#that's like a really nice thing I've said like once to be skeptical of

[foreingersgod]

Is it Casual now? . CC

pairing: caitlin clark x reader

synopsis: you thought you and caitlin were endgame, but now things are starting to feel a bit different

A/N: will be shifting the “ending” of the song so that we can all enjoy a happy ending lol

My friends call me a loser

'Cause I'm still hanging around

“YN come on we’ve had these plans set for weeks now” your roommate complained from her spot on your couch.

life had been so hectic recently and you barely had anytime to hang out with your girls. so when you heard caitlin was going to be out of town for the week and you had work off, you thought to set plans with your roommates to have a movie night and dinner at your place.

“seriously, you’re just gonna ditch us off?” another one of your roommates chimed, slightly irritated. you were scrambling around your apartment, throwing things into your overnight bag for when you arrived at caitlin’s place. “caitlin shoots you one quick text that she’s back in town earlier than expected and you’re immediately at her beck and call?”

you rolled your eyes. you knew what they thought of caitlin, that she was a player and only wanted you for one thing. but to you, it felt different, like she genuinely wanted you there at her side

I've heard so many rumors

That I'm just a girl that you bang on your couch

“she just wants you for a quick fuck, YN”

you’ve heard it all before. and you were very aware of how bad it looked from the outside. caitlin would only reach out late at night, never took you out, never bought you gifts, or offered to come over to your place. no wonder everyone thought you were just a booty call, every possible flag was blazing red.

and you often had your fair share of skepticism when caitlin called you up at 2 am with a “sorry i hadn’t called all week, you down to come over?”. but you always felt so worshipped when you were with her, completely blinded by the attention and false promises.

I thought you thought of me better

Someone you couldn't lose

she fucking stood you up. again.

you were sat at a bar, swirling the contents of your lip stick stained class. the classy black dress you wore suddenly felt suffocating and your eyes welled with tears. you couldn’t stop staring at the blaring 9:30 on your phone, thinking back to your conversation with cait the night before.

cait <3 : yea baby i can do 8:30, how does that bar down town sound?

you : that sounds really nice, see you then :)

it was your fault really, you kept hoping she would change. that maybe one of these dates would actually mean something to her, but after sitting in a bar alone waiting for an hour for her arrival, you were starting to lose your optimism.

sick of waiting, you paid your tab and left, not even thinking of texting caitlin back.

You said, "We're not together"

So now when we kiss, I have anger issues

“i missed you last weekend, cait” you muttered, pushing her face away from the crook of your neck, letting your head fall back against the pillow.

she had sent yet another text to you a few hours ago, asking if she could makeup for standing you up. of course, you gave in immediately.

she had sweet talked you so nicely when you arrived at her apartment. whispering in your ear, leaving trails of kisses down you neck and abdomen, taking your clothes off so gently. but the thought of her possibly abandoning you again lingered in the back of your mind.

“i know, i already said im sorry,” she attempted to seduce you with a kiss to the cheek “am i not showing it well enough?” now a kiss to the jawline.

she knew what she was doing, trying to act all innocent with flattery and kisses. if you weren’t so sick of the back and forth between the two of you, you would have let it convince you.

“cait, please. i want to talk about this”

“what is there to talk about?” her voice, once inviting was now laced with anger and irritation.

“don’t get defensive with me” you sat up, pushing her off your vulnerable body “i’m just trying to tell you that what you’re doing is hurting my feelings”

she looked at you expressionless, fingers rubbing at her temples.

“i want to spend time with you and it hurts when you ignore me and stand me up and-”

“yea, well we’re not together so…” she cut you off sharply.

it felt like a punch to the gut, hearing her say that. yea it was true, you weren’t together, but you don’t just act like the person you’re fucking isn’t worth anything to you.

“wow” you didn’t even know what to say. your eyes stung and you chest heaved with humiliation. did she truly think this wasn’t “together”?

You said, "Baby, no attachment"

“YN i really don’t know what you want me to say…i thought we both agreed that this was a casual thing?” she tried to tell you as you angrily picked up your discarded clothes from her bedroom floor.

“i don’t care what we SAID, caitlin” you stopped, buttoning up your shirt, looking her in the eyes “it’s what we keep DOING.”

“what are you talking about?”

“i know we said this was just a casual thing, but- but things started to change. we…ugh i don’t even know how to say it, but it just feels so different when we’re together. more than a casual hookup.”

she’s looking at you confused, pleading for an explanation.

“like when we hooked up that time after Iowa’s big game, you were knee deep in the passenger seat and eating me out? is that casual?”

she scoffed and rolled her eyes, but you egged on.

“or when your mom invited me to her house on Long Beach last summer? what about that, is that causal now?” your face felt hot as you raised your voice to her. you had surprised your self with these accusations.

“I hate that I let this drag on so long, caitlin, and now I hate myself”

all she did was stare, studying the features of your face. every crinkle in your nose, the way your lips quivered with anger, and every twitch of your right eyebrow was now forever embedded in her mind. she knew you were right, deep down, knew that she had fucked up so bad and that you only hated yourself because of her. she knew that her inability to commit had caused you pain and her avoidance issues had gotten out of hand.

“i’m sorry” she admitted, “i’m so fucking sorry that it hurts”

“caitlin, why? am i truly just a quick fuck to you?”

your question nearly knocked the wind out of her. she stood off the bed and meandered over to where you stood at the door, your pants still undone and your items thrown haphazardly into your overnight bag.

“no,” she breathed “you’re so much more than that”

it’s like you couldn’t speak, unable to do much else other than stare at her quizzically.

“i know i’ve treated you like shit. that i’ve fucked up far beyond fixing”

“so why don’t you show it? why sit here and tell me that it’s ok to ignore me and stand me up because we’re just ‘not together’? i don’t get it cait”

her hands ran over her face in frustration, she hated the confrontation. having to tell you all of this was sending her into a spiral. things were fine before tonight, she was able to do want she wanted and ignore all her feelings. and it all came crashing down the second she had gotten you into her bed, instantly faced with reality. tonight was it. she needed to be honest with you.

“i didn’t think i could love someone as much as i love you” she blurted out, which was followed by a deafening scoff from you.

“i’m serious,” she retorted “obviously i haven’t shown that, i’ve done nothing but be cruel to you. but the moment i met you, i knew you would have some sort of hold on me. and it scared me, YN”

you tried to interrupt, to take another stab at her childish behavior, but she kept going.

“i was so scared that i’d lose you, that you’d see through me and all my issues and eventually realize that i’m not worth having a real relationship with. so i tried to keep my distance from you, tried not to see you so it didn’t absolutely tear my heart apart, but i couldn’t help myself. i needed to have you, just a little bit, so i what it felt like to be loved by you. i just couldn’t risk ruining you, taking away a genuine life that you truly deserve all because i’m fucked up and avoid everything. and hooking up with you, to be completely transparent, has only made it worse because…because now i’ve seen what i actually lost”

“you,” there weren’t any words to express how you felt right now “you don’t need to avoid me, cait, you won’t ruin me. i know what i want in a relationship. it’s you, i want you”

“i’m just scared you’ll finally see past this whole thing and see that you don’t actually want me like that”

“i know you. i know that past this,” you waved your hands, gesturing between the two of you “there’s a different caitlin clark. one who doesn’t undermine herself and recognizes that she’s deserves real love just like how i deserve it. one that can address her commitment issues before they get out of hand like this did. one that won’t stand me up, that won’t shoot me down because she has ‘practice’. i know that the real you is perfectly capable of change.”

“i’m scared.” was all she managed “but i want to do better for you, i don’t think i can be without you, please let me fix this”

it came out as a desperate whisper, almost incomprehensible, but you heard her loud and clear.

“it’s going to take some time…but i’m willing to work on this.”

“i swear to god, YN, i’m going to be so much better. i’m done with the hookups and the late night texts. i just want you. all of you”

your hand found her cheek, pulling her towards you gently to place an intimate kiss on her lips.

“i believe you”

[ellabehavior]

Matilda ~ JJ Maybank ✯

Summary: You’ve grown up not being able to show much affection because of your family, but JJ knows just how to heal your wounds.

Pairing: JJ Maybank x Fem!Reader

Warnings: Mention of abuse, a lil suggestive content

A/N: hope y’all enjoy! request r open!

-

You've always been rather cautious about accepting hugs from people. Even as a young child, you might have hesitantly accepted a hug or just stood there not really knowing what to do. Likewise, expressing your love has always been difficult for you because it’s not something you would do very often inside your house hold.

Your parents never really said the words ‘I love you’. Sure, they’d sometimes give words of affirmation once in every blue moon, or they might hug you on special occasions but you never really got the feeling of true family love.

As a kid you would always watch family movies, or look at your friends parents and wonder ‘why are they so nice?’ or ‘how come they rarely argue?’

That is when you started realizing this behavior is not normal.

But once you and JJ started dating, things started to change; your displays of affection began to get stronger and more obvious.

He showed you how to love.

Your dreams, your kisses, your hearts, and your love for each other were all shared by the two of you.

You and JJ both know every last detail about one another. You were able to wipe away every tear that came from JJ's memories with kisses since you were aware of JJ's father and his early years. This may be why you two matched so well.

However, your family? You preferred not to bring it up. Naturally, your partner was aware of the awful ways in which your parents treated you, but you would never go into detail because doing so would trigger unpleasant memories.

That is until one sleepless night you couldn’t hold it in anymore.

“Jay” you whispered through your tears trying to wake him up out of his sleep.

“Baby?” He rubbed his eyes and seen the tears pouring down your face “Baby no, come here.” He said with a pout and pulled you in.

“JJ I had a dream about my parents and it brought back everything, and my mom was telling me about how I didn’t deserve you and-”

JJ then placed a soft kiss on your lips to calm you down.

“Calm down baby, i’m right here for you. I’ll be here all night. It was just a dream, i’m forever yours I promise.” He says in a soothing voice while rubbing your back hoping it’ll calm you even a little bit.

Since your mother called you on the phone two days earlier, he was aware that something was wrong. You’ve have been so silent since that phone call, he was skeptical about what was said, but he decided to not push it unless you were ready to tell him.

After a few minutes of crying and back rubs you’ve finally chilled out enough to tell him what was going on.

“When my mother called me two days ago, I thought it would be good and we could just catch up. I thought she'd be happy of me for where I've gone in life, but all she did was yell and tell me how she wishes I were different. I've been having dreams ever since, and I can't handle it any more.” At the end of your sentence, your voice begins to tremble, indicating another sob.

JJ immediately notices this and pulls you in tighter.

“Baby, please don’t ever believe those words. I fell in love with you for who you are, your the most beautiful girl I have ever met. Everything about you is perfect to me, the way you giggle, the way you snore, and even when you upset me I can’t find a single flaw about you.” He says with his hands on both sides of your cheeks.

“I don’t deserve to be loved by someone like you.” you whisper

“Don’t even say that.” JJ says in a serious tone with tears starting to form in his eyes. “I wouldn’t even be able to think without you, much less live without you.”

The look in his eyes was very serious. You were his oxygen, he never wanted to hear something like that from you. Without you, he wouldn't be able to breathe.

JJ finally broke the built up tension and pressed your lips together. Minutes upon minutes of the need to be closer to eachother.

You depended the kiss and pushed JJ back so you were on top of him.

“Jay” you said staring into his eyes while unbuttoning his pants.

He softly pushed you off and buttoned his pants back up. “Not tonight baby, I want to show you my love in a different way.” he breathed out

“Okay.” you said while he laid down and pushed you against him.

That night all you guys did was share little pecks, talk about stupid things, and hold onto eachother tight.

This was it, this is what you’ve been searching for since you were 7. This is what your parents swore would never happen to you, This is true unconditional love.

“I love you J”

“I love you more.”

-

‘I can't be who you

want me to be if who that is isn't who I am.

To love me is to accept me.’

- Baggage Reclaim

[from-the-clouds]

texas sun - joel miller x f!reader - vol. iv

series masterlist | series playlist | writing masterlist | previous chapter | photo cred

chapter summary: This time, it's different. He’s not here to help you fix something, or to drag Sarah home, or pick up something she’s left behind. At this point he’s stopped lying to himself – Joel’s here to see you.  pairing: pre-outbreak!joel miller x f!reader words: 5.6k chapter warnings: some angst, marijuana use, suggestive thoughts and actions (but no smut -- as always, dm if you want specifics), divorce mention. a/n: The next few weeks of my life will be insane (and NOT just because succession is coming back). I want to keep updating this, but something's gotta give, because the way I've been writing is not sustainable unfortunately. So updates may end up being shorter and the fic having more parts, or updates might be less frequent with longer parts. Also, a question for my loyal readers: Do you make your shirley temples with ginger ale or with Sprite/7up? Because I came from a sprite/7UP family but once i discovered ginger ale instead i was HOOKED. So i am a Ginger Ale Shirley Temple Truther.

-May 5, 2003-

Please pick up, please pick up, you cross your arms in front of you, looking over your shoulder. The pointed toe of your heels clacks against the asphalt as you tap it repeatedly, a steady beat. You have no reason to be so nervous, right now. It must have something to do with who you are calling, not just why. 

“Hello?” the droning ring is interrupted by a voice that sounds skeptical, they don’t recognize your number.

“Joel?” you ask.

“Hey, you,” his tone evens out when he hears you say his name. He had given you his cell phone number a few weeks back, the night he’d caught you smoking on your back porch. In case I’m not home and something’s goin’ on with Sarah, he’d said. It made sense, though all it did was tempt you to call him many times before this, and not about Sarah. You were worried because…maybe this was out of line.

There’s noises in the background that threaten to drown Joel out – saws and various power tools whirring, a jackhammer, men calling out to each other. It’s loud. At your job, you close the door to your office if someone is typing too loud on their keyboard. “I uh- I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

You hear a door shut in response, and the noise fades to a low purr. “Not at all. Everything okay? Sarah alright?”

“Yeah, this isn’t about her, though. I hope that’s okay.”

“It depends,” In your mind, right now he’s leaning against a messy metal desk, one of his hands planted on its surface to keep himself stable, the muscles in his forearm flexing under tension. He’s got a toolbelt slung low over the waistband of his Carhartt’s. He’s a little sweaty – it’s hot out, today – his cheeks flushed, pieces of dark hair clinging to his forehead. The image is doing something for you, and you have to take a deep, measured breath to reset before you can answer him.

“Do you…know anything about cars?” you ask. 

“A little….why?”

“I took my car to get serviced, and…I’m pretty sure I’m about to be swindled.” You hesitate, then qualify. “I didn’t have anyone else to call, and…you seem like you might be good with this sort of thing.”

There are a lot of things you know a lot about, and cars are just not one of them. From your perspective, a car is simply a means to get from Point A to Point B, and the less you know about the how, the better. Although your complete lack of understanding definitely doesn’t help you in your current situation. You’d considered calling your brother, and even your father – but you knew they’d be no help, having lived in Manhattan their whole lives. 

Bradley had a nice car, but you suspected it was more for his image, and less because he knew anything about them. Plus, you didn’t really ask for much of each other outside of sex – and if you started too, it might initiate another talk about where you ‘see him in your future’, and the thought alone is grating, because you don’t. 

Since you moved away from home, you’ve spent a lot of time asserting to yourself that you’re completely independent. But moments like this remind you that it’s not entirely true…it’s not possible to be on your own in the way you want, and you always end up needing someone. 

“I might be able to help.” Joel sounds unconcerned. “What’s goin’ on?”

“They just told me my car needs a new battery, and I need new tires.”

“How old are they?”

“I don’t know like-” your phone vibrates furiously in your hand, an incoming call from your coworker. “Oh my god, leave me alone,” you groan out loud. “-Not you, Joel, sorry. I stepped away for lunch and…you know how it goes. Anyways, I don’t think I’ve gotten either of them changed since I got my car.”

“How old is your car?”

“Seven years.”

“Good lord,” Joel mutters, and he sounds somewhat disappointed. “Yeah, you should get both those things.”

“They weren’t lying? It’s gonna cost a couple hundred bucks.”

“No, I doubt they were,” he gives a warm chuckle, and it melts away some of your stress, even if your wallet is about to take a considerable hit. “Where’d you take your car?”

“I don’t know, just…some place around the corner from where I work.”

“In the future, you should go to Robert’s place in town. He’s done some work on my truck. Probably will cost a lot less.”

“Noted,” you nod. “Thanks so much, sorry for catching you at work.”

“Not at all, I don’t mind…” Joe answers. “Shipments keep getting delayed, so…it’s been kind of a slow day.”

“I’m jealous,” you say. “Because I swear, lately, whenever I leave the office for more than two minutes everything explodes….or at least it feels that way.”

“Sounds like you’re important,” Joel says, you can hear his smile over the phone, see it, practically. 

Scoffing, you answer. “Hardly. But uh, thanks again. I definitely owe you one.”

You expect him to say goodbye, so you’re surprised by what he asks next. “What are you doing Friday?” 

“I don’t know. What are you doing Friday?”

“I’m assumin’ Sarah’s probably left something at your place….if you’re gonna be around, I might stop by to get it….”

“You want me to smoke you up?” 

“That’s not what I said.”

“But it’s what you meant,” You’re direct.

“Look, I’m just sayin’ if it happens, I wouldn’t be mad.”

“I already told you, you’re welcome anytime,” you say. “But won’t Sarah-oh wait, no, she has that school dance, doesn’t she?”

Sarah had taken to writing important events in her life on the calendar that hung on your fridge. It was usually blank, you were good enough at remembering your own plans without utilizing it. But she had told you the empty calendar made her sad, so now it was filled with her doodles and notes, scribbled with blue glitter gel pen. And Friday night’s event she’d underlined three times.

“She does,” Joel answers, seemingly amused. 

Another call comes through on your phone. “Okay, yeah, I gotta go. But I’ll be around Friday.”

“Then maybe I’ll stop by,” Joel says, and you ignore the flash of heat through your abdomen – excitement – at the idea of him coming over.  “Have a good rest of your day.”

“You too.”

