#sorry if this is overly long and maybe a bit incoherent

[kiri-instinct]

I sometimes wonder if the defense of Israel would have been as fierce as it is now if their enemies had been white people.

I was thinking about recent happenings and remembered a news report I saw. I believe it was from an American channel. The reporter was talking about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and how it caused thousands of Ukrainians to flee west, fearing for their lives.

It was the usual stuff for the time. How this was a tragedy, and how Russia should be held accountable. That sort of thing. All very true, of course.

But I remember something that stuck with me from that news report. It hit me like a freight train when I heard it. Maybe the news reporter had a slip of the tongue. Maybe he genuinely thought what he said was not fucking horrific.

"These are prosperous, middle class people. These are not people trying to get away from areas in North Africa."

Not people trying to get away from areas in North Africa. A lot of other, similar things were said at the time. I distinctly remember these:

"This is not a developing, 3rd world nation. This is EUROPE."

"This isn't a place, with all due respect, y'know, like Iran or Afghanistan. This is a relatively CIVILIZED, relatively EUROPEAN, and I have to choose those words carefully, too, city where you wouldn't expect that or hope that it is going to happen."

A lot of words to emphasize one thing: This is happening in a civilized nation, not like the ones in Africa, the '3rd world' or, God forbid, the Middle East. EUROPE is a civilized land, unlike them, the fact this is happening HERE at all is simply unfathomable!

Obviously, a lot of people criticized these wordings for their obvious racism. The idea that Europe and Europe alone was civilized, and that these nations, stuck in conflict thanks to borders we decided for them, are unwashed, barbaric hordes is just...obviously bigoted and, more importantly, wrong.

Then, Israel began its full-scale invasion of Palestine, starting off with declarations that even Russia dared not make. Yes, Russia's accusation that Ukraine was a Nazi state, or that it was somehow 'de-nazifying' it while its soldiers carried reactionary iconography, was obviously bad (and hypocritical). However, compared to Israel's government starting off by announcing clear intentions to level Gaza, that its soldiers were fighting "human animals," and that even the civilians of Gaza were to blame was far worse, and made Russia's blatant hypocrisy, lying and evil seem...tame, almost.

So, that's it. Israel invades Palestine with obvious malevolent intent, the world condemns Israel and we put together whatever we can to defend Palestine.

Except that never happened. Everyone rallied behind Israel. Joe Biden, with the same casual tone as you'd ask for a tenner, asked if he could trade weapons to Israel in complete secrecy. People were arrested en-masse for protesting against Israel bombing civilian holdings, refugee camps and hospitals. The US vetoed a motion against Israel as Israel violated the Geneva Convention over, and over, and over again.

I myself remember my bewilderment. I sent over clothes, hoping to help in any way I can, even relinquishing some clothes which had sentimental value, only to find out that it may be possible that my donations would never make it, as Israel began bombing the Lebanese border, and blockaded the Gaza Strip.

One day, I chose to skip school, not telling my mother, and went to a protest, hoping that my voice would do something, anything, to help. That same day, someone on TV called me and others like me agitators. Said we were stirring up antisemitism within our local communities.

Some time after that, my grandmother pulled me aside, having already guessed that I was on the side of Palestine, and warned me: The place I live in is massively pro-Israel, with many of my neighbors having chanted "Death to Arabs!" despite us having Arabic neighbors, according to her. If someone here were to find out I am pro-Palestine, I could risk social pariah status, and become unable to do anything. Simply because I support the rights of Arabic folk to live in peace.

My mind was clouded for a few days. The effort I could put in to help Palestine within my limits...was antisemitic? I was agitating people? We were evil for even daring to suggest this was a genocide? I could not wrap my head around it, then I remembered the words of those reporters talking about Ukraine.

"Not people escaping North Africa," "civilized, unlike Iran and Afghanistan," and "not a developing 3rd world country, but Europe".

The same message, but delivered in different ways: Those who are not in the West are uncivilized, brutal folk, not to be trusted. Tragedy falling upon them is expected, or, perhaps, welcomed.

Combined with the fact that Israel previously attempted to destroy local fauna in an attempt to appear more European, the realization hit me.

Israel is getting so much support because the West believes them to be "European enough" to get their neo-imperialist excuses. Israel is not the 'only democracy in the Middle East,' not really -- believe me, I have gone and voted in elections before. I have seen political rallies, and I have witnessed the same drama the average US voter witnesses. I live in a democracy, even if I do not live under a government I approve of.

Israel is simply the West's personal guy in the Middle East, hence the claim that it is the only democracy here. Really, it is just the only democracy they all approve of, rather than being the most legitimate one.

When government officials turn a blind eye to Zionists calling for the conquest of not only Palestine, but also Lebanon and Egypt, and when they censure their fellow politicians for saying, maybe, not every single Palestinian should die over a terrorist attack, they are not doing it because they sincerely believe Israel is the victim here, or because "right to defend oneself" is something that applies here -- they do it because Israel is white and Western enough for them to see as a worthwhile ally. To them, Palestine is little more than a shitty bunch of Arabs who can easily be discarded if their personal attack dog in the Levant gets to survive just one day longer and maintain their influence there.

Not even when the US was fighting the Nazis in WW2 did we think that killing German civilians was acceptable. Nor was "All of them" a proper, reasonable and POPULAR response to someone asking "How many must die before we have peace". But...these aren't good, civilized Europeans. These are Palestinians. ARABS! If their ethnic cleansing can result in our civilized Jewish friends in Israel liking us more and becoming more powerful, who cares if the entire Palestinian identity is extinguished?

So, I ask again: If Israel were to go up against a 'civilized' western, European and white nation, like say France, or Britain, or Germany, and genocide their peoples while they could do very little about it...would the response have been the same? Would US come to condemn any of those countries for faking death tolls or lie about seeing the Bundeswehr decapitating Israeli babies? Would people be arrested in France for demanding a ceasefire between Israel and Britain?

Given all that I have said, I do not think so. If any of those nations were to be attacked, Israel would be treated as Russia were -- depicted as barbarians, and told that their war was unjust and cruel. We'd have people on the news saying that this isn't North Africa, or Iran, and that no one'd expect Israel to do something so cruel to a fellow civilized nation.

But that is not happening. Israel's target for genocide, Palestinians, are, by all means, acceptable targets for the Western world. In the name of peace and global unity, they will pile high the bodies of anyone their fellow 'civilized nations' want dead.

But we cannot let them do that. We must scream, from rooftops if need be, that we will not stand for injustice. So, even if you feel hopeless and desolate in the face of great evil, do your best. Even the most minuscule action matters, because when a lot of little things come together, they can topple even the mightiest of giants.

From river to sea, Palestine shall be free. And don't you let them convince you otherwise.

[noteguk]

bad attitude | jjk | m

[ ! ] this is part of the bad influence collection. You can read it as a stand-alone though! 

— summary; in which Jungkook finally learns how to behave. Kind of. 

— contents and warnings; pwp, smut, badboy!jk x goodgirl!reader, enemies with benefits/enemies to lovers, brattysub!kook x dom!reader, actually more of a switch!kook/switch!reader, the oc is kind of a demon with teasing because payback is a bitch, bondage, edging, dirty talk, begging, oral (m receiving), female masturbation, cockwarming, unprotected sex (don’t be dumb), creampie, stuffing, Taehyung makes a cameo, terrible use of the two wolves meme I’m so sorry 

— words; 7,2k 

— author’s note; yes I started this with a meme and no I’m not okay. This is kind of chaotic tbh but I wanted to write something a bit more unhinged and lighthearted after all that drama from the third part of the series. This happens some time after bad reputation. 

Also! Take a look at the text messages that brought them to this moment ;) 

Probably one of the dumbest things that Jungkook had ever heard came from his roommate and childhood friend, Taehyung, after a few hours scrolling through Facebook with a blunt hanging from the corner of his lips. Taehyung was in the deep web equivalent of social media: entrepreneur pages, where young, overly-dressed men with obviously rented convertibles promised to teach gullible people how to become millionaires by working at home (if you only pay for their courses). Nevertheless, what started as an ironic scroll through shallow motivational quotes quickly escalated into a semi-believable, mostly high rant about the importance of controlling your inner demons, which Jungkook sadly had to endure, since he was the only person around and, therefore, his roommate's sole target. 

Taehyung was high out of his mind, but it seemed as if he would be the last to get that memo: in his twisted conception, he was spilling the hottest of truths (and not the incoherent ramble that it really was). Fighting through Jungkook’s complaints and eye rolls, he simply went on and on about how the page “Alpha Billionaire 101” wasn’t really that off beat when they said that you do, in fact, have two wolves inside you — and the one you feed is the one that wins. Jungkook was basically disassociating by the point that Taehyung started drawing some graphs, looking fixedly at the two wolves on the screen of his computer (one written “success and drive” and the other one representing “failure and procrastination”) and wishing that the gods above would strike him down once and for all. 

And why is that important? Well, because eventually Taehyung fell asleep and moved on with his life, only casually mentioning the other stuff he saw on that page, but his words stuck around, glued to the back of Jungkook’s head. Not because they held any sort of meaning, but because the wolf metaphor was just too stupid to forget. And that eventually caught up to Jungkook in the strangest, most unexpected of ways: with you and bondage being involved. 

Now, Jungkook had two wolves inside of him: one was extremely laid back and barely cared about most things that happened, as long as he was having a good time. The second wolf was a bitter, prideful, egocentric, mean little thing that simply wouldn’t fold no matter how much the world wanted it to. And it was that second wolf that took him to that position: because Jungkook told you that he was positive, certain, a hundred percent sure that he’d never be like you and beg for something during sex. 

Which made both of your wolves absolutely pissed. 

“What the fuck…” he mumbled, looking up at your agile hands moving like wasps around his wrists. The room was dark, barely illuminated by the moonlight that came from the window, but that wasn’t really the reason why his pupils were so blown-out. “Where did you learn to tie knots like this?” 

You smiled, giving a last pull on the ropes to make sure they would stay still. Jungkook had been elated when you finally told him that you’d be willing to try it out bondage. One thing he didn’t expect, though, was that he would be the one getting tied up. “I was in the Girl Scouts,” you told him, sitting back against his thighs. 

Jungkook scoffed, tugging at the ropes. They weren’t too tight, yet they burned his skin a bit — not an unwelcome feeling, but his mind wasn’t too focused on it. He had to live up to his own words. “Of course you were in the fucking Girl Scouts.” He rolled his eyes. “So, how long is this gonna take?”

His gaze followed as your hands unclasped your bra. Jungkook, who had already been stripped down to his boxers, could barely disguise the twitching of his eyebrows when your breasts finally came into view. The bra collapsed somewhere on the floor. “Depends on how long it takes for you to say it,” you reminded him. 

Jungkook shifted around, gaze following the rise and fall of your chest. His hands struggled against the ropes, aching to touch your breasts, and you could notice the frustration blossoming at the back of his throat when he spoke up. “I’m not gonna say it.” 

With a pout, you leaned back in, placing your hands on his broad chest for leverage. “Then it’s probably going to take a long time.” You blinked up at him, and there was a devilish glint in your eyes that he didn’t remember seeing before. He was doomed. “Comfortable?”

“Not at all,” he complained. 

The smile you gifted him made his knees weak for a second. “Perfect.” Your hands traveled to the back of his neck, fingers playing with his hair and eyes zeroing in on his mouth. “Now, be good and kiss me like you mean it, okay?” 

Be good? 

Jungkook didn’t get any time to digest your words before your mouth was pressing against his, enveloping him in your warmth — and suddenly he didn’t want to think about anything else. How could he? When you had your hands caressing his neck, with a soft sigh against his lips, there was nothing else in the world that could rob his attention. 

In the end, past his brooding, unshakable persona, Jungkook was still a weak man when it came to you, he really was. It had become a natural, well-rehearsed reaction of his to explore your mouth with his tongue at every chance that he got; your lips slapping together as he groaned against you. The skin of his wrists was tingling, pressing hard against the ropes that held his hands back from exploring your body; from pulling you closer like he wanted to. Instead, he was at your mercy, following your own pace as you leaned your head to the side, fingers tugging on his hair as you sighed happily into the kiss. 

It was exactly the way he liked: sensual, slow, messy; made his head spin when you rolled your clothed center on his erection before sucking on his tongue. Jungkook was sure that you were doing all that on purpose, riling him up as much as possible before finally touching him where he needed so much, and that was definitely going to be a problem. 

In the back of his head, Jungkook was currently trying to decide if he hated Taehyung or not: the fact that his roommate had compulsively chosen to attend a party three hours away was the reason that you were there, kissing him like he was the air that you breathed, but also the reason why Jungkook had gotten tied up in the first place. If he had had a bit more time between texting you that he would never beg in sex (a very dumb, very unthought action), and the moment that you actually tried to make it happen, perhaps he would be able to convince you to step down from it. Perhaps he would realize that his prideful side was also really, really fucking stupid when it came to predicting his own limits. 

Truth was: Jungkook was pretty much panicking when you moaned against his lips, because his cock was unbearably hard inside his underwear and he just knew that he would fold after some time. Especially when you were acting like that, like a demon trying to seduce him into selling his soul; a siren about to drag him to the abyssal depths of the ocean. He could barely follow what was happening. 

Because of his dominating tendencies, Jungkook had never seen you showing your typical neurotic, controlling self during your sexual adventures — which was something he endlessly teased you for, but never thought it would actually have any sort of backlash. It seemed that both of you liked the usual dynamic (of Jungkook taking over) well enough and, yet, as he watched that sadistic expression monopolizing your features, he realized that maybe it was for the best. Maybe you had been training your whole life to perfect the masterful art of having things happening the way you wanted it, and maybe giving you the lead was one of the worst decisions he had made in some time. 

As you pulled away, Jungkook chased after your mouth, managing to place another small kiss on your lips before the ropes held him back. “More,” he groaned. 

The curve of your mouth was a wicked little thing, almost making him lose his composure for a second. “No, no more,” you were firm in your words. “Be patient.” 

He huffed. “You only got an attitude because my hands are tied up.”

“I always have an attitude,” you were fast to correct, getting out of his lap. The lack of your warmth was instantly felt, made his chest heave in frustration as you sat down next to him. There was an embarrassingly large wet spot on his underwear that he was hoping you wouldn’t notice. “But, yeah, maybe I’m a little braver because of it.” Before he could muster up a response, one of your hands traveled between his thighs, faintly tracing its way up his skin. “And what are you going to do about it?” 

Jungkook clenched his jaw — it was embarrassing how sensitive he was, goosebumps spreading through his legs. “Don’t tease."

“Or what?” A squeeze of his bulge was everything you need to make him shut up, his hips buckling up to meet your palm. Jungkook was hard and leaking, pulsating as you gave him a few, half-assed pumps through his underwear. A few seconds were more than enough to let him have his fun, it seemed, because you were soon removing your hand from his erection. “Now, stay still unless you want me to tie your feet too.” 

He hissed at the lack of contact, but refused to complain about it out loud. You smiled at his reaction: Jungkook was so stubborn when it came to things like that, would never show you his weak, needy side so easily. But you were patient and, from what you had been told, you had all night to get your way. 

Call it revenge, call it whatever: there was nothing that you wanted more than to see Jungkook bite back his own words and beg for you. It was an ego thing, perhaps, the mission to leave him just as overwhelmed and desperate as he had made you so many times in the past. Maybe you were a bit mean about it. But it was well deserved. 

You took your time pulling one of his legs towards you, watching as his cock throbbed when you placed your body between his thighs. Jungkook could only think about how soft your mouth felt as you kissed up his thigh before, at last, you were nuzzling your face against his erection, placing kisses on his clothed member as your thumb pressed down on his sensitive tip. His breath grew irregular at the feeling, his tongue poking out to wet his lips as you looked up at him with that demonic smirk of yours, those big doe eyes that wiped his thoughts clean. Jungkook was absolutely fucked. 

Luckily, he didn’t have to urge you further because, soon enough, you were pulling his underwear down, making it join your bra on his bedroom floor. Jungkook could’ve cried when you rolled your thumb over his crown, spreading his precum all over him, a delighted hum dripping past your throat. “You’re leaking,” you commented, eyes following the glistening of his reddened tip. He could only muster a raggedy, short sigh before you were talking again. “I can clean you up, don’t worry.” 

Jungkook moaned out when you wrapped your lips around his cock, not hesitating much before you sank down on him. His head fell back when you started sucking, your cheeks hollowing out and tongue pressed flat against him. “God, your mouth feels so fucking perfect.” His hips thrusted up, but you had enough of a reflex to pull away before he managed to hit the back of your throat. “Take it deeper, baby, do it for me.”

But you did the opposite, removing him from your mouth. You glanced up at him with a disinterested look plastered all over your face, lips glossy with a beautiful mixture of your saliva and his wetness. Jungkook made a mental note to never forget that sight. “I don’t know if you understand what’s going on here, Jungkook.” You wrapped one hand around his cock, pumping it twice. It felt good, but nothing compared to your mouth. “But it’s really not your place to tell me what to do right now. That’s not how it works.” 

“Yeah?” He chuckled, eyebrows raised in a silent dare. “And what are you going to do about it?” 

Poor decisions: Jungkook’s week was filled with poor decisions. Blame that unshakable arrogant side of his, blame his terribly constructed defense mechanisms; blame whatever it was that didn’t allow him to think clearly when you were so beautifully placed between his legs, but it seemed that he really thought it would be a good call to provoke you when you were already 1) deadset on making him embarrass himself 2) probably the best Girl Scout to ever tie a knot in history. 

Jungkook was completely helpless: he knew that, you knew that. So the reason why he mocked you in such a position would forever be another mystery that science could never answer. 

And the payback arrived soon enough. Jungkook only earned a few seconds of relaxation, staring at your impassive face, before your mouth was sinking back down around his member. 

If Jungkook thought that you were teasing him before, now you were sucking him like you wanted him to cum in two seconds — hands pumping his length, playing with his balls, tip hitting your throat, tongue dragging against his slit: the four horsemen of your apocalyptic blowjob technique that got him seeing stars in no time. “Fuck, that’s my girl,” he moaned. He was sure his wrists would be all red in the following morning from the way he was mindlessly moving his arms around, his mind just so hyper-focused on the need to touch you, to pull your hair when you were wrapping around his cock so well. “Feels so fucking perfect.” 

Then, as he was just about to tip over, you pulled away. 

“No, what the fuck,” Jungkook’s eyes snapped open, still unfocused and glazed-over. His body flinched at the interruption of his pleasure, and his cock throbbing against his pelvis, angry for attention. “Fuck, why did you stop?”

“That’s what I’m going to do about it.” You smiled, and Jungkook noticed that he was really playing a very dangerous game. In a span of two seconds, he asked himself if he was that mean to you, realized that he probably was, and came to terms with the fact that he wouldn’t change anything about it. “Are you going to behave now, Jungkook?” 

He groaned, fighting against the frustrated waves that overtook his body. His orgasm, before so close, had now been washed away, leaving him with a pulsating feeling inside his guts. “You’re pissing me off.”

“Likewise.” You tilted your head to the side, placing one hand on his thigh. “Now, stay still and do what I tell you to do. That’s the last time I’m asking.” 

He frowned. “Or what?”

You blinked, pausing for a second. “Isn’t it obvious? Or I’m leaving you like this.” 

Jungkook’s brain finally seemed to comprehend the fact that, sometimes, it’s better to keep your mouth shut. So, instead of saying something, he simply watched as you removed your underwear before sitting between his legs, your thighs over his. 

Because you absolutely hated him, you had opened your legs wide, pussy on full display, as you used one hand to lean back against the mattress. His eyes almost jumped out of their sockets when you used two fingers to spread your folds apart. “Look,” you said, your breathy voice making something inside his chest switch. “I’m so wet.” 

And wet you were. Jungkook exhaled, nostrils flaring. His mouth salivated at the thought of licking you clean, fingers growing white around the ropes. He never hated an object so hard in his life. “I can… I can see that.” 

You giggled at the grogginess of his tone, dove into the satisfaction that came from his focused eyes on your soaked folds. A gentle suspire left you as your digits slipped up, covering your clit with your arousal before pressing down on it. You were acting up a bit, whining loudly at the feeling because you knew that it drove him crazy to hear you make sounds for him. “Jungkook…” you trailed off. You had to bite back a laugh when his stare snapped up at you, looking so overwhelmingly horny and pissed off at the same time — the duality of men. “Want to have you inside me.” 

He exhaled heavily. “Do it,” he said and you allowed him to think that it was his order (and not your decision) that made you move. 

Jungkook’s pupils were blown out in sheer desire, wanting to absorb every light that bounced off your soft skin when you lined yourself with his cock, covering his tip with your warm wetness, allowing it to rub between your folds. By the time that you sat down on him, he was dangerously close to cracking. 

“Oh fuck.” His hips thrusted up, wanting to feel more of your tight walls around him. It was heaven and hell, just the way he loved it, but his delight wouldn’t last long. “Fuck, baby, that feels so good.”

“It does,” you agreed, but there was a teasing inflection in your tone that he did not miss. Soon, your fingers were back where they were before, circling your clit. “And I happen to know how to make it even better. For myself, at least.” 

It took him a few moments to understand what was going on, but, once it clicked inside his head, he could’ve cried from frustration. “What are you doing?”

“Getting myself off.” You smiled — oh you were such a fucking demon, he thought, a trickster spirit that wouldn’t rest until he was begging you to let him cum. Worst part? He might as well do it. “You don’t mind, do you? I know you love to keep your cock inside me like this.” 

They say that revenge is sweet and, as you saw the flash of desperation that crossed Jungkook’s face, you couldn’t agree more. “Aren’t… aren’t you going to move?” He tried. 

You could tell that he was holding back from just thrusting up inside you, which was equally satisfying and arousing: maybe, just maybe, he was starting to learn one thing or two about following your orders. “Hmmm… not at all.” You smirked, a tiny gasp leaving your lips as you circled your sensitive spot just the right way. Jungkook followed the movement of your lips as if they were writing the secrets of the universe. “Not if you keep that attitude up.” 

He frowned, the corners of his mouth twitching in frustration. From your peripheral vision, you could see his wrists vaguely struggling against your knots — humbly speaking, you were a great Girl Scout, the typical overachiever, and you were positive that they would hold up. 

“You’re going to regret this later,” Jungkook warned, but his words didn’t even have the chance to affect you. One clenching of your walls around him was all that it took for his head to roll back, a deep grunt dripping from his mouth at the sensation. It was just enough to keep him dangling over the edge, but not even close to making him cum. “Your pussy is so fucking tight, baby. Feels so fucking good.”

“I’m almost there, that’s why.” Your other hand slithered up your waist, cupping one of your breasts. Being a bit more theatrical than necessary (because you wanted to provoke him as much as you could), you gasped out his name as you rolled one nipple between your fingers, arching your back at the sensation. You swore you saw Jungkook’s eye twitch. “Gonna cum just like this. And you’re gonna be good and watch me.” 

Again with that be good bullshit, again not giving him enough time to process it before you were timidly rolling your hips. “Baby,” he gasped. “This isn’t fair.” 

“It isn’t,” you agreed, slightly breathless, your hand moving to play with your other breast. Jungkook followed the action like every part of you was magnetic, calling for his attention. “You do that to me all the time, though.” 

He frowned. “But I let you fucking touch me.” 

“How nice of you,” you sarcastically remarked. Another small roll of your hips made you gasp, fingers working faster around your clit. Teasing Jungkook got you shamefully turned on, it seemed, because you were just about to tip over the edge. “Fuck, feels so good.” 

“It would feel so much better if you just— God, you’re so fucking wet,” his mind was barely functioning at that point, the heavenly feeling of your walls clenching around him was making him go insane. “Just ride my cock, baby.” 

“No,” that simple word was like an arrow, shooting all his hopes down. Jungkook closed his eyes and threw his head back, trying to fight against the claustrophobic nature of his position. There was no way he could hold himself back, he thought, he would beg you as many times as he needed it that was what it took for him to finally cum. “I’m close, Kook.” 

That whimpery, needy tone of yours would be the death of him one of those days. “I can fucking feel it,” he cursed. Jungkook just wanted to thrust inside your dripping pussy, make you cream his cock like you were made for it, but he knew that you would just stop everything again if he did so, and he seriously didn’t think he could take that. “S-Shit, baby, you don’t know what you’re doing to me.” 

But you had a good idea of how you were affecting him. Through parted lids, you watched as his face contorted in pleasure when you squeezed particularly tightly around him; a muffled sob perishing on his throat when you vaguely raised your hips. Jungkook was filling you up so perfectly, like he always did, and it was that amazing stretch of his cock inside you, combined with the clear hunger that covered his features, that pulled your climax towards you. 

The orgasm that washed over you was abrupt, overbearing, just blinding enough so you didn’t notice the weak little moans that Jungkook let out at the throbbing of your walls around his aching length. You tried to prolong it for as long as possible, rubbing yourself, crying out his name for theatrical reasons, but eventually sensitivity got the best of you and you stopped. 

What you found when you did, however, was a glorious sight. Jungkook was a perfect picture of lust and desperation, his chest rising and falling rapidly and eyes locked on where your two bodies joined. There was a thin coat of sweat all over his skin, the small sound of the  ropes pulling on the headboard. When he noticed you were staring, he found your gaze. “I- I stood still,” he said. 

“I know, you did so good.” You placed one hand on his cheek, leveling your face with his so you could kiss him. Jungkook melted under your touch, a deep sigh leaving his mouth as you pulled away, his cock still deep inside you. “I’m proud of you.” 

As if something had magically changed, Jungkook tried to fight against his immobilized hands, only to find out that he was still unable to free himself. “Wanna touch you so bad, baby. You look so fucking hot sitting on my cock like this.” Jungkook was spoiled, you realized, because it didn’t take him two seconds of good behavior to revert back to what he wanted to happen. It was a terrible habit, you realized, one that you probably helped enable. “Fuck, just let me cum, baby. Take these off and I’ll fuck you just the way you like it.” 

And maybe if you weren’t so high up in your power rush, you would’ve at least considered his offer. However, having Jungkook turned into a pliant mess beneath you was worth more than anything else at that moment. “I’ll think about it if you say the magic word.”

He frowned, his charm melting away. Jungkook was so adamant on having it his way that it bordered on a joke. “Not gonna do it.” 

You kissed him once again before speaking up. “Then we don’t have a deal.” You shook your head, moving away from him. Jungkook searched after your mouth, but your stupid Girl Scouts knots didn’t allow him to go much further. He collapsed back against the headboard with a frustrated groan. “You’re a terrible sub.”

“Maybe because I’m not a fucking sub— Shit.” All his thoughts were wiped clean when you slowly raised your hips, only leaving his engorged tip inside, before, finally, sitting back down. The drag of your velvety walls against his sensitive cock was driving Jungkook up the wall, his tied-up wrists mindlessly knocking against each other. “Fuck. I hate you.”

“No, you don’t.” You pouted, repeating the movement. You watched as his jaw clenched, a sharp exhale leaving his nostrils as Jungkook both fought against and searched for his pleasure. “Sure you don’t wanna say it?” 

A deliciously slow roll of your hips got him gasping out. “I’m not gonna — fuck — not gonna say it.” 

You leaned your head to the side, stopping your movements. Jungkook’s abdomen was caving in with every small brush of your pussy around him, the illumination from the streets making the drops of sweat on his skin look like small diamonds. It was an erotic sight, from the falling of his dark hair over his hooded eyes, to the beautiful inked drawings on his arms. Unfortunately, you had other things to do other than to admire him endlessly. 

With a sigh, you got up from his lap. “Too bad.”

“Baby,” Jungkook whined — actually whined —  when he felt his cock slip out of your perfect heat, collapsing against his abdomen. The sensation got him flinching, made him bite his lip for a second in an attempt to compose himself. “Baby, don’t leave me like this, come on.”

You frowned, faking annoyance. “How can I not leave you like this, Jungkook?” Your palms slithered around his shoulders, pulling your body closer to his. “You’re being horrible right now.” 

“S-Sorry.” His breath caught in his throat when your mouth met the skin of his neck, tongue prodding out to lick a small trail up his skin. Your heat was unbearable, suffocating him and drowning out his thoughts to the point that he had really apologized for his poor demeanor. If your predictions were correct, it wouldn’t take long before he folded the way you wanted him to. “Just, come on, you can’t just— I’m just so hard right now.” 

You giggled, fingertips moving down on his chest until you found what you were looking for. “Aw. Poor thing,” you teased, feeling as he grew stiff when you started to play with his nipples. A few weeks back, you had made the wonderful and unexpected discovery that Jungkook was really sensitive there, but you never really had a chance to explore that side of him before he flipped you over and had you his way. But the universe always searched for balance, and that moment was the karmic payback you were looking for. “What’s the problem, Kook?” 

“Wanna cum.” He winced away from your faint caresses, but he really didn’t have anywhere else to go. A smirk curled up on your lips as you watched Jungkook fight against the knots, a frail, airy moan leaving his chest as you rolled his nipples between your fingers. He sounded so perfect: so needy and desperate that you could feel another gush of arousal accumulating between your folds. “Just wanna cum so bad, baby.” 

“I’m not gonna be mean and hold it off,” you told him, moving back so you could place a kiss against his pouty, swollen lips. Jungkook looked so beautifully messy, so on edge, that you almost cried out at the sight of it. “You just have to say it,” you told him, lowering your hips until you were straddling his cock. 

With a roll of your pussy against him, his cock brushed between your wet folds, tearing a broken sob from his throat. “Fuck,” Jungkook cursed. He was never in a position like that: edged for so long that he couldn’t even control the grunts that left his throat. “You’re so fucking evil.”

“You love it.” Another grind of your pussy had him throwing his head back, a loud moan ripping itself from his heaving chest. Jungkook was sensitive, responsive to the tiniest of your touches and, most of all: he was desperate, seconds away from cracking. “You know, if you say it, I’ll let you cum.” 

His cock throbbed against you when you finally stopped your movements, raising your hips so your center moved away from his. Jungkook complained at the lack of sensation, practically on the limit of throwing a tantrum, and his pelvis mindlessly buckling up in search of your warmth. Instead, he found nothing, and his member simply collapsed back against his abdomen, aching for its release. 

“This— This is torture,” he groaned. You giggled at his distress, taking one hand to brush away the sweaty hair from his forehead. Jungkook leaned into your touch. “Please, baby, just fuck me.”

Your ears perked up at that, a pool of arousal starting to grow between your legs. That sounded even better than you had predicted. “Sorry, what was that?” You teased. 

Jungkook closed his eyes, clenching his jaw. “Don’t make me say it again.” 

Slowly, you lowered your hips again, pressing your pussy against his cock. Jungkook reacted instantly, taking in a sharp inhale. “Didn’t hear you,” you said. 

“God, baby, just fuck me, please,” he finally broke down, his dazed-out gaze seemed to have some trouble focusing on your face. Desperation was plastered all over him, staring at you like a beautiful, shimmering trophy. “Please, just let me cum. Please.” 

You hummed, leaning away so you could sit on his thighs, facing his erection. You were a woman of your word: you said you wouldn’t hold it back, and you wouldn’t. “Since you asked so nicely…” you trailed off, one hand wrapping around his base, pumping him a few times. Jungkook throbbed in your hands, his abdomen sinking as your thumb grazed his sensitive crown. “Where do you wanna cum?” 

It looked like you had truly broken the poor boy down because, for the first time in his life, Jungkook didn’t have any idea on how to answer that question. “I- I don’t know,” he struggled to speak when your hand was still caressing his member: just enough for him to feel something, but too slow and light for him to actually cum. “Anywhere. Just wanna cum.” 

You pouted, letting his cock go. It bounced on his pelvis, tore a painful cry from his throat as he felt his pleasure wash away once again. “I need an answer, Kook.” 

And he said the first thing that came into his mind. “Your pussy, baby, please.” 

A smile tugged on your lips — it seemed as if that word wasn’t so hard to say anymore. “Of course, you’ve been so good.” You moved around until you were sinking down on him, feeling that fantastic stretch all over again, and earning a shaky moan from his part. You only spoke up again after you were sure he couldn’t go any deeper. “Kook?” You called. His pleading eyes shot up at you. “Wanna fuck me?” 

He breathed out, just a tremulous gush of air that he could barely get ahold of. “Y-Yes, yes, please.” 

You hummed, wiggling your ass around just so you could watch his face contort in despair, crumbling under the delicious drag of your plump walls around his cock. Jungkook almost looked cute, you dared to think, even if you were sure he would fold you in half the second that he got those ropes off. It was like teasing a tiger in a zoo: people only felt brave enough to do it because there was a thick glass between them. “You better do it, then,” you told him. 

After everything you had put him through, Jungkook seemed almost hesitant to do so. “C-Can I move?” He asked, just to be sure. Last thing he needed was to do something wrong and have you walking out on him. His cock was so hard, leaking inside you, and he didn’t believe that he could handle being left like that. 

“Of course,” you told him, the tenderness of your voice so different from what you sounded like all night. Jungkook was still on the palm of your hand, but your victory when it came to making him beg had already been achieved. So you could relax and let him do the heavy lifting for once. Being active was exhausting sometimes. “Come on, Kook,” you egged him on, leaning forward so you could find support on his chest. You knew what was coming. “Fuck me.” 

That seemed to be the last spark he needed to ignite his fire because, soon enough, he was placing both feet on the mattress and thrusting upwards, your body collapsing forward under the force of his movements. Jungkook barely gave you any time to breathe: he fucked you fast and deep, helped by the gravity of your weight above him; shallow breaths and noisy whines leaving his mouth in a beautiful cacophony of sounds. It wasn’t long before he was making you bounce on his cock, pretty moans melting upon your lips as you fought to keep your balance over him. 

“B-Baby,” Jungkook stammered, an airy, high-pitched moan sounding from his parted mouth. His brain was utterly bewildered by the movement of your body above his own, the bouncing of your breasts and the wild fluttering of your eyelashes. And those moans, those gorgeous, ethereal little sounds that you reserved just for him. “S-So perfect. All mine.” 

“All yours,” you said promptly, struggling to meet his gaze. No matter how much you tried, you could not follow the speed of his thrusts, so you simply kept your body in place as he used it as he pleased. “Is this what you wanted?” 

He nodded, mouth falling open. His lips were pouty and swollen, slightly red from the way he had bitten them before. “Wanna cum,” he breathed out, “inside you.” 

No pretty please, you realized. Perhaps it wasn’t your best call to ask him to fuck you, because it dawned on you that you had just handed Jungkook his esteemed control back on a silver platter. That started simply as a doubt in the corners of your mind, however, you were sure that you had lost that battle once his needy whimpers started to wash away, instead replaced by the guttural, rough groans that he usually presented to you. 

Not that you truly cared about it: you had already proven your point. 

His head leaned to the side, pressing against his elevated arm. Jungkook was hypnotized by the way that your bodies met, the way you held yourself up so he could fuck himself inside you. You were always so good for him. “Your pussy feels so fucking amazing, baby,” Jungkook moaned out, hips snapping up against yours. A hiss dripped from his mouth when he felt you clench around him, signaling that you were close once again. “Look so pretty. Made for my cock.” 

“Y-Yes,” you stammered, head falling back. You could feel that familiar tingling at the bottom of your stomach, your orgasm ready to snap once more. Jungkook always fucked you so well, even when his hands were tied up, always left your brain scrambling after the most basic of words. “I’m c-close.” 

Jungkook tried once more to pull at his restraints, but it simply wouldn’t bulge. The contrast between the red ropes and the dark ink decorating his skin was beautiful, the veins of his hands getting thicker as tugged again and again. Jungkook was beyond the realms of reason by that point, struggling like a caged animal because there was nothing else in the world that he wanted more than to touch; to suck your breasts and to fuck you the way he wanted to. “Gonna cum too, baby,” his voice was almost a roar, deep and frustrated. It shot straight up to your core, made you tip over the edge and come down spasming around his cock, your high washing over you. “That’s it, cream my cock,” he praised. In the background of your overwhelmed state, you could feel as his member throbbed inside you, ready to release. “Take everything for me, alright? Wanna fill you up.”  

You barely had any time to nod before he was spilling himself inside you, a long, throaty moan dripping like sin from his lips. Jungkook tried to keep his movements up for a bit longer, delighting himself in the way you winced at the feeling, but even he had grown too tired to continue it. So, at last, he collapsed back against the mattress, sweaty hair falling over his eyes. 

