#summer field resort

[gears2gnomes]

Soundtrack time.

[ayaboba]

WELCOME TO MY HEART

summary: how has loving you changed him?

characters: neuvillette, alhaitham, diluc, xiao. (seperate)

notes: gn! reader, fluff, getting poetic in xiao, weird time skips. wc: 2k!

neuvillette

Hesitancy lingers like a translucent mist around Neuvillette. Thick, but also not thick enough to be indiscernible. As centuries tick by, soon enough, that protective mist wanes into nothing but a fragile facade that threatens to vaporise. That outcome is most unfavourable; simply visualising it already causes a spike in distress in his chest.

Fast forward a few 'scenic meetings’ later, Neuvillette wonders where that mist disappeared off to.

He needn’t put up a missing poster with a contact number because, shockingly, the Chief Justice no longer desired that prudential coverage.

You evaporated Neuvillette’s final layer of defence, stripped his rationality with unwavering strength of character, and erased any uneasiness within the language of love.

Throughout your shared timeline, every point marked with a memorable moment, there are many small aspects about each other that only the continuation of time can reveal. It’s as sweet as it sounds, unless, well, the other finds out about something you did try to conceal.

Sometimes you think to yourself: Who knew the Monsieur Neuvillette could be so…earnest in seeing you flustered?

Truly, there are only very few opportunities Neuvillette would starve himself from such delight. The other times, though, they consist of your rose-tinted cheeks and his charmed chuckle, florid promises ending with a trail of marks of his love down the slope of your neck.

Neuvillette is quite the bold one. Far too cheeky for his own good, really.

alhaitham

It was a warm memory. Still as vivid as ever, despite the years that have passed. A golden tattoo, activated whenever the dazzling drops of summer sunshine radiated down.

Three years ago, summer, the Akedemiya.

Heatwaves weren’t a rare occurrence in Sumeru. For weeks on end, the city of wisdom experienced boiling highs and dry, scorching winds. The streets were empty as shopkeepers resorted to staying under the cool of shaded roofs. That was the correct response, the only response to such situations.

Yet, there were still people willing to test your limited patience even more.

“We’re going to get a heatstroke,” you explained to each member of your darshan. “We can postpone the field trip to the desert some other day.”

“But this weather is indefinite, and knowing Sumeru, it is going to last a very long time. We can’t afford to waste time,” someone argued as nods of agreement travelled across the table.

Wow, you huffed to yourself, sitting yourself down. You were doing this for their own good, and partly yours.

“We should go ahead with the trip,” said the agitating, raucous noise again as a cacophony of voices arose in agreement. Maybe he should be in charge, then. As if you wanted to cancel this trip, you’ve spent endless nights planning the perfect itinerary! Also, the last time you remembered, you were appointed leader of this whole excursion.

“Facing the facts, there’s no traces of concrete evidence that our planned area holds the ruins,” you declared as the table fell silent. “Theoretically, we have more to lose than gain.”

“We’ve already decided,” came another voice. Archons, these people were going to be the end of you. “We’re still going to go next week.”

You came to the conclusion that, to knock some sense into their brains, you needed someone more intimating to interfere.

“…You want me to be pretend to collapse from a severe heatstroke?” the (acting!) grand sage repeated, not even attempting to conceal his bewilderment. “And, preferably, making it look as dramatic and exaggerated as possible?”

At the other end of his desk, you nodded with faux solemnity. “I’m afraid so.”

“Afraid so?” Alhaitham humours. “Everything from your…request to your actions betrays that.”

In the end, you didn’t manage to convince Alhaitham to put on a show showcasing the risks and dangers of heatwaves and heatstrokes, but he did agree to go out for lunch. To negotiate alternatives, of course.

After that lunch, he asked for your presence for dinner, and after dinner, you found yourself making breakfast at Alhaitham’s place.

“Since when did you come over so much?” you asked, sleep clearly clinging to your senses. “Last time I remember, I was waiting by your office door waiting to sneak in ten minutes of your time.”

The coffee he freshly brewed threatens to burst from the confinement of his mouth as he stares at you with a curious expression. “This is my house.”

The realisation spreads through your face like ink in water as you glance at the surroundings. “Oh yeah…that’s right.”

Alhaitham subtly rolls his eyes, letting out a lighthearted tsk as he disappears off into the kitchen. “Do you feel like going to Gandharva Ville in the evening?” he asks, the clatter of dishes echoing through the lounge. “You were groaning over how you hadn’t seen Collei and Tighnari in ages a few days ago.”

He remembered that?  You gawk to yourself, mouth and eyes wide open as you trod towards the sunshine of the kitchen . Moreover, he certainly wanted to go. Since when did Alhaitham suggest you leave the house for purposes such as catching up with friends?

“I’d love to,” you answer as you help him load the dishwasher. “You beat me to it.”

A soft smile imperceptibly brightens his face, casting you in slight awe. “What? You don’t think I disregard your desires just like that, do you?”

Alhaitham is the hopelessly romantic one. Those intricate plans he sets up for your happiness are nowhere as simple-minded as he plays them out to be.

diluc

There was always something peculiar about Diluc Ragnvindr. The snarky remarks about the Knights of Favonius’ poor service, which you found highly offensive in the presence of an employee (you), the genuine air of mystery he upheld, but the most interesting thing you were desperate to crack down on was his frosty distaste for the Cavalry Captain, your co-worker, Kaeya.

As far as you knew, Kaeya was a lovely co-worker. considerate, dedicated and reliable, he was an admirable worker. You didn’t understand why Diluc didn’t applaud him for his discipline renowned throughout the city, especially if he was continuously murmuring about the incompetence of the staff.

Amidst the possible explanations, you came to the conclusion that the unwelcoming atmosphere stemmed from something more personal. Jealously? Past disagreements? No, that couldn’t be. They didn’t appear the closest.

Little did you know that all you needed to do was ask. Not really, but you get the idea.

“You…want to talk to Diluc?” Kaeya spluttered, wide-eyed at your determined face, before moving his gaze towards Angel Share’s bartender with a smirk. “Ah, I see what’s going on.”

“You’re very far off, by the way,” you replied silkily, taking a sip of the apple juice. “I’m not interested in him romantically, if that’s what you were thinking.”

Kaeya raises an eyebrow. “If not romantically, then what could you possibly talk to him about?”

You shrug, making a beeline for the counter. “Thanks for the drink.”

Diluc had caught the words, ‘interested in him romantically.’

According to those four words he heard from you, the context of you and Kaeya’s conversation could already be visualised.

For someone who seemed to be interested in him, your choice of words regarding his interest in you were a little all over the place. So, he assisted you.

“How about we discuss this over dinner?”

Sometimes, you think to yourself, how did this ever happen?

For example, the weak beams of lighting from the east signify that it’s the birth of dawn, your neatly tucked in bed, except this bed isn’t actually yours.

The evidence lies with the person’s arms around your waist, tight and warm against the chills of early morning.

“Good morning,” a sleepy voice suddenly erupts from besides you. “Have I told you how even more striking you are in the sunlight?”

Diluc Ragnvindir is the passionate one—the one who would give you his heart if you asked. In some ways, he’s still as mysterious as the first time you laid eyes on him.

xiao

The moon is the muse for thousands of people. Whether it’s written in a rhyme, painted on a canvas, sung in a song or resonated with a soul, it has immersed itself in the complex depths of the sensitive human heart.

There’s a particular interpretation that has stuck with you since the first time you read it. A lyrical piece of literature from somewhere long lost. You were especially tired that night. A most unlucky dilemma, as it might’ve guaranteed to be one of the most critical and serendipitous nights of your life. Not that you knew at the time.

From that somewhere long lost, between the rolling tides of shadows, tucked away in the safety of peaking mountains, a mysterious figure observed with curiousity at your sentiment.

However, the discreetness of Xiao’s hiding spot was tested most instantaneously when you suddenly made a decision to look up. To the sky, or to him? Truthfully, you were actually aiming for the moon, but the pounding chambers of his chest crashed his steaming trains of thought.

He had to restrain himself from investigating further as your figure dissolved one by one into the night. Maybe you'll be there again tomorrow.

What started off as a little exchange of words soon blossomed into short conversations. Short conversations soon bloomed into a gap in time filled with occasional laughter and encouraging smiles. He learned your name, and you learned his secrets. Vicious, woeful secrets plaguing his dreams, or perhaps the title of nightmares suited it better.

On their own, the characteristics were incessant in disaster. Fusing those characteristics with centuries of solitude and emptiness, it assisted in further igniting the raging fire burning away his will.

The idea of somehow unravelling those years of pain seemed so clearly impossible, even if that person felt like they had a chance. Even if they felt just the tiniest bit more special than all the others.

“Some things are impossible,” Xiao had muttered as he watched you go through an assortment of books he lended from Verr Goldet, eyes flickering from your face to the yellowing pages. “It’s better to admit that than spend years searching for hope.”

Skimming through the columns of ancient literature, a strong feeling of suspicion arose as you distinctively felt like he'd seen you do this once before.

“But what if you find the hope?” you whispered gently, switching your attention to his avoidant gaze. “There’s always that outcome, too.”

That outcome. Of course he’s considered that conclusion, wished for it. But Xiao would never dare to believe that far.

“I read a poem a few nights ago,” you started again. “A comparison of us and the moon. Humans, just like the moon, need to wax and wane. We’ll grow and shine our beauty, but that can’t be achieved unless we remember to rest, to wane. After all, a full moon only lasts around three days out of a whole month.”

How can you just return to reading after you told him that?

That moon analogy was shared about a year ago.

It’s likely that you brushed it off, but for Xiao, it’s still freshly etched into the shelves of his mind. And it would be a lie if he said that he didn’t change in small, irrevocable ways because of it.

Particularly tonight.

An exhausted sigh escapes from your lips as you sink into bed. Lying like a starfish, a hollow expression is evident in your eyes alone.

“This project is never going to work,” you spoke, turning to stuff your face in a pillow. Adjacent to you, Xiao observed as you screamed, once again the same words into the fabric. Only this time, the words were separated by sharp heaves and quiet sniffs. Being a little inexperienced with scenarios such as this, Xiao could only reassure you with the same words and actions that you had endlessly showered him with in similar situations.

He knew you were listening, despite the softness of his voice, which was hardly detectable. He repeated the words you told him a year ago when he felt as if the world was about to end.

“Someone once told me humans and moons are alike,” he smiled as he saw your face lift just a bit, as if you couldn’t believe what he was saying. “We both need to wane before we can emit our light in full greatness.”

Xiao is the quiet one, whose love is often under-looked, but in truth, it’s expressed just as vividly, if not brighter.

[manias-wordcount]

Hey!!! I was wondering if we could get some howl pendragon fluff? Maybe reader and howl showing a more parental side towards Markl? I will always live for a family dynamic haha!

Three's Company (Howl Jenkins Pendragon x Reader)

𝗔/𝗡: 𝗶 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗽𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶 𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗶 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗽𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗮𝘄 𝗶𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗳𝗳 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 "𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝗳𝘂𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗼𝗱" 𝘀𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝗺 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀!! 𝗶 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗽𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝘂𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 (𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗟𝗢𝗟)

𝙒𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚? ⇒ 𝙈𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩

𝙟𝙤𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙙 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙧?

𝙗𝙪𝙮 𝙢𝙚 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙚?

Howl likes it dim and stormy and cool. Markl likes it bright and sunny and hot. So you comprise and suggest that the picnic takes place on a day with just enough cold and a nice, cooling breeze to help beat the summer’s heat. 

  As always, your boys agree.

  Of course, there are some grumbles and some sly words here and there, trying to convince you to change your mind. As you’re leaning over Calcifer, trying to pan-fry some of the meat for the sandwiches, Markl pulls a chair up beside you under the guise of wanting to help. Of course, he can’t do without a sample of your cooking. And he can’t do without whispering in your ear that he thinks Howl could use some more sun. Naturally, you sent Markl always with a playful roll of your eyes as you told him to fetch a basket from the closet. 

  As he scampers away, Howl takes no time sliding up to you and wrapping his arms around your torso as he leans into you. He tries oh-so-very hard to be sly as he presses small kisses to below your ear, and reminisces about the times the two of you would spend napping in the sunroom as the castle travels across miles and miles of grass fields being doused in heavy rain. He tries even harder to entice you with a plan that involved moved the castle to somewhere with least a light rain storm and hosting the picnic indoors as you watch a storm roll by.

  You just tutted and sent him to help Markl find the picnic basket instead. 

  With that, it doesn’t take you too long to finish up. Especially since Calcifer is starting to like the idea of getting a couple of lazy hours to himself once the three of you go on your outing. As you make the sandwiches and package up the little side dishes that Howl made earlier, you hear the two of them bickering with each other. Although Howl seems to be holding his own against the young boy, it still has you hiding your giggles as struggling to pack away the plates and utensils as you hear Howl argue about how nobody ever wants to do anything outside with him in the rain. 

  To his credit, he’s right. But you can worry about that later.

  Because soon enough, you’re done with preparing the food, and you’re calling for your boys to come back. Markl comes sprinting back with the basket in hand, hoping to get you first as a last-minute resort to get you to tell Calcifer that the castle should be moved someplace “just a little sunnier! Please, please, pleaseee!” Howl comes in not too long afterward, but it’s just enough time to see you patting a pouting Markl’s head as the last of the sandwiches a couple of pieces of fruit fitted into the picnic basket. 

  For a moment Howl looks hopeful. As if he has a chance to get you to change your mind and break their tie in his favor. But at the sight of you passing the picnic basket into his hands as you reach for a light shawl to cover your exposed arms, that look of hope becomes quickly dashed.

  But then you turn to your boys. They’re nice and cleaned up in clothes you know they can afford to get grass stains on. The look on their faces are just a little sour, but Howl is still cradling the picnic basket very, very carefully and Markl is doing his best to hold onto the picnic blanket he found, along with the couple of bottles of juice he has tucked under his arm. You give them a warm look and you smile nice and big and bright.

  “Well?” You tilt your head to the side, a teasing lilt to your voice as your eyes jump back and forth between their gazes. “Any more objections? Or shall we enjoy the day?”

  At that, both boys' cheeks start to redden. Markl looks away quickly, his pout growing ever so slightly more, but he finally relents and says he guesses he doesn’t mind if there are some clouds in the sky- so long as it’s not cool to play in the river, of course. On the other hand, the ever-so-collected Howl looks a bit embarrassed now that you’re joking about the two of them and their little tantrums. But he owns the blush adorning his face by meeting your eyes and offering out a hand. 

  “Thank you, my starlight,” He tells you, his sincere and gentle voice filling the room. It’s so honest and so earnest that you’re taken for a surprise just a teensy bit, before reaching out and placing your hand in his- an even bigger smile now spreading across your lips. “For planning this. For all that you do.”

  “Yeah, thanks a bunch!” Markl is quick to follow behind Howl with his own expressions of gratitude. Although he can’t take your hand and help you down the stairs like Howl is (despite you telling Howl that he really doesn’t need to be doing this when you’re not even carrying anything), Markl offers up a look of excitement and appreciation so sweet and so pure, you completely forgot about how sneaky and sly he was trying to be earlier. Well, almost forgot. You’ll have to get on Calcifer for teaching Markl about all that later… “The food looks really good, so thanks for that too!”

  With that, the three of you head to the door and step out of the castle. Calcifer calls a promise over Howl’s shoulder that he’ll look after the place, while you have to step further into the field of grass and flowers the castle is in to tell Markl to be careful as he runs off. But then you hear his laughter- the carefree laughter of a child. Of the boy you consider to be your son. And you let out a laugh too. It’s a tiny one. But it’s light, and it’s carefree. And it’s quickly joined in by Howl as he leads you to where Markl chose a spot to set up the picnic blanket. 

  The day is spent laughing. How many seconds? How many minutes? How many hours? You aren’t sure. But the day is spent without pouts on faces and complaints about the weathering being too much of this or too much of that. The day is spent telling stories and sharing jokes. It’s spent watching Howl point at different plants and quizzing Makl about what he knows. It’s spent with your point at your favorite clouds and your boy's guesses at the shapes that you do or don’t see. It’s spent with each other.

  And that’s all that matters, truly

    Though at some point, when you’re cuddled up to Howl, you whisper to him. It’s after all the food is gone. After Markl had kicked off his shoes and waded into the stream to look for nice rocks and tiny little fishies swimming along. It was after the two of them had agreed that today was the perfect day to waste with each other in complete and utter happiness. But it’s only after that- only after your bellies, and nice and full, and the cool breeze is starting to make you a bit too sleepy to do anything but curl right next to Howl and hold him that you whisper to him. Whisper how you promise you’ll do something with him outside the next time it rains.

  He thinks for a moment, letting the wind pass you both by as a slow-moving cloud moves out of the way to spread its sunrays across your skin. He thinks, and he thinks, and he thinks. And just when you think that you’ve stumped him or he must not have heard you, he opens his mouth once more.

  “I’d like to go dancing one day.” He says finally. His voice is quiet, but it feels so warm and so sweet and so safe that you swear that alone could lull you to sleep. “I’d like to go dancing with you one day in the rain.”

  You smile at him for the umpteenth time that day. You look him in the eyes, and you smile at him, and only for him, and only because of him.

  “Okay,” You promise him, the words barely passing through your lips like the wisp of a pretty breeze, hoping to take your voice far and wide. “I’d like that.”

  And your Howl…your wonderful, beautiful, glorious Howl? He smiles back at you. Gently. Sweetly. Looking forever more and more like the very person you fell in love with so, so long ago as his hair sways slowly and his bright blue eyes bore into yours. Telling you how much he loves you. Cares for you. Adores you. All with his gaze. All while your eyes? Well…

  “Thank you, my starlight.”

  Would it be so surprising if you said they were doing the same?

[lovelybrooke]

I have to be dreaming (Chapter 2)

series masterlist~~AO3~~regular masterlist

I forgot to mention this, but there will be more yanderes than just the strawhats.

---

A few hours past after the whole debacle with the Masira pirates and by that time things had calmed down. Treasure was spread across the floor, Luffy playfully prancing around in full armor.

"All you brought back was junk." Nami yelled, "None of this can tell us how to get up to the sky!"

"We couldn't find anything but that map!" Zoro says, shrugging towards Nami. Sanji nodded, the smoke from the cigarette floating around him.

"Somebody beat us to the ship." He said, taking the cigarette out of his mouth and blowing some smoke. "Either that, or the people on that ship had slaughtered each other."

Nami crosses her brows, pointing at the two men, "Then we're going to need more information." She says.

"At least we found a map." You said looking towards Luffy, him clattering around while swinging a broken sword. Nami follows your gaze, sagging her shoulders at the sight.

"What's that Luffy?"

"Armor." He responds, before it shatters, him falling to the ground. "Hey it broke!" He yells, Usopp and Chopper running towards him, trying to gather all the pieces. You sigh, trying to block out all the sounds around you.

"You seem to be having a hard time, and it's not going to get any easier." You hear Robin speak to Nami, before slowly covering your ears. It was all too much, every word causing your head to ache. You wanted to fall asleep, and never wake up.

"Okay! Jaya! Full speed ahead!" You hear Luffy yell, and you sigh. You move to sit next to Nami, her giving you a sympathetic look while rubbing your back.

"Hold on! If we go straight to Jaya, won't the log reset itself? Then we won't be able to go to the sky island." Usopp mentions, Luffy immediately freaking out.

"Then we're not going to Jaya!" You roll your eyes at him while Nami tilts his head at him.

"You wanted to go to Jaya, didn't you." Luffy nods.

"Yeah, but I want to go to the sky island too." He pouts.

Nami puts her arms on her hips, "Well that's your fault. You have to think ahead Luffy. You know how the log pose works."

Luffy puts some food in his mouth, thinking, while you relax further into your position, attempting to quiet the world. "All right listen! I'm the captain so I'm gonna choose our destination. I wanna go to the sky island!"

"How do we get there, Luffy." You speak up, him looking towards you and your relaxed position. Your eyes were closed, and you sounded nearly half asleep. He swallows some food, dawning a smile you couldn't see.

"Well, the best thing is to ask someone, let's ask somebody on Jaya." Usopp says.

"The log pose won't reset immediately, why not go to Jaya and leave before the log pose can lock onto another magnetic field." Robin suggests. Chopper, Luffy, and Usopp all nod while munching on food, Nami agreeing.

Luffy jumps, excited, "All right, to Jaya!"

---

You felt someone talk a harsh plop next to you, opening an eye to look, it appears to be Zoro. He looked bored, all of you still waiting to get to Jaya. That paired with the nice summer sun made it a perfect time for napping.

For a while it was quiet, the only other sounds being seagulls and the murmurs of others. "Y'know, I never thanked you for saving me." You whisper lightly to him. "I don't know what I would be doing if it weren't for you..."

Zoro doesn't respond, simply nodding to you, his eye closed and his posture relaxed. You're okay without any words, happy with the simple statement, closing your eyes before taking a deep exhale.

Zoro smiles lightly.

---

"Hey!!" You startled awake, rubbing your eyes as you move towards the front of the ship. As your eyes adjust, you're able to see an island, a city right in front of you.

"Wow! look at that city!" Luffy bellows, sitting on the head of Merry, his special spot. Usopp stares wide eyed, Chopper as well.

"It looks like a resort!" He says, his eyes filled with wonder.

"You're right. I wouldn't mind spending a little time in a place like that." Nami replies.

As you moved closer to the port, the town came into fuller view. You could see many pirate ships docked, causing you to grow puzzled. "Why are there pirate ships docked here?" Luffy looks your direction shrugging his shoulders before the ship docks.

"This seems like a fun place." Zoro says smirking. You groan, hugging you midsection. You attempted to hide yourself by slouching, making yourself smaller, only for Luffy to extend his arm and pull you towards him.

"Don't lag behind, we don't wanna lose you." He says to you, giggling. You still haven't really got used to Devil Fruit powers, Luffy's being the strangest thing ever. It didn't take long for Nami to catch up to you, her bounding towards you and Luffy.

"Luffy, you need to promise not to cause trouble!" Nami speaks as Luffy waves her away.

"Yeah, yeah, I promise." He insists, dragging you every which direction, his hold becoming gentler at the sound of your grunts.

"Say it like you mean it. If you cause trouble, then we'll never find a way up to the sky!" He lets out a small yeah, eyeing a man on a horse. He was panting, blood dribbling from his mouth. His house stopped before the man slid off, falling on the ground.

The people around him whispered, "Hey...could you help me up?" He groans, looking towards Luffy and Zoro." Zoro groans, before helping the man up onto the horse, him groaning in light pain.

"I don't have any money to give you." He takes out a basket of apples, his hands quivering a bit from the supposed pain. "Please take one." Zoro's eyes squint in suspicion.

"No thanks." Zoro tries to walk away before Luffy is shoveling an apple in his mouth, Zoro and Nami yelling at him before a boom reverberates across the walkway. Your body is blocked by Zoro's, him unsheathing one of his swords.

"Hey, what's the big deal?!" Zoro yells, eyeing the con man, who way laying on the back of his horse. He smirks down at all of you, coughing weakly.