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

-May 9, 2003-

Joel arrives at your place before the sun sets, once again. But this time, it is different. He’s not here to help you fix something, or to drag Sarah home, or pick up something she’s left behind. Of course, he’s got his excuse, but really, at this point he’s stopped lying to himself – he’s here to see you. 

“Well, well, well…” you open the screen door, lean against the doorframe, and cross your arms over your chest. “If it isn’t the neighborhood space cowboy.”

“You’re one to talk.” 

You squint at him, but the way the corner of your mouth quirks gives you away. “Touche.” 

God, he’s already regretting this. Maybe he shouldn’t be here. But it’s become increasingly difficult to resist you, and that’s assuming that you’re even interested. He’s all-but kissed you and he’s still not quite sure where he stands. You’re not easy to read, but he has always enjoyed a challenge. At the end of the day it’s never a bad idea for him to brush up on his flirting, Tommy’s words from a few weeks ago have been getting to him. For much as he believes it’s bound to happen, Joel doesn’t want to end up alone.

“Come on in,” you push yourself off the doorframe and lead him through your house.

The last time he’d been here you’d been wearing some long-sleeved, satin pajama set. He remembered because he spent all night trying not to touch the fabric, though maybe he was just looking for an excuse to touch you. Tonight, with your back turned towards him, his eyes wander down to the curve of your ass in your low-rise, bootcut jeans. He feels the slightest bit of shame about doing it, before deciding that what you can’t see won’t hurt you.

“How was the mechanic?” he asks once you’ve entered the back porch.

“Oh fine,” you say, sitting down on the couch, gesturing to the spot across from you. “I’m just pissed I had to spend a bunch of money on a car battery and not something more…fun.”

“It’s a good thing you did,” Joel sits. “Honestly, I’m surprised you called me from the mechanic and not from a ditch on the side of the road.”

“This is my first car, Joel. I grew up in a walkable community,” you pick up an already-rolled joint, the faintest acknowledgement that you’d planned for this ahead of time – and lift it to your lips. 

“It’s okay, I’m teasing.” Joel assures, and lets his gaze linger while you smoke, just admiring, as he often does. When you pass the joint over to him, he speaks again. “I have to be good tonight, cause Sarah’s gonna be home in a couple hours.”

“Yeah, first school dance, big deal,” you raise your eyebrows. “Help me out, because I went to an all-girls school. It’s middle school. Do kids go with dates?”

Joel shakes his head. “Not that I know of. Sarah just went with a group of friends.” 

“That makes sense,” you nod. “Speaking of, I have to be good, too. I’m going to her soccer game tomorrow.”

Joel feels his brows knit together in confusion, and it causes you to continue on. “She keeps asking me to come to one, and I haven’t been able to, so I feel bad. I guess her season’s almost over.” 

“Tomorrow’s her last game…” Joel mutters, looking up towards the ceiling, where the smoke is collecting, and exhales. “But you know you don’t have to do that.”

“Obviously, but…” you shrug. “...I want to.”

He chuckles to himself, runs a hand through his hair, which is still damp from the shower he took before this. “You’re really prepared to put yourself through a middle school soccer game…” 

“Look, Joel,” Your eyes are half-lidded, focused on him, and your arm is slung over the back of the couch, fist supporting your temple. “In case you couldn’t tell…I’m doing this thing where I try to engage in the community I live in. But so far, your family members are the only ones who’ve included me in anything, so until I find someone else….” you trail off. “You’re stuck with me.”

Joel doesn’t want you to find someone else. Being stuck with you is hardly a problem. He wants to tell you, but instead, all he manages is: “We’ll be good tonight.” Still, he’s not entirely convinced that he can trust himself to make a promise like that. 

It’s a tad too early for the sun to be setting, but it’s early in May, so the weather is perfect, and he’s sort of itching to be outside. Maybe there’s something to be done before the light wanes. “Do you want to go for a walk?” he asks you.

You seem taken aback by his request, wrinkling your nose.”….I don’t know.”

“It’s a nice night, you might enjoy yourself. And we’re in good company.” 

The grimace on your face disappears, and is replaced by something more amiable. “We are,” you tilt your, make a decision. “Yeah, okay…let’s do it.”

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Once you’ve locked your front door, closed your windows, Joel walks side-by-side with you down your driveway. You only make it about halfway down when you’re both interrupted by the sound of someone calling out your name, then his. 

Your next-door neighbor, Denise Watson, leans over the railing of her front porch, while her husband John sits in a chair behind her, giving a lazy wave and returning back to his puzzlebook. Joel nods at him, and notices the color has drained out of your face. The Watsons have lived on this street since before even Joel and Sarah moved in. They’re in their late 60s, retired, all their children grown – which gives them plenty of time to get into everyone’s business. 

“Hey,” you offer the most unenthusiastic greeting he thinks he’s ever heard. You’re paranoid, and he’d laugh if it were just the two of you, alone. But it’s not, and he knows these just so happen to be neighbors you’ve been lying to.

“How are you doing, hun?” 

“I’m good,” you say softly, and Joel watches Denise’s eyes flick over his direction. 

“Same here,” he manages. 

“What are you ya’ll up to?”

“We’re just goin’ for a walk,” Joel answers, looking your way. You nod at him, wordlessly, then at Denise. 

“How lovely.” She smiles, and it’s sincere, so he knows she doesn’t suspect anything. “It’s nice to see you two getting along so well.” Even from where he’s standing, Joel sees her eyebrows lift suggestively.

You and Joel both answer the insinuation at the same time.

“Yeah, well-” 

“She looks after Sarah for me, so-”

You bob your head enthusiastically. “Mhm, yeah. Sarah. Great kid.”

Denise opens her mouth again, and you speak so quickly, Joel’s pretty sure it’s because you’re afraid of what she’s going to say next. “We gotta go,” you shuffle backwards a few steps, quickly, and collide with Joel’s chest. “Before it gets dark out,” when you turn, you’re looking up at him with wide, terrified eyes. 

“Oh, alright,” Denise says, sounding a little disappointed. “Ya’ll stay safe, alright?”

“Of course,” Joel calls over his shoulder, managing a halfhearted wave before he’s trailing you around the bend in the cul-de-sac that takes you out of view from The Watsons porch.

The second you’ve made it you whirl to face him, your jaw drops, and you both erupt into laughter. You grip his bicep and lean into him, pressing your face into the cotton of his t-shirt to stifle the noise. He’s tempted to pull you under his arm all the way, but he resists the urge. Would that be okay? He’s not sure. And he’s not necessarily in the best headspace to make the decision.

“Oh my god,” you murmur, swiping under your eyes as you pull back, and start walking a few steps ahead of him. 

“It’s like I’m back in high school,” Joel says. Neither of you decide to mention what your neighbor had insinuated, but it is objectively funny. 

“Oh, I’m sure you were trouble.”

“Not as much as you’d think,” Joel says. “Although I did sneak out quite a bit. But it was only to see girls – well, one girl.” 

“Sarah’s mom?” you ask. 

“Yeah.” Joel isn’t sure why he’s mentioned it. It’s not really something he’s interested in speaking on now – or ever – for that matter, even if every person he’s mentioned it to has questions. What happened? What did you do? You poor thing. Above all else, he hated being pitied. 

But you don’t press him, and change the subject. “So…a few weeks ago you had said you and Tommy had a work project you were gonna book. Did that pan out?”

Joel cocks his head, surprised you remembered. “Actually, it did. Funny you ask. Things moved slow but…we signed the contract today. I’m sort of celebrating.”

“Congratulations,” you look over your shoulder slightly to give him a genuine grin. “But uh…you should’ve told me. Had I known we were celebrating, I would’ve tried to make things more exciting.” 

“Can’t think of anything better.”

You pause, because you’ve reached the end of your cul-de-sac. “Suit yourself.” you say. “Are you gonna lead though? I don’t know where we’re going.”

“Yeah, that’s kind of the point.” Joel expects some kind of quip in response, but you just shake your head and narrow your eyes. Tucking your hair behind your ears, he senses a bit of uneasiness. “You alright?”

“I’m fine I just…” you shake your head. “I don’t love being stoned in public.”

“You’re alright.” Joel puts his hand between your shoulder blades, guiding you to fall into step beside him. “Come on, darlin’, just walk with me.” It’s terrible how easily the term of endearment slips out – and he waits for your reaction. But all he feels is the way your body loosens under his touch. 

That brings him some satisfaction, but as usual, it’s not enough. Because if you’re not going to stop him, he longs to push the hair off your neck, kiss along your pulse point, feel you melt even further as his thumbs work at the muscles in your shoulders. Joel fantasizes about what his name might sound like, coming from you, in a breathless sigh. The image works him up a little too much, and he lets his hand fall back to his side.

For a while, you both walk in silence, your fingers brushing against his every so often, but neither of you acknowledge it, apologize, or decide to step further away from each other to keep it from happening again and again.

It’s a beautiful night, the warmth of the day dwindling under the blanket of thinning clouds tinted pink in the sunset. Joel is amazed at how content he feels, can’t remember the last time he’s felt this way – not worried about someone, or something, or letting anyone down. 

It’s May, so almost all the native flowers are in full bloom. Tulips planted in gardens, pansies overflowing from pots on porches, dandelions dotting pristine green lawns. Stepping away from Joel, you pause in front of an empty, overgrown lot that’s basically turned into a wildflower patch. 

“This is nice,” you say, decidedly. “It’s pretty.” 

“I told you.”

Once more, he expects some clever retort, but your eyebrows are pinched together, and you crouch to look closely at some bluebonnets that are the same color as the tight-fitting henley you’ve got on. “I know you mentioned it back there but… Sarah’s told me…about her mom.”

Joel feels himself stiffen. “Yeah….well, she never really got to know her.” 

When he’s feeling particularly remorseful, his brain replays a memory of Sarah, only four years old, toddling around the tiny apartment they lived in and calling out for her mother. His ex had left when she was so young, so he had known there was no way Sarah actually remembered her. But all her classmates had two parents, all the movies she watched at home depicted loving, complete families. That night, after tucking her in, he’d retreated to his room, and cried for the first time since his divorce. Ever since then, it was impossible to shake the feeling he wouldn’t be enough.

Sometimes, he felt better about it then others. Sarah grew out of that phase, and Joel thought that’d be the last of it. When he finally bought the house, he felt like he’d proven he could do it alone. They would be fine. That was until Joel found an old photo of him and his ex underneath Sarah’s pillow while he was changing her sheets. The discovery left him with the same feeling all over again. 

Now, in the wake of the excitement that he’s signed onto his first real contracting gig, a promotion, a raise – this information from you deflates him all over again. 

“You don’t like to talk about it?” you guess correctly. 

“Not particularly.” Normally, Joel would shut something like this down. But he can’t bring himself to be cruel to you. “We were young. What happened was for the best. I wish Sarah understood that.”

“You don’t give her enough credit. She’s a bright kid,” you answer, standing up and putting your hands on your hips. “Anyways, I get it. When you cut yourself off from a bad situation, it's hard. The alternative is worse, though. People forget that part.”

Joel feels a little reassured by what you’re saying. Why he immediately went on the defense when you brought it up, he’ll explore later. “I wish more people understood,” he murmurs. 

“Me too,” you nod, and you nudge him gently to keep walking. “And people process things differently. It makes sense she's curious. It’s a very human thing.” 

“I know.” What was it that you had said a few weeks back? They’re always with you, no matter what. That’s not a sentiment Joel can completely wrap his head around yet. “It does make me think sometimes…maybe she needs some else….someone who isn't…me.””

“Oh, come on, Joel,” you halt in your tracks, almost like he’s offended you in some way. You look up at him from under your eyelashes. “You’re a good man.”

Validation. He doesn’t get it often – ever, really. And he doesn’t need it, but….coming from you, he feels like he just wants more. And more. He can think of a few ways he might get it, too. Some less innocent than others. 

“Should we turn around?” he asks. You nod. 

There’s a bit of light still remaining in the sky by the time you round the corner to Joel’s street, but the sun has set long ago. He’s probably supposed to say goodbye, standing at the end of your respective driveways, but he finds that end to the evening rather disappointing. 

“You know what I can’t stop thinking about right now?” you ask, Joel. He’s a little hesitant to answer, based on the ornery glint in your eyes. All he has to do is raise his eyebrows, and you continue. “A shirley temple.”

Joel can’t help but laugh, and he sees how you light up at the sound. “You serious?” he asks. 

“I know they’re….for kids, but…I don’t know. They’re really fucking good.”

“They are,” he answers, and you’re at the end of your driveway. He hesitates for a second, thinks you might say goodbye, but you just check over your shoulder to make sure he’s following you. He does. 

“This is probably the weed talking, but I’m going to make some.” You unlock your front door, and he holds it open to let you step inside, before following. 

“You have the stuff to make them?” he questions. 

Yes, you bob your head, then walk to the corner of your front room and flick on a light. Warm light floods the room, and you walk through the archway into your kitchen. When he follows you there, your back is towards him, opening a glass-doored cabinet containing various liquor bottles, wines, cordials, and accoutrements. 

“You want one? I have to say, I’ve been making them a lot lately, and I think I’ve perfected the recipe.”

“Well in that case, I’ve gotta try,” Joel wanders to your small kitchen table, about a quarter of it covered in neat piles of paperwork. There’s a messenger bag slung over the back of a chair, and in front of it is there’s a thick contract. The page it’s opened to is riddled with blue ink, crossing through sentences, scribbled in the paper’s margins. He can’t make out any of the jargon in the fine print. Next to it sits a pair of thin black reading glasses, and a sleek fountain pen engraved with your name. 

His eyes fall next to a stack of old photographs sitting atop an opened envelope. With two fingers, he pushes the top photo off the stack, once, twice, three times, until he gets to the bottom of the pile, and they’re spread out in front of him. Maybe he shouldn’t be snooping like this, but his curiosity is getting the best of him. 

Joel doesn’t recognize the people in most of the photos. One of them is a school photo of a young boy, with Spring ‘03 printed in the lower right hand corner. But the remaining two…he realizes are of you, but you’re young, your cheeks rounder, features not quite as defined. Younger than Sarah, if he had to guess. In both, you’re wearing the same thing – a black turtleneck, a plaid skirt that hangs past your knees, and black Mary Janes. 

In one, you’re cheek to cheek with a teenage boy who you’re giving bunny ears. Your brother. Has to be. You look too similar. His arm is across your shoulders, and you’re smiling so wide your eyes are closed. 

In the other photo, though, your face is blank. A wide, empty stare, straight into the camera. Behind you, his hands on your shoulders, is an older man whose gaze has the same determined set Joel has seen on you before. Something about the photo, the haunted look on your face, makes him feel like he’s seen something he’s not supposed to, and he slides the print underneath a stack of papers.

“If you’re gonna look at those papers, I’m gonna need you to sign an NDA,” you say over his shoulder, and Joel is startled by the sound of your voice, and the feeling of a glass, cold and damp with condensation, being placed in his hand. “Here.”

You peer around his shoulder, face brushing against the side of his arm as you see the photos. “Oh,” your voice drops slightly when you realize what he’s looking at. “My brother sent those. That’s my nephew, Ethan.” You point to the school photo of the little kid, but don’t offer an explanation for any of the others. 

Joel clinks his glass with yours and notices that you’ve balanced a toothpick with two maraschino cherries on its rim. It’s refreshing, delicious, and the fizz tickles his nose as he takes the first sip. 

“Restaurant quality,” he tells you. You lean back against your counter, studying him. When you stare at him like this, as he’s caught you doing a handful of times before, it always makes him feel feral. Like some kind of animal, the way he has to hold himself back from pouncing. You look at him like there’s no one else around, and yeah, there’s no one else around right now, but even when you’re in public, you’ve done it, too. And he doesn’t know how to tell you to stop – he doesn’t really want to. “How’d you perfect the recipe?” he asks. 

“Practice,” you glance at the bubbles dancing through the ice in your glass before focusing back on him, sheepish. “Sarah likes them.”

So you’ve made them for her. Joel sits his drink down. “She does.” 

“Are you hungry?” you ask. “I think I need a snack or something.”

“You don’t have any ice cream, do you?”

“Uhhh…check the freezer?” you say over your shoulder, rummaging through your cabinets for a bowl, and Joel rises to do so. “I think I only have coffee-flavored, though.”

“Good choice,” he answers. His favorite.When he opens the freezer, he’s met with a blast of cool air, a cloud of steam. 

“You have a sweet tooth, don’t you?” you tease, coming to stand next to him, but Joel is too focused on the box of orange popsicles he sees in front of him, and pulls them out to look at the box. “You like these?”

“Not really. I’m partial to cherry.”

“Sarah loves these,” he remarks. 

“Yeah.” 

“I don’t buy them for her anymore, because one time she ate twelve in one day.”

You sniff, grin. “She told me that.”

He studies the drink that you’ve set on your countertop, the box in his hand. “So you bought these for her?”

“Yeah, why?” you cross your arms, almost defensively.

“Are any of the other snacks here just for her?”

“...No,” he can tell you’re lying, and your eyes flick over his shoulder for a second. “Don’t look in that cabinet, though.” 

Joel can’t help the incredulous smile that breaks out over his face. “God, no wonder she’s always over here so much. You’re givin’ her all the junk I don’t let her eat, aren’t you?”

You hold your hands up. “I think she deserves to be comfortable here. Do you want her to starve?”

Joel’s sure he’s staring at you slack-jawed. Not because he’s upset with you, no. It’s quite the opposite. He shakes his head, grins, and starts laughing.

“Don’t laugh at me,” but you’re giggling, too. “It’s not funny.” You reach to swat at him playfully, and something inside him snaps. 

Joel is sick of coming up with excuses to see you. He’s sick of holding you at arms length. He’s sick of not taking what he wants to. He’s sick of pretending he hasn’t thought about you every single day since he first saw you, standing in this very kitchen, leaning over the island and chatting with Sarah. He wants to walk in your front door and know that he can have you however he likes, that he’s allowed to. He realizes if he doesn’t act, he’ll never find out. It’ll eat him alive.

So before you can make contact, he wraps his hand around your wrist, draws you in closer. It catches you off guard, sure, but your eyes are locked, and he sees that you’re not shaken in the slightest.