“Get up,” he commanded, breathless. “Let me see it.” 

With shaky movements, you did as he requested, planting one hand on his thigh so you could raise your body. His cock slipped out at the motion, already softening, but his gaze was stuck on the gradual dripping of his cum between your pussy lips. As much as you were used to that specific request, it always made your legs weak when you looked at him during that part — no matter what happened before, Jungkook always had that maniac expression plastered all over his face, like the mere image of his cum slipping out of you was enough to send him into a frenzy all over again. And, most times, it was. 

“Good girl,” his dark stare slowly navigated towards your eyes. His arms were surprisingly still, no longer battling against the ropes, and there was something ominous about that. “Push it back in.” 

Because you didn’t want to anger him any further, you agreed. It was almost impressive how quickly Jungkook was able to take back his control: even with him being immobilized, you were still folding and following his wishes like it was your second nature. “Like this?” You asked, using two of your fingers to stuff his cum back inside. 

“Yeah, just like that.” He breathed out, the final seconds of his exhale morphing into a low growl. “Now, ___,” he called, eyes still glued to your pussy. “Untie me.” 

You almost wanted to go against that, given the way he was about to break you in half, but that wasn’t probably the brightest of ideas. A bit nervous, you moved off his lap and sat down next to him, hands flying to undo the knots. “Hang on,” you requested. From the corners of his vision, you could see Jungkook staring you down, his piercing eyes focused on your face, silently watching you through the curtain of his black hair. At last, you managed to undo the ropes, the thick material falling beside you as Jungkook lowered his arms and started to massage his wrists. “How are your hands? I hope it wasn’t—“

“Lay down.” He interrupted, dry. Your mouth fell shut — none of your usual sarcastic remarks finding their way past the lump in your throat. 

The softness of the pillow was a welcomed sensation, but your body could not relax, not when Jungkook was still looking at the pink marks on his inked skin, thinking about what he was going to do to you. You waited for what seemed like hours until he finally moved around, arms on either side of your head and chest pressed flush against yours. Jungkook’s heat was asphyxiating, his nose bumping against yours as he placed a small, tender kiss on your lips. He was being too calm, you noticed that instantly; still waters with sharks swimming underneath. 

“Silly girl,” he mumbled against your mouth, fingers pressing on either side of your jaw. Jungkook pulled your mouth open, thumb caressing your lower lip as he stared down at you like an arrogant monarch. You felt terribly small, shrinking under his presence. “It’s not my hands that you should be worrying about.” He smirked, and his thumb paused its tender motions on your lip. He sighed. “Now that you had your fun, I’m gonna have mine.” 

~ 

Jungkook was right: his wrists were red the next day. He naively thought that no one would be able to see it through his tattoos, but Taehyung, even in his hungover stupor, had his detective eye ready and noticed the marks right away. There was absolutely no way all his crime documentaries made him such an expert, Jungkook thought, but couldn’t really be sure of it. 

“You know… things like this only make me more curious,” Taehyung said after Jungkook had refused to tell him who had come over the previous night. He was munching on his sandwich like his life depended on it, brows furrowed into a perfect picture of concentration. There was jelly all over his mouth, pulling up the corners of his lips and making Taehyung look like a terrible, discount copy of the joker. “Like, a chick tied you up? Come on, I have to meet someone like that. It’s a matter of, like, survival, some alpha wolf bullshit—“

“Fuck off,” Jungkook cut him short, burying his face on his hands. He was too tired to deal with any of that. “I never want to hear about you or your wolves ever again.”

~

check out the rest of the bad influence collection! 

taglist > @minyoongiboongi  @bvrrym0re @marcoazam2 @shojotae @youurkryptonite @fan-ati--c @btstrasht @crazy4myself @ft-multi @kooafraid @dianaaviny @ggukkieland @cryinginmypromdress @kissestothesky @imluckybitches @gyukult @jinsalpaca @0901-1230 @we8joon​ @gamerkooks​

[yourlmanburg]

yet another smp sibling // eret + gn!sibling!reader

(hello i genuinely do not know what got blown up in doomsday please let that slide lmao, also i am honestly really sorry about how late this is - i was super tired yesterday and i’ve been busy all day today lulw but even so, i hope you enjoy this even if i didn’t have the energy to edit it whoops)

word count: 1,343

summary: eret reveals they have a younger sibling and shows them around the dream smp

request?: yep! thank you @brianawithonen!!

---

Your brother had been streaming for about half an hour or so now while you were busy doing homework, but if you’d been watching, your heart would’ve melted. Alastair had somehow let it slip that he had a little sibling and his chat was going crazy as they spoke nothing but good about you, singing your praises and making it clear how much you meant to them.

“I can actually go and get Y/n if you guys would like?” She asked her chat, and needless to say, they were delighted with the idea of meeting another SMP sibling. You were sitting at your desk when you heard a knock at your bedroom door, spinning around to look at your brother.

“Aren’t you streaming?” You asked before he could get a word in. He wasn’t supposed to end yet as far as you were aware.

“Yep! Do you want to play on the SMP for a little bit?” They asked kindly, their tone preventing you from feeling too pressured. You couldn’t lie, the thought of showing yourself to tens of thousands of people both scared you and excited you - what if somebody you knew was watching the stream and they didn’t know you were The Eret’s sibling? What if nobody liked you? What if you said something wrong and got cancelled, or even worse, what if you got Alastair cancelled? Despite the negative thoughts crowding your mind, you realised how much joy the Dream SMP had brought to Alastair. You knew how much it’d boosted their career and you know how many lives he’d changed, and you knew about the friends he’d made. Maybe this was a chance for you to have the same as that for a segment of a stream.

“Sure!” You exclaimed with a grin, leaving your work where it was and following your brother into their recording room.

“Here we go, chat!” Alastair said with a smile, passing you a spare headset and pulling out another chair for you. “This is Y/n, my mini me, who is surprisingly good at Minecraft.” They chuckled as you looked at her with fake betrayal.

"Surprisingly, huh?" You chuckled, slipping on the headset and sitting beside your sibling. 

“Oh, by the way, I’m on the VC in case anybody wants to join - is that okay with you?” She asked and you nodded, already taking over his game and walking around on the Dream SMP. This was so surreal.

“So what do I do?”

“Well, I can show you around if you’d like?” Alastair looked at you with a small grin, to which you nodded eagerly. You began in (the remains of) L’Manburg and you were shown around the Greater Dream SMP, the Badlands, Manifoldland and even El Rapids, and you couldn’t lie; you were impressed by some of the structures your brother had built. Everything was going better than you’d expected and you really did enjoy spending time with Alastair like this, until you heard the familiar Discord chime and a very distinct voice that you just could not ignore.

“HELLO ERET!” The legendary TommyInnit screamed down your ears, unaware of your presence. Alastair chuckled, letting him know that he was with his younger sibling.

“Why do you have a child with you? Do they know that I am a big man, bigger than them?” oh, somebody sounded confident as ever.

“Wanna bet?” you spoke up, Tommy for once finding himself at a loss for words.

“You suck.” he stated bluntly, causing you to burst into fits of laughter. Alastair was a little more on the unimpressed side, however, asking Tommy to calm down with the somewhat aggressive remarks. Of course, he was only answered with incoherent angry mumbles, followed by another Discord chime.

“TUBBO!” both Alastair and Tommy shouted at the same time, Tubbo greeting them with an equal level of enthusiasm. A little yellow banner across the screen told you that he’d just logged into the game, his avatar appearing not too far away from your brother’s.

“Hey Tubbo, did you know Eret is with a child?” Tommy asked him like it was the biggest deal on Earth. Tubbo let out a confused laugh, asking Alastair if this was true or if Tommy was just spouting bullshit as usual.

“Hi,” you giggled before Alastair had a chance to reply. “I believe I am said child.”

“Oh, hello!” he greeted you happily, running over towards you in Minecraft and crouching in front of your character. 

“Tubbo, right? I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Who’s Tubbo? I am Big Law and Big Law only.” you laughed at how serious his tone was, feeling as if you were really, finally seeing why the SMP meant so much to your brother. You barely knew them yet these people were some of the nicest you’d ever met (despite the fact that you’d already known of their existence and tuned into more than enough streams prior to this) and you truly felt as if you belonged - if only you could become a permanent member in the intricate storyline.

You, Tubbo and Tommy played around for a while longer with your brother by your side, every so often speaking up but he was mostly just watching you. Watching the smile on your face and the shine in your eyes; this was clearly where you wanted to be, if he could just…

Alastair pulled out his phone, opening up discord and clicking on his conversation with Dream. Meanwhile, you were very invested in the business you were starting up with the two boys, trying to persuade people like Nihachu and Ranboo to buy from you.

Dream joined the game.

You paused for a second, looking up at Alastair with a grin. You’d always wanted to meet Dream and she’d always said that he was a busy man and you just had to wait for a chance, could this be it? Could you finally be able to speak to the Dreamwastaken?

Even so, you carried on as you were. You tried not to show your excitement in fear of being seen as an overly obsessed fan, when you saw a familiar green skin hopping over to where you, Ranboo and your two new friends stood. Turning to face him, Tommy and a very confused Ranboo began shouting at you to make a deal with him for your business when somebody joined the call.

“Hello?” the new voice greeted, and it was undeniably Dream. 

“Hello!” you replied enthusiastically, as did the others. 

“Y/n?” Oh my god, he knew your name.

“Yeah?”

“What’s your Minecraft username?”

“Y/u/n, why?” Dream left the game and there was a pause. Nobody else in the call was speaking, what was happening? Had you just fucked things up? You looked up to Alastair for reassurance, and he nodded at you with a warm smile, but you still didn’t understand.

“Okay!” Dream spoke up again, dragging out the “o” and rejoining the server. “Eret should be sending you the IP address now, go and try logging in on your account, you should be whitelisted.

And you were. You’d finally been whitelisted on the Dream SMP.

All because of your brother.

That night, you sat on the sofa beside Alastair, tired from many hours you’d spent on the server, but happy. The happiest you’d been in a while. As much as you were afraid to admit it, ever since they joined you’d longed to have what they had with everyone, you longed to be part of the plot. You finally had that chance.

“So?” She asked you with a smile. “How was today?”

“Fucking incredible!” you replied, making them laugh. You leaned into Alastair’s side, looking up at him with a tired expression. “Thank you, Alastair, seriously. You’ve just made one of my dreams come true - pun intended.”

“I’m glad! I’m so happy to have you there now, I really think you have the potential to become a really crucial character.”

“Really?”

“Really. Now go and do that maths homework you left.”

“I hate you.”

[captaincravatthecapricious]

Can’t Get Up- Prompt Fill

See I told you I did both!  Cw dizziness, fainting, fever, head injuries, and canon typical being mean to Jon

Send me more prompts!  (Bingo card by @celosiaa​) The ones with stars are the ones I already have prompts for, the crossed out ones are the ones I have posted!  Send me a character, a prompt, and tell me if you want an art or a fic!!!!!!

This one makes a Lot more sense if you read Too Much by @janekfan​ first, but do as you will, I think it can also stand alone.  

The lingering fever left over from Jon’s (to Martin’s and Tim’s lack of information: mysterious and) hellish few days continued to do just that... linger.  

Burned and bruised.  Concussed and dizzy.   

The fever was never overly dangerous, but it sapped Jon’s already basically nonexistent reserve of energy.  And it just... lingered.  Lingers.  

It's better now that Tim and Jon had some sort of talk, but neither of them really know how they stand with the other.  

Well, it is better for Jon because he has two people who give a shit if he collapses in the hall now.  And better for Martin because one less person is going to actively try to hurt Jon.  And better for Tim because he’s missed his friend.  But it’s still awkward.  

Tim watches Jon drag himself from the cot another morning.  It was Tim that stayed with him last night, Martin's turn tonight.  Jon is scared and confused and shouldn't be left alone.  Not when he screams himself awake every couple hours.  Not when gets so dizzy that he loses track of what he is meant to be doing.  

Jon has been trying to push through.  Trying to work.  To make himself useful.  To help save the world.  To work himself into the ground so he doesn't think about how shitty everything has been for him.  

Tim watches him drag himself up, and crumple right back down again.  Tim managing to break his fall.  Again.  He should text Martin.  He does text Martin.  

Jon blinks up fuzzily at him after just a few seconds.  

"Sorry," Jon slurs.  

"Stop that," Tim says, not unkindly.  Still trying to remember how to be kind with this fragile little man.  

"I need... 'Sira need me to... I should get up."  Jon is still struggling for words, eyes slipping closed, making no move to push himself from Tim's chest, where Tim has been pillowing him.  

Jon might be asleep again.  It's hard to tell.  Tim presses a hand to Jon's forehead, confirming it still too warm, but not worse, and returns to his seemingly endless playing with Jon's hair.  

It is still a bit before hours, so he doesn't expect Martin to appear the next moment, more like in the next half hour, depending on the crowds and the tube.  But, when he hears footsteps approaching he feels relief, until he realizes those aren't Martin's footsteps.  Too sharp.  Still heavy, bit not heavy enough.  Jon did mention needing to get something to Basira.

No one has... talked to Tim about his ....calling it a change of heart sounds stupid.  He isn't going to call it that.  He didn't have a change of heart, per se.  He just realized he had his head up his ass and was honestly just as bad as Jon in some ways.  Not to mention, he couldn't keep blaming Jon when Jon was basically just an unlucky punching bag, now with the added flavor or concussed and feverish.  

"Right," says Basira, pushing open the door after a single, sharp knock.  Pulling Jon from his uneasy sleep. 

He scrambles upright.  Too fast, sending him into a swoon for the second time in just a few minutes.  

"Did you find those files?  I need them if we want to actually stop the circus, and not just have a slumber party."  There is clearly judgement in her eyes.  

Tim, who caught Jon for the second time this morning, has an arm around him protectively.  

Jon is coming around again.  "Mmm wh'?"  He forces his eyes open against the light Basira flipped on upon her entrance, eyes crossing as he tries to bring Basira into focus.  

"Jon, look.  We really don't have time for... whatever this is.  Just get up and do something useful or just leave.  And leave the rest of us to clean up this mess."  It isn't that she is outright mean.  Not like Daisy.  Not hostile like Melanie.  But cold.  Which.... Tim shouldn't begrudge her for, but he wants to.  Was she there when Jon was beaten?  Tim's seen those bruises.  Still dark and angry.  Jon still cries out when handled roughly, or when handled gently but not gently enough.  

Was she there?  Was she complicit in this mess?  And if she was... if she watched Jon get beaten by her partner.  If she was one of the faces that stood over Jon while he dug a grave... and just waltzed back in here demanding Jon to help.  Jon who can't even stay conscious...  Who has been feverish and incoherent... 

Who is she to do that?  

Footsteps.  

Martin.  

Good.  Tim doesn't know what to do.  His instinct is to protect.  To push away.  To fight.  But can he trust that instinct?  When that's what he accused Jon of doing?  What he, himself had done?

"Morning Basira, do you think I can get through?  Jon's been a bit poorly and I rather doubt you looming over him is going to help."  

Martin.  God bless Martin.  

She scowls but stands aside.  

Martin, studiously ignores her.  

Tim would rather like to kiss him.  

Jon is still having trouble following the conversation.  But he visibly brightens when Martin steps into view.  Martin checks his temperature with the inside of his wrist.  He tuts gently at Jon, who still seems too dizzy to sit up on his own.  

"So...?" Basira.  Reminding the three of them that she is, in fact there.  

"Sorry," mumbles Jon, still barely coherent, and certainly not aware of what he was apologizing for this time.  A reflex that makes Tim shudder.  

"I'll do it myself."  She turns on her heal and leaves.  Shutting the door a bit too hardly, and Jon flinches.  

"Hey, Jon.  How are you feeling?"  Tim scoots over as gently as he can so as not to jostle Jon too much.  He makes room for Martin next to them.  

Jon's eyes flicker closed again.  Tim isn't sure if he's lost consciousness again or if he's just closed his eyes against the dizziness.  

Martin watches with worry etched on is face.  "How's he doing?"

Tim pulls a face.  "Not worse, I don't think... but not better.  Still getting nightmares.  But he's passed out on me twice, though.  Not sure what to do about that.   Could be the vertigo, could be a panic response, could be the fever, hell it could be dehydration or hunger.  We haven't gotten much food in him."  Tim yawns.  It has been a painfully long few days.  And he's only gotten the chance to sleep every other night.  

"Maybe... one of us should take him home?"  Martin has lost some of that self confidence that he managed to put up around Basira.  Probably because Tim know's Martin's flat wouldn't be comfortable for two or three people.  Probably because Martin isn't sure just how far Tim is willing to be put out on Jon's behalf.  

Then again.  It is a bit too late not to be involved.  Because Jon cannot seem to get up without passing out and so Tim has just been cuddling him for hours.  

"I can take him to mine.  I have more space."  He offers a tired smile, sparing Martin the halting questions, and Tim the hurt of knowing he isn't fully trusted anymore.  Not that he blames Martin for that.  He made his bed, now he'll lay in it.  Shit, did he make his bed?  Well they are about to find out.  "You call a cab, I'll see if I can wake him?"

Martin nods, and makes to do that.  Exiting the room to spare Jon the extra volume.  

"Hey Jon?"  Tim runs his free hand through Jon's hair for a few moments.  Watching Jon's eyes slowly flicker open.  

"Mmmmm."  Jon's bandaged hands holding on to his shirt.  Too-warm forehead pressed against his chest.  

"Is it alright if I take you home?"

"What 'bout work?"  Jon's mouth barely able to form the words.  Can't see straight enough to read anything.  

"Bud, how exactly did you plan to do any work?"  

Jon tries to focus his eyes.  And his words.  He only manages to squint slightly.  

"We tried letting you work, but you aren't getting better, how about you take a couple days to get better, then you can come back and we can save the world?  Besides.  Shouldn't do work with a concussion.  Don't want brain damage, do you?"  Tim starts slowly easing Jon upright, only to have Jon's eyes roll back.  Again.  "Shit!"

"You both okay?"  Martin's back.  Good.  Tim doesn't know what to do.  

"Well I woke him up, but when I tried sitting him up, he fainted on me again."

Martin tuts again, and sits back next to them to check on Jon for himself.  "Maybe we should move him while he's out to spare him the trip.  The cab will be here soon."  

Tim shrugs and slowly gets to his feet.  Maneuvering Jon into a bridal carry as he does so.  "Now we just gotta make sure that the cabbie doesn't think we are kidnapping him."  

Matin flutters around, wanting to make sure the position will be comfortable enough for Jon when he eventually comes around.  "It'll be fine.  He should be conscious by then."

"Yeah and what do we say, our boss had a bit too much to drink at..."  He searches for the wall clock.  "9:30 in the morning."  

"We say we're from the Magnus Institute, and they will ignore everything about us, Tim."  

Tim... still needs to get used to this side of Martin.  He kind of loves it when the bitterness isn't aimed at him.  

Jon comes around again and they pass the others in the bullpen, clinging tightly to Tim's shirt until the sudden change of level of the stairs makes him dizzier and his head ache, if the small, fragile sounds he is making are any indication.  

Martin is right.  The cabbie doesn't a single question once he sees the building they are standing in front of.  

Martin makes tea.  Tim makes soup.  And Jon is tucked tightly in Tim's bed for the first time in over a year.  

[loversamongus]

Friends, Fevers, Family Movies

a/n: first one shot for @fromthewatertribe‘s 1k follower event! This turned out to be A LOT longer than I expected and it was also originally for a whole other prompt??? And then just??? Evolved into this??? I knew I wanted to write something that featured a Sokka friendship (and a Katara one!) but also feature good ol’ Zuko fluff. So here ya go. Word vomit. TO CELEBRATE NINA BEING AWESOME.

Also important: written as a world without covid, but does mention the flu. prompt: go to bed, you idiot.

words: 2k

relationship: Zuko x reader

Sharing an apartment with your best friends has its highs and lows. On the bright side, you truly lucked out between the epic prank wars, overly competitive game nights, and the bureaucratic division of chore responsibilities. However, there’s also the constant paranoia that someone can jump out of your closet in a gorilla costume, the frustrated search for the last blue Sorry piece after a certain sore loser flipped over the coffee table, and Katara’s insistence on hand washing all dishware even though the kitchen has a perfectly good dishwasher. The three of you never experience a dull moment.

And you’re so grateful to be living with them. Sokka and Katara are your best friends but now it’s like having a brother and sister of your own. Due to the smaller size of the apartment, you and Katara share a bedroom but neither of you would have it any other way. Though you both have your own corner of the room, you’ll spend hours laying on the gray shag rug in the middle between your beds just talking.

“Today, at the diner, a man had the AUDACITY to call me ‘pretty girl’ and like, yes I am pretty but I don’t need an old coffee-breathed, wrinkly limp noodle to tell me that so I assumed he was just stating the obvious and that I should also call him by obvious nicknames in order to better communicate with and understand the customer, as my manager puts it.”

“And what did you call him?”

“When I came back with their food, he said, ‘Can the pretty girl also get us some mayonnaise packets?’ And I said, ‘Not a problem, ‘crusty man.’”

Katara tried her darnedest to flash you a severe look but couldn’t help choking on a fit of giggles.

“Suki approves of it and we spent the rest of our shift calling each other different names when we crossed paths!”

The rest of the night would linger on with more work day stories, giggles, and Sokka occasionally pounding on the door for you both to shut up already because he is trying to sleep goddamnnit and can’t do that while the apartment is filled with your shrill girlish squeals.

Finally, when you both struggle to fight off sleep, you wave the white flag and drag yourself into bed. But just before you drift off, you hear Katara whisper your name from across the room. You’re not even sure if she’s awake, you’re both so tired, but you answer anyways.

“Hmm?”

“What do you think of Aang?”

“He adores you (yawn) it’s so sweet. I like him for you.”

There’s a silence and you think you’re free to finally fall into your dreams until Katara speaks again.

“What do you think of Zuko?”

“Hmm? I dunno, he’s our (yawn) friend and I like when he brings over (yawn) fireball for game night (yawn) why?”

Your exhaustion overpowers you before you could hear Katara respond, “Because he adores you, it’s so sweet. I like him for you.”

Although also your best friend, living with Sokka feels much less sweet and much more chaotic. Somehow you’re at each other’s throats more so than he is with his own blood related sister. It may have started when the Sock Battle started, a game in which Sokka made it his mission to hide his stenchiest pair of socks somewhere in your stuff. By now, you’ve found his socks in your pillowcases, in textbooks, in your gym bag, and in a picture frame next to your bed. You deliberately retaliate in any way you can during game night. While these instances often have you second guessing your friendship with him, you and Sokka could both put the bickering aside with a Disney movie and a bucket of buttered popcorn.

You could have killed him though when he gave you the flu. Katara was spared thanks to her daily regimen of vitamins and obsession with cleanliness, and Sokka had even recovered rather quickly. But you were not as lucky. Even though it was only the beginning of October, you had Katara dig out your flannel holiday pajamas to warm you up from the chills. The darling that she is, Katara made you her famous homemade soup and set it by your bedside table before heading out to see Aang. In the meantime, it was time for payback.

“Sokka, I need you to refill my water bottle.”

“Do it yourself.”

“Fine and when I get over to the kitchen I’ll lick every bag of beef jerky you own.”

“Oh my god, fine. Give me your water bottle.”

“Sokka, I need to charge my phone. Give me your charger.”

“No? Yours in your room, go get it.”

“If only my legs weren’t so weak from this terrible flu I’ve contracted from someone I trusted to be more hygienic.”

“Here, take it.”

“Sokka, you need to light a candle in the bathroom. Ooh do the rose petal one.”

“Ugh, no. You know I hate yours and Katara’s girly scented candles.”

“Okay, but then don’t complain about the smell when you go in.”

“It can’t be that bad— OH MY GOD DID SOMETHING CRAWL OUT OF YOU AND DIE?! OH MY GOD IT’S TRAVELLING. IT’S TRAVELLING THROUGH THE APARTMENT.”

By the fourth day of having the flu, Sokka was sick. Not of the flu. Of you. Katara had been spending as much time with Aang as she could to avoid catching anything from you so the responsibility of taking care of you fell on Sokka. And he was finally reaching the breaking point after you left used tissues all over “his side” of the couch. You snuggled into your pile of blankets as you watched your best friend grumble about the living room, every so often glancing at you while muttering incoherently.

After picking up the last of your snot filled, flu infected tissues, Sokka stood in front of you and took a long, exaggerated breath.

“I am leaving this Land of Disgusting to eat at the diner before driving Suki home.”

“Sokka, you had me at ‘I am leaving.’”

“Shut up. You still have a fever so I’ve called in reinforcements to look after you while Katara and I are both out. They’ll be here shortly after I’m gone. Can you handle yourself for 10 minutes?”

“Aye aye, captain.”

Before leaving, Sokka grabbed one more blanket from your room to bring to you on the couch. You realize how lucky you are to be such a pain in the ass and still be so loved by your little family. These happy thoughts, along with the utter amusement over the possibility of Toph being the one taking care of you, lulled you into a short, soft nap.

When you open your eyes next, the living room is dark, save for the small lamp in the corner of the room. As you go to stretch out your legs on the couch, your feet kick into something that wasn’t there before.

“Sokka?” you ask wearily, assuming your friend is back from dropping Suki off home.

“Nope.”

It wasn’t Sokka’s voice. Nor was it Toph’s. Trying your best to sit up under the weight of five blankets, you turn your head to see Zuko’s face illuminated by his phone’s screen as his thumb continued to scroll.

“Oh. Hi.”

He looked over at you. “Hey. Can I get you anything?”

It takes you a moment to get over the fact that Zuko is the reinforcements, the one called to take care of you while your roommates are out of the apartment. But finally you respond, “Actually, my throat is really dry. Can you grab my water bottle for me?”

He reached over to the coffee table to grab your water bottle for you. Then, after handing it you, Zuko went back to looking at his phone.

“Katara says you have to take your medicine once you’ve woken up.”

“Ugh noooooo. I don’t want to.”

Taking pills has never been your been your strong suit. Maybe it’s your irrational fear of choking on them or just your innate ability to be stubborn about everything but you try to put up your best fight.

“You have to. Or else we’ll have to cancel another game night or you just won’t be able to play with us. And then who would kill Sokka first in Among Us.”

“You’ll have to continue my legacy, that’s all.”

“Just take the pills. I already cut them up for you.”

“Fine... thank you.”

After you swallow the last pill, you lay back down on the couch but Zuko gets up.

“Where are you going?”

“Since you’re up now, let’s watch a movie. There’s nothing else you should really be doing in your condition.”

“I have my DVDs on my shelf in my room. Pick me a Disney movie?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Oh my god, please? I am very sick and frail and only the nostalgic joys of my childhood can cure me.”

“....fine.”

You muster up a squeal that quickly turns into a cough as Zuko leaves the room. After a few minutes he comes back with Toy Story 2, a choice that makes you raise an eyebrow considering its heartbreaking song is not something you’d expect Zuko to want to watch. Nonetheless, you hardly protest as the two of you settle in on the couch for the movie to begin.

To your surprise, the animated movie managed to steal a couple chuckles from Zuko. After all the bickering throughout the week with Sokka, it was a welcome and pleasant sound ringing in your ears. Despite your better judgment, you shift closer to him, especially when you know Jessie’s big song is getting closer. He doesn’t move away though and even wraps an arm around you. When a chill runs down your spine, you wonder if it’s due to the fever.

“Are you crying?”

“It’s just SO sad, how could you not, Zuko?! Somebody needs to LOVE HER AGAIN.”

Grinning, he hands you the tissue box, which you fully accept both for your tears and flu-inflicted runny nose. But once the song ends and you’ve let out a good cry, your eyelids start to feel enormously heavy. Zuko must sense this because he scoots a bit closer to you, allowing you to rest your head on his shoulder. You hesitate for a moment, not wanting to pass the flu onto Zuko, but for some reason he feels warmer than the mountains of blankets you’re buried under.

The rest of the movie plays on and you struggle to keep your eyes open, often shifting against Zuko to wake yourself back up. You know there’s more to the movie but Zuko picks up the remote and turns off the tv. Before you could even question what he’s doing, he’s lifting you up and walking you to your room.

“But we didn’t see the end of the movie!”

“You weren’t going to stay up to see the end anyways.”

“But you needed to see Jessie and Bullseye find new homes! With Andy! And Wheezy!! Wheezy gets fixed!!”

He helped you under the covers and sat beside you on your bed for a moment. You still feel enough energy to offer up a few more protests.

“Only the end of the movie can cure me with its pure, unadultered childhood joy! You can use some, too! Disney fixes all things!”

He scoffed and rolled his eyes, but before getting up, Zuko leaned in to kiss your forehead lightly.

“Go to bed, you idiot.”

You didn’t even register when he left your side because you were asleep again within minutes. In fact, when the sunlight from the bedroom window wakes you up hours later, you could have sworn it was all just a fever dream anyways. Disney movies cuddled up with Zuko? Definitely sounds fake. However, later on in the morning, you do begin to suspect it was all real when you find your Toy Story 2 DVD still in DVD player and catching Katara and Sokka trying to discreetly give each other a high five.

[rosenallies]

i had never considered rosejanali before, but im loving it so much!! if you’re feeling this ship, could you write more about them? maybe some fluff or like rosenali spoiling jan and eventually falling in love with her?

Aw yes I love this ship sm🥺🥺

—-

Jan bit her lip, nerves coursing through her as she raised her fist to knock on Rosé and Denali’s door. She’d been seeing them for a couple months now, and it all took her by a whirlwind. It wasn’t too long after they met where she started to notice feelings for them, feelings other than the lust she knew was undeniably there. They didn’t just fuck her, they wined and dined her too, held her while she slept, and treated her like a princess more so than anyone she’s ever dated. Jan felt stupid, how dumb of her was it to fall for not one but two married people, who were married to each other nonetheless. As much as she enjoyed their company and wanted to bask in their attention, she had to end it before she got in too deep. Which is why she showed up at their doorstep unannounced. She knew both were home, Rosé’s cherry red convertible and Denal’s shiny black Audi were both parked side by side in front of the house.

She played with the hem of her skirt while she waited for the door to open, but it didn’t take long for Denali to swing the door open, their dog, Donut, yipping at her feet.

“Hi baby!” She chirped, pressing a quick peck to Jan’s lips before ushering her in the house.

“Rosie, Jan’s here!” She called.

Denali led her through the house and into the kitchen, where Rosé stood at the stove, hair in a bun and an apron on as she stirred something in a pot. Whatever it was, smelled amazing.

Rosé smiled wide. “Hi beautiful, how are you?”

Jan bit her lip, of course they’d be overly sweet to her while she came over to break things off. “Um, I actually wanted to talk to you guys about something if that’s okay.”

Denali nodded. “Of course, anything you want.”

Rosé lowered the heat on the stove and covered the pot with a lid. “This needs to simmer for another half hour so I’m freed up,” she said, crossing the room and kissing Jan’s cheek. “Should we go sit at the table?”

Jan nodded, following them to the table and taking a seat. Once they were all sat, they gave her the floor, the blonde wringing her hands with anxiety.

“I’m really sorry, but I think we need to break off whatever this is,” Jan spoke quickly, her words jumbled together so they were nearly incoherent, but the band aid was ripped off. The hard part was over.

Or maybe it just began, because both Denali and Rosé looked devastated.

“Oh,” Rosé said quietly, “can I ask why?”

Jan at the very least owed them that. “Well, nothing against you guys at all. In fact, quite the opposite, I just- I’ve started to develop feelings for both of you and I want to break it off before I get in too deep. Because I know you guys are married and stuff but I just- I’m too emotional to just do the friends with benefits thing.”

Her words came out like word vomit and even though Rosé and Denali were confused, they let her speak.

Denali was the first to speak up when she finished. “Jan, honey, is that what you thought this is? Just friends with benefits? I mean, I get it if the polyamory thing isn’t for everyone, but we think of you as so much more than just a friend who we fuck. Shit, we’ve been telling people you’re our girlfriend.”

Jan’s cheeks flushed. “You have?” She looked at Rosé for confirmation.

The redhead nodded. “Of course, we really care for you, Jan. Why do you think we always take you to dinner and do things like that?”

“I-I just thought you guys were being nice.”

Denali took her hand and squeezed it. “So it seems there’s been some miscommunication here, but we promise we care deeply for you in every aspect of this relationship. I love you, Jannie.”

Rosé nodded. “I love you too.”

Jan felt tears prick at her eyes. “I love you both, I’m so sorry.”

They all stood up, locking one another in an embrace and staying that way until the fire alarm blared, breaking up their huddle.

“Fuck!” Rosé exclaimed rushing to the stove where whatever she had in the pot was bubbling over and smoking. She turned the stove off while Jan and Denali began opening windows to air it out. Finally, the alarm stopped and all three burst into laughter.

“Jan, do you wanna stay and order some takeout?” Rosé asked through laughter

Jan giggled and nodded. “I’d love to.”

[soudam-appreciation]

Carousel (3)

Kazuichi further zipped his jacket from its current chest level to his chin. He shivered, taking long strides to keep up with Gundham. They had entered the event with no trouble whatsoever, and Gundham had received a congratulatory look from the man at the ticket booth. Gundham didn't want to answer why, but Kazuichi thought it was likely because he had witnessed Gundham waiting.

"What attraction would you like to visit first?"

"Hm? Oh- well, I've never really been to something like this before... what stuff is there to do?"

Gundham paused and made a wide sweeping motion, gesturing to the rows and rows of flashing lights and temporary structures that surrounded them. Kazuichi turned in a wide circle, eyes catching on nearly every sign. He had been so focused on not bothering Gundham that he hadn't paid any attention to the actual attractions. Turning back to the way they had come, he looked down the row of nothing but food trucks and booths.

Kazuichi inhaled deeply, a sweet scent drawing his attention. He stopped his odd rotation, turning to face the stand that seemed to be the source. Said source seemed to be yet another brightly flashing booth, advertising lemonade, hot dogs, and... funnel cake? His mouth watered, and he wondered what real carnival funnel cake tasted like.

Gundham noticed Kazuichi's draw. Turning the same way he was facing, he too noticed the stand. Glancing back and forth between Kazuichi and his focus, he tucked a hand into his pocket.

"Would you like one?"

"Huh?" His attention snapped back to Gundham, startled out of his deliciously scented trance.

"Would you like one?" Gundham fished for his wallet.

"Oh, well, I mean, y-you don't have to-"

"Would you?"

Kazuichi didn't quite know why, but he said, "I- I mean, yeah..."

. . .

Gundham nearly marched to the stand window, stomach in knots. He had no idea what his goal was, or why he essentially forced his "date"- no, no no no- his "friend" to agree to eat garbage carnival food. He simply had the uncontrollable feeling that he should be purchasing something for the mortal he was visiting with.

He held his place in line behind a tall woman with dark hair, shaved short on both sides, and a shorter, rounder girl with cropped red hair. Ignoring their lovestruck chatter and discussion of what to order, he turned his focus to the menu posted on the side of the construction. He selected a "fresh-squeezed" lemonade and Pespi Cola™, both for his companion. For himself, he decided upon a mere water.

Then the odd couple before them had moved on, and it was Gundham's turn to order. Preparing to express in his usual way whilst also coming across clearly and concisely, he stepped up to the window. The hot, sticky, syrupy air rolled over him from within the edifice, and he resisted the urge to gag.

"Hey, what can I get for ya?" The woman inside was a plump one, eyes shining with the fake luster of customer service. Her cornrowed braids were pulled to the crown of her head, and her large hooped earrings jingled softly.

"Ah, yes, pardon, but may I request one Lemonade, one Pespi Cola™, one water, and one... funnel cake?" His voice trembled, and he cursed his unreliable social anxieties.

The woman, however, was completely undisturbed. Her hands tapped away at a small tablet before her as she entered Gundham's total order. "And what  kinda topping on the funnel cake?"

Blinking, he took a quick moment to recover from the unexpected question. "Pardon?"

"What kinda topping on the funnel cake?" Noting Gundham's sheer confusion, she clarified further. "We have chocolate, caramel, cherry, and apple."

He stuttered a bit, stumbling on his words. Where is Souda? It's his dessert! He turned quickly, almost running headfirst into the boy standing directly behind him. On second glance, it seemed Souda had followed him to the vendor and was now cowering behind him. "Ah, Souda. Chocolate, caramel, cherry, or apple?"

"Huh?" Souda simply stared at him, eyes round with the same confusion.