"He'll be all right." He said, Nami halting from coking out Luffy, looking and the man. "If it had been a bad one, you'd have died instantly." Luffy looks over at him as well, face hard. "You're...a lucky boy."

The man trotted away on his horse, leave you alone. You sigh in relief, returning to walking down the street, everyone around you unconcerned with the explosion. Nami takes a while to calm down, growing frustrated with the blasé nature of the town. "What kind of place is this."

"Calm down, Nami." Luffy looks back at her, eyeing you at the tail end of the group. He pulls you back towards himself, stumbling back near him. "Things like that happen."

She grumbles, "Well, they shouldn't! This is insane! I'm not sure we'll ever find out what we want to know in this madhouse!" Luffy remains nonchalant, casually walking down the street while ignoring Nami's ramblings.

Eventually, you land in a surprisingly peaceful part of town. "It's beautiful." Nami points out, the palm trees adding a nice shade to this otherwise hot island. There were resort houses, all connected by a pier the swived from house to house.

"Wait, you can't just walk in here." A strange man, probably the resort owner, says, fidgeting nervously as you observe him. "The tropical hotel is currently being rented out by the Bellamy Party."

"This is a hotel?" You mumble, the man continuing to fidget, repeatedly asking you to leave.

"We can't take a look around." Luffy asks, "and who is this Bellamy guy?"

"Who are you." A man stalks towards you, a woman around his arm. The resort owner instantly becomes nervous, bowing towards the man.

"M-Mr. Sarquiss, welcome back..." He strides over, standing right in front of Luffy, and you take this time to back away from him, towards Zoro.

"Get lost." He speaks lowly.

Luffy snarls, looking back at Nami, "Can I beat this guy up?" Your eyes widen and your poster stiffens in fear.

"Absolutely not!!" She declares.

"Hah, what a joke." Sarquiss says, "You, beat me up?" He lets out a hardy laugh, throwing coins and bills onto the floor. "Here, go buy yourself some decent clothes." The coins roll on the ground a bit before falling completely near your feet.

You past them quickly, pushing past the man in slight anger. Nami follows right after, pulling Luffy along with him. Sarquiss watches with an emotionless face, "Heh, how lame." He drones, walking into the resort.

---

You stare into your cup dead faced, your face as stark contrast to the load, bustling tavern around you. Every few moments, you glanced at your side, Luffy fighting with some drunkard about his bounty. You didn't have the energy to really care about it though. You can faintly hear Zoro yell at him, trying to hold him back.

"Take it easy, there's no fighting in here." Says the bar owner to Luffy and the other, coerced. Suddenly, there's a creaking sound, then a slamming. Everyone in the bar quiets, turning toward the entrance.

"Anybody seen a pirate in a strawhat around here?" The voice was low, growling even. You turn around, spotting a nearly deranged looking man. His eyes were blown wide, a smirk stretching across his face and his arm crossed.

"Look like he has business with you, Luffy." Zoro sips on a beer, uncaring, while Nami bites her lip.

Luffy turns all the way around, propping his elbows on the table. "What?" Mutters travel through the bar, all about Luffy's 30 million berries bounty, and what Bellamy was going to do to him. You shifted in your seat quietly, afraid.

"Get this kid whatever he wants." The bartender nods, more and more people shuffling into the bar. It didn't take a genius to tell they were the people from the resort, Sarquiss leading the posse. The push through the bar, kicking people out their seats without a care. Sarquiss gives a harsh glare at anyone who looks at him, twirling his knives.

A beer is placed down on the table, Luffy taking it with a smile, drinking it in one big gulp.

"Bellamy and his whims..." You hear a girl say. Sarquiss chuckles, a sound that makes you shake in your seat.

Before you can even comprehend what he was saying you were being pushed back from the bar by Zoro, landing on the floor, staring up at the other three.

"Luffy!!"

His head is pushed roughly into the bar by Bellamy, splitting in two, the wood cracks under the pressure. You can barely breath as laughs fill the room. You can't tell where they come from, your eyes focused on Luffy.

Zoro lunges at him, nearly slicing him with his swords before Bellamy quickly leaps aside. "What's your problem, low life?" He questions, as Zoro stares at him from the opposite end of the sword.

"You're the one with the problem." He responds, Nami rushing to calm him down as she helps you up. "Wait, Zoro! We haven't learned what we need to yet!" Zoro, irritated, keeps his gaze locked on Bellamy.

"I don't care! He's the one looking for a fight!" Luffy slowly stands up, the crowd around him laughing in disbelief. You shake in Nami's hold, trying to calm your breathing and ignore the manic laughter.

Luffy wipes his nose, "All right, I hope you're ready." Bellamy doesn't retaliate, instead, his face grows maniacal, his laughing high-pitched mixing with the laughs of his crewmates.

"This isn't a fight, it's just a test. Come at me! Show me what you've got!" He edges Luffy on, but before anything could happen, you turn towards the bartender.

"We want to go to the sky island! Can you tell us anything at all!" The room goes cold, the silence somehow eerier than the laughter. The people in the room look astounded, their eyes wide and mouth agape. The only noise you can hear is the whispering of the people near the back of the room, asking if you were kidding and if you were stupid. You take a deep breath as the room suddenly breaks back into laughter.

"Did you say...sky island!?" A very drunk man asks, laughing in your face before you could answer, Nami quickly coming to your defense.

"Our log pose is pointing straight up at the sky!!" She points and again there is a brief second of pause, before being broken by laughter.

"Log poses break so easily." Some other says, and Nami holds her breath as people around the room laugh and mock her, including Bellamy, who is now relaxing on a stool.

"Where'd you hicks come from anyway." He eyes you, laughing at your startled expression. "You believe in that ancient legend? What rock did you craw out from under?" You look away, embarrassed.

"New currents are being discovered on the grand line all the time, like the 'knock up stream.' Ships that fall victim to it are hurled upwards and come crashing back down to the sea."

"Long ago, ignorant seafarers saw them falling out of the sky and thought there must be an island up there." He went on to explain. ""Surely there must be another world up there in the sky!"" He mocked.

"In time the truth behind such myths became clear." He looks back at you. "What a disappointment, and I was going to see if you had what it takes to join my crew in this new age of pirates, but you're too gullible." Luffy moves to block you as your jaw hardens, anger seeping through your bones.

"You're fools who are blinded by a fantasy of treasures and can't see the riches lying right at their feet." You couldn't see Bellamy's face, but you could guess his overwhelming visage by his voice, loud and overpowering. "In this age, some of the most able seafarers get themselves killed chasing such foolishness."

""They were lucky to die chasing their dream" they say!" He laughs, snorting at the end. "I say they're all idiots!"

"When I see fools wasting their time on dreams, I go berserk!" You pushed away yet again by Luffy as a bottle is smashed on his head. This time though, you land in the arms of Zoro, who keeps you in place as Nami screams.

"It's weaklings like you that give pirates a bad name!" Bellamy yells as Luffy lays on the floor. He looks unfaced, but you couldn't really tell from you position.

"Hey Bellamy!" Sarquiss speaks up. "Looks like everybody's waiting for the show to start." He grins, and as the party around him rages on, Luffy sits up, his strawhat on the floor.

"Luffy! Zoro, forget your promise! Defend yourself!" Nami begs.

"Do not fight them!" Luffy directs to Zoro. He obeys, leaning towards your ear.

"Stay with Nami. Listen to Luffy." He gives you a small push, and you quickly listen and stand near Nami.

"Heh-Your friends are smart, they know they're out classed." Sarquiss side eyes the boys. "The Navy's getting pretty generous these days, handing out 30 million berries for a wimp like this." He chuckles to himself.

Luffy and Zoro take hit after hit, bottles and food being thrown at them like they're in a zoo. You flinch anytime you hear something breaks, afraid to look at them all covered in blood. But in truth, your weakness made you sick to your stomach, you didn't know what to do and you didn't have the strength to speak up like Nami. You hated this feeling, especially as you cower behind Nami unable to act.

"Pacifism sounds like an excuse for cowardice to me." Bellamy takes a big swig of beer, wiping his lower lip as he eyes Luffy. "Not only are they weak, they got no pride. They don't have the heart to fight, and yet their heads are full of dreams." Bellamy stands, striding pass the two towards the door.

"Forget it." He looks down at Luffy, not sparing you or Nami a glance. "It said he's worth 30 million, so I wanted to see what he could do, but he's a total disappointment. How can a can a coward like this call himself a pirate?" We walk right up to him, spitting right in their faces. They both recoil but react little.

"They make me sick." Bellamy knees Zoro in the face.

Another man grabs the back of Luffy's head, throwing it into the wall, reverberating throughout the room with a harsh crack. You and Nami rush towards them, Bellamy's laughs echoing in your head.

"Pack up your stupid friends and get out while you still can." Nami snarls at him, taking the back of both Zoro's and Luffy's shirt's and dragging them out of the bar, you in toe.

'The sky island does exist' you think, just to spite that asshole.

"Your friends won that fight, why are you so upset?" You turn, seeing the guy Luffy was arguing with earlier. He's sitting right outside the bar, eating pie. "You got guts!" He says as the two stand back up, bloody and bruised.

"You seem to be in a hurry, so I won't keep you." He takes a swig from a bottle near him. "I hope you make it to the sky island." He says, walking away.

You're left frozen look back at the man as he stumbles down the street. His demeanor was so different than earlier, what changed? "Hey, maybe that guy knows how to get to Skypiea?" Nami suggest, watching as Luffy walks away.

"It's not just one guy." Luffy says as he wipes some blood from his nose, using his other hand to grab you and break you out of your stupor.

"Hey! What do you mean?"

---

"Luffy, Zoro! Are you guy's all right?!" Usopp yelled as you got back to the Merry.

"Huh-your wounded, what happened?!" Chopper screamed, pushing them onto the boat quicker.

"Did you fight a giant monster?" Usopp wondered aloud. Luffy shook his head, smiling like nothing was wrong.

"Nah, a pirate. But it's over." He shrugs, while Nami glares from a corner.

"It may be over for you, but not for me." She jumps up, pointing a finger towards him. "How can you call yourself pirates!! Pirates don't shrink from a fight!!"

Zoro side eyes her. "You're the one who made us promise not to fight."

"Why is she so mad, you two are the ones who got beaten up, not her." Usopp says, Luffy shaking his head.

Chopper glances towards you as he ignores Nami's yelling. "(Y/N)? Are you okay?" You were sitting alone by the railing, watching the waves though the beams. You look back, nodding quickly while giving an awkward smile.

"Totally, I'm just not used to all this pirate stuff, y'know?" You rub the back of your neck.

Luffy tilts his head. "Do pirates not exists where you come from."

You laugh, "I think I'd be less shocked if they did." You go back to watching the waves, still feeling Luffy's gaze on the back of your head.

Chopper, semi-satisfied with your answer, changes the subject. "So, did you find anything about Skypiea?"

Nami's face darkened, "Skypiea, who cares about it, everyone started laughing at the mere mention of it." She pouted, red mad when Usopp and Luffy start laughing at her.

Robin, whose now on the ship, hands over a map to Luffy, "I went shopping for clothes and information about Skypiea."

"It's just an ordinary map of the island though?" Usopp says.

"The town on the left is Mock town, where we are now. And the x on the opposite coast marks were Jaya's biggest weirdo lives. His name is Mont Blanc Cricket." She smiles.

"It seems like you have something in common, he was chased out of town for talking about dreams."

---

On your way to this Cricket persons home, you were stopped by yet another monkey man, and it this point you were fed up.

"We've come across a weirdo, but I don't think he's the one we're looking for." Luffy says to Usopp as he cowers behind Sanji.

"Hey! You there! This is no time for small talk!!" He yells from his ship.

"Could you move, we're trying to go somewhere." Luffy yells, and you facepalm.

"You idiot! The sea here is my territory! If you want to pass, you have to pay the toll!" Monkey man screams, you've heard this before, and you couldn't care less.

"Is he like that Masira guy?" Usopp asks, Monkey man becoming intrigued at the mention of the man.

"What? Masira? What about Masira?" He asks.

"Him? We kicked his butt?" That's right, you were so distracted that you somehow missed Luffy literally kicking Masira off the ship. Hopefully he's fine.

Monkey man gasps, glaring at you all. "How dare you do that to my brother!" In an instant, Monkey man was sending shock waves your way, screaming into a big microphone. While it didn't do much, pieces of ship started peeling off.

"He's ruining all my repairs!" Usopp screamed, quickly yelling to get out of range of his voice.

After you were definitely far enough, you were all forced to help repair the broken parts of the ship. "That damn orangutan! He almost wrecked the whole ship."

"Yeah, it's in really bad shape." Zoro says, hammering sheets onto the helm. "Maybe it's time we got a new one."

"How can you say that?!" You jump, you didn't expect it to be a touchy subject. Though, from what Usopp told you, this ship was gifted to him by a dear friend, so it's understandable it make him a little angry.

Luffy turns words him, "Don't worry Usopp, Merry's part of the crew, she'll be as good as new once we've fixed her up!" You smile, feeling surprisingly warm.

"You got a big heart, Luffy." He looks surprised for a split second, before grinning wide at you.

"Woah!!!" You hear Chopper yell. Looking over, you see an extravagant house, Luffy and Usopp dropping their tools to gawk.

"This is Mont Blanc Cricket's house?! He must be loaded!" Luffy proclaims, Sanji standing by you with a raised brow.

"A man of big dreams, eh? Well. he certainly likes to create an illusion." He lets out a puff of smoke, as Luffy propels himself off the ship, gaping at the back of the house.

"It's only plywood!" He screams, huffing in annoyance.

"What a cheapskate." Sanji said, rolling up the sail. You nod, wondering why he would do something like that. Nami peers towards Robin, whose reclining on the railing.

"What kind of dreams was he talking about that they kicked him out of town form." Robin waves, shrugging her shoulders.

"I don't know all the details, but apparently he claims there's a huge hoard of gold somewhere on Jaya." Everyone turned towards her at the claim of gold.

"Gold!" Usopp yells, Luffy ginning from his spot-on land. He rushes towards the house, abruptly walking into the house without knocking.

"Hello! Anyone home?" He announces.

You lean off the railing, eyeing him astonished. "Luffy! You can't just go walking into other people's homes!" He doesn't listen, leaving the door wide open as Usopp and Sanji funnel in. You groan, debating whether or not to follow him, untimely deciding to hop off the boat and follow him.

"Huh? There's nobody here." You hear Luffy say as you catch up to him. The house was pretty small, a bed, table, and many, many boxes all in one room. You survey the room, finding a childlike story book on the table.

"Noland the Liar." You read aloud, flipping the book over and examining its contents.

"Noland the Lair, huh?" You turn to look at Sanji, whose sitting on the ground, watching you. "That bring back memories."

"You've read this before?" You ask him, Nami coming over to stand near you, taking the book from your hands.

"Yeah, I was born in the North Blue." You shake your head. You aren't all that knowledgeable of the different areas of the sea, still struggling to get used to where you are know.

Sanji chuckles, some smoke escaping his lips. "Yeah, I was raised in the east...well, never mind that. This story's pretty famous in the North, it's a children's tale, but I've heard that this Noland really did exist a long time ago."

Nami opens up the book, reading out the pages aloud. It's a tale about Noland, an explore who told such amazing stories about his adventures that no one believed him. One day, when Noland went to tell the king about a mountain of gold on an island in the sea, the king sent 2,000 of his soldiers to verify his claim. By the time they reached the island, only the king, Noland, and 100 soldiers remained, and instead of a mountain of gold, there was only a jungle. Noland was sentence to death for lying, his last words being "I know! The mountain of gold must have sunk into the sea!" No one believed him anymore, by the stuck to his lies to the very end.

Nami finished the story, closing the book with a thud. "Sadly, he died without ever becoming a brave warrior of the sea." She sighed, looking at Usopp.

"Why are you looking at me! And stop adding your own commentary!" Their argument couldn't continue as Luffy splashed into the water. "What are you doing, Luffy!" Usopp yelled as you moved to grab him before he descended too deep.

"You've got guts, making yourself at home on someone else's property. The waters around here belong to me." Someone sad behind you. You turn, locking eyes with a very angry looking man. His eyes were narrowed towards you, but yours were locked on Sanji, who was swinging his foot at him.

The man dodges quickly, taking his hand and nearly jabbing it in Sanji's stomach. He raised his foot quickly, stopping the attack, but instead being met with the barel of a gun.

"Sanji!" You hear Chopper and Nami scream as you dive in the water. You hope he's alright, heart beating as you scan the water for Luffy. You know that he's unable to swim because of his Devil Fruit power after an incident a while back when a fishing accident caused him to fall in the water. You eye the top of his strawhat, diving down deeper and hooking your hands under his shoulders. You grunt, some bubbles escaping your mouth as you pull him up out of the water.

Luffy coughs when he is finally free from the ocean. "What were you thinking!?" You scream at him, paddling towards the land. "I...saw...bubbles in the water." He coughs, inhaling and exhaling in rapid succession. 'Then a chestnut came up out of the water..." he mentions, laying down on the grass as he continues to cough our more water. You sigh, coughing up a bit of water yourself.

Thud

"Hey, you okay?" Sanji's huff, the strange man shaking on the grown.

Zoro helps Sanji drag the man back to his house, laying him down on the bed. "Get me a cold towel and open all the windows!" Chopper yells, pulling up a chair to stand on.

"He's sick, it's a condition divers get." Chopper explains, laying down a cool towel on his head. "It's usually not chronic though." Luffy moves over towards the window, gazing out at the ocean.

"When a diver come up out of the water too quickly, the sudden decompression causes air bubbles to for in the blood and tissues. These bubbles expand and cause problem in the vascular system, muscles, and joints." Chopper further explains as you shiver from the cold seeping through the open windows.

"This man's probably been diving deep day after day without giving his body time to decompress." Chopper's voice is small and quiet, the wind blowing adding a peaceful ambiance to the room.

"Boss!! Are you all right?!" The door slams open, the two Monkey men barging in. For a while, it was quiet, looks being exchanged in silence. "What are you doing here?! What have you done to the boss!?" They both break the silence, yells echoing through the room.

"We're giving this man medical treatment, go away." Luffy drones, glaring at the two. The monkey men give a frown, looking like they're about to cry.

"That's so nice of you!" They whimper, Luffy staring in annoyance. He doesn't complain when they take a spot in the room, sitting down in front of Cricket.

"So, you guys live here too." They shake their heads.

"Well, the boss's house is the headquarters of the Monkey Mountain Allied Force." Masira explains, "But we usually sleep on our own ships." You watch quietly as Luffy chats with the monkey's, feeling a tap on your shoulder. You tilt your head, Chopper handing you a blanket.

"You looked cold." You smile, wrapping the blanket around your shoulders.

"Thanks!" You giggle, Chopper giving you an embarrassed blush before rushing away. You smile lightly into the blanket, the warmth traveling all over your body.

"Hey, Luffy! He's coming to!" Your brief second of comfort was interrupted by Chopper yelling for Luffy from inside the house.

He bounded in, Cricket sitting up and facing away from the door. "Hey, diamond-head guy, we wanna ask you something." He slowly gets up, walking toward the open window, lighting up a cigarette.

"Sorry I attacked you guys; I thought you were after my gold." Cricket says.

He talks a puff of the cigarette, "What?! You have gold?!" Nami asked dreamily. Luffy ignores her daydreaming, pushing past her to get to Cricket.

"We wanna go to the Island in the sky! How do we get there!?" Cricket side eyes him, his brows ruffled in confusion and irritation. He smirks before beginning to laugh, you and Nami snarling in annoyance.

"There was only one man who said it existed, but he went down in history as a liar and his descendants have been the objects of ridicule ever since." Cricket says, sitting down slowly. Luffy takes a look at Usopp, dumbstruck.

Cricket ignores the two, "Noland the liar is an ancient tale." He mutters. Nami shushes the two arguing boys, shocked by his statement.

"You're his descendant!?" Nami asks, gasping as Cricket nods.

"The Mont Blanc family was driven off and forced to live in shame. Even to this day we're still ridiculed. But nobody in the family ever held it against him." Luffy raises a brow, confused.

"Why not?"

"Because we know that Noland was no liar." Cricket grits his teeth, the room becoming cold, and you wrap the blanket around yourself tighter.

"I don't believe he made it up. In the book, it shows him grinning like an idiot, but he actually died with tears rolling down his cheeks." He says, his voice low but impactful. "The island they reached was undoubtably Jaya. The same island that he said held the ruins of the city of gold."

Usopp nods his head, growing excited, "So, in order to clear the Mont Blanc name, you've been diving down to search for the city of gold." Cricket's blank expression grow enraged, pulling out his gun and brandishing it towards Usopp, who holds up his hands in defeat.

"None of that matters to me!" He roars, slowly calming down at as he looks back out the window. "I was ashamed of my family, so I left home and became a pirate. I just wanted to get away from Noland's curse. But as the one who hated Mont Blanc the most, fate had brought me here. There was no escaping it."

He puffs out some smoke, holding the cigarette between his fingers. "This is my battle with the man who ruined by life."

"But how come those monkeys are here." Cricket shrugs.

"They're fans of the story." He says, Nami and Usopp gawking. "Five or six years ago they heard about me and came here uninvited, convinced that Noland's gold was real." He smiles, listening to the brothers fight outside. "Those fools saved me." Usopp wiped his eyes, moved by his story. Luffy, though, looked unimpressed.

"I'm tired of monkey stories." Luffy announced, you shout towards him.

"Luffy!" You groaned through gritted teeth. He looked at you, lips pursed in annoyance.

"When'd you get a blanket?" You groan, rubbing you head.

"That's really what your worried about right now?" You frown, Luffy looking you up and down before turning his attention back to Cricket.

"Like I said, I wanna go to the sky island." Luffy yelled.

Noland rolled his eyes. "The one who spoke of the shy island was Noland the liar. " He grabs a logbook from the bookshelf. "If you believe his tales, you'll become a laughingstock like me." He hands the book to Nami.

"Huh? He went to the sky island too?" Luffy bounced excited. Cricket grumbles as Nami flips through the pages, viewing an interesting page.

"Amazing, a log from 400 years ago! "The age of Kaien 1120, June 21. Clear skies. Sailed from the lively town Vira. Will follow the log pose and sail straight east-northeast."" Luffy peers over Nami's shoulder, along with Usopp and Chopper, who was on top Usopp's head so he could see.

""Got hold of an unusual item from a merchant ship today. It's a one-man boat called a 'waver,' which one rides like a ski. This strange vessel can even sail on windless days by creating its own wind, but there's a knack to operating it that I have not yet been able to master. The crew are enjoying it now."

Nami pauses, Chopper urging her on. ""The power to run this vessel is found only on sky islands. I have heard there are many things with special properties up there. Speaking of sky islands, a fellow explorer once showed me a living sky fish, which was amazing to behold." Luffy's grin grows and grows, barely being able to control his elation. "It is a land our ships have never visited, but as a sailor, I wish to someday visit this sea in the sky. Mont Blank Noland.""