“You know,” he says. “You’re nicer than you think.” 

The energy in the room has shifted. But it doesn’t seem to phase you, and when he’s this close, he can study every freckle on your face, the color of your eyes – can remind himself, again, though he hardly has to – just how beautiful you are. You lower your arm, and at first – he panics, thinks that you might be pulling away. He’s read it wrong, all wrong. But all your doing is giving yourself a better angle to grip his wrist in kind, hand clasping over his broken watch.

“Keep it to yourself, Joel.” you whisper. And it's supposed to be a joke, but you can't seem to tear your gaze off his lips. “I have a reputation to uphold.”

“I will.” 

Joel kisses you. Hard. It’s like a dam breaking, every time he’s held himself back from you comes barreling forward, and it’s all right there. Everywhere. Overwhelming. But he can't stop. He moves with purpose, cupping your chin. He winds his other arm around your waist, crushing you against him. You taste sweeter than he’d imagined, cherry-flavored syrup lingering on your lips. You groan against him, your head tilting back as he moves in closer, jaw relaxing, lips parting.

It’s just enough for him to slip his tongue inside your mouth, to continue to explore, to claim. The things he’s going to do to you…It could be the weed, but every nerve in his body is on high alert – his skin scorches in the wake of your hands raking up his biceps, tangling in his unruly waves. It could be the weed, or it could just be that good.

More, he wants more, and he’s crowding you back towards the counter next to the fridge. Somewhere, distantly, he hears the freezer door fall closed – and probably not all the way – the ice cream long since forgotten. The moment your back hits the granite, you pull away with a ragged inhale, only enough to look him in the eyes.

“Took you long enough,” One of your hands rises to his face.

Joel presses his cheek into the warmth of your palm. “I thought it might be better to keep you waiting.”

You only shake your head, pulling him back into the kiss. He shifts his weight to hook his hands behind your knees and lift you onto the counter. It’s a bit overzealous, and your head bumps the cabinet behind you, but you don’t seem to notice. Both your legs hook around his hips, drawing him in further. He doesn’t think he’s ever been so turned on just from kissing someone – not even for that long – but it’s just so fucking hot. You’re so fucking hot. 

But, he’s capable of one rational thought. This can’t be how it happens. You’re worth more than an animalistic fuck on a kitchen countertop. There’s so much more he wants to do that can’t be done here, like this. And…it’s you. You deserve better, although the frustrated noise you let out when he draws back indicates you think the opposite. Another time.

“I’m sor-I-we can’t,” Joel manages. 

Your face drops, you look….almost angry at him. The second he sees it, he realizes what he said was all wrong. “No, I mean we can, we can, just not….not now.”

The anger dissipates, you shift back, but reach out, pushing a piece of stray hair off his forehead and running your thumb along his sharp jawline. “Why not?”

“I just…I didn’t-” he shakes his head and looks down. “I’ve wanted this for awhile now, but….this isn’t…I wasn’t expecting-” Fucking spit it out, you dipshit. “Can I take you out or something first?” 

You don’t answer, just shift forward, your forehead bumping into his chest. Joel he brings his arms around your shoulders despite himself. And then your lips are on his neck, teeth scraping, teasing, working up to his ear, where you whisper. “You don’t have to.”

He fucking has you. He could. So easily. “I want to.”

You pull back, and there’s a split second where he swears you look a little ashamed, and then it vanishes. “You are a romantic.”

“Not entirely…” Joel says. “I just…would rather do things right. For someone I like.”

“Someone you like?”

“Yes.” Obviously. 

“Okay, yeah,” you murmur softly. “I would like that.” 

“Next weekend?” 

“That long?” 

He chuckles. “It’ll be worth the wait.” But you don’t seem convinced. “I promise.”

For a split second his eyes flick over your shoulder to the microwave, and he sees what time it is. “Shit. Shit. I’m sorry. It’s late. Sarah’s gonna be home any minute and if I’m not home-” he pauses, gestures between you. “We shouldn’t uh…we shouldn’t mention this to her. Not for now, at least.” 

“Yeah, I wasn’t planning on it,” you shake your head in agreement. 

Joel leans in to kiss you again. This time, he keeps it slow, tender, lingering. Even though he knows he’ll get to see you again, he still finds it hard to tear himself away.

----

part v

taglist: @yaskna@venomous-ko@lomljigg@yeehawbitchs@ay0nha @eldahae @lol-im-done@melancholicmelanin@reggies-floatie @omniscientqueer@superflymaterial@mikkorantanev@zbeez-outlet @nadja-antipaxos @strawberri-blonde @jabbajambler @ponyboys-sunsets @kyuupidwrites @r4efromvenus @loveatfirstsight-atlastsight @korianderbandit @nicoleoeoeoe @hotgirlsshareaccounts @madisonred88 @crustyrustydusty @sflame15-blog @issybee0611 @darkemeralddiamond @grandmana @totallynotastanacc @ay0nha @virgogaia @lunarxeclipse @marysucks-blog @jabbajambler @surazim @naiomiwinchester

[kiskisur]

This might be a long one but hear me out…

Xiao x m!adeptus!reader

Xiao angst where we were an adeptus that went missing during the cataclysm. Xiao misses us deeply but after all these years is starting to slowly forget our facial features. 🙈 Andddd maybeeee we come back and he takes a while to recognize us.

Ty and have a nice day! 💟

ᝰ.ᐟ you know I can't fight the feeling.

warnings: angst with comfort, adeptus!male reader x xiao, he/him pronouns for [name] (you!) (sorry huhu it helps me improve my writing but I'll try in a 2nd POV maybe? ^^), reader goes missing for hundreds of years.

note: I'm so sorry it took long!! I was resting from. school but here you gooo~ I enjoyed it!!

In the heart of Liyue, where the sunlight dances on the water, [name] and Xiao found themselves in a rare moment of tranquility.

[name] grinned playfully, nudging Xiao with his elbow. "Hey, you with the brooding expression. You know, you've got this whole mysterious aura going on."

Xiao rolled his eyes but couldn't hide the hint of a smile. "I'm not trying to be mysterious. It's just... who I am."

[name] chuckled, leaning in as if he had a juicy secret to share. "Well, lucky for you, I'm the only one who gets to see through that 'mysterious' façade of yours."

Xiao raised an eyebrow, a mixture of skepticism and curiosity in his gaze. "Oh, really? And how exactly do you manage that?"

[name]'s eyes twinkled mischievously. "Simple. I see the Xiao who loves dandelion seeds flying in the wind, the one who secretly enjoys the good I make when he thinks no one's watching."

A faint blush colored Xiao's cheeks, but he crossed his arms in mock defense. "You're making things up."

[Name] pouted dramatically, feigning offense. "Hey now, I thought you'd be happy that I pay attention to these things."

Xiao's resistance finally crumbled, and he couldn't suppress a laugh. "[Name], you're unbelievable."

"That's why you love me," [name] teased, his tone turning softer.

Xiao's gaze softened as he looked at [name]. "Yeah, I do."

[name] beamed, his heart practically radiating with joy. "So, my dandelion-loving, enjoying-my-food Xiao, what's been on your mind lately?"

Xiao sighed, his expression turning more serious. "It's just...I've lived for so long, seen so much. Sometimes, the weight of time feels overwhelming."

[name] reached for Xiao's hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "I get it, Xiao. But remember, I'm here. We're in this together. And even when you feel like time is dragging you down, I'll be here to lift you up."

Xiao's eyes softened further, gratitude shining in his gaze. "You always know what to say."

[name] winked. "That's because I pay attention to my enigmatic, dandelion-loving boyfriend."

Xiao shook his head, unable to suppress his smile any longer. "You're incorrigible."

"But you love me for it," [name] said with a wink, pulling Xiao into a warm embrace.

One day, though, [name] disappeared. Poof. Just gone. Without a single word, leaving Xiao in a state of shock. Imagine, someone who was always in your space suddenly vanishing like an elusive treasure.

Fast forward through countless sunrises and sunsets, and Xiao's demeanor had changed. He became colder than a Cryo user in the middle of a snowstorm. The once-expressive man turned into a stoic figure, his laughter a rare occurrence, and his interactions minimal.

It's like [name]'s absence took a piece of his soul. You could see him staring into the distance, his eyes clouded with a mixture of sadness and longing. And those dandelion seeds he used to love? Well, they now seemed to remind him of [name], so they got the cold shoulder too.

Time passed. Centuries flowed by like a fast-forwarded play, and the memory of [name] started to blur like a vivid dream upon waking. Xiao's chest ached at the thought that he was forgetting [name]'s laugh, their quirky habits, and even the way their hand fit perfectly in his.

One day, he stood by the Liyue harbor, gazing out at the waves, and a wave of panic washed over him. [name] was slipping away from his mind, and he couldn't stop it. Every detail, every laugh, every touch – they were all fading, and Xiao felt like he was losing [name] all over again.

Zhongli, always the wise one, tried to console him. "Xiao, memories may fade, but the emotions you shared are timeless."

Xiao's gaze was distant, lost in the past. "How can I move on from someone I loved for hundreds of years? It's like letting go of a part of myself."

But then, a day that felt like an echo from history happened. [name] stood before him, as if time had bowed to their love. Xiao's jaw dropped, eyes wide like a Geo traveler who just found a rare artifact.

"[Name]?" he gasped, his voice a mix of shock and disbelief.

[name]'s grin was familiar, the twinkle in his eyes undiminished. "I told you I'd find my way back."

And in that moment, the years melted away, the pain dissolved, and time seemed irrelevant. Xiao rushed forward, unable to hold back his tears, his emotions like a flood bursting through a dam.

"[Name], I... I thought I'd lost you forever," he stammered, voice quivering.

[name] pulled him into a tight embrace, his warmth a reminder that they were real, that they were here. "I'm here now, Xiao. And I'm not going anywhere."

As they stood there, wrapped in each other's arms, the weight of the centuries seemed like a distant memory. The forgotten memories resurfaced, the laughter echoed like a long-lost melody, and their love, well, it was stronger than ever. Time might have tried to erase their story, but it had failed, because in the end, love was the ultimate conqueror.

ᝰ.ᐟ and every night I feel it right now, I wish you were here with me.

[copperbadge]

Did you end up dropping the saffron to see if you could detect a difference, and if so what was your conclusion?

For context, Anon is asking about saffron supplements' possible benefit for people with ADHD -- funnily enough, the saffron my mother gave me is culinary and totally unrelated. I've had it for about a year and just now got round to cooking with it.

The supplemental saffron is something I heard about from a parent of a couple of kids with ADHD. She was having trouble getting their meds during the shortage, and she said she'd heard saffron could help, so she'd tried that. She said she'd seen some reduction in the hyperactivity more than she'd seen an increase in focus.

I'm skeptical of holistic and herbal treatments for medical conditions mainly because when something non-pharmaceutical works, modern pharma tends to co-opt it and turn it into medication very quickly. I was encouraged mainly because she wasn't a crunchy No Prescriptions parent, she WANTED her kids to have their meds, she was just trying to get them anything that'd help in the meantime.

So I dug around and found that a study had been done in Spain that seemed to indicate 30mg of saffron, as a once-daily supplement, has some kind of impact on ADHD neurology. It was a short study and a small sample size, but the nice thing about saffron is we know its long-term effects, so the only real harm is being out $20 for a bottle of 30mg pills. (It is tough to find 30mg saffron supplements that don't look like a cult is making and selling them, and herbal remedies aren't subject to strict QA controls, so the real risk is you'll get pills with Something Else in them.)

But I did some tinkering, and I found that the best application for me is to take the saffron with an Adderall, where it seems to act as a kind of boost. I take 10mg instant-release twice daily but occasionally I take 20mg in the morning, something the psychiatrist gave me permission to do. Saffron plus 10mg Adderall hits a really good level for me; 20mg Adderall is occasionally helpful; saffron plus 20mg Adderall is Oh Dear Too Much.

Ultimately there's not a great way for me to test it while accounting for the placebo effect, although being fair to me that's not something I've been super subject to in the past. I notice a subtle boost with the saffron, and when I had to refill it I deliberately went without for a few weeks to see if I noticed a decline. I did have a few moments throughout that period of "Jeez, has my Adderall stopped working?" but mostly it just felt like a slower, gentler onset of effects. I've also tried taking saffron without the Adderall on weekends, to see if it improved my focus; I'd do something like take the saffron but pack a couple of Adderall, decamp from my place to the library or a cafe, and do some writing. Certainly saffron alone doesn't have the "well, I felt that kick in" effect Adderall does, so I wouldn't want to depend on it alone, but I generally didn't have to take the meds to focus when it was just something mellow like writing.

I suspect results may vary, since I was diagnosed with Inattentive, not Hyperactive or Mixed, and the saffron is meant to work on the hyperactive aspect. But yeah, it seems to have an effect for me that I miss when I don't take it. It's in one of those weird inbetween situations where we have some research but not enough, so I encourage folks to research it, try it for themselves, and just be healthily skeptical and cautious when doing so.

[layce2015]

Supernatural (Dean Winchester x Female!Reader)

Wishful Thinking

Masterlist

"It just doesn't make any sense, Dean. I mean, why would Uriel tell us you remembered Hell if you didn't?" Sam asked Dean, who was downing shots like no one's business, as we were sitting at a table at a restaurant. "Maybe because he's a dick. Might have something to do with it." Dean replied, nonchalantly. "Maybe, but he's still an angel." I pointed out. "Yeah, an angel who was ready to level an entire town. Look, I don't know what --" Dean started to say when our waiter, who is way too cheerful for my taste, comes up to us.

"Radical. What else can I get you guys?" He asked and we turn to him. "Uh, I think we're good." Sam said. "Yeah?" The waiter asked. "Yeah." Sam said, trying to sound patient. "You want to try a couple of fryer bombs? Or a chipotle chili changa?" The waiter asked. "No, no, we're – we're still good." Dean tells him. "Okay, awesome." The waiter said and he walks away.

"Guys, honestly, I have no idea why Uriel told you two what he did, okay?" Dean said. "Right." Sam and I said, not really believing him. "What?" Dean asked us, annoyed. "Okay. Fine." Sam said, defensively, then I lean forward towards Dean. "Dean, look me in the eye and tell me you don't remember a thing from your time down under." I said to him, firmly. He leans forward and said. "I don't remember a thing from my time down under." But I'm not really convinced as I lean back a bit, skepticism played on my face.

"I don't remember, (y/n)!" he exclaims to me. "Look, Dean, we just want to help." said Sam. "You guys know everything I do. Okay? That's all there is." Dean said, getting angry, just as the waiter comes up to us. "Outstanding. Dessert time? Huh? Am I right?" he asked. "Dude." Dean sighs. "Listen, bros. You have got to try our ice cream extreme. It's extreme." the waiter said. "Uh, no extremities, please. Just the --" I started to say, nicely, then he talks over me. "Check? All right, awesome." 

"Thanks." I said and he walks away then Dean turns to us. "All right, so, where do we go from here?" He asked. "I'm not sure. Uh, looks like it's been pretty quiet lately. No signs of demon activity, no omens or portents I can see." Sam said as he looks through his laptop. "That's good news for once." I said as Dean drinks his beer.

"Yeah, just the typical smattering of crank UFO sightings and one possible vengeful spirit. Here, check this out. Uh...Up in Concrete, Washington, eyewitness reports of a ghost that's been haunting the showers of a women's health facility." He said and Dean chokes with his beer. "The victim claims that the ghost threw her down a flight of stairs." Sam said and we noticed Dean scrambling out of his seat.

"I can see you're very interested." Sam said. "Women, showers. We got to save these people." Dean said and I give him a disapproving look. "Kidding!" He said to me before we start to head out.

"I'm not surprised the spirit world chose to make contact with me. I'm something of a...natural sensitive." Candace said to me. I was sitting at a restaurant called Lucky Chin's and was in the middle of meeting the woman who was "attacked" by a ghost in the showers. Sam and Dean were at the fitness center, checking the place out. "I can sense that about you, Candace, that whole...sensitive thing." I said, giving her a fake smile.

"So, what did you say you're calling your book?" She asked me, curiously. "Oh, well, um...Well, the working title is...Supernatural. Yeah, I've been crossing the country, gathering stories like yours. But, anyways, you were telling me about your encounter." I said. "Yes. Well..." Candace said before she let's out a sigh.

"Once I saw the apparition, that's when I started to run." she explained while I noticed a couple kissing at another table. It was a very nerdy-looking guy with, I gotta admit, a very beautiful woman. This just seemed out of place to me, that girl is way outta that guy's league, who the hell did he get her? "And you said the ghost chased you?" I asked her as I snap my attention back to Candace. "Not just that. It knew my name. It kept yelling, Mrs. Armstrong! Mrs. Armstrong! And that's when I hit the stairs and fell." She explained and I furrow my brow in confusion.

"You fell? The ghost didn't push you?" I asked her. "Oh, I don't – I don't know. I mean, I think it did. Maybe." She said, undecided. "Did you feel like it meant to hurt you, like it was violent, or..." I asked her, curiously. "It was a ghost. I'm lucky to be alive. Anyway, I was at the bottom of the stairs, and that's when it got weird." she said before she chuckles. "It helped me up." she said and I give her a confused but intrigued look

"Say again?" I asked her. "Yeah. It helped me up. And it kept saying over and over, Please, don't tell my mom." She said. "Yeah, that's weird." I said as I raise an eyebrow at this. Why would a ghost help this woman? I thought as I write down some notes.

"Well, you boys pick up anything?" I asked Dean and Sam as I meet them on the stairs of the Fitness Center, where Candace had the ordeal with the ghost. "No EMF in the shower or anywhere else. This house is clean." Dean said as he sets aside a newspaper, which I could see the headline saying Local Man Wins $168M Lottery.  "Yeah. I'm not surprised. I kind of got the feeling back there that crazy pushed Mrs. Armstrong down the stairs." I said

"I got to tell you, I'm pretty disappointed." Dean said, in a disappointed tone, and Sam exhales sharply. "You wanted to save naked women." Sam said. "Damn right I wanted to save some naked women." Dean said and I left my leg up and kick Dean in the ass. "Ow!" Dean said and Sam chuckles lightly at this as three boys chase after another boy.