"Topping on the confectionary. Which of the four would please you, chocolate, caramel, cherry, or apple?"

The mortal's face lit with understanding before wonderment took hold. Gundham briefly wondered if the boy had ever consumed the fried monstrosity they called 'funnel cake'. "Oh, um, could I maybe get caramel?"

Sighing, he nodded. "That would be precisely the reason I asked you." Then, mumbling, "Why would I offer it if it was simply out of the question?" Returning focus to the woman in the booth, he raised his tone again. "Caramel, then."

"Ok, gotcha!" She tapped a few final times, then offered his total. He paid quickly, as the heavy cloud of sickening sweetness that enveloped the cart was gnawing at his stomach. Taking his printed receipt, and thanking the woman with one final high-pitched squeak, he stepped back to wait.

. . .

Kazuichi's (clearly irradiated) taste buds met the sweet sticky caramel, and the deep-fried dough melted in his mouth. He hadn't expected it to taste as good as it smelled, but by the Gods, it delivered. The caramel sauce was rich and thick, drizzling softly across the twisted mess of pastry beneath it. The cake itself was crisp and, well... cakey.

He had difficulty walking while he experienced this new delicacy, and Gundham looked mildly annoyed at the slowness of their pace before suggesting they make their way to one of the many picnic-type seating areas scattered around nearby the food trucks.

Kazuichi also had difficulty taking small bites of this delicious treat and easily devoured around half the dish before instinctively offering Gundham a large bite as well. He waited a moment, plastic fork outstretched, as he slowly noticed Gundham's expression. When he finally did notice his look of obvious confusion, shock, and embarrassment, he quickly lowered the utensil, face reddening almost instantly.

"Ah- uhm- uh... s- sorry... I kinda..." He set the fork back on his plate, reflexively reaching up to fidget with his braid. "I kinda forgot we d-don't... we don't hang out th-that much..."

Gundham coughed quietly into his scarf, which he had tugged up over his nose. "I-It's alright..."

Kazuichi felt heat flooding his head and chest, mortification pooling near his heart like lead, making it hard to breathe. He just did something that stupid, huh?

. . .

Gundham found himself staring intensely at a grime spot on the picnic table, scarf softly scuffing against his cheeks. His mind was spinning a million miles a second, although he wasn't entirely sure why. His heart raced, and when he tried to focus on the feelings and rationalize them, he found he couldn't gather the correct words for it. It was as if the thought of eating after a mere mortal, specifically that mortal, was what was causing his confusion and embarrassment.

He tried to avoid looking too intensely at Souda as he finished consuming the fried thing. As he finished the grease-saturated confection, Gundham rose and offered to take the disposable tray. This offer came in the form of him holding out his unbandaged hand, waving it around a bit to get the boy's attention, and mumbling something incoherent into his scarf. Obliging, Soda handed him the tray, turning his attention to the lemonade and taking several large gulps.

Heading toward the nearest trash receptacle, he walked quickly, utilizing his long legs to the best of his ability. He still wasn't sure to what stimulus his emotions were responding, but it hardly mattered. He tossed the soiled cardboard into the trash, taking several steps back from the stench before taking a deep breath. He inhaled from his stomach, pushing all dizzying thoughts from his mind. Or, trying to, anyway. He was still a bit too close to the trash, and the strength of the smell invaded his lungs with every inhalation. Coughing a bit to clear his airways, he turned around and began to wander slowly back to the table.

However, it seemed Souda had begun to follow after him. Not expecting him to be so close behind, Gundham stumbled back the slightest bit.

"Ah! Sorry, didn't mean to startle you!"

"I- Pardon, it's no trouble." Gundham dismissed the apology with a wave, briefly hoping his face had ceased its embarrassing fluster. Hoping to direct them elsewhere, away from the stink of sugary carnival food and garbage, he said, "Perhaps we could wander elsewhere, to other possible attractions?"

Nodding vigorously, his tangled curls and braid bouncing, Souda displayed unsurmountable excitement. Zest for life. "Yeah! I wanna see what other cool things there are!"

As the two made strides towards the rest of the hundreds of structures, Souda turned to face Gundham once again. "I uh, I just wanna say thanks. For the food and stuff. It was super good, and also really nice of you to get stuff for me." He stumbled, having tripped while walking backward, and promptly turned around again. This was, of course, lucky for Gundham, as he was once again drawing his scarf towards the moon.

. . .

Kazuichi bounced from booth to booth, staring wide-eyed at all the bright colors and stuffed prizes. He wasn't sure he'd be good at any of the games, but he desperately wanted to win a prize. Preferably a big one. He didn't want it for himself as much as he felt like he needed to repay some insurmountable debt to Gundham, who had given him the real Funnel Cake Experience™.

He looked high and low, ping-ponging between the duck grabs to the ring toss to the dartboards and all else in the area. Gundham walked slowly behind him, allowing adequate time to jump back and forth as they moved through the fair. However, despite his searching, Gundham seemed to find the perfect gift before he did.

. . .

Gundham stalled before a silly racing game, the kind powered by water guns. He looked up, attention captured by the biggest prize available. It was an overly cute, very round hamster holding a strawberry half its size. It was absolutely ridiculous. And Gundham loved it.

Of course, he would never admit to loving it. He was a dark character. He chanted rituals and spells in the dark of night! He controlled entire worlds, and would soon conquer this one as well!

So obviously, he would never tell anyone about the way its large round eyes melted his heart, or how the soft, full cheeks reminded him of... that boy. How its tiny paws holding that ridiculously sized strawberry sparked so much joy. Or about how much he wanted to squeeze it to his chest and feel the plush fur against his face. No, he would never tell a soul.

Souda, however, had seemingly noticed the foolish god standing completely still before the booth. He must have tracked his gaze, which was very much focused on the large, round, soft plush hamster.

. . .

Kazuichi smiled, poking Gundham in the shoulder. "Whaddya think of that one?" He pointed directly at the round rodent that Gundham was fixated on.

Spluttering, Gundham took a step back. "I-It's-" He steeled his gaze, glaring at Kaz ferociously. "It's ridiculous." He crossed his arms over his chest, trapping his scarf against it. He shrugged his shoulders, wriggling a little bit to loosen the fabric.

"Really?" Kazuichi turned back to the booth. It seemed like just the kind of guilty pleasure a so-called "dark overlord" would like. he spun on his heels to face Gundham again. "I think it's kinda cute. Reminds me of you," he added, intended to be a completely separate statement.

Realizing the implications of his words far too late, Kazuichi watched in a blend of terror and embarrassment as that simple statement registered slowly on Gundham's face. His eyes widened, and he turned his attention to studying the rouge gravel on the ground. Hot blush raced to his cheeks, spilling across his nose and forehead. His hand once again flew to his scarf, and he yanked the front up almost past his eyes. He coughed, tension flowing thickly between them.

After a few more panicked seconds, Kazuichi scrambled to correct himself and promptly tumbled over his tongue. "I- I mean- not the cute part- reminds me- I mean... the- like, uh, I dunno- shit- I mean, j-just... I didn't mean- cute- I meant... the hamster stuff- cause, you know... you have- y-y'know... hamsters..." He ran his fingers through his hair, tangling it further as he desperately tried to correct himself. Tugging his hand from the mess, and wincing at the pains, he shoved his hands in his pockets.

"W-well, if you insist..." Kazuichi glanced back at Gundham as he inhaled, seemingly steadying his voice. "If you desire a factual answer... I do... 'like' it..."

Kazuichi smiled wide, feeling around for his wallet. "Oh, ok! If you like it, then gimme like 5 minutes!"

"Wait-" Gundham seemed confused, but Kazuichi was already gone. He wove through small clusters of other fairgoers, sliding to a halt in front of the game booth. It was a racing game, one where the player must aim a stream of water at the center of a target, thusly causing the car to move forward. He fished out his wallet, handing the money necessary for one play to the attendant.

He lost the first round, complained about being out of practice, and paid again. On the second go, however, he pulled ahead easily and won with almost no difficulty. When prompted for the prize, he looked back at Gundham, grinned, and pointed at the Very Round Hamster.

. . .

Gundham watched in confusion and awe as Souda won a Very Good, Very Round Hamster while playing one of the strangest, most confusing carnival games he had ever seen. Souda's smile was broad as he skipped back over to Gundham, and he held out the plush.

"So? Pretty cool, right?" He was breathing hard from bouncing around so much, and he nudged the fluffy toy into Gundham's chest. Gundham took it in his hands, astonished by the size of it.

It was as big as his entire torso and made of annoyingly soft Minky synthetic. He wrapped his arms around it and squeezed it softly. He had to resist the urge to bury his face in the silky fabric as the stuffed fiend gave way to the perfect amount of plush.

Realizing he had let his guard down, he snapped to attention. The soft smile that had unknowingly appeared on his face was quickly wiped away, and he fought the need to drop the hamster and hide the rose dusting on his face.

"Are you... presenting me an offering?"

Souda's grin fell a tad in confusion. "An offering...? Oh, like a gift. Yeah, it's for you." He slid his hands back into his pockets.

"Oh..." Gundham couldn't hide his smile this time. He ducked behind the plush, hiding his face to the best of his ability.

. . .

Kazuichi couldn't keep the grin from his face as walked with Gundham. Where he almost had to run to keep up with him before, now it seemed the boy had slowed considerably. He was still burying his face in the toy Kazuichi had won for him, and he took that as a sign Gundham really liked it.

They continued walking, seeming to wander toward the space occupied by the rollercoaster and other rides. Kaz had been so distracted by the lights and signs he hadn't realized that was precisely where they were heading. He felt the bottom of his stomach drop to his toes as he thought about going on the rollercoaster.

It was easily one of the most intense rides the little fair had. Even as they were about 300 feet from it, he could hear the screams of its riders. It was a simple coaster, but it had lots of dips, bends, and, worst of all, cameras. The thought of going on such a ride made him nauseous to no end. He unconsciously gripped Gundham's sleeve, just as he began to lower the plush.

"Would you be... interested... in riding one of the other attractions here?"

Kazuichi's attention snapped to Gundham's face, and despite the sinking feeling that overwhelmed him, he asked, "Which one are you thinking about?"

"Well, there aren't too many interesting ones... perhaps the main 'coaster'?" His voice tinged with a strange disgust as he spoke the words, and Kaz got the sense he wasn't the biggest fan of them.

"No- nonono I think I'm good on that one actually. Really, I don't think that one is the best or most interesting one here so maybe... we could just skip that one!" He rushed to get the words out of his mouth, without focusing nearly enough on keeping the rising panic out of his tone.

. . .

Gundham trained his mismatched eyes on Souda's. His voice had shaken as he denied the ride, and Gundham understood that to mean he was truly terrified of it.

Nodding, he conceded that it surely wasn't the best here. He turned around and around, looking from sign to sign for a ride suitable for the two of them. His gaze landed on the carousel.

"Perhaps that one?" He gestured vaguely in the direction of the attraction, and Souda followed.

"The Merry-Go-Round??" His tone was one of confusion, and he read the words off of the sign as if they were entirely foreign to him.

"Yes, that one. It is fairly simple, all it does is turn."

Gundham watched as Souda's tension eased, the fear dripping slowly from his face. He smiled and said, "Yeah, ok! Sounds easy enough!" He laughed, still sounding a bit tense, but not nearly as fearful as before.

They stood in the annoyingly long line for nearly 15 minutes, and they both became restless. Souda had removed the hair tie from his magenta almost-curls and began to unbraid and re-braid his hair over and over, and Gundham had simply fidgeted with the trinkets at the end of his bandage clip, rolling the smooth bead over and over between his fingertips.

When it was finally their turn, Souda had replaced his hair band and buried his hands in his pockets instead. They stepped to the very front of the line as the woman operating the ride said, "There's only one pony left. Are you two riding together?"

Gundham stuttered slightly, glancing at Souda. He also seemed unsure, however, as their eyes caught and they both stumbled.

"Of course-"

"We can wait-"

The words tumbled out in unison, and Gundham choked up more as he corrected his claim to fit Souda's.

"Er, yes, we're riding together."

"Alright, to the left."

They entered the space, placing the Very Soft Hamster in one of the 'personal belongings' bins before following the edge of the attraction to the left as they had been instructed.

They soon came upon a vacant horse, presumably the only one, and stepped up to take their seat. It was a chestnut bay, sporting a  cream-and-rose saddle for two with leather reigns. The pole through it was twisted and worn of its sheen at around hand height, and it was one of the animals that was firmly affixed- it would not rise or fall.

"So this is it, huh?" Souda's voice cut through Gundham's silent assessment of their steed, and he snapped to attention.

"Yes, that is correct." He stepped closer, unsure as to who would be seated in the front, before Souda made the decision for him.

"Can you help me up onto this thing?" He had one hand on the worn pole and the other on the cast saddle. "I dunno how I'm s'posed to..."

"Here, put this foot here." Gesturing to the stirrup, Gundham held out his arm as a support. Souda gladly took it, and lifted himself into the seat. He scooted forward, looking expectantly back at Gundham.

Taking a deep breath, he followed, placing his right foot in the stirrup and swinging his other leg over effortlessly. He had already begun to settle before realizing how close he was to Souda, and that there was nothing to grip to steady himself when the ride would begin.

Glancing over his shoulder, Souda noticed his lack of a handhold. "Hey, aren'tcha worried you'll fall off?" He faced center again, muttering, "I'm worried as it is, an' I've even got these." He wriggled the reigns half heartedly.

Gundham hesitated, then held his breath as he wrapped his arms around Souda's waist. The instant their bodies came into contact, he felt Souda tense as much as he had, before reclining slightly into Gundham's chest.

. . .

Kazuichi was unused to physical touch, but anything was better than falling off a kid's ride at roughly 10 PM. He was made painfully aware of his shoulders pressing into his companion, Gundham's hands resting dangerously near to his thighs as Kazuichi felt his stomach knotting itself into a fishtail braid. He tightened his grip on the leather reigns. He didn't have much time to think about it though, as the ride began seconds later.

It began rotating, very slowly, and the music dulled to accommodate the ride attendant's voice delivering the usual spiel about holding on, keeping hands and feet in the ride, and staying seated. He stayed focused on the horse in front of him, which was white with a gold gilded saddle. Its rider was a younger girl with long dark hair, and he chose to focus on the large crimson bow that pulled her bangs from her face. However, as the ride picked up speed, he found that his eyes began to wander, only recognizing his mistake when he caught the slight blur of the world sliding past...

Oh no.

Facing front yet again, he felt the twisting discomfort rising in his abdomen, curling around his organs like a snake. It wrapped around his ribcage and arms, turning his muscles to gelatin and breaths shallow, before reaching for his skull. Spots started to dance in his vision, the swirling unease constricting his sight and mind. He felt like patterns were tracing themselves beneath his skin, and he unconsciously tightened his grip on the reigns. Leaning back into Gundham, he tried to focus, but the steady and violent sickness rolled his world from side to side, and he made no feeble move to correct it. 

. . .

Feeling Souda go nearly limp in his arms, Gundham felt concern rising in his chest. He held him tightly, reaching one arm for the pole so they wouldn't fall, and leaned in next to Souda's ear to ask if he was alright. Even more worrisome, though not surprising, he shook his head no. His eyes were closed, knuckles white against the reigns, face pale, his usual blush entirely gone. Gundham wondered if there was anything he could do to make him feel better, but knowing the most likely environmental stimulus, there didn't seem to be anything that would help.

Luckily for both of them, the ride began to slow, horses and children together coming to a complete stop. Souda's eyes fluttered open halfway, and he whispered, "Is it over?"

Nodding and assuring him that yes, the ride was over, he began to dismount. When both boots had touched the ground, he held out a hand to Souda, offering the most support he could. Souda thankfully obliged, almost tumbling to the ground in his effort to stand again.

. . .

Kaz stumbled blindly, gripping Gundham's sleeve as he tried to right himself. He felt Gundham place his hands upon his shoulders, and the added support made it a bit easier to stand. Straightening his back the best he could, he allowed his partner to lead him carefully to the exit (but not before they retrieved the stuffed hamster).

As they exited the ride's grounds via the gate, he quietly searched for another attraction for them to visit. However, most of the rides nearby seemed to either be fast or a real coaster. He'd rather not die tonight.

"Do you feel alright?"

Halting, he saw that Gundham had stopped a foot or so in front of him, concern apparent on his features despite him seemingly attempting to hide it.

"Huh? Me?"

"Of course you, who else would I be speaking to?" Annoyance flashed in his eyes, and Kazuichi shrunk slightly.

"You're right, sorry... Yeah, I'm ok. Just got a little motion sick is all." He found himself toying with the end of his braid again.

"I would hardly say 'a little,'" he said, punctuated his words with air quotes around Kaz's. "You looked to be near death."

Kazuichi felt his face heat up again, and he pushed his hands deep into his pockets and scuffed his shoes in the dirt. "I guess so... sorry about that."

Gundham sighed deeply, then turned back to the rest of the fair, as if to drop the matter. Kazuichi took a few steps to stand beside him, and he once again set to surveying for the next event.

"Perhaps that should be next?" He waved his bandaged hand in the direction of the tallest ride by far, the one Kaz had only seen in movies. He was pretty sure it was called a ferret wheel.

"Uh, yeah, sure. Ok." Swallowing hard, he tried to keep the fear out of his voice again, this time very deliberately. He really did want to go on another ride with Gundham, but he wasn't sure he could handle it. The height, not the riding with Gundham.

[plounce]

my Concepts for aj2

so these are my thoughts and ideas about the game that would follow aa4 in a timeline where we got a coherent apollo trilogy rather than aa5 and aa6. as such, i am discarding aa5 and aa6′s apollo backstories because i find them incoherent as an arc and only slapped onto him for the plots of the games. etc etc. theorizing on squandered potential is me-bait. trucy and klavier get to have THEIR place in the narrative as important characters!! (sorry athena. you will get your own trilogy with good writing and a better design in this timeline too)

this is very stream of consciousness and while i think it’s fairly coherent it is also not chronologically organized as i build on ideas. i am genuinely sorry if the read more doesn’t work on mobile because this thing is stupid long.

containing:

apollo, trucy, and klavier being a firm Trio and getting character development and growing closer :)

themes about found family, letting yourself love/be loved, performance and persona, love giving you strength to do good, you being the one to determine your identity

exploration of the trio’s backstories and the development of their skills

prosecutor franziska chipping away at the corruption within the legal system

klavier being the assistant for a case

kristoph continuing to be a corrupt bastard

buildup to the sibling reveal & canon klapollo in the conclusion of the trilogy

- apollo is the main character

- phoenix is absent for like the entire game besides maybe a couple tiny flashbacks, later revealed to be working with edgeworth on anti-corruption stuff (which is also tied to kristoph & kristoph’s ties within the legal system, “old boys club” etc)

- trucy is assistant for first half of the game

- klavier is assistant for second half of the game. his hair is in a little bun or ponytail :) no drill hair for THIS individual person

- klavier is prosecutor for trucy assistant cases. in the 3rd case klavier was supposed to prosecute against apollo but things keep getting fishier and fishier and things keep reminding them of kristoph. klavier is ordered off the case from on high. mysterious replacement. klavier is too invested in seeing truth & justice come to light so he helps apollo

- franziska prosecutes cases 3 & 4. she has short hair and it’s super sexy and hot.

- kristoph set things up so that klavier is implicated in things. dig into how klavier and apollo feel unable to escape kristoph’s influence - “he’s too foundational”

- 4th case klavier is on trial. oh maybe 3 isn’t about kristoph but it’s just background stuff about the rampup to the 4th case - klavier is put on probation while things are investigated but he doesn’t know WHY, but he’s still committed to his ideals

- trucy is pursuing her magic career, klavier still loves music - has been releasing solo stuff maybe, just some EPs for free/charity, but isn’t touring. focusing on law

- case 4 has a family friend (NOT A WOMAN FOR THE LOVE OF GOD... A MALE DAMSEL PLEASE) get accidentally poisoned through something klavier gave them. that’s the trial itself. kristoph was the source. klavier is arrested. it’s more complicated that this but it gets to this point. day 2 of the trial is when klavier is implicated and he gets yanked into cuffs from the defense bench

- one of case 4′s pillars is a memory from the gavin brothers’ childhood. discuss how kristoph was as a child. klavier has been realizing how... odd certain things were, and trying to pass it off as like “haha yeah kristoph would dissect dead birds and convince our parents that every mess was my fault. i guess that makes sense considering how he ended up haha? I Don’t Feel Strongly About This I Just Think It’s Funny :)”

- apollo’s perceive abilities expanding to be able to perceive general emotional states as well - along with learning to practice more empathy, being considerate. No Klavier And Trucy, You Are Not Fine. this is kind of like athena’s thing actually huh

- trucy, meanwhile, is learning to be more like. emotionally... independent? no. emotionally... self-caring. both independent in that she’s a young adult and also caring in that she is trying not to force herself to take care of everyone all the time and show her less pretty emotions to apollo. take care of herself

- case 1 has to do with something happening at trucy’s show/her career/her school etc. she’s still a real person etc. trucy’s friends mostly being adults, her feeling isolated at school. nah wait this is a slightly absurd world she’s not overly weird for her classmates necessarily. yeah ok it’s about magic

- case 2 has to do with klavier being a rockstar, the pressure of celebrity and public fascination with his persona. stalker fans, music industry, talk shows, etc. someone trying to convince him to come back to music. klavier has to arrest someone he’s fond of again. no big stadium performance in this game

- the trio all dealing with themes of hiding and trying not to feel “bad” emotions: apollo going “im fine” and suppressing his problems & just trying to do his job so he can cope with how overwhelmed & stressed he feels constantly etc etc + trucy hiding the secrets of her magic which is sort of representative of her hiding a lot of her sad/”ugly” feelings because she thinks she needs to because she thinks phoenix depends on her being cheerful all the time + klavier dealing with having a public persona and the pressures of being Himself, trying to be the person others see him as/want him to be, who is klavier when he is not performing? who are all of them when they are not performing? who are they performing for?

- yes i am a “woman” yes i am obsessed with the idea of performance

- trio all dealing with/feeling lonely wrt family: apollo learning more about jove (possibly during the music industry case - someone knew his dad, who refused a big contract), who he was & one of the cases involving someone from his past in the foster system - maybe it’s even clay! - but in general feeling very disconnected from “family” in general esp compared to trucy&klavier’s family troubles being so immediate and raw for them + trucy feeling lonely and kind of abandoned as phoenix is increasingly gone in this game and seeming very distant from her, similar to how zak abandoned her, and also the pains of growing up + klavier’s parents either are dead or are somewhat estranged after he got kristoph imprisoned, klavier feeling very lonely in general after his pursuit of truth&justice has snipped many of his connections from him

- yes i am gay yes i am obsessed with found family

- franziska having a moment of “i get how it is and it sucks” with klavier about Complicated Feelings About Family

- she eventually does realize during case 4 that klavier is guilty but has to hide it in order to push one of kristoph’s allies out into the open. sorry kid uh... what do you like. i will buy you. an ice cream? or something. look do you want a gift card i’ll buy you a gift card

- kristoph’s lawyer shows up near the start of the game to give things to apollo which he is deeply suspicious of but ema tests them and they come up clean. guy shows up here and there throughout the game. maybe tries to bribe apollo or something. apollo gets invited to a Fancy Lunch because he’s the one that bested kristoph gavin and that shows Promise. in a sense. or something. apollo being manipulated by people who refused to hire him when he got kristoph convicted etc

- themes about being young in a world full of secrets and webs of alliance that you feel barred from because you have ideals and won’t compromise them and also either come from nothing or burned all your bridges. just aa protag things <3

- oh maybe there’s a new judge who is also In On Nefarious Plots

- catching these people doesn’t fix everything but - it’s something. they got a couple shitheads

- trucy continues developing her gramarye abilities. more emotional depth. more exploration on complex feelings wrt phoenix and her childhood and her adolescence and how she’s fairly well-adjusted as one can be but also... the shit still hits yk... she’s like 16 years old so she’s maturing

- ema is there. she and apollo get along a bit better. asks after phoenix. provides evidence against klavier, and then evidence for.

- followup on apollo-edgeworth klavier-phoenix parallels - who is the one bringing them further into the light, chaser/chased, the one who wants more/the one who pushes away, etc etc

- follow through on implied gramarye mafia connections

- klavier isn’t super in the first case besides the courtroom and maybe one appearance, but he is like. worried about trucy if there is cause to be worried about her. set up their dynamic beyond trucy just liking the gavinners

- trucy&apollo and klavier&kristoph compares&contrast

- franziska is(/appears to be) very doubting/dismissive of apollo’s belief in klavier bc it’s like... are you pursuing the truth? or trying to shield your friend?

- apollo does end up almost very close believing klavier was in kahoots with kristoph/kristoph’s friends because it just looks. really bad. like it genuinely looks VERY BAD. and he’s like “i have to find truth like prosecutor von karma said”. yknow how with a lot of aa cases it starts out “oh no it looks open and shut” and then is like “NO WAY THEY COULD HAVE DONE IT... BUT HUH”. this one is reverse. and then straightens back out again. dig the hole then climb back out

- yeah the theme is like. “are you trying to find truth or do you want to protect your loved ones. what is your duty as a person, your job or your loved ones.” this carries through on klavier’s thread from aa4 where he has to work against his loved ones. meanwhile apollo, who is a bit more cool-tempered irritable grump, is the one going “oh god, am i biased towards my friends?” so it sort of flips. what kind of stories will you weave to clear your friends of blame? kristoph’s boys club.

- echo back to “evidence is everything” - this line of thinking (in a certain way) is what saves klavier when kristoph is trying to punish him for his betrayal

- since phoenix is away, the gramarye siblings aren’t revealed yet. but more info is dropped to compensate - stuff about jove and apollo’s childhood in the foster system and how that’s shaped him into someone who keeps people at arm’s length to keep himself safe; trucy and apollo getting closer despite that, trucy busting down those barriers because she needs his support and he’s like “oh my god i have to support her.” older sibling stuff.

- maybe the trucy case involves like. a mafia guy trying to collect on debts or smth and tries to ruin trucy, and threatens apollo. there’s a hint that is very obvious to the audience but is like “wow apollo he thought you were my brother!” like the mafia guy calls apollo “the other child” and apollo is like “hey, i’m 24!” which is humorous but also the audience is like Oh My God I Know What That Means

- there isn’t a deliberate withholding of information from phoenix - he literally is not there to withhold it. but there is still tension and stakes and weight to their relation - apollo keenly feeling his absence of family and trucy feeling sort of abandoned by phoenix

- phoenix is like “ok trucy you’re almost an adult so i’m trusting you to stay safe and responsible while i’m away. apollo will technically be in charge but i’m still trusting you” and privately to apollo is like “If Anything Bad Happens To Her. Your Head Is On The Line.” so it is just them making it on their own

- klavier drops the line “watching you two is like what kristoph and i should have had” and then there’s a couple “...” dialogue boxes as the audience is like I KNOW WHAT HE MEANS and then apollo is like “... are you for real comparing me to kristoph.” haha funny but also THERE IT IS

- very carefully walked tightrope. acknowledged enough that there is still tension/suspense around it but not too much as to be slightly infuriating

- before the last case trucy gets mad at apollo for something - trucy is allowed by the narrative to be angry for real. stand up for herself. trucy and apollo come back together to defend klavier. they see each other in the detention center when theyre still mad at each other - trucy was visiting klavier (he wasn’t there for the fight). “you made fraulein trucy very mad, hm?” then during the trial trucy busts in dramatically with important help when things look very bad for klavier

- aj3 has emotional revelations/high points of the trio - siblings reveal and klapollo canon. aj2 is a lot of building of these connections and building suspense and tension. more more more of these relationships before they emerge fully formed in aj3

- the last trial echoes the “im the only one who can save prosecutor gavin” or whatever gay thing apollo says in the last trial of aa4 because he literally is. just a lot of hinting and them getting along. case 3 is very important because that’s when it’s just them and it’s “oh! we work well together! we’re complementary!”

- implement the dual investigation mechanic from dgs so it does feel collaborative

- just build on the fact that klavier is the first friendly, helpful, cooperative prosecutor. he wants to help you. make that a very positive, very important feeling while still making it extremely enjoyable

- resolves in “you can have truth AND the ones you love”. or smth like that but more nuanced. it’s very inspirational and sentimental etc

- you get to meet vongole and it’s a Pet The Dog moment for klavier. look! how nice he is. he truly loves this insanely sweet and lovable dog. trucy is enamored with vongole as well. “it’s strange that she was kristoph’s dog, hm? with how affectionate she is.” “well, i guess being owned by kristoph doesn’t means she’s an equally bad dog ... ER i mean--” “hm, you always struck me as a cat person, herr forehead?” “uh - well yeah, you’re right. but... that doesn’t mean i don’t think vongole is a pretty great dog.” IMPLICATIONS. SUBTEXT. TASTE IT IN THE AIR

- oh there’s definitely a moment in case 2 when you get to examine klavier’s apartment and you can look at a couple albums and for a gavinners album apollo is like “ugh” but then you get one of his solo eps and apollo is like “trucy made me listen to this. it... was okay. not as bad as the gavinners stuff. sounds more honest. or something like that.”

- oh also when you examine the guitar klavier offers to teach apollo some basics. hee hee (BUT ALSO... JOVE!!)

- maybe for case 2 The Industry Suits want klavier to stop releasing his eps for free/total charity so it’s a whole coordinated scheme. his manager, a devoted fan who hates to see him going his own way and being happier for it, etc. “we want you to be the person you were. the one we could possess.” be more like gavinners klavier instead of honest relaxed current klavier. be who we want you to be so we can make you dance like a puppet. music industry kristoph parallels.

- “i’m sick and tired of being a plaything for other people!” >:( face moments

- a fan broke into his house and defaced the solo stuff etc. >:( face.

- who determines who “you” are? what role do your loved ones have in your life? those who truly love you can save you and make you better. loving and being loved sincerely and genuinely and truly have positive effects on your life. letting people love you and letting yourself love them is good.

- ugh but this kind of contrasts with the “the old boys club is controlling and using/shaping the institution of law to amass wealth and power for themselves while throwing others under the bus.” well actually wait

- lunch with apollo = they don’t actually care about each other, would throw each other under the bus for their own benefit

- contrast between sacrificing the weak to protect the strong and protecting the weak to depower the evil strong

- love and bonds can motivate/enable you to chip away at the system and can help you make a difference. les mis etc etc etc

- the old boys club are all putting up fronts of appearing strong and tough and above everything and in control. real love and friendship let you show vulnerability and weakness and help you & your bond come out stronger for it. (tumblr voice) the mortifying ordeal

- additional stakes of “if you are found aiding this criminal and hiding evidence etc etc we will disbar you” or smth. stakes for sticking with klavier, for winning the trial, for demonstrating care. franziska is kind of like “... apologies. but you had nothing to worry about so don’t worry about it.” 

- klavier and apollo damned by association with kristoph, especially as a kristoph scheme was just found to happen, and it depended on kristoph being in jail, so maybe they were the ones to enable that part of the plan... it’s a long con...

- it feels like there should be another legal reform here to make aa4′s jury implementation but maybe this one is more about how reform is often very gradual and like chipping away at a mountain

- in aj3 the death penalty gets reformed. (tension there about kristoph being on death row and this game piles on a lot more GOD KRISTOPH SUCKS but then it’s like. no. we have to fight for True Justice and the legal system is extremely imperfect (how many of our clients narrowly avoided a wrongful guilty verdict!) so we have to prioritize protection over punishment)

- “it’s like chopping heads off the hydra. it feels like we’ll never actually change anything.” “yes, but hercules didn’t defeat it by himself. he had a partner that burned the stumps after he sliced off the heads. ... one person to hold the sword, one person to hold the torch.” NARUMITSU KLAPOLLO PARALLELS. HI

- okay i had some really good discussions on twitter w @henriettamarias about this and here’s a couple more things

- trucy’s case involves her inheriting the gramarye secrets and the legacy. the weight of tradition and the burden of what has happened in her family. trucy’s estranged grandmother shows up - it’s kind of similar to the feys kind of. the grandmother is a complex maternal figure who doesn’t know trucy and trucy doesn’t know her and it’s sort of the idea of... even if your “new” family is related by blood, you still have to choose them. and trucy’s like !!! because she’s openhearted but the grandmother disappears - doesn’t choose trucy. it’s not a Villainous Action it’s just... it’s complicated. maybe it’s to protect trucy or something. it wasn’t done to hurt trucy is what i’m getting at, but it still hurts

- one of the music industry people in klavier’s case is a gavin uncle/aunt/cousin who is pressuring him to go back to being an Extremely Profitable Rockstar. and klavier has to deal with more disappointment from a family that values extreme success and is sort of cold (this contrasts with the warmth of the WAA found family). they liked klavier when he was very successful and famous on two fronts but now he’s opened the door and invited in shame on their family’s name so everyone’s kind of mad at him. trucy and apollo get to be really defensive of him

- apollo’s case is one i’m still thinking on what it’ll be about because i’m deeply uninterested in his aa5+aa6 backstories but there’s not A Concept to go deeper into like trucy magic and klavier music... it does involve his past from being the foster system. i think maybe there’s a teen who he was kind of the older brother of for a while before the kid got adopted who contacts him for help defending himself.

- while trucy and klavier’s stories are about rejection from their blood family, apollo’s is about warmth with a boy who he met and made a familial bond with

- at the end of this case there’s some piece of evidence that mentions kristoph and this is never resolved within that case but it sort of leads into the next kristoph-focused case

- trucy doesn’t get angry at apollo over being like jealous there’s something else that happens in this case... it doesn’t end super satisfyingly and tidily wrapped up in a neat bow. there are a lot of lingering questions and it makes everyone uneasy

- in case 3 apollo gets injured and is feeling really defensive and kind of scared and trucy is upset with him for putting himself in harm’s way to save her and they have a fight and they’re both kind of hiding their true feelings with anger to cover up how scared they were (gramarye secrets) and it just. boils over. klavier tries to mediate but it’s... a lot. they both say some things they don’t mean. :(

- oh my god. the person who got poisoned in case 4 was apollo’s foster brother from case 3. and it HURTS because we’ve spent a whole case getting to know him and working so hard to save him from a guilty verdict and it’s like :D yay he’s ok! and then he just. dies. and it’s so fucking sad

- he got poisoned because kristoph looked through papers and found that him and apollo were close so he’s like “oh i can use that ^_^” because he’s a bastard. but klavier was the one in constant contact with him recently so it’s like UH OH! UH OH! plus other aa level complications etc

- the tightrope of trucy being mad at apollo and the tragedy of apollo’s foster brother dying is one that will have to be very carefully walked bc we don’t want trucy to look like an asshole because above all she does love apollo

- i guess it’s also apollo pushing her away because I’M FINE. STOP TRYING TO MAKE ME CONFRONT MY TRAUMA. IF I THINK ABOUT MY PROBLEMS I WILL GO INSANE. yeah that works

- OH and also she’s mad at him for not telling them about the lunch with kristoph’s lawyer friends. klavier is kind of mad about that too so apollo is like STOP GANGING UP ON ME

- so the setup of case 4 is: day 1: apollo and klavier investigating, in court klavier is implicated and is put in detention, day 2: apollo investigating by himself and missing his friends :(, franziska being like “where is your sister” and apollo being like “ok first she’s not my sister. second IM FINE I CAN BE ALONE, I CAN’T TRUST ANYBODY ANYWAY” and franziska is like “... yeah being betrayed sucks, i get it, but like. are you sure about that. fine whatever you idiot be a fool”, but then in court trucy busts in at a dramatic moment and narrowly saves klavier from getting a guilty verdict, day 3: trucy and apollo investigating and Saving The Day!!!!!

