

POWERS: Tactics/Strategy; Unshakeable calm

BACKSTORY: Seunggil has a single biologist father who had a one night stand with Athena when in the US for a conference. When he returned to S Korea, a son showed up on his doorstep and after confirming he was his son he rolled with it.

Seunggil was brought up as a scientist, to question everything, which only helps his sense of strategy. He is a calm person but if you rile him up utterly he completely loses it and is terrifying.He also is very interested in coding and technology. He never meets Athena and doesn’t care about it - his father barely knew the woman anyway. 

Phichit

CHILD OF: Venus

PANTHEON: Roman

POWERS: Charmspeaking; See love bonds

BACKGROUND: Phichit’s mothers are devotees to beautiful things, but most especially to dance. Venus saw them dancing and blessed them with a threesome in bed in exchange for them spending an evening dancing for her. Phichit was the result, as they found out several months later.

Phichit, like his mothers, loves beautiful things but prefers selfies and photography as his outlet, he is determined to capture the manmade and natural world in all its diverse beauty! Being able to charm people into doing what he wants means that he can be a little manipulative but he has a very strong moral code generally and would never hurt a friend.

Leo

CHILD OF: Morpheus

PANTHEON: Roman

POWERS: Send people to sleep; Influence dreams

BACKSTORY: Leo's dad has a very long and healthy relationship with Morpheus through his dream scape, where the bright colours of his artistic mind drew the sleepy god. They decided, after much deliberation, that they wanted a son as a sign of their love and to dote upon in the real world. Leo was conceived in a surrogate’s womb, but is of the two men’s DNA. Leo gets visited as regularly as possible by his godly dad in his dreams, as he is unable to leave the underworld to meet in person. He has never doubted that he is loved. He lives in Mexico with his dad but trains in the US / for the US when he gets his bracelet (more on that later)...

Guanghong

CHILD OF: Vesta

PANTHEON: Roman

POWERS: Fire, Constancy

BACKSTORY: Guanghong parents were unable to conceive and both being pure of heart, were blessed by Vesta so that they could have just one child. He doesn't see her often, but feels close to his godly mother when near a fire or a hearth. He is the emotional centre of his friend group and his sweet nature is pretty much never-ending, also he is asexual.

Mickey 

CHILD OF: Dionysus

PANTHEON: Greek

POWERS:  Grape Control; Invoke Narcissism and other disorders involving delusion; Makes a party crazy fun when he feels like it (rarely).

BACKSTORY: Mickey and Sara’s mother is a single black mother from a big Italian family. Dionysus didn't want to test his father in Italy, although he probably would have been fine, and decided to leave the Crispinos alone ‘for their own safely’. They pair were raised by their grandmother and long extended family primarily as their mother works. Mickey is protective of Sara for multiple reasons that are Not a sister complex here.

Sara 

CHILD OF: Dionysus

PANTHEON: Greek

POWERS: Cause Maenad like madness with a touch; Make wine at will

BACKSTORY: Mickey and Sara’s mother is a single black mother from a big Italian family. Dionysus didn't want to test his father in Italy, although he probably would have been fine, and decided to leave the Crispinos alone ‘for their own safely’. They pair were raised by their grandmother and long extended family primarily as their mother works. Sara is very gay.

Mila 

CHILD OF: Venus

PANTHEON: Roman

POWERS: Create infatuations; Exceptional Beauty

BACKSTORY: Mila has a single father, who is a premier ballerino and remarried when Mila was seven. Mila was a typical Venus ‘one night of passion’ baby, who was dropped off with her father after her birth and then promptly ignored by her mother. She really likes her stepmum actually, who is a ballerina as well. Mila is very beautiful personally and also a dab hand at makeovers.

Phew - that is a lot! Dont worry, anything important will come up in the fic (if I ever write it...)

Now, onto the actual Plot...