"Come on, guys, get him!"

"I got him! I got him!"

"Run, Forrest, run!" I shouted at the boy before Sam turns to Dean. "Sorry, Dean, but I don't think anything's going on around here." Sam said. "Yeah, I have to agree with Sam." I said just as we hear a man arguing with a police officer.

"How the hell was I supposed to get a look at it? It grabbed me from behind and threw me into a tree!" The man shouts at the officer and Dean took notice of this. "Something's going on." He said and we stand and watch.

"Yeah, okay, Gus. I understand you got shook up. Anyone would be. But don't you think it – Don't you think it had to be a bear?" The officer asked, which angered Gus. "I know a damn bear track when I see one! This thing didn't leave bear tracks! Its feet were huge!" Gus shouts.

"Now, Gus..." the officer said, exasperated, but Gus shouts over him. "It was Bigfoot, Hal – The Bigfoot!" the boys and I exchange looks at this as Hall sighs. "Gus, you're not talking sense here." Hal said. "There's a Bigfoot out there, damn it, and he's a son of a bitch!" Gus shouts and we go over to them.

"Excuse us. FBI." Sam said as he flashes his fake badge to them. "What?" Hal said, confused. "Yes, sir. We're here about the...That." Sam said as he nods at Gus. "About Bigfoot?" Hal asked. "That's right." Sam said then he turns to Gus. "Sir, can you tell me exactly where this happened?" He asked. "Yes, I can." Gus said, proudly.

"What the hell's going on in this town? First there's a ghost that's not real, and now a Bigfoot sighting?" Dean asked as we search the forest area Gus told us about. "Well, every hunter worth his salt knows Bigfoot's a hoax." Sam said. "Well, maybe somebody's pumping LSD into the town water supply." Dean suggests but then I noticed huge tracks.

"Uh, boys..." I said as I run up towards the tracks and stop, the boys follow me and stop as well. "Okay. What do you suppose made that?" Dean asked. "That, uh...is a big foot." I said, lost for words at what I was seeing. I mean, demons, vampires and ghost I understand but Bigfoot? That seems a stretch. "Okay." Sam mutters and we follow the tracks to the back of a liquor store that has been broken into. 

"So, what – Bigfoot breaks into a liquor store, jonesing for some hooch?" Dean asked and I look through the shelves and found an empty shelf with the label of the drink on it. "Amaretto and Irish cream. He's a girl-drink drunk." I remarked as Dean helps himself to a bottle of a drink on the shelves, and puts it into his jacket pocket. 

"Hey. Check this out." Sam calls out and we go over to see him standing in front of the magazine rack to see a specific rack missing. "He took the whole porno rack?" Dean said, shocked. "Well, I'll say it again. What the hell is going on in this town?" He said.

Later, the three of us sit down on a bench outside the store as we try to figure out just what exactly is going on. "I got nothing." Dean said. "It's got to be a joke, right? Some big-ass mother in a gorilla suit?" Sam suggested. "Or it's a Bigfoot. You know, and he's some kind of a alcoholo-porno addict. Kind of like a deep-woods Duchovny." Dean said. "We sure it ain't you and you just don't remember?" I asked Dean, teasingly. "Hey!" Dean said, a bit offended, when a girl on a bike passes us and a Busty Asian Beauties magazine falls to the ground from the box on the bicycle.

"A little young for busty Asian beauties." Dean said and we go and see the girl dropping off a box full of alcohol and porn, along with a note, at the back door of the liquor store. She starts to take off and we follow her home.

"What's this, like a Harry and the Hendersons deal?" Dean asked as I knocked on the door of the house we saw the girl go into. The door opens and the girl answers it. "Hello?" She said. "Hello! Um, could we...You know what? Are your parents home?" I asked her, sweetly. "Nope." The girl replied. "No." I said, confused and taken aback.

"No." Sam and Dean said then Dean clears his throat. "Um...Have you seen a really, really furry..." he tries to explain then the girl gets a worried look on her face. "Is he in trouble?" She asked and the boys and I exchange a look before I speak again.

"No. No, no, no. Not at all." I chuckled. "We just – We wanted to make sure he was okay." I continued and the boys nod. "Exactly." Dean said. "He's my teddy bear. I think he's sick." The girl said. "Wow. Uh...Amazing. 'Cause you know what? We...are, uh...teddy bear doctors." Dean said and this seems brighten the girl's demeanor.

"Really? Can you please take a look at him?" she asked us. "Sure." I said. "Sure. Yeah." Sam and Dean said and the girl let's us in her house.

We follow her inside the house then up the stairs. "He's in my bedroom. He's pretty grumpy." She said then she goes to knock on the door. "Teddy? There's some nice doctors here to see you." She said and she opens the door to reveal a real, big and drunk teddy that is watching television. "Close the friggin' door!" The bear shouts, angrily, and the girl closes the door. "See what I mean?" She asked and the boys and I share a bewildered, shocked and confused look at each other.

"All I ever wanted was a teddy which was big, real, and talked. But now he's sad all the time – not ouch sad, but ouch-in-the-head sad – says weird stuff, and smells like the bus." The girl explains and she sounded really sad and I couldn't help but feel sorry for her.

"Okay, um...I'm sorry, sweetie, what's your name?" I asked as I kneel down to her level. "Audrey!" She said. "Audrey. How exactly did your teddy become real?" I asked her. "I wished for it." She replied. "You wished for it?" Sam asked her. "At the wishing well." Audrey said and Dean opens the bedroom door.

Inside, Teddy was watching the news on the TV. "Look at this." Teddy said before he chuckles. "You believe this crap?" He asked as I stand up and Sam and I walk into the room. "Not really." Dean said, still in disbelief at a tall talking teddy bear. "It is a terrible world." Teddy said then he shouts. "Why am I here?!"

"For tea parties!" Audrey shouts at him. "Tea parties? Is that all there is?" Teddy asked, upset, as we hear guns firing on the TV. We step out of the room then turn to Audrey. "Audrey, give us a second, okay?" I said to her and she nods then the boys and I walk out into the hallway.

"Okay. Are we...Should we...Uh, are we gonna kill this teddy bear?" I asked them, in a quiet voice. "How? Do we shoot it, burn it?" Dean asked us, in the same tone. "I don't know. Both?" Sam said, shrugging. "How do we even know that's gonna work? I don't want some giant, flaming, pissed-off teddy on our hands." I whisper-yelled. "Yeah. Besides, I get the feeling that the bear isn't really the, you know, core problem here." Sam said then we go back over to Audrey.

"Audrey. Where are your parents?" I asked her. "My mom wished they were in Bali, so I think they're in Bali." she replied. "Okay, well...I'm really sorry to have to break this to you, but...your bear is sick. Yeah, he's – he's got..." I said trying to think of something but luckily Dean saves my ass.

"Lollipop disease." he said.

"Lollipop disease." I said, nodding. "It's not uncommon for a bear his size. But, see, it's – it’s really contagious." Dean said. "Yeah, so, is there – is there someone, maybe a grown-up, that you can stay with while we treat him?" Sam asked her. "Mrs. Hurley lives down the street." She said. "Perfect." Dean said. "Good, yeah, good. Uh, we'd like you to stay there for a few days, okay?" I said to her. "Okay." She said. "Oh, and, Audrey? Where is this wishing well?" Dean asked her.

Minutes later, we see a boy throws a coin into the fountain and leaves just as we come up on it. "Think it works?" Dean asked us. "Got a better explanation for teddy back there?" I asked him. "Well, there's one way to find out." Dean said as he pulls out a coin.

"What are you gonna wish for?" Sam asked him. "Shh!" Dean said and he throws a coin. "Not supposed to tell." he said and the coin lands in the fountain and not a second later, a guy comes up, holding a bag.

"Somebody order a footlong Italian with jalapeño?" he asked. "That'd be me." Dean said, smiling, as he raises his hand.

After that, we sit at a table, in the Chinese restaurant I was at with Candace, while Dean eats his sandwich. "I think it works, guys. That was pretty specific." He said. "The teddy bear, the sandwich..." Sam lists off. "Mm. I'm guessing this." Dean said as he shows the newspaper article about the lottery winner. "I'm guessing that." I said as I point out the couple at the next table, which was the same one from earlier.

Dean looks over and seems shocked. "Well, that definitely goes on the list." He said as he turns back to us. "What are we supposed to do, huh? Stop people's wishes from coming true? I mean, it sounds like kind of a douche-y thing to do." He said. "Yeah, maybe. But come on, man. When has something like this ever come without a price tag? And usually a deadly one." Sam said. "I don't know. It's a damn good sandwich." Dean said as he takes another bite of his sandwich then noticed mine and Sam's disapproving look.

"All right. Fine. We'll put a hold on the wishing till we figure out what's going on." Dean said just as a waiter comes up to us. "Uh, gentlemen, lady. I'm sorry. We don't allow people to eat outside food here." He said and Dean turns to him.

"Well, I am certainly not gonna eat the inside food here. Health department. You, my friend, have a rat infestation. We're gonna have to shut this place down under emergency hazard code 56C." Dean said as he stands up and holds up a badge. "Rats?!" The waiter exclaimed, confused.

Later, we were able to drain the fountain and I sweep up the coins. "Typical fountain, plaster Buddha. Nothing I can see." I said to the boys. "Yes, nothing. We keep a clean place here." The waiter said, annoyed, then Sam turns to him. "Sir, I'm gonna have to ask you to leave during the preliminary investigation, okay? Thank you." He said and the waiter leaves.

Then we all look at the fountain until Dean turns to me and Sam. "Oh, come on. Aren't you two a little bit tempted?" he asked and he flips Sam a coin then flips me a coin. "No." Sam said as he hands the coin back to Dean. "Same but thanks for the coin." I said as I pocket and Dean looks at me as if to say I can't believe you did that and I stick my tongue out at him. "Besides...it wouldn't be real. I wouldn't trust it." I said. "Agreed." Sam said. "I don't know. That bear seemed pretty real." Dean said and Sam and I chuckle.

"Come on, if you could wish yourself back, you know, before it all started...Think about it. You'd be some big yuppie lawyer with a nice car and a white picket fence." Dean said to Sam, who shakes his head. "Not what I'd wish for." He said. "Seriously?" Dean and I said, in unison. "It's too late to go back to our old lives, guys. I'm not that guy anymore." Sam said.

"All right, well, what, then? Hmm? What would Sammy wish for?" Dean asked and Sam glares at the fountain. "Lilith's head on a plate. Bloody." He growls. "Okay." Dean said and I turn my head away. Honestly, I don't blame Sam...I want Lilith dead too. What she did to Dean still haunts me even though now he's standing right here next to me.

Suddenly, I noticed something at the bottom of the fountain. "What is that?" I asked as I point at it. It was the size of a coin but it has some weird markings on it. The boys turn their heads and see where I was pointing.

"Some kind of old coin. I don't recognize the markings." Sam said as Dean tries to pick it up, but couldn't. "Damn." Dean said as he tries to pull again. "Lift with your legs." I said as Dean continues to pull on it. "Is that little mother welded on there? Huh." he asked.

Minutes later, we come back to the restaurant with a hammer and a crowbar. "Hey, hey, hey, what is this?! You are gonna break my fountain!" the waiter exclaims at us. "Sir, I don't want to slap you with a 44/16, but I will." Sam threatens then the waiter leaves us alone. "All right, thanks." He said and we head to the fountain.

"Let me see that. I got an idea." Dean said and I hand him the hammer. He then tries to budge the coin from the fountain, but breaks the hammer. "Damn!" Dean shouts. "Coin's magical." I remarked. "Boy, I'd say. I think it's hoodoo that's protecting the well. I don't think we can destroy this." Dean said then Sam kneels down with a pen and paper and traces the coin and gives the paper to me.

"All right, here. You and Dean got to look into this." he said and he turns away after I take the paper from him. "Where you going?" Dean asked him. "Something just occurred to me." Sam said and he walks away while Dean and I share a look.

Later, Dean and I get back to the hotel when a boy, the one we saw getting chased by the bullies earlier, was now chasing after the same kids. "You better run!" he shouts after the kids then he stops and turns around to us. "You two got a problem?" He asked Dean, confrontational. "What? No." Dean said and I look at the kid. "Easy there, Tiger." I tell the kid then Dean's body jerks a bit and he puts a hand to his stomach.

"Dean?" I said, worried, and I noticed he was trying to hold back something in his mouth. "Oh no." I muttered and I grab his arm and we run into the hotel room. 

*3rd Person POV*

After finding out that a teenage boy wished himself invisible so he could stare at naked women and threatened the boy, Sam comes into the hotel room and hears Dean throwing up in the bathroom. "Dean? You all right?" Sam asked and (y/n) walks out of the bathroom, a hand-towl in hand, and heads to the little kitchen area.

"The wishes turn bad, Sam. The wishes turn very bad." she informs as she wets the rag again. "The sandwich, huh?" he asked. "Yep." She said and she heads back to the bathroom and hands the towel to Dean. "Here, honey. Wipe your face." She said and she turns to Sam.

"The coin was Babylonian. It's cursed. We found some fragments of a legend." She said and, at that moment, Dean gags and pukes in the toilet again. Sam winces at this and (y/n) looks back over at Dean. "I'm good." He croaks as he stays leaned over the toilet and (y/n) kneels down and rubs his back then turns her head to Sam.

"The serpent is Tiamat, which is the Babylonian god of primordial chaos. Dean and I guess their priests were working some serious black magic." She said. "They made the coin?" Sam asked. "Yeah, to sow the seeds of chaos. Whoever tosses a coin in the wishing well, makes a wish, it turns on the well. Then it starts granting wishes to all comers." Dean said as he starts to stand up and wipe his face with the towel (y/n) brought. (Y/n) stands up as well.

"But the wishes get twisted. You ask for a talking teddy..." Sam said and (y/n) nods. "You get a bipolar nut job." she said as they go sit on one of the beds. "And you get E. coli." Sam said, nodding towards Dean who now is standing up. "Mm. This thing has turned more than one town upside down over the centuries. It's even wiped a few off the map. I mean, one person gets their wish, it's trouble, but everybody gets their wish..." Dean explains. "It's chaos." Sam finishes his sentence. "Mm-hmm." Dean and (y/n) said.

"Any way to stop it?" Sam asked them. "Yeah. One way. We got to find the first wisher. Whoever dropped the coin in and made the first wish, they're the only ones who can pull it back out and reverse the wishes." (Y/n) explained, still rubbing Dean's back as he still looked a little unwell. "So for now, we've got a couple of nutso dreams come true, but once the word gets out about the well, things are just gonna get crazier and crazier." Dean said and Sam looks between them.

*(y/n)'s POV*

Dean was asleep, tossing and turning as he usually does, while I was awake doing some research and Sam was getting us some food. "Dean, wake up!" I shout and he wakes up, sitting up very quickly. "What? I'm up. What?" Dean asked and I eyed him. "Sleep well?" I asked him. "Yeah." He said then he drinks from a whiskey bottle on the floor next to the bed. "Tan, rested, and ready." He said and I sighed and slam my hands down on the table.

"Dean, come on, honey. You think I can't see it?" I asked him, angrily. "See what?" He asked as he turns to me. "The nightmares, the drinking. I'm with you 24/7. I know something's going on. And Sam knows something's going on too!" I said. "(Y/n), please." Dean pleads.

"Uriel wasn't lying, but you are. You remember Hell, don't you?" I asked as I stand up and walk towards him. "What do you want from me, huh? What?" Dean asked me, angry, as he spreads his arms out to the sides. "The truth, Dean. I mean, I'm your girlfriend. I love you more than anything. I, I just wish you'd talk to me." I said, desperately. "Careful what you wish for." he said, with sarcasm, and I roll my eyes. "Cute." I sneered.

"Seriously, Dean, we used to talk all the time. But...ever since you came back..." I started to say but Dean talks over me. "Come on, can we stow the couples therapy, huh? We're on a job. I want to work. What do you got?" He said and I stare at him, then I cross my arms across my chest. "Dean..." I plead but he shakes his head. "Please?" He asked me and that's when Sam walks in with our food, then he looks between us. 

"I'm interrupting something, aren't I?" He asked and I sighed. "No, Sam. You're good." I said then I turn to Dean. "Consider the conversation tabled, but not over." I said to him and he sighs, annoyed, while Sam sets the food down and we begin to grab our respective orders.

"So...what were you able to gather, (y/n)?" Sam asked me while Dean turn to the paper after a few minutes of silence. "We got teddy bear, uh, lottery guy, invisible pervert guy. They all must have wished sometime in the last two weeks. But who wished first, and how are we supposed to know who else wished for what when?" I asked Sam then Dean holds up the paper he has.

"Well, it helps when they announce it in the paper. Goes back a month." He said and he sets the paper down and a picture of the couple I've been seeing around with an announcement under the picture. "Wesley Mondale and Ms. Hope Lynn Casey have announced their surprise engagement." Sam reads. "Ah, true love." Dean said, sarcastically, and I chuckle. "Best lead we got." I said.

"Wes! You didn't tell me that you called the florists for the wedding." Hope said as she leads us into hers and Wes' house. "Huh?" Wes said, confused, as he looks up at us. "You're the best! Mmm! Ah!" Hope said as she hugs him and kisses him. "I'm gonna go get my folders." She said as she walks away.

"Uh, o-- Okay." Wes said then he looks up at us. "Wesley, how's it going?" Dean asked him. "It's Wes...ss." he said as he starts to stand up but noticed our gun holsters then he sits back down. "Aren't you the guys from the health department?" He asked us. "Yeah. And florists on the side." Sam said. "Plus FBI." I added. "And on Thursdays, we're teddy bear doctors." Dean said.

"Huh?" Wes said. "Doesn't matter who we are. What matters is what we know." Dean said as I look around the room and noticed some coins on a table. "So, coin collector, huh, Wes?" I asked him. "Oh. Yeah. My...grandfather gave them to me." He said. "Did you happen to lose one of those coins lately? And by lose, I mean drop into a wishing well at Lucky Chin's and make a wish on it?" Dean asked him. "No, I – I don't know what you're, uh, talking about." Wes said, nervously, then Hope comes back with lots of papers and folders.