- for franziska in case 4 there’s this tension between her belief that klavier is guilty (because shit looks BAD and also kristoph sort of sent shockwaves through things etc) and franziska being older (she has short hair and it’s hot) and more emotionally mature and being like “baby lawyer. it’s okay to chill. it’s fine. you’ll be okay”. but also being extremely wary and hating the corruption and collusion within the law community because MvF dealt with a lot of that and she will be BETTER than that, she has to work hard to erase the harm that her father did. she’s kind of a superhero in terms of tackling a lot of corrupt-lawyer/cop cases - it’s her specialty now. god she is hot

- aw in case 4 ema is like. kind of reluctant to help implicate klavier. because while she thinks he’s annoying she doesn’t think he’s a bad guy. she feels really conflicted :( like she blusters to cover it up but she does say to apollo at one point “hey... you better do your job right. don’t slack. defend your client.” awww she care him

- kristoph gets brought out from prison as a witness in case 4. this really negatively affects klavier (and apollo too kind of but less so), but the strength of Found Family helps him be strong :) yay

- there’s mention made of kristoph having Secrets, but since apollo doesn’t have a magatama and phoenix isn’t there, the black psyche-locks aren’t explored. it gets revealed in aj3

- apollo does have a conundrum similar to the aa5 stuff where his perceive ability is going haywire at klavier’s entire emotional state because BOY is it screwy (suppressed memories from childhood??) so he just has to rely on plain old logic

- (cw animal death) god what if one of those childhood memories is kristoph poisoning klavier’s pet - experimenting, doing trials. klavier realizes that during the trial. jesus christ. evil bastard kristoph i hate his guts. at least klavier gets to go home and pet vongole so so much

- OH on a happier note we get to meet mikeko... mikeko loves trucy and klavier so much. it’s like a big gooey hint that LOOK APOLLO LOVES THESE PEOPLE - HIS CAT IS PURRING AND CUDDLING ALL OVER THEM :) Express Your Feelings, Apollo

- i think for aj3 it’s apollo & co having their own schemes and plans sort of. bc in this setup, klavier and apollo (and trucy too) are being yanked around by the machinations and plots of the older generation like in aa4. i think in aj3 is when they finally get a leg up and have control over things for once. good for them! good for them

- oh also in aj3, it’s revealed that thalassa has been held hostage by some bad guys, which is why she didn’t come back after some time away to figure herself out to tell them. and then apollo and trucy get to know they’re siblings :)

- okay that’s it. maybe i’ll add more if i think of more. hope u enjoyed :~)

[cxmetery-gates]

OBSESSIVE TEACHINGS - DARK!TOM HIDDLESTON

CHAPTER THREE: A GOOD SCARY STORY

SUMMARY: With teases and friendly banter, Lynn can’t help but fall under Mr. Hiddleston’s charming spell. WORD COUNT: 2.1k NOTES: Thank you to everyone reading! Dark!fics get a lot of criticism and though the story has not turned into one ((yet)), I’m very humbled by all the likes and reblogs :) WARNINGS:  dark!tom hiddleston, teacher!tom hiddleston

OBSESSIVE TEACHINGS MASTERLIST

"I'M NOT ONE FOR COMPLAINING," I pant– while simultaneously lying with a straight face– dragging my feet up another flight. "But can I ask which floor your room is on?"

Only a step ahead of my slow pace, the male teacher smirks. "Not fond of stairs?"

I shrug. "Not really fond of anything involving exercise."

"I would agree," he glances back, a grin marking his face. He makes a huff, more than likely on my same page, but perhaps better off. He appears to be fit so I'm doubting three flights of stairs is killing him like it's slaughtering me. "But, a morning run isn't the worst way to start the day."

My nose wrinkles. "So you're one of those guys? Gotta make those gains, hm?" I'm not sure where my overly confident attitude is coming from. It's not like me to make comments like these to my teachers, Mrs. Gibbons being the exception but even then I am reserved. Something about being close to Mr. Hiddleston has completely altered my professionalism around people of a higher authority. Hopefully it doesn't last long and I don't run into the principle any time soon.

Finally, after what seemed like climbing Mount Doom, we reach the last step. Pausing, Mr. Hiddleston looks down to me. "You've got quite the nerve talking to your superior like a classmate."

It's obvious he's teasing, so I go along. "My superior? What, because you're a hundred thousand dollars in debt thanks to a fancy piece of paper and you've got a couple more decades on your shoulders?"

"'A couple decades?'" He repeats, quite amused.

I shrug with sass coating my entire being. "Give or take. What are you, forty? Nearing fifty?"

His gives a chuckle. "Try thirty-three."

"Really?" I ask doing a small run down while he looks away. I don't find myself in the company of thirty-somethings all that often but I can't lie; he's looking really good, especially from the backside. Mr. Hiddleston hums, and I'm not sure if that was a positive or negative sound. "You sure? Because I could have sworn I saw some grays up there."

"Oh, ha ha, you're so clever," he mocks, voice suddenly raising just a couple octaves. It causes me to jump but I giggle, feeling a strange girly feeling arise from my stomach. All I can do is tell myself not to throw up from nerves, over and over in my head.

Feeling just as confident, I reply with a whisper. "Shh! There are classes in session! You're going to get detention!"

He shakes his head. Mr. Hiddleston attempts to be serious but there's humor and teases filled between each word. "Funny you mention that: I happen to be the teacher in change of detention this week. And don't think I won't put you there because you're helping me: any other teacher would have landed you a weeks worth just from your comment on my age."

My eyes roll. "As if. You're too nice."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Positive," I reply, a smirk hanging on my lips.

He looks down, given my lack of height, and I move my face towards him comically. There's a smirk playing on his thin lips, the corners desperately trying to form a smile. Eye contact remains steady, but I see it more as a funny, friendly game of domination. A moment passes before he looks away, a small sigh parting his lips. "We'll see about that," Mr. Hiddleston retorts, causing me to chuckle.

From his belt, he wears one of those mini extendable cables that can hold all sorts of keys and chains. I'm honestly not quite sure what they're called. Fumbling with the keys, Mr. Hiddleston flips through several before find the the right one and pulling it towards the door, a thin wire keeping a hold on the instrument. When I was much younger, my mother would wear one clipped to the pocket of her scrubs, but hers was smaller, only allowing another clip for her RN tag. Each night consisted of me as a toddler pulling on the name tag and watching the cord return to the circular piece of plastic, unable to see the thin cable coil within. The small piece of nostalgia sets a comforting warmth in my chest.

Despite the insignificant memory, I snicker at his device. The sight of such a young and handsome man keeping his keys together with such an instrument is dorky, and definitely cute.

"Welcome to my humble abode," he sighs, flipping the fluorescent lights on. I follow him in while getting a look around his classroom.

It's relatively simple and mundane, surprisingly enough. Not like I was expecting red velvet walls or a jacuzzi, but maybe something with a bit more personality. The walls are neatly littered with the typical English teacher posters, from "Best Shakespeare Quotes" to the differences between "to," "too," and "two." There's a blank white board in front of rows of desks and a projection screen pulled down over it. Across the room are a few book shelves consisting of dictionaries, thesauruses, and books worth reading. From the distance I can easily spot several of my own favorite books, instantly earring couple brownie points from me.

I follow Mr. Hiddleston who takes a left, as a wall with a pencil sharpener blocks the right. We walk parallel to a wall which is entirely ceiling high cabinets, all closed to the curious eye. His desk sits catty corner and is much like his classroom: mess free and boring. I consider making a comment but stop myself when I notice a few photos on the filing cabinet. One is him with a graduation cap and gown, his hands bearing a diploma. The next looks like a guys night out with Mr. Hiddleston wearing a (distractingly tight) black shirt and two other men accompanying him. And last, and the one that is set before the others, is a picture of the teacher with an older woman. I can only assume it's his mother. This causes a heart warmed smile to etch across my face. It's always lovely and precious to see older men respecting and appreciating their mothers. My own tells me "mama's boys" are the worst type of man to date because in her mind, they are still children who cling to their mothers for support, emotion and financially. I have to remind her that it's not the case for every man, just for the guy she chose to marry.

"Please, set the books wherever you like." My random tangent gets interrupted by a voice, causing me to jump six feet. Mr. Hiddleston places his stack of books on his desk. I would follow suit but looking at the small space, I decide to give his personal bubble some room and I move to the nearest student desk.

Brushing my hands over my black jeans, I turn around. While the teacher shuffled through stacks of papers, I awkwardly and silently stand close to his desk. Only a few second pass do I actually realize my situation: me with the hottest teacher, all alone. I can only imagine all the jealous teenagers clawing at this chance. However, I have a job downstairs waiting for me. "Is there anything else I can help you with, Mr. Hiddleston?"

His eyes quickly shoot up. "Oh, uh no. No, thank you." Mr. Hiddleston pauses a moment to set his papers down. "I'm sorry for keeping you. I was looking to see what hour of the day I have you, but it appears there isn't one."

My eyebrows knit together at his comment. "Well, you'd have to look for a "Carolyn" if that were the case." I pause for a moment, confusion riddling my face. "Wait, whaddya mean?" Almost instantly, I'm repulsed by my southern slang, despite myself not having any drawl to my words. My voice is basically that of an incoherent cave woman compared to his smooth, charming accent. Aside from this, I feel myself floating; he's looking for a time to see me again. I have to contain a girlish squeal just as reality sets in. He's probably just curious if he actually has me or is considering making a "see you at this time" comment. Nonetheless, my heart skips a beat or two.

"Most seniors take my course as their final English requirement. Are you not a senior?"

I feel myself dimming at his comment. Unfortunately, it would appear reality strikes again. But it was honestly quite ridiculous for me to even consider the reason why he was looking for my name was for something other than educational. However, I simultaneously feel my body lighting up. "Oh, no, I definitely am a senior. I chose the writing class for my English elective. I, uh, want to be a writer so I figured it would help in the long run."

Mr. Hiddleston seems interested in what I have to say. Most tell me writing isn't a career or I have a one in a million chance in making it big. Well, if George Lucas can write the three prequels all alone and still make bank, I think I've got a pretty good shot. "Fascinating! What is your preferred genre?"

With some hesitation, I blurt out, "Fantasy, but also some horror and thrillers. I've tried sci-fi once; didn't work out too well."

"I love a good scary story," he comments, giving me a wink. I take this as a small gesture, but my insides are literally screaming. Never has a friendly wink turned me into a flustering mess. Part of me say he knows what he can do, and if that's the case, he's quite the cocky bastard.

Playing along, I give my shoulder a shrug and coolly reply, "Perhaps I can run a rough or final draft by you."

"I wouldn't mind that at all."

How does such a small statement cause all my organs and two hundred and six bones to turn into jelly?

Brushing my long hair from my face, I peek over at the clock. It's been a bit longer than I expected, the hands informing me I have five minutes left of my first class period. "Well, I ought to get going if there isn't anything else I can do for you?" I make sure to say this in the form of a question. I wouldn't mind being late to my next class just to see a gorgeous face a while longer.

Mr. Hiddleston's lips part for a moment just before clamming shut. The look in his blue eyes tell me he wants to say something, but doesn't. I'm not sure what would constitute such a hesitation; initially, I thought he would have asked me to help shelve the twenty-or-so books. The look is intense, or appears to be, just for a flash, less than a second. My own anxieties begin to shake just as a kind smile grows along his lips. "No, but I do appreciate the offer. Thank you, Carolyn."

I visibly cringe at my legal name, this look not going by the teacher so easily. He bursts a small laugh. "Not a fan or your name, are we?"

Shaking my head, I say, "No particularly. It's a bit vintage. Well, not terribly so, but I'm not over the moon about it." I pause awkwardly, my flustered nerves getting the better of me. I croak out some sounds before finishing my tangent. "I go by Lynn, though."

"Lynn it is then," Mr. Hiddleston announces. "I'll let you get going then. The bell will ring soon and I don't want you to be late on your first day back because of me."

I smirk while crossing over to the door. "Nah, I don't mind." Instantly I want to smack the back of my head. To anyone listening it would sound like I had been flirting with a teacher. Well, to be fair it would have sounded like it not matter what time someone were to jump in at. Even so, this comment I naturally came up with put me in a case of "oh fuck." With reddened cheeks, I take a look over my shoulder so see Mr. Hiddleston unfazed by my comment, thank the holy lord, except a ever growing smile. He takes his eyes off the paper in front of him, meeting me with his pretty blues.

"I'll see you around, Lynn."

"Likewise." And with that, I part down the hall, this time invested in taking the elevator.

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

TAGLIST:

@khadineberry​

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE TAGGED, LET ME KNOW!

[joonclouds]

Heat Packs | YoongixReader

You make a scrunchy face at the sandy-haired boy. “Not so bad? All I was, was concerned and he saw fit to make me feel as worthy as the dirt under your shoe.”

“I don’t wear shoes.”

When you raise an eyebrow pointedly at him, Taehyung holds his hands up in mock surrender. “Alright, shoe police, calm down.”

-

Yoongi x Reader (and shoeless friend Taehyung)

Plot: Producer!Yoongi, fluff at the end, kind of enemies to lovers?? arguments to lovers? idk man Yoongi is bad at expressing feelings

Warnings:  It gets a bit hot and heavy at the end but nothing else unless you want to consider cringey fluff as a warning lol

Wordcount: 7.3k

Note: Quarantine is still very inspiring. I am still very bad at naming my fics. producer!Yoongi is *chefs kiss* Hope ya’ll are well x *kisses*

-

It is a Tuesday evening in mid November that you decide you hate Min Yoongi. Hate was a strong word for you. Most of the time you hovered between a state of neutrality to mild displeasure, and sure, you’d been harbouring a (maybe not so subtle) crush on your reclusive boss, but you decide today that it was time to Burn That Ship cause you hate Min Yoongi.

You stand there, heart pounding. From embarrassment or from anger, you can’t really tell at this point - but heck, it wasn’t even your fault. Indignant, that’s what you felt. You had heard a loud bang and crash from his recording studio, and in a moment of panic and concern you’d rushed in to check if everything was okay.

Turns out he was moving his large bass speakers and didn’t need (or deserve, you think huffily) any of your help. Maybe you should have knocked first, but -

“Who the fuck do you think you are? Never heard of knocking?”

See, you were a Badass Bitch™. Which is why now your face is flushing an angry red, mouth open, ready with a snappy comeback. But Badass Bitch™ is also paranoid and doesn’t like confrontations, so she takes a baton and whacks the retort right out of your mouth. So you close your mouth again, stand there silently and look down. And if it could get worse, it does - a prickling at the back of your eyes starts to grow.

“And you’re just going to stand there?” The black-haired boy cocks a brow at you.

“I.. I heard a crash so I just came in to make sure everything was okay and-“

“What is this, your house? Is your name on the outside of the door?”

You wring your hands behind your back and pinch the fleshy part of your palm to ease the growing lump in your throat. No, you refuse to cry in front of him. After three months of working here you’d thought you’d finally wormed your way into the category of “acceptable humans to Min Yoongi”, but clearly you had not. In fact, as of now, you probably didn’t even exist on the Venn diagram.

“I.. No, but… I…”

“Does it. Say your damn name. On. My. Studio. Door.”

You stand there, speechless, mouth opening and closing, looking for something to say. A fat tear starts to pool in your left eye and threatens to spill, but by some miracle you manage to hold it in. Barely.

Yoongi lets out a sharp breath and makes his way across the room, yanking the door wide open.

“The rule here is no one comes into my studio. Get the fuck out.”

-

You are still crying as you sharpen the twentieth coloured pencil on the living room floor you share with a pixie of a girl called Chungha, who sits opposite you with her chin propped on folded knees.

“You should do this for a living, you know. Given how many times you’ve done this already.” She comments

“What, the crying?” You stutter out confusedly between a hiccup and a sniff.

“I meant the pencil sharpening.”

You blow your nose wetly into a tissue. “I can’t help it, okay? I cry. When people. Shout at me.” You choke out the last few sentences in between sobs.

All your admission does is bring forth another wave of tears.

“So who made you cry this time?”

“Min Yoongi. Min. Fucking. Yoongi.” With each syllable you turn the pencil with a newfound gusto, taking some sort of vicarious pleasure in watching the wood getting shaved off in neat strips.

Chungha’s eyes widen. “As in, owner of the studio, Min Yoongi. Your ridiculously elusive, black-clothes-only, don’t-come-into-my-office, hot in a weird way, Min Yoongi?”

You nod aggresively. “I hate him. So much.”

“You don’t mean that.”

You consider locking Chungha in the storeroom.

“Maybe he just had a bad day?” She offers.

“What did I do to deserve this? All I did was check on him in his studio!” In your angst you stop sharpening. You imagine the little plastic sharpener is Yoongi’s stupid head and you hurl it across the carpet.

“I’m sorry he shouted at you.” She pulls a Kleenex out of the box and dabs gently at your face. “Even if he told you not to go in, but you didn’t deserve that. He’s an idiot. Men are idiots.”

“I was just trying to be nice!” You protest, voice rising a good four octaves. “I heard a loud thud so I got worried and I rushed in without thinking, but turns out he was just moving his speakers and he just got so mad and saying all those mean things - “ you trail off slowly as hiccups and sobs leave you incoherent.

“You know how he is, grumpy old man. I’m sure he’ll apologise.” Chungha offers you another tissue. “And honestly my love, there’s no point crying now you’ve already forgiven him so…”

“I. Havent.”

“Tell me that when you next speak to him and aren’t a puddle of mush.”

You fling your snot-stained tissue at her.

—

The next week when your shift comes around, you still show up for work. Even though you are half an hour late from pacing up and down the street outside, considering if you should just not show up to spite him. It took three existential crises, five tears, and many muttered curses about the offending human being, but eventually you find yourself in the lift up to the recording office. You didn’t like to admit it, but you were the type who was quick to anger, but quick to cool.

Though cooling didn’t mean forgiveness. You were good at compartmentalisation and that was exactly what you were going to do.

The idea of not landing yourself in crippling school fee debt was wholly enticing, and to do that you needed this job as an admin at the recording offices. It paid well, and was easy enough. Keep the place clean, stock the pantry, manage the room bookings, make sure no one breaks equipment. Make ramen for customers. Don’t go into Min Yoongi’s studio. Even if he suffered a heart attack and might be dead. Easy.

You steel yourself with a breath and push open the swinging door with gusto, making a beeline for the reception with your head down and eyes trained on your shoes. Just get behind that tall white counter and you’d be safe -

“Oof.”  - if you didn’t first collide with a broad, hoodie-clad chest.

Warm hands grip your shoulders to steady you. “Whoa, watch where you’re going, little pea.”

You smile as you step back to see a familiar face face that takes your breath away. “I didn’t know you were coming in today!”

Taehyung, or Tae, as you had come to know him, was one of the regulars at the studio. A music student with a voice deep and syrupy as honey, and a face just as sweet to match - he made hearts go ba-dump in chests. Even after six months of seeing him three times a week, and the knowledge that he was already (secretly) attached to his art school’s equally pretty-boy dance major, you as a normal human being were still not safe from Tae’s charms.

“Yeah, I had some free time - Jimin’s off putting in extra hours in the dance studio so I figured I’d come here.”

You’re glad for his presence as you go behind the reception and get ready for work.

Tae walks up on the other side of the counter and rests an elbow on it, chin propped in his palm. From behind his long bangs you can see he’s sporting a bit of a twinkle in his eyes. He looks at you expectantly and you’re confused for a moment but it all clicks into place.

You fall into the chair behind the reception and let your head loll back on the backrest, giving him the side-eye. “What is it, Tae?”

He grins mischeviously. “So Yoongi unleashed the kraken on you, huh.”

“If by kraken you mean Mr. Shouty Pants, then yes, the kraken.”

Tae lets out a barking laugh. “Let him off the hook, fisherman. He’s not so bad once you get to know him - he wasn’t always like this, you know.”

You guess is that if that stupid recluse had anything such as a friend, then Taehyung would probably be the closest thing to it. But then again your guess was as good as useless because it was near impossible to not like Tae - he was definintely overly-friendly, but not in a smothering way and boy, did it grow on you. Out of all the people who came and went in the studio, Taehyung and about four other people were the only ones you had ever seen Yoongi say more than three words to in a single sentence. Well, now you were included in that category too, but for very different reasons.

You make a scrunchy face at the sandy-haired boy. “Not so bad? All I was, was concerned and he saw fit to make me feel as worthy as the dirt under your shoe.”

“I don’t wear shoes.”

When you raise an eyebrow pointedly at him, Taehyung holds his hands up in mock surrender. “Alright, shoe police, calm down.”

After a moment, he adds, “are you still angry?”

You sigh in resignation. “Honestly? Not really. I decided I need this job more than my dignity.”

Tae chuckles good-naturedly.

“Oh, by the way could I have the restroom key, Jungkook’s track got rejected again and the idiot’s gone and locked himself in there. Again.”

Bending to look under your table for the right set of keys, you cant help but feel the little worm of resentment wriggle in your heart. “If he were even half decent he’d apologise.” You grumble quietly.

“Looks like he already has.”

“What did you say?” You emerge from under the desk, a little red in the face, and hold the keys out to Tae.

“Thanks!” Tae grins widely at you as he takes the keys and makes in the direction of the hallway, calling out behind him, “Ramen at 9?”

“Choosing to have ramen with me over Jimin? I’m honoured.”  You tease.

Turning back to your desk you notice a little convenience store heat pack with a yellow sticky note that says ‘it’s getting colder’ messily scribbled on it. Tae must have put it there while you were searching for the keys - a right shame he batted for the other team, the boy was so sweet.

“Thank you for the heat pack!”

“Not my doing!” Is his muffled reply from inside the corridors, but you just leave it at that.

—

Taehyung trains his eyes on the mop of black hair sitting in front of him at the audio console. He slowly swings in the spinny chair he’s kneeling backwards in, arms and chin on the high backrest.

After a couple minutes of silence Yoongi turns around.

“Tae I swear. I tolerate you, but if you continue staring at me while spinning in that chair for one more second I will enforce a shoes-on policy on this studio.”

The spinning continues, a playful gleam in the younger boy’s eyes. I call bluff. “When I’m gone, who else will you spill all your admin staff related problems to?”

Yoongi lets out a resigned sigh and pinches the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. Why he chose to let this shoeless, pajama-clad hooligan into his life he would never know.

“This is about ____, isn’t it?”

Taehyung nods. “What you gonna do about it?”

“Nothing.”

He stops spinning in the chair. “Hyung. You didn’t misplace her printing, spill coffee on her notes, make her give out flyers in the rain, put in her pay three days late, or even ask her to make ramen for Jungkook.” (The boy eats four packets in one go.) He lists them all out on his fingers, much to Yoongi’s further annoyance.

“Heck, maybe even collectively doing all of those things might have been better.” He wags an accusing finger in his face, but Yoongi chooses not to acknowledge it. Just like he’s trying not to acknowledge the huge clusterfuck that was this situation with you.

“You made _____ cry. The _____ who waters the stupid plant outside your door and replenishes the bottled water in your personal fridge after you run out because you’re too damn lazy to do it yourself. You’d both die of dehydration if not for her.”

“You both?”

“You and the plant outside, you fucking dumbass, since both of you have so much in common.”

Yoongi slumps deeper into his chair, twiddling with the rings on his fingers uncomfortably. He’s looking at his three computer screens filled with music arrangements but all he can see is your face, hurt and angry. There was a particular point where he saw a tear threaten to escape and he can’t remember feeling like more of an asshole. He’s frustrated that you make him frustrated with your stupid pretty face all crumpled up like that and the fact that he’d been the one to -

“So?” Taehyung asks expectantly.

Yoongi has a defeated look on his face. “I already apologised!”

Taehyung gives him a stare that was equal parts appalled and in disbelief. “With a two dollar heat pack you bought from the convenience store? Which you left on her desk, along with some random post-it and no name. She thinks it’s from me, by the way.”

“She should have been able to tell? ... From the handwriting?”

Taehyung just looks at him.

“I didn’t mean what I said, Tae.” He adds huffily after a short silence. You know why I get so prickly when people come into my studio without permission.”

“Hyung, but ____ doesn’t know that.” He reasons with a softer tone. “I know you like her. If you didn't you’d have fired her on the spot. She’s the best one yet, and pretty, too. I bet if you explained yourself she’d forgive you.”

He hates it, but Taehyung was right when it came to things like this. Your feelings had been hurt and insulted (unjustly so by him) and he didn’t know how to fix it, so he’d just avoided coming out of his room or being at the studio when you were working your shifts. Which had turned out to be an unexpected inconvenience because you were there, manning the reception and running the room bookings more often than he had thought.

“Knew she was trouble from the moment I hired her.” Yoongi grumbles.

“Stop it, old man. You’re just saying that because you like her.”

And indeed you were, all doe-eyed and warm smiles in a floral print dress catching him off guard the day you tentatively pushed the doors of the studio open, asking about the position opening for a receptionist.

Yoongi soon discovered, over the three months you’d been here so far, that you were also a college student struggling to pay her bills, and your shy disposition hid a sharp tongue and intelligent dry wit that had left him chuckling below his breath before he could stop himself. You were definitely trouble, and just his kind.

“After you apologise you should just ask her out already,” tae adds, “she’s totally got a thing going for you."

Yoongi scoffs. “Yes, _____ totally has a thing for me and my winning personality.” He puts his hand on his chin in mock contemplation. “Now I know why she ran off crying. She’s in love with me.”

“I said, after you apologise. Properly. She’ll forgive you.”

“Maybe I can just fire her. Then I don’t have to see her again.” He groans.

“Then I’d never forgive you.”

The words were sharp, but that was just Taehyung. There was somehow always a kindness to everything he did or said, even if it was an unpleasant thing; it had made Yoongi see the error of his ways more than once. The kid was more mature than anyone gave him credit for.  

Tae pushes off the chair and claps an encouraging hand on the older boy’s shoulder before turning to leave the room.

“Just say sorry, Yoongi. It’s not that hard.”

—

The way Dongwon looks at you as he leans on the reception counter makes you uncomfortable. In the kind of way that you can feel his eyes on your face, your throat, your shoulders. It makes you want to take a shower. Not that you were wearing anything revealing. In fact, you are the antithesis of sexy right now in what Chungha liked to call The Nun Outfit - a  white turtleneck knit and a plain black midi skirt that fell to your shins.

Nevertheless, you force a smile out, respecting that this was one of Yoongi's previous work partners. “I’m sorry, but Yoongi specifically told me not to allow any unscheduled reservations today.”

“Come on babe. I left shortly after you arrived, but you know who I am. I just gotta pick something up, and use studio B for a while.”

His usage of the affectionate term on you makes your skin prickle but you shake it off. “Maybe you could leave a message?”

Fumbling at your desk, you reach for a pen and a notepad, pointedly ignoring the way Dongwon is leaning in closer, not sparing you an inch of his scrutiny. “Here, you can use this -"

“Are you fucking him?”

You freeze. “What?"

Dongwon gives you a once over and runs his tongue on the inside of his cheek. You think you’re going to throw up.

“Are you two fucking? Is that why you’re listening to him like a good little - ”

Yoongi is nothing if not a possessive man. So when he catches the tail end of your conversation with Dongwon on his way out to get this third Americano of the day, and sees Dongwon looming over you like you're his next meal, he feels a sharp, intense anger pressing against his chest.

“The heck do you want?” Yoongi is seething as he enters the reception area, but he tames the flames quickly. His tone is deceptively level.

Dongwon looks away from you and a weird expression crosses his face, but it’s schooled quickly. “Yoongi, my man.” He greets emptily.

“I’m just visiting. Seeing how you’re doing.”

“Great.” is Yoongi's clipped reply as he sets his empty cup on the counter and tosses a couple of bills in front of you.

“Im sorry, sajangnim, I told him you said no unscheduled -”

“Iced americano, triple shot.” Yoongi cuts you off. 

He looks at you pointedly, the first time he’s acknowledged you since he had shouted at you a week ago. Under normal circumstances you’d have snapped back about how ‘so we’re only speaking if you need me to be the coffee lady’ but today you just take the money and leave the office, glad to be out of there. You drag your feet, walking as slow as possible to the cafe downstairs and pray the barista takes longer, but there’s only so much time you can kill before you have to go back up. Coming to the end of the corridor you just hope they’re both gone by the time you get back so it saves you the confrontation but -

You stop just before they can see you through the glass door.

"You don't talk to my people that way."

"Your people?" You don't need to see Dongwon's face to know he's sporting a twisted mocking expression.

"What’s the matter, she’s free game if you guys aren’t sleeping together." His leering tone makes you blanch. "With a face like that? She's way out of your league, man, and even if you were fucking, it doesn't mean you can't share - “

Dongwon is cut off when you hear the loud, telling smack of a fist connecting with a face. It is all you can do to not drop the coffee in your hand, the other coming to cover your mouth to muffle a gasp.

“God, what the fuck is wrong with you, Yoongi? Who shoved a cactus up your ass?”

There is a brief scuffling noise, and the sound of some pushing and shoving, but quickly, it is quiet again.

“You know I could end your career in one phonecall, right?” You can barely hear Yoongi from where you are, but one thing’s for sure. You’ve never heard him like this before. Angry and menacing.

“I know what you’re here for. I’m not going to fall for it again. I kept quiet to protect the people in Namjoon’s company, but don’t you for one damn moment think I don’t know you’re the stealing bastard who took my demos and used them as your own.”

"And when Namjoon realises what your work is like - ha!" Yoongi snorts. "I was gonna watch you die a slow and public death but I guess that can be sped up."

Suddenly, things click into place with a shrill clarity. You don’t hear Dongwon say anything.

“You. Owe. Me. So you be a good little bitch and apologise to _____ when she comes back, and if you even so much as breathe on the corner of my block again, I’m going to fucking end you.”

“Yoongi you -“

If there was a good time for Badass Bitch™ to make an appearance it would probably be now. So you squeeze your eyes shut and with a deep breath, push open the office door.

“Coffee’s here!” You say a little too brightly, like you didn’t just walk in on an altercation.

Dongwon is trapped against the counter, collar gripped in Yoongi’s fist. He’s sporting a shiner on his cheekbone. Your lip trembles, but you manage to hold it in place. After a tense moment, Yoongi releases his grip with a disgusted exhale. Dongwon brushes himself off, turning away to straighten his shirt.

You place the coffee cup on the counter, turning to Yoongi and holding out a small fist. When he just looks at you, you grab his wrist and deposit some coins in his hand. You notice his knuckles are definitely pink.

“Your change.”

Yoongi ignores you, looking over your head at Dongwon. He opens his mouth like he’s about about to throw a nasty remark, but then closes it again with fire burning in his eyes and turns to leave.

“Oi. You forgot something. ” Yoongi’s tone is dangerous, warning.

Dongwon looks back, eyes still blazing, gaze shifting to you when Yoongi tilts his head in your direction.

He scoffs before pushing the door open, but then as he leaves he spits out begrudgingly, “Sorry, or whatever.”

You stand there in shocked silence for a good full minute before your senses come back to you. You turn to Yoongi again, grabbing his wrist to examine his hand.

“Yoongi, your hand -“ you start, but he’s already yanking it back from your grasp and muttering an angry “I’m fine”, before grabbing his coffee off the counter and heading back into his studio with a slam of his door.

-

If Yoongi’s day could have gotten any worse, it just did. There is a knocking on his door, for the third time in a row now and -

Knock knock knock.

He groans, yanking the door open. If he could get any more pissed off, he does, when he comes face to face with Taehyung.

“The fuck do you want, Tae, I swear if it’s nonsense again -"

"Stop taking your problems out on other people, hyung. Getting real tired of your shit here."

Yoongi groans internally. Tae was right. Again.

"Sorry. Its been a day. Dongwon was here earlier." He explains wearily, and the younger boy softens a little with understanding.

"S'okay. He's gone now?"

"Yeah, left him with a present too." Taehyung eyes Yoongi's hand that rested on the doorframe. He nods a few times, and then shoves a plastic bag into Yoongi’s hands.

“I have a present for you. It’s from ____.”

Your name stuns him for a moment. “Wait. Who?”

“____. She asked me to give it to you. I think she’s too afraid to give it to you herself.”

“What? Why?”

Taehyung doesn’t say anything, just rolls his eyes before walking away. Yoongi shuts the door and slumps back in his chair, hand coming to massage his temples but he winces when he tries to make a fist. His knuckles are an angry, painful red. He definitely hit Dongwon harder than he’d intended.

Sighing, he empties the contents of the little bag onto the table and finds a tube of anti-inflammatory ointment, a roll of bandages, and a little pink post it note. It’s from you. You’ve doodled a smiling caricature of yourself with a tiny speech bubble that says ‘thank you!’.

He picks it up, running a finger over the smiley face and plasters in the top right hand corner.

-

Huddling deeper into your coat as you trudge miserably back down the street in the direction of the studio, you silently thank Tae for the heat packs he’s been leaving you - though he always denies it and you wonder why. Of course it’s just your luck that you left your house keys at the office on the coldest night of the month.

It’s not that Yoongi was avoiding you, you reason to yourself, as you walk, he was always like that. Aside from the first interview, you didn’t get a second glimpse of him till the third week into your new job. And even then you didnt really know what he actually looked like, because his face was always covered with a mask or a black cap pulled low. You heard more about your boss than how much you actually saw him.  

Maybe he just felt embarrassed by the whole two situations? You reason to yourself. Frankly you were over the whole shouting fest. Maybe he just had an off day, so what? (Chungha was right, you were just a little miffed that he didn’t apologise to you, but you guessed he’d redeemed himself). As you round the corner you kick a stray pebble that bounces down the street -

Oh.

You remember the first time you had a Good Look at Yoongi. Not just glimpses of eyes under a cap pulled low, or a flash of his profile as he tugs his hood up over his head. Like, a real proper stare. It was about a month and a half in, when you were heading to water the plants outside his studio before you ended your shift, and caught him working late with the door open.

You had imagined him to have coarse, unrefined features, what with his reclusive, gruff personality. And so you were caught by surprise, when you're greeted with a delicate side profile, strong brows slightly furrowed in concentration as he experiments with different chords on the keyboard with long, elegant fingers. A plush lower lip is worried between a row of clean, straight teeth. It was an unconventional kind of handsomeness, a kind that made you want to look, and look again.

But it's like he knows you're there and looks up. Before you can apologise out of habit, he closes the door in your face, your gaze meeting his for a split second. His eyes are angled with an almost feline quality under long lashes, sharp and guarded. You didn’t know what they guarded, but you felt a curiosity take bud in your chest and it was in that moment you knew you were very much in trouble.

But it is not clear how much trouble you are in. And you thought you were clear of that trouble, given the happenings of the past weeks. But now you realise any chance of being clear of it is now shot to shit when you round the corner of the street and see him crouching at the curb outside the building near a small ball of fur.

He’s playing with a cat.

Softly, the three-coloured cat he’s watching purrs, abandoning the can of tuna in favour of rubbing itself against Yoongi’s shin. He pulls a hand out of his hoodie pocket and reaches down to scratch between its ears. A gentle, endearing smile finds its way onto his face. You feel your heart squeeze.

But like the last time, before you can make your presence known, he looks up. He knows. There’s an expression on his face like he’s been caught doing something he shouldn’t have been.

Yoongi quickly stands up and shoves his hand back into his hoodie pocket as you approach. It is at this point a small logical part of his mind registers that it would be a good time to apologise to you, but for the most part it is a mental re-enactment of a keyboard smash when you give him an unsure smile and a tiny wave. All swaddled in your coat and scarf, you were so cute, and holy shit you were walking over and he had no clue what he was going to say.

“So you’re the one spoiling him.” You murmur as the cat leaves Yoongi to pad over to you.

“Him?” He replies dumbly.

You nod to the meowing ball of fur curling around your ankles. “Him. I named him Jimin.”

“Jimin.” He repeats slowly. “A very human name?”

Yoongi watches you, as you watch the cat, a small smile gracing your face. “He reminds me of a friend of a friend. Small and cute. But has claws. And very clingy once he gets close to you.”

You look up to catch him staring, and he quickly redirects his attention to a streetlamp in the distance. “Yeah, I’ve been feeding him for a couple of weeks now. You’re definitely right about him being clingy.” Yoongi admits sheepishly as he shifts his weight from foot to foot.

Crouching to give Jimin a head scratch, you can sense Yoongi wants to say something. But you reckon he doesn’t know how. You think about giving him a hard time, but you don’t. You figure getting caught feeding a little cat is enough punishment for him.

“Don’t worry, sajangnim. I won’t tell anyone." You say with a little smile. "I’ll keep your image intact.”

Your smile makes his brain short circuit. "What?"

You let out a laugh because this was the most flustered you’d ever seen Yoongi, over a cat, no less! (you were wrong about this) And boy, was it amusing.

It's a light, happy noise and it's so pretty, Yoongi thinks. A pretty laugh for a pretty girl.

"Y'know, your whole brooding, all black, don't talk to me, mysterious guy image." You make a mask gesture over your face and then to him in mock disbelief.

"Playing with cats isn't very on brand of you, but I'll keep that information to myself."