THE PLOT

ARC 1: Yuuri begins to astral project as a child, while he is still learning to control his powers. Through his astral projection he meets the other demigod kids (the geographically closest first, then he ranges progressively further afield). He makes friends with them all and gets something of a crush on Victor, his skating idol (and pretty lovely guy when he gets to know him in person!) Monsters, able to smell their scent, are coming for them even though they aren't in America and everyone is pretty afraid. Yuuri, having the biggest heart,  decides to try to change that fact of demigod life at just age 11 and he is very very stubborn about it, asking all the gods of the underworld and all the friendly or neutral monsters he sees about it. He hurts himself a lot trying it, but after a year or so he managed to create a bracelet that holds in the demigod 'scent', making his friend safer. The bracelets have to be personalised to the specific powers of each child so the first one goes to Phichit (his first friend). Then he makes them all one as he meets each character in person, either posting them out or giving them at the novice and junior skating competitions he attends. The hardest to create was Victor’s, who as the first child of Persephone is very powerful. Yuuri ends up accidentally putting a piece of his Self into the bracelet as that is the strongest power he has. It is very dangerous but even after his upset mum Hecate told him what he had done, he could;t regret it. The life of his friend was the most important thing!

ARC 2: Aboveworld gods don't care for their kids by and large (see character notes above.). They often forget them as they are not under American jurisdiction and therefore won't fight battles for them. Only The underworld gods and those mentioned above really care. Even as they become friends at competitions and through Yuuri’s projections, the strain of the bracelets wears on yuuri and maybe eventually one bracelet snaps or becomes overwhelmed. No one blames Yuuri but Yuuri, they just didn't realise how tough it was to power the close shielding of their scent. They have to team up to defeat the monsters that come for them. There is a Big Battle Scene and despite their desperate prayer to the above world parents, none can help. The underworld ones do their best but it is the solstice - their absence would be noticed. The arc ends with them all being pseudo adopted by underworld gods.

ARC 3: They all decide fuck the above gods, they won't be beholden to them anymore. The decide to circumvent their monopoly on items such as nectar and ambrosia, in the process setting up in the Underworld and creating their own godly market/culture/empire for those who dont want to use Olympus. In the process, they make friends with or at least win respect from some monsters. who admire their chutzpah, and also their stylish fashion.

ARC 4: Camp Half-Blood need hep with something as of yet undefined ( a prophecy?). Nico knows Victor through the Hades/Persephone connection and also because of their underground empire. Hades favours Victor as an heir despite not being his son because of his love for Persephone and also his strong underworld connection through Yuuri, his boyfriend, who is also an immensely powerful son of the underground. Victor, having survived past his teens, is also very responsible and wise so is a generally good choice. The whole crew agree to visit the camp at Nico's request and to meet their siblings. Drama ensues...

Yes, There are elements not mentioned here (how do Victuuri get together? What about other pairings? What happens at Camp Half-Blood?) but hey, have to leave something for the actual fic. Hope this is interesting to you guys, I spent several weeks daydreaming this. Tell me your head canons if you want, what do you think about my godly parent decisions? I would love to chat about it. <3 <3 <3

[faithandfairies]

Regina as a Unicorn?

I was just wondering, has anyone talked about the fact that Regina imprisoned Maleficent in another form, beneath the library? Questioned its relevance? Because I’m about to. Let’s take it apart.

So, in my opinion the Clock Tower and the Storybrooke Library are the center, the main fixture, of Storybrooke.

When the curse was cast time stopped and that clock has been a reminder of that ever since. Of how it all began.Now time is moving again, but when I think about the curse that started it all I think about that particular clock. Then there’s the library beneath it, which means endless books, endless stories. The foundation of which could be seen as fairy tales. In the sense that the first stories kids usually are introduced to are fairy tales.

This is a show about fairy tale characters and how their stories have played out in their world and are playing out now, in the real world. It’s about using fairy tales to make sense of your own life and to give you hope for a better one.