"Okay, now. I have a lot of ideas, but, you know, we don't have all the money in the world. Wes is between jobs right now. Means more time for me. You know, I'm thinking a Japanese-y ikebana kind of thing." She said, happily, as Wes gets up from his chair. "Yes. I can see it." Dean said. "Yeah. So, Hope, uh, tell us how you two lovebirds met." Sam said to her and she smiles, brightly.

"Oh, best day of my life." She said. "I bet." Dean said, with a hint of sarcasm. "Yeah! It's the funniest thing. We both grew up here, but I never really knew who he was. Not by name anyway. Until one day last month, it was like I just.." she stops then sighs as she smiles, lovingly, at Wes. "I just saw him for the first time. He was just...glowing. Oh, just glowing." She said. "Uh, babe, can you – can you get us some coffee?" Wes asked her. "Yes. Yeah." She said and she kisses Wes over and over. "Oh. Okay. Okay. Mm-Hmm. Okay. Oh, okay. Oh. Mm-mmm, okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay." He said in between the kisses. "Yeah." She said and she walks into the kitchen. 

"Wes, we know. So tell us the truth." I tell him and he looks between us then sighs. "My – my grandfather found the coin in north Africa, you know, World War II. And, uh, he brought it back. He, um, he said it was a real wish-granting coin, but that nobody should ever use it. Um...It was all I had, and when he died, I thought, Well, you know what? Why not give the coin a shot?" He explained as he paces across the room. "Yeah, well, now you're gonna wish it back." Sam tells him.

"Oh. Oh. Ha ha, no, I'm not." Wes chuckles. "If you don't stop it, something bad's gonna happen." Dean tells him. "Something bad. Like us." I tell him in a low tone and Wes looks at me, afraid. "We really wish you'd come with us." Dean said.

Minutes later, Dean was driving, beside him is Sam and Wes and I were in the back seat. "I don't get it. So, my wish came true. Why does that have to be a bad thing?" Wes asked us. "Because the wishes go south, Wes. Your town is going insane." Sam explained.  "Come on. You're gonna sit there and tell me that your relationship with Hope is functional, that it's what you wished for?" Dean asked him.

"I wished she would love me more than anything." Wes said. "Yeah, and, uh, how is that going? That seem healthy to you?" I asked him. "Well, it's a hell of a lot better than when she didn't know I was alive." Wes said, annoyed. "You're not supposed to get what you want, man, not like this. Nobody is. That's what the coin does. It takes your heart's desires and it twists it back on you. You hear of the whole, uh, be careful what you wish for?" Dean said.

At that moment, it felt like we hit and ran over something. "Did we just hit something?" I asked the boys. "I didn't see anything." Dean said. "Me either." Sam said. "Careful what you wish for." Wes said, mockingly, then he goes to speak in his normal voice. "You know who says that? Good-looking jerks like you guys, the ones who've got it so easy because you happen to be handsome." Wes said then he looks over at me. "Or pretty."

"Easy?" Sam, Dean and I said. "Yeah. Women – women look at you, right? They notice you. I mean, you got this pretty lady hanging around you." Wes said. "Believe us, we do not have it easy." Sam said. "We are miserable. We never get what we want. In fact, we have to fight tooth and nail just to keep whatever it is we got." Dean said. "But you know what? Maybe that's the whole point, Wes. People are people 'cause they're miserable bastards, 'cause they never get what they really want." I said to him.

"Right, yeah, you get what you want, you get crazy." Sam said. "Take a look at Michael Jackson, hmm? Or Hasselhoff." Dean said. "You know what? Hope loves me now – completely. And it's awesome. Besides, look around. Where's all this, uh, insanity you guys were talking about?" Wes asked, not taking us seriously.

Then we come up to a parking lot and see the bullied boy go up to a car, which had some of the bullies inside of it, and began to lift it. Dean stops the car as we watch this. "Well, that should cover it." Dean said as the boy tips the vehicle over. "Kneel before Todd! Kneel before Todd!" He shouts, maniacally.

*3rd Person POV*

Todd is rocking the vehicle with the boys still inside while Dean gets out of the Impala. "Fine! I'll handle Todd. You two get Wes to Lucky Chin's. Go!" Dean shouts. "Right." Sam said and he drives away as Dean confronts Todd. "Hey, kid! Can I talk to you for a second?" Dean asked him. "Get out of my way!" Todd yells and Dean raises his hands up. "Okay. Hey, I can dig it, Todd. It – it's Todd, right? Look, I-I know the score. Okay? They're – they're bullying you." He said.

"Every day. Every day! You do not know what it's like!" Todd yells. "No, no, I don't. But, you know, you're you and I'm me, so—" Dean said before he chuckles a bit. "Couldn't stop them. I couldn't do anything. Then Audrey Elmer told me the wishing well worked." Todd said. "Okay, okay. Look – look, I get it. They're – they're mean little jerks, huh? But they're not superhuman like you. You see, with great power comes great respon..." Dean started to say but then Todd punches Dean and throws him into some garbage cans and trash bags.

Meanwhile, Sam parks in front of the Lucky Chin's and he, (y/n) and Wes get out. "That – that – that kid turned over that car like – like it was nothing." Wes said, shocked. "You should have seen the teddy bear." (Y/n) said to him. "Now, come on. Fun's over. Time to pull the coin." Sam said but Wes doesn't budge.

"Wes!" Sam and (y/n) said. "Well, why can't we just get what we want?!" Wes asked, angrily. "Because that's life, Wes." Sam said then, suddenly, a lightning bolt strikes Sam and (y/n) and they fall over dead.

Wes jumps at this then he heads into the restaurant, where he sees Hope standing in front of the well. "Hope?" He said, shocked, and she turns to him. "I had to do it, didn't I? They were gonna make you wish away our love." She said. 

Back at the parking lot, Dean gets up from the garbage. "Hey, kid! I didn't want to have to do this." he said and he punches Todd, who doesn’t move. "Ohh!" Dean said then Todd puts a hand around Dean’s throat and starts to choke him.

"You wished a man and a woman dead?" Wes asked, horrified. "I love you more than anything." Hope said. "Stop saying that. Stop it!" Wes shouts as he walks up to her and places his hands on her shoulders. "But I do. More than anything. More than me. More than life. Oh, Wes. Don't hate me." Hope said, her voice breaking. 

Wes looks her over for a few moments then goes to hug her, he realizes what he must do. "It'll be okay. I'll make it okay. It's gonna be okay." He mutters to her and he removes the coin from the fountain, reversing all the wishes. Todd isn't strong anymore and lets Dean go while Sam and (y/n) wake up. 

Todd looks upset now that his powers weren't working but Dean looks at him. "Okay. Follow my lead and you won't have a problem. Come on." he said then Dean throws himself up against another vehicle in front of for bullies. "Okay, man, no more! No more, okay?" Dean said, pretending to be scared of Todd. Then he turns to the kids. "I wouldn't mess with this kid any more if I were you." He said and he walks away. 

"Hope." Wes said as he pulls away from Hope, who looks at him as if she doesn't recognize Wes. "Do I know you?" She asked him. He stands there and shakes his head then she leaves. A moment later, a dejected Wes walks outside of the restaurant and gives the coin to Sam then leaves. "Poor guy...kinda feel bad for him." (Y/n) said, sympathetically, and Sam nods a bit.

*(y/n)'s POV*

I was reading the local newspaper which had the headline saying: Winning Lottery Ticket A Fake, when I see Audrey walking past, followed by her sunburned parents. She was now carrying a normal-sized teddy with a hole in his head and a sticking plaster on it. She smiles and waves at me and I wave back at her as Sam comes up to me and Dean.

"Well, uh, coin's melted down. It shouldn't cause any more problems." He said. "Audrey's parents are back from Bali." I said. "Looks like all the wishes are gone. And so are we." Dean said and we began to leave. "Hang on a second." Dean said and Sam and I stop and turn to Dean. "What?" We asked him.

"You guys were right." He said. "About what?" I asked him. "I shouldn't have lied to you two. I do remember everything that happened to me in the Pit. Everything." Dean said and my eyes widen at this. "So tell us about it." Sam said.

"No." Dean said, firmly, and Sam and I give him confused looks. "Uh..." Sam mutters. "What?" I asked. "I won't lie anymore. But I'm not gonna talk about it." Dean replied. "Dean, look, you can't just shoulder this thing alone. You got to let us help." I said as I gesture between me and Sam.

"How? Do you really think that a little heart-to-heart, some sharing and caring, is gonna change anything? Hmm? Somehow...heal me? I'm not talking about a bad day here." Dean said. "We know that." Sam said. "It could help with the nightmares you're having, Dean." I said and Dean shakes his head at me.

"The things that I saw...there aren't words. There is no forgetting. There's no making it better. Because it is right here..." he said and he taps his head. "...forever. You two wouldn't understand. And I could never make you two understand. So I am sorry."

@rach5ive @kitsun369 @itzabbyxx @cevans-winchester @ellie-andthemachine

[oldermenaremyreligion]

Outbreak Day

Pairing daryll x platonic!reader (at the end)

Warning english is not my first language, fluff, angst, wound, sickness, character death, gun, blood, walker, dead dog :(

Summary day of the outbreak for the reader

Notes This can be read as a stand alone or as a prequel to Mornin' Sunchine

Word Count 2052

You had planned to go and spend the day at the mall with your sister after school. You had promised your sister that once you had a day off two of you would get to go to the mall, and today was the day. 

Since both your mom and your dad had died in a plane crash just months after your sister was born both of you were left to live with your uncles. Not that you were ungrateful that your uncles took you in but you and your sister knew that it was never going to feel like home. The day that you left your home to live by yourself you promised your sister that once you got your life together you were going to take her in and the two of you were going to live together. And that is exactly what you did.

After you were able to find a stable job and find a nice home at a trailer park you made sure to win the custody of your sister. Because your salary was good enough for the two of you, you were able to afford to live with your sister. Even though most of the time you had to go and work extra hours. 

Right beside your trailer, there was a trailer where the two Dixon brothers lived. Since the first day you moved in there, the Dixon brothers made it their mission that no harm was gonna come to you. When you were not home they made sure that no one broke in or that no one sketchy even glanced into your trailer. You were grateful for them because you worked for most of the day, your sister found herself being home alone for at least three hours after school ended and you found yourself comforted by the fact that someone was looking out for her that you could trust.

Because of the trust you had in them, you found yourself inviting the Dixon brothers over every time you made a big enough meal. Or even you invited them over for the holidays since you knew that they had no family or people to spend time with. 

Well, all of that brings you to today in which you had asked the Dixon brothers to watch over your house since you had left your dog (which you had adopted a few months back) inside the house. While you had the piece of mind that the dog was gonna be ok you left with your sister towards the mall. While you were on your way towards the mall you heard a lot of talk of current world news on the radio and decided to turn it off. You had promised your sister that the two of you were finally going to have a trip and you intended to keep the promise. 

When you finally arrived at the parking lot you quickly found a parking space and parked there. As you shifted the key to turn off your car you turned towards your sister who was sitting in the backseat. 

“You know how I told you that I was going to take you out since I've been working too much?” 

You asked your sister with a grin on your face.

“Yeah…” Said your sister skeptically. 

“Well, today is the day.”

“Really?” She asked excitedly. 

“Yeah pick out anything you want and I’ll pay for it”

In reality, you had saved up a lot of money by cutting down some expenses and tightening your budget so that you could give her this day. But just seeing the smile that she gave you as you told her the news made it all worth it.

 As you entered the mall the first place that your sister decided to go was to the clothing store. In the clothing store, you looked at the joy on your sister's face as she scanned the wide variety of clothes in the store. Your sister looked at you for approval to wander around the store and you nodded your head at her.

As she walked around the store looking for clothes you found yourself doing the same thing. You started looking through the racks trying to find clothes that your sister would like but you ended up giving up since you weren't sure what she even liked these days. You then decided to go to the jewelry section of the store and look for a little bracelet or something to buy for her.

As you picked out a bracelet you thought she would like, you quickly went to the register and bought it before your sister could notice. You wanted it to be a surprise. When you had paid for the bracelet you put it in your purse and went to look for your sister.

Your eyes wandered around the store until you found her head and you started to walk towards her. When you approached her she was looking at a very nice-looking black dress but you noticed there was a conflict on her face.

“What’s wrong?” You asked her with concern.

“Nothing, it's just that I like this dress.”

“Then why the face?”

“Look,”  Your sister said as she grabbed the price tag and showed you the price. You put your hand on the price tag and covered it.

“Don’t look at the price of the stuff, if you like it just get it”

Your sister's eyes shined as she looked at you giving you a tight smile.

When your sister had picked out everything she wanted you two headed toward the cashier to pay for the stuff. Once you had paid for the stuff you asked her if she wanted to get ice cream and she nodded. As you were in line to get the ice cream your sister told you she had to run to the bathroom quickly.

As your sister was in the bathroom you went ahead and bought yourself and your sister each an ice cream cone. As you stood there you saw that your sister came back from the bathroom holding her hand as if she was hurt. You went up to her and asked her what had happened.

“Nothing there was this random little kid that was being aggressive.”

“Was the mom there?” You asked.

“Yeah, she was the one that got him off of me.”

“She needs to get that kid under control.” You added and your sister nodded at your comment.

You noticed that she had a pretty nasty bite mark and that she was no longer in the mood to be in the mall. You gave her the ice cream and some napkins to put on her wound. You told her that it was best to head home since you were feeling a little tired. She gave you a smile and the two of you headed towards the car to go to your home.

In the car, you took the opportunity to give her the bracelet that you had bought her secretly.

“Look I got something for you,” You told your sister and you reached into your purse and pulled out the bracelet.

“Omg that you so much,” Your sister said to you as she reached over to get it from you.

“You can wear it for school,” You said as you looked over at her to see the excitement on her face.

When you got home you noticed that your sister seemed tired as usual so you helped her clean the wound and told her to go to sleep. As you were putting her to sleep you noticed that she seemed a little warm. 

You didn’t have any insurance so you decided to just give her some medicine since it always helped bring her fever down. After you gave her the medicine you left the door in her room since that is where the room always slept. 

While she was sleeping you put your headphones on and started to listen to some music on your iPod while you checked over all of the mail that you had on your table. Most of the mail you had in there was just bills. Most of the time calculating the bills took you hours which this time also took you the same amount of time. 

It was dark at night and you were still in the process of calculating all of the stuff that you had to pay when suddenly someone came barging through your door. You jumped and took your headphones off and calmed down realizing that it was only Daryl. Your calmness quickly faded away as you noticed the face of concern that Daryl had on his face.

“What’s going on?” You asked Daryl with concern, seeing the panicked expression on his face.

“Ya gotta start packin’ we gotta go”

“What happened, Merle get in trouble again?”

“Nah there’s something bad happening’”

 You decided to not ask him no more because you knew he wouldn’t give you a straight answer. So you agreed because of the urgency in his tone. You told him to stay there for a moment while you woke up your sister. As you entered your sister’s room you noticed that she wasn’t in her bed. You felt your heart drop as you smelled the strong scent of fresh blood. You started to hear the sound of munching and you started to walk slowly toward the other side of the bed which was currently out of your view. 

When you were able to finally see what was going on you were met with a gruesome sight. You saw your sister hunched over your dog’s body munching on his flesh. You let out a loud gasp and your sister looked up at you. Only this time it was not your sister. What used to be your sister had a white glaze over her eyes and she looked at you like she wanted to eat you. She quickly stood up and started to walk fast towards you. You started to walk backward and fell with a thud. Your sister was able to get on top of you and tried snapping her teeth at you. 

While you were struggling and crying a gunshot sounded and your sister dropped to the floor limp. You quickly sat up crying and went over to your sister’s body. You looked back at where the gunshot came from and you noticed Merle with a shotgun. You started screaming at him and yelling at him for killing your sister. Daryll came from behind him bumping shoulders with him while Merle stood there in shock. 

Daryll walked up to you and started asking you if she had bitten you. You couldn’t hear what he was saying as the only thing you could focus on was the sight of your sister’s dead body. Daryll grabbed his hands on your face and made you look at him and kept asking you the same question. 

“she bite ya anywhere”

“Are ya hurt?”

When you were finally able to hear what he was saying you answered him by shaking your head but he still checked your arms. As he was checking them you kept asking him what was going on. He stopped what he was doing and looked over at your sister’s dead body. 

You quickly understood what he was saying and muffled a sob. He just grabbed your shoulder and tried to usher you out of that place. 

“Come on we gotta go” He kept insisting.

“No please I can't leave her here” You sobbed as you tried to reach over your sister’s dead body.

“There’s nothin’ else ya can do for her”

Eventually, you realize that Daryl was right and that she was gone. You put your hand over your mouth to stifle another sob and let Daryl take you away.

Daryll led you to his pickup truck where Merle was on the driver's side with a concerned face. Daryll put you in the back seat beside the guns that he had collected from his shed. He then proceeded to sit in the passenger seat. Merle just started to drive off and the only thing that you could do was sit there in shock looking out the window while your mind just kept playing back the picture of your sister's dead body on the floor.

[prettyboybuckley]

Foe valentines day prompt: #16 pretty please 🙏💕

hii!! a little quicker than last time 😅 I do love me some accidental love confessions... 😌 1.1k, continues under the cut ❤️

Buck has never really believed in the concept of Valentine's Day. 

It's all just commercial bullshit that companies use to trick people into spending even more money on useless presents and confectionary. Still, it hasn't ever bothered him that other people do in some way celebrate Valentine's Day. Not usually. 

Not unless it's Eddie, who he thought disliked Valentine's Day even more than Buck does

(It has something to do with Shannon, Buck thinks, something from the past that Eddie never explained but that seemed to hang over his head like a dark cloud during the first week of February.)

"You're what?" he asks, a little dumbfounded, only barely managing not to tilt his entire cup of steaming hot coffee all over his uniform. 