"A sea in the Sky!" Luffy yells, laughing with Usopp and Chopper. Cricket gazes at them, a smile barely visible, but there. Cricket walks outside, back near the ocean, Masira and Shoujou gazing at his solemn demeanor.

"These pirates are determined to go to the sky island." Cricket says, the two monkey men quiet for once. "The'll be killed if they try and get there."

"That's why I'm asking to help get them there." Cricket says, determined.

---

You sit next to Zoro, whose snoring next to you, his head tilted downward. Somehow, you lost the blanket Chopper gave you, the cold nipping at your skin. Shivering, you listen to Cricket explain the sky island to you all.

Cricket stands with his arms crossed, still smoking as he speaks. "Sometimes a mysterious phenomenon occurs in the seas around here. In the middle of the day, night suddenly falls on one part of the sea."

"We saw it!!!" Luffy raises his hands, yelling.

Usopp nods at him, "Yeah! It got dark and then some monsters showed up."

Cricket smiles, pointing towards the sea. "You mean the giants? Their origin is a mystery too." His eyes narrow. "The sudden night is actually the shadow of a dense mass of clouds."

"Imperiocumulu, the emperor cloud is what it's called. It's a dense mass of clouds high in the sky. There are no air currents or condensation within it." Luffy stares in disbelief.

"According to one theory, the emperor cloud has remained unchanged for thousands of years, like a petrified cloud that floats in the sky." Nami shakes her head, leaning back slightly.

"A dense cloud formation that doesn't produce rain?! That's ridiculous." Cricket waves his hand, sighing.

"I'm only telling you what I've heard. If a sky island does exist, that's almost certainly where you'll find it."

"Okay!! Let's get on top of that cloud! Hey Zoro, wake up!" He yells towards you, Zoro rubbing his eyes. You pat him on the back, trying to help him up.

"Is it morning yet?" Zoro mumbles, sighing when you shake your head.

"How many time do I have to tell you? We don't know how to get there yet!!" Nami yells, interrupting Luffy's and Usopp's celebration.

"Know this, the know up stream is deadly. You'll have to let it carry you up to the sky." Cricket pointed out.

"But won't it just smash up against the ocean? That's what I heard in Mock Town." Cricket nods.

"That's what usually happens, the critical thing is timing. Normally, it's something to be avoided at all costs. For approximately one minute, the sea rises high into the air."

Nami rises from her seat, arms straight on the table, "It rises for a whole minute? So, where can we find this current?"

"The coordinates change each time, but it happens five times a month." Cricket responds. Usopp beginning to shake at the idea.

"We'll be blown to pieces..." He laughs nervously, waving Luffy away, "Let's just forget about Skypiea, we wouldn't have any chance of making it."

"We'll be fine, let's go!" Luffy brushes him off as Usopp sighs.

"Don't worry, your ship can be reinforced I'll have Masira and Shoujou help you." Cricket says, pointing towards the house then the ship. Merry looked on the rougher side, loose bords and cracks everywhere.

Nami shakes her head, pointing to the log pose, "We can only stay on this island for one more day, any longer than that and the log pose will lock onto the next island."

Cricket turns his head, thinking for a moment "Tomorrow at noon, the knock up stream and the emperor cloud will appear."

Usopp jaw drops at the proclamation, closing when Sanji bursts out the house, along with Masira and Shoujou. "Boss! Food's ready!"

Luffy jumps, "Time to eat! Hurry, Usopp!"

---

"Are we really doing this, going to a sky island?" You whisper, to yourself, staring at your plate. Usopp was barely able to hear you over the ruckus around you. Luffy was goofing around with the monkey brothers.

"I can't believe it either." He says to you. "We meet this strange man who's willing to fix the ship and get up to a strange island that might not even exist." He lets out a dry laugh into his beer. "I couldn't imagine how you feel."

Your eyes widen, and the world becomes muffled as you focus on Usopp, nearly dropping your fork. It felt weird for someone's attention to be on you. He doesn't meet your gaze, taking a swig before continuing.

"You appear on some strange ship, with a bunch of weirdos and barely a week later you're seeing giants and hearing rumors about sky islands." You nod, unable to say anything. Everything was so shocking to you, it's why you remained by yourself for the most part. You couldn't for the life of you understand what was going on at any moment, and you were constantly afraid.

"I'm really thankful, y'know, for everything you've done." You watch Luffy dance and sing, Zoro drink with the monkey brothers, Sanji kick cricket away from Nami. No matter how you try to piece it together in your head, you don't feel like you belong. You heart sinks, but you smile anyway.

"I'm glad." Usopp says, reaching over to rub your arm. It was comforting, but you still felt like crying.

"When we got to the island we heard the strange cries of a jungle bird and the tolling of a giant bell. The sound that giant bell of pure gold made." Cricket started reciting parts of the logbook. "The sound of the Bell stopped us in our tracks."

Cricket jumped up, along with the monkey brothers, very drunk. He moved, grabbing a pure gold bell, and slamming it down. "It doesn't not that giant to me..." Usopp says, sweating.

"I didn't say it was that bell." Cricket claimed. "That's a bell-shaped ingot. I found three of them on the ocean floor." Robin moves closer to examine them.

"This does prove that there was a civilization in this region once. Ingots are created as a weight standard. They're used in trading." Cricket motioned towards Masira, him pulling something out of a bag. A pure gold bird.

"I think it was one part of a statue." He assumes, rubbing parts of the statue lightly. "This is a south bird. They're still found on this island." He said as Masira and Shoujou giggled.

Boom

Everyone in the room jumped, Cricket furrowing his brows at the sound. "This is bad! You have to go into the jungle!" He points towards the door. "You've got to catch one of these birds!!"

Everyone was confused and still recovering from the loud sound, "Why do we need a bird?!" Sanji asks.

"Listen carefully, the knock up stream is located directly south of here. This is the Grand Line, once you're out to seam there's no way to know your directions!"

Nami's eyes blow wide as she realizes what he means. "I get it. the log pose can only guide us to an island, no good for finding a patch of water. And our compass won't work here!"

Cricket nods, "You'll have to rely on the south bird!" he says, pointing to the statue. "Some animals have an innate sense of direction; the south bird is the best of them all. It's instincts always show it the right direction, you'll never get to the sky island without it."

"It's the middle of the night, you expect us to go off into the jungle now?!" You question, the sun was going to be up soon. Cricket shakes you off.

"We'll get to work on your ship right now." He motions Masira and Shoujou out of the room.

---

You and the others trek through the darkness of the jungle. Luffy, Sanji, and Zoro carry nets, as you and Nami hang in the back of group.

"Where is this bird." Luffy grunted. Zoro sent him an aggravated look.

"If I knew that, we wouldn't be wandering around in this jungle!" Zoro points out, ignoring the fearful cries from Usopp.

Sanji looks around, gazing at all the trees. "The only clue is it has a weird cry, the guy said we'd know it when we heard it."

Joh

"I guess that's a weird cry." You mumble, impressed it didn't take long to find it.

"All right!" Luffy said, pointing to everyone. "We'll split into three teams!"

You join up with Robin and Zoro, watching with disgust as he picks up and inspects a centipede. "It's huge." He says, pulling it up by it's entena.

"Poor thing, you don't have to kill them." Zoro snarls at the woman.

"Don't lecture me, it's their own fault for challenging me." He growls at her. He drops the bug back on the ground, narrowing his eyes at Robin,

"Anyway, I still don't trust you. Don't forget that." He walks away, you rushing to catch up to Robin. You huff, watching Zoro walk in the opposite direction.

"Zoro, we just came that way." You speak up, watching as he turns back around, embarrassed.

Joh

That cry again. Robin motions for you to follow her, walking towards branches and vines that are strangely slippery. Zoro yells for you to wait up, you and Robin too far to really hear him.

"What was he talking about?" You ask, Robin looking behind for a second. "Earlier, about not trusting you?" Robin doesn't answer, and you assume it was touchy subject, judging by her posture stiffening and her motions becoming ridged.

"Before you came here, I worked with a terrible man." She said, he words small, like she didn't want you to hear. "He hurt people, and Luffy helped take him down. He saved me." You could sense some softness in her voice. It was strange, for such a strong person like her.

"You think you can beat me huh?!" You heard Zoro howl, turning to see him yelling at...a grasshopper. You deflate and move closer to Robin.

Jooohhh!!!

"I heard the bird just now." Robin says, looking towards the trees. You swear you saw the bird, but it flies away as Zoro slashes at another grasshopper.

"Zoro! Give it up!" You scream.

---

"We didn't even get a feather from that bird." Robin says, crossing her arms in disappointment.

Joh! Joh! Joh!~

You look up, eyeing the south bird, it was almost like he was laughing at you. "He's saying "Ha! Ha! You can't catch me!"" Chopper translated. Usopp and Zoro grow annoyed, staring angrily at the playful bird.

"He's taunting us!?" Zoro growled. Usopp loaded his slingshot, aiming it at the bird, before missing with a sigh.

Joh?

Two arms appeared on the side of the bird, wrapping around it before falling to the ground. You turn to see Robin, using her Devil Fruit powers. The bird caws one more time before excepting his fate.

---

"Diamond head guy!!"

Cricket, Masira, and Shoujou were all laying on the ground, covered in blood but thankfully still breathing.

"I'm sorry, we failed. We couldn't stop them." Cricket gurgles to Luffy. "But there's still some time before sunrise, we can fix the ship and--"

"Just tell up what happened?!" Luffy yells. Cricket smiles, it looks painful.

"It doesn't matter, you got the south bird. Well done." He speaks.

"Luffy!" He turns towards Nami, she's panicked looking back and forth between him and the destroyed housed. "The gold ingots, they're gone."

"Forget about them. Cricket says, sitting up, albeit with a groan of pain.

"How can you say that, you dived for ten years to find that gold, you almost got yourself killed for it!!" Usopp screams at an emotionless Cricket.

He huffs, "Quiet. It doesn't matter...that's out problem. Listen." Blood dribbles down his forehead.

"If the entire Monkey Allied Force gets to work preparing your ship, you can still make it." Cricket groans. Usopp sighs, his gaze softening. Cricket looks exhausted, you couldn't image how hard he fought for you, the strawhats to get to the sky island. It makes you sick.

"Luffy." Zoro points to the beaten-up house, a painted smiley face with a line going diagonally though it's eye. That's Bellamy's mark, it was on Sarquiss's chest. "Need help?" Zoro asks.

"No, I can handle them." Luffy say blankly, his stare dark.

"No way Luffy! Don't even think about doing anything crazy!" Nami screams, desperate. But Luffy doesn't listen.

"If I follow the coast, I'll come to that town, right?" Luffy asks Robin, who nods her head.

Luffy cracks his fingers, walking towards the coast. "I'll be back by sunrise, don't worry."

---

[kekaki-cupcakes]

Request for Nico di Angelo!

Hello! If it's okay, may I request Nico with a (GN or male) reader whos got like, super serious mommy issues? Like, they'll be in a bad mood during the last day of summer solely because of the fact that they have to see their mom once they get home. And it's not even bc they're a misbehaving kid, it's just because their mom absolutely sucks. Maybe where their mom has a bunch of pointless rules, too. Like, nothing to do with cats, praying every morning, going to church every Sunday and church school every Monday, etc. And readers just done with life during the year. They'll purposely go on quests the last week if they get the chance just so they don't have to go home, too. Lmao, just realized this is sorta venting in a way, so sorry. It's alr if you cant do my req. Take care and have a nice day/night!

this is a short one but I really like it, so... and by the way, if anyone ever wants to just vent in my inbox please feel free too, there's no judgement on this blog and you're so strong <3 <3 <3

You don't have to be sorry for doing it on your own---Nico x reader with a shitty mum [fluff, dw] »»————-　★　————-««

-Nico would be that person who’d offer to kill anyone you hated

-But he would be completely serious

-Like, no fucking around. He knows how much you despise your mum. But it’s so very hard to hate parents because they're still your parents. Godly parents are a whole different story, but the mortal ones are hard to loathe without feeling shit about it inside, so it becomes this sort of silent resentment. 

-Nico knows that. Sort of… well, from knowing you, really. And he may have planned out your mortal mother's death in a very excruciating way, with a few backup plans just in case.

-You shut that down when he mentioned it subtly, so he went back to rubbing your back and bringing your favorite snacks from the stash Cecil had secretly [everyone knew] imported from the mortal shops, then hissing at people like a rabid cat when they asked where you were. 

-He’s very good at scaring campers off.

-You’d be eating shitty junk food and sweet red strawberries in your cabin and listening to Harry Styles’ song Matilda [Hazel had bought you his record for your birthday last year] pretending your head wasn’t spinning with thoughts about how much you wanted to run away from home, and then the shadow’s by your bed would thicken and your boyfriend would just launch himself onto you.

-You’d gotten pretty used to it, obviously, and now you were pretty much immune to jumpscares. 

-It was a handy skill to have considering how many horror movies you and Nico would watch together. He liked to critique how realistic the deaths actually were, and you liked to watch his nerdy face and tease him for jumping when Ghostface crept out from behind a doorway. 

-But sometimes, mainly the days before you had to return to your mother and the house filled with crosses and rules and arguments and not enough pet cats for your liking, not even movie marathons and picnics in the strawberry fields could help your mood.

-So, Nico would resort to his back up backup plan [not the murder one, the happy boyfriend one], which was cuddle piles. 

-It had taken him quite a while to get used to touch, but between Jason’s ‘how to ask out that random dude you're obsessed with’ classes [you were the random dude] and the fact you liked to hold his hands, he would say that he was quite the expert on hugs now. So he’d wear the biggest jumper he could find, probably one of Hazel’s flowery ones, and drag you into bed. 

-Thankfully his bed was no longer a coffin [they had been turned into bookshelves] and was big enough for you both to squish in. So he’d stroke your hair and nod understandingly when you scoffed about how stupid it was to send a literal child of a Greek God to a church. 

-It wasn’t even a nice church, apparently. It smelt like socks. 

-He had a very good speech for these complaints, which you both knew the words to by now.

One day, very soon, you’re gonna get a job, or a smart person class at college, and you’ll never have to go to Sunday school again. We’re gonna get our own house too. With lots of tea and toast. And rescue cats. And we can name them after your favorite famous people and book characters and we’ll have a huge squishy couch too we can watch horror movies on. 

There’ll be lots of posters on the walls and no one will tease you about being a little kid and you can wear whatever clothes you want. Maybe not orange ones though. I think we’re all sick of oranges. 

And all of our friends can visit whenever they want to, and we’ll have all of their snacks as well. And toothbrushes.  

And we can have Christmas there, without all of the bad stuff. We can decorate the tree really badly. You don’t have to invite your mum. At all. And if she shows up, her coffin will be shaped like a fish. They’re a real thing, you know, fish-shaped coffins. 

You’ll never have to see her again. We’ll have our own place. I promise.

You can throw a party full of everyone you know, and not invite your family, 'cause they never showed you love. You don't have to be sorry for leaving and growing up.

I promise. 

»»————-　★　————-««

[thyme-in-a-bubble]

here is a little introduction to the original fantasy world i came up with for the eflorr trilogy.

series masterlist | pinterest board | playlist | masterlist

Welcome to the world of Tyhmalaa. Our stories take place on the continent of Aton where the two major kingdoms (Eflorr and Obelón) have had a feud spanning decades. 

here is a little list of facts to give you a sense of what kind of realm this is:

currency: platinum, gold, silver and copper 

monsters: yes

magic: no

calendar: the year is just divided by the four seasons (each with 90 days in them) with 7 days in a week (Moonsday, Tidesday, Windsday, Thundersday, Fogsday, Stormsday and Solarsday) and the year shift is on the longest night of the year on the 30th day of winter

year the first story begins: 856 PR (post-rimesunder, an ancient white dragon that once froze the entire continent of Efira for 2 centuries till he was slain)

climate: the weather in Aton goes through all four of the standard seasons (sping, summer, autumn and winter), though most of the stories take place on the northern side of the continent, so it is on the colder side.

religions: there are multiple gods people worship (some notable ones are: Apa – goddess of wilderness and the sea, Kotris – goddess of knowledge, Cicero – god of war and peace, Zondür – god of atonement and love, Sona – goddess of life and death)

kingdoms on the continent: Eflorr (capital: Borün) and Obelón (capital: Ingorn)

maps and doodles:

it took me around 30 hours of work to draw all of these, but it was super meditative.

map of the continent of Aton.

⊠ squares = capitals

⊗ circles = smaller towns

△ triangles = speciality locations

the continent of Efira is located to the north east of Aton.

Fort Borün. The ivy-covered stone castle on the top of the cliff is home of the royal family of Eflorr.

Elm Square. The beating heart of Borün, it is not only a central meeting place for all, but also the district where the majority of the city's shops, taverns, etc are. The town square gets especially sparkly during the seasonal festivals with booths are stalls crowding the market.

Willow Grove Cemetery. As the name would suggest, a large weeping willow tree grounds this cemetery that it is built around. Although Eflorr as a whole commonly isn't very religious, this graveyard does house a few alters and shrines to various deities.

The Valerian Ward. You'll find all manner of schools, museums, as well as Borün's beautiful aquarium in this part of town.

The Port of Borün. The city's docks are always bustling with excitement and possibilities.

The Western Farms. Up on the hill that swiftly blossoms into The Noll Woods, are a plethora of rolling fields and cosy cottages.

The Beach. Down the little steps on the northern side of the docks is not the only way to access this cove. Though the steep path some way further north is no secret, not everyone is privileged to the knowledge that the castle's cellar opens up into a cave system that leads out onto the beach. Created as a safety measure and a last resort for the royals to escape, the tunnels most commonly got used by the young royals as a daring playground.

The Tulip Neighbourhood. The homes in this part of town have generous courtyards that bring the households together.

The Dandelion Quarter. Part residential, this neighbourhood also houses a grand park (The Riverview Public Park), where combat courses/training are held every weekend, as well as The Water Lily Orphanage.

The Snowdrop Sector. For those not inclined for the bustle of the city's centre but still want to live close enough to the action often settle down in a little cottage out in this district. Many also chose to retire out here, living out the rest of their days in a cabin by the sea.

The Barracks. Through the main gate lies a grand courtyard to welcome you to the castle. The surrounding buildings are designated mainly for the wardens. There are living quarters for them, training areas, armoury, small stables that also house the royal horses, as well as the city's small garrison.

The Western Wing. In here lies many of the more public spaces: throne room, ballroom, banquet hall, servants quarters, the kitchen, war room, the meeting room that's utilised mostly for gatherings with the town council.

The Conservatory. This secluded greenhouse was built as a memorial to King Edward III. who apparently had quite the green thumb.

The Topiary Garden. A private courtyard separating the two main buildings is a serene space where one can come sit on a small bench and listen to the trickling water of the fountain in the centre.

The Eastern Wing. This part of the castle is home to the royal's private chambers as well as numerous other spaces such as the library.

The castle also has a basement that's not only utilised for storage (both of common items as well as the most precious that's kept safe in the grand vault) it also connects to a tunnel system that leads all the way out onto the beach.

© 2024 thyme-in-a-bubble 

[wifetomegatron]

countries and cities i've been to that i think the lost light crew will enjoy (vol. i)

i think ratchet would like switzerland. snowy alps, open green fields where purple and yellow poppies littered across the grass dance with the northern wind. he enjoys the secluded valleys and will spend hours just driving past the topaz lakes. he likes the quiet of it all, the serenity, the closure. he makes drift join him in their holoforms to walk, taking in the traditional log houses and brightly-colored buildings, shops, and restaurants surrounded by lush woodlands, upland meadows, and snow-capped cliffs. grindelwald because drift is fascinated by humans and their winter sports, ascona for when it gets warmer and the boats are out by the docks. in a first contact au, ratchet would most likely end up working in either zurich or geneva, working closely with earth's international bodies like the united nations to facilitate human-cybertronian relations. i can also see the medic crew stationed there as well; running the first cybertronian medical facility on earth.

drift, predictably, would prefer japan more. osaka and tokyo for its entertainment, where he and rodimus would spend hours exploring the nightlife in their disguises. at times, they would even go as their alt-modes. rodimus gets ahead of himself with all the attention he's getting. he'd travel through many prefectures, driving past the borders to clear his head — perks of having a conjunx that works closely with human organizations is that he gets exempted from all the paperwork — but always end up somewhere private, tranquil. the shrines, the forests, the mountains — he would even be bold enough to dream of settling down there. one time ratchet flew in to visit him at a resort by the foot of mount fuji, and his husband was neck-deep inside the natural saunas. content and purring, sinking into recharge against the stones.

i have a feeling brainstorm and skids would stir up trouble somewhere in the netherlands. most likely in the infamous lecture halls of leiden university, where great minds like descartes and rembrandt once walked in. they'd hate the weather, where the sun becomes optional the moment it hits autumn (even before, apparently.) the roads are small, so they'd have difficulty navigating at first, nearly driving into a canal because of how fast people bike. direct, with just the right amount of witty, the pair are glad to enjoy the company of dutchies without having to rely on their (human) food because nothing that they've seen looks appealing or digestible. getaway is also there, most likely in amsterdam, where his holoform is most likely to get cornered in an alley and have his bike stolen.

nautica would love the sea, the vast, great open oceans of southeast asia would be the perfect place for her. ever the adventurer, she would drag riptide and velocity with her to explore the islands of the philippines & indonesia. where she'd learn how to dive and swim with the animals past the coral reefs. sweet girl nearly cried when she saw a group of whale sharks. anode and lug are content sitting by the beach, sipping on their latest invention — coconut-infused energon. bali is where i imagine the girls ( and riptide ) would go for a nice getaway. the people are all smiles, warm and friendly, and passionate about their culture. even if the two are more inclined towards the sciences, the flourishing art and spirituality of the balinese people made them feel at home again. ( if not nostalgic for caminus.)

i know rodimus is living his life in spain. maybe it won't be his designated home on earth. but with the lost light stationed in geneva, where ratchet, minimus, and megatron are with the rest of the united nations council ( because there is no way they can park the ship anywhere in the new york branch ), barcelona was his first solo trip on earth without straying too far from his co-captain's watchful eye. it was the peak of summer and there he was under the sun. the people were only initially surprised, but then again, they'd probably seen weirder things than a sixty-foot-tall robot asking them if he could join their game of volley by the beach. he bumps into krok and his rag-tag team — who's also trying to get away from minimus — so that's how he and misfire end up nearly drowning after a competitive game of water tag.

[gears2gnomes]

The Director EYES and his Assistant Jule are ready for the Summer Field Arc.

[zzzzombieboy]

ok full disclosure this is a stupid fic that i'm only writing because my friend promised me he would draw leon as a cowboy if i did

Leon Kennedy x M!Reader

Leon wanted to get away. He couldn't bear being in the cities anymore, not after what happened. The Midwest was tiring, given that was all he had been around. He wanted to head West, go to the coast, but that would prove to be more stressful than it was in his hometown. East had too many people, so his last resort was going south.