Yoongi laughs then, and he dips his head to try and hide it, but from where you're crouching with Jimin you're treated to a glimpse of the cutest gummy smile that makes your heart turn into mush. You mentally note to prepare yourself for the next time he does that.

Putting your hands on your knees you push yourself back up and you both stand in companionable silence for a little while, watching the little cat go back to his bowl of tuna.

“I’m gonna -“

“Yeah so - “

The expression of mild surprise quickly turns into amusement on Yoongi’s face, and it makes you laugh softly into your palm like a shy fifteen year old. You quirk your head at him. Yoongi feels like it is really unfair for someone to be this cute.

“You first.”

Yoongi rubs the back of his neck with his hand and looks up at you from behind the hair falling in his eyes.

“I’m. Uh.” He stutters. “Realised I never apologised for that day.”

“It’s okay,” you smile reassuringly. “I’m over it.”

“You are?”

“Yeah.” You shrug. “I mean, granted you were a Top Notch Asshole, but I guess it was just a bad day for you.”

“I deserve that. Taehyung told me I should stop taking my anger out on others. Its true.”

“I accept your apology. Everyone has their own… thing.” You say stupidly after not being able to find better words.

“I just have issues sometimes. With... intellectual property.” He gestures vaguely in the air, trying to explain the best he can and you understand that he doesn’t really want to say more.

“I know.”

Yoongi’s brow knits in confusion for a moment before realisation dawns upon him.

“You heard us.”

You nod with a tight smile. “I didn’t mean to.”

Yoongi nods. “You’re not curious?”

“I am.” You consider this for a while, before adding: “but I don’t want to hear it if you don’t want to tell me.”

Yoongi doesn’t say anything, just continues staring at you. He likes that you are perceptive, and that you don’t feel like you’re automatically owed a lengthy explanation (even though he feels like you were). He likes your humour and the way you say things, and how every emotion is displayed so clearly on your face. He used to hate it because he thought it was a lack of tact, but honesty like yours is something he’s recently come to treasure a lot.

His staring makes your skin prickle all over and your cheeks flush, so you look for something to say.

“So all the receptionists who've worked for you become your punching bag, or was it just me?”

“Only the pretty ones.” He's sporting that cheeky gummy smile again.

He thought you were pretty?

It was so cliche, but it made you giggle. "Okay, casanova."

Your laugh dies down and you do this little shrug smile thing at him. In the muted yellow of the lamplight, and the snow starting to fall around you, Yoongi feels his heart stutter.

“Thanks, for the... stuff.” He pulls his other hand out of his hoodie to show you that it’s bandaged.

“Ah, you got them. I’m glad Tae got them to you. I didn’t know if you um.” You pause. “... wanted my company or not.” Yoongi blanches apologetically. “I’m working on it.”

After a moment of silence, you point up at the building. “I gotta get going. I left my house keys in the office. I came back to get them.”

“I think I’ll stay here a little longer.” He looks down at his furry friend working steadily at finishing whatever's in the bowl. “With Jimin.”

A sudden gust of cold, sharp wind cuts by, and you shove your hands deeper into your pockets kept warm by the heat pack Taehyung had given you. You see Yoongi shiver in his hoodie, and in the spur of the moment you fish out the heat pack in your pocket and hold it out to him.

“Take this, if you're gonna be out here. It’s getting colder these days.”

There is an odd expression on Yoongi’s face and he stares weirdly at you for a moment before you go into panic mode.

“Oh no, do you mind that I’ve been holding it before? Oh no I’m sorry. It’s okay, my hands are clean, I wash them often, twice actually with soap and water. I don’t like germs. If you want I also have hand sanitiser - “ you begin digging around hastily in your little sling bag, but freeze when Yoongi’s hands settles over your own.

They are big and warm, and the rough callouse on his palm brushes gently over your knuckles. You can’t help but imagine what they’d feel like on other places of your body. He accepts the heat pack from you, fingers lingering just a little too long - you’re sure of it, you hadn’t imagined that.

“Thank you, ____.” He offers you a half-smile and you can feel your heart flip flop like a fish in your chest.

All of a sudden, self-consciousness hits you in waves, and you school your features, clearing your throat. “I… I’d better get going, sajangnim.”

“Yoongi.”

“What?”

“Call me Yoongi.”

Yoongi finds himself biting the inside of his cheek to stop himself from smiling too wide as he watches you, all flustered as you stutter a mumbled agreement and goodbye, trudging off abruptly in the direction you came. Only to turn back around because you’d gone in the wrong direction instead of going to get your keys. Cute, he thinks to himself. Very cute.

—

The first time you say his name is two weeks later and you’re not used to calling him that, so he really has to drag it out of you. (Not that he didn’t enjoy it, but you best believe he won’t ever let you live it down that you couldn’t bring yourself to drop the honorifics.)

It’s after hours, and he’s leaning against the audio console in his studio, with you standing between his legs. A random demo track of his plays in the background - a simple piano melody, but you don't recognise it. Must be one of the new things he's been working on - there were a lot of them lately. One of them being working up the sexual tension between you two, which had reached a head today, given the position you were in. You were about to burst. Into tears, or flames you didn't know which but you sure as hell were about to find out.

You are eye to eye with Yoongi. An arm around your waist presses you against his chest with nowhere to run, the other hand gently cupping the side of your face. He is terribly close, so warm and smells of soap and the leather jacket he’s wearing.

“Say it properly.”

A little bubble of annoyance rises in your throat at the smug expression on his face. You’re rather cute when you’re frustrated.

“This is blackmail. It’s illegal, you know?” You say huffily. “It’s just a name, why do you have to make life so hard for me? I’m sure you’d know - “

You ramble on, and Yoongi watches you fondly - you weren't much of a talker, but put you in a spot and suddenly you couldn’t stop talking. He’s rather excited to discover more of this side of you. Even your coping mechanisms were cute, and he thinks to himself that he’s pretty much done for.

Yoongi places his index finger under your chin, tipping your head up to meet his gaze and runs the pad of his thumb slowly over your bottom lip. You shut up, and watch him as he watches his finger press into the soft flesh. The guy knew exactly what he was doing, and you were going to let him.

“Kiss me.”

Yoongi tilts his face even nearer, lips hovering dangerously close.

“Not good enough.” He whispers. His breath fans gently across your cheek; it smells like the mint gum he likes to chew on when he’s working on a particularly difficult track.

Yoongi feels your small hands tighten around the lapels of his jacket, and he’s met with a glare that is pleading and dare he say… petulant? He’s wanted to kiss you for a long time, and he’s thought about it a lot. More than is healthy for him, he thinks, but oh, does he want to tease you just a little bit longer.

“Not. Good. Enough.”

“Yoongi, kiss me.”

When Yoongi first kisses you, he does so chastely. He nips delicately at your lips. His own are soft, unhurried and teasing - a tender shadow of a kiss. You can tell he's relaxing, savoring the moment, and like a fog settling in, your world grows hazy with the smell, taste and touch of him.

"There's my girl." Yoongi whispers as he pulls away, his breath mixing with yours. Unintentionally you shift, moving forward for another kiss because he's kissing you but not really kissing you. And unsurprisingly, he stays where he is, just out of reach.

"Kiss me. Properly ", you repeat.

He moves his lips slowly to your jaw and lower; you can feel his laugh through his chest. You crane your neck and let out a breathy "oh god" when Yoongi takes his own sweet time to suck a deep pink bruise into the creamy expanse of skin there. He appraises, with satisfaction, the way his mark looks on you before soothing it with his warm lips and tongue.

"Come on princess," he murmurs against your skin in between licks. "Try again."

The term of endearment he uses on you is your undoing, and he makes a mental note with emphatic exclamation points to revisit this tidbit of information at a later date.

"Yoongi. Kiss me. Please."

And just like that he continues where you two left off, this time with no ounce of teasing or flirting. It's hot and shameless and wanton. Yoongi is no longer gentle. The hand around your waist drops to the curve of your ass, gripping hard and pulling you onto your tiptoes. He slips a thigh between your legs, your hips now flush against his - a delicious pressure you can't get enough of. The other hand palms your breast, rubbing a pebbling nipple through your clothes and the sudden friction makes you gasp. He takes the chance parting of your lips to lick into your mouth, swallowing your soft moans eagerly. You run one of your hands up to the nape of his neck. Carding your fingers through the hair there earns you a low groan, and a heavy, languid swipe of his tongue against yours.

You don’t know how long you spend memorising the taste of him, his hands claiming every possible inch of your skin, but eventually the kiss slows. Yoongi takes your bottom lip between his teeth, biting gently as he pulls away. For a moment all you can hear is the the blood roaring in your ears.

As the both of you catch your breath, Yoongi is just watching you now. The hand that rests on your waist moves up your belly, up your chest. It comes to rest at the base of your throat, thumb one one side and four fingers on the other. Silently, you revel in its weight. The feeling of his rings on your skin makes you shiver a little. Unable to help himself, he squeezes ever so slightly. Like this, he can feel your hummingbird pulse under the pad of his thumb.

Your eyes flutter shut momentarily, but not before you see his eyes light with desire.

You look up at him, and he decides he likes you like this. He really, really likes you like this - soft, pliant, all pressed up against him with your moans and kiss-swollen lips, and for the love of god, begging.  

It’s a bit pathetic how you’ve got him all wrapped around your little finger but he's had enough of teasing and he gets to kiss you now, so he doesn’t care. He smiles widely, closing the distance between his lips and yours again.

-

Six months down the road is the first time he lets you listen to that piano track when it’s finished. You don’t remember it at first, but he’s quick to jolt your memory with a very in depth and very realistic re-enactment.

When you finally get down to listening to it, he plays it off as cool and nonchalant, but you’re attuned to his little mannerisms by now, and the way he’s picking at the skin on his thumb told you this was important. He’s nervous to let you listen to it.

It’s beautiful - a soft piano backing track compliments his husky rap in an unexpected but flawless manner, and the way it builds into a crescendo fills you with raw emotion. Your eyes are wet by the time the last few notes play.

“Yoongi, it’s beautiful.”

He smiles at you, but continues picking at his thumb.

“You don’t think it’s too… different?” He frowns a little. “From my other stuff? Will people like it?”

You walk over to take his face between two of your small hands.  You’re looking at him like he’s your entire world and his heart is going to burst. “ Don’t worry. It’s going to be amazing. It is amazing. You’re amazing.”

In that moment, Yoongi feels invincible. He presses a long, sweet kiss to your lips.

“Some day, I’m going to write a song about you.” he breathes when he pulls away. You beam quietly.

“Music is my first love but you - “ there is a pause as he takes a moment to run a finger across your cheek, so gentle, as if he might break you if he wasn’t careful enough.“ - you are my forever love.”

- 

[thdorkmagnet]

Marco’s Birthday Blowup Blast

Hey everyone! Today I’m bringing to you all something a little different. This was just a fun idea I’ve been working on for a while now thanks to a request I received from an anonymous source and I knew I had to make this when they gave it to me. I don’t normally take requests but this idea was too good to pass up!

So today is Marco’s 16th birthday and Star is determined to make it the best birthday Earthni has ever seen! Haha, I hope you all enjoy, especially my awesome requester who helped me out with a bunch of the ideas for this story! 

Disclaimer: Star vs and all it's characters are owned by Daron Nefcy and Disney. All rights go to them.

Marco's soft snores echoed around his dark room, the boy's curtains closed tight to prevent any horrid light from flooding in and disturbing his peaceful dreams. The boy mumbled incoherently in his sleep, clutching the stuffed rabbit he slept with closer, a line of drool beginning to slowly spread on its cotton face, as he settled down deeper into the welcoming warmth of his pillow. At his feet, his litter of laser puppies were all curled up into balls as they snoozed, even the normally hyper dogs not wanting to be disturbed so early in the morning.

The door to Marco's room creaked softly open, a blond head slowly appeared in the doorway a second after, a bright grin on her face as she took in the adorable form of her boyfriend. She held in the coo she felt rising at the back of her throat, her Marco just too cute for words when he was asleep. She silently tiptoed closer, being careful not to jolt around the tray of his freshly made breakfast and accidentally alert him to her presence. She set the tray down as quietly as she could on his desk, before creeping closer to the teen so she was now standing over him. Her eyes shimmered as she just took a few minutes to watch him sleep, sighing softly to herself. Even though it had been months since the Cleaving, Star still couldn't believe sometimes that Marco and her were finally together. It felt like just yesterday they had confessed their love and yet at the same time, it was as if the two had already spent a lifetime together. These last few months had been the best of her life and she was determined to show her boyfriend just how special and important he was to her by throwing the best birthday party possible! He was sixteen now, after all. She had to make sure everything went perfectly.

Speaking of perfect, what was the perfect way to wake Marco up? Star frowned as she tried to think of the best way for her Marco to start his day. Finally, an idea came to her and a bright smile lit up her face once again. She slowly reached out a hand, placing it lightly on his shoulder, before giving him a small shake. "Marco," she whispered. "Would you like me to kiss you awake?"

The only reply she received was a groggy yawn, but that seemed to be the right answer as Star slowly began leaning closer to him, loose strands of her hair falling onto his face. As she got closer to her target, she closed her eyes, her lips puckering as she prepared to plant a loving kiss on his cheek.

Marco giggled softly as Star's blond locks tickled his skin, his heavy eyelids lifting slightly as he checked to see what could possibly be disturbing his dreams. But the moment he saw the form hovering over him and moving steadily closer by the second, he panicked. His groggy brain was unable to decipher what who or what it was that was so near to him, his instincts quickly taking over as he was jolted awake by the scare.

So he did what any rational person would do when in a similar situation... he screamed. He tried to scramble away from the stranger, his body flailing wildly as he tried to get out from his tangle of sheets (nearly sending the startled laser puppies flying), before he reached the end of his bed where he fell to the floor, letting out a loud oof when he hit the ground.

"Marco!" Star cried in distress, quickly climbing onto the bed so she could peer over and see the state of her bestie. The boy just blinked up at her, the startled look clear in his brown gaze, panting heavily after the scare. "Star?" he groggily squeaked out, his still tired brain struggling to understand what was happening.

"Hey," Star said sheepishly, waving hesitantly down to him.

"Wh-What happened?" he asked, propping himself up on his elbows as he stared up at her with uncertainty, the blond almost able to see the gears turning in his head as he made sense of it all.

"Sorry, I was trying to give you a kiss to wake you up," she explained while shooting him an apologetic smile.

"Oh," the boy said, letting out a steady breath as everything finally clicked into place.

"Guess maybe I should have just let you wake up on your own," Star admitted, tapping her index fingers together guiltily.

But Marco only laughed, though that was most likely in part by the dozen or so ticklish puppy tongues that were licking his face as he did his best to push them away. "Well, I appreciate the thought anyway, Star," the hooded boy said sweetly, shooting her a loving smile. "Besides I've definitely had way worse wake up calls. I mean, these little guys used to laser blast me awake basically every morning," the hooded teen continued, picking one of the puppies up to show Star exactly who he was talking about. His voice switched to an overly-sweet coo as he said to the little dog, "Didn't you, Barko Diaz? You and your brothers and sisters used to be a big handful, didn't you?"

Star giggled at her boyfriend's actions, especially as the little pups' barks grew louder in reaction to the change in their owner's tone and they began licking him more furiously than before causing Marco to laugh. He did his best to hold them off, but it was a losing battle as for every puppy he managed to move away, another took its place. Finally, he gave his girlfriend a pleading look, squeaking out, "Help."

Star came to his rescue, grabbing hold of Marco's outstretched hands before helping him back up on the bed, the boy letting out a relieved sigh. "Thanks," he said, shooting her a grin, which she returned with one of her own.

"No problem," she replied. She looked back down to see the puppies had begun wrestling with each other without their owner to keep them entertained. Since the Cleaving, the laser puppies no longer shot laser beams anymore (they should really think of a different name for them now) which was honestly, a huge relief for the Diaz's furniture since singed and burnt couches and tables were not very appealing to look at.

"So what's up, Star? You usually don't wake me up this early without a good reason," Marco asked, giving his bestie a questioning look.

"Uhh did you seriously forget," Star said, playing jabbing his side with her elbow. "It's your birthday, silly."

Marco's eyes lit up as the memory returned, saying thoughtfully, "Oh yeah, that's right. That is today."

"Yep, you're officially sixteen now, Marco!" Star squealed, pulling him into a tight hug. "Aren't you excited!?"

A giant smile flooded Marco's face as he just clung onto his eager girlfriend. "Yeah, it is pretty great."

Star quickly pulled out of the hug, holding his shoulders at arm's length as she told him with shimmering vision, "And as your girlfriend, I am going to make sure you have the best possible birthday in the history of birthdays!" She giddily clapped her hands together as she added, "Just wait until you see what I have planned, you're gonna love it!"

Marco laughed, finding his girlfriend beyond adorable as he said in a flirty tone, "I'm sure I will. You always know just what to do for me, Star."

"Aww, Marco, you are too sweet," the girl cooed, cupping his cheeks in her hands. Marco started to lean in for a kiss but the girl suddenly let go of his face and jumped off the bed, causing him to fall forward with a short yell and face-plant directly into his soft sheets. Star didn't notice this though, as she went over to the tray of food she had brought in, lifting it slowly, careful to not spill anything as she turned back around to face her boyfriend. "Speaking of which," she began with a hinting edge to her tone, Marco watching her quizzically as she walked over to him. "I made you breakfast!" the blond exclaimed, before setting the tray down in his lap.

The boy looked down at his breakfast in surprise, staring at the plate of fresh bacon, purple eggs (okay that was a bit alarming), and pancakes, as well as a glass of orange juice, and his gaze softened, touched that his girlfriend would be nice enough to make him breakfast. But then a thought occurred to him and he quickly turned back to Star, asking, "You made this?"

Star nodded. "Yep, only the best for my favorite bestie slash boyfriend!" she said, shooting him a wink.

The boy gave her a thin smile, eying his meal cautiously as he tried to indiscreetly check and make sure it was safe to eat. After all, he loved Star but her cooking skills were... well, she didn't really have any to speak of. Somehow, beyond Marco's comprehension, the blond managed to burn or ruin even the simplest of meals and he would rather not have to deal with food poisoning on his birthday. He gulped, trying to stall for as long as he could as he asked her hesitantly, "So did you, uh, make this yourself?"

"Nope," Star replied, sitting on the edge of the bed, as she gauged her boyfriend's reaction closely. "Eclipsa helped me out, since I'm not exactly an expert when it comes to cooking and I wanted to make sure your breakfast was perfect."

"Wait, Eclipsa knows how to cook?" Marco asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

"Apparently," Star shrugged, sounding equally as shocked. "And she's pretty good at it, too. Try a bite."

The boy now satisfied that he wouldn't get sick from eating his meal, grabbed his fork and picked up one of the eggs, stuffing the whole thing directly into his mouth. Star held her breath as she just waited for his reaction. He chewed on it thoughtfully for a second, before humming in approval, his taste buds going wild with every bite. "Oh man, Star you were right, this is delicious!"

Star sighed in relief, glad to know her boyfriend was satisfied with his breakfast and her eyes shimmered like her name-sake as she watched him quickly devouring his meal hungrily. "You really think so?" the blond asked, her heart swelling with pride.

"Oh yeah, this stuff is incredible," the boy said with his mouth still stuffed with food, not even bothering to swallow as he spoke. "Especially these eggs! I've never tasted anything like them before."

He picked up a piece, ready to take a bite of it, before Star said, "Oh yeah, that was Eclipsa's idea, she said dragon eggs were full of nutrients and flavors you can't get anywhere else."

The boy froze, stopping mid-bite, the fork inches from his mouth as he turned to Star with a worried expression. "Did you say dragon's eggs?"

Star nodded in confusion. "Uh, yeah, why?"

"Because I have a dragon cycle and Nachos would hate me if she knew I was eating her own kind!" Marco exclaimed.

Star scoffed, waving an arm in the air. "Dragons are a totally different thing than dragon cycles, Marco," she matter-of-factly explained. "Everyone knows that."

"Well, I didn't," Marco admitted sheepishly, poking at his half-eaten plate with his fork.

The blond just giggled, cupping his cheek in her hand once again as she told him, "You still have so much to learn, Marco."

The boy gave her a loving grin, his cheeks heating up slightly as he locked gaze with her startling blue, his heart thumping away in his chest like crazy. "Thanks for the breakfast, by the way, this was really nice of you."

"You think this is good, just wait till you see what other surprises I have cooked up for you," Star told him, shooting him a sly grin. "I'm going all-out for your birthday!"

Marco's eyes lit up with intrigue at that, but it quickly vanished, replaced instead with a determined expression. "So, uh, Star, speaking of surprises" he coyly began, setting his tray aside as he leaned closer to her. "I know you're whole plan to wake me up didn't really work out... so how would you like to make it up now, instead?"

Star's eyebrows raised as she playfully asked, "Oh ho ho, are you asking me to kiss you, Diaz?"

"Maybe," he said mischievously, purposely not meeting her eye.

The blond leaned even closer to him, till their foreheads were practically touching before saying, "Well, y'know, I would love to, but..."

Marco gave her a confused frown. "But what?" he asked, unable to keep the disappointment out his voice.

"But..." she continued, the smirk on her lips causing several of Marco's brain cells to fry. She whispered gently into his ear, "...your face is coated in dog drool."

The boy froze, his eyes wide with shock as his cheeks lit up red in embarrassment, while Star burst out into laughter at the cute look of surprise on her Marco's face. Finally, the boy shot the litter of puppies a dirty look as he grumbled to them, "Thanks a lot."

…

After Marco cleaned up his face and changed into his typical attire of hoodie and jeans he made his way downstairs, where he was greeted by the smiling faces of his parents, who wasted no time running over and wrapping him up into a super tight hug. "Happy Birthday Marco!" they said in unison and the boy just laughed and hugged them back. "We can't believe you're already sixteen!" Angela exclaimed.

"Thanks mom, thanks dad," the boy said sweetly.

"It seems like just yesterday you were still in diapers and trying to stuff nacho chips up your nose when we weren't looking," Rafael cried with glee, his eyes welling up with tears.

Marco blushed and immediately whispered to them, "Dad, not in front of Star." He inclined his head over to the staircase where Star was watching the display with a silent grin.

"Oh, don't mind me," the blond said, maneuvering around the Diaz's and slowly backing away toward the sliding glass door that led to the backyard. "Keep having your family moment, I'll just be outside if you need me," she continued, plastering on the most innocent and trustworthy smile she had. "And uh, maybe don't come outside for the next like thirty minutes or so, give or take." Once she was at the door, she reached behind her and slid it open, never once breaking eye contact with her boyfriend and his parents. She took a single step back and started to close the door back but not before pausing to give Marco a warning glare, quickly adding, "I mean it Marco, no peeking."

"No peeking, I promise," the boy said, with a short nod.

The smile returned on Star's face as she said in her typical Star cheer, "Okay!"

She finished closing the door, before a large sheet was hung up over it, preventing Marco from even trying to look outside. But it didn't keep him from hearing his girlfriend's very loud shout of, "Okay people, hurry up! We only have half an hour to make the best dang birthday party Earthni has ever seen!"

"But um, Star, Earthni has only been around for a couple of months," came the hesitant voice of Alfonso.

"Which is why we are gonna make this one so great that no birthday in the future will ever compare, got it?!" the girl practically screamed, followed by an immediate, "Yes ma'am."

The boy just chuckled shaking his head at his girlfriend's antics before turning to his mom and dad and asking, "So uh, where's Mariposa?"

Just as he said that he felt a tug on his pant leg and he looked down to see his one-year-old sister staring up at him, her arms stretched out, fingers trying desperately to reach her big brother despite the obvious height difference, saying in her little baby coo, "Biii Bwover, upie, upie," which Marco knew translated to "Big Brother, up, up."

He laughed, not even hesitating as he reached down and scooped the little girl up and into his arms, saying to her, "Okay, Mariposa, okay, if that's what you really want." Once she was safe and settled in her big brother's arms, the boy tickled her underneath the chin in the exact place he knew would get a giggle out of her, as he cooed, "Guess what, Mari. Your big bro is 16 years old today, isn't that awesome?"

His baby sister just laughed and clapped her hands together, still finding talking difficult and so mostly relayed her emotions by either clapping when she was happy, crying when she was sad, or scowling death glares at whoever dared to make her angry.

Angela sighed, putting her hands on his shoulders as she told him, "Oh Marco, you are such a good big brother."

"Thanks mom," the hooded teen replied, not taking his eyes off his sister as she grabbed his finger in both tiny hands, staring up at him with shimmering eyes.

"And we have no doubt you're going to be an even greater dad," Rafael quickly added.

"Thanks dad," Marco replied instantly, not really thinking too much about what his parents were saying, his focus more on Mariposa than anything else.

"And Star is gonna make a great mom, as well," Angela said cheerfully and the hooded teen made a noise somewhere between a groan and a squeak, whipping his head over to face his parents, exclaiming with flushed cheeks, "Where did that come from?"

"Just stating a fact," his mom said nonchalantly.

Marco's eyebrow slowly raised as he asked suspiciously, "Have you and Mr. and Mrs. Butterfly been talking again?"

Both of his parents laughing nervously as they clearly tried to cover up their secret intentions. "No, of course not, Marco," his mom said, in a very fake tone. "We just think you and Star are very cute together and if you ever did end up having kids, we'd be happy for you."

"Uh-huh," the boy said doubtfully. But his voice retained its regular cheer, as he added, "Well when we end up having kids than I'm sure Star will be a great mom. After all, there's nothing that girl can't do."

There was a loud boom outside, one that caused the whole house to shake, the Diaz's looking around with concern, fearful of their home being damaged, while Marco just stared ahead calmly (he had grown numb to this sort of thing in the several years he had known Star), but making sure to hold Mari just a little closer to him than before. Once their home has stopped shaking, the family turned to the back door with worried looks. "Star, you okay?" Marco called out to his girlfriend, shifting his hold on his baby sister as she laughed and clapped her hands at the funny house shivering.

"Yep, everything's great! Nothing to worry about!" came Star's muffled response.

Marco sighed in relief, thankful his girlfriend wasn't hurt, he couldn't help but still worry over her at times. She was the most important thing in his world, after all. He didn't know what he would ever do without her. The hooded teen quickly shifted his attention to his parents, who both still looked a little startled by what happened. "Um, sorry guys. You... know how Star is," Marco said giving them a nervous grin. Although Star's antics never bothered him in slightest, he didn't know if his parents felt the same and he didn't want to ruin their shining opinion of her. He wanted his family to approve of the woman he loved, see her for the incredible, mature individual she was and had become and not just the wild, explosion-happy blond that had lived under their roof back in the day. There was much more to Star than that, he just hoped his parents could see that too.

But to his surprise, the two burst out into laughter, Marco looking between them like they had lost their minds. Finally, their sudden laughing fit ceased and Angela very calmly told him, "Oh Marco, you don't have to apologize. You know we've always loved Star's energy."

"Even if it did sometimes result in destroying our house," Rafael added as chipper as ever.

"So wait, it really doesn't bother you?" he asked hopefully.

"Of course not," Angela replied. "Do you know how many times we've had stuff explode in the backyard? At this point, we're used to it." She smiled reaching over and cupping his cheek in her hand, as she added, "Besides, if it means seeing you this happy, then it's worth it."

Marco smiled over at his mom, telling her, "Thanks mom. That means a lot to me."

"I know it does," Angela said. "And I have a feeling we'll have a lot more craziness to expect in the future, won't we?" She winked over at him and Marco laughed and nodded.

"Yep and I wouldn't have it any other way," he said, feeling a relief fill his chest. It didn't matter to them whether she was a mature adult or just a crazy teenager, they accepted his Star either way and that was the best gift he could have asked from them, especially as his dad added, "Neither would we."

…

"Okay Marco, just keep walking forward," Tom instructed him since the boy was currently blind with his friend's purple hands pressed tightly over his eyes.

"Is this really necessary?" Marco asked as he allowed himself to be led through his house, his parents following behind them, Rafael now holding Mariposa.

"Hey, Star gave me specific instructions on what to do, okay?" Tom told him, continuing to guide his friend outside.

"Yeah but I already know about the party, it's not exactly a surprise," Marco pointed out.

Tom shrugged. "Tell that to your girlfriend, not me," the demon boy said and Marco just sighed.

"Okay fine but why didn't Star come do this, then?" the hooded teen asked.

But instead of receiving an answer, Tom just moved his hands away, leaving Marco blinking in the sudden sunlight, as a crowd of people began all shouting to him, "Surprise Marco!" and "Happy Birthday!" and one voice even loudly proclaiming, "Surprise Turd!! You're most favorite person in the universe is here, so y'know you can be happy now!"

Marco resisted the urge to roll his eyes at Pony Head's undeflated ego, turning his attention instead on the rest of the party and party-goers, saying brightly, "Thanks everyone!" while taking everything in. When Star said she was going to going all-out for his party, she wasn't kidding! The backyard had been transformed into a massive fiesta (complete with a mariachi band) all forms of decorations coated the area: balloons, streamers, banners, the works. Marco even spotted a box of fireworks set off to the side, which gave him an uneasy feeling as he worried Mariposa or Meteora might find it and Mewni knew those girls and dangerous explosions didn't mix. The hooded teen also spotted a huge object hidden under a tarp and Marco felt his interest peak again, curious what other surprises Star possibly had in store for him.

Finally, his eyes landed on a table set up in the grass with more presents than Marco thought he had ever seen before in his life, especially at one of his birthday parties. Until right then, Marco hadn't realized just how many friends he had made the last couple of years and seeing the sheer amount of gifts brought a tear to his eye, touched that so he had so many people caring about him now. The hooded boy felt deep gratitude fill his chest as he knew it was Star he had to thank for this, without her, he never would have met half the people standing here before him and the others he probably never would have had the courage to talk to if it weren't for his wonderful, amazing girlfriend.

Speaking of which... the boy did a quick scan of the smiling faces that surrounded him, looking for a flash of golden hair or shimmering blue eyes but spotted neither, Star completely absent it seemed from his sight. Marco frowned, turning to Tom and asking, "Uh, where's Star?"

Before the purple-skinned boy could get out a word, Jackie spoke up, telling Marco helpfully, "She said she left something at her house and needed to go get it."

"But she told us to go ahead and start celebrating without her," Janna pitched in.

"Oh," Marco said, unable to keep the disappointment from leaking into his voice. He had been hoping Star would be there so he could thank her for the party. Plus, it just felt weird celebrating without her there, everything a little less bright without her beautiful smile to help brighten his spirits. He and Star had been practically attached at the hip since they had started dating. Not that he was complaining, every second he spent with Star felt like a fairytale and filled him with a warmth that only his bestie could provide. He truly did love her.

"Don't worry, dearie, I'm certain she'll be back soon," Eclipsa reassured him as her and her husband moved to where they were standing next to him, Globgore's beefy arm draped around her shoulder as he gave the boy a sympathetic smile, while their daughter squirmed, trying to get to her best friend who she had spotted in Rafael's arms.

The boy gave the ancient queen and Monster a thin smile, before confessing, "Thanks it's just weird not having her around." He rubbed at the back of his neck sheepishly, as he hesitantly added, "I know it's stupid, but ever since I thought I lost her forever it's been hard... being apart, y'know?"

Eclipsa and Globglore shared a knowing look, momentary sadness flooding their features, before they turned back to the hooded teen, Globgore telling him softly, "Probably better than anyone else, Marco." The queen laid her head on his shoulder and the Monster quickly returned the affection by tightening his embrace, bringing the love of his life closer to his side.

Meteora, though, had finally had enough, letting out a loud cry to gain their attention and the three looked down at the baby with surprise. "What is it, Meteora?"

The half-Monster child began fighting in her mother's arms, her small hands reaching out toward the Diaz's. Eclipsa, quickly picking up on her daughter's needs, set the child down on the grass, where she immediately began crawling away, her little devil's tail waving back and forth like crazy. Rafael, seeing the child approaching put Mariposa down as well, the girl able to walk the few steps over to Meteora before falling, but she wrapped her arms around her best friend as she did, pulling her into an adorable hug that had both families and most the crowd awwing at the adorable display.

Tom, seeing his friend successfully distracted and no longer thinking about Star, turned to Ferguson and Alfonso and gave them a short nod, signaling them it was time to begin. The two gave a quick salute before running off to go grab Marco's next surprise, while Tom just came up behind Marco and put a hand on his back. "So Marco, I hope you're ready," he began and the hooded teen raised a worried eyebrow at his friend.

"Why? What's happening?" he asked, knowing that any sentence that started like that couldn't be good. He knew from personal experience.

"Oh, nothing..." Tom continued, trying to act nonchalant but Marco could easily see he was just trying to stall for something. "Just a little surprise Star cooked up."

"In this case literally," Janna suddenly spoke, appearing beside him out of nowhere and causing both boys to let out a cry of surprise.

"Janna, don't sneak up on people like that," Marco scolded her.

"Yeah, you might end up giving someone a heart attack," Tom added, busy panting while he clutching a hand over his racing heartbeat.

The creepy girl didn't look even slightly sorry as she simply shrugged the whole thing off, only responding with an emotionless, "Eh, whatever."

Marco frowned but rather than engage in a pointless argument with Janna, he instead decided to focus on Janna's earlier line. "Wait, what did you mean by 'literally'?" the hooded teen asked, raising a curious eyebrow at the girl.

The beanie-wearing teen immediately pointing somewhere behind the two boys, telling Marco, "See for yourself."

And as Marco did just that, his jaw almost hit the floor as he spotted the giant, multi-layered chocolate cake coated in small little pieces of candy, it seemed, which all glittered in the sunlight and was decorated with 16 identical candles which were not lit with flames but were instead shooting off miniature fireworks. The boy's eyes shimmered as he stared starry-eyed at the delicious looking dessert being slowly and meticulously carried in by Ferguson, Alfonso, Oscar, and Sensai. "Is that... for me?" Marco asked, his eyes never once leaving the cake as he watched the four guys straining to carry the heavy treat another step.

"Yep, only the best for you, buddy," Tom said with a smile, wrapping an arm around his friend's shoulder.

"What's that stuff all over it?" the hooded teen questioned.

"Star insisted we cover it with bits of Captain Blanches Sugar Seeds since it's your favorite cereal," Janna explained.

"So wait, you mean she made this herself?" Marco gasped out. Since when did Star become such a good cook?

"We all pitched in, but Star was in charge of making sure you'd like it," Tom explained. "She said it was more personal if your friends made it, instead of someone else."

At those words, Marco felt his eyes well up with tears, unable to stop the goofy grin from invading his face as he was once again left amazed by something his girlfriend had done. Star was just too good to him sometimes. Just when he thought she couldn't get any sweeter or more incredible she managed to outdo herself and the boy felt a deep, tender warmth spread through him as he once again wondered to himself how he had gotten so lucky as to meet a girl like Star. "It's perfect," the boy whispered, his voice cracking against his will.

"Marco, are you crying?" Tom asked in concern.

The boy sniffed and wiped the tears from his eyes with the back of his sleeve. "Maybe just a little." Tom and Janna shared a knowing grin before both patted their friend gently on the back. After that, the group just watched in silence as Globgore stepped over to help the struggling humans, taking mercy on them as he lent his strength to the effort. The Monster grew some in size so he was able to easily lift the massive cake from the weak human's arms, before single-handedly moving it over to the large table without breaking a sweat, Eclipsa fawning over him every step of the way. The others could only gawk in surprise and awe, Sensai even muttering under his breath, "Whoa, I think I just met my new hero."

Marco, Tom, and Janna went over to the Monster king once he was done, the hooded teen telling him gratefully, "Thanks Globgore, I really appreciate it."

"Anytime, Marco," the Monster said, shrinking down to his normal size, before stepping back and allowing the boy to get a closer look at his cake. It was even more enormous up close, towering over Marco and for a moment the Latino worried there was more there than even a whole crowd of people could finish. As he looked closer at the cake he noticed the inscription written in frosting, lining a few of the layers, reading, "Happy Birthday, Marco! Blow out the candles for an extra special surprise."

Marco's eyebrow slowly raised at that, wondering what that could possibly mean. These were clearly magical candles (hence why fireworks were bursting out of them every two seconds) which meant he had no clue what blowing them out could possibly result in. Really it could be anything, heck the cake could even explode for all Marco knew.

"So hey, Marco, you should hurry up and blow out those candles, don't you think?" Tom asked awkwardly, poorly trying to act nonchalant and cool but he failed miserably, only confirming to Marco that they were definitely up to something.