The faces of the rest of the team are similar to what he's feeling, all looking at Eddie in surprise.

"I'm going on a date," Eddie repeats as if it's the most normal thing in the world for him to say, as if he didn't tell Buck only a few months ago that he wasn't ready to date again anytime soon. Then again, that was before that whole sexuality crisis he went through. "My aunt set me up with this guy she knows from the community center, I've met him once. He's nice." 

(continues under the cut)

"On Valentine's Day?"

He must hear the skepticism in Buck's voice, and he rolls his eyes at it, though the way he crosses his arms over his chest makes it clear that he is going into defensive mode, empty coffee cup dangling from one finger. 

The others are watching it like it is entertainment, and Buck is a little surprised that none of them have spoken up yet, considering Hen and Chim are usually the first to pry and tease about things like these. 

"Yes, Buck, on Valentine's Day," Eddie says with a sigh, and he puts his empty cup down on the table with more force than necessary.

"Isn't that a little intense for a first date? You're going out with a guy for the first time on what is supposed to be the most romantic day of the year?" Buck asks. 

He sees Bobby raise an eyebrow from the corner of his eye where he's been working on preparing them some breakfast, his hands stilling where he was chopping up fruit. Yeah, Buck did go on a date with Abby on Valentine's Day, but that didn't exactly end well, didn't it? Both the date and the relationship. 

Eddie seems to be getting a little frustrated, letting out an annoyed huff as his shoulders tense and his frown gets deeper.

"Aren't you the one who always says that Valentine's Day is bullshit? And now you're saying it's too serious to have a first date?" 

Of course, Buck could argue something eloquent, like the fact that his opinion of Valentine's Day doesn't change how other people view it, and that it could influence the expectations that Eddie's date might have considering Eddie agreed to meeting on this particular day. 

But he isn't really thinking clearly since the only thought running through his head is "Eddie is going on a date with someone else" and that is even more distressing knowing it's a guy than before he even knew that was an option for Eddie. Because before, Buck didn't even think he had a chance. 

"I'm just saying, you said you weren't ready to date yet, and now you're going out with some random guy on Valentine's Day?"

He's silently begging Hen or Chim to say something, preferably to side with him, because the tension is growing and this can get very awkward.

"Jesus, Buck, it's just a date," Eddie says through gritted teeth, throwing his hands up into the air. "Why is this such a problem to you?"

The way he puts stress on the 'why' is what ends up making Buck snap. If Eddie wants to know why, then who is Buck to withhold the answer to that from him?

"Why? Because I’m in love with you, that’s why!"

Chim's eyes go wide and Hen almost chokes on her coffee. And Eddie, well, he's staring at Buck as he stands there frozen in place.

"I, uhm, I just remembered I left something in my locker," Hen says before she gets up and slips away, and Chim hurries after her, almost tripping over his feet and not even bothering with an excuse. When Buck looks to where Bobby was, he can just see the captain slipping away to his office, leaving him and Eddie all alone.

"I just…," Buck mutters, running a hand down his face as he tries to find the right words. "Sorry, I didn't mean to say that. But the idea of you going on a date with some guy on fucking Valentine's Day and it becoming your great big love story or something... I don't think I can handle that."

He shakes his head, crossing his arms over his chest, and he can't look Eddie in the eyes. This wasn't supposed to come out like this, it wasn't supposed to come out at all. 

There is a sharp intake of breath from across the table, where Eddie is standing, and Buck glances through his lashes to see Eddie nodding, seeming anxious but determined. 

"Okay, yeah, okay," Eddie says. "I'll cancel the date."

Buck's head shoots up. 

"You'll what?" he asks in an echo of the question that started all this. 

Eddie looks straight at him, nervously chewing on his lower lip. 

"I'll cancel the date. And, you know, since that means I'll be free on Valentine's Day, if you happened to have something to ask me..."

Is Eddie challenging Buck to ask him out? This doesn't feel like it's real, like it's actually happening, but when he pinches himself it hurts. 

"You, uh, you-" He has to clear his throat before he can continue, feeling like the words are stuck. "Do you- do you want to go on a date with me? On Tuesday?"

Eddie doesn't answer right away, as if he's trying to make Buck suffer through even more anticipation, something that shouldn't surprise him considering that he knows who he's dealing with. 

"Yes, Buck, I'll go on a date with you on Tuesday," Eddie replies, and Buck's heart quite literally skips a beat as a grin finds it way onto his face. 

And Eddie, Eddie suddenly seems almost shy, but he smiles and nods when Buck says: "I'll pick you up at seven?"

Just like that, Buck has a date on Valentine's Day with the man he's in been in love with for so long he can barely remember when it started. Now he just needs to hope it goes better than last time. 

From the Valentine's Day prompts list

[jennycalendar]

upside-down-y

“What do I do?” said Willow. She sounded so little in that moment. Suddenly, Jenny wasn’t imagining that woman in a clean-cut black suit and heels, but the little girl in striped sweaters and white tights. “If there’s no—word—for it? I like being a lesbian, or I thought I did, but I can’t call myself that if I like Oz. And I think I do.” “You don’t need a word for it,” said Jenny simply. “I need a word for it,” said Willow, a stress on the pronoun. “Maybe people in general don’t, but I do.” “Maybe there isn’t one.” “I need—” Willow’s breath hiccupped. “I need the words, a-and the rules. To make sure I don’t—” Abruptly, Jenny knew who Willow needed to be talking to.

decided that, in lieu of tonight's blogging, now might be a nice time to post a tumblr-only exclusive that i've not yet figured out how to work into the canon of what you make! i would like to write a larger fic about willow's adventures at some point, & also figure out when this development will happen within the timeline, and once i do, i think i'll understand better how to work this thing in. (but it is definitely what happens.)

this requires no knowledge of my sprawling fic 'verse except for: it's an everybody lives/nobody dies au, jenny and giles are together with their eight-year-old son, this is a few years post-series.

read for -- giles and willow having frank and very loving discussions about sexuality, jenny calling willow "baby" because she's now a mom who does that kinda thing, briefest sleepiest calendiles child cameo!!!

~~~~~

Willow called at some godawful hour, late enough for it to be edging towards early-morning and for Jenny to be too tired to check the time. She happened to have been pulling an accidental all-nighter that had spun out from a few lines of code that just would not cooperate, so she managed to catch the phone before the second ring, hoping that it hadn’t woken up anyone upstairs. The shrill tone felt impossibly loud to her tired ears. “’lo?” she mumbled, rubbing at her eyes with her sleeve.

Anxiously, Willow said, “Jenny!” and then didn’t say anything else, her breathing nervous and rapid on the other end of the line.

“Willow.” Jenny was too sleepy to think. “You. Need something?”

“I don’t know! I just! Something happened and I can’t tell Buffy about it, and I can’t tell my mom, because she’ll think—well—she keeps saying she approves of the political implications of my lesbianism, so I feel like this is going to go over like a lead balloon, but I don’t know—I mean, I don’t think I’m straight again! It hasn’t—”

Jenny felt very much like this was a conversation that required her to be more awake than she was. Shuffling over to the kitchen table, she took a long sip of coffee. “The political implications?” she repeated skeptically.

“It’s just—we—” Willow took a wobbly breath in, then, in an exhaled confession: “I kissed Oz!”

For one bizarre, sleep-deprived moment, Jenny was convinced that she’d somehow been thrown back in time to 1997. “Oz?” she repeated. “Like, Oz, Oz?”

“Like Oz Oz!” Willow confirmed tearfully.

“Like your high school boyfriend Oz?”

“He was in Istanbul for some—thing—I don’t remember—and I wish I could say that we got drunk or high or something, but I was really only a little buzzed, and he was completely sober, and we were talking about everything we’ve been up to—he was the road manager for this really cool Eastern European band, and, and he’s been doing some networking with other werewolves, and oh, that’s part of why we met! We were talking about all of the complexities of connecting werewolves to resources that will help, and the stigma, and he’s really—well—he never really did much in high school, which I used to have such a complex about because I felt like he could do more than he was doing, but I guess I’ve changed because I just felt, I was so happy to see him doing things that mattered to him! And then that they also have a positive impact! And he’s still got that, that smile where when he looks at you, you sorta feel like you’re the only girl in the entire world! He still looks at me like I’m just the same, and I thought at first, you know, maybe that was why I felt all fuzzy and warm around him, because I’m a horrible person who gets off on validation, but then I started looking at him too and seeing that boy and—and—remembering—”

Jenny had absolutely no idea why any of this was a problem, but her ability to assertively interrupt the Willow-babble was significantly impaired when she was inches away from nodding off in between sentences. “Isn’t that good?” she tried, but Willow had not at all stopped talking.

“—and then we kissed and we actually did a little more than kissed, like, there was some over-the-clothes action and some grinding, except then when we stopped all of that, he walked me to my hotel! Like a gentleman! And he kissed me on the cheek and said he was really happy to share this moment with me, and who even does that??? What do I do now???? What if I’ve just—but I loved Tara so much! I still love Tara! I mean, I have NC-17 dreams about Tara, those wouldn’t happen if I’m straight! And I haven’t been with a guy since Oz, and I haven’t wanted to be with a guy since Oz, but now I want to—to call up Oz and be with him! Which, hello, so clingy, it was just one really nice month and then a whole bunch of kissing—”

“—wait, you’ve been spending a month with Oz in Istanbul and it’s only now become romantic?”

“WE WERE AT A CONFERENCE,” said Willow, as though this explained anything at all.

Jenny sat down at the kitchen table. “Willow—” God, she wanted to be asleep. “People can be bisexual,” she managed.

“But I’m not!”

“So you’re not into men?”

“But I am!”

She was going about this all wrong. “Baby. Are you into men or are you into Oz?”

A long silence. Then, timidly, “There’s not a difference, though, is there? You can’t be a real lesbian if—”

“Please God don’t turn into one of those witches,” said Jenny, who did not have the energy to be tactful. “Willow, there’s no way to be a real lesbian. There’s no manual. We define ourselves with the words that feel best for us, that’s what the queer community is about. What’s the word that feels best for you, right now?”

Another long silence. “I don’t know if the word is lesbian,” said Willow uncomfortably. “I don’t—I didn’t—really—question it? When it happened. It was Tara, first, and then Kennedy, and then a whole bunch of other girls, y’know, on account of the traveling, and then nobody at all for a little while, so I just—I wanted to kiss girls and I stopped looking at guys, and the only guy I ever noticed before Oz was Xander, and Xander, I didn’t know he was everything. They don’t tell you in high school what to do with someone who’s everything, they just say you should marry him if he’s a guy, but I don’t—I’ve never really wanted to marry Xander. We’re not like that. So I figured, Oz, he was just a fluke! Especially because of how everything with Tara happened, and I never thought any guy was pretty like I think girls are pretty, but—I don’t know. Oz is different. I don’t know how to explain it.”

Jenny leaned back against the wall, listening.

“I don’t know if the word is lesbian,” Willow repeated. “But—it doesn’t feel right to say that the word is bisexual, either. I’ve dated more girls than guys, now. I’ve built my life around imagining a girl there.”

“But Oz is different,” Jenny prompted.She was met with a tiny sigh in response. “Is that bad?”

“What do I do?” said Willow. She sounded so little in that moment. Suddenly, Jenny wasn’t imagining that woman in a clean-cut black suit and heels, but the little girl in striped sweaters and white tights. “If there’s no—word—for it? I like being a lesbian, or I thought I did, but I can’t call myself that if I like Oz. And I think I do.”

“You don’t need a word for it,” said Jenny simply.

“I need a word for it,” said Willow, a stress on the pronoun. “Maybe people in general don’t, but I do.”

“Maybe there isn’t one.”

“I need—” Willow’s breath hiccupped. “I need the words, a-and the rules. To make sure I don’t—”

Abruptly, Jenny knew who Willow needed to be talking to. “Baby, can you just stay on the line?” she asked gently. “Just for a second, I gotta—” and she set down the phone, stepping quietly out of the kitchen and into the unlit hallway, halfway up the stairs to the little landing between the first and second floor, where the bedroom door was still ajar.

Her baby was asleep in the middle of the bed, curled against Rupert like a little puppy; his dozing father’s arm was round his shoulders. Jenny leaned over the bed, carefully untangling a drowsy Art from Rupert. Art, always cuddly in slumber, whined; she ran her fingers through his hair, and he settled. “Rupert,” she murmured, shaking her guy awake. “Rupert.”

“Mmh?” Rupert stirred.

“Rupert, it’s Willow.”

Rupert’s eyes flew open. She saw the panic and gave his shoulders a reassuring squeeze, pressing her forehead briefly to his. “It’s okay,” she said. “It’s okay. She’s okay. Nothing bad. She just needs to talk to you.”

~~~~~

Willow waited on the line, listening to the crackly static, trying not to breathe too loudly for fear it would tumble into crying before Jenny came back. She heard rustling on the other end and held her breath, waiting, until Giles, his voice all rough and sleepy like it got during those old early morning research sessions, said, “Hello, Willow.”

“Giles,” Willow all but sobbed, feeling a rush of relief. “Did—did Jenny—tell you?”

“Some of it,” said Giles. “Just the loose pencil sketch, really. But I’d like to hear it from you.”

Maybe the Oz stuff wasn’t really why Willow had called Giles. “How do you know when to stop playing by the roles you made up when you were twenty-two and trying not to be the kind of asshole who destroys the universe?” she said, all in one breath. “I, I didn’t decide I was a lesbian because of the magics, but I decided it while I was in the magics, and I wanted to be good at being a lesbian, but now I’m worried that I’m not, if, if I kissed Oz and I liked it. I don’t know what the word is for that.”

“Bisexual?” said Giles.

“That’s what Jenny said but it isn’t that!” said Willow tearfully. “And lesbian doesn’t feel like it’s right either, even though it did for years before this!I don’t know what it is! I like girls and I like Oz, but I don’t like—I don’t want—I don’t think I want, but I don’t know—I wasn’t trying to look, after Tara, because I thought it was simple as—”

“Does there need to be a word for it?”

“That’s what Jenny said!”

A soft, tender laugh, the likes of which Willow hadn’t heard since she was in high school. She loved that laugh so much. It always meant that Giles knew the answer, and really, the problem wasn’t anything to be that afraid of, and five minutes from now, the world would feel okay again. “Willow,” said Giles. “Nothing in a person’s heart is ever finite. We are always—always—growing and changing past the words we used to describe ourselves five, ten, fifteen years ago.”

“But what if I—” Willow swallowed. “What if I change wrong?”

Giles didn’t answer for a couple of the worst seconds of Willow’s life. Finally, gently, he said, “Then you right yourself, if you can. Lean on others, if you can’t. We’re all muddling through. There’s no certainty that I can give you, as much as I wish that I could, but I can—” Now it was his turn to pause. A heavy one. “I can tell you that I love you,” he said, finally.

She had never heard him say that to her before. Not that directly, anyway. “I love you too, Giles,” Willow whispered. The whole thing felt faintly unreal: that she could say those words, and not snatch them back. Not watch his face contort uncomfortably as he tried to wriggle out of genuine emotional expression. “I just don’t wanna do what I did to everyone. And I don’t—if I was wrong, if I’m not—”

“I don’t think that you were wrong,” Giles countered. “You used the words that made sense to you at the time. Those words might not make sense with who you are now. Who you’re growing into. This is good, Willow. You questioning this is good, and healthy. I think…you need to become comfortable with the notion of not having that neat answer, or that label, if the notion of a label has become…restrictive.”

“I don’t want to not be a lesbian,” said Willow unsteadily. “It made everything make sense, when I found out about that word—”

“Does it help you now?”

Willow exhaled. “I don’t know,” she said. “I don’t know. I don’t want to not kiss Oz. It feels like I got turned all upside-down-y again.”

Giles was quiet again. Then he said, “When I was in my twenties, my group, it was all men, save one. Diedre. It hadn’t been intended, her being a part of the group. We’d all wanted a place to…to be ourselves, free of societal expectations.”

Willow’s heart flipped over. This was not something Giles had ever talked about. She’d known, of course—pieced it together through Ethan, and what she’d learned, later, about the kind of magic Giles got up to, but to hear it from him was completely different. She wanted to say something, affirm that she was there on the other end of the line, but she was halfway afraid that he would change his mind if he remembered that she was listening. She held her breath.

“I…didn’t mind the notion of including women within our group, even then.” Giles laughed softly. “It wasn’t something I talked about with the rest, but I wasn’t—I’ve never really—it’s always been about the person, for me, you see. Ethan and the rest, though, they…it wasn’t usual for them to, ah, prefer the company of a woman. They abhorred the very notion. But that was simply how special Diedre was. To, to all of us.”

Something tight and knotted in Willow’s chest was beginning to loosen. She sat down on the hotel bed, curling her fingers around the phone, listening like her life depended on it.

“You, you don’t need to have the right words for it, Willow,” said Giles gently. “Lord knows we didn’t know any of them. And I’d never—endorse—the other sort of things I got up to back then, but I, I think I’ve spent a lot of time refusing to engage with the parts of my life that have been…joyful. All because I was ashamed of the person that I was then.”

Willow wasn’t ashamed of high school Willow, exactly. It was just that sometimes it was hard to reconcile Willow-then with Willow-now, and that wasn’t even getting into the Willow-in-between. “So, for them, it was…guys plus the one exception,” she said uncertainly.

“Do you need to know what it was?” Giles’s tone was mildly pointed. Instructive.

“If I don’t—”

“What if you don’t?”

“I mean, that’s why I’ve been traveling,” said Willow, halfway timid. “To learn stuff.”

“And what have you learned?”

Willow closed her eyes, half-afraid of the answer. Oz had smiled at her in the light of the full moon, unencumbered, gentle. He’d listened to stories about Tara and Kennedy and everyone with thoughtful patience. He hadn’t made a single move. The kissing had happened by accident, and because she’d initiated it, and the nice thing about Oz was that he didn’t question that. He didn’t have a whole bunch of things to say about whoa, hold on, didn’t you go gay and change your mind about me? He just smiled at her, like he saw her, saw right down into her bones, and like what he saw was good.