Ever since Leon was a boy, he had loved cowboys. He loved horses, and he always daydreamed about living on a ranch. The fact that he couldn’t ride a horse ruined the fantasy. But he was 22 now, and he could do whatever he wanted. He was an adult. He ended up Texas, out of the city and a more rural area. It was 1999, a hot summers day in July. It would be his first day working on the ranch.

He had driven to the ranch he would be working at by dirt road, lacking any signs or speed limits. He parked in a field, a rugged old wooden shack sitting beside it. There were two other cars next to him, one of which was a 1979 Trans-Am. Its tires were covered in dirt, clearly lacking a wash as of late.

When Leon got out of his car, he could feel the sun beaming down on his face. His outfit, a blue and white button up and a pair of blue jeans, was proving to be not that great of a choice for this 92° weather. He let out a soft sigh as he closed his car door behind him, pocketing his keys and bringing a hand up to his forehead, shielding his eyes from the light of the large burning sun.

Leading from the parked cars was a small path of caved grass, dead against the dirt that lead to the shack ahead of him. He figured that's where he needed to go. He wasn't given any instructions anyways. He walked up the dirt path, arms by his sides until he reached the door. He opened it with a small breath, the warm air continuing to run through the non-conditioned shack.

Behind a desk was another worker. He held a pen in his hands as he worked on filling out a sheet of paper. Leon stepped forward, his footsteps soft against the floor but still causing the wood below him to creek at every step he took. The man behind the counter looked up from the paper, giving Leon a once over before clearing his throat. "How can I help ya?" he questioned, his voice low holding a southern drawl. Leon took in a soft breath, swiping his hand underneath his nose.

"I'm Leon Kennedy. It's uh, my first day." He told the man with a nod, pocketing his thumbs into his jeans. His midwestern accent was evident compared to the people he had heard. He was in the deep south now, and he stuck out like a sore thumb. The man raised a brow, titling his head to the right as he gave Leon another look. His eyes then widened out of remembrance.

He nodded, standing up out of his chair before reaching his hand out for Leon to shake. "Ah, right, Kennedy. You're gonna be workin' with them horses, right?" asked the man, a kind smile spreading across his lips. Leon gave the slightest smile back with a nod. "That's what I was told," replied Leon. The man let out a small breath from his nose as his smile grew a bit more wide. "Alrighty then. I'd say you should head over to the stable. There's gonna be another boy there that'll help you out. He's a bit quiet though, so, y'know, be patient." the man spoke nodding his head to the door that led right of the desk.

Leon lifted his brows a bit before giving a steady nod. "Okay. Uh, thank you." Leon gave another nod, before following the eyes of the man. The man tipped his hat to Leon as a way of saying good bye. Leon didn't have a hat, so the best he could do was return with a nod.

Leon exited the shack through the right hand door, walking back into the beaming heat. He felt blinded by the sudden light against his face, resorting to hovering his hand above his eyes to sheild from the glare. There was another dirt path he walked upon, this one leading directly to a much larger, more sturdy looking stable. The faint sounds of huffs from the horses were audible.

Leon approached the stable with his hands in his pockets, before pulling one out so that he could open the doors. His hand was tentative, he was bit nervous. He knew that someone would be behind the door. He just didn't know who. What would they be like? He hoped that he got along with them well, given that he was probably going to be working along with them for the foreseeable future.

He pushed the door open slowly, being met with the kind scent of manure and hay. His nose scrunched a bit, letting out a small groan from the back of his throat. His eyes squinted slightly as he looked down to the floor. His shoes had already gotten mud on them. He let out a short sigh before glancing back up to the room surrounding him. He could hear plenty of horses, seeing their stables. But at the very end of the rows, he saw a man.

The man held a carrot in his hand, the horse he was standing by nibbling on the veggie and letting out happy huffs. Against the mans face was a small smile, his lips curving upwards and forming a small crease in his skin. His arms, moreover his shoulders, were the most defined part of his body, given that he used most of the muscles in that area every day as he fed, brushed, and exercised the horses. Leon had clear sight of them. He wore a tank top, slightly dulled in color due to various dirt stains and general wear and tear over the years. On the bottom he wore worn jeans, small holes by the knees and the back of the leg, the base of them resting on the ground with brown tint. They seemed just a bit too big on him, having been wrapped around his waist with a tightly cinched belt. His hat was white with a tan strip at the base, casting a shadow over his face.

Small bags were underneath his eyes, but his gaze held a warmth as he interacted with the horse. Leon took in a deep breath. An odd feeling filled his stomach as he continued to stare. His stomach turned, his heart beating a little bit faster. A bit confused with the sudden new emotion, he decided he would ignore it. He shoved both of his hands back into his pockets, rolling one of his shoulders back before starting to approach the man. Each step he took made a crunching noise, but it didn't seem to catch his attention. Leon continued to approach until he was only a few feet away. He cleared his throat. "Hey," Leon started, shifting his weight onto his other foot.

Slightly startled, he flinched ever so slightly, his carrot slipping from his fingers for a brief moment before he caught it. He looked to his right, only to be met with a face he had never seen before. His gaze trailed over Leon, almost analytically, like he was studying his face to commit it to memory. He didn't say a word, waiting for Leon to continue or explain why he was here. "Sorry, I uh, I didn't mean to scare you." apologized Leon with a half smile. "I was told you're supposed to... ah, show me the ropes. I'm new. I-- I'm Leon." he seemed to stumble over his words as he looked deeper into the mans eyes. He bit down on the inside of his lip, letting out a small exhale from his nose.

The man parted his lips a little before giving a small nod. He didn't offer a handshake like the other man, instead he kept to himself. "Y/N." he replied, lifting one of his arms and swiping it against his forehead, wiping off any remaining sweat he could've had. "I... didn't know they hired a rookie for the stables. Forgive me." he muttered to himself, his accent almost silent but still slightly audible in his inflections. Leon tensed a bit when he heard the word "rookie." He felt like he was never going to be able to shake that nickname.

Leon took his hands out from his pockets and crossed his arms over his chest. To most this would feel intimidating, as Leon was a well built man, but Y/N could only see the nervousness hidden behind his eyes. Y/N had yet to make an expression that indicated his opening opinion on Leon. He looked down at the hay underneath the two before looking back to the horse. Y/N scratched behind the horses ear. "You know how 'ta take care of horses?" he asked, not giving Leon another glance into his eyes.

Leon widened his mouth a little bit, tilting his head to the side. "Not at all." he replied, giving a small awkward chuckle.

Y/N perked up his brows in an unamused manner. "D'ya know how to ride one?" he asked again.

Leon shook his head again. "Always wanted to learn."

Y/N let out a soft sigh before looking back over to Leon. He rested one arm behind his head and scratched his neck, just where the base of his hair was. He didn't seem particularly happy that he would have to show this random man the absolute basics, but he could suck it up. He's done it before, he can do it again. Tilting himself onto his heels he gave a small nod, reaching out to the horse in front of him and giving it a small stroke against its nose.

"Guess now is best time as any." spoke Y/N, letting one arm rest by his side as the other went for the hinge to the stable door, unlocking it and bringing it open. The horse was hefty, large, and brown with white spots littering its body. It had a few feet over the two men. Y/N's hand brushed up against its mane, a silky black color giving a small shine from the leaking sunlight from the ceiling. "This is Spencer." spoke Y/N. "He's tame. Doesn't like to kick 'r nothin', but he runs pretty fast." he explained, clicking his tongue once before the horse obediently stepped out of the stable. It stood by Y/N's side. Y/N seemed to be fond of the animal.

Leon gave a small hum when he looked to the horse. It was the first time, at least that he could remember, that he had been this close to one. He could feel its breath lightly hit against his face. "Spencer." Leon repeated, just to get it committed to his memory.

"Thing about Spencer, he gets his hair tangled easily." Y/N spoke. He was inflecting his voice in a way that sounded like he wanted to seem more confident in talking than he was. "So you gotta get real good with brushing. Its real easy. Like brushin' a dog." he spoke, stepping past the horse and stepping into its stable, grabbing onto two brushes that were hooked against the wooden wall. "Ever had a dog before, Leon?" asked Y/N. His voice had a bit of a tremble to it. He seemed to be getting a little nervous the more he was around the blonde.

Leon raised a brow at the question, watching as Y/N handed him a brush. He took it while giving a small nod as thanks. "I think so. I was probably too young to remember." replied Leon with a small shrug, stepping a bit closer to the horse. He brought his brush up to the side of the horses coat, carefully brushing downwards. Y/N paused for a second, his lips parting as I stepped next to Leon.

He grabbed onto Leon's hand, his skin cool against Leon's rather hot body. Leon felt his jaw tense slightly, feeling his stomach turn again. He looked to the man with curious eyes. Y/N's lips had formed a slight pout as he gave a small shake of the head. "To the side, not down." he spoke, correcting Leon's movements. His voice wasn't commanding, but rather understanding. He could feel Y/N's fingers slightly twitch against his own as he guided the movement of the brush to the left on the horses body. It was a more clean pattern, making it more appealing to look at. "Sorry," Leon replied, giving a small chuckle.

Y/N continued to absentmindedly brush along with Leon before he realized that the two were still touching. His eyes widened a bit before he pulled his hand away. He felt his cheeks get a little hot as he cleared his throat. "Keep, uh, keep at it. I just gotta... feed the rest of 'em." spoke Y/N, taking in a small breath before backing away from Leon and the horse. Leon pursed his lips a little bit, giving a small head tilt of acknowledgement as he continued the motions. As Y/N walked away, Leon kept an eye on him.

Y/N walked to the side of the stable, picking up a white bag filled with grains and bran. It looked heavy, heavy enough to make Y/N have to lean on one foot more than the other. He lifted the bag with a soft grunt before throwing it over his shoulder, starting his rounds around each horses food tin. One by one he poured the food in, his face remaining expressionless as this task was pretty mundane to him.

Leon watched carefully from the corner of his eye. He started to drift around the horse, carefully brushing the coat. He felt kind of relaxed when he did this. He could still feel the horses breath on him. It's ear twitched.

About a half an hour had passed by when Y/N had finished refilling each food container. He made sure to clean the tins beforehand as well, wanting to make sure that there was no chance of the horses getting sick. He had broken into a light sweat as he walked back across the clumps of hay littered across the floor, setting the bag back down in its respective spot. Y/N looked back over his shoulder, seeing Leon still gently brushing the horses coat with his eye halfway following Y/N.

Y/N walked back over to Leon and the horse, wiping his forehead once again. "Looks pretty." he spoke, giving a small nod to Leon as his gaze focused on the horses hair. He reached his hand out to Leon, swallowing slightly as he gestured for the brush to be returned. Leon followed the order well and handed the brush back to him. "Thanks." he replied, giving a small smile from the corner of his mouth.

Y/N brought the brush back to where it was hooked in the horses quarters, making sure it was neatly lined up with the wall. He let out a soft breath as he glanced back to Leon. His blonde hair was halfway darker against the shadow in the stable. There was a slight shadow cast across his face. Y/N felt his stomach turn slightly. He didn't know what it was. He chose to ignore it. But he knew better than anyone that he couldn't ignore his emotions well.

Y/N rested his hands on his hips as he gave the horse a small pet. "Y'wanna learn how to ride 'em?" he asked, looking back at Leon with somewhat hopeful, yet tired eyes. Leon's eyes widened a little bit at the request, but he felt his smile grow bigger. One of his childhood dreams was finally coming to fruition. He gave an eager nod, his grin growing wider against his pink lips. "I'd love to, yeah." Leon agreed, watching as the other man’s lips formed their own smile. It was odd, the way Leon felt when he saw it. He felt his cheeks start to burn. He let out another soft breath. Leon's hands rested at his sides.

Y/N looked back to the horse, scratching the side of his face a little bit before he put his hand up against the horse's mane. He seemed to have a fascination with the horses hair. All of the horses in the stable were groomed well, Y/N made sure of it. He was basically the only person that was allowed in the stables, by his own request. But an exception would be made for Leon, since he would be taught by the only one that Y/N trusted. Himself. "You ready, big guy?" Y/N spoke to the horse, a relaxed expression spread across his face as he pulled his hand back away, starting to walk towards the exit of the stable. He clicked his tongue twice, and the horse started to follow behind him. Leon followed as well.

Outside was a large field. Some horses that were outside of their stable were grazing, some chewing on the grass and others trotting around the field. It was a pleasant sight. The sun was halfway covered by the clouds by now, but it's heat didn't die down much at all. It was still bright as ever and made anyone sweat easily.

Leon winced once again when he was met with the bright light of the sun. "Damn it," he muttered, squinting his eyes the best as he could as he looked back forward, following behind. Y/N heard the small hiss and looked back over his shoulder. "Too bright?" he asked, raising a brow. Leon scrunched his face up and gave a nod, his hand going over his eyes once again. Y/N stopped walking for a second, biting down on his lower lip. He grabbed the brim of his hat and pulled it off of his head, handing the piece to Leon.

Leon watched, his eyes opening back up again. He wasn't expecting that kind of gesture from someone who acted the way Y/N did, but he appreciated it nonetheless. "Thanks," he told him, his voice quieter than normal but still showing the warmth he felt. He put the hat on, covering some of the blonde strands and pushing them up against his forehead. Y/N continued walking, but he had his head tilted to the side, able to see Leon's face.

"I have a question." spoke Y/N, scratching the side of his face as he continued to lead Leon and the horse through the field, his focus set on heading to the track they had paved in the dirt father out so the horses could get some good exercise. "You're not from here, I take it." he started, giving Leon a quick once over. Leon gave a nod. "Can I take a guess where you're from? Somewhere in the Midwest, right?" he guessed, his brow raising.

Leon nodded. "Spot on."

Y/N gave a small celebratory cheer to himself, doing a small fist pump in the air. "Figured. You got the whole accent 'n stuff. And the politeness. That's a thing, right? Midwesterners are polite." Y/N was repeating the words to himself, a common habit he had when speaking to people that he often got teased about. He wasn't thinking about controlling the way he spoke right now though. It seemed like Leon didn't mind. Even if he did, at the very least he wasn't commenting on it.

Leon smiled softly as he started to catch up to Y/N's walking speed, the two approaching the track now side by side. "Most of them are, yeah." he spoke, looking to his right to get another glance at Y/N's face. Underneath the sun, his skin seemed to have a sort of shimmer to it that he wasn't able to see before. His eyes were halfway closed, like he had developed an immunity to the suns brightness but still couldn't stand to look at it fully.

"Can't help but be curious what made 'ya come all the way down here. Hell, if I had a dime for every time I wished I could go up north, I wouldn't be workin' at this damn ranch anymore." Y/N muttered to himself with a small laugh following after. Leon let out a small chuckle, his hands remaining in his pockets as they walked.

The two had finally found their way onto the path, the horse letting out a small huff against the back of Y/N's neck. It seemed happy. Settling itself on the dirt, it trotted in it's place, seeming to be excited that it could go for a run. Y/N gave it a small pat on its back before looking back over to Leon. "Saddle broke a few days ago, apologies if it's a bumpy ride." Y/N spoke, before setting both of his hands onto the horses back and jumping upwards, throwing his leg over the side, his hips resting on top of the steed. Leon watched with a careful eye, watching as the man leaped up onto the horse. He could do that no problem. He had done stupid exercises like those plenty of times when he was in the police academy.

He paused for a short second, seeing as Y/N was looking down at him expectantly. "Oh, are you -- you want-- uh," he stumbled over his words a bit before giving a simple shake of the head. "Alright," he muttered, pursing his lips a little. Y/N offered his hand out to Leon for him to grab, just to give a little extra support. Leon followed the movements that Y/N had made seconds before, jumping up with a small grunt before his own legs were on either side of the horse. He smiled at himself, happy that he could do it on the first time. He was finally doing it. He was living out one of his childhood fantasies.

The horse stayed still underneath them. Y/N looked back over his shoulder, locking eyes with Leon's baby blue. "Hey, nice job." he told him with a satisfied grin spreading across his face. Y/N was a bit worried that this would end up being more effort than it was worth, but it seemed like this would be a cakewalk. It gave him a bit of relief. The smile was back. Leon felt his cheeks heat a bit again, but it was hard to tell if it was from Y/N or the hot sun.

Y/N looked Leon up and down before rolling his hips to get into a more comfortable position. "You should, ah, probably grab on. " he spoke, giving a small nod to his torso. Leon's brows raised at the suggestion, his cheeks beginning to show the heat that was on his face, a light tint of pink starting to spread. His stomach turned again. Something was going on in his brain that he didn't quite understand. He let out a small hum before tentatively reaching his hands around Y/N's waist. The man's body was firm, but it was easy to grab onto. At least that's what it felt like to Leon.

The proximity made them both feel a bit warmer, as to what they were reacting to, they had no idea. But they both knew they felt it.

"Spencer, he uh, he's trained a little differently then most horses." started Y/N, looking ahead of him at the back of the horses head. The feeling of Leon's hands around his waist was lingering on his mind. He could feel the touch through the fabric of the shirt. Leon could feel Y/N's halfway-cold, halfway-warm skin through it. It made it hard for either of them to pay attention. "I don't like usin' bits on 'em. I uh, I just give them little cues." explained the man, his hand lifting from the horse and spinning in a small circle. "Give him a little squeeze, he starts running." he started, before tensing the muscles in his legs a bit, squeezing around the body of the horse.

It took the instruction well, and started a steady trot. Leon flinched slightly at the sudden movement, even if he knew it was coming, and tightened the grasp he had around Y/N's waist. "Stop squeezing, he stops movin'. See?" Y/N then stopped tensing his legs, letting them relax, and in turn the horse stopped in it's track. Leon raised his brows, a bit impressed by how well the horse knew the order. "Got it." Leon nodded, a smile spread across his face. "How fast can he go?" he questioned, his head leaning a bit closer to Y/N's ear, his chin almost resting against the mans shoulder. He just wanted a closer look at the horses mane, at least that's what he was telling himself.

Y/N could feel Leon's breath against the side of his neck. He let out a breathy chuckle at the challenge, his head tilting to the right ever so slightly, placing his cheek close to Leon's lips. "Enough to consider it a thrill ride." he replied with a slightly cocky tone. Leon let out another slight laugh at his words. "Wanna show me?"

Y/N perked a brow up at the proposal, looking ahead. The sun was less blaring now, as he could see the track in front of them. The horses feet clacked against the ground excitedly, it's tail swishing back and forth. "Hold on tight, then." he replied, in almost an instant feeling the grasp around his waist grow tighter, his back being pressed up against Leon's front. Leon's body was built, defined, and that translated to it feeling like a brick wall when pressed against it. Y/N's heart was starting to beat faster as he let out a breathy giggle, raising one hand up to wipe his forehead before letting both his arms have a firm hold on the horse.

He tensed his legs again. Much, much tighter this time.

The horse burst into a high speed jog, eliciting a small yelp from Leon. The sound of hooves hitting against the dirt floor and the light laughter from the man in front of him was all he could hear at the moment. The wind felt nice against his face. Y/N was right, it was feeling like a bumpy ride. But he didn't care. He was riding a horse. For the first time in his life he got to live out something that he had dreamed of for longer than he could remember. He had a wide grin spreading across his face.

Around and around the track, Leon was starting to feel less hot on the outside, and more hot on the inside. Not hot, but warm. He felt warm. His body pressed against the man in front of him, he felt good. It was a feeling he hadn't felt in a long while. The feeling lasted, it lingered. He didn't try to shake it.

It seemed that the two had rode on the horse together for a long while, before Y/N seemed to notice something on the horizon. His legs softened the grip that they had on the horse, slowly going lighter and lighter until the horse came to a full stop, right where the track had started. Y/N's eyes were trained on the sky, seeing a dark, heavy cloud begin to fall over the edge of the sun. "Ah, shit." hissed Y/N under his breath tilting himself back a little.

Leon paused for a moment as he felt himself slowly start to come down from the high. "What?" he asked softly. "Did something happen?" he asked. He still kept his grip around Y/N's waist fairly tight. He didn't want to let go. It felt comfortable.

Y/N let out a soft exhale from his nose before lifting one of his hands, pointing a finger to the sky. "Bad cloud. Big storm's comin' tonight." he spoke with a small sigh. He looked back down at the horse before turning back to Leon. "I'd say you should head home. Doubt you'd wanna get stuck in the mud with all those other cars." he advised. Leon could feel his heart sink at the mention of a storm.

Ever since that day in Raccoon City, Leon hadn't been able to handle storms, especially not driving in them. He tensed up a little bit before letting his grip fall from the other mans waist, clearing his throat nervously. "Damn it." he huffed under his breath. Y/N looked back at him with a sympathetic but analytical gaze. He parted his lips, about to say something, but remained quiet. He could tell by the look in Leon's eyes and his body language that it was a sore subject. He pursed his lips before giving the horse a small pat, throwing his legs over the side and slipping himself back down to the ground.

His boots hit against the dirt like a cat jumping from the counter. He looked back to Leon. Y/N held his hand out for Leon to take once more, just giving him a little help getting down. Leon took it with gratitude and tossed his own legs over the side, jumping down from the horses back. Y/N gave the horse a small pet on the nose before clicking his tongue. The horse began to follow behind the two men as they started walking back to the stables.

It was silent for a short minute, Y/N wiping some dirt away from his pants before looking back to Leon. "Take it you don't like storms?" started Y/N, tilting his head so he could get a glimpse at the reaction that Leon would have. Leon took the hat that Y/N had loaned to him off of his head, handing it back to the man. "It's a long story." he muttered, brushing a hand through his hair. It had gotten a little tangled under the hat, and he spent a few seconds fixing it to get each strand back into place.

"I get it." replied Y/N, in his best attempt to hold a compassionate voice. "I'm not the fondest of storms myself. Neither are the horses." he spoke, his eyes going to the ground as he shoved both of his hands into his pockets, letting his thumbs hang out. They brushed up against his belt buckle, sending a shiver down his spine. The soft clunking of hooves remained audible as they walked.

Leon was glad that Y/N wasn't pushing him to elaborate. Instead, he just listened. He liked that in people. He liked that in Y/N. He hadn't even known the guy for that long, but he was starting to grow quite fond of the kid. Little did he know that Y/N felt the same way about him. "You know, I live here on the ranch." spoke Y/N, taking in a small breath. He seemed a bit anxious to say what he had planned. "You could crash with me if you wanted. Not to be too forward, I just... y'know, wanted to show a bit of hospitality." he added, looking back to Leon with more of a nervous gaze this time.

Leon paused for a moment, his brows furrowing, his eyes narrowing in tandem as he processed the offer. After that, he could feel that same heat spread across his cheeks. He hadn't been in Texas for more than three weeks and he was already spending the night with someone. "You'd be okay with that?" questioned Leon, a bit of his dirty blonde hair falling over the right side of his face, covering a portion of his eye. The two had arrived at the stables, and they opened the entrance door again. The horse followed behind Y/N closely.

The smell of manure hit Leon again, but it didn't seem to phase Y/N. Leon's nose scrunched again. "Of course I am. Wouldn't be offering if I wasn't." replied the man, giving him a small smile before making a left turn to the horses stable, the door being left open. He clicked his tongue twice, the horse following the command and walking into its stable with a happy trot. It seemed to really like Y/N. He closed the stable door before reaching into one of the bags he had attached to his belt, handing him another carrot as a treat. Leon stared at Y/N with a somewhat stunned expression before giving an eager nod.