The boy shot his friend a suspicious look but was stopped from saying anything as a hand was suddenly on his arm and he turned to Jackie giving him a smooth smile, as she told him, "Yeah dude, do it. I wanna get me some of that cake."

Marco couldn't help but chuckle as the girl raised a clenched fist dramatically. Jackie was still just as cool and awesome to hang out with as ever, one of the few things he was glad had stayed the same since Earthni's creation. He was thankful that the two of them had been able to stay friends.

The birthday boy's thoughts were interrupted as an arm wrapped around his shoulders, Janna saying in a warning tone, "But seriously you should really hurry up and blow out those candles."

"Why?" Marco asked, even knowing he wasn't going to get an answer. It was a surprise, after all.

"Just trust us, dude," Tom spoke up, while the hooded teen was gently pushed forward so he was now in primary position for blowing out the candles. The boy let out a sigh, knowing there was no getting around this, he had to blow out the candles... whatever the consequences. So, Marco just sucked in a deep breath, preparing his lungs for what he needed to do, before blowing as hard as he could in the direction of the sparkling candles. The magical flames went out in less than a second and the boy couldn't help but smile to himself at his accomplishment. But then out of nowhere the cake suddenly exploded, coating Marco head to toe in cake frosting, as well as the rest of the crowd, all except Janna and Tom who pulled out matching umbrellas holding them up in front of them to block the messy explosion.

To say Marco was caught off-guard by this was an understatement, the boy was paralyzed with surprise, his eyes wide as he just stood there dumbfounded. But to his greater shock (if that was even possible) what was once a mega-sized cake now stood his one and only girlfriend, Star Butterfly, Marco watched mesmerized as the top layer of cake landed perfectly on her head, somehow staying balanced up there.

"Wha-Wha-Whaaa," was all Marco was able to stutter out, before Star suddenly shouted, "Surprise!" She threw her arms wide, doing a little jazz hand flourish as her shimmering gaze studied his face. "Bet you weren't expecting that, were you?"

The hooded teen only dumbly shook his head. The girl did a little fist pump, whispering in celebration, "Yes, nailed it!" But as the girl stopped and looked around at her family and friends coated head to toe in cake mix she cringed, a guilty look on her face. She turned to Tom and Janna, chuckling nervously as she said with a sheepish grin, "Oops, guess I put in a little too many exploding berries into the mixture."

"You think?" Tom said sarcastically.

Marco was still just paralyzed in shock, staring wide-eyed at his girlfriend taking in her new appearance. She had apparently changed outfits while she was away, her hair now tied up into pigtails with twin buns on either side of her head both of which seemed to have unlit sparklers in them. Her devil horns had been replaced with a yellow headband that had stars rather than horns.

She wore a short sleeve dress with a pink top and a red and blue striped skirt. The side of the skirt had a yellow firework design. Around her neck hung a red heart necklace that seemed to gleam in the sunlight and her left arm had a star bracelet that matched her headband. Her leggings were now pure white and she had on dark blue boots with butterfly patterns on the front of them.

But the strangest sight of all though (and that was saying something) was the giant purple cigar in the girl's mouth, which had sparkles, magic dust, popcorn and all manners of things shooting out of it and the boy couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the weird-looking object.

"Star, what's going on?" the boy asked, his head still spinning with questions. "Why were you inside my cake?"

"Oh I saw it in a movie once and I wanted to try it out," the girl said nonchalantly, her voice slightly muffled by the cigar. She took the cake off her head and set it down on a plate next to her, before turning back to the boy with her hands on her hips, trying to judge his shocked reaction. Marco, meanwhile, just asked the next of many questions he now had, "Well, what's with the cigar?"

"Well, first of all, this isn't just any cigar," she began, pointing to it with a bright grin still on her face.

"Think he gathered that," Tom whispered to Janna, the two sharing a small chuckle.

Star ignored them, though, explaining, "This is a mystical razzle-dazzle cigar! It's a tradition on Mewni for boys to have one on their sixteenth birthday. They say the light that comes from it helps them to bring good fortune for the rest of their lives."

"Wait, then why do you have it?" the boy asked.

"I'm just testing it out to make sure it works," the girl explained. "Plus, it makes me look super cool!" Star struck a dramatic pose, while Marco laughed at his adorable bestie, finally recovering from his shock as he just enjoyed being near his girlfriend. "Well that's not entirely true since you look cool all the time, Star," Marco told her with a flirty look and the girl seemed to melt.

"Aww Marco," she gushed, before leaping off the table and wrapping her arms around Marco's neck, holding him in one of her signature tight hugs. The boy froze up for only a second, afraid one of the bright sparkles would set him on fire or something. But nothing happened, Star careful to turn her head in a direction so that the stream of magic that seemed to be coming from the cigar wouldn't hit him.

"So what did you think?!" she asked him, screaming at the top of her lungs. "Did you like your surprise?" The hooded teen couldn't help but laugh as he gave the girl a gentle squeeze around her small frame, burying his head into her shoulder. "I loved it," he replied softly, kissing her softly on the cheek.

"Aww, Marco I'm so glad!" she squealed in delight. She pulled out of the hug, before plucking the cigar out of her mouth and sticking it into his, causing the boy to blush bright red, as he became distinctly aware that his had been inside Star's mouth not a moment before. "Oops, almost forgot to give this to you."

"Um, thanks Star but I-" the boy began, having trouble speaking around the massive cigar but was interrupted as the girl gave him another tight hug, her head now leaning against his chest, nearly causing him to lose all the air in his lungs as he let out a strangled cough. Star didn't notice this though as she just started rambling to him, "Oh wow, Marco, you look awesome! I was so worried I wouldn't be able to find one of those for your birthday after the whole... y'know magical dimension getting destroyed. But luckily, it looks like only the spells and stuff like that were destroyed, while a lot of the magical objects and things are still around and work just fine. Which is great, since those aren't really all that dangerous. So anyways, what do you think of it? Isn't it sooo pretty?"

Seeing the twinkle in Star's eye, made Marco pause, as he looked down at the stream of glitter and bright lights coming from the thing sticking out of his mouth. It was really pretty he had to admit. And Star did seem to trust it? Maybe he should just relax. Earth and Mewni were permanently linked now, he should probably get used to stuff like this. Even without magic being provided from the magical dimension, it was still a pretty crazy and hectic place to live. "It does look pretty cool," Marco told her, giving her a small smile, well as best he could, his eyes having to do most of the conveying. His eyes were quickly drawn back to the cigar, though, as he just watched the colorful display. "What's all in this, anyways?"

"Oh y'know, just a bunch of magical stuff," Star told him waving her hand nonchalantly in front of her.

"So, uh, what's with the popcorn, then?" Marco asked, raising an eyebrow as he pointed to the small fluffy kernels that repeatedly fell out of the cigar along with the magic stream with a noisy pop.

"Oh, what that," the girl said, before explaining to him matter-of-factly, "That's because the whole thing is just a corn on the cob wrapped in corn husks and magic and other stuff."

"Huh, neat," the boy said. That didn't surprise him too much... what with Mewmans bizarre and slightly unhealthy obsession with the vegetable.

"So the cigar is really cool and all and not that I don't appreciate it but well... you think maybe you could put it out for now so I can maybe actually eat my cake instead of getting covered in it," he asked, the slight teasing in his tone causing Star to giggle sheepishly as she looked around at the damage to the crowd and even her own now chocolate-covered dress.

"Yeah, sorry about that. Guess my baking skills still aren't what I want them to be," she told him with a hesitant smile. This quickly turned back into a grin, though as she added, "But hey, look on the bright side, now you smell great!" She leaned closer, gently sniffing his hoodie before giving him a satisfying grin. "Mmm, chocolate, the perfect fragrance!" Marco just rolled his eyes, shaking his head at his wonderful girlfriend's antics, a twinkle in his eye as he was just happy to have her near.

The girl did oblige his request, taking the cigar out of his mouth and expertly putting it out, before slipping it into the pocket of his hood to wait to be used later, her mind already scheming how to re-lit the cigar later, since she had to be sure to keep Marco impressed. She was still hoping to make this the best birthday imaginable... which meant it was crucial everything was as cool and over-the-top as possible.

After that, towels were quickly passed around to everyone so they could all clean up before the cake was sliced and handed out to the group of friends and family, who all settled down on the grass to enjoy their meal, even if they had been covered in it a moment before. For most, it was far from the strangest birthday party they had ever been to since both Star and Marco combined always made for some sort of odd, unexpected experience. Besides being covered in cake was far from the worst thing that could have gone wrong where lit candles were involved.

Marco sat on the grass next to Star, their hands remaining constantly intertwined, the two talking and chatting like usual as they enjoyed bites of the delicious birthday treat (who knew cereal and chocolate went so well together) the blond overzealous as she went on and on about how much Marco was going to love his present since it was quote: "Super incredibly awesome" and Marco just laughed and told her he was sure he would since it was coming from, quote again: "The coolest girl in the universe". As they spoke his gaze slowly moved to his baby sister, Mariposa busy smearing her hands with cake frosting before slapping them together and creating a giant mess, mimicking her friend Meteora's example as the young half-Monster was doing the same thing... only somehow messier. The boy smiled as he watched his mom beginning to fuss over cleaning up her daughter with a wet towel, before turning his attention back on Star, taking a second to admire her unbelievably cute face as she stuffed way too much cake in her mouth at once, before asking, "Hey Star, so what exactly is that thing you have hidden under the sheet?"

"Wha-" the girl mumbled around her bite of food, her chipmunk cheeks causing Marco to once again chuckle at his girlfriend. Could she seriously get any more adorable?

"Y'know that massive thing you have just sitting over there," he explained, pointing it out to her.

Star followed his gesture, swallowing down her dessert before telling him, "Oh that thing? That's your extra super secret surprise. It's for the grand finale!" She gave him a wink that made his heart leap into his throat for a second.

Now Marco seemed even more curious, leaning closer to the girl, laying his elbow against his knee before resting his head on his hand, staring at her with a twinkle in his eye. "Oh really? Soo then you maybe want to give me a tiny hint or anything?" the boy asked, flashing her a hopeful smile.

But his girlfriend just shook her head, shooting him a playful look as she replied, "Nope. You're just gonna have to wait and see, Diaz." She gently booped his nose, which only seemed to encourage Marco as he moved in to plant a kiss on her soft lips and the blond closed her eyes to do the same.

But the boy halted, upon feeling a small hand reach into his hoodie pocket and his eyes flew open in panic as he jerked his head around to see his baby sister now holding the giant cigar in her tiny fists, shaking it around with an infectious giggle. "Ahh, no Mariposa that is not for playing with?!" he screamed, diving for the girl, intent on taking the dangerous item away from her but she was quick to crawl away, leaving the boy crashing to the ground with a loud oof. He could only watch in horror as the one-year-old reached her friend, settling down next to her as she and Meteora took turns hitting it against the ground, laughing all the while.

Marco now looked on the brink of hysteria, his face turning pale as he imagined every possible worst-case scenario in his head, only to feel Star's hands on his shoulders. He turned around to see Star smiling down at him, the simple expression enough to draw him back to reality and calm him down some. "Relax, Marco, it's totally harmless," she told him, reassuringly. She paused, for a moment rubbing thoughtfully at her chin, before adding, "Wellll, so long as you don't touch it when it's lit. Or have it near anything that might explode. Orrrr put it in the wrong way, trust me swallowing that much magic dust can't be good for you."

The boy gulped, now looking even more worried as he just held up a finger and told her in a small voice, "Be right back." The boy raced over to his sister, coaxing her to give it back to him, before sighing in relief and walking back over to join his girlfriend. As he did, he overheard River saying to his dad approvingly, "Ahh, I remember my first magical cigar! I nearly set the entire castle on fire."

"Oh my, well that's nothing compared to the time Angela and I came home to find the house completely destroyed by Star and Marco after your daughter created a hurricane above the house," Rafael replied in his typical cheerful tone. "It took us all weekend to clean up the mess." There was a pause before the two dads shared a hearty laugh, while Marco resisted the urge to roll his eyes. How could they seriously joke about stuff like that?

When the boy finally got back to where Star was his mouth dropped open to see Janna now sitting in his spot, Tom's arm draped around her shoulder, giving him a sheepish expression as his girlfriend was finishing the last bite of Marco's cake. "JANNA!" the boy screamed furiously, his hands clenched and shaking at his sides as he glared at the beanie-wearing girl.

"What? You weren't finishing it," Janna said with an uncaring shrug of her shoulders.

"I was going to," Marco said with an exasperated sigh.

"Sorry, dude, I tried to stop her," Tom told him nervously. "But y'know how Janna can be sometimes?"

The hooded teen just pinched the bridge of his nose, before saying, "Yes Tom, I'm well aware of just what Janna is capable of."

"Don't worry Marco, you can have the last bite of mine, okay?" Star told him, offering him her plate of half-eaten cake. The boy smiled taking the plate before sitting down next to Star, picking up a bite with his fork before offering it to her instead. "Okay, but only if you let me share it with you," he told her sweetly.

Star blushed but eagerly took the bite of cake off his fork, Marco doing the same thing for himself. The two just enjoyed chewing their dessert while leaning their heads against one another as they cuddled lovingly for a few minutes.

Tom and Janna simultaneously gagged at the sight, the former saying, "Man, am I glad we aren't that kind of couple."

"Yeah, me too," his girlfriend agreed. "Sappy stuff just isn't my style."

"Really," Tom asked in a teasing tone, wagging a knowing eyebrow at her. "Cause you were pretty sappy back when you first asked me out or did you forget that you started crying when I said yes?" The boy had a proud smile on his lips at the memory that was until Janna reminded him with an emotionless deadpan, "Actually Tom, you were the one who started crying."

The boy's whole body seemed to deflate at the memory. "Oh," he said in a tiny voice.

"And then you started blushing like crazy when I kissed you," Janna continued, every word causing Tom's face to grow a brighter and brighter shade of purple. "And you cried at that movie we watched-"

"Yeah okay!" Tom whispered harshly, slapping a hand over his girlfriend's mouth to keep her from embarrassing him any further, looking around in a panic to make sure nobody overheard. Realizing it was safe, though he let out a sigh of relief and removed his hands, before shooting Janna a scolding glare. "Let's not talk about that where everyone can hear us, please?"

"Suit yourself," the girl said with a shrug, but the smirk on her lips was unmistakable proof that she had been enjoying messing with him... as usual.

…

A short while later, Marco found himself with a mountain of presents to open, making his way slowly but diligently through the stack, box after box ripped apart as he gushed and fawned over each and every one of the special gifts his friends had all gotten him. Star the whole time hovered around him, seemingly trying to make sure he was enjoying himself at all times. The moment things started to lag, usually when Marco was taking the time to thank someone for his gift, the blond would immediately fling the next present into this hand, wanting to as she put it, "Keep things as exciting as possible!" Marco had his suspicions though, that it had more to do with the fact that Star had insisted she go last and her impatience was getting the best of her, wanting to hurry things along so she could give him her gift.

Still, Marco wasn't too fazed by this, enjoying unwrapping every single gift he was given. Jackie and Chloe had given him a cool looking beret that the skater said would make him look 'cooler than ever', which Star had agreed while instantly gushing the moment he put it on. River had given the boy a giant leg of meat which Marco wasn't sure he wanted to know what creature he had hunted down to get that for him. Moon had given him a much more practical gift of a wallet, but to the boy's surprise, it was colored plum, which turned out to be because Star had explained to her mom the whole incident in Quest Buy. Eclipsa and Globgore got the boy a beautiful looking badge that was inscribed with the symbol of the Mewman's most elite knights, proof of the hard work he had put in. Pony, being Pony gave him an autographed picture of herself and had been sure to make sure the whole thing was being recorded for the next episode of 'The Pony Head Show'. Oscar had given him a card, Alfonso and Ferguson had given him a new die for their favorite game, and Sensai gave him his entire collection of the "How to Karate" VHS series since he had been insistent Marco go for his black belt now that he was back on Earthni, even though he probably knew more about combat than anything those tapes could provide him. His parents got him a new fanny pack with the words "Best Big Brother Ever" sewed onto it which had made Marco tear up and give both of his parents a hug over.

Finally, that just left two more gifts on the table, one from Tom and one from Star. The hooded teen carefully picked up the first one, not taking too much time to pause and study it (seeing Star's eager grin out of the corner of his eye) before he tore through the thin wrapping paper and found himself gawking at the gift hidden underneath the layers. The boy gasped, his eyes shimmering as he said in a voice shaking with excitement, "The Mackie Hand limited edition, complete collector's box set including the original Swedish versions and with additional never-before-seen deleted scenes!" The boy clutched the present close to his chest, before exclaiming, "I love it! It's just what I wanted!"

"I knew you'd say that," Tom said with a wink, looking quite proud of his purchase.

"Thank you so much, Tom!" the boy shouted gratefully, hugging his friend tightly.

"Hey, what about me?" Janna pointed out, crossing her arms in front of her chest in annoyance.

"Uhh, what do you mean?" Marco asked in confusion.

"Duh, this gift if from Tom and me," the creepy teen explained as if the answer should be obvious.

"Yeah, we decided it would be best if we went on a joint gift for you," Tom added, shooting his girlfriend a loving smile.

"Oh really, why's that?" the hooded teen inquired, looking between his two friends for an answer.

"Well for starters Tom knows you better than I do, so I figured he was guaranteed to get you something you'd like," Janna admitted honestly, lightly elbowing her boyfriend's arm and shooting him a wink.

"Aw, come on Janna don't say that," Marco began, not wanting his friend to be so harsh on herself. "I'm sure I would have loved whatever you would have-"

Tom loudly cleared his throat from next to him, interrupting the boy and he turned to see his friend violently shaking his head and mouthing the word 'no'. The teen then stared back over at Janna and seeing the creepy grin slowly spreading across her face, suddenly remembered who was dealing with, swallowing loudly. "Actually, y'know, I think I'm good with just the... Mackie Hand stuff. Thanks," he awkwardly squeaked out, his eyes shifting hesitantly between the couple.

"Yeah, that's probably for the best," Janna said with a quick shrug. "My gift probably would have given you a heart attack or something."

Tom leaned closer to Marco so he could whisper dramatically into his ear, "She's not lying, dude. I saw her present myself and trust me... you dodged a bullet there."

"Okay, time for my present!" Star screamed hyperly, literally appearing between the two and shoving the present into her boyfriend's hands. Marco, struggling to process what had just happened, stood their dumbfounded for a second while Star practically bounced on the balls of her feet, waiting impatiently for him to unwrap her gift. "Open it, open it, open it!" the blond began chanting, losing any and all semblances of restraint/sanity as she continued to move closer and closer to the boy, until she was squeezing his cheeks between her hands, her eyes shimmering like her namesake. Marco couldn't help but laugh at his girlfriend, this was probably the craziest he had seen her in a long while, he hadn't realized just how much more reserved she had become in the couple of years he had known her. Now though, it was like the old hyper Star had returned full force and he was glad to see his bestie could let loose sometimes and still be the wild, amazing girl he had first fallen for.

"Okay, okay Star, you can stop now, I'm opening it," Marco said, still laughing at his girlfriend's antics, while gently pushing her hands away so he could concentrate on his present. Star did as Marco asked, lowering her hands back to her sides, but her goofy grin persisted as she watched her boyfriend's every move with intense but shimmering eyes, not daring to blink in case she missed a second of her bestie's reaction. Marco looked down at the present in his hands and couldn't help but smile at his girlfriend's wrapping attempt, although it was no doubt sealed in layer upon layer of tape and paper, he could still clearly see from the size and shape that it was a sword. He began to steadily unwrap the gift, moving slowly and delicately despite Star's intense watch on him, not wanting to accidentally cut his hand open on the sharp blade, while thinking to himself how thoughtful it was for Star to get him a new sword. He had been sadly without one since giving up El Choppo for Nachos and he had badly been wanting a new one. And of course, his awesome bestie would know exactly what to get him, at this point she probably knew him better than he knew himself.

But somehow Star had still managed to surprise Marco with her gift. The hooded teen discovering this the moment he ripped off the last of the paper and stared open-mouthed at the sword held in his hands. The blade was made of a thin piece of metal perfectly shaped to more closely resemble the blade of a scissor, while the handle was made of a smooth, turquoise blue material that Marco would recognize anywhere, the now black crystal embedded in the center of a circular base along with the bat wings protruding out of either side, giving it away in an instant. It was Marco's wand, converted to act as both guard and grip for his new weapon and the boy had to blink a few times just to make sure he was seeing it right. "I-Is this..." Marco began softly but found he was at a loss for words due to the lump in his throat.

But he didn't need to finish for Star to understand, nodding her head vigorously as she squealed, "Yep! I've been saving it ever since the Cleaving, I wanted to make it into something special for you and this just made sense to me. Figured this way we could actually get some use out of that thing after all the trouble it caused." She frowned for a second before the smile returned as bright as ever. "And now whenever you use this sword, you'll remember when we first got together."

Marco laughed, pulling his girlfriend into a tight hug as he told her sweetly, "I don't think I could ever forget that, but I love the sword, Star. Thanks! You're the best bestie a guy could ever have!"

"Aww, Marco," Star cooed, squeezing the boy tightly back. "You're the best, too!" For a moment the two just clung tightly onto each other, neither wanting to break their hold as they just silently enjoyed being this close to one another. Finally, though, Star broke the silence as she asked the boy in a whisper, "You know what would make this even better?"

"What?" Marco asked in a blissful sigh. He felt like he was in heaven being able to hug Star like this and he couldn't imagine anything making this moment any better. But suddenly, Star pulled out of the hug, flashing him a loving smile that caused several of the Latino's brain cells to fry. The blond leaned in close and he could feel his cheeks growing hot as he realized there was a kiss heading his way. He closed his eyes and puckered his lips as he waited for Star's lips to meet his. Only to rear back in surprise when something was instead shoved into his mouth and his eyes flew open to see Star grinning ear to ear and the magical cigar now trapped between his lips. "Give you back your super awesome cigar!" Star shouted, her enthusiasm and energy now reaching an all-time high.

Marco, however, could only stare down in shock at the object, wondering how his girlfriend had managed to catch him off-guard with this, especially since he hadn't even felt Star pull it out of his pocket in the first place. But the blond took advantage of his momentary distraction as she suddenly pulled out a brightly lit sparkler from seemingly nowhere, while shouting, "Now hold still while I light this baby up!"

This managed to snap Marco back to reality as he shouted out (or more like mumbled out since the cigar was really hard to talk around), "Wait, what?!" But he didn't dare move as his girlfriend dramatically flung the sparkler outward, holding it up to the end of the cigar. After a couple of seconds, the cigar came to life as the same array of sparkles, dust and popcorn began shooting out of it and Star smiled proudly at her accomplishment, putting her hands to her hips as she admired her work. "Yes, now that's more like it!"

Marco gazed thoughtfully down at the cigar, before asking, "And you're sure it's not too... showy?"

"Of course not," Star loudly exclaimed, giving the boy a loving smile. "It's your birthday, Marco. You deserve to show off a little!"

Tom seemed to look over to them at that exact moment and he gave his best friend an approving nod, shouting encouragingly, "Looking good, Marco!"

"Yeah, pretty cool, dude!" Jackie added via yell, giving the boy a wink and thumbs up. And Marco couldn't help but blush at the praise.

"See, Marco? You look awesome," Star said, gesturing over to the two with a confident smile.

Marco didn't respond, his cheeks turning red with a blush but a smile now spread across his face (not that it could be seen past the massive cigar). He really appreciated the effort Star was putting in for him, still finding his girlfriend's antics as enduring as ever. She really was going above and beyond to give him a perfect party and he couldn't imagine what he had done to deserve someone as special as Star in his life. Sure her methods were a bit extreme and over the top but that was just one of the many, many things he loved about her.

Still, he was a little disappointed he hadn't gotten a kiss from her after all, but there was still plenty of time for that. Something told him the party was far from over yet.

And this hunch was correct, as Star suddenly shouted to the other party-goers, "Alright, guys, who's ready for some fireworks!" to which everyone loudly cheered.

Marco smiled as he watched his girlfriend happily bounce over to where she had the fireworks stashed, scooping up a bunch from the pile and bringing them over to Marco. She plopped them down on the ground, before looking up at her boyfriend with an eager grin, saying, "Alright, Marco are you ready?"

The birthday boy froze, not quite sure what Star meant by that. "Ready for what?" he asked in confusion.

But he got his answer a second later as Star suddenly held up one of the fireworks, where a quick spark from the cigar lit up the end of the fuse and the blond released the rocket, sending it streaking up into the air. This was soon followed by a loud bang and an explosion of beautiful colors, causing everyone around to ooh and aww at the sight, some even clapping at the display. "Wait, are we using the cigar to light these?!" Marco shouted in surprise, pointing down at the pile of highly dangerous, explosive devices.

"Of course," Star replied as if the answer was obvious. "What else would we use?"

"Uhh, how about the demon boy who can literally light himself on fire?" Marco reminded the girl.

Star shook her head, saying, "Nah, Tom gets to do this kind of stuff all the time, but this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, Marco! Come on, don't you want to live a little dangerously?!" The girl clenched her hand into a dramatic fist, flashing the boy an excited smile that melted the boy's heartstrings in an instant.

The hooded teen let out a sigh. It was hard to argue with Star, especially when she was so enthusiastic and eager about something, Marco wanting nothing more than to keep that look of joy on her face. Plus, he had been missing some danger lately, without real magic existing things had just been kinda mediocre, something he hadn't experienced a day of since the moment Star walked into his life and it was jarring and weird. Sure, it was never a dull moment with Star but things felt unnaturally slow and mild in comparison to the life he and Star had been living on Mewni. A part of him kinda missed the chaos and he would be lying if he said he didn't find the prospect of danger exciting.

"Okay, you win, let's do this!" Marco exclaimed and Star clapped in joy.

"Yeah, that's the spirit!" Star cheered.

The two spent the next several minutes lighting the fireworks together, the sky soon filled with the steady bursting of bright colors and lights, the crowd all enjoying the show as they watched the brilliant display. Marco and Star took turns setting each firework off, Marco either maneuvering his cigar over them or Star holding a fuse up for him to light. The two were having a fantastic time setting rocket after rocket off, laughing and just having a great time together and for a moment it felt like the good old days when it was just the two of them fighting Monsters and goofing off as best friends, almost as if no time had passed at all, days, weeks and years melting away until it was just Star and Marco, besties against the world.

"Heeeyyy Marco, bet you can't light one off in mid-air!" Star challenged the boy, tossing a rocket up and down in the air in a show-offy way and the boy smiled and dropped into a ready stance.

"Bring it on, Butterfly!" he replied playfully. Star grinned before throwing the firework his way and Marco watched it closely as it descended. He took a step back, letting the rocket fall directly in front of him and kicked a leg out, catching it on the end of his foot and sending it flying upward. The boy wasted no time as he quickly grabbed onto the cigar still in his mouth, allowing him to aim it right at the firework, a sudden burst of magic hitting the fuse at just the right angle and setting it ablaze. Star watched in wide-eyed wonder and amazement as the now-lit firework zipped away into the sky, going off in a beautiful explosion of blues and purples.

"Top that," Marco said smugly, shooting his girlfriend a victorious grin and Star gave him a teasing glare back.

"Alright fine," Star retorted, suddenly pulling out duel rocket, both attached to a ridiculously long fuse, from behind her back and saying, "Hit me up, Diaz!"

The boy obeyed, stepping over and lighting the end of the fuse with his cigar. Star waited a few seconds as the fuse grew shorter and shorter until finally she held both out directly in front of her and screamed, "Duel Rocket Blast!" letting both go at the last second before they shot forward sailing over the heads of the memorized crowd before exploding into a barrage of pinks and reds, all of them in the shape of a heart.

Marco nodded approvingly. "Pretty cool, pretty cool," he commented and Star bowed over and over again in front of him.

"Thank you, thank you, I'll be here all day," the girl said dramatically and her boyfriend giggled. "And now for my next trick..." Star began and Marco gave her a confused look as she carefully placed a stick of dynamite in between her lips.

"Uh, Star, what are you-" the boy began to question only to cut himself short as Star out of nowhere leaned closer, causing Marco to freeze and his cheeks to flush bright red from the close contact. He didn't dare move or even breath as his girlfriend leaned in more and more, until the tip of her firework touched the end of his cigar, effectively making the two objects "kiss". There was a second of silence, Marco just shockingly staring into Star's mischievous blue. Then the dynamite's fuse suddenly sparked to life, a small trail of fire quickly burning away at the explosive. Marco was about to shout something to Star, when the girl simply leaned her head back and spat the firework out, letting it sail over their heads before exploding with a small pop.

"There, now I'm done," Star said, proudly puffing out her chest.

"You know that was incredibly dangerous, don't you?" Marco asked in a near scolding tone, an eyebrow slowly rising.

Star just scoffed, waving her arm as if dismissing the accusation altogether. "Oh, please, I used to be magic, remember?

"Emphasis on the 'used to be'," Marco pointed out and Star gave him a tiny frown.

"The point is, I can handle a few minor explosives," Star continued, crossing her arms in front of her chest. She gave Marco a flirting smile as she added playfully, "Besides, this coming from the guy who was stabbed by a unicorn and just walked it off like it was nothing."

Marco flushed, coughing once into his hand as he muttered under his breath, "Well that was different."

"Sure it was," the blond said with a knowing wink.

The hooded teen began looking around for a way to change the subject, stopping a small pile of fireworks all marked, "Warning: Extremely loud". A mischievous grin spread across his face, rubbing his hands together in anticipation as he said, "Alright, now it's my turn." He quickly set them all up, sticking each one into the ground, before tying their fuses together, he then moved both him and Star far enough back so that he didn't have to risk himself or his girlfriend being blown up. He then set the fuse on fire, covering his ears and Star quickly following his example as they watched the fuse slowly maneuver over to the waiting rockets. Each of them were then sent streaking up into the sky, where they all went off in a fantastic cascade of explosions and the crowd let out a cheer of joy. Star's eyes shimmered as she just grinned up at the beautiful flash of colors, Marco watching her reaction closely and feeling his heart race over how adorable she looked right then. There really was no one quite like Star and the birthday boy felt perfectly content just being able to sit next to her.

Finally, though the last of the fireworks went off in a burst of spiraling blues, leaving the sky empty and eerily silent. A cheer rang out from the crowd of party-goers, all of them clapping for the entertaining display (well all except Pony Head, who had no hands). "Wow, that was awesome, Marco!" Star cried, giving the boy a quick hug around the waist.

"Thanks," Marco said while standing, before offering his girlfriend a hand up as well, which Star eagerly took. Once the two were both on their feet, they both found themselves just staring into the other's eyes, Marco not yet releasing his bestie's hand. The moment seemed to last a lifetime (as their moments together often did), Marco trying to memorize every detail of Star's face, until finally, the blond asked in a loving coo, "So now what are we gonna do?"

Marco shrugged, his eyes still not leaving Star's as he responded in a similar flirting tone, "I don't know, what do you want to do?"

"Hmmm, well I think I have an idea," Star said, tapping a finger to her chin in pretend thought.

"And what's that?" Marco asked, leaning an inch closer to the girl.

"Welll, how about..." Star began softly, only to scream at the top of her lungs, "You light this rocket I have strapped to my back!!"

"What?!" Marco exclaimed, finally breaking off eye contact as he realized that Star was telling the truth, she really did have a massive firework half the size of her attached to her back. How had Marco not noticed her putting that on? Had he really been so preoccupied staring at Star he had somehow missed that gigantic thing?

"Come on, Marco! Light me up I'm ready to head for the stars!!" Star shouted, poising with a fist dramatically in the air as if she were flying.

"Ooohh no, not happening!" Marco said, shooting the idea down in a heartbeat. The two had already been pushing his safety instincts with their game, but not in a million years would Marco ever willingly set off a rocket attached to his girlfriend. There was just no way that was ever going to end well.

"Oh come on, Marco, I'll be fine, I'm a Mewman, remember? I can handle my explosions," the blond pressed, the look on her face telling the birthday boy that she was not taking no for an answer.

"Yeah, except you don't have magic now, remember?" Marco argued, putting his foot down on this idea.

Star deflated a little at that, pouting as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Okay, fine," she mumbled, her cheeks puffing up in such a cute way that Marco was sure he felt a few brain cells fry just from looking at it.

"Well in that case," a voice said, appearing behind Marco, causing the sixteen-year-old to scream. He looked over his shoulder only to see the smug face of Janna, who snatched the cigar out of his mouth before he could even blink. "Mind if I have a go?"

"Hey, Janna! What are you doing?!" Marco shouted angrily over at the girl who quickly stuck the cigar into her own mouth without a second thought.

"Aw, relax, Marco," the creepy teen said, giving him a reassuring grin that did nothing to reassure Marco in the slightest. "I'm just testing this out is all."

"Oh cool," Star said, her eyes filling with hope again. "Hey Janna Banana, think you can give me a light?" The blond turned to display the rocket a little better.

"Sure thing, Star," Janna said, taking one step forward, before Marco held up a hand, blocking her from taking another step.

"For the last time, nobody is setting off any rockets that are attached to my girlfriend!" the hooded teen said in a warning tone.

Janna held up her hands in surrender taking a few steps away from him. "Suit yourself, Diaz. It's your party, after all," she said, her voice hiding a cryptic layer to it as she inched closer and closer to the remaining pile of fireworks. "I'll just have to do something even more memorable," the girl added, her evil grin now obvious.

"Janna, what are you doing?" Marco asked suspiciously.

"Just this," she said with a casual shrug, before turning and letting out a big puff of the magic cigar, the resulting burst of magic landing right in the middle of the fireworks, several of the fuses already lit and depleting fast.

"Ahhhh, Janna no, get away from there," Marco screamed, running at the girl but it was too late as a huge explosion of bangs and flashes and colors were set off at once. The entire backyard soon bombarded by streaking rockets as party guests dove for cover, trying to avoid being caught up in the inevitable detonation of the air-born bombs. All except for Tom, who just sat calmly in his spot, sipping at his punch, Eclipsa and Globgore doing the same next to him. Mari and Meteora just laughed and clapped at the bright and noisy display, while Angela and Rafael did their best to shield the babies from any possible dangers.

One of the fireworks headed right for Star, who was busy gawking at the explosions open-mouthed, not noticing until it was too late as one went right into her mouth, making her swallow it in confusion. There was a short pause before Star's stomach imploded, her belly expanding and then returning to its normal size the girl standing there with a dazed look on her face.

"Star!" Marco screamed in concern, ignoring the danger as he raced over to check on his girlfriend. He grabbed her by the arms, gently shaking her as he asked in a panic, "Are you okay?! Do you have internal bleeding? Do I need to call the hospital?!"

"Marco, I'm fine," Star reassured him, gently peeling his hands off of her. "Like I said before, I'm a Mewman I can handle my explosions." Then, out of nowhere, the girl hiccuped, a puff of smoke exiting out of her mouth, before she covered it, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

Marco stared at his girlfriend in shock for a second, before turning and glaring over at Janna. "And see, this is why I didn't want you messing with fireworks," he told the beanie-wearing girl.

Janna just shrugged. "Aww, come on Marco, she's fine, Star's way tougher than you're giving her credit for."

Marco sighed, massaging his forehead with his fingertips. "That's not the point, Janna," he said tiredly.

"Then what is your point?" Janna asked, raising an eyebrow. "Cause as far as I can tell I just made your party unforgettable."

"Yeah, but not for the right reasons," Star pointed out, frowning at the girl now too, putting her hands on her hips. "You could have hurt someone."

"But I didn't," Janna corrected them.

The young couple just let out a simultaneous sigh, Marco face-palming, before turning over his shoulder and shouting, "Tom, please explain to your girlfriend why doing that was stupid and dangerous."

"Um, right," Tom said, standing and approaching Janna. He stopped a few inches in front of her, ignoring the smile on her lips as he cleared his throat and said scoldingly, "Jan, that was a really risky thing you did back there, even if it did look cool."

"Tom!" Marco shouted and the boy quickly corrected himself, "I mean, what were you thinking Janna?" he wagged a disapproving finger in her direction for emphasis, but Janna seemed unfazed by any of this.

"Well to be perfectly honest I just wanted to show off for my awesome boyfriend," Janna admitted, giving the boy a flirty look.

"Awww, babe," Tom said, his cheeks flushing a dark purple as he gave his girlfriend a goofy grin, causing Star and Marco to facepalm.