So if both of these pieces are important, are central to Storybrooke and its stories then that stands to reason that what’s beneath it would be too.

Are you with me?

Now, Regina took a bunch of fairy tale characters she hated and stuffed them in a town with fake identities and memories, for all to see. Now this is important. Then, she took her only friend, Maleficent, and then hid her away in another form than she would have mostly known her as in what was practically a basement or dungeon. Why? She took a wolf and made her believe she was human. So why not do the same to a dragon?

I’m getting there.

So there was this season, season 2, on Desperate Housewives with Alfre Woodard’s character, Betty Applewhite, as the new neighbor. And every new season involved a mystery. A secret, usually involving love and tragedy, that they didn’t want their neighbors to know about.

In season 2 Betty Applewhite locked her mentally challenged son up in the basement, because she thought him guilty of murdering a girl he liked. She loved her son and didn’t think he’d survive in prison, so instead she kept him locked up in her home, in their basement, I believe.

On the TV Show Lost Girl, the main character Bo, who was powerful even by succubus standards took an elevator down to the Underworld and it helped her uncover the mystery surrounding her conception, birth and paternity, a storyline that was central to the show. Bo’s lineage was the answer to who she was, all the powers she had. And who her father was was at least 1/3 of that answer. It was a secret no one wanted to talk about or cared to remember.

My point is, when people or things are locked up in basements, even more, basements that take an elevator to get to, you know it’s important. 

The only reason to lock something away is if you don’t want anyone to find out about it. Either because you’re ashamed of it. You don’t want to be reminded of it. You want to protect it.

If we look at Regina and Mal’s relationship, they were friends. So why would you want to lock away your friend? You don’t leave them behind in their world. You take them with you and then you lock them up.

On top of that, Regina said at one point that she should know better than to trust blondes. Which gives the impression that she was angry at Mal for betraying her trust and wanted to punish her. She then sends Emma down to kill Mal. But then when Mal gets resurrected she isn’t even angry with Regina. She doesn’t retaliate. Even though she was locked up by Regina for 28 years. 

Instead, they pretty much pick up where they left off. With a friendship that, just like when they were younger, speaks to having been something more at one point. They’re right back to betraying each other, even as they are supposed allies. Regina truly allies with Emma and Snow and betrays everyone else she has to in order to keep Emma safe. When Mal and the others find out, Mal leaves Regina to Rumple’s mercy.

In the end, what I’m saying is that Regina’s past with Mal, their history, is important to the current story. It’s important to Emma and Regina’s friendship. 

And given how gay it read, especially in flashbacks and how it led to Regina taking Mal with her but locking her up and trapping her in a different form so she wouldn’t have to be faced with the physique of Mal she most likely knew best, tells me something about how Regina views that relationship.

She wanted to hide it, lock it away, make it unrecognizable and never think of it again. But at the same time, she didn’t want to let it go. She took it with her, just like she did Daniel. Who was in her vault, another underground dwelling.

I think there’s a good chance that Regina loved Mal, but was ashamed of it. There was definitely emotion involved even if it wasn’t love. Maybe adoration?

I have said this before, but I truly believe Regina has been aware of her sexuality for quite sometime, most likely because of Mal, but that it was fine as long as she could exploit it. Use it to her advantage. Use it against others by recognizing others’ sexuality. She was the Evil Queen and she did whatever and maybe whoever she wanted. And that was fine because she was using everyone and everything and made sure her feelings didn’t get involved so it didn’t matter. Her actions didn’t matter. They were all a means to an end. A little slice of her own happiness. A little bit of peace.

But I think Mal was different. She practically came before. And I think she was the one person that couldn’t make Regina believe the lies she told herself. That she didn’t care. The one person she couldn’t stay impartial to. And so she treated her the worst. Ending in locking her away. Mal can be very reliable, but we’ve seen Regina screw her over. Didn’t she threaten to kill Mal’s treasured unicorn? Again, with the gay symbol.