"Oh, then, yeah. That would be... really appreciated, actually." Leon told him, his smile returning on his face along with the slightest shade of pink he held earlier. Y/N gave the horse one final pat on the head before turning back over to Leon. "Sounds good." he spoke, giving a small nod before locking up the stable door. He then started to walk again, gesturing to Leon with his hand to have him follow.

Leon followed close after, soon enough walking side by side with the man he had met only a few hours prior. He could see the darkness start to seep into the stables as they exited it, the dark clouds covering the sun. When the two got back out, Y/N led them the opposite way of the shack that Leon had first entered, instead they were heading towards another small wooden building, about half a mile away. There wasn't as much of a path paved leading to this building, only small footprints.

It was a small silence, but it spoke volumes for the amount of time the two weren't talking. Leon couldn't stand it for that long. "How'd you end up getting a place here?" he asked, a bit curious on how this all came together. Y/N gave him a quick glance before looking back down to his feet to watch where they were going. "Dad's friends with the owner. Used to work on my daddy's farm before he decided to hand over all the work to some other hotshot." he muttered, swiping his hand underneath his nose. "So it's not technically nepotism. Just prior knowledge." he let out a small joke at the end of it, trying to get another smile, a huff, or just another laugh from Leon. He liked Leon a lot. Leon was the first guy on the ranch he talked to that didn't treat him like dirt.

And laugh Leon did. He had a smile spread across his face as he let out a soft chuckle, before folding both his arms over his chest. His boots crunched against the dead grass below them. He liked the sound. "Ah, nice." Leon replied with a small nod. Y/N felt his face heat ever so slightly when he heard the warmth in Leon's tone.

The two continued to walking after the light conversation, and Leon watched as the clouds seemed to darken the sky minute by minute. He could feel his mouth dry up slightly at the sight of it, but he would ignore it. He had a place to stay with this guy who had shown him nothing but kindness and a good time. He would be fine.

Soon enough, the duo had arrived at the cabin. It was made of wood, much like all the other structures on this ranch, but it seemed decently decorated. Y/N opened the door for the both of them as they stepped into the home. Leon looked around, seeing a few posters and various kitchen supplies. It was small, but it was comfortable. There was a black and white couch perched in the middle of the main room, facing a blocky TV with a cassette player and a DVD player right underneath it. On a shelf beside the TV was rows and rows of various movies, seasons of shows, anything you could imagine. It was how Y/N liked to spend a lot of his free time, either reading or watching TV. He liked his media, and he liked to be entertained. "Pretty cozy in here," Leon spoke, his head tilting a bit as he examined the small details.

Y/N gave a small nod at his words. "Thanks." he replied, cracking both of his knuckles as he started to wander through the space. "You uh, sorry, I'm not used to having anyone here. You want anything to drink or something?" he asked, stumbling over his words a bit. He felt a bit in over his head, but it would be okay. He just had to go with the flow. Leon looked back over his shoulder. "A water would be good. Thank you." he replied, giving a small smile to Y/N. Y/N gave the same smile back.

"Couch is all yours if you want it. Doubt you wanna sleep in the same bed as me." he laughed softly, walking over to the kitchen area with a bit of a bounce in his step. He grabbed onto a glass of water and put it under the faucet, filling it up with tap water. Leon let out a small chuckle at the mans words before he sat himself down on the couch. It was nice, comfortable against his back and had a bit of fluff to the cushions. He could fall asleep on it easily.

Y/N walked back over to the center of the room and handed him the glass of water. Leon looked back over to the shelf with all of the DVD's on them, a slightly curious expression on his face as he took the water. "What kind of movies do you watch?" he asked, taking a light sip of the tap water. Y/N followed his gaze, scratching the back of his neck before clearing his throat a little. "Mainly horror. Got some action movies though, too." he replied, looking back to Leon. Leon's brow raised a bit at the mention of horror. "I didn't peg you for a horror guy," he spoke, running a hand through his hair in any attempt to get it to stay out of his face.

Y/N let out a small exhale from his nose, his smile perked on the left side of his mouth. "That's what banning your son from watchin' 'devil worship' does. Gives 'em morbid curiosity." he spoke, walking over to the shelf as he trailed his fingers along the lines of cases. He had them all categorized by genre, then in alphabetical order. Gave him less trouble when looking for something to watch.

"I get that. I never got to watch horror either." Leon replied, wearing the same half smile that the other man did. He watched Y/N's back carefully, watching it shift under the white tank top he was wearing, along with his arms ever so slightly lifting it up, showing the smallest sliver of skin. Y/N looked back over his shoulder. "Y'got strict parents too?" he asked, picking out a movie from the shelf and holding it in his right hand. Leon let out a small sigh at the words, taking another sip of his drink.

"I lived in an orphanage. They had uh, pretty strict regulations." Leon told Y/N, shifting his weight on his hips slightly as he folded one leg over the other. The smile on Y/N's lips dropped, his eyes widening a bit. He felt sorry for bringing it up. "Sorry to hear that," he replied, pursing his lips a little bit before stepping back to the couch, sitting himself down next to Leon. Leon gave a small shrug, not seeming to mind it all that much anymore. He's gotten that plenty. Their arms were only a few inches apart, Y/N's knee barely grazing against Leon's. The clouds outside had grown darker and darker. The rain had started. Leon shuddered.

Y/N cleared his throat again, holding out the DVD casing in front of the two of them. "Ever seen this one?" he asked. On the front of the case was in bold letters, "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre". Leon's eyes studied the case for a short second. "I've seen posters of it, never watched it though." he answered, looking back over to Y/N with a curious gaze. Y/N parted his lips slightly, giving a small glance to the window that was starting to be pelted by the rain.

"It's a great movie, I'm tellin' ya." Y/N smiled back at Leon. "For a movie that came out in '74, it's a lot better than you'd think." he spoke, continuing to hold the case out in front of the two. Leon's eyes widened a little bit. "Shit, that's older than me." replied Leon, his brows lifted as he continued to look at the cover. Y/N gave a nod. "Me too."

"If you wanna, we could watch it. Sure it would take your mind off the... y'know." he spoke, giving a nod to the growing intensity of the rain. The wind outside seemed to be tossing the leaves of trees around, bending them at the roots. Leon took a glance outside but quickly diverted his gaze, returning back to Y/N's face. His eyes were kind, almost gentle. It seemed like he just wanted Leon to feel comfortable. It was sweet. He looked back down at the casing. He didn't know how he would react when he was watching this, but as long as it didn't have anything to do with zombies, he would be fine. "Sure." Leon replied.

The thunder then started. Leon flinched at the sound, his jaw tensing a little bit when he looked out the window. His hands had a bit of tremble to them. Y/N could see it, but he didn't know what to say about it. He didn't say anything about it. He didn't want to show pity, he wanted to show care. This charming man didn't deserve pity. Y/N could see his nerves start to flare. "I'll, uh, I'll get you a blanket." Y/N spoke, scratching the side of his face before he stood back up. He set the DVD onto the table before walking off to the room adjacent, his own room. Leon's eyes followed him as he walked off.

When he came back from the room, he held a white and red blanket with fringes on the end over his arm, like a waiter would hold a towel. Y/N handed the blanket to the blonde with a small nod, before grabbing onto the casing for the DVD again. He walked up over to his TV, pressing the power button. When it turned on, the familiar sound of static filled the room. He hit his hand up against the side of it twice before the screen switched to a menu. Y/N let out a small sigh before he couched down in front of the DVD player, opening the case and inserting the disc into the player. It skipped past the menu screen and just started to play the movie. Y/N stepped out of the way of the TV and looked back to Leon.

The two didn't say much else as the movie started. Leon sat with a blanket draped over his lap, and Y/N placed himself next to him. Leon's eyes focused on the TV, but he could feel the man next to him, the air coming off of him. Y/N folded one leg over the other. His body was starting to get cold.

When it came to storms in this sector of Texas, it seemed like the hot and sweaty weather flipped on it's back the second rain comes around. It got cold, the worst kind of cold. It was something that Y/N had always hated, since he always wore light clothing. Tonight was no different.

Minutes started to pass, adding and adding until they were about halfway through the movie. Leon was enjoying the movie more than he thought. He expected most horror things to be cheesy, or at least that's what he heard about them. But he ended up pretty invested in the story. But he could see from the corner of his eye he could see the man beside him rubbing his hands against his arms. The hair on his arms was slightly raised, his jaw tensed a little. "Hey, uh, you cold?" asked Leon, a strand of his blonde hair falling over one of his eyes.

Y/N's eyes flickered from the TV back to Leon, his lips parting ever so slightly. He let out a soft chuckle, trailing his tongue over his teeth. "Yeah, a little." he replied, giving a small half smile before looking back down into his lap. Leon trailed his eyes over the man, picking up the blanket from his legs. "You can have the blanket if you want," he offered, holding a kind tone in his voice.

Y/N looked back at him, giving a small shake of his head. "Oh, no, it's alright." he replied, his hand lifting from his arm and gave Leon a small wave. Leon narrowed his eyes, looking back down to the blanket he held. "Seriously, I doubt I need it as much as you." he replied, a halfway amused smile spread across his face as he held out the blanket. "Or we could share. I'm sure we could both fit." he offered, one brow raising. Y/N felt his cheeks warm at the offer.

"Oh, ah," Y/N swiped his finger underneath his nose before letting out a soft breath. "Alright."

Leon watched as Y/N grabbed the blanket from his lap, before scooting closer. They were arm to arm now, just close enough but not too close. Y/N lifted the blanket up around, wrapping the fabric around the both of their bodies. Y/N's arms were cool against Leon's. They could both feel the turn in their stomach. Leon's cheeks felt that same warmth. He swallowed a bit, deciding to not speak about it and just looking back to the movie.

The close proximity was filling the both of their minds. Y/N had bit down on the inside of his cheek to mask any show of his breath being unsteady, and Leon was making it known that he wasn't going to move. He couldn't help but to continue to sneak glances back at Y/N. He didn't know what he was feeling, he definitely wasn't used to it. It made him a little nervous knowing that he didn't understand what was going on with him, but he couldn't lie. He didn't entirely hate how he felt. It was almost comforting. These nerves took his mind off the storm at least.

Y/N's body was starting to get warmer underneath the blanket, along with the close proximity of the man beside him. His face felt like it was on fire. He recognized the feeling though. He had felt it plenty of times when he saw the assistants around the farm he used to work at. They were only ever men. He knew that it wasn't normal.

The movie was faint, but it covered up the sound of the rain. The two weren't talking, but it seemed there was an unspoken understanding between the two. They could tell.

The time was passing faster than they expected. The moon was out now, and the thunder had died down and the rain was softer. But telling by the clouds, it would pick up later in the night. But Leon, after a long day of driving and working out every muscle in his arm, holding on for dear life, was pretty tired. He had started to get tired more often.

Y/N could feel something against his shoulder. He didn't think anything of it at first, but a few seconds later he started to feel warm breath against his neck, along with the faint feeling of hair touching his skin. He tilted his head to the side, looking over to Leon. He had dozed off. Y/N let out a small breath biting down on his lower lip as he felt his face glow with heat. He didn't want to wake him up. He was nervous to move. Leon's lips were slightly parted, his eyes resting closed with his cheek against Y/N's shoulder.

It was surprisingly comfortable. He and Leon were alone. Nobody was watching. Nobody to judge. Y/N flickered his eyes to the side of the couch, before looking back to Leon. He gave Leon the smallest nudge to his body, but Leon didn't stir. He was definitely asleep. Y/N trailed his tongue over his teeth before he slowly and carefully readjusted his position on the couch, turning on his back and laying himself down, Leon shifting along with him. Y/N rested his head on the armrest of the couch, his eyes carefully trained on Leon's face to see any shift in expression. He didn't stir.

Leon's head slipped from Y/N's shoulder, now resting against his chest, his breath against the mans collarbone. Y/N's body felt really warm. Leon's body was warming him. Leon's blonde hair fell against his eyes, covering a portion of his face. He let out a small mumble against Y/N's shirt, but he didn't wake. Instead, he shifted one of his arms and wrapped it around Y/N's waist. Y/N could feel his heart start to race. They were so close. But it felt like it should be like this -- it didn't feel wrong, like it did when he was close to other people. This was comfortable. This was nice.

The warmth in his body was almost comforting to Y/N. It gave him this sort of peace. Hesitantly, he decided to rest an arm around Leon. It was nothing big, if anything he could just say it was an adjustment. His hand rested on Leon's back, feeling up against the fabric of his button up. He felt nervous, but giddy. But the feeling was starting to fade away once it had been a few minutes when he himself started to feel more tired. He had been working since 7 A.M. And besides, what else could he do in this situation instead of go to bed?

He let his eyes close, his head tilted back against the armchair of the couch and relaxing with the feeling of another man against him, and the feeling of the warm blanket around him. It wasn't even 2 minutes before Y/N was clocked out. But Leon wasn't asleep. He was tired, sure, but he was conscious. He was good at faking sleep -- he did it plenty when he was a kid.

The only reason he did it tonight was out of pure, unadulterated curiosity. And it turned out better than he thought it would.

cowboy art — @barfeverywhere (blame him for this stupid idea)

he’s sunburnt as a treat

[ac3may]

“ the wag diaries ”

The Origin Story

~ Sam Kerr ~

~~~~~~~~~~

• just graduated, you were a pretty average uni student

• except not entirely

• you were a couple of years older than most of your class

• America, Fiji, Asia you had become a full granola-girl, travel fiend for a couple of years

• hiking and surfing through the days, partying with your hostel friends through the night

• you were the textbook “trying to discover myself” gap-year kid

• yes, you even came home with a pair of those classic baggy trousers plastered with elephants

•although things went a little better for you considering the internet fame your YouTube doc got you (but we’ll get back to that)

• with two younger siblings (twins) you were blunt, and impatient

• but ultimately cared far more about others than you did yourself

• they were your best friends

• elys was renowned for his practical jokes and getting in trouble that only you could get him out of

• enya was the perfect, youngest child, spoilt in just the right way

• always encouraging you to let her practice her makeup skills or plant pretty flowers in the garden

• especially when your mum died, they were the only ones able to get you out of bed

• or failing that at least encourage a smile to your face

• specially considering the lacklustre relationship you had with your dad… who wasn’t really your dad

• your bio-father split before you were born so at 8 you were introduced to your new stepdad

• he was your sibling's father though so you always felt out of the loop, especially once your mum was gone

• growing up in a football family you were their biggest fan when they progressed from grassroots to academy and academy to first team

• attending every game clad in blue with a painted face, number 1 soccer mom to the max

• you would do anything for them

• the biggest people pleaser

• even if it meant catching a flight to a homophobic country to watch your brother's world cup debut

• just a wounded soul who’s afraid to disappoint

• absolutely underestimate your worth

• just trying to blend into the background

• despite being a secret slut for attention and craving someone to care for you for once

• you’d portray the perfect child to your family so they assume you’re a rebel kid really

• but you felt pretty average growing up

• you were adored in your hometown, always helping the elderly with their grocery shopping and the kids with their homework

• a babysitter and a tutor

• a football coach too

• you played as a kid, much like your siblings

• but the teenage depression when your mum died meant you lost all character and quit all hobbies

• at least for a couple of years

• alonely kid in high school, didn’t drink before you were of age, never went to a school party, or hung out smoking in a field

• always followed the rules at school, middle-of-the-road type of student, not memorable for being too good or too bad

• you were a classic 90’s kid except you refused to let the era go

• as a kid, your mum’s camcorder was on you always

• you loved filming everything and always forced your siblings into being the stars

• which was especially easy when it was their football skills you were showing off

• when you got older you filmed your travels, mainly to send back home but actually gained some traction online

• and then during covid when you and the twins resorted to your roots

• it turns out a YouTube series about two of Chelsea and England’s up-and-coming stars actually does pretty well

• despite being a film student graduate you had no intentions of following your peers to Hollywood or the BBC

• it was your sister who secured you a job with Chelsea

• a big surprise at Christmas when Elys unveiled a new camera and Enya followed up with a contract to start in the summer

• somehow you had never met any of the other Chelsea players, always rushing off to travel home after watching the game in the stands

~~~~~~~~~~

Sam’s definitely my most worked on wag diaries so far, already got 2 more blurbs lined up about her😂😅

[nczennie]

summer 1963.

Part One of She's Like The Wind

Pairing: Reader x Stray Kid's Lee Know AU: Summer love, based on the film Dirty Dancing Genre: Angst, Fluff (this part) Preview: “Yeah, I carried a watermelon.” The words tumble out of your mouth before your mind can comprehend them. At this, Minho spares you a judging glance that makes you feel small, not bothering another word before turning and walking back to the dance floor. Words: 7.9k *Warnings under cut

Warnings: Some curse words, mentions of food, eating, and being full, mentions and allusions to drug use and bad side effects of said usage, overall mature themes.

Your head lulls softly to the side, pulling your gaze to the window- the same green stretch of grass stuck in your view for the past couple of hours of your drive. The deep colors seem refreshing even in the summer heat, much more appealing than the grey concrete that you were accustomed to. 

Looking to your right, you see your older sister trying for the fifth time this hour to paint her toes a deep red without messing up with the occasional bumps on the road. In the passenger seat, your mom flips through a home decor magazine- one of the hundreds she brought to keep herself busy during the long ride to the countryside. Driving, your dad stays concentrated on the destination all while humming along to the songs coming from the radio. 

You’ve come to love the idea of spending your last summer with your family at a resort a couple of hours away from the city. When your parents first mentioned the idea, it seemed less than appealing- being more focused on quality time with your friends before everyone moved away for college. But now that you’re here, you’re glad to have this time with them knowing once you leave to the college an hour from home- everything will be different. 

You push those thoughts away for now-  the inevitable change that is making you more nervous by the day but you want to focus on what you have now. 

Not a half-hour later, the car makes its way on the dirt path to the large buildings surrounded by vast fields of green. The many guests loiter around outside, walking to their next destination or sitting, soaking up the sun. The closer you get, you spot a large lake just down the hill, complete with some volleyball nets and kids splashing in the water while their moms try their hand at tanning. 

The scene is so different than the summers you’re used to and suddenly you can’t wait to see what else there is in store here.

Pulling up to the front behind several other cars, your dad parks and gets out, everyone else following in suit. A worker, no doubt a high school student with a summer job, quickly comes to assist with taking your luggage out of your car. You let your eyes wander to him, feeling bad as he’s left to heavy bags by himself as your family follows your father- he’s just spotted the owner of the resort and his old friend and excitedly makes his way to greet him. Staying behind, you make your way to the back of the car and start to hand bags to the boy. He gives you a genuine smile, his eyes nearly closing as he does and you can’t help but return it. 

“You really don’t have to help, it’s my job, ya’know. You’re here to relax.” He claims as he places the bags on the bell cart. You smile softly, “I know, but it’s the least I can do. My sister tends to overpack, that would explain why we have eight suitcases when there’s only four of us.” You chuckle and the black-haired boy joins in. “Well, thank you for your help. I hope you have a wonderful stay.” He says piling up the last of the bags. “Thanks,” you let your eyes wander to his nametag, “Jeongin. Have a nice day.” 

Jeongin waves you off as you make your way to find your family. You’re thankful you don’t have to go far when you see them standing in front of the resort, your dad still talking to his friend. At your presence, your father puts his arm around you bringing you closer into the view of his friend, introducing you as his youngest daughter. 

“And this is here is my roommate and dear friend from college, Max Kellermen. He also owns this lovely place and invited us here for a stay.” Your dad smiles brightly as he talks about his friend. The middle-aged man politely shakes your hand as he smiles just as bright, the two of them clearly excited to catch up. 

“I have no doubt you and your family will have a life-changing experience here. This vacation will be like no other.”

After a slow afternoon of settling in and wandering around the property, you find yourself sat between your dad and sister at the dinner table. One of the nicer dresses you packed feeling much harder to breathe in after the five-course meal that was presented to you.  Dinner at the resort was held in a fancy ballroom-like hall where all the guests gathered to be waited on by the multiple waiters from the kitchen.  The whole thing was enjoyable but the events from the day were starting to wear on you. You quietly stir at your coffee, barely listening to your father who loudly babbles on to Max who has joined your table for dessert. 

“Is there anything else I can do for you all?” Your waiter for the night, a polite, handsome young man with an enjoyable sense of humor, asks checking in on you all once again. Max and your father smile up at him, “I think we’re good, Chan.” 

Chan smiles his charming smile and you speak up before he can leave, “Actually, can I have a box for my leftovers. I wouldn’t want to waste,” You finish off bashfully almost embarrassed by your comment. Your father nearly rejoices by it though, “That’s right, Chan. We could all use some boxes. Wasted food and hunger are the worst problems in our country, could you believe?” You feel second hand embarrassment by your fathers words, clearly being affected by the wine he had for dinner.  “You see,” he speaks to Chan and Max, “My youngest here is going to change the world. She starts college this fall and then after that, the Peace Corps that President Kennedy founded” He smiles proudly at you and you feel nauseous by the statement. You grew up close to your father, whereas your older sister enjoyed tea parties, ballet, and shopping trips with your mom, you tended to golf and volunteer with your dad. You suppose your closeness has allowed for him to push his views on you, so it shouldn’t surprise you at this point how much faith he puts into you and your nonexistent aspirations.

You hate it.

All this he talks of, college, peace corps, those are his dreams not yours. You fear that after all this time you lost a sense of who you are without your father's interference. You love the man to death, but hate the fact that you are living under his idea of a perfect daughter.

Max merely smiles at you before turning to your sister, “Well if she is going to change the world, what are you going to do, Daisy?” Your mother chuckles speaking up, “Oh, she’s going to decorate it.” 

It takes you all by surprise when Chan speaks up as he clears the used dishes, “I think she already does.” He smiles at her before excusing himself. You giggle at the redness of her face and give your mom a look knowing just how much your sister loved it.

The conversation drags even longer between the two and you’ve even ended up asking Chan for another cup of coffee to help keep the sleep off of you. 

Sometime later, a young man comes to your table seeking Max out, “Uncle, there you are. I’ve been waiting at our table or an hour now.” He chuckles and you glance over him.  Max lights up at his presence and stands to wrap his arm around his nephews shoulder, “Everyone, this is my nephew, Neil. He is one of the managers here at the resort.” He proudly smiles at the boy. Neil politely greets everyone before taking an empty seat next to his uncle, “You must be the family my uncle has been talking nonstop about all summer. He’s so excited you all could finally make it out.” He keeps a wide smile on his face, letting his eyes wander over everyone at the table. 

You keep a small smile on your face but inwardly groan at the thought of the conversation continuing any longer.  The next fifteen minutes are spent with your dad being utterly impressed with Neil as he talks nonstop about himself and his accomplishments for being so young. You don’t think you've ever heard one man talk for so long about only his own matters and it didn’t take long for you to be completely put off by the boy. 