"Besides, that puny thing was nothing compared to what I can really do. You should have seen the explosion me and Eclipsa set off to try and blow up Mina," Janna explained, Tom staring at the girl with a shimmering gaze.

"I love you so much right now," he whispered, putting a hand gently and lovingly on her back.

Star and Marco both sighed in defeat, before a smile spread slowly between the two, unable to stay mad at Janna when she and Tom looked so cute together. Besides, Janna was Janna, there was nothing anyone could say or do that would change that girl. "Soooo what now?" Marco asked, turning to his girlfriend in anticipation.

Star grinned mischievously, rubbing her hands together in anticipation. "Well, I think it's about time to reveal the grand finale."

"Wait, seriously?!" Marco squealed in excitement. "It's happening now!"

"Yep!" Star replied brightly. She put both hands on either side of the boy's face, moving till her face was inches from his own as she said, "So, Marco Diaz, are you ready for your big surprise!"

"Uh, heck yeah, I am!" the boy shouted, pumping his fists into the air.

"Okay then..." Star began suspensefully, before suddenly pulling out a massive, colorful foam mallet from nowhere. "Then heads up, Marco!" she screamed, before full-on smacking him with the object, the thing releasing a small squeaky sound as she did, Marco screaming as he was sent sailing harmlessly through the air. The hooded teen tried not to panic as the ground beneath him grew farther and farther away, until they vanished beneath a layer of clouds. He had just barely crested the top of one of the fluffy clouds when gravity took hold, his stomach lurching as he began his rapid descent.

Star, meanwhile, watched with pride at her skyward boyfriend, the hammer propped on her shoulder. She noticed the boy beginning his fall and quickly shouted over to where Ferguson and Alfonso stood, awaiting her orders, "Okay guys, uncover the surprise!"

The two teens grabbed the large sheet and pulled it off, revealing the giant blue cannon underneath. "Move it a little to the left!" Star shouted and the boys obeyed, pushing it into its new position.

"I don't know Star, I'd say a little to the right would be best," Tom commented and the two teens obeyed.

"Nah don't listen to him girl, it's fine where it is," Pony declared, Ferguson and Alfonso moving it back.

"Perhaps you should move it more toward the fence," Eclipsa helpfully suggested.

"No left!"

"It should be more right!"

"I'm telling you, girl, it was fine where it was in the first place."

Ferguson and Alfonso were beginning to grow weary and annoyed at all the constant directions from the bickering group, the two sending them all glares. All the while, Marco's girlish screams grew louder and ever closer.

"Would one of you make up your mind?!" Ferguson shouted.

Star looked up, quickly judging the distance before racing forward and hitting the cannon with the hammer as she yelled out, "Super Hammer Swing!" pushing it back a few inches, just before Marco landed inside. The boy took a few deep breaths (clearly out of breath), his eyes wide and his hair messier than usual.

"Surprise!!" Star screamed in excitement, her smile incapable of growing any wider, dropping the hammer and throwing a small bit of confetti into the air.

The birthday boy just blinked once in disbelief, before he asked nervously, "Uhh, Star, no offense but why am I inside a cannon? And what was with the whole hammer thing?"

"Well, first of all, I know that ever since we destroyed the magic you've been really missing going on adventures and doing quests in the Neverzone and stuff like that," Star began, the pride in her voice still as clear as day as she leaned back against the cannon, looking completely calm despite the precarious situation the love of her life was in. "So I figured why not let you re-experience the thrill of adventure again with this baby." She patted the cannon lovingly.

"And the hammer?"

"Uhh, dramatic effect," the girl replied as if the answer were obvious.

Marco sighed. Should have known. "Don't you think this is a little unsafe?" Marco asked, his safety instincts resurfacing once more.

"Ohhh no you're right, Marco," the blond agreed, her face flashing with doubt as she walked slowly over to him. "I mean what was I thinking?" she scoffed, smacking a hand against her head. Once she was in front of him, she pulled out a helmet, quickly shoving it onto his head, before saying in a sing-song voice, "There, now you're all ready to go!"

Marco looked up at the helmet once, before fixing his girlfriend with a curious stare. "Where did you get a cannon, anyways?" Marco asked, slowly raising an eyebrow.

"Mom made it," Star replied immediately.

"What?!" the hooded teen exclaimed in disbelief.

"Oh yes, she's been making the neighbors jealous with her skills, haven't you, Moonpie?" River asked, pulling his wife a bit closer.

The woman blushed, modestly replying, "Oh it's nothing more than a hobby, really."

"Aw come on, mom, this is like the coolest thing you've ever done," Star told her, before turning back to her boyfriend. "Sooo Marco, are you ready to blast off to who-knows-where?" The blond asked dramatically, her eyes glittering with joy and affection as she waited for her bestie to answer, the boy biting the inside of his lip at the adorable look on his girlfriend's face. To be honest, he wasn't all too sure about this idea (even though the thought of an adrenaline rush had his body tingling with anticipation) but he also knew that there was no way he could say no to that cute face staring back at him. So he swallowed whatever safety instincts were telling him this was a terrible idea as he simply replied, "Yes."

"Great!" Star exclaimed before skipping over to the long fuse, picking up the end and handing it over to Janna, who still had the magic cigar in her mouth. "Okay then Janna, would you do the honors?"

"Sure, why not?" the beanie-wearing teen replied with a small shrug.

"Great!" Star exclaimed. Janna took in a deep breath, filling her lungs up as much as she possibly could, leaning in closer and closer to the waiting fuse, before stopping just short of it. She gave a small little puff into the cigar, causing only a single spark of magic to spring out, which landed precisely on its target, instantly igniting it. The small flame began to eat away at the long cord, the cannon growing and expanding to almost cartoonish levels as it made ready to spit out its unwanted occupant. As the fuse continued to burn away, Star watched it with curious interest, keeping her hands pressed tightly against her ears, but the smile still never straying from her lips.

Suddenly, though, Star remembered something, shouting over to her boyfriend, "Oh, yeah and remember, Marco, the best way to avoid losing a limb is to-"

But before the girl could finish her warning there was a loud bang as the cannon fired, sending an unprepared Marco streaking through the air. The entire group gathered in the backyard all watched as the boy grew farther and farther away, hands cupped over their eyes to try and spot him better. Soon Marco was nothing but a speck in the distance, vanishing from sight with a twinkle.

"Aww and there he goes," Star muttered softly to herself, putting her hands on her hips, her body covered head to toe in soot but she didn't seem to notice.

"Um, Star," Jackie suddenly spoke up. "Don't you think Marco went up a little high?"

"Nope, he's fine. It's all going according to plan," Star replied in a heartbeat.

"Well, what about your rocket?" Jackie pointed out. "Is shooting yourself off into space also part of your plan?"

Star laughed, waving a hand in the hair as she said, "Silly Jackie, the rocket isn't even lit, so it can't possibly-" But the words died on Star's tongue as she turned and saw the rocket was indeed close to igniting, the small flame inches away from reaching the main part of the explosive. "Oh," was all the girl had time to say before flames began shooting out of the bottom of the firework and she was launched into the sky. "AHHHHH!!!" came a distant shout, before the shooting Star disappeared into the night sky with a twinkle and a flash.

Jackie watched in disbelief as her friend vanished from sight before turning to stare at Janna who had a proud smirk on her face, holding the cigar dramatically between two fingers. "Pretty sure that wasn't part of the plan," Jackie commented in a warning tone.

Janna shrugged, before quipping, "It was part of mine." The girl brought the cigar back up to her lips, adding confidently, "She can thank me later." She started to take a deep puff when the cigar suddenly exploded, a colorful burst of magic dust and burnt popcorn filling the air around the teen, Jackie taking a step back and shielding herself from the blast with a raise of her arms. Once the dust cleared, Janna was left standing, covered head to toe in soot, the tip of her beanie on fire as she just stared blankly forward, seemingly unaffected by the explosion that just went off in her face.

"Uhhh, are you okay?" Jackie asked, concerned for her friend's safety.

"Oh please, you think I haven't had things explode in my face before?" Janna asked with a scoff. "I mean, I'm dating Tom for crying out loud, I deal with stuff like this on a daily basis."

"Actually, I'd say it's more the other way around," Tom corrected her with slight annoyance.

Janna smiled mischievously, telling her boyfriend in a voice thick with flirtation, "You know you love it."

Marco, meanwhile, was floating somewhere in space, his eyes wide as he looked around in shock, his brain struggling to understand how he was breathing all the way up here. But then again, this was Earthni, it was better not to question anything, he should just be happy he hadn't suffocated. Still, as he stared down at the long drop waiting below, his keen eyes unable to even spot his house (or his entire town for that matter) from this height. He let out a long sigh, as he realized he was now faced with a serious conundrum. Sure being fired out of a cannon had been thrilling and fun (if not slightly terrifying) but once the initial adrenaline rush wore down he realized he was stuck here, hovering in the atmosphere with no way to get down. He reached slowly for his phone, intent on calling one of his friends to come and pick him up with Nachos when he heard a loud shout echoing through the stratosphere.

He recognized the voice in a heartbeat, knowing Star's sweet tone anywhere since it had permanently engraved itself into his mind, just like anything having to do with his amazing bestie. Marco smiled, listening as his girlfriend's initial cry of fear turned to one of exhilaration and delight. Looks like he wouldn't have to make that call after all. Of course Star would come and get him, his girlfriend would never leave him hanging like that and his heart pounded in his chest in anticipation for her appearance. But his heart came to a sudden stop as he did finally spot the girl and realized that she was being blasted into space via giant rocket... and she was headed right for him.

Marco screamed, flapping his arms in an awkward attempt to avoid getting hit, but it was futile as the two lovebirds collided, the rocket exploding into a giant array of colors.

Down below on Marco's backyard, Oscar noticed a flash in the sky, saying nonchalantly, "Whoa, cool. Nice explosion."

Everyone all turned to see what the boy was talking about, only to gasp in shock as they too spotted the explosion, which soon formed into a giant pink heart made of light and fire, followed by another of different shape and size and then another and then another. The crowd all gaped at the sight, before clapping and cheering at what was surely meant to be the grand finale for the event. Mariposa and Meteora both giggled and cooed at the pretty display, while their parents all hugged their respective partners close. Ferguson and Alfonso pulled out their phones, snapping pictures of the sight. River was busy stuffing down as much food at the snack table as possible while nobody was looking, while Moon just sighed in annoyance. Pony was giving over-exaggerated expressions with Seahorse's camera posed on her. Jackie and Tom both looked up with concern at the colorful display, the skater asking, "Do you think they're okay?"

"I'm sure their fine, those two have handled way worse," Tom pointed out and Jackie nodded in agreement, a smile finally spreading across her face. Next to them Janna was nodding in satisfaction, seeming pleased with the results from her efforts, "And see, this is exactly why you guys should trust me with stuff more often. I just did Star a huge favor!"

"How is almost blowing her and her boyfriend up a favor?" Tom asked with a raised eyebrow.

Janna rolled her eyes before explaining, "She wanted this party to be as memorable and over-the-top as possible, right? Well, what's more memorable than that." The girl jabbed a finger in the direction of the quickly fading explosion. She crossed her arms smugly in front of her chest before adding, "Plus, those two even get some alone time together. So I'd call this a win-win."

Jackie and Tom shared a look as they realized that Janna was actually right. And neither were quite sure how to process this. Suddenly, Janna appeared between them, putting her arms around their shoulders as she led them over to the snack table, saying, "Now come on, guys. Let's grab some of Mr. Diaz's food before Star's dad eats it all."

…

Star and Marco said nothing for a moment, as they just floated gently next to each other, both forms now fully coated in soot and ash. Their eyes were wide as they stared blankly ahead, not even aware of their weightlessness, as they just hovered there. They were so out of it that neither saw a small laser puppy float by them, yapping happily or an open and empty chip bag sail past. Finally, the young couple's eyes met and they burst out into laughter a second later.

The two stayed like that for a few minutes, their chuckles growing louder and more rambunctious with every passing second until tears were falling from their eyes and Star was clutching her stomach, making her spin around in a lazy circle. Their giggles filled the void, causing their own voices to echo back at them, which only made them laugh harder, finding their partner's chuckles infectious.

Finally, the two were able to get a hold of themselves, their laughter slowly dying down into nothing more than breathless gasps as they struggled to breathe normally again. "Oh man, that was so exciting!" Star screamed, pumping her fists into the air.

Marco chuckled again, finding his girlfriend's enthusiasm as enduring as ever, "Yeah, I gotta admit that was pretty fun, even if it did get a little scary back there when you came at me with that rocket."

"Aw, come on, Marco. Did you really think I would attach something that dangerous to my back? You know me better than that at this point," Star told him and the hooded teen smiled, reaching out a hand to her.

"Yeah, guess I do," Marco replied, his cheeks tinged pink.

Star grabbed his hand and allowed him to pull her in close until they were in a tight hug, their bodies wrapped warmly and snugly around each other, slowly rotating in the lack of gravity though neither of them noticed nor cared. Marco couldn't remember the last time he was this happy, it felt so right having Star in his arms and it made his whole body tingle with a warmth only his Star could provide him.

"So did you like your surprise, Marco?" Star asked and Marco chuckled, squeezing her just a little bit tighter.

"Yeah, I did," the boy whispered, his voice soft but filled with love. "Thanks for throwing me such an awesome party, Star. I'll never forget it."

"Sure thing, Marco," Star said, thrilled to hear that Marco had enjoyed himself. Her party was an all-around success. Sure there were problems here or there, but so long as Marco was happy then she had done her job perfectly. "Anything for you."

Marco went silent, letting the wonderful moment wash over him. He knew that soon he would have to call Jackie and tell her to bring Nachos to pick them up, but right now he just wanted to stay here with his girlfriend, his bestie, his Star just a little longer. He did, however, pull out of the hug, Star giving him a curious look as their eyes met. "But there is one other thing I'd like for my birthday."

"What?" Star asked, her eyebrows scrunching together in the cutest way that Marco had to fight the urge to swoon at the sight.

"This," he whispered softly, before closing their distance between them. His lips met Star's and it was like another firework had just gone off, the spark the two felt real and perfect and so, so right that it left both of them breathless. Star gasped lightly against his lips before closing her eyes and deepening the kiss, her lips moving in perfect sync against his. For a long time, the two just floated there like that, their forms hanging high over the world they had created together, Marco enjoying the greatest gift he could have ever received. Star's love.

[fabpad1]

AN INTOXICATING NEW REALITY : an 18 y/o has his life put on paus by his overly controlling mother.

- Aww how cute isn't he! Has he learnt how to walk yet?

- Well yes actually, but we make sure to mix some magic into his bottle when we feed him, if you catch my drift? That way he stays...retarded - for a lack of better words - and he never really understands what's going on around him. Clueless like a baby since he turned 18!

- Oh my Margaret, and how old is he now? 23?

- He's turning 23 in a few months, yes.

- Why do you keep him like that? And how did he even end up like this?

- He wanted to move out at 18 and marry some stupid girl named Amora from his class. I told him it was a bad idea and that he should wait til he gets a bit older. But he has no patience, and never listens. He want everything done as fast as possible. So I figured I could teach him what happens when you don't listen to your mother.

At his 18th birthday party I told him he could have his first alcoholic drink with me. And that's when I first slipped his first crushed tablet. He said he was feeling funny later that evening, but he had no idea and just blamed it on the alcohol. The initial side effects are incoherent speech, confusion, drooling and bed wetting. All of these signs are less suspicious in the setting of alcohol intake. The first dose has to be very big as to completely overwhelm the brain's synapses and cause less connectivity in the brain, kinda like how a baby's brain is soon after birth - fresh to form and mold new connections! The subsequent doses don't have to be as big if you want to equalise at a certain developmental stage.

He ended up wetting his bed the next morning after his birthday, and woke up fairly confused and scared. He went to my bedroom and said he didn't know what to wear for the day or how to fix the wet bed. He started to behave like a young kid - maybe around 7 - being more dependent on the help of others.

This confusion and dependent state only lasts the morning after the first dose, so it was important I acted quickly. Instead of making his own breakfast, like he usually does, that morning he asked 'what's for breakfast'. That's when I gave him his second big dose to regress him to a toddler. Around the evening that same day, I remember him peeing himself while we were watching TV. I guess this is when he started to forget what to do when the bladder is full. Before he went to bed he also asked me if I could help him unbutton his jeans as he seemed to have lost his dexterity. 'Mommy I can't do pants' he said, now speaking in a less sophisticated manner. The next morning his language improved, and no wet bed strangely enough. I assume he went back to being around 5 years old. I gave him his last big dose, mixed in his pancakes which he asked me to make. It used to be his favourite breakfast when he was that age, so I guess the brain kind of rewinds somehow.

I got curious to see how he was experiencing his new reality and how aware he really was. So I asked him how he liked his birthday and if he could show me how old he is with his fingers. He held up 7 fingers for me, with a big innocent smile across his face. He didn't seem to remember his age. Later that day, I recall him falling over, seemingly out of nowhere, and starting to cry. I ran to comfort him when I noticed his blue shorts being brown stained at the back. This was good news. He was now starting to forget how to walk, holding his bowels and so on. This was the stage I planned on keeping him at, but he had to be more sensitive to the drug because in the evening that same day I found him upstairs in his bedroom, lying on the floor, making some babbling sounds. And that's the developmental stage he's been stuck at ever since.

- Wow Margaret, I don't know what to say. I kinda feel sorry for him, seeing how oblivious he is to everything. How long are you planning on letting him be like that?

- Well, if you've been regressed for that many years, the brain has had time to rewire and thus all his previous memories and knowledge is either gone or reduced. Even if I'd stop giving him the medication he would have to pretty much relearn everything again. It would take half the time to learn, but that would still make it 9 years to be back at the mind if an 18 year old. Next week my supplies are gone. So that will be his last maintenance dose.

It's going to be nice to raise my little boy again, and teach him how to potty train, calm him down when he's having his crying fits and give him the courage he needs when he's hiding behind my leg. The best part is, he won't even remember anything. In his mind, this was his only growing up phase! I will find my baby a much better girl than that Amora and teach him how to be more obedient than in his previous 'life'. Always listen to your mother!

THE END.

[femreader]

My Princess - Natasha Romanoff

Pairing: fem!reader x Pirate!Nat

Summary: a pirate AU. Y/N is the daughter of a wealthy merchant. Before her father manages to marry her off to a rich knight, Y/N real love comes and swoops her to the ship she’s grown to love.

A/N: lowkey and kinda high key wanted to make a fic based off of this dress. And I should be studying for exams but alas... 

”Y/N, you need to come down.”

”Yeah, give me. Ugh, a minute,” Y/N coughed out as her maid tightened her corset. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes when her response was followed by a bunch of mumbles and silent arguments from her mother. Her father was out, speaking to the shipsmen about their next trade no doubt, leaving Y/N’s mother to take care her daughter looked presentable when her future husband was courting her.

Y/N placed a hand on her lower stomach, over the corset. She could hardly breathe and the hot sun didn’t help at all. The dress was really beautiful and flowy though, so she wouldn’t get overly hot when going outside. She knew her mother wouldn’t like the torso as it showed her shoulders and collarbones, no doubt she’d make Y/N wear a small veil over her shoulders. It was a shame, Y/N liked the upper part best out of everything.

”I think, it’s tight enough,” Y/N pointed as her maid tied the lace.

”We want you to look as gorgeous as possible for Knight Ward don’t we,” her maid jokingly said and moved Y/N face so it was perfectly set. She looked at the merchant’s daughter through the mirror and smiled.

”I have to say I envy you. Knight Ward is a real charmer. And really attractive,” her maid emphasized the word ‘really’ while patting down the dress once more. Y/N rolled her eyes and scoffed as she turned around in her spot and put on a special pearl necklace she was given as a gift. It made her feel a bit more safe to have part of her real love right next to her heart.

”You can have him for all I care,” she sighed and looked at her maid. ”I do not love him.”

”Oh but you will learn to,” her maid exhaled. She was definitely in love with Y/N’s future husband. But who wasn’t? Grant Ward was the talk of the town. A wealthy background, attractive and in the king's guard. He had ladies falling left and right for him, it just happened to be that Y/N had already fallen for someone else. Someone her parents would absolutely, definitely, in no way whatsoever approve of. Even if for some miracle they’d accept her way of living they never would accept that...well that she was a she. And that made her sad.

Y/N was about to open her mouth before the wooden door opened and her mother came in, mumbling incoherent stuff about being late under her breath. Her eyes went wide when she saw her daughter.

”Oh you look so beautiful my darling,” she squashed Y/N’s cheeks before glancing her bare shoulders. She whipped out a light pink veil and placed it over her arms, nodding approvingly.

”There, much better. Oh, Knight Ward will not be able to take his eyes off of you after he sees you.”

”But mother,” Y/N Butted in and huffed while trying to make the slipping veil stay in place. ”I don’t like him. Let alone love him. He’s arrogant and ungrateful, he has no care for the nature-”

”Don’t speak of your future husband in that manner. Fine ladies speak with dignity,” her mother warned and lowered her voice with every word. The maid looked slightly uncomfortable, standing next to the door with an umbrella in her hand for Y/N. Y/N’s mother looked at her, giving her an unnecessary stinky eye and walked her daughter out of the room, nose held high. 

Y/N’s mother wasn’t a nobody, in any way. Everyone knew Mrs. Y/L/N, she was strict and possibly the next most beautiful human in the town right after her own daughter. Sometimes Y/N felt like she was competing with her. Her mother was always in a tight corset and a big dress, pale skin and red lips covered in paint. There was no day when she was not all dolled up. Y/N was half believing that she even slept with her make-up on. 

“Chin up,” Her mother said quietly as they walked down the grand staircase towards the front door, where their carriage was waiting. “And do not slouch. It’ll make you look awful. And do tuck your stomach in.” Y/N would’ve rolled her eyes and said something back in her spiteful nature had it not been for the gentleman by the door. 

Grant Ward, not in his knight uniform but in a clean outfit. He had a long dark blue coat (some golden patterns decorating the outlines of course), pants, a button-up that looked like it was just a tad too tight on him, and pair of black boots. He looked good Y/N couldn’t deny it, but the thought of marrying him just made her want to throw up in her mouth. That or then her corset was so tight it pushed the breakfast up.

 Y/N pursed her lips and gave her hand to Grant’s outstretched one. Y/N could feel her mother beaming from behind her when Grant kissed her hand and offered to hook her arm with his. Y/N, without any other option, did so as followed him to the carriage which would drive them... somewhere.

It was the third time Grant was courting Y/N in five months. She couldn’t possibly comprehend how the people around her expected her to love someone, or even tolerate a person who she met barely once a month and who looked at her like an item. And the worst of all, Y/N was assuming he’d ask her hand today.

“I do not understand how you feel... comfortable here. Your dress will get dirty,” Grant said scrunching his nose as he scanned the market in the downtown they had gone to by Y/N’s request. Only because it was full of nice people and distractions. Y/N was hoping she could avoid the question as long as possible.

“I like it here. You meet people, and it’s genuinely a humble place. Besides,” Y/N smiled and gave a coin for an apple to an elder woman. She gave a bright smile back to her. “My dress is the least of my worries.”

Grant stepped to the side as three children ran down the street. He turned to look at Y/N and smiled tightly to her, his eyes glancing at her pearl necklace, maybe lingering on her chest area a bit too long than they should. Y/N cleared her throat and turned to walk along the street again.

“Those are very beautiful pearls. Where did you get them from? They must not have been from this town.”

Y/N gulped. Her hand shot up to play with the smooth pearls and the memory of how she got them flashed in her mind, clear like it happened yesterday. A sad feeling settled into her stomach as she thought about her.

“You shouldn’t use money on me. I already get stuff I don’t want,” Y/N whined as the fiery red-haired woman presented her a pearl necklace. Natasha didn’t take no for an answer and just rolled her eyes but smiled softly. They sat opposite each other in the dry cave by the beach. It was their small little hiding place and because not many people were aware of the place Y/N and Natasha had it mostly to themselves.

“Who said I used money on it,” Natasha smirked at Y/N’s face before clasping the necklace around her neck. Y/N felt her hands draw slightly against her skin, making her shiver and actually want more of it. She sighed and took the pirate’s hands in hers, feeling the rough and used hands in her pampered and soft ones. Natasha knew something was wrong, not only from her lover’s appearance and slouched shoulders but also from the silence. After they had started this... thing, in secret Natasha hadn’t ever had a silent moment with Y/N.

She furrowed her eyebrows and sat more proper and closer to her.

“I-I... God, I don’t know how to say this,” Y/N sighed and shook her head, feeling Nat’s fingers in her palms. “My parents are marrying me off to someone. That Ward, and he... he’s awful,” she choked out, even though she wasn’t even close to crying. She was more angry and irritated than sad and desperate. Her eyes looked at Natasha, who had suddenly gone darker.

“They want me to court him before officially marrying him, but eventually... it’ll go to that,” Y/N said and looked up at Natasha. “I’m sorry, I really don’t want to marry him. I just don't have any authority over this,” She followed and stood up as her girlfriend stood up. Y/N felt her feet dig into the sand, making her already short figure even shorter compared to Natasha’s. Her white cotton shirt moved in the wind and her brown trousers and dark boots were in sand. Y/N’s beige dress was probably filled with sand too but it didn’t worry her that much.

Natasha pushed her shoulder-length red hair back and breathed deeply, Y/N followed her every move. Nat looked at her with her piercing eyes and took her hands into hers again. She bit her lip before speaking.

“What would you do to get out of it?”

“What?” Y/N sputtered, completely surprised by the question. If something she thought Natasha would have left her.

“I-I mean... anything. Anything,” she blurted out and swallowed thickly. “Why?”

“If I said I could get you out of this, of all of this and into the sea with me... would you come with me? Leave this place?” Natasha asked, warily. Y/N felt disturbed by her unusual demeanor, whenever she was with Nat she would be this fierce and fearless pirate who didn’t take shit from no one. but now she seemed scared.

“Yeah,” Y/N nodded multiple times and gripped Natasha’s worn collar. “Yeah,” she mumbled against her lips before kissing her. Natasha kissed her sweetly back and rested her hands on her lips.

“I have to make some arrangements, and it’ll take time. I’m not sure how long, but I can assure you,” Nat looked at Y/N’s eyes determinately. “I will come and get you before you are married to anyone.”

That was the last words Y/N had heard from Natasha in five months. She had done everything in her power to buy time. Distracting Grant, changing the subject when it got even close to marriage. But now Y/N was running out of time and she was afraid Natasha wouldn’t be there on time.

“A gift,” She said shortly and continued walking. Grant nodded and walked, his hands behind his back. Y/N felt the tension in the air and it was almost like she was about to suffocate from something that hadn’t even occurred yet.

“Y/N could you- I mean,” Grant tried to think what to say. “Can we go somewhere a bit more private. I need to talk to you.”

And there it was. Y/N felt the anxiety in her stomach as she followed Grant and walked towards a bit more secluded area near the big mansion like her family. How the hell was she supposed to get herself out of this one?

Grant looked at her and then on the ground. This happened multiple times before he even managed to open his mouth.

“You are a very fine young lady and very beautiful,” He said in a tone Y/N did not enjoy. She glanced around the area, the faint sounds of the market and the seagulls were the only thing she heard. Apart from the sea of course. She offered him a fake smile.

“And I am sure you’d make a good wife, for me and an excellent mother to our children. And that is why,” Okay if you didn’t lose me before you definitely lost me there. Y/N thought but kept the innocent and oblivious expression on her face. She felt her heart beat faster and soon she found herself asking for some kind of a miracle.

“Y/N Y/L/N. Would you do the honor and marry me?”

It was silent. Grant looked at Y/N with his dark eyes, waiting for her response which obviously would be yes. This all was arranged months ago, her mother herself had said to ask her hand in the market as it was probably the only area her stubborn and wild child would go voluntarily. Even though Grant had preferred a walk in the gardens. Y/N opened her mouth like a fish, feeling her fingers itch and sweat. Before she could possibly answer a shout was heard.

“It’s The Avenger!”

Natasha, Y/N immediately thought. Her miracle. She beamed and took a step towards the path that would take her to the dock, but Grant’s hand stopped her. He looked over to the market where people were running back to their home’s and where the navy men were getting ready to fight. Y/N knew there weren’t that many men in the army anyway, as the town was small compared to the ones couple hours away, If it actually was The Avenger, Y/N knew Natasha and the rest of the crew actually might have had a shot.

“You need to be safe, follow me,” Grant said and pulled Y/N after him. Y/N’s brain racked quickly and she dug her feet into the ground. Her flowy pink dress moved around her like waves.

“You-you have to go and defend the city,” She mimicked a scared girl's voice. “Please, I will hide, but just save those people,” Y/N was kinda proud of her act. Her eyes were wide, like a puppy and it didn’t take long before Grant let the ego in himself win over. Placing a kiss on her cheeks he walked Y/N into the closest shop and left her there. As soon as he was out of sight Y/N wiped her cheek multiple times with a disgusted look on her face. 

She beamed as she ran down the stone alley barefoot, the sounds of the harbor were coming closer. The scent of the sea, the freedom she had longed for so many years was just in the grasp of her arms. 

“This way,” Someone grasped her arm and before Y/N could react she saw a dark-skinned man pulling her towards another alleyway where was a copper-haired woman waiting. 

“So this is Y/N?” 

“Wanda, wait until we get on the ship please,” The man said in a sarcastic manner to what Wanda rolled her eyes. 

“Whatever Sam. Steve and Bucky went to make a distraction,” She added with a slightly wicked smile on her face. She looked at Y/N, who was staring at them, looking very lost. 

“They like to cause trouble.”

“Where’s Natasha,” Y/N asked as they ran down the alley and along the docks. Her mouth fell down as the huge pirate ship with a golden Avenger was written. A woman was carved on the head, it held some sort of torch in her hands. 

“She was very reluctant on staying, almost had to knock her out. But the fewer people we have causing havoc the easier it was to get you out,” Sam explained as they all climbed up on the deck. Y/N saw two men laughing as they ran down the streets, both of them wearing necklaces on their necks and joking about something. 

Y/N grabbed Wanda’s hand and jumped on the deck, Sam, Steve and Bucky not far behind. 

“Y/N?” a familiar voice called out and she turned around. 

There, in all of her glory, was Natasha, whose hair was now long enough to braid. Y/N looked at her with wide eyes, her heart leaped from joy. The last half a year had been the worst months in her life but it had definitely been worth it. 

“Okay, guys, let’s move! Carol, can you get us out of here,” Steve shouted to a blonde-haired woman to which she sassily waved her hand. She hopped behind the wheel and turned it around. Y/N could hear her mumble a low ‘aye aye captain’ under her breath. 

“Oh, Nat,” She went to Natasha and hugged her tightly. The scent of salt and roses hit her nose again. “I missed you so much you have no idea.”

“Hmm...” The redhead hummed, mischief in her eyes. “You can prove that to me later,” She chuckled and moved a fallen piece of hair out from Y/N’s now slightly red face. 

“But I missed you too. I’m glad you’re here now.”

“Me too,” Y/N mumbled before placing a kiss on her lips. 

“With all respect,” Sam, who was undoing some of the ropes attached to the handles on the railings. “We kinda need your help here. 

“Shut it, Sam, just because no one beds you doesn’t mean you get to complain,” Carol spoke from the steering wheel as they moved further away from the harbor. The wind was on their side. 

“I believe Bucky begs to differ,” Steve spoke up, sending them all into a burst of hysterical laughter and making Sam and Bucky red as tomatoes. Y/N laughed now too, still safely in Natasha’s arms. She turned to look at her once again before pulling away. 

“Seriously though, they do need our help. That sailor's knot is the worst I’ve ever seen in my life,” Y/N chuckled.

[marvelmadam08]

Jellybeans

Part of 100 Days of Marvel

Prompt 54: Don’t lick it/ Prompt 93: What’s behind your back

Synopsis: Chris eats a bunch of your candy before an interview, unaware that they're edibles.