Then there is this

Unicorn Colloquial; Synonym for hot bi babe or HBB, often derogatory, condescending, or ironic. A bisexual person, usually though not always female, who is willing to join an existing couple, often with the presumption that this person will date and become sexually involved with both members of that couple, and not demand anything or do anything which might cause problems or inconvenience to that couple. The term is often used to be dismissive of a couple seen to be only superficially polyamorous. Because of the demands that this type of couple places on the woman (that she be single and not take on any additional partners, and become involved with both members of the couple equally, and often "complete" their family as a surrogate mother and housekeeper and/or breadwinner and not do anything that may threaten or disrupt the existing couple), many in the poly community call this type of woman a "unicorn", as in mythical and not likely to be found, even though there are plenty of bipoly women around. Sometimes the unicorn is expected to not develop any emotional attachment and is strictly there for a sexual relationship (equally distributed to both members of the dyad) and/or is prescripted as a secondary. This term is used as a reminder that bipoly women are people with their own desires, needs, and pre-existing lives, and not fantasy figures or pets. See related prescriptive vs. descriptive

(x)

So unicorn is not a gay symbol. I’d say this definition from urban dictionary confirms at the very least that Regina is bisexual. In case you missed another post of mine, I pointed out in that one that the first heart Regina was told by Rumple to crush was that of a unicorn. Which, I think is symbolic of her own heart, because by the end of the episode, when she doesn’t want to do it, he does it for her, by taking away any belief she has that she’ll be able to bring Daniel back. 

So folks, Regina is the unicorn. Which isn’t surprising since a lot of probably all thought this even before we knew this definition of it. I mean, she’s amazing, seems to be the only of her kind or at least very rare and all that.

And if Regina is the unicorn and Mal refers to hers as a pet than that could be the reason Regina doesn’t trust blondes. There is also a reference to Snow’s wedding night in that scene that is apparently going on at that same moment. So it could be Regina was invested in her and Mal’s relationship at first, but that Mal saw her as a distraction of sorts. Saw it as a game. But it also means that in her own way Mal loved Regina. (Hell, she protected the unicorn from Regina killing it. Regina literally ended up using Mal’s love for her against her.) Just not in the way Regina maybe wished.

Then there’s the fact that Snowing touched both a unicorn and a tree in order to figure out that Emma would be/is gay had a darkness within her that they’d best not want her to have. Both symbols that I now link to Regina.

So I think Regina’s aware of her sexuality, but I don’t think she accepts it, just like she doesn’t accept the Evil Queen part of her. On the contrary, she loathes it. And would much rather hide it away, banish or kill it if she could.

The other things that are also central to the story, because of their presence below the library are the diamond fail safe and, true love’s kiss. The most iconic symbol of it also had its place below the library. Snow’s glass coffin. Anyone who looks at it will recognize it as such and think about the iconic moment that gave it its popularity. True Love’s kiss, the kiss that can restore life. Wake someone up from a nightmare.

Opposite it is the diamond, it’s the one thing that can put an abrupt end to the story, that can undo what has been done, wipe Storybrooke off the map in a violent way.

Both are symbols of things that lead to endings, but one leads to an ending one would want while the other...doesn’t.

*Bonus:

There is also another “basement” that took an elevator to get to. The one in the Underworld. Emma and Hook went there to get the fruit that would allow him to return with Emma. The whole “true love test” happened there. So the question is, what is the mystery here? What is the secret?

[sa-lt-ys]

As Sweet as a Rose

Universe: Detroit: Become Human Pairing: Kara x gender neutral reader Warnings: None, this is pure fluff for once. Word Count: 763 words

A/N: I wanted to do a little something with Kara, since I don't see many one shots with her.

Throughout the story, I have to admit that Kara and Alice's story really hit me, because its a story of someone learning to be a mother, and the way that Kara would do anything for Alice, it really reminds me of how much I would do for my family.