Your relief came not long after when the boy stood, “Well, it was so nice to meet you all but I must be going. I’m due in the lounge to watch over the dancing.” He politely smiles. “There’s dancing?” Your sister asks curious about the activity she has yet to see at the resort.  “Oh, yes. Every night we have a live band in the longue and most guests come to dance the hottest dances- from the foxtrot to the mambo. We even have professional dancers staffed that can teach and demonstrate to the guests. It’s really great.” Neil explains the situation and Max nods along proud of the popular activity the resort could provide. 

Your mom and sister look to each other clearly interested in the activity whereas you could care less, never really have been much interested in dancing yourself.  You look up with a start as your dad calls your name, “Doesn’t that sound fun? You know, Neil, maybe you should take her over to check it out, I bet she would love it.” Your dad smiles excitedly and you realize quickly he was so impressed with the boy he’s started to play matchmaker. 

Trying your best to keep your emotions contained, simply looking to your father. “I don’t know, daddy. I’m quite tired from traveling today.”  “We don’t have to stay long,” Neil smiles at you, “You can just check the scene out that way you know where it is for other nights.”  “That’s a good idea, sweetie. Why don’t you go check it out for us and let us know if we should all go over tomorrow night.” Your mom speaks up nodding at you.

The longue is much bigger than you expected and the dimly lit room made for the perfect atmosphere. The live band continuously played upbeat and slower tunes to appease the large crowd of dancing guests.  Though, much to your dismay, Neil insisted on having one dance with you and yet here you both were three songs later.  You were never much of a dancer, not even interested in the deed during your final prom in the spring. Not much has changed as you stand swaying boringly back and forth with your partner. Though all the people around you seem to be having the time of their lives lazily moving to the music, you were bored from the moment you started. 

As Neil continues his nonstop talking, you begin to think maybe it’s your partner that is making the dancing so miserable. The owner's nephew was very polite, but it didn’t take long for you to realize just how full of himself he is. The past fifteen minutes were full of him going on about how amazing he is to have started managing- not one but three resorts, at such a young age. You were able to slip in a few words about how hardworking he must be but other than that, he seemed to be content with you just listening to his whole life story. 

The song finally comes to an end, the crowd stops their movements to applaud the band. You’re thankful for the opportunity to prepare yourself to tell Neil just how tired you were, but the band starts again- playing a much more upbeat tune than that of any you have heard the time you’ve been here. 

You look on with curiosity as the crowd starts to cheer and clap as a couple makes their way into the center of the circle the guests have carved out for them. 

Your eyes follow the couple in awe as they command the spotlight and start to dance, clearly much more advanced than anyone else in the room. 

You’re unable to even find it in yourself to leave Neil as you’re absolutely captivated by the way the pair move across the floor all by themselves. Eyes wandering to the boy as he swiftly and gracefully moves across the floor, effortlessly gliding his partner. 

A smile pulls on your face as he lifts her slightly, spinning her around letting the coral dress she’s wearing flow freely around her. The two were clearly professionals and watching their dance brought you joy as well as all of the other guests who stayed aside to watch their show. You had never seen professional dancers before but watching them now you were allured by their talent, unable to take your eyes off of them. Every part of their bodies seemed to move to every beat, everything about what they did seemed natural and intentional at the same time. “They’re amazing,” you let out as your eyes continue to follow the couple whose looks are as beautiful as their movements.  Neil scoffs from beside you, “Yeah, well they should be we pay them for it.” He shakes his head as he continues to watch their routine, “They’re supposed to be selling lessons to the guests but they’re just showing off.” You want to argue that everyone around them is clearly enjoying the act but you don’t bother using the energy to talk to the boy. 

You stay watching the couple, unable to tear your gaze away from every twist and twirl they make. They eventually end and bow respectively to the crowd who cheers loudly for their talents. Even then, your eyes stay focused on the gorgeous girl and boy who shines just as beautifully. You watch as they go their separate ways, making their way in the crowd to politely dance with some of the guests- a clear part of their attempt to sell lessons. You follow the boy’s head until you can no longer see it, mind wandering to ask your father to pay for dance lessons this summer. That would be a great idea, you thought, if only you liked dancing.

The next couple days of your vacation were uneventful- relaxing but nothing too memorable. You often found yourself wandering the resort by yourself as you parents partook in the multiple activities offered and your sister spent as much time as she could with the waiter, Chan. 

This night wasn’t much different as you wandered around the different paths of the resort after dinner, picking daisies that littered the grass. The sun had fallen long ago but you couldn’t find it in yourself to stay cooped up in the room when Daisy had gone into town with Chan and your parents were watching a screening of a new movie in the small theater within the hotel. So, much like any other time, you found your feet carried you outside and simply walked where you could. 

You hum along to a song that’s tune has been in your head all day as you hop along the rock-paved path going to the bottom of a hill you have yet to explore. Half way down, you notice the presence of another. It was a boy who seemed to struggling to carry something as he walked further in front of you. Squinting your eyes, you notice the boy is familiar. “Jeongin! Hey!” You call out with a smile, happy to see another person you know. You jog briskly down the hill to meet him where he stopped with a smile. You hold your white dress to keep it from flowing too far up and you make your way to the black haired boy, sending him a big smile as you finally reach him. “Hey,” he returns your smile and you look down to see him struggling to keep his grip on a couple of watermelons. You automatically go to grab one with a huff as it’s much heavier than you first expected, “Where are you going? I’ll help take this there.” Jeongin chuckles at you, “What? Don’t you have to go meet your manager boyfriend?” 

You frown at the mention of Neil, the boy clearly having seen your parents attempt of having you spend time with the conceded boy. Rather annoyed by his comment, you roll your eyes, roughly pushing the watermelon back into his arms and turn around to take your leave, disappointed by the boy you were originally pleased to see. 

“Hey! Wait! I was messing around, c’mon I could use your help.” You spin around, sending the boy a glare as you pull the extra fruit from his arms. Jeongin laughs and hoists the fruit he still has further up in his arms, “Well, let’s go then. But don’t you dare even mention what I’m about to show you.” he says the threat with such a light tone that you barely register what he was saying. “What do you mean?” You ask as you follow him further away from where you met. “Where we’re going is only for staff members, so you’re not even allowed to be there.” He says nonchalantly and your confused as to whether he is being serious or not. “And when I say that, I mean only certain staff,” he huffs as you two make your way up a hill, “So don’t mention it to nobody, especially not the manager.” You roll your eyes but refrain from biting back at the comment about Neil once again.

Finally making your way to a small wooden building, Jeongin roughly shoves the two doors open using the back of his body, making sure one of them stayed open long enough to safely let you in. Yet you’re so surprised by your new surroundings you can’t even find it in yourself to thank him.

Though the lighting is dim just like the dance lounge on the main resort - that is the only thing that you find familiar.  The room is hazy and filled with smoke and there is a loud booming from the speakers playing music from the record. A completely different genre from that of the live music you enjoyed at dinner and in the lounge. It sounds much like the music your peers listened to on their own record players when you visited their homes.

As you try to keep your gaze on Jeongin to follow him to the designated destination he had in mind, you find it nearly impossible. The room was crowded with workers who are enjoying their time off, dancing to the loud beat of an unfamiliar song.  And though you try your hardest to keep your eyes on Jeongin through the tight-nit crowd of people, you can’t help them wandering to take in just how the people around you are dancing. 

Never in your life have you seen just- frankly to put it; crude dancing. You weren’t really sure if you could call it dancing at all.

Pairs of people who pressed together so tightly it was nearly difficult to tell where one body ended and the other began.  There was groping with wandering hands and groins pressed and rocking together. Your cheeks flushed as were almost certain these moves were only meant to be done in private. 

Finally reaching your destination, you place the watermelon on an empty table beside Jeongin's. Wiping his hands on his jeans, he chuckles probably taking in your flustered reaction. “Do you like the dancing?” he moves a bit to lean back against the wood, moving his view the the crowd of moving people before you both. 

Following his actions, you move closer to him, making sure he could hear you even with the blaring music, “So they are dancing?”  You aren’t even sure yourself if your question is facetious or not.  Jeongin merely lets out a laugh, “Could you imagine if people danced like this out on the main floor?” He shakes his head just thinking about it, “Max would have all of our asses out on the street.” 

You smooth the fabric of your dress down, suddenly feeling self conscious of how you're dressed. Compared to those around you, you feel like you're dressed for church. "Wanna try?"Jeongin speaks up from next to you, raising his eyebrows, as you swiftly shake your head. There was no way you would dance like that. Not only did you not believe your body would move like that, but you were sure you would be far too embarrassed.

Your attention is drawn back to the crowd when everyone seems to let out a small cheer, looking you notice they make way for a new couple to join the dancing right in the center of the room, where everyone can see them. 

Immediately, you recognize the pair. 

It was hard not to, with the man striking features and the smoothness in which both of them move. Though this dance is completely opposite than that of what they danced to the last time you saw them.  You enjoy watching them nonetheless, you could hardly keep your eyes off of them, absolutely captivated by their swiftness. Automatically, your head starts to bob to music.  “They’re incredible!” You lean closer to Jeongin to express your fondness.  “Right? They’re the best this resort has. That there is my cousin, Minho. And his partner is Momo!” The boy has a smile on his face as though he is proud to introduce you to the talented pair he happens to know very well. 

“They make such a great couple.” You let out, even you could see their chemistry. 

“You would think so, huh? They’re not romantically involved though.”

Pursing your lips, you look at Jeongin after his comment, blown away with the information he just shared with you, “Seriously?”

He nods quickly, crossing his arms, “Oh, yeah. They tried it out once in high school, ended it two days later. Momo actually has a boyfriend who lives in town.”

You let out a small hum of acknowledgment, letting your eyes stay focused on the pair you two talked about, “And what about him, your cousin?”  The younger boy laughs beside you, “Oh he’s single, alright.” The current song comes to an end and some pairs start to break away.  Almost as if he knew you were talking about him, his cousin's eyes wander over to where you and Jeongin are resting. 

And much to your dismay, he starts to make his way over to you both.

As the boy makes his way in front of you both, you realize how intimidating he was. His dark eyes are sharp and unimpressed, sweat lingering on his face from dancing in the hot, crowded room. Maybe it was because you were aware you weren't supposed to be here, but you swear his gaze was intense enough to make you sweat yourself. You do your best to keep your eyes locked on his chest, his arms, his neck, anywhere that kept you from meeting his eyes. All the while you could feel his own locked on you.

“What is she doing here?” The older boy questions his cousin. “Oh, she helped me out on the way here. Saw me struggling and all.” Jeongin trails off as if to observe what his cousin’s reaction would be. “Yeah, I carried a watermelon.”  The words tumble out of your mouth before your mind can comprehend them. At this, Minho spares you a judging glance that makes you feel small, not bothering another word before turning and walking back to the dance floor. And as soon he turns your eyes rolls and you mumble to yourself about your idiotic words, shaking your head with a sigh as you wish you could forget the awkward encounter.

The next couple of songs play without incident; you stay by Jeongin's side, making idle small talk as you enjoy the music. All the songs being played are quite different from those that the live band play on the main floor, but you might even enjoy these songs even more. As each melody goes on you find yourself subconsciously moving and bobbing to the beat, especially as you watch everyone around you flowing along with the instrumentals. 

Continuing your small movements with a small smile upon your lips, your eyes wander around the room, taking in how the crowd changes their movements when a slightly more upbeat song starts to play. As your eyes make their way back to in front of you, the smile you once sported falls just as you still your body. You find a familiar dancer making his way straight towards you. 

He makes his appearance without a word, simply reaching out to grasp your hand with his nimble fingers. Minho gently gives you a tug, head nodding towards the dance floor as he walks you there. You feel your mouth slightly part in surprise but you find yourself unable to protest, head glancing back as Jeongin as he merely gives you a shrug, looking almost as confused as you are.

Minho doesn’t stop until you’re both in the middle of the dance floor, surrounded by the other moving bodies. He makes his way in front of you making sure he has your attention, “Watch.” You swallow deeply as the taller boy starts to move, simply swaying his hips back and forth to the beat of the song. “Go on.” He states again and you bite the inside of your cheek questioning if you would rather run back to his cousin than to attempt to dance in front of him, but you figure you can attempt this basic move he basically saw you doing before he dragged you out here.

You start to move after a deep breath, following along the best you could though you could already tell you were not nearly as smooth as the dancer.

“Good,” he nods his head “Now bend your knees, lower your hips.” He taps his pelvis to draw attention to the next move, his body now lower even as he continues his swaying movements.

Your body awkwardly lowers to try to match him and you suddenly become aware of how foolish you must look. A fish out of water compared to how smooth everyone is around you. Quickly glancing around you, you try to see if anyone else is seeing how awful you’re doing.

“Hey, look at me. Keep your eyes on me.” You draw your eyes back to Minho as he attempts to keep your attention on him. You do your best to keep everyone else around you out of your mind and hope you don’t draw their eyes in with your bad dancing. “Now roll your hips right,” he demonstrates slowly, “And then left.” He smoothly rolls his hips in a circle, alternating sides as he told you. 

When it was your turn to attempt you furrow your brows clearly having to concentrate more to get it done. He chuckles slightly at you but still praises, “Good, that’s it.” 

The two of you continue that for a moment before he creeps closer, grabbing your waist and pulling you flush against him. Your breath hitches in your throat as he holds your hips to his, having to place one of your hands on his bicep to keep you from stumbling, both of you still moving with the flow he taught you moments before. You can feel your face flush at the proximity and the mere movement you both are doing together. The only other time you can think of doing something similar involves the last boy you were with and being between the sheets, the movements could almost be the same you find yourself thinking. Only the thought flushes your cheeks even more.

As the two of you fall into a more comfortable rhythm matching the song, Minho starts to move more. He skillfully sways you both side to side even dipping you back slightly, your hand finding its way to his shoulder to steady yourself. It’s all much funner than you expected and you can’t help the smile that finds its way onto your face along with a giggle that breaks through your lips as he pulls you closer to him.

Unfortunately the fun and the song have to end at some point, Minho separates from you, magically twirling you around as the last notes of the song play. The crowd around you stops dancing and the room fills with claps and cheers end off the music. 

Still giddy, you clap along turning around with a smile only to find the boy was nowhere to be seen. 

Awkwardly stopping your movements, you flatten your hair and start to move through the crowd looking to make your way back to Jeongin, suddenly feeling red and flustered, your heart still pounding in your chest from the small dance you just shared.

It’s only a few short nights later that you find yourself in the presence of Minho once again, but this time the circumstances are very different. 

You stand under a well lit gazebo along with your parents and Max. The large platform acts as a dance floor, many bodies dancing classically to the soft music, a change of scenery from the usual ballroom floor. The fairy lights are bright enough to brighten up the whole area, the music plays from a record player in the corner; a contrast to the live band, and being outside once the sun goes down allows for a coolness to cover the space. It’s not much, but you are glad you decided to wear your cardigan. 

You stand closely to your mother, both of you keeping an eye on your sister who dances in the center of the place with Chan, who had the night off. Glancing up at her you both give each other a knowing smile at the kind boy that has caught Daisy’s eye this summer. 

As they move a bit from out of your sight, you bring your attention back to your father and Neil as they talk of their old college days. 

As the bodies continue to sway and move you can’t help but notice Minho among the crowd, his expert moves sticking out like a sore thumb. You watch as him and his partner move closer to the corner where you stood. You look at the girl in his arms and notice it’s not his usual partner Jeongin introduced to you as Momo. Instead this woman you could immediately tell was much older than Minho in age, that was obvious in appearance. And unlike Momo’s professionalism, this woman seemed much more interested in staying close to the boy rather than any real ballroom dancing. 

“Hello, Ruby. How are you doing?” You turn your head towards Max who speaks to the woman in Minho’s arms. She gives him a cunning smile, resting her head on the dark-haired boy’s shoulder, “I’m doing just fine, Max.” Max keeps a smile and nods as the pair continue their dance moving on along the room.

Once they’re far enough you hear Max sigh, “That’s what we call a Bungalow Bunny here.” This has the attention of both you and your parents, “They come every summer with their husbands, though their husbands only come down on the weekend. Ruby’s husband pays for her dance lessons,” he puts out his head to where she was with Minho. “It’s a difficult situation, she must be lonely.” He states and you swallow at his implications; that Minho is offering much more than dance lessons to this married woman. 

You find yourself getting sleepy the more you stand there, no longer interested in any of the conversation your father and Max find themselves having. And just when you thought your mood couldn’t be more sour, you spot Neil entering the gazebo and make his way over to the corner. You politely greet him but you dread it when he asks you to join him for a dance, “Oh I don’t know, Neil. I’m practically falling asleep here.” You force out a giggle to keep the atmosphere light. “Well how about a walk then? There’s a full moon tonight and the view will be beautiful by the lake.” 

You’re just as ready to turn his offer down again, but you feel your mom slightly push your lower back. You know right away what this means, go on with him. Though you dread it, you know it’s the right thing to do when his uncle is standing right next to you and he being the one to invite your family to stay at his resort. 

So that’s how you find yourself walking along the grass towards the lake, the moonlight being the only form of brightness in the night. Neil has been dragging on about how he got in an argument with one of the lifeguards and you haven’t been able to get a single word in since you started your walk. Finally getting to the dock, you take a deep breath and enjoy the view trying your best to block out Neil’s ramblings. 

Your view seems to almost be ruined though, when you feel the boy place his arm over your shoulder, “And I said, you know what Jimmy doesn’t have? Three hotels!” The boy laughs at his own joke and you give him a tight lipped smile to keep your rudeness at bay. 

But that seems to be getting harder to do when you feel Neil start to play with the ends of your hair, taking it softly in the tips of his fingers. “You know, when it comes time, there are much more important things than looks when choosing a man is involved.”

An unamused laugh leaves your lips as you slip yourself from out of his grip, “You know Neil, I’m actually kind of hungry. Maybe we can head back so I can have a snack.” He smiles at you, not at all fazed by your actions, “No problem at all, there’s actually a small kitchen for the staff in this building, we can grab you something there before heading back.” 

You follow him to the small building by the lake, you look around the dark building as Neil points out the sights. “And here is the kitchen, it’s pretty small but it’s usually just for the staff to have their lunches when they’re working around the lake.” He stands by the doorframe as you walk in the narrow kitchen. The boy continues to talk about some of the different staff schedules as you hear a small whimper coming from the corner. 

Looking alarmed at Neil, he doesn’t seem to notice as he continues his talking. Carefully you move further into the room pretending to look at the different arrangement of snacks. Finally you hear the sound more clearly and look in the corner, someone is hunched between the fridge and the wall. The person looks up and you fight the gasp that threatens to leave your throat. You make eye contact and immediately know who it is, you would recognize his partner anywhere.

Momo looks up from you, whimpering and shaking, clearly having been crying for who knows how long.  

You swallow quickly and trust your gut.

Turning around you make your way back to Neil, grabbing an apple in the basket by the door, “I think it will do, Neil. Thank you for showing me this, and for the snack. I think we should head back now, I wouldn’t want to worry my parents.”

“Of course, let’s go.” He shuts the door behind him and you make your way back to the gazebo as quickly as you can. 

Your heart is in your throat and you consider yourself lucky that Neil has separated himself from you by the time you get back to the gazebo. You try to think of the best way to approach the situation and decide it’s best not to interrupt Minho, whom you still barely know, especially when he’s with his client in the middle of the dance floor. Recalling from earlier in the night, you remember you saw Jeongin in the opposite corner from you, doing his job of handing out drinks to the guests.

Relief floods your system when you see the dark-haired boy in the same spot as before. Rushing over as quickly as you could without drawing attention to yourself, you finally place your arm on his shoulder. A friendly smile starts to form on his face but before he could even greet you, you bring your mouth to his ear, hand cupping around them both in order to tell him of the questionable situation you were in before finding him. 

His eyes widen at your words and he quickly makes his way to Minho in the middle of the floor, obviously not having the same worries as you did about interrupting him. You keep your eyes on the two boys and you notice Minho becomes just as alert as Jeongin when he tells him. There’s a part of you that is relieved you told the boys, it seems as though you made the right decision with how they’re reacting as you watch them rush out of the busy gazebo. 

And before you can tell yourself any better, you follow them.

The adrenaline is still high in your bloodstream as you follow both of the boys as they nearly run to reach Momo. You’ve realized long ago you really have no place to be here but your curiosity gets the best of you once again; you need to know what’s happened to the girl and you can only hope it’s nothing bad. 

“Do you know what happened?” you ask and they get closer to the location and Jeongin looks back as if he’s shocked you’re still there. He answers nonetheless, “She’s having a bad high.” The older doesn’t seem pleased by the information his cousin disposed and he nearly yells back at him, “Fuck, Jeongin! You can’t just go around telling people that shit.”

Your heart is stuck in your throat as you feel you’re being told off, perhaps you now know why curiosity killed the cat.

“Now she’s going to off to tell her manager boyfriend, gonna get us all fired” Minho mumbles even further and you can’t help but your blood to boil at the underming comment. “I would never tell anyone, I’m not some kind of snitch.” You bit back not even getting the chance to explain your nonexistent relationship with Neil before you’ve reached the destination. 

You stay put outside with Jeongin and Minho hurriedly picks up Momo and comes out to continue along the path. 

Figuring you’re already in deep enough, you continue to follow them to where you assume is their home for the summer. 

Further down the dirt road, you’re met with a series of small apartment-like houses; there’s a sign further up the hill reading “Staff Housing”. They’re quaint and obviously not as well taken care of as the main resort. The porch creeks under the weight of you all as you make your way into room numbered 143.

You stay put by the door you’ve closed behind you, keeping your hand on the handle; ready to leave if the hosts deemed your presence unnecessary (though you already knew it was). 

Watching quietly, you take in how Jeongin brings her a glass of water and Minho wraps her in a blanket, sitting beside her on the small couch and urging her to drink.

Momo must’ve had been alone for some time because she already seems to be sobering up and paying attention to Minho who rubs her back comfortingly. 

“You have to do the program, Mo.” He speaks softly to her and you listen carefully to their hushed conversation. 

Jeongin, who had made his way back to stand closer to you whispers to you, “There’s a program she’s found out about that could help break the addiction.” You nod at him, silently thanking him for explaining to you once again. 

The girl finishes her water and the boy beside her repeats himself once again, softly removing the hair from her face in order to look at her properly. She scoffs in return, turning her head away from his hands, “You know I can’t.”

“Why not?” You speak, what you meant to be a whisper where only Jeongin could hear but your voice comes out much louder than you intended. The couple on the couch look at you and your face flushes with the feeling you don’t belong. 

“The program costs a lot of money,” Jeongin murmurs, still answering your question whether the other two wanted it to be known or not. 

Momo, who seemingly just noticed you were here, stares at you for a second before speaking up herself, “Yeah, try three hundred dollars. That’s a whole summer’s worth of paychecks.” She leans back into the couch but keeps her cold gaze on you, “But you wouldn’t understand that, would you? Must be nice to have access to daddy’s money.” 