Warnings: mentions of anxiety attacks, drug use, swearing, bad reaction to drugs

A/N: I do not know if Chris actually takes medication for anxiety, this is just a fanfiction. Also have no idea what he’s saying in the GIF below, but I’m assuming it’s ‘Fried eggs’

~~~~~

To say you had a hard time speaking in public would be an understatement. Back when you were in school, if you had to give a presentation you'd stare at your classmates’ shoes the entire time. Which could've been linked to the small shoe obsession you had now, but that was a different story.

So how did you managed to make it this far in your acting career without a complete nervous breakdown during press tours and meet and greets? Edibles, medically approved, and perfectly safe. Not enough to get you completely incoherent, but just enough to calm your nerves, as long as you took the prescribed amount.

That's where you were now, in your dressing room, sneaking a few 'special' jellybeans, just before you and your other cast members had to take the stage and speak in front of at least a thousand fans and reporters.

"You okay?" Chris came up behind you, resting his chin on the top of your head, meeting your eyes in the mirror

"Yeah, what about you?" 

You knew how bad his anxiety was, there were times when his medication wasn’t enough to calm him and you had to pull him off to the side and help him get out of his head. When it was you, Chris would do the same, distracting you with inappropriate jokes and giving you his hand to draw small doodles on. It was how your friendship worked. Although you wished it would go further than ‘just friends’ but again that’s another story for another day.

“I’m good.” he glanced down at your hand “Ooh jellybeans.”

“Nope.” you smacked his hand away, sealing the bag shut “None for you.”

“Rude, if I had candy I’d share with you.” he gasped in pretend shock

“Good thing I’m not you.”

You knew Chris wasn’t a stranger to marijuana, but he always said it was in his party days and he would never do it again, which is why you never told him about your personal coping methods. 

“Hey guys, five minutes to go, we need you out here.” the stagehand tells you two

You carelessly tossed the bag of jellybeans on top of your purse, before pulling Chris out of the room. He tells you something about leaving his phone behind and having to run back to get it. While you waited for him to get back, Sebastian and Anthony walk up to greet you.

“First stop on the press tour, you ready Miss director?” Anthony nudged your ribs

“Stop that, I’m nervous enough.”

“You shouldn’t be, it’s a great movie, amazing script. And the cast is phenomenal.” Seb smiled at you

“Okay everybody, let’s get the ball rolling!” the MC spoke into her mic

Chris slid up next to you, waiting to be called up after Seb and Anthony. You didn’t pay him any mind until you caught him eating something colorful from his hand.

“What are you eating?”

He tucked his hand behind his back like a child “Nothing.”

“What’s behind your back? Chris, let me see.” 

He spun around while you tried to grab his hand, when he wasn’t letting up you tickled his ribs until a few jellybeans fell from his hand.

“Aw man, I dropped a yellow one, those are my favorites.” he continued to eat the ones in his hand “You’re holding out on me, these are good.”

“Chris, stop eating them.” you felt your heart rate increase with each passing second “How many of those did you eat?”

“I dunno a handful maybe.” he was handed a mic 

“Chris Evans!” 

“See you out there.” Chris tossed the remaining jellybeans in his mouth before taking off for the stage

“Holy shit.” 

“And now the star and director (Y/F/N) (Y/L/N)!”

If you had the option to stay in the shadows to let your brain catch up you would, but now your focus wasn’t on the people or the movie, it was on Chris and the massive trip he was going to have once the edibles kicked in.

“Shit shit shit.” you muttered to yourself as you hurried up the stairs to the stage

You were given the seat next to Chris, who was still cogent and alert for the time being. You, on the other hand, wouldn’t really take your eyes off him for more than minute, and you almost got away with it, until Chris pointed it out.

“You’re staring.” he whispered away from the mic, his head lolled to the side a bit and his eyes getting red

“Chris, I gotta tell you something.” you started

“Right (Y/N)?” Seb pulled you and Chris back into the conversation

“Come again?”

“I saying how well we all worked together on the set.”

“Oh yeah, like huge family. It was amazing to work with-” you stopped when you felt a finger flick your ear, you looked to Chris, all smiles and intently focused on your earlobe “Amazing to work with these guys, they really bring a-” he tugged on your ear again “playful essence to the set.”

“You okay there Chris?” the MC asked him

“Your earlobe is so soft.” Chris half whispers to you, ignoring the question completely “Earlo-oo-be.”

Oh shit.

“Chris?”

“Hm? Yes a question.” he grinned “And the answer.... never violence.”

“You okay dude?” Anthony asked him this time

“I’m feeling great.” Chris nods slowly before leaning over you and Sebastian to hold Anthony’s hand “How are you?”

“I’m good.”

“What’s wrong with Chris?” Sebastian whispers in your ear

“You know how bad his anxiety gets.” you tried to brush it off “I got it covered- hopefully.”

Chris throws an arm around your shoulder, pulling you into his side. “This woman right here is the best person I’ve met, sorry mom, she’s- just- awesome.”

You pat him on the arm and try to steer the conversation back on the right tracks. Chris’s hand lazily ran back and forth on your arm, sending chills through your body. If you didn’t like it so much you would’ve told him to stop, plus it was keeping him focused for the time being. And for the following ten minutes he was calm, switching between picking the lint off your dress, to rubbing his face, things you could play off as normal things.... and then it went south.

In the middle of Anthony answering a question, you heard a strange wet sound over the speaker, glancing back at Chris you saw him licking the side of his microphone.

“Chris, stop that.” you pulled his hand away from his face, he quickly switched it to his other hand and continued to lick the mic “Don’t lick it.”

He chuckled giving you an overly obvious wink “Can I lick you instead?”

Your cheeks are flaming now, and the heat shot straight down to your core. A collective ‘ooh’ came from the audience, Sebastian, Anthony and the MC all froze mid topic.

“Laying on the charm pretty thick there Chris?” Sebastian said, in hopes to lighten the situation up

“I mean at least take her out on a date first, Evans.” Anthony laughed

Chris pulled you even closer into his side, lowering his lips to your ear, in attempts to whisper “I wanna kiss you right now, and raise a puppy together.”

“Did you say something Chris?” Sebastian glanced over to him

“Nope, he didn’t say anything.” you pushed the mic away from Chris’s face, he reached over and grabbed yours

“Show of hands who has a dog?” he pointed out to the audience, and about half the members raised their hands “I wanna pet them.”

“The dogs or the people?” Anthony questioned

“Yes.” Chris pressed the mic to his mouth again “All the dogs.”

There was scattered applause from the audience, Chris laughed to himself then relaxed further into the couch, resting his head on your shoulder.

“Okay, we’re gonna do fan questions right now.” The MC gave Chris a strange look

“It’s really hot right now. Is anyone else hot?”

A series of questionable mutters came from the crowd, Anthony and Sebastian gave you confused head tilts as Chris stood up, hands going to the top of his shirt, undoing buttons. Many, if not all the females in the room, started to cheer, chanting ‘take it off’, you hopped up in time for him to only get half done with his shirt.

“Chris, keep your shirt on.” you hissed pulling it closed

“But it’s hot.” he pressed his forehead to yours, resting his hands on your hips “You’re hot, let’s get a dog.”

“You have a dog.”

He gasped, those normal baby blue eyes were bloodshot red, his pupils completely dilated “I do? Is he here?”

“Yeah, let’s go see him.” you slung his arm back over your shoulder, then brought the mic up to your lips “Give us a moment, a few technical issues.”

Chris took the mic from you again “We’re gonna get a dog together!” he dropped the mic, leaning on you for support “Goodnight Boston.”

“We’re in Sarasota, let’s go see Dodger.”

You managed to get Chris back behind the curtains, helping him down those five steps would’ve been difficult, if he hadn’t jumped down them himself. You quickly followed behind him as he touched everything, muttering ‘Why Should I Worry’ along the way. When you caught up to him, you yanked him back in the dressing room, shutting the door behind the two of you.“There’s no dog in here.” he pouts

“Chris, listen to me.” you turned him around to face you “You have got to calm down and focus. Those jelly beans you ate- were edibles.”

“Well yeah, I couldn’t eat ‘em if they weren’t edible.” he laughed loudly and threw his head back

“No, I mean they’re laced with medical marijuana. The label says you’re only supposed to eat five maximum, and you ate a fucking handful of them. You’re higher than Spudnik right now.”

Chris finally caught his breath, nervously looking around the room. He started to scratch at his skin, his breathing getting heavier.

“Holy fuck, what the actual fuck?” he muttered to himself

“Calm down, you’re gonna be fine.” you steered him to the couch, he grabbed the nearest pillow and held on to it for dear life 

“I can feel my blood flowing in my body, is that normal? Why are these lights so- big. No not big, what’s the other word? Holy shit I’m freaking out right now.” 

“Are you okay?” your rubbed his arms “Just breathe.”

“Bright, the lights are bright.” he nods leaning back into the couch, his shirt falling open “It’s still hot.”

“I’ll get you some water.”

“No.” Chris pulled you in by your wrists “I haven’t a trip this bad in years, feels like yesterday. Why is time going so fast? Am I gonna die?”

"No, you’re gonna be fine.” you moved to sit on the couch next to Chris but he pulls you into his lap until you’re straddling him.

His hands were secured around your waist, and he laid his head on your shoulder. The only thing keeping you from full body on body contact was the pillow between you. But you could still feel his heartbeat slowing to its steady rhythm.

“Uh- you sure you’re okay?”

He nods again “How long does this last?”

“A few hours, but if you’re anything like me you’ll be asleep right after you eat.”

“Okay, okay, okay.” he sighed “Did I say okay already?”

“Mhmm, but it’s fine.” 

“You smell nice, you always smell nice.” he moved to bury his face in the crook of your neck, his lips lightly trailing across the your exposed skin. It sends shivers down your spine that settles between your legs

“Chris-” Your fingers ran through the short hair at the back of Chris’s head, his body started to relax a little, leaning into your hand and groaning softly. “Is that better?”

“Yeah, I like this, more than you know.” he paused “I want fried eggs... and a shitload of bacon.”

You chuckled, pulling your phone from your pocket when it starts to buzzing like crazy “Sure, we’ll get something to eat after the hall clears out a bit.”

“Do you think anyone out there noticed?” 

“Uh-” you scrolled through your timeline, cramped with headlines about you and Chris being in a not so secret relationship. Others hitting the mark, stating that Chris was in fact high. But over 25.7k people were rooting for the relationship rumors to be true

“Maybe a few people.”

[turtle-steverogers]

Race vs the hot RA

Or the couple times race pined after the hot RA and the time the hot RA pined back

Hi! im back at school after thanksgiving break, so i decided to write some college fluff.  like for real guys.  its j us t fluff

enjoy!

ship: ralbert

warnings: lots of fucking smiling ;)

word count: something like 3k?

editing: nein

-

1.

“This is BULLSHIT.”

Race takes out an earbud and stares, mildly alarmed, at the bathroom door of their suite.  Abruptly, the shower shuts off, despite having been on for all of thirty seconds and a moment later, Spot emerges with a towel wrapped around his waist, shivering hard enough to rival a chihuahua left out in front of a grocery store in the rain.  He looks angry, scowling hard enough to bare his teeth and eyes narrowed in a way that would probably be murderous if he didn’t also look entirely pathetic.  

Race quirks an amused eyebrow, “Everything okay?”

“No,” Spot growls, “there’s no fucking hot water.”

Race frowns, “Like, none?”

“Yes, Race,” Now Race can see the goosebumps that line Spot’s arms and notes with faint concern that his lips look a little blue, “None.  Like, it’s fucking Antarctica in that fucking shower.  I feel like Steve Rogers after he crashed that fucking plane into the Arctic.”

“Shit, that’s not good.”

Spot scoffs, giving him a ‘no shit’ look and crosses to his drawer to pull out a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt.

“Maybe too many people are using the showers?” Race suggests, “and like, maybe the hot water got all used up.  That happens sometimes at home.”

“Don’t think it works like that,” Spot says, padding back towards the bathroom, “M’pretty sure this place operates more like a hotel, so lack of hot water shouldn’t be an issue.  Can you go let the RA know something’s wrong with the plumbing?”

Race’s stomach drops, face coloring a bit at the thought of talking to Albert, their engineering SLO’s attractive resident’s assistant.  Like Race and Spot, he’s a junior, but this was Race’s first year living in the engineering housing, so he hadn’t seen him around before.  Which was weird considering they should have at least had a freshman seminar together or something of the sort. 

But nope.  On upperclassmen move in day, Race was completely blindsided by the pretty redhead coming around to the dorms, introducing himself with a disarmingly charming smile and an overly peppy, “If you ever need anything, I’m in 311b!”

Which was unfair, really, because naturally, Race had to see Albert fairly often at various floor events and as smooth as he’d like to believe he is, Albert made him basically incoherent.

And Spot knows that.

So, fuck Spot.

“Can’t you go tell him?” Race calls, trying not to sound pathetic but missing that mark by miles.

“No!” Spot shouts back, still sounding irritated, “I got class soon, dude, stop being a pussy and go!”

Race groans, steeling himself for a moment before pushing himself up from his desk and crossing towards the door, stopping at the bathroom to yell a quick, “I hate you!” at Spot before exiting and ambling down the hall towards Albert’s single.  The sign outside Albert’s door says that he’s on duty, so he knocks twice and bounces on his toes while he waits, stomach swooping when he hears a, “Just a sec!” from inside the room.

A second later, Albert opens the door, looking relaxed in a pair of running shorts and long sleeved shirt, feet tucked into a fluffy pair of moccasins.  The outfit is stupid and entirely adorable and Race has to forcably log his brain back online.  By the time he’s gotten a grip on himself, he realizes that Albert was saying something and is now looking at him with a mildly concerned and expectant smile on his face.

“Shit, sorry,” Race stammers, “What?”

The easy smile doesn’t drop, but an almost knowing glint flashes through Albert’s eyes, “I just asked what’s up.  Everything okay?”

“Oh,” Race feels himself blush, “Yeah, no, the hot water’s just fucked in our bathroom.  Thought I should let you know.”

“Ah, fuck,” Even disgruntled, Albert looks easy-going.  It’s unfair really.  For someone majoring in astrophysics, Albert always look entirely too relaxed, “Yeah, Mush came to me earlier about that.  I called in a ‘fix-it’ and they said someone should be coming to look at it around 5 o’clock.  Sorry, though.  I know cold showers are fucking awful.”

“Oh, it’s okay,” Race says, “Spot was the one who got the brunt of it, not me.”

“Bet he was thrilled,” Albert says, “Kid’s a ray of sunshine.”

Albert even manages to make biting sarcasm sound entirely welcome.  Race isn’t convinced he doesn’t have super powers or something.

“Yeah, he was super chill about it,” Race plays along, “Kindly asked me to let you know and everything.”

“Mhm, I’m sure.”

There’s a small lapse of silence and Race starts to feel the nerves in his stomach come back, suddenly overwhelmed again by Albert’s alluring nature.  He’s about to turn and leave when Albert opens his door wider.

“You wanna come in for a bit?” He asks, “Was just making some ramen if you’re interested.”

“Oh,” Race’s heart soars for a second before dropping again, “Fuck, I’d love to, but I can’t,” Albert’s face falls a fraction and Race tries not to read too deep into that, “I have to finish studying for that astro 212 exam.”

Albert lights up again, “Oh! I gotta study for that, too.  We can study together?  If you want, I mean.  Like, you totally don’t have to if you, like, study better alone or something, I just thought it might be fun to-”

“Albert,” Race cuts him off, feeling oddly elated to see Albert flustered for once, “No, that’s perfect.  I’d love to eat ramen and study with you, just give me a minute to go grab my notes.”

“Sweet!” Albert says, smiling again, “I’ll keep my door open, so just come on in whenever!”

Race gives him a thumbs up and tries not to run back to his room.  Once he’s inside, it’s a mad dash to grab his things, cursing as he drops his graphing calculator twice.  He doesn’t even notice Spot on the floor, tying his shoes, until he laughs.

“Got a hot study date?” He quips.

“No,” Race says, “Shut up.  RAs aren’t technically allowed to date residents.”

Spot holds up his hands in the universal sign of surrender, “Rules can be bent.”

Race rolls his eyes, rushing back out of the room.

2.

Race fucking hates calculus.  Well, actually, that’s a lie.  He fucking loves calculus.  Numbers have always made sense to him, theorems and equations melding into one beautiful web of logic that always pulled him into a comfortable rhythm.  But right now, surface integrals were fucking him in the ass.  

Which is why he’s holed up in the library on a Sunday morning, staving off a wicked hangover and trying not to vomit as he stares dejectedly at his textbook, praying that the words on the page will magically make sense.  Sighing probably too dramatically, he pulls his notebook towards himself and copies down another problem, working through it at a snail’s pace before checking the answer in the back of the book…

...And it’s wrong.  Again.  Fuck.

He groans, dropping his head down and thumping it a few times against the table.  It makes his head hurt worse, so he stops, inwardly reviewing all the ways he’s a fucking dumbass who shouldn’t be in college, because college is hard.  

And fuck multivariable calculus.

Just kidding, sorry, Race thinks, I love you, multivar.  

“Doing okay?” 

Race looks up too fast, groaning again at the movement.  Albert’s hovering across the table from him, backpack slung on his back and iced coffee in hand, an amused smirk resting on his face.  He looks entirely too awake for a 10 am on a Sunday, but then again he wasn’t drinking last night.  

“Depends,” Race answers, apparently too hungover to be too affected by Albert’s presence, “Are surface integrals really worth my sweat and tears?”

“For our major, yes,” Albert says, “Mind if I sit?”

Race waves him off, dropping his head back onto the table, “Go ahead.  What’re you doing up so early?”

“Same as you it seems,” Race can hear him taking out his books, “Guess we all got a little behind on calc homework.”

“Guess so,” Race forces himself to sit back up, “I don’t get it.”

“What don’t you get?”

“Any of it,” Race feels his stress start to peak, “I haven’t gotten a single fucking problem right and I’ve been here since fucking 8 and really, I don’t know why I did that to myself, ‘cause I was up ‘til god knows when last night dri-” He cuts off, eyeing Albert warily.  

Albert shakes his head, “It’s okay, call me a bad RA, but as long as you all are being safe with it and there are no complaints, do what you want.”

Race nods, “Well, then, yeah.  So, I was up ‘til god knows when and now I’m hungover, but I gotta spend more time on this fucking class so I don’t fail this unit, because I’ve never failed a unit of math before and I don’t wanna start now, because then I’ll fail everything and fail out of college and-”

“Whoa,” Albert reaches across the table and places a hand on Race’s forearm, “Slow down, dude, breathe,” he waits for Race to take a deep breath, “It’s going to be alright, man.  Everyone’s got a bad unit, doesn’t mean you’re gonna fail it all.  Just gotta make a game plan.  I’m decent at this stuff if you want some help? I can’t say I’m as good as a TA or something might be, but I can help you get this assignment done.”

Race takes another deep breath, trying not to focus on Albert’s lingering grip on his arm.  Albert seems to come back to himself though, because he clears his throat, coloring a little as he squeezes Race’s arm and lets go.

“Sorry,” Race says sheepishly, “Didn’t mean to lose it there.”

“Happens to the best of us.”

And there’s Albert again, putting Race at ease with the tone of his voice alone.  Fucking magic, Race swears.

Maybe it’s an RA thing.  They all seem to have that scarily open demeanor.  Race could never.

“You don’t gotta help me, man,” Race says, “I’d feel bad making you-”

“Don’t,” Albert says, smiling.  Jeez, does he ever stop smiling? “You’re not making me do anything, I offered.  Plus, I gotta get this shit done, too.  We’d really just be doing it together.  It’s better practice to go in depth anyway.”

A swell of admiration grips Race and he has to look back down at his notebook to keep from doing something stupid like kiss Albert or something.  

“C’mon,” Albert prompts lightly, scooching so he’s next to Race instead of across from him and knocking their knees together.  Race tries not to lean into the touch, “What’s the first problem? 34?”

They work through the math at a steady pace, and with Albert’s instruction (which lacks a certain condescending air that Spot always gets when he tries to help Race out), Race starts to understand the content better.  He’ll still need to go to office hours, probably, but for the moment, he feels less panicked.  

By the time they’re finished, their bodies are pressed together from shoulder to thigh, both of them hunched over their work only inches apart.  Race tries not to stare, but he can’t help but notice the way Albert bites his lip and narrows his eyes when he’s focused.  Even with his guard down, he’s magnetic- effortlessly charming.  He must feel Race looking, because he glances up from where he’s completing the final problem.  They’re very close- too close, really and Race can see him flick his gaze down to his lips for a second before locking on his eyes.  In his peripheral, Race can see his ears color.  He’s a blusher, Race has come to realize.  It’s kind of precious.

“Thanks,” Race says, unable to stand the growing tension.  

Albert blinks a couple times, eyes clearing, “Yeah, no prob.”

“Like, really, thanks.  I get it more now and I’m infinitely less stressed.”

Albert grins, “I’m really glad.”

It’s quiet for another second, then Race shifts, glancing at his watch and realizing he’s done with homework and it’s not even 1:00 pm yet.

“Shit, what time is it,” Albert asks, leaning in again to look at Race’s watch, “Fuck, I have duty in a half hour, I gotta go.”

Race tries not to feel disappointed at the prospect of Albert leaving, “Yeah, I might try to go back to sleep to be honest.”

Albert laughs, “Good plan, drink water.”

“Will do.”

They pack up in silence and walk out of the library, pausing again when they get back to their hall.  

“Obviously fuck math, but I had fun hanging out with you,” Albert says.

Race feels his heartbeat pick up, “I had fun too.”

There’s another pause, this time a little more loaded, then Albert claps him on the shoulder, “Catch those Zs, bro, I’ll see you around.”

“See you.” Race says, waving as Albert begins to head down the hall.

“Don’t forget to eat!”

“I won’t.”

Albert turns around, fixing him with a playfully serious glare, “Promise me, Higgins.  Can’t have any residents sick if I have something to do with it.”

Race laughs, “I promise.”

“Good,” Albert winks and Race feels himself blush down to his chest.

3.

“Albert?”

The situation feels oddly flipped when Race walks into Panera to find Albert slumped at a table, head in his hands and knee bouncing rapidly under the table.  It’s a Tuesday afternoon and Race figured he’d grab his weekly cup of broccoli cheddar soup before english.

Albert lifts his head from his hands and Race feels his concern grow when he notices the red that rims his eyes.  He’s only ever seen Albert cool and collected, but he supposes even freakishly bubbly people have bad days, too.

“Hey, Race,” Albert tries to smile at him, but it falls short, “What’s up? You okay?”

“I’m good,” Race says, “Just grabbing a bite.  What about you?  Are you okay?”

Albert deflates a little, dropping his eyes down to his laptop, “I’m alright.”

“You sure?” Race ventures.  Fuck it, he thinks and sits down, “You’re looking a little stressed.  Is something up?”

He sincerely hopes he isn’t pushing boundaries here, but Albert looks like he needs a friend right now.  Or maybe a shot of really strong tequila.  Or both.

Albert shrugs, letting out a breath.  It sounds shaky and shallow.  He fixes Race with a self-deprecating smile.

“Shouldn’t this be the other way around?”

“Hey, man, just because you’re an RA doesn’t mean you can’t ask for help or some bullshit.  I’m not gonna make you talk to me or anything, that would be shitty, but I’m here for you and so’s everyone else on the floor.  If something’s bothering you, then it’s valid and you deserve support.”

Albert has such a starkly vulnerable look in his eyes that Race almost has to look away.  The corners of his lips are turned down and his eyes are wide and almost pleading and he looks so goddamn defeated and beautiful at the same time and Race really wants to hug him.

Albert’s jaw shifts and he turns his gaze down towards his hands.  His voice cracks a bit when he says, “I’m technically here on a hockey scholarship, right?” Race nods and Albert continues, “And our team is losing national ranking, ‘cause our new coach fucking sucks, so I might lose aspects of that scholarship and my parents can’t pay for my tuition on their own and-” he stops, shaking his head, “I’m scared, I think.  I don’t wanna have to drop out or something.”

Race takes a moment to mull over a good response and reaches across the table, hoping he’s been reading their interactions correctly as he places a hand over Albert’s.  To his relief (and delight) Albert flips his hand so their fingers are laced together.  

Race squeezes it encouragingly, “I can’t promise you that everything will be alright and I can’t make you false reassurances, but I bet if you talked to the financial aid office, they could help you figure out a plan?  But throughout all of this, I’m going to be here for you, alright?  Anything you need, just let me know.  If that’s a place to talk shit out, I gotchu, but I’m also here if you just need a friend.  I’m here for you, Al.”

Albert’s looking at him again, that same vulnerable look on his face, but something else is there a well.  Something softer underlying the worry lines on his face.

“Next semester I’m not going to be an RA anymore.” He blurts.

Race blinks, “Alright?”

Albert huffs out a laugh, “Sorry, I mean like,” he shakes himself, starting over, “I like you, Race.”

Race’s stomach jolts, “Wait, really?”

“Yeah,” Albert says slowly.  They’re hands are still linked together and Race can feel Albert’s hand sweating.  Or maybe that’s his.  Fuck, they both seem keyed up.

“Fuck, I mean, Albert, I like you too.  Have since the beginning of the semester,” Race knows he’s talking too fast, but the smile on Albert’s face tells him it doesn’t matter.

“Yeah?” And Albert looks so damn appeased that Race laughs.

“Yeah.”

“So, if I’m not an RA next semester, then we could…”

“You tryna ask me out, Dasilva?” Race asks, a teasing lilt to his tone.

“Eventually, yes I am,” Albert says.

On a whim, Race lifts Albert’s hand to his lips, kissing the knuckles.  

“After Winter break, I’m taking you to that thai place in town.”

Albert’s smile takes on a genuinity that Race hasn’t seen before, “I’d like that.”

A month later...

“Feels good to actually be able to, like, do this shit publicly.”

Race leans in, pressing a kiss to Albert’s chin.  They’re in the library, trying to get ahead of their physics homework before it picks up too much.  Technically, they’d gotten together after admitting to liking each other last semester, but they weren’t allowed to have a relationship until Albert was out of his RA position.

“Yeah, that was like some star crossed lovers bullshit,” Albert laughs, “Hiding you in my dorm room and stealing kisses in dark hallways.”

“How romantic,” Race teases.

“I know.”

They kiss for real, both leaning into it.  Race feels Albert grip his arm right above his elbow, rubbing his thumb in circles around his bicep.  In turn, he brushes Albert’s hair behind his ears, tilting his jaw to deepen the kiss.

They pull apart and lean their foreheads together, smiling.

“I’m thinking about becoming an RA next semester,” Race murmurs.

Albert pulls back, looking alarmed until he sees the smirk on Race’s face, “you ass, I actually believed you!”

“Pfft, I wouldn’t do that when we just got this,” Race says, pulling Albert back in and kissing him again, “I like you too much.”

Albert smiles, giddy and exultant, “I like you, too, I think.”

“You think?”

“I know, I think.”

Race swats him, “Be serious and love me.”

They both freeze, the weight of the words they have yet to actually say suddenly hanging in the air.

Albert sobers up, taking Race’s hand, “I do love you.  A lot, actually.”

And really, that’s unfair, because sometimes Race still gets so goddamn enamored by Albert and he can’t really believe he actually likes him back and he can feel his face flushing and oh god, he’s not going to revert back to incoherence is he? Oh god-

“Don’t have an aneurysm,” Albert says, kissing his nose, “I love you.  That’s all.”

When Race smiles, it feels too big for his face, “I love you, too.”

END

-

thanks for reading, chiefs

yell at me to start writing again cuz i really been slacking

hmu to be added to my tag

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[satanschild01]

No All Might? That’s Alright Prt3

Izuku Midoriya Fanfiction                                                          

A/N: In all honesty this took me way too long just to finish writing this chapter, but I pushed through so I guess it’s fine. I’ve created a AO3 account recently and I’ve posted all of my previous fanfictions there so if you want to check me out, you can find me as SatansChild

Hope you all stay safe and wear a mask if you can't physically distance.Hope to update soon!

Catch you on the flip side ~ Em

Photo used in this fic was referenced from original picture from anime, I did draw this photo jtlyk

Tags:

@random-fandom-girl-24

Tags for some wonderful feedback😘: @trashys-things @pink-imagines @marvelmymarvel @shikigami-the-paper-spirit @spaced-out-imagines​ @marvelmymarvelmain @writingfreakk

Trigger warning: Talk about death

Word Count: 2633

Part 1 Part 2  Part 3

After making sure all of the blood was no longer on his uniform, Closing his eyes, Izuku steeled himself to walk into the All Might shrine that was his room. Sure, he still wanted to be a hero, and he admired All Might’s strength, but he couldn’t stand to be surrounded by posters and figurines of a man who couldn’t offer any sort of encouragement to a child who clearly needed it. Izuku pulled some cardboard boxes out from his closet and started filling them with everything All Might. Oboro didn’t make a sound during the time he cleaned out his room, which he was grateful for. Even though he could just feel Oboro wanting to ask questions. 

“So what are you going to do about all this stuff?” Oboro asked as Izuku changed his All Might sheets with regular black ones “You seem like such a big fan...it just seems like a waste just to keep it all in boxes.”

Izuku shrugged his shoulders.”I’m not much of a fan anymore.” he lied to mostly himself rather than to Oboro, “I guess I’ll just donate the stuff later.” Once his walls were finally bare, Izuku stuffed the now full boxes to the back of his closet and flopped onto his bed. The room stayed silent for a moment until Izuku broke the ice, “I don’t want to intrude on your personal life…but can you tell me about yourself?” he asked

“Well for the fact that I witnessed and helped you with some pretty deep stuff, it sorta would be rude if I didn’t tell you something about my previous life,” Oboro said cheekily

“H-how long have you been...you know…” Izuku paused not really wanting to complete the question.

“...dead?” Izuku nodded “I was in my second year of high school when I died and I would be 29 by now so...close to 12 years I think?”  Izuku sat there on his bed frozen

‘12 years is a long time to be a ghost or spirit to not have passed on, that is if people actually pass onto another place once they die’ Izuku thought to himself

“I was patrolling around Tasomiya Ward with one of my best friends when there was a villain attack...I was working on saving some kids when debris fell on top of me...when I woke up I was like how I am now, I couldn’t find my body anywhere so I just...travelled around…” Oboro seemed to quiet down at mentioning that he never found his body to move onto another life, so Izuku thought of ways to change the current mood of the room.

“So you were a hero in training or something?” he asked, face full of wonder, Oboro hummed in affirmation “What school did you go to?”

“I went to U.A”

“Wait really?!” Izuku exclaimed excitedly, “that's so cool!”

They continued talking and asking questions back and forth, before falling into a comfortable silence. A few minutes past before Izuku took a deep breath

“I...I’m sorry,” Izuku said quietly, slowly curling into himself

"Why would you be sorry kid?" Oboro’s voice was full of confusion. But Izuku only curled in on himself further.

"If it wasn't for me you wouldn't be stuck here." As if anyone wanted to be bound to some stupid Deku...like him. And here he thought it was a whole coincidence that Oboro was with him. But instead, he just took whatever type of freedom he had to begin with.

"Hey, no! Stop that. Izuku that's not true! I'm here because I want to be!" The warmth spread all over him and he couldn't help but lean into it. “I said I'd make a hero out of you and I still plan on it."

Izuku looked up only to see the ceiling of his room, lifting his arm up to the sky and let it just float there (like what every kid does while laying on there bed contemplating on what to do next). "I wish I could see you again."

Oboro hummed. Seeming to think something through. "I don’t think there’s much out there since I was only a second-year when I died, but there could be some photos of me with friends or an article"

Izuku seemed to take that as a challenge as he went to his computer. "What did you choose to be your hero name?"

"Loud Cloud."

After scouring the web for a couple of minutes nothing showed up except for an old article from the Nikkei Shimbun newspaper, reporting the death of hero-in-training Loud Cloud. Izuku quickly exited that site choosing to search for something different. “What’s your full name Oboro?”

“Oh that’s right I didn’t tell you my full name, it is Oboro Shirakumo” Oboro replied

“Oboroshirikumo...oboroshirikumooo….here!” Izuku exclaimed pointing at the monitor’s screen. “This photo was tagged saying ‘Curry eating competition at U.A’s School Festival. Winner Hizashi Yamada from class 2-A!’ it also says the names of the people in the photo are; Shota Aizawa, Hizashi Yamada, and Oboro Shirakumo.” 

“Oh, I remember that!” Oboro cried out laughing “The curry was soo spicy I was freaking out because I couldn’t find anything to soothe my burning throat!”

“So that’s you in the back then?” Izuku asked pointing towards a teenager who seems to be freaking out.

Oboro chuckles “Yep, the other two were my best friends!”

“Yamada looks sorta familiar what’s his hero name?” Izukku asked, curious on why the 16-year-old looked so familiar to him

“Unless he changed it before becoming a pro, which he probably would not, his hero name is Present Mic.” 

Izuku sputtered “W-wait you were close friends with THE Present Mic?!” Oboro hummed in agreement while Izuku had his miny freak out “

“Oh my god that is socool!Ilistentohisradioshoweveryday,andhe’ssuchanamazinghero,likeevenifheisdeafduetohisquirkhedoesn’tletitbotherhiman-” He stopped hearing the sound of laughter coming around his room and his lamp flickering

"Aw jeez, that’s amazing Hizashi got to get that radio show he wanted." There was a quick blast of warmth flooding around his back and chest resembling a hug. "Well anyway, you should probably head to bed. You have a busy day ahead of you tomorrow and a long way to go before you can have a chance at being accepted into UA!"

"What are you going to do while I sleep?" Izuku asked, eyes slowly drooping.

"I'm going to see how far I can go without being next to you, and have a look around and exploring a bit. No need to worry. I'll make sure to be careful and be here in the morning." He seemed to pick up on his anxieties. Izuku felt warmth as Oboro slowly pet his hair back. "Goodnight, Izuku." 

The next morning Izuku woke up to warmth pulsing on his right cheek. "Hey kid it’s time to get up! You have training to do! Up and at ‘em!" Oboro’s voice was overly joyful and Izuku felt very unwilling to get out of bed.

"Mm...just a bit longeeeer." He groaned turning himself over facing away from where he guesses Oboro is standing (floating?).

"Fair warning Izuku my jokes are terrible, everyone at school would always runaway once I started and I haven’t been able to talk to actual people in so long! If spaghetti were to have it’s own action movie, what would it be called?.... Mission im-pasta-ble. What did the pot eat on it’s birthday?....pancakes. What do you call a camel in a drought?....A dry hu- "

Finally, Izuku jerked up, covering his ears. “Okay. Okay, I’m up! No need to finish that.” His face started to burn a light pink across his face, (knowing what the end of the joke was) as he started to kick the blankets off only to turn towards the window and see barely any light outside. "Wha- Oboro!! The sun isn’t even out yet!"

He turned glaring into thin air hoping to make contact with him.

"Yes, it is, Izu. It's just reeeally early in the morning. There is plenty of time for you to get ready and eat before we go out for a morning run!" He was being weirdly energetic about the whole ordeal, but Izuku knew he wouldn't take no for an answer.

Heading to the bathroom, Izuku ran a brush through his wild curly hair and brushed his teeth. Going back to his room, Obroro pipped up. "It's a bit cool outside so I suggest you wear some long sleeves."

The entire way to his closet Izuku muttered incoherent things. In the end, he opted to wear a plain black shorts and a long-sleeved shirt with written kanji saying 'tank-top' with his old dusty sneakers because his red sneakers were still on top of the roof.

Before heading out Izuku ate some toast and an orange. If he got hungry later on their run he could always eat more when they got back. As Izulu started to leave the apartment Izuku tripped over an unmarked box that was just left in front of the door.

"Ooo I wonder what it is!” Oboro seemed quite enthusiastic as Izuku went to open the box revealing his faded red shoes and yellow backpack.

"Wai-how-who found my stuff?" Izuku asked immediately putting the bag by the door and quickly changing between uncomfortable and comfortable shoes.

"I don’t know, when I got back from wandering around the package was just...there."

"Maybe someone found it and found out where I live from my contact info and address was written inside…?” Izuku wondered out loud.

“I guess so,” Oboro said looking to the bright sight of things.

‘But what if it was...All Might. Yeah, I’m glad that I don’t have to go back up there to collect my things but...I don’t want to have to depend on All Might to help me with my own problems.’

“Hey don’t think like that Izu! I know you’re not a huge fan of the guy, but you don’t have to beat yourself down like that. I know you’re better than that” Oboro spoke sternly trying to make a point, but that soon backfired as warmth spread through his body.

“Hold up- could you always hear my thoughts?” Izuku questioned as he started to jog away from the apartment.

“So far I can heat some things. Like your thoughts that way heavily on you emotionally. But it could possibly work to talk to me through your mind. So you don’t look like a freak talking to themselves.” Oboro quickly informs Izuku as to not worry him.

Sighed Izuku. That was true. Though he kept thinking about it as he jogged. As they passed Dagobah Municipal Beach, the sun had started to rise. Taking in a deep breath was the wrong reason as Izuku cringed from the awful smell of garbage. Despite the smell, Izuku took a break, taking a seat at the entrance.

"Oh gross. What is this place?" Oboro asked with a clear sound of disgust in his voice.

"Well," Izuku started."This is Dagobah Municipal Beach Park. It has accumulated trash coming from the sea for years, turning it from a beautiful beach spot into a trash heap for everyone's unwanted or broken belongings." It was really a shame. As a kid, Izuku recalled going to the beach. Lie under a beach umbrella, making sandcastles. But by the time he was tall enough into the water, it was already flooded with trash by then.

"That's terrible." Oboro seemed deeply upset about this actually. It made Izuku want to do something about it. But before Izuku could voice his thoughts Oboro spoke up.

“Hey Izu, could we make a quick visit to a convenience store?”

“Sure...what exactly do you want me to get?” Izuku asked, despite having an idea what Oboro was thinking.

“Well...you’re going to need to get some garbage bags and some gloves.”

Izuku then dashed towards the nearest convenience store with determination in his eyes. A frail-looking lady turned the key to open the doors as he walked by. Causing her to recoil in slight shock, Izuku realized that with his rapid approach he had frightened her. "I'm sorry, ma'am. I'd just come to purchase some garbage bags and some gloves.

The older woman seemed to soften something about his face as she smiled and opened his door. "Sure thing, they’re both in the last aisle on your right."

Before she went inside, Izuku thanked her and smiled back. He quickly found what he was looking for and brought a box of trash bags and a pair of workers gloves onto the counter.

"What's the hurry, son? Why do you need trash bags this early in the morning? You aren't trying to cause trouble are you?" the old woman pointed to Izuku with an accusing finger, and he shook his head quickly.

"Oh no, ma'am! I thought that I could just try and clean the beach up! I passed it while I was on my morning run!" Izuku assured, voicing Oboro’s plan

At this, the elder woman gently smiles while scanning the items. “Wow, is that right?” she said astonished, “ You know how long that place has been a mess? What makes you believe you can do it all by yourself?"

Her words weren't really painful, she was just being realistic. He knew she was right. He certainly had no obligation to clean up the beach. He could have just ignored it and easily went about his day. But he knew if he wanted to be a hero then he would need to start off the roots of how heroes came to be. How they used to work. Heroes in the beginning didn’t do what they did for fame. No. They didn’t care for the recognition they would get. They did it because they just wanted to help.

“That’s the thing, ma’am. I thought that it wouldn’t hurt to try. It’s also a great way to work out, instead of having to buy workout equipment or get a gym membership!” Izuku brightly smiles towards the lady as he handed her the money to buy his items.

“Well, I wish you luck, kid. I’m guessing that you’ll need a place to put the trash you collect.” She stated, Izuku smiling sheepishly at her rubbing the back of his head she continued, “There are two dumpsters in the alley behind the store, they get taken every Monday.”

"Thank you, ma'am!" Izuku said genuinely as he headed for the door. He didn't think too much about how he would dispose of the garbage, so it was good to have one offered.

Oboro began to laugh as Izuku jogged back towards the beach. "Cheaper than having to buy workout equipment or get a gym membership! Man, how true that is nowadays!”

The first garbage bags were packed very quickly. broken bottles, cans of beer, old and rotting newspaper, all of it was poured into the trash bag. Plastic, paper, glass, etc. Izuku could take them to a recycling center! He was already pumped about this new project when Oboro spoke up.

“Hey, Izu, before you toss that into the bag” placing his hand on Izuku’s making him feel warmth blossom closest to the soda, can packaging he was holding in that hand. “make sure you cut each circle so if they end up in wildlife again then animals won’t get their heads stuck inside.”

Izuku's eyes lit up as he started to tear apart each loop before placing it in one of the bags used for recycling. Soon Izuku had used up a quarter of the box of trash bags gone and only had 6x5 feet rectangle cleared of the beach.