I'm just a softie like that.

Anyways, feels aside, enjoy!

~~~

Now this was cute.

You were stood in the kitchen, a cup of (tea/coffee) in hand as you watched Ralph and Alice tending to the plants in the garden. Beside you stood Kara, a contented sigh leaving her as she leant her head on your shoulder, her hand entwined with yours.

"This is a hibiscus, Ralph likes these flowers, Ralph thinks they're pretty." Alice smiled up at him as she tipped a watering can, sprinkling the water over the flower with Ralph's help.

"It's nice to see her smile so much," Kara said quietly, a smile of her own lighting up her face.

"She has all the time to smile now," you said just as softly. "Now that she's safe." Kara hummed in reply.

Your eyes moved over to Luther, who was busy building a treehouse for Alice, a safe place she could go to whenever she needed a quiet moment. You still found it sweet how he easily assumed the role of surrogate father to Alice, even though Kara was with you.

But, family is what you make it.

"What are these, Ralph?" You giggled quietly as Alice walked over to Ralph's trellis, pointing up at a creamy rose.

"I'm glad Ralph came here," you said, sipping at your drink. Kara nodded and hummed.

"I felt bad for him," she said. "He was so scared when we first met him, and I figured Alice could help him. Besides, it's not like the garden isn't perfect for gardening." You smiled again, putting your drink down and wrapping your arms around Kara.

Canada had been your home for years by the time you had met Kara, and though she was an android, along with her daughter, Luther and Ralph, you took it all in stride, choosing Kara's personality over her blood colour.

You had taken Alice as your own daughter, and though you worried about Luther feeling pushed out, he welcomed you with open arms, saying that while he saw Alice and Kara as his family, he felt nothing more than a platonic love for them both.

It still melted your heart when Alice referred to you and Alice as her parents.

"These are roses, Ralph likes these ones too, he like their colours. Ralph likes the pink ones best." Ralph lifted Alice up so she could get a closer look at the roses. Her giggle rang out as she pointed out a rose.

"That ones pretty!" She said, her eyes glittering as she stared up at a yellow rose, its creamy petals looking like satin in the sunlight.

With a smile, you pulled away from Kara, giving her a smile as you drained the rest of your drink and went back to the kettle to refill your cup.

"D'you want some, Kara?" Your girlfriend nodded, her eyes still on Alice.

"Sure, coffee isn't too bad." You chuckled, turning back around.

Since the Uprising, Kara had travelled back to Detroit briefly with Luther and Alice, to have some parts remodelled, as CyberLife had released an upgrade for all androids to fit a system that allowed them to eat and drink as humans did. How they managed that, you had no idea, but you had an inkling that Kamski had something to do with it. He had been revealed to be a fan of the deviants.

"Mum look! Ralph let me have this! Its a present!" You turned to see Alice stood in front of Kara, a creamy yellow rose clutched in one hand. There were tears in Kara's eyes as she crouched down to hug her daughter.

"It's beautiful Alice, thank you." The little girl giggled before launching herself at your legs.

"(Y/N)! I got one for you too!" Your smile widened as you crouched down as well, taking the creamy rose in your hand. The thorns had been removed -- most likely by Ralph -- and you stroked the satin petals softly.

"Alice, this is gorgeous, did you pick it?" Alice nodded her head, a huge grin on her face.

"Ralph helped me!" Your heart melted when you saw the genuine happiness on her face, and you couldn't stop yourself from wrapping her in a hug.

"Thank you, sweetie. I love it." Alice wrapped her little arms around you before bounding off back into the garden to help Ralph. With another chuckle, you grabbed a small vase and gently place the rose in some water, watching as Kara did the same.

"She's a sweet girl," you said gently, holding your arms out for Kara, who happily obliged.

"Yes," she whispered. "She's very sweet."