It’s clear the words are spoken with the purpose to hurt you but you don’t make a move, not giving her the satisfaction. It feels as though you both are in a staring contest until Jeongin makes the first move, “I’ll make you a sandwich, you should eat.” Momo turns her eyes to the younger boy, giving him a smile and you take the chance to quietly leave the room you were never welcome in.

You knew you shouldn’t let the words Momo said affect you so much, she had not been in the right state in the first place. But nonetheless, her comment played through your head as you toss and turn in bed that night. 

The next morning you found yourself trekking to the golf course bright and early to find your father. Walking along in the cool morning you’ve tried to justify your actions by convincing yourself what you’re about to do is for the sake of helping someone else. But no matter how many times you repeat it, you know that’s not the reason at all for your petty actions.

“Daddy!” You call out finally locating your parents practicing their putting. Grabbing his attention, he looks up with a smile, “Good morning, my love. Did you already have breakfast?”. Keeping the bright smile on your face you go to hug him, “I was on my way to but thought I would say good morning first since I didn’t see you last night.” 

He hums, taking another hit at a ball. “Daddy, about last night,” you start recalling the lie you’ve made up, “I made a friend and she’s trying to buy a place ticket. Her mom is sick and she wants to go home and see her but she has no way of affording it.” He silently looks at you and you take the chance to continue, “She’s a worker here and they don’t pay enough for her to buy it herself.” 

He nods and hits another ball, “And what do you suggest we do?” You make your smile a bit smaller, “I was hoping we could help her, daddy. As a doctor I know you always help people in need so I thought this could be my way of helping her, wouldn’t that be nice?” 

Knowing you’ve hit a soft spot with him as he tries to hide his smile, you keep your own bashful. “I suppose you’re right. I’m so lucky that my daughter has a good heart like you. I’ll write you a check at lunch.”

Walking into the workers lounge late that night, you feel almost powerful with the check in your hand. You confidently make your way in, moving through the bodies closely dancing together until you spot Jeongin on the side of the room. 

You make your way to him giving him a smile which he returns. Just to the right you notice Momo dancing with Minho to the calm song playing over the speakers and you take the chance to approach her. Jeongin follows closely, either curious about what you have to say or worried she won’t be happy to see you. 

You slightly tap Momo on the shoulder, grabbing both her and Minho’s attention. Motioning for them to follow you, you go to the edge of the dance floor where they could hear you better. 

The pair follow without question, obviously curious about what you have to say. They stare at you for a moment and you hold out the check to her, “Here.” 

She cautiously grabs the paper and looks shocked when she realizes what it is, “Are you serious right now?” Minho looks just as surprised, grabbing the check to look at it himself. You merely nod at her, keeping your face serious. “How did you get this?” The dancer speaks up as he examines the check and you keep your gaze steady, “It was easy, all I had to do was go ask my daddy.” You look at Momo raising your eyebrows, “Right?” You can’t help but the petty comment to slip your lips but you thought it was the least she deserved. 

She bashfully looks down and takes the check, passing it back to you, “Thanks, but I can’t take it.” 

Your eyebrows furrow, “Why not?” Your confusion grows as even the man beside her looks shocked, “Yeah, why not? You need to take it, Mo.” She merely shakes her head and it’s Jeongin who finally speaks up. “The program takes place on Thursday nights,” at the comment Minho seems to understand, a frown forming on his face. 

“What does that mean?” Jeongin looks at you, “They both have another gig at a hotel a little away from here. If they don’t show up they lose their spot not only this summer but next summer too. They need the money,” he trails off.

You think quickly, “Well can’t someone else take your place?” Minho rolls his eyes at your suggestion, “No, no one can take her place. Everyone works around here but that’s not something you would know about.”

Eyebrows furrowed, you feel fed up with the comments about your work ethic and you’re half tempted to grab the check and leave, never having to talk to them again.

But before you can even process, Momo lights up, “That’s right! It’s perfect, everyone does work but she doesn’t! She can take my place!” You already panic at the weird idea and you can see right away Minho does too, “What, absolutely not! She’s not a dancer!” 

His cousin on the other hand seems to agree with Momo, “I think it’s a great idea! I mean, you were literally just teaching her how to dance the other night, weren’t you?” Jeongin states almost smugly. At this Momo turns her head to Minho, raising her brows, “Well, then that’s that.”

Taglist:  @linocvp1d @blankdyean @adeards @lomllino @brooklynie @noellllslut @djeniryuu @eternitywaveshello @drhsthl @urmomma0324

Copyright © 2023 by nczennie. All rights reserved.

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[startrekfangirl2233-writes]

Firebird

A Natasha 'Phoenix' Trace Origin Story

Slight Natasha 'Phoenix' Trace / Jake 'Hangman' Seresin

Description: Natasha Trace is used to being marveled and stared at. She's the only woman in her flight class. For the most part, the staring only leads to occasional requests to join the remainder of her cohort for drinks at the nearest bar to base. She always refuses. Her COs have enough to say about her without resorting to the usual criticisms of her gender, which going to a bar would garner.

But Natasha's only human. When she seeks out a bar to get drunk where nobody knows her name, she's surprised to find the one man she never wanted to see off base dropping into the seat next to her. The conversation that follows changes her life and gives her a callsign.

Warnings: Mysogyny, Discussions of Strength and Power as a woman in a male-dominated field

A/N: Hi everyone! Nice to see you here! I wrote this fic for @thedroneranger's Pick Your Poison Challenge to accompany her fabulous Phoenix Cocktail Moodboard Grit & Glam. I wanted to explore a headcanon of how Jake gave Phoenix her callsign and ended up venturing slightly into Hannix territory. I hope you all love it! The italicized lyrics at the end are from the song Firebird by Galantis.

AO3: Cross-posted here!

Wattpad: Cross-posted here!

My Masterlist

“Oh, come on, Trace.” This, she’s used to. It’s what she gets when she’s the only woman in her flight school class. “It’s just a few drinks tonight!”

It’s the overly insistent, ridiculously charming blond man who’s asking her that Natasha’s not used to. Seresin, at least she thinks that’s his name, asks her to go out with the rest of the class every night despite her refusals. 

“It’s not happening, Seresin.” She keeps her tone light and her eyes on the NATOPS she’s rifling through and making notes on. After all, there’s no denying that Seresin is easy on the eyes, with his green eyes and shining blond hair, broad shoulders, and muscular physique. Maybe in another life, she’d have fallen for the lines he feeds girls at the bar hook, line, and sinker. But in this life, she wants to be a Naval Aviator, wants to be the best of the best. No six-foot blond is going to stop her, not when she’s so close.

“C’mon, Trace. It’s just one night of drinks.” He sounds oddly frustrated at her lack of response. “You don’t have to be so frigid all the time, you know? What’s one round of drinks amongst friends and colleagues?”

“Well, Seresin,” Her voice is sardonic and a little sarcastic as she packs up her notebook and her NATOPS. “There’s nothing wrong with a round of drinks amongst friends and colleagues. But you’re neither of them. So I have to say no. Goodnight, Seresin.”

Her voice is just loud enough, cutting enough, that the others hear from the huddle they're in on the other side of the room. They're ooh-ing and aww-ing and ribbing Seresin with every iota of their limited intelligence as she sweeps out of the room. Of course, Natasha also hears the way one of the others, Williams or maybe Monroe, calls her an ice-hearted bitch, but that's nothing she hasn't heard before. Seresin is awfully quiet, and she's sure he would normally have joined in on their censure of her if she hadn't seen the small flicker of hurt that wafted through those crystalline green eyes as she swept out of the room.

She can't figure out why he's so adamant about her socializing, though. It’s not as if Natasha is a stranger to having fun. Once upon a time, when she was a young tomboy, she used to sneak out to bars and other unsavory establishments and party all night long. It had been fun roaming around wild in the hot, sticky San Diego summers, dangling out of an old Pontiac Firebird. She’d slept half-naked under the stars, smoked hand-rolled cigarettes, and drunk too much alcohol. Of course, joining the Navy had put a stop to that kind of reckless, foolish, youthful abandonment. 

It still doesn’t explain Seresin’s behavior. He’s never once attempted to be cordial or nice or even kind for the entire time she’s known him. All Natasha knows is that Jake Seresin is filled with the same urge to be the best that she is. It’s a conundrum that she turns over in her mind late that night and in any spare moment in which her brain isn’t being crammed full of more flying techniques and NATOPS sections. The same conundrum seems to be captivating Seresin as well. Each day for their classes, he takes the seat behind or near hers and spends the time boring a hole into the back of her regulation slicked-back bun or into the side of her face. She spends the week with the heat of his gaze prickling across the back of her neck and distracting her thoroughly.

That’s the only reason why she fucks up on Friday afternoon. It’s supposed to be an easy maneuver. It’s one she’s had swimming in front of her eyes whether she’s awake or asleep. But she messed up. Others in her cohort messed up on the hop, too. But of course, it’s Natasha who’s standing at parade rest facing down their CO as he spits in her face all of the reasons why a woman isn’t talented or determined enough to fly a fighter jet. It’s the snickering Natasha can hear in the background from the others, which has her spine straightening. It shouldn’t be so common to be lambasted over every mistake just because of your gender. But there’s a reason why so few women in the armed forces are aviators. There’s a reason why Natasha has faced only one of these particular dressing-downs only once in her career prior to today. But nothing her CO is saying can even touch the dressing down she’s giving herself.

When she’s dismissed, she stomps her way into the ladies’ locker room and tries her best not to sob where anyone important can hear it. The deluge of hot water drums over her head and beats her stiff muscles into some form of flexibility, but it doesn’t beat the whiff of failure from her skin. She stands under the deluge until her fingers prune and the water cools. She’s shivering and shuddering as she towels off and pulls on her clothes. But the clothes she pulls out of her gym bag aren’t jeans and a T-shirt but a sundress. Natasha slams her forehead against the locker door because this is yet another symptom of her distraction. This was the dress she was supposed to wear to brunch with college friends in town. Not the outfit she wants to walk out of base wearing. At least she’s managed to pack the matching heels as well.

Unsurprisingly, Natasha hears wolf-whistles a-plenty as she clacks her way out to her car. The comments make her angrier and feel even worse. At one point in time, sometime between the beginning and end of that long, unfulfilling shower, she’d made up her mind to drive home and collapse onto her sofa and maybe drink an entire bottle of wine. But the more the pigs she has to fly with notice her uncharacteristic attire, the more her mind changes. Now, all she wants is alcohol, enough to drown out her thoughts and to lift her mood. It might be time to bring back the wild little thing who’d run circles around folks back in San Diego.

The bar she ends up at a couple of hours later is what people would pick for a night out on the town. In truth, Natasha had two major criteria for picking this place. It’s not within five miles of the base, and it serves an elderflower and gin flaming cocktail. Something about it feels fitting to her current state of mind.

The sky has darkened in the time between when Natasha sat down and now. Natasha’s not sure how long it’s been, but she feels a million times better than she did before. The bartender was very kind and plied her with round after round of Phoenix cocktails all afternoon long. It’s just her luck that she’s tilting a drink between her fingers, watching the pinkish-purple shimmering liquid dance in the light, when a body drops heavily onto the barstool next to her. It's a bar, so obviously, bodies have been dropping into the seat next to her as the night progresses. But this particular body is wearing a very recognizable cologne and speaking in a very recognizable tenor to the bartender.

“Can I get a whiskey on ice for myself and another one of those flaming things for the pretty lady next to me?” 

“It’s not a flaming thing.” Natasha's words are slurring but still sharp as she rotates on the fiddly little base of the barstool and faces exactly who she thought she'd be facing - Jake Seresin. Her voice is gritty with the burn of over-proofed smooth liquor as she responds.

“It's a Phoenix cocktail. What are you doing here, anyway, Seresin? I didn't think fancy bars were your idea of fun.”

“Mmm, they’re usually not.” There isn’t a bite to his words tonight. “I like my bars to come with their own history, usually.”

He pushes the Phoenix cocktail he'd ordered over to her and watches, enraptured, as the bartender snuffs out the flames.

“You don’t seem the type, Trace, to get rip-roaring drunk in a bar all by your lonesome.” 

“Whatever gave you that idea?” Natasha is ginger as she sips from the warm glass, careful not to scald her mouth on the flame-kissed surface.

“You did.” He purses his plush lips, rolling the whiskey from the sip he just took on his tongue with his eyes lidded in the lowlights of the bar. He looks like a man who has cultivated that expression solely for the purpose of making a lady weak at the knees, not that Natasha would ever call one of his usual types a lady. His pink tongue slips out of his mouth and swipes away a droplet of the amber-colored liquid. He leans forward, gently tucking a loose tendril of hair behind Natasha’s ear. 

“When you told me you’d only have drinks with your friends and colleagues.” He leans in closer until all Natasha Trace can hear is Jake. All of a sudden he seems to surround her with his presence. She can smell the smokey whiskey on his breath, the rich scent of his cologne, and the gentle scent of soap crowding out the scents of the bar. And then there’s the heat of his skin, elusively, unbearably comforting against the bare skin of her shoulders.

It feels good being this close to somebody else. But Natasha can’t let Jake Seresin, of all people, know just how lonely it feels to never be able to let her guard down. He can’t know how much it will set her apart from the others in their cohort above and beyond the way her gender already does.

“I did.” Her voice comes out in a whisper so quiet Natasha’s not sure he can hear.

“Yet you’re out here drinking something purple and pink and ridiculously sweet, all while looking like there is something you’d desperately like to forget.” He settles back in his stool, a long leg hooked on the footrest of her stool as he peers knowingly at her. “Are you trying to forget the dressing down Smith gave you today?”

Natasha shrugs, alcohol making her limbs uncooperative. “Others made mistakes, too. Why were mine so severe that they deserved a public audience? Or if they were severe, surely someone else had made a mistake equally as severe and deserved the same treatment?”

She sips on her drink, trying to ignore how her eyes sting, and her throat is tight. “Of course,” she rasps after swallowing, “it’s not like the perfect Jake Seresin knows how to make a mistake.” Natasha realizes that she’s murmuring that fact like it’s a secret, leaning into his lushly scented space like she craves the nearness of his skin. Maybe she’s already drunk too many of these pretty little drinks for her sanity?

“I make mistakes, Natasha.” He’s just as close as she is to him; the two of them nearly braced against each other like they’d collapse, marionettes without strings, if they weren’t so close and if they couldn’t prop each other up.

“Who said you can call me Natasha?” Her words are as spicy as the sips of top-shelf liquor dripping down her throat, but her smile is as sweet as the syrup of a maraschino cherry. He chuckles, dimples on full display as he tugs her stool closer to compensate for her listing sway on her tri-legged perch.

“What made you start drinking these lovely Phoenix cocktails, hmm?” 

Oh, the room seems to be swimming a bit more. Jake’s so close Natasha can see motes of amber in the mercurial stormy green of his eyes.

“How much do you know about phoenixes, Seresin?”

“No matter how much I know, I get the feeling you’re going to tell me anyway, Natasha.”

She snorts, swigging back the last bit of her drink, running the tip of her finger along the rim of her glass, mesmerized by the sparkling residue left behind on her skin.

“Phoenixes are mythical beasts found in Greek, Roman, and Egyptian mythology. Of course, you probably know how they set themselves on fire and are reborn from the flames. As a result of this imagery, they were associated with immortality.” Huddled in against the counter as they are, Natasha can’t say if there is anyone else even in the room.

“But they’re more than that to me.” Her inhale is shaky even as she sips from the cup of water, cold and crisp, which has suddenly appeared at her elbow. “It’s probably painful to be burned alive and then reborn as a chick. But it also takes a lot of strength.”

To her surprise, Jake is still listening, one long-fingered hand tapping at the water glass in her sweat-damp palms when she pauses, prompting her to drink sip after sip.

“I…” She swallows with a mouth as dry as the Sahara Desert. “I, well, I hope to somehow have that same strength. So when a day like today happens, I find a bar that serves Phoenixes, drink them all night until the sting of failure and my despair and my loneliness wash away.”

“Is it working tonight?” 

Natasha hums as she drinks yet another sip from her never-ending, always full glass. “I’m not sure it ever really did.” 

“For what it’s worth, we both know you weren’t making more mistakes than any of those other idiots we fly with.” His smile is special and soft, filling the cavity of her chest with a softly flickering warmth at odds with the sharp burn of the liquor. “You’re good at what you do, Natasha. You could fly circles around all of them. You fly circles around me, too.”

Natasha can’t believe what she’s hearing. There’s no way Jake Seresin is admitting that Natasha Trace can be better than he is. She stands without realizing, her legs about as sturdy as those of a newborn giraffe. All of the alcohol rushes to her head with a vengeance.

“Have you closed out your tab?” She nods, desperately trying to keep a hold of her swimming head and her roiling stomach. She staggers her way out of the bar, trying desperately to navigate to the Uber app without stumbling over her high heels or face-planting into another of the patrons. An arm wraps around her waist before she can even get to the doors.

“C’mon, Natasha.” Her feet are steadier due to his support. “I’ve got you, darling.”

The endearment, in an undertone colored by a Texan twang, sounds tenderly fond as it’s rasped into her ears. The air is cool outside the bar as she staggers to a stop against a truck in the parking lot. There’s a click as the doors unlock, and when Jake opens the door, the step is so high that when she lifts her leg up, she nearly falls into the gravel, so impaired is her sense of balance.

“I’ve gotcha, darling.” Those same big hands brace her under her knees and behind her shoulders as they heft her into the seat of the truck. Sitting in the cab, she’s even more surrounded by his scent. But he doesn’t close the door immediately. Instead, Jake Seresin unlaces each of her strappy heels and sets them in the footwell of her seat. His fingers, warm and calloused, massage firmly at her stiff, aching arches until she feels like putty in his hands.

“You’re pretty good at that, Seresin.” He smiles again, a devastatingly tender quirk of his lips that barely creates that dimple in his cheek she’s quickly coming to adore.

“I like working with my hands.” It seems like he’s downplaying the true reason. This humble side of Jake Seresin is something she’s never seen before, something she likes. She fists her hands in the collar of his soft pullover and tugs him up until his arms are braced on the seat on either side of her, and his face is inches from her own. Thinking back on it, Natasha’s not sure who made the first move. All she remembers is the taste of whiskey on his tongue as her fingers grasp at the soft curls against the back of his neck. His mouth feels divine, thin lips just the right level of wet and soft as they move against hers. There’s heat making her flush as his hands cup the back of her neck.

When Jake Seresin pulls away with a question in his eyes, Natasha’s almost sure she can guess the words about to leave his lips. It’s going to be some variation of ‘Would you like to come home with me’, no doubt. But instead, he presses more of those warm, tender kisses across her bare shoulders, throat, collarbones, and cheeks. When he presses a lingering kiss to her forehead, Natasha’s eyes flutter closed.

“Let me take you home, darling.” 

Those words, in a hauntingly tender tone, stick in her mind all weekend long, even when she’s hungover and curled up under her sheets. It feels like something has changed between her and Jake Seresin, inexplicably and totally. Or maybe it’s the sense of confidence Jake Seresin has instilled in her. One night, a few drinks, and his presence are all she needs to boost her mood? It’s ridiculous. Walking into the classroom on Monday morning at 0700 hours sharp and seeing Seresin laughing with the others like nothing has happened feels almost like a slap to the face. He doesn’t look at her or speak to her. Natasha’s sure the Jake of that hazy dream-like Friday evening was only looking for one thing, which he didn’t get when he needed to babysit her drunk ass.

By the time she’s in her flight suit and kitted out with her helmet in hand, she's ready to smoke every man she has to fly with, especially one Jake Seresin. Sure enough, Natasha’s cold, calculated, and on her game that day. She doesn’t make a single mistake. Of course, Smith doesn’t so much as nod in her direction, but it’s enough to hear the men grumble as her flight is used as the exemplar for their hop. When they’re dismissed, nobody tells her goodbye. Monroe and Williams are still whining and moaning about her success and their subsequent dressing down from Smith. But Jake Seresin’s smiling at her, that crooked tender grin, and saying, “See you tomorrow, Phoenix!”

Under the stars awaken To the sound of a firebird

I DO NOT CONSENT TO HAVE MY WORK POSTED, TRANSLATED, OR PUBLISHED ON ANY SITES OTHER THAN ON AO3, ON WATTPAD, OR ON TUMBLR BY ME. IF YOU SEE MY WORKS ANYWHERE OTHER THAN HERE, ON WATTPAD, OR TUMBLR, THEN THEY HAVE BEEN POSTED WITHOUT MY PERMISSION AND I WILL BE WORKING TO TAKE THEM DOWN.

Taglist:

@desert-fern @horseshoegirl @dakotakazansky @sarahsmi13s @teacupsandtopgun @callsignspitfire @roosterforme @mak-32 @beyondthesefourwalls @thedroneranger @cherrycola27 @kmc1989 @chaoticassidy @shanimallina87

[deadmotelsusa]

The Shepard Farm dates back to 1862 and became a summer resort in the 1920s. It consisted of nine buildings built on 190 acres and included amenities like indoor and outdoor pools, a movie theater, and a dance hall. It was known as the "dry" resort of the area and prohibited alcohol for a period of time. Like many resorts in New York, it peaked in the 1950s and closed in the 1980s, leaving its buildings boarded up and abandoned.

In 2017, after rotting away for 30 years, it was purchased by John Dolce and Steve Haaland. Since then, they have been renovating, bringing older buildings up to code and renting out spaces to smaller businesses. Today, one of the now-renovated resort buildings houses Sage Salon and a karate school. Another is a vintage furnishings store. A nearby field is now a solar farm. Located in Westerlo, New York. Source

[stayandot8]

Gentle Breeze (Ateez)

Genre: fluff

Relationship type: Yunho x fem reader

Important Contents: I made a promise to @felixs-voice-makes-me-wanna a LONG time ago based on a dream she had and its about time I make good on it. So Bri, I hope you like it. Just for you. :)

WC: 882

masterlist

Summer had finally begun, meaning it was the perfect weather to be outside. Unfortunately for me, it also meant the Yunho and the boys had practice again. Every. Single. Day. No big deal for me, though. There was a big tree by the soccer field I was accustomed to sitting under with my headphones in, my playlist pinned to the top for frequent use in this exact situation. 

The trees swayed above me in the breeze, casting ever-moving shadows on me. The burning of the sun was lessened with these swaying trees, but that didn’t stop my skin from soaking up the rays it provided. My job forces me inside most days, working at one of the more popular hotels in town, so soaking up whatever vitamin D I could on my off days was prudent. The clouds were so puffy, they looked tangible, like I could touch them if I got high enough. They were such a pure white they rivaled Hongjoong’s new hair color. And his came from a box. 

Yunho and the others practicing a few feet away all sweaty and glistening was just an added bonus. A very nice bonus. I could hear them yelling whenever my music was changing to the next song. They would all yell and tease each other, sometimes resorting to physical teasing. Nothing ever more than playful shoves ever happened. There was nothing but jokes, teasing, and love between all of them, which made the college group of best friends the perfect group to enter when you started dating one. Of course, there was the occasional testing to you as well, but nothing you couldn’t handle. 