And she’d missed him so much. The pinwheeling way he talked about things had baffled her when she was in high school, but now, after years of traveling, it was nice to be with someone who had just as many strange questions and quiet observations as she’d been collecting herself. She liked hearing him tell his stories. She liked him. She liked the person he’d become, and the person that she was with him. The people that they could maybe be together.

“I think I’ve learned that I wanna kiss Oz again,” she said, barely a whisper.

She could hear the smile in Giles’s voice. “That’s lovely, Willow,” he said. “I’m very happy for the both of you.”

~~~~~

Giles went back to bed. Jenny and Art had taken up just about all of it, making it nigh impossible for him to lie down comfortably. An attempt to nudge Art a bit further towards the middle was met by an unhappy, half-awake whine that positively tore at his heart, so he resigned himself to sitting uncomfortably on the edge of the bed for three minutes before Jenny, half awake, said, “Honey. Are you being stupid again?” and pulled Art against her like a teddy bear, clearing space for him in the middle.

“Don’t solve all of my problems for me,” said Giles, lying down and reaching to squeeze her shoulder. Their arms encircled Art, who turned his head towards his mother, soft dark curls against her sweater.

[mysecretlittlelibrary]

Battle Of The Knights Alt Ending 1: And The Winner Is Steven

Pairing: Moonknight trio x Reader

Word Count: 1.1k

Warnings: nothing really

Genre: fluff

Summary: "So let me get this straight, you all like me, so you each want to take me on a date and let me decide what to do after?" You can't believe the words you're hearing even as you repeat them back.

What happens when the relationships you've built with Marc and his two alters are turned on their heads by a proposition that is anything but simple? How can they expect you to risk blowing up the carefully crafted dynamic you've worked so hard to create? And why do you agree to such an insane suggestion?

***

You only take a few days the think it over. You don't want to say you've known your answer since the date ended but- you won't pretend you haven't been thinking about it the most since then. You figure if you can't get your date with him out of your head then it doesn't make sense to choose someone else. It takes you most of the day to finally bite the bullet and reach out to them for the conversation you need to have.

Hey guys! I've made a decision. Can you come by tomorrow afternoon?

Their response comes relatively quickly.

Sure. We can come around 4 if that's okay. ~ Marc

You smile at the message before responding.

Sounds good! See you tomorrow! :)

The next 20 hours are both excruciating and relaxing. You know what's coming and you're sure of what you're going to say and there's something comforting in that, but you can't predict how they'll react to your choice and it's unnerving not being able to tell how this will change your relationship with all of them. You do what you can to keep busy until 4 o'clock rolls around and there's a knock at your apartment door. You managed to get more work done than you expected with all that's on your mind but now it's time to rip off the bandaid so you pull open the door to greet Marc. You assume it's him when you open your door because at the very least it's clear that he dressed them this morning.

"Hey." He says with a slight smile confirming your guess that it is indeed Marc that's come to see you.

"Hey, Marc, thanks for coming over." You smile.

"Of course." He nods.

"I was thinking maybe we could go for a walk while we talk things over." You tell him stepping into the hallway with him.

"A walk? Are we going somewhere specific?" He asks.

"I- didn't have a destination in mind, no. We can hit the park or something I guess. The weather's just nice I thought it'd be good to get out for a bit." You shrug. Marc regards you skeptically for a moment.

"Making sure you have an escape route?" He asks though it's obvious he's at least partially joking.

"Me?! Oh please! I'm making sure you have an escape route if anything." You nudge him playfully.

"Us? Uh oh. Be gentle, won't you?"

"Aren't I always?" You muse.

"No. You are routinely the harshest person we know." Marc scoffs.

"Well it's not like y'all have an expansive social circle so that title actually doesn't mean much." You say.

"Hey! We know people!" He says.

"Sure but like besides Steven's coworkers and the shop owners in your neighborhood?" You chuckle. Marc shoots you a glare and prepares to say something in his defense but seems to change his mind as his mouth opens and closes.

"You know what we didn't come here for you to roast our social life okay?" Marc huffs with the most attitude.

"Well you started it." You shrug. "But I will leave your social life or lack thereof alone."

"Even in conceding you're dissing us?"

"Okay okay, I'm done." You laugh throwing your hands up in surrender. Marc just shakes his head at you but can't stop himself from laughing with you.

"You know we weren't expecting to hear from you so soon." Marc says once the laughter has died down.

"Well, I did initially say soon when you asked when you'd see me again." You say.

"Yeah but then you said within three weeks. We thought you'd end up using most of that time." Marc says.

"I didn't need to." You shake your head.

"So then- how do you want to do this?" Marc asks.

"I- I'd like to start by talking to Steven if that's okay." You grimace.

"Steven? Yeah, okay." Marc's brows draw together and you're sure he's holding back several questions. A moment later his features relax and then his eyes widen nervously alerting you that they've switched and Steven is walking with you now.

"Hi Steven." You say.

"You- wanted to talk to me first?" Steven asks.

"I did." You nod.

"Alright, go on then." Steven says squeezing his eyes shut as if he's preparing for something painful. You can't help but giggle at the way he's physically bracing himself for words.

"Steven- why are you pinching your face up like that?" You ask him.

"I'm just- readying myself for you to rip off the bandage." He says.

"Wait- are you assuming I asked you out first because I had bad news for you?" You blink at him.

"Well- yes. You've always been the nicest to me I thought perhaps this was some sort of courtesy. That you thought it was a kindness to let me down first." He frowns in confusion.

"No Steven, quite the opposite actually I'm- I'm choosing you." You say.

"What? Me?" He blinks at you.

"Yes. Don't sound so surprised Steven." You chuckle.

"I can't help it!" He says.

"Why?"

"Well, you've known Marc the longest and Jake is- well he's Jake. Inarguably he's the most charming when he feels like it- the Spanish thing, it gives him an edge." Steven mutters.

"Okay- I know we live in England Steven but seeing as I'm not British I'll remind you that British accents are also considered 'an edge' one and two none of that matters. I love Jake and I love Marc don't get me wrong here but it's different with you. My date with you felt different and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it." You admit.

"They- they're listening, just so you know." Steven says.

"That's okay. Does either of them want to speak to me? Ask a question maybe?" You offer.

"Not right now." He says softly as he shakes his head.

"That's- totally okay." You say.

"Their egos are bruised, but they will be fine. They respect your decision and still care about you of course. Marc says this changes nothing between the two of you, but he'll need a couple of days." Steven tells you.

"I'd expect nothing less. He can take as much time as he wants."

"Jake isn't- really speaking." He grimaces.

"That's fine. It'll probably take him a bit longer to lick his wounds, and I get it. Don't push him." You say and Steven nods.

"So- if you're choosing me... now what?" He asks.

"That's a good question. I suppose we should go on another date. Soon." You say.

"Wait- are you my girlfriend now or are we starting the courting process and I ask you to be my girlfriend after a few more dates?" He asks. You smile as you consider his question.

"Will you be my boyfriend Steven?" You ask smugly.

"Y/n! I wanted to ask you!" Steven huffs.

"You still can." You giggle.

"Will you be my girlfriend y/n?" He asks.

"Of course I will." You nod.

"And I'll be your boyfriend." He says.

"Cool."

"Cool."

"I mean it about going on another date by the way." You tell him.

"Of course. I'll plan it." He smiles so sweetly at you that even if he didn't plan anything you wouldn't care. This didn't go nearly as badly as it could have. You're sure things with Jake and Marc will probably be a bit awkward for a little while but you're happy with your choice, you love them all but it's Steven who won you over.

***

Taglist: @queerponcho @avengersinitiative2012 @stressed-cherry

[percyjacksonfan3]

One thing that makes me scream about Eddie and Chrissy is how perfectly pining their relationship is to the point where it hurts.

Like I love how Eddie literally WORSHIPS the ground Chrissy walks on and cant deny her anything while she’s over here struggling with lots of insecurities and doing what she wants. Like thats cute enough as it is BUT it feels like people forget how much Chrissy must look up to Eddie.

He’s a god to her bruh. He has so much agency and identity, because of him she finally realises how much she WANTS and how deserving she is of it. And Eddie must be star struck when finding out about it because like? Her????? Chrissy fucking Cunningham looks up to HIM???? Which is why I love your fic so much. The part where Chrissy admits to being envious of him and him being like this girl is not what I thought she’d be like at ALL.

Like I just love the idea of Chrissy, looking up to him while also envying him, stupidly thinking she will never be able to be like him ”One day this boy will be on TV, as some famous rock star or something, and every single girl in Hawkin’s High who made fun of him will wish they’d gotten it with Eddie Munson at least once, including me” ITS SO SAD AND SO GOOD AND the chokehold these two have on me is insane holy shit

Oh catch me writing a whole meta in response to this because I am SO glad someone came to discuss this with me

Okay so yes, thank you, I'm really, really pleased that my reading of this two is hitting home with some of you guys because their entire dynamic obviously also has ME in a chokehold, so much that I've written an 100k+ word fic for them that explores it

Putting the rest under a cut because like I said, this got lengthy

I want to make it so entirely clear that these two? They admire each other SO much. For entirely different reasons.

Eddie looks at Chrissy and sees someone who he thinks is strong. Before he gets to know her maybe he thinks yeah, okay, she hangs out with a mean crowd and dates a total jerk so maybe that makes her the same way. She's never been like that to him personally, or anyone he's seen or heard of (at least in my headcanon, because in my mind Chrissy is genuinely a nice person) but you know, peer pressure isn't a huge problem for nothing and Eddie's all about trying to help people break out of conformity, so he probably looked at her before their meeting in the woods with a skeptical eye because she's meant to embody everything he rebels and fights against in high school.

But when he meets her he quickly realizes that no, Chrissy Cunningham really is a nice person, and what's more is that he likes her. Not the way he's been half crushing on her for years (which he's felt totally guilty and chastised himself for because what a cliche and he's not into self induced pain, which this unrealistic daydream obviously is), but Eddie actually likes the real Chrissy that he gets to know after the woods and her surviving Vecna. And to add to that, the more he learns about her and the different pressures she's under and struggles she has (her ED, her mother, her wallflower father, peer pressures, etc.), Eddie realizes that for Chrissy to go through all of that and remain as kind and brave and optimistically hopeful as she is, takes a kind of strength he's lowkey jealous of. So he looks up to her that way and, as you said, absolutely rallies behind her to be that whole meme where it's like 'kick his ass baby, I got yo flower'. And you just know if any of the Hellfire crew tries to give him grief for suddenly hanging out with the Head Cheerleader, Queen of Hawkins High herself he absolutely does not stand for it because he knows how much she's gone through to remain the wonderful person she is and goes to bat with them for her without a seconds hesitation

And then we have Chrissy. Chrissy who feels boxed in by the life she's conformed to and the expectations she's slowly drowning under, Chrissy who genuinely does love cheer but not the pressure that comes from it, especially from her mother, but also from the other students at school. Chrissy who doesn’t get the best grades, despite trying her hardest, and doesn’t care about going out to drink or party all the time, and who kind of wants to get out of Hawkins, even if it’s just for a bit, just to see what the rest of the world is like because she knows there’s more out there. Chrissy who feels a little guilty for all of those things because she thinks she’s letting people down.

Chrissy Cunningham knows about Eddie Munson, sure, but the same things Eddie assumes about her (one-dimensional, mean, intimidating from her social status), Chrissy assumes about him (one-dimensional, maybe a little mean, very intimidating from what she’s seen of the way he acts to everyone else at school). Yet within seconds of them actually sitting down and talking to each other she realizes that’s not Eddie Munson at all.

And that fear quickly turns to a little bit of awe and envy.

Because you’re absolutely right, nonny, the way I’ve written Chrissy is as somebody who’s so desperate to break out of her routine and finally live, live in a way that she wants instead of others. And because of that she looks at Eddie Munson, who listens to the music he likes even if nobody else has heard of it, and who believes in his passion so much that he’s not afraid to be in a band and play in public for anybody who will listen. This is a boy who is called a freak simply for indulging his own interests and Chrissy learns about who he is and realizes that he’s not mean, he’s not scary, he’s just another kid like her, only Eddie is brave enough to say “screw what everyone else thinks, I am not wasting my life on meaningless crap, I am going to be me.” And in my fic he’s inspiring Chrissy to start finally doing the same.

Chrissy’s entire character (and I’m talking in the show now, not my writing) was an amazing contrast to Eddie’s, and I don’t know if the writers intentionally made them parallel and mirror each other so much or if it was accidental. We barely got to know Chrissy, we have maybe three concrete scenes of character exploration with her, but there was enough hints to show why her and Eddie just fit together so, so well.

They’re opposites in so many ways, mostly on the surface, but in their core they’re the same. They care about people, they're bleeding hearts (don’t tell me Eddie didn’t look at Dustin and Mike and immediately think, oh, yes, these boys need somebody) and they’re both tired of the way things are. There’s so many more but I’m going to shut up now.

I just... the unexplored potential of these two is never NOT going to make me insane. I would pay money just to put Joe and Grace in a room together to get them to discuss these characters and the dynamics and backstory and relationships they incorporated into their acting, just because I find the final product so interesting. The way they played off of each other in that woods scene is a bit of acting that I cannot get over, and it is such amazing fanfic fodder for me as a writer to explore that I guarantee it’s half of the reason these two have taken over my brain for the last month.

Okay, I’ll stop it here, but thank you so much for this ask, as you can probably tell I had tons of fun with it. Character analysis is one of my favourite things so I apologize, nonny, because I know this probably is not the answer you were expecting or looking for, but I hope I didn’t drone on too much.

Thanks so much for reading put your lips close to mine, btw <3 I hope you like the ending I have planned

[bthump]

I came across this theory on the internet. Would like to know your opinion on this. By the way, I do not want to set you or someone against the author of the theory. I'm just interested in hearing your opinion.🖤

Griffith = Lucifer. Name meaning “Light-Bringer”, “Shining one” etc. Griffith & Lucifer have the same personality and the same goals (ever “longing”). Lucifer has a gang of fallen angels just like Griffith’s apostles. There’s a nice paragraph on Lucifer (after his fall) that correlates well with Griffith: How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, "I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High." But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit. Those who see you stare at you, they ponder your fate: "Is this the man who shook the earth and made kingdoms tremble, the man who made the world a wilderness, who overthrew its cities and would not let his captives go home?"

Guts = Jesus/MichaelLucifer is known as the serpent or ”dragon” (he was in the form of a dragon when defeated by St. Michael), meanwhile Gut’s has an aptly named “Dragon Slayer”. In some interpretations, St. Michael, is also Jesus (Jesus being his form on earth).People also see Parallels between Griffith and the Antichrist. Miura has always been deliberate in portraying Gut’s as Griffiths antithesis. Obviously the antithesis to the antichrist, is christ.Jesus sacrifices himself for others (opposite of GH/Apostles). When he dies he goes to Hell, where he releases all of Hell’s captives. Which is one way for the IoE to be defeated I guess. Somehow purifying the vortex of dark souls (Maybe with some elf magic) could’ve been a thing. Send Guts into that heart like a Trojan horse, strapped with a nuke of “goodness”. I’m half-joking.If I use this theory I can almost see a full conclusion to Berserk. Obviously here Guts dies. But avoids suffering in the Vortex. Knowing who the Fifth King is would’ve helped. If we go by the directions it’s the Center (i.e Void), which binds all the other elements (King of the East, King of the West, King of the Void?). Three plausibilities are Void, IoE, unknown Spirit. It’s also possible Void is using the Fifth like a familiar/posession. But I don’t see how the GH can die when they hang around “formless”, are essentially already ”masses of negative thoughts”, born from the vortex, and will probably just come right out if sent there. IoE has to fall.

I've seen the take a lot that Griffith represents Satan or the Antichrist and tbh I don't really buy that.

In my view, knowing what we know from the lost chapter about the nature of Berserk's "God," Griffith seems to me like a basic messiah figure in a cynical universe where God is the collective unconscious of humanity that wants fate to exist so they have something to blame for bad things happening lol. Ganishka seemed to be the story's antichrist figure, as far as that allegory goes, at least from my pov.

I'm not religious so I'm sure that factors into my own takes here and why I don't necessarily see much merit in theories that rely on the understanding that a Jesus expy is the "good guy." I also tend to be skeptical of analysis that relies on a lot of a=b style reasoning. Berserk has allegorical elements, and a lot of references to various mythologies and other stories, but Christianity is only one of them.

That said, there are similarities and I wouldn't be surprised if elements of Lucifer got mixed in with Jesus, among plenty of other inspirations as well, to create Griffith. But I can't really discuss these elements in detail because I'm far from an expert in Christianity.

wrt the last bit, when Griffith killed Ganishka and genre shifted the world into high fantasy, the Godhand stopped being formless and they're now part of the world. I've always theorized that this makes them both more powerful and more vulnerable, and it'll probably factor in to whatever's going to happen with them.

And I don't necessarily think the Idea of Evil has to be destroyed either. It's entirely possible that the climax of Berserk will lead to some sort of paradigm shift that destroys it by changing humanity's ways of thinking - an age of reason kind of deal, maybe - but I don't consider the IoE a villain that needs to be destroyed for the sake of a happy ending, and if I was going to bet I'd just bet on the cycle starting over again with a new set of godhands. But yeah either way I definitely think that humanity has to change to "defeat" the Idea of Evil, rather than destroying the Idea of Evil to change humanity. It's a product of humanity, not the other way around.

Thanks for the ask!

[skylermadness]

Warehouse Expedition (Sniper, Medic, and Engineer (TF2) TFs)

(Original Date of Upload: February 8, 2023)

A gift for my close friend and boyfriend! I've actually been meaning to write a Team Fortress 2 character TF for a few months now, and I kinda did with a ficlet of mine a while back, but I never really got to do one until now! I wanted to write something special for my friends to celebrate something, and considering TF2 was a shared interest of ours I decided to go that route for things. Also my boyfriend kind of got me in the mood for Medic so that had to be dealt with swiftly. Admittedly I was planning for this story to be a bit shorter, but push came to shove and the end result ended up being about 20 pages in the document after I converted everything to Times New Roman. The TFs are still probably shorter than my usual runs though, but that's fine. I just wanted to write something short and special as a dedication to how much I care about my friendships with them! Anyway time to watch both websites I upload this on eat my formatting.