There was one day where Yunho couldn’t keep his hands off me, innocently of course. We were all out to the bar in the center of downtown, going out to celebrate something I couldn’t remember now. Yunho had me squished beside him, finding some way every minute or so to creep closer. His hands were playing with mine, running my fingernails across his palms and whatnot. I just stared at the sheer size of his hands, twice as big as mine it felt like. The other grasped the glass of beer and closed around the other side, his finger touching. They were good for other things too, which I had just found out the night before, so staring was involuntary. 

He nudged me when he caught me noticing. “I know what you’re doing and unless you want me to whisk you away to the bathroom of this very dingy bar, you better stop.” He kissed the top of my head and grinned down at me. I flashed him a knowing smile. “My hands could wrap around your thigh, couldn’t they?” His voice didn’t raise at the end of the sentence. It wasn’t a question. I lifted my thigh off the wooden booth we were sitting in, inviting him to try. “Ah, not quite. But they still look huge. I like that.” His innocent smile contradicted the mischief in his eyes for anyone who was looking close enough. Luckily for me, I was the only one looking at him. He pulled away slightly if only to glance San’s way, placing his hand on my shoulder and fully encasing it. I side-eyed it, noticing how fully it covered my whole shoulder. 

San noticed how large it was too. “Dude, she’s not going anywhere. You can let her breathe.” He said it lightly, but Yunho only grew closer again, his shoulder now firmly against my side and pushing me into the wall. 

“She’s my girlfriend, I can be as close to her as I want.” He didn’t take his eyes off me when he spoke, still with that innocent-not-innocent smile pointed directly at me. I shot one right back. His hand drifted down my arm to my waist and looped through my belt loop on my jeans. That was where it stayed all night. 

The memory drifted through my mind as I watched the wind push through the trees some more. The shouts from the field floated over along with the rustling of the material from Yunho's pants. I could feel his approach more than hear it at this point in our relationship. His shadow loomed over my closed eyes and I popped one open. 

“Jagi. The guys want to go out for some food. You wanna come?” He leaned down under the outside premise of grabbing his water bottle beside me, but I knew what he was actually doing. His lips brushed mine, droplets of sweat dripping down his forehead. “Plus they like you more than me so if you don’t come, then I can’t go. They want to see how you’ll roast Wooyoung for his new haircut.”

My one eye roamed over to Wooyoung, his hair styled in a weird ponytail-mullet combination. The words came and were ready to spill out. I smirked.“Let’s go.” He held out his hand and pulled, causing me to yelp as he pulled me up off the blanket. He gathered it all in his bag, tucking my book in carefully while I put my headphones back in their case. He held out one of those goddamn hands and closed it around mine, leading the way with his tall stature blocking the wind.

[tokidokitokyo]

群馬県

Japanese Prefectures: Kantō - Gunma

都道府県 (とどうふけん) - Prefectures of Japan

Learning the kanji and a little bit about each of Japan’s 47 prefectures!

Kanji・漢字

群　む(れる)、むら、グン　flock, group, crowd, herd, swarm, cluster

馬　うま、ま、バ　horse

県　ケン　prefecture

関東　かんとう　Kanto, region consisting of Tokyo and surrounding prefectures

Prefectural Capital (県庁所在地) : Maebashi (前橋市)

The ancient province of Gunma was a center of horse breeding and trading activities, and thus the character for horse is one of the kanji in the prefecture's name. The horse came to Japan along with the arrival of a large migration of people from the mainland of Asia, and from then on the horse became a vital part of the Japanese military and displaced the older Yayoi tradition of fighting on foot.

One of only eight land-locked prefectures in Japan, Gunma is also very mountainous. Snowy mountains that are prime for winter sports give way to excellent hiking trails in the summer. Gunma has some of the nation's best hot springs and is famous for its daruma dolls, which are good luck charms. Other sports to do in Gunma include canyoning, waterfall sliding, rafting, and bungee jumping.

Recommended Tourist Spot・おすすめ観光スポット Sainokawara Park - 西の河原公園

Sainokawara Park at night

Sainokawara Park is in a valley just outside of the hot spring and ski resort town center of Kusatsu, where several hot spring sources and a large outdoor bath are located. There are walking trails around the upper part of the park that lead through the magnificent natural landscapes. This is the most active hot spring area in Japan, with an output of hot spring water of 1,070 litres per minute. Hot spring water can be seen bubbling to the surface in certain places, where they collect into hot water pools and run down the valley in warm streams before joining the central mountain stream. There is also a hot water waterfall with a free foot bath at the base. The park area is accessible free of charge.

Due to the high temperature of the hot spring waters that flow here, very little can grow in the areas where it collects. It was believed that the spirits of children who died before their parents would be sent to these barren pools. You may come across small stone statues called jizo, that are made in the image of the guardian deity of children and travelers, Jizo Bosatsu. These statues often are wearing red hats and bibs, and are meant to protect the spirits of the children from demons.

The natural pools in the park are not for bathing, but the park also houses the Sainokawara Rotenburo, a large open-air public bath with two gender-separated outdoor hot springs, with a capacity of 100 bathers each. The outdoor bath also offers an evening of mixed bathing every Friday, when the bath is open to everyone, including couples and families.

Yubatake, or Hot Water Field, in Kusatsu

A 10-minute walk from Sainokawara Park is the Yubatake (or "Hot Water Field"). Here in the center of Kusatsu is a field of pumps that removes 32,300 litres of hot water every minute, cools it a few degrees, then sends it off to various local hot springs. The healing waters of the Kusatsu Onsen (hot springs) vary from milky to clear, and sulfurous to acidic, and are said to soothe most of your troubles, except a broken heart.

Regional Cuisine - 郷土料理 Yakimanju - 焼きまんじゅう

Yakimanju (source)

Yakimanju is a popular snack in Gunma Prefecture, but is not well known outside of the prefecture. Yakimanju is a grilled sweet bun. Manju are sweet buns made of rice or wheat flour and commonly are steamed. Yakimanju is grilled after being steamed, giving the outside a crunchy texture rather than the usual fluffy texture. The outside is coated with a sweet mixture of brown sugar, syrup, and miso paste. Unlike manju, which usually has a filling of red bean or other sweet paste, yakimanju typically has no filling.

Yakimanju was invented at the end of the Edo period, about 150 years ago. Wheat was commonly grown in agricultural Gunma, and thus wheat flour was originally used to make the predecessor of yakimanju, called sakamanju. Sakamanju hardened quickly after being made, and so to make it easier to eat, people would grill it and season it with miso paste. And thus yakimanju was developed.

Gunma Dialect・Gunma-ben・群馬弁

1. あーね　aa-ne　oh really?, I see, etc. (aizuchi*)

「あーね」 (aa-ne)

Standard Japanese: 「そうなんだ」 (sou nan da)

English: "Oh, really?"

Note: If you use it too much, the other person will get irritated

*aizuchi (相槌): backchanneling, interjections during conversations that show you are paying attention

2. ～がね、～がん　～ga ne, ～gan　isn't it, don't you think, right (ends a sentence)

「宿題やるって言ったがね！」 (shukudai yaru tte itta ga ne!)

Standard Japanese: 「宿題やるって言ったじゃん！」 (shukudai yaru tte itta jan!)

English: "I said do you do your homework didn't I!"

3. じゅーく　juu-ku　impertinent

「じゅーくこくな！」 (juu-ku koku na!)

Standard Japanese: 「生意気なことを言うな！」 (namaiki na koto o iu na!)

English: "Don't be cheeky!"

4. 世話ねえ　sewa nee　"no problem" or "too much of a bother"

「世話ねえ」 (sewa nee)

Standard Japanese: 「問題ない」　(mondai nai) OR　「手に負えない」　(te ni oenai)

English: "No problem" OR "That's too much of a bother"

5. ～だんべえ　～danbee　right, isn't it, etc. (sentence ending)

A: 「焼きまんじゅうって美味しいね。」 (yakimanju tte oishii ne) B: 「そうだんべえ。」 (sou danbee)

Standard Japanese: A: 「焼きまんじゅうって美味しいね。」　 (yakimanju tte oishii ne) B: 「そうだろ。」　 (sou daro)

English: A: "Yakimanju is delicious, isn't it?" B: "That's right"

6. てんで　tende　very

うちの孫は、てんでかわいいよ～ (uchi no mago wa, tende kawaii yo～)

Standard Japanese: うちの孫、とてもかわいいよ～ (uchi no mago, totemo kawaii yo～)

English: Our grandson is so cute!

More Gunma dialect here (Japanese page)

[cloveroctobers]

Hello! I was thinking Carmen and black!reader who’s heavily pregnant and is like days away from giving birth. When her water breaks she has a home birth with her doula (who’s her best friend) and Carmy coaching her through the painful experience: kissing her forehead as she cries in pain.

ꨄ HOW CARMY IS DURING LABOR! ꨄ

A/N: decided to do these in my form of HCs since i’m kinda in a low mood and hopeful that Carmy being attentive to reader will lift it up some. Hope you don’t mind. Jeremy’s a dad so why not try to picture carmy as a dad too! Also know the bare minimum when it comes to labor so don’t slander me too much nurses/doctors/people in the medical field (not you Claire!) who may read this 😬

WARNINGS: mentions of the fear of parenthood & bodily fluids.

˚ʚꨄɞ˚ ˚ʚꨄɞ˚ ˚ʚꨄɞ˚ ˚ʚꨄɞ˚ ˚ʚꨄɞ˚ ˚ʚꨄɞ˚ ˚ʚꨄɞ˚ ˚ʚꨄɞ˚

when carmy found out Sasha was pregnant, he definitely almost fell to his knees—almost like it didn’t take two to tango but anxiety is not a nice person.

He wanted to panic but he also knew he didn’t want Sasha to take his response the wrong way.

Sasha was on the side of wanting a family some day and she wasn’t “getting any younger,” but it definitely became as a surprise since Sasha and Carmy weren’t purposely trying to get pregnant.

Some may argue against that but mind your business!

There was so much going on but sometimes timing had a mind of its own andddd…shit happens!

Sasha and Carmy were having a baby and Sasha felt like she should have seen the signs especially having a best friend that’s a doula

and a mother on FaceTime questioning when her period was coming around.

Basically she’s been bloated as hell and her mother, always the vocal woman, was going to say something and did!

Was Sasha here for the slight body shaming…no? But her mother’s questions did bring up some thoughts, so she ended up purchasing a test or two after work.

It took some time for her to break the news to carmy, (about a week it took but he didn’t miss the off energy Sasha was putting out—she was snappy and carmy wasn’t in the mood to argue, not with her) expecting the conversation to be awkward and full of uncertainty thanks to childhood trauma that bled into his adulthood you know?

When he gained sound back into his ear and his vision back, he stuttered a bit as he asked Sasha to repeat what she just said to him while he’s messing around with some jeans in the kitchen.

“Uh…what-what did you say? Because if I heard you right, that’s not a funny joke to throw on me.”

“Well I’m not joking, bear. We’re having a baby.” Sasha gently said, getting off the couch with the hidden pregnancy test behind one of the pillows.

Carmy felt like his vision was leaving again as he held the two tests with shaky hands, blinking several times, he exhaled before pulling Sasha into his arms. “Shit, we’re gonna be somebody’s parents.”

“Correction: Fine ass parents. How’re you feeling?”

“Scared as hell, honestly.” “Me too.”

Sasha hugged him tighter.

The first half of the trimester? Complete trash! that Sasha had to resort to working from home after using some sick days being so ill she could barely keep her body upright

She also didn’t admit to the pregnancy to everyone else (even her own family) until it was deemed safe in the second trimester.

Looking back, it all seemed so simple compared to now.

Sasha was ready to pop yet she still had some energy left, “Lookin' for the hoochie daddies…”

“Where they at?” Her best friend and doula, Chantelle echoed in the living room while Sasha was dancing in the kitchen and gobbling down a grilled chicken Cesar salad.

Her biggest craving in the final stages of her pregnancy.

One squat too low and Sasha felt a stabbing cramp that had her gripping the counter, sucking air between her teeth.

“Hey, how’re we feeling?”

“Yup, baby boy just isn’t feeling this song, he’s just like his damn daddy already.” Sasha tried to laugh off as she continued hunched over the counter.

Chantelle wasn’t buying that as she pushed her notebooks and paper work to the side then made her way over to Sasha.

Her hands immediately went to Sasha’s stomach, something Sasha had to get used to—with Chantelle being so touchy feely. Guess it was a good thing that physical touch was her love language or whatever allowing her to apply just that in her profession but Chantelle hardly asked for permission lately.

She took it upon herself to figure out what maybe going on physically since Sasha wasn’t as vocal like everyone else in her family tended to be.

Sasha guessed she should have been thankful for Chantelle’s eager ways since she was the one who pushed Sasha to get tested for fibroids.

She was known for having painful periods going through her teenage years just to learn she had cysts at sixteen that had to be surgically removed

then to end up with hereditary fibroids right around the time she found out she was pregnant!

Wasn’t off to a great start, honestly.

Thankfully her pregnancy’s been pretty healthy given the circumstances and Chantelle attended the routine appointments with both Sasha and Carmy.

That gave them both a peace of mind.

Chantelle was phenomenal at what she does.

Sasha was days away from her due date but Chantelle could sense labor was on its way soon. It’s what she’s trained for and it was written in her eyes as she felt around Sasha’s swollen belly.

“Let’s sit you down, watch a show.” Chantelle offered, reaching to disconnect her phone from Bluetooth and ready to lead Sasha over to the couch so she could monitor these cramps.

Sasha was uncomfortable enough not to argue and slowly waddled to the couch, letting out a sigh as she slouched on the couch a bit, hoping to stretch her back a bit but winced after awhile of trying to sit up straight.

Chantelle was secretly sending texts to Carmy, giving him a heads up after more signs of cramps (which would soon be contractions) were making their way around and getting stronger each time.

The bear had its grand opening last year in late spring but it didn’t seem like business was going to slow down anytime soon…however carmy had to learn balance between the bear and having a family.

Which also caused friction from time to time between Sasha and Carmy but he tried harder to be better for the baby and the sake of their relationship

The last text Chantelle sent Carmy, he felt his heart race and knew now was the time. He basically cracked the screen of his phone at the news and had to gather himself, gaining the attention of his team.

Everyone was understanding and encouraging, even Richie!

but it was sugar who got his feet out the door.

“You’ll be alright, I know it. Slow and steady, eyes on the right now and not the what if’s, bear. We’ll be right here and I love you. Now go make me an aunt.” Sugar was all delicate smiles as she squeezed her baby brother’s shoulders.

She just gave birth to a beautiful baby girl a week before Christmas and Carmy was still trying to get his head wrapped around that.

He never thought he would be having a baby around the same time as his sister!

He never thought he would have a solid family. Yet Sasha changed everything for him and so would this baby.

Sasha’s a moaning mess, down on her knees in a praying motion which she used to joke about how her own father often did this when he got bad migraines.

Guess she was praying herself now to get through this!

She didn’t care to have this filmed like her mother originally wanted—this was a sacred moment and also horrifying due to a flashback of a birthing video she saw in health class years ago and watched a few story times on YouTube just to remind herself why birth scared tf out of her!

She wouldn’t have wanted anyone in the delivery room with her if she had a hospital birth.

She didn’t want people to see her like that but this isn’t something carmy wanted to miss.

He heard his own father missed his birth and Carmy didn’t want to bring that curse down to his child.

It was a shitty feeling to have and he discussed it in meetings but he couldn’t shake the feeling.

Would he be a good enough father when he didn’t know the first thing about healthy love?

He felt like he was doing okay with Sash but that didn’t mean those feelings completely went away. The self-doubt when it came to relationships with other people was such a bitch.

He could try to get through those issues but he knew it would probably always be there.

Yet he did the one thing Mr. Berzatto couldnt, he showed up, pressing a palm into the stretch of Sasha’s lower back, her immediately exhaling at his touch.

“I’m here, Sash-quatch.” Carmy whispered to Sasha who just nodded her head.

His bright blues went to Chantelle who says, “she’s handling herself very well, contractions are now four minutes apart. Pressing into her back like that helps relieve the pressure but when that next one hits, we’re gonna get her up onto her feet since she’s been down in that position for awhile now.”

“Um, o-okay. Yeah, I can do that.”

“You’re gonna be swell, just be in tune with her.” Chantelle encourages in all her bohemian glory as she double checks on her supplies for both mother and child.

Carmy takes a seat on the bed, leaning forward in the opposite direction as he presses both hands into Sasha’s lower back, “how we doing?”

She groans, slightly lifting her head as Carmy peeked at her from underneath his arm, “I’m so glad that I got this pixie cut three months into this shit, otherwise my kitchen would look crazy right now.”

Carmy’s lips twitched at that, eyes briefly scanning over her shortened hair, “well I’d think you’d still be pretty regardless…considering that you’re bringing a life into the world with us.”

“Oh,” she deeply exhales, “just wait until I shit myself.”

“What?” Genuine concern passed over Carmy’s features, “thats a thing?”

“Yes…guess you didn’t get too far into those books you were deep diving into huh?”

Carmy had his twenty minute naps to blame for that. Yes he brought a book or three on pregnancy and tried to save at least five minutes on his smoke breaks to read something.

He preferred that than the graphic YouTube videos Sasha sent, respectfully.

“Well, hopefully that’s not the case with you but…I’m not goin’ anywhere.”

“Famous last words.” Sasha joked just as Chantelle came over to encourage Carmy to get Sasha onto her feet.

Carmy kept assisting Sasha through the pressure, holding her belly from behind as they rocked side to side slowly. He wasn’t sure what exactly this did for the baby but it seemed to help Sasha and that’s what mattered to Carmy.

He tried his best to keep his cool but his heart rate definitely spiked up when Chantelle signaled minutes later that now was the time to get Sasha onto their bed.

Carmy tries to be Sasha’s security blanket although she’s constantly reminding him to breathe himself, head pressing into Carmy’s jaw as he’s glued right to her side while Chantelle checks how things are going down below.

“Yes! There’s a head full of hair I’m seeing. You’re ready, girl.” Chantelle says while she nods her head to carmy.

He turns to the item on his right, taking the rag from the bowl of water to squeeze out before wiping Sasha’s drenched forehead then allowing it to rest against her skin.

“Okay, here we go, Sash.” Carmy held his hand out for the woman to grasp while slipping another arm underneath her shoulders.

Chantelle helped Sasha get into position down below as she provides gentle words of encouragement while instructing her and Reminding her how to push and let them know when she was ready.

Best decision Sasha made having her best friend be her doula since she learned that her own mother had a crap doctor that she argued with when she gave birth to her.

Sasha didn’t want that experience at all.

The comfort of being in your own bed, lavender essential oil in the air, Solange playing in the background, and the guidance of Chantelle was all Sasha could ask for.

Carmy was just as patient as Chantelle, not minding at all how tight Sasha squeezed the nerves out of his hand

taking her pain to ease her’s was a win in his eyes.

And he’ll just pop some ibuprofen along with some ice later, no big deal.

“You got this, Sash. You’re almost there, just a few more like Telly said.” Carmy says as Sasha lays exhausted and slumped against his arm.

“It’s just us?”

“Just us three against the world, yeah. You just gotta get him there, you’re so close. You’re doing so well.” Carmy leans over to place a kiss to the corner of her head before sending one tap to her forehead, four taps to her nose, and three to her lips.

Which brought a smile to her lips along with the motivation to give two more big pushes that signaled a cry of welcome from their new bundle of joy.

Tears are thick in Carmy’s throat as Chantelle tends to their baby, cleaning him up.

“We did it,” Sasha croaks up at Carmy who breathes out a smile as he almost slides off the bed onto his knees himself, arms still locked around Sasha.

“He’s Ah, Sash. He’s perfect.” Carmy laughs a bit, moving his eyes away from what he could see of his child as he places a peck to Sasha’s lips.

“Here’s your parents little one,” Chantelle coos after checking him over for awhile as she hands over the baby to Sasha who instantly cradles him to her chest.

Carmy’s running his free hand through his tangled and oily hair as he’s in complete awe staring at the person he helped create.

This feeling was nothing he could have imagined.

When he held his niece, Abigail, he already knew he was going to love her but having his own child??

The best part of his heart was now on the outside in the arms of a woman he loved.

Baby berzatto kept his midnight blues locked on Sasha who was already in love but that didn’t stop him from reaching out to cup Carmy’s finger and held on.

Carmy brings his little hand up to his lips to kiss it, “I see you buddy, happy birthday.”

His eyes are glossy with tears as Sasha shifts her smile from baby berzatto to Carmy, seeing the adoration in his eyes.

“Look what we did…but he looks like me.”

“Yeah thank goodness for that, but he’s got my eyes and nose though.”

“Great, which means I’m going to be further jumpscared at night with his diaper changes.”

Carmy snorts with a roll of his eyes, “Ah, whatever, I’ll take his shit more than yours.”

“Did I?” Sasha’s craning her neck to see but Carmy is pressing his fingertips into the side of her shoulder to ease her.

Chantelle stands at the foot of the bed as she’s wiping her hands, “nope! Just some tearing but we’ll get you both to the hospital in a few. Just take this moment in you two.”

Carmy’s arm definitely fell asleep awhile ago underneath Sasha but with a roll of his wrist from time to time, he could deal with it.

He was just in awe watching baby berzatto who kept drifting from having his round midnight eyes wide open to fighting sleep.

“So…what now?” Carmy asks.

There’s that feeling, always waiting for the other shoe to drop but Sasha shushes him, slowly lifting up, alarming carmy who’s ready to push her back down to rest, “hey, what’re doing—

“You said what’s next? Hold our son: Bennett “Benny” Michael Berzatto.”

Carmy swallows the lump in his throat hearing the name out loud, “I—I don’t know.”

“He’s not letting go of you anyways so you might as well.”

This much was true, Benny didn’t seem to be letting go any time soon.

So Carmy carefully scooped the boy into his arms, Benny’s eyes quickly opening as he realized he was in his other parent’s arms and his grin was all too familiar before he closed his eyes again, squeezing Carmy’s finger tighter.

A kiss was placed onto Benny’s forehead and Carmy couldn’t help but to inhale his scent knowing he wasn’t letting go either.

Bennett “Benny” Michael Berzatto born June 12th 2024 at 6:42pm weighing in at 6lbs 7 oz and that’s the day Carmy’s life truly began to feel worth something.

And when he turned back to the tired woman who gave him the gift of Benny he couldn’t help but to thank her as she repeated 1-4-3 taps upon his face.

His lips kissed the pad of her finger in the end while he held their sleeping child.

A meaningful life suddenly became much more important than the constant waiting for something terrible to fall onto Carmy’s plate.

˚ʚꨄɞ˚ ˚ʚꨄɞ˚ ˚ʚꨄɞ˚ ˚ʚꨄɞ˚ ˚ʚꨄɞ˚ ˚ʚꨄɞ˚ ˚ʚꨄɞ˚ ˚ʚꨄɞ˚

Continue along with my summer anthology prompts here.