   "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

   "Of course it is, Mike. All of my ideas are good."

   "Arti, this is illegal."

   The sound of three voices reverberated around the narrow walls of a very dusty, dark hallway. A trio of friends; Mike, Arti, and Parker; have found themselves in an… interesting predicament.

   Arti had been the first to suggest exploring some random abandoned warehouse for 'fun'. Neither Mike nor Parker thought it was a serious suggestion, and jokingly agreed to pulling off such an endeavor. They had quickly realized that it was indeed an actual suggestion for how they spent their night as the car they were in jerked into a new direction.

   So here they were, walking inside a supposedly abandoned warehouse in the middle of the night. Mike's current thoughts involved this being the last place they ever walk in, as the darkness proved that this place would be one that would be where you'd go to get murdered.

   "I thought it was a good idea anyway. The place had no fences or guards, the door was unlocked. Seems like a nice place to spend the night really."

   Mike eyed Arti skeptically. "Your idea of 'nice place to spend the night' concerns me."

   "It'll be… fine, probably…" Parker said in an uneasy tone.

   "It'll just be an easy five minute in and out thing then."

   "I seriously doubt that…"

   The three had soon found themselves at the end of the hallway they were walking in, the volume of the space very noticeably expanding drastically as they approached the ending. They were very much nearing the storage section of the place.

   "Guess we're here," Arti said, oddly excited about the prospect of trespassing.

   "Let's just not touch anything," Parker cautioned, Mike nodding in agreement from behind.

   "Yeah, sure. Yeah!"

   Their conversation was abruptly halted once the trio crossed the threshold. The rather sudden, loud sounds of overhanging lights turning on in ordered succession echoed through the walls of the storage area; illuminating the place instantly.

   "I uh, thought this place was abandoned-" Mike said, now very uncomfortable.

   "I mean, power could still be getting routed here…" Parker responded in an attempt to rationalize things.

   Arti turned the flashlight of their phone off. "At least we can see now. Now how about we go look around for a little bit?"

   Mike and Parker, both feeling like they're already in too deep to really refuse, nod in agreement. Although Parker did speak, "Only for five minutes though."

   "Ye"

   Arti was the first to walk ahead with Parker and Mike following behind them.

   The trio's steps echoed throughout the room. It looked like a proper warehouse; large, lots of shelves, although most of them seemed empty. It was slightly triggering to Mike's agoraphobia though.

   "God, this room is too big for the amount of nothing it contains…" Mike said with a shudder. He had elected to look downwards for most of the trek, but he flicked his gaze upwards every so often just to check the shelves. They were bare, usually.

   Parker nodded. "Yeah, it does seem a bit… empty?" He was casually looking at each shelf as the three of them walked between them. Usually very dusty, or had some kind of cobwebs. If he was unlucky he'd see a dead bug. 

   "Hm. Disappointing," Arti responded. Yeah, this place was empty. They were hoping for something interesting though.

   Things seem to drone on though. With none of them finding anything remotely interesting it didn't take very long for their group to have navigated two-thirds of the shelves in this space.

   "Perhaps they moved everything out before abandoning it?" Parker said in an attempt to rationalize things.

   Arti sighed. "Eh, yeah. Probably. Kind of wish something would be here though."

   Mike looked up at the back of Arti's head for a second. "We'd be doing this for nothing if the end result was… nothing."

   They all eventually rounded the corner of a shelf to inspect the next row. With the rate they were all going, this would be done in less than the five minutes they agreed upon.

   "Er, why was this place even abandoned anyway…?" Mike asked out of curiosity.

   Arti looked back at him and shrugged. "Dunno. Just heard about it from somewhere and got curious."

   Parker followed up. "That's really your only reason coming here?"

   Arti fully turned around, now walking backwards. "I mean, I thought there'd be something cool here, and I also thought 'hey, why not bring my friends with me as well!' Spur of the moment-"

   Before Arti finished their sentence, the heel of their shoe dug into something hard. Stopping, their gaze moved downwards to find a box. A few boxes, actually. "Did none of you see these?"

   "Nope," they both said in unison. Mike had gone back to avoiding taking in the place's size, and Parker was focused on Arti. 

   The triangular formation the trio had established broke as they proceeded to inspect the boxes. Instead of being on the shelves, the three of them were laying around the ground. Seemingly untouched, unopened, and covered in dust.

   Even more peculiar, all of them had a logo on them. One recognizable amongst the trio. A simple design of a bomb with a lit fuse, the word RED scrawled within the object in fancy lettering.

   "Red Team Logo" Arti said flatly.

   "That's… weird…" Parker knelt down to stare at the box. "Promotional boxes, maybe?"

   "They're still sealed…" Arti said, a hint of excitement in their voice. Their head was full of thoughts related to criminal acts; specifically larceny at this moment.

   The air was suddenly pierced by the abrupt sound of a box being forcibly pushed into by an external force. Arti and Parker both looked at where the source came from, that being Mike who had shoved an elbow into the box. Mike stared at them blankly. "What? I had nothing to open it with!"

   "...I have a multi-tool with a knife," Parker said.

   "Oh."

   The knife was passed around between the three, and the boxes were opened properly.

   "Oh my god…" Arti said in astoundment. They rummaged around the box, a few packing peanuts flying up into the air and onto the ground, and pulled out an… exact replica of the Medic's Medi Gun from Team Fortress 2.

   Parker raised a brow, then rummaged around his box. He pulled out a wrench, very likely a replica of the Engineer's melee weapon from the same game. Although the metallic feel to it felt oddly realistic. He hummed, a little confused. 

   Last was Mike, who pulled out a sniper rifle. It was realistic. Too realistic. It was unnerving.

   Arti was having fun though. A 1-to-1 replica of the Medi Gun? Perfect for their collection of Medic memorabilia. "Yup, I think I got something cool…"

   Parker stood back up, inspecting his wrench. "Er, so the only thing in here is just… replica weapons for TF2?"

   "Seems like it…" Mike said as he stood up as well. Although he seemed noticeably uneasy, holding a very realistic weapon and all.

   "It's good though! This Medi Gun almost looks functional."

   Parker then looked at Mike. "Aw, you both got ranged weapons and I just got a wrench."

   "This isn't a weapon, Parker-" Arti corrected.

   "I would take that over a firearm…" Mike said as he continued to inspect his rifle, slowly turning away from the other two. Proper gun safety and all. Speaking of safety, he was checking to see if this thing has an active safety guard, just to make himself feel a bit more at ease. 

   His eyes then widened. "There!" he whispered to himself. Inactive trigger safety. Just have to activate it and… click.

   At that moment a slight shock emitted from the rifle and into Mike's hands, the younger man momentarily shivering from the sudden electrical input. "Woah, what was that…" He was going to investigate, but suspicions suddenly arose at the sight of his hand.

   Was his hand… growing?

   A few seconds passed and his suspicions were confirmed way too easily. It was indeed growing, although it didn't seem to grow too much. He unclasped his other hand from the rifle and lifted it into view, finding it too had looked to gain some additional sizing. 

   Things only got weirder from there. The palms of his hands began to callous. Age started to creep into them while the now slightly thicker fingers blunted themselves. A certain angularity etched into them as well, the changes slowly jumping from his hands to his wrists as they did so.

   The diameter of his wrists expanded, followed by his forearms beginning to shift. Muscles were starting to expand to a more moderate size. Follicles of hair began poking out the skin before quickly dusting the area more prominently. The tone of his skin deepened slightly as well, pale becoming a darker beige.

   His upper arms followed with similar changes as well. Arm hair growth cascading upwards, although appearing not as prominent. Muscles continued to tone, his biceps and triceps increasing in size slightly as well. The short sleeves of his shirt were tightening as a result, although not uncomfortably so. This tightness progressed as his shoulders started to broaden.

   A hand was still grasping onto the rifle, and Mike was staring at the free one. "Whoa, what's… happening?"

   This was definitely abnormal, and if he were to be honest he felt kind of scared. However, it also felt… nice? Really nice! Although casting a glance at his other hand and the rifle within it, he was beginning to connect the dots as to what was happening.

   Meanwhile, his body was widening. Not much, but it was enough to begin straining the split of his shirt slightly. He also felt a pressure in his back, his spine elongating as he was starting to gain an inch or two. This was riding the hem of his shirt upwards, revealing a small portion of his lower abdomen.

   Changes soon started to transition inwards, reaching his torso and unifying at his chest. This was signaled by a momentary gain in strength, his chest pushing out slightly and straining his shirt buttons as a pair of pectorals arose from that area. Hair started to poke out of the skin of his chest as well, slightly more plentiful than it was on his arms. This hair steadily trailed downwards, meeting at the lower portion of his cleavage and running down his midline to make a dusty treasure trail.

   While the trail coarsed downwards to his abdomen, that region altered alongside it. His body fat started to melt away, steadily getting replaced by ridges that creased into his skin signaling a newly forming musculature. Abs slowly emerging, a standard looking four-pack getting solidified. As time progressed the dusting of hair poked from beneath his shirt and moved down into his waist, which had widened to fit his new proportions. 

   At this point Mike was getting curious, the young man now spending a little too long trying to unbutton his shirt with one hand to look at his body. He managed to do so, a little glad he could alleviate his discomfort a bit. But that was disregarded as he started to stare intensely at his torso. His muscles. They weren't the most impressive thing, but they did look nice…

   He squeezed a pec. "Ohhh, that feels… that feels good…"

   He blinked. Did his voice… deepen? "Er, t-testin'-"

   Yeah, it was deeper. And… accented as well. The accent was eerily similar as well. Swallowing a lump in his throat, he let out a deep sigh. "I'm turning inta Sniper, huh?"

   While he came to this realization, his transformation surged beyond his waist and into his legs. They mirrored the changes in his arms, gaining significant tone as hairs speckled the deepening skin. His loose jeans were filling up as a result, becoming oddly snug against this new gain in mass. He could also feel the back of his jeans fill slightly more substantially, his rear getting slightly larger. Whether it was a result of his glutes getting thicker is debatable. All the while, the bones in his legs were lengthening and adding a little bit more to his height.

   His calves flared as everything washed beneath his knees and into the crus of his legs, then from there the changes began to pool at his feet. His shoes were starting to feel smaller as his feet stretched and got larger, slightly thicker. His heel dug into the back of the shoes a bit more, and he could feel the laces and tongue strain against the bridge of his feet. His toes, getting more rectangular and blunted like his fingers, pushed up against the toecap as well.

   "Agh, damn! Things're gettin' tight-" Mike said before his speech sputtered to a caught. His voice was getting more accented; decidedly more Australian with each word. "Feels good though… real good."

   He felt a tickling within his neck, likely his vocal cords fully adjusting while the area got thicker. But shortly after that, a slight itching in his face notified him that the last change was nigh.

   It was more a slew of changes really. The itching was a result of scruffy, grayish stubble running across the sides of his face and jaw. He felt his skull pushing slightly as its shape got slightly thinner and more rectangular. His facial features morphed; eyes narrowing, nose thinning, ears pulling back slightly. His jaw crunched as it lost its roundness, getting seemingly trapezoidal while his cheek fat seemed to fade giving him a more chiseled look.

   The last major physical change came to his hair. Messy and curly at first with a murky brown tinge. However, that brown coloration seems to darken to a more fuller brown. The curliness of it dissipated, straightening out while the overall length steadily shortened back into his scalp. It eventually shortened rather drastically, although not so much that it could be classified as a buzz cut.

   Almost instantly after his physical changes ended, his eyes caught onto his clothing beginning to change. His shirt seemed to go first, its sleeves becoming even shorter until they shrunk into nothing and left it sleeveless. The plain white tone of it shifted to brown, split between a lighter upper portion and a darker lower portion. The material clearly shifted to something more leather, buttons sinking into the material while a zipper formed in the split. A couple pockets emerged in the lower half. The collar remained raised, although the fold dissipated into a single raised portion of leather. 

   Beneath the newly changed vest another set of clothing materialized, red washing across his torso as a new shirt formed beneath it. A collar raised from the shirt's neck, a portion of the split remaining unfastened to show a white undershirt beneath it. Sleeves unfurled from beneath the sleeveless vest, bunching up at the elbows as they were clearly rolled up. A watch manifested on his left wrist with a fingerless glove appearing on the corresponding hand. The denim of his jeans shifted color as they turned to a dark brown.

   Something fastened itself to his belt, that being a pouch containing a canteen. His shoes enlarged to fit his new foot size, laces and cloth smoothing out as they took on a brown hue as well. The topline had also lengthened, but was quickly obscured by his pants.

   Finally in one fell swoop multiple things manifested around him at once. Orange lensed hunting glasses in front of his eyes, a bush hat with a portion of the brim raised up plopping itself onto his head, and a scabbard for his rifle on his back with its strap around his body. With a glow on the sleeves of his new shirt, a symbol of a rifle scope bullseye manifesting onto them, his changes came to an end.

   Mike practically instinctively sheathed his rifle on his back and smiled, inspecting his new form. "Huh, didn't expect this to be happenin'..."

   A brow then raised. If he'd been transformed, that would mean…

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

   Arti was oblivious that Mike was transforming just a few feet away, as they were still a bit focused on inspecting this Medi Gun replica. It looked so accurate, so real! They'd honestly take it as a real life copy if it were possible to even shoot healing beams like that in real life.

   Arti smiled, an idea crossed their mind. That would mean it wouldn't hurt to just pull the handle down to "activate" it. They put a hand on the object's bottom handle with another hand grasping onto the upper handle. They pulled it back and…

   Their eyes widened. It's…

   "It's glowing…"

   The area around the object shone with an intense red aura, although instead of firing into something it just glowed around the weapon. Actually, wait…

   Their gaze moved from the weapon and onto their arms, then their chest. It wasn't just glowing, it was firing into them?? That shouldn't be possible, but… Arti's smile widened. Who cares! This felt… great, actually! Like it was making them stronger.

   The truth is while they haven't noticed it yet, it was indeed making them strong. Albeit it was bit by bit.

   It started with their hands, since that was the piece of their body in contact with the actual weapon. Their size stretching out to be substantially larger, getting thicker and meatier. Each finger expanding, thickening as well as they gained a more angular look to them. Age was getting poured into them as well, getting rougher and older with each passing second. It didn't take long until their hands became large, with the changes crawling up to their wrists and etching into their arms as well.

   Hair sprouted from the skin of their arms, lightly dusting their forearms as things began to trail upwards. They could feel the sleeves of their coat begin to constrict as well, the muscles within the region warming up and bulking out, trying to reach a proportion adequate to their hands. Nice and thick and muscular, the warm heat of this instant workout surging through Arti's very body.

   "Yes! This feels great!!" they exclaimed, a bit abruptly, although nobody really answered back. They didn't mind too much though, their focus was on this sensation. Feeling their arms amass in strength, their coat tightening against their bulging biceps and thickening triceps. A few rips even pierced the air from its failure to contain their new muscles, although Arti didn't seem to notice. They were more so wondering if this was what steroids felt like.

   Hairs continued trailing upwards, lightly layering the sides of their arms as this newfound musculature settled itself in. Another rip of their coat entered the air as their deltoids started to bulge as well, a sign that their shoulders were beginning to broaden as the changes crossed the barrier into his body. This was exacerbated by a body-wide feeling of tightness as their form began to expand and widen, changes surging in order to make it lose its twink-like body type.

   With this development, everything soon came rushing onto their torso. A tingle cascaded down their back as it began to pressurize and extend, making them taller and steadily bringing the bottom of their coat and undershirt upwards. The zipper of their coat started to pull at itself as their form got wider, easily prompting their attire to lose its previously proper fitting state around their body.

   Things intensified as their very core felt like it lit aflame, hot and intense as the muscles within their chest began to expand. A crevice slowly started forming in the fabric of their undershirt while the zipper of their coat struggled even more than it did before. Beneath them, their pectorals were enlarging. Thicker, bulkier, meatier. Getting larger and larger, becoming like two massive slabs. It didn't take very long for their coat to just give up, the zipper busting off of it and the teeth splitting apart to reveal the now massive set of pectorals they possessed. Their new pecs were cleanly etched into the fabric of their undershirt.

   Body hair began to poke of their cleavage, soon quickly spreading around their pecs before moving downwards. Their abdomen started rippling as the muscles in that region started to shift next. Abs gradually slotted themselves outwards as moderate amounts of hair grew around the midline. It didn't take very long for them to attain a six pack, although the creases that divided it weren't extremely deep. However they were deep enough to etch into their undershirt as well.

   The zipper of their coat continued to break apart against Arti's new musculature. The rips of the seams and tears of the zipper splitting apart were no longer ignorable. They looked downwards at their body, their eyes widening at the sight of their massive pectorals.

   They grinned. "I guess that- that strength wasn't just a feeling after all! O-oh-"

   As they spoke, their voice was slowly starting to alter. It's tone and pitch shifting, a Germanic accent seeping into it. Despite being in its fairly early stages, they knew what was happening.

   "Ohoh, guess this wasn't just a replika after all!" Their grin only seemed to widen at that realization, at this point bordering on the maniacal. 

   Their pants were the next to begin undergoing trouble, the singular button and zipper tightening against their now wider waist. Things were rapidly surging downwards as well, the muscles in their thighs packing on mass rapidly. Hamstrings and quads were growing in tandem at a quick pace, the denim of their pants squeezing up against them in an attempt to contain this bulging strength. At the same time, the seat of their pants steadily filled out as their butt rounded and expanded. A testimony to the size being amassed by their glutes.

   Leg hair sprouted across their legs, around their thighs and jumping down to their crus to sprinkle that region. The muscles there were thickening, calves aflame with heat as they were given an increase in musculature all the same as the rest of their body. The bones in their legs ached for a moment before pressurizing, elongating to increase their height some more. Their jeans continued to attempt to hold together, but the sides were already beginning to split against this raw strength. Their shows soon followed, already rapidly becoming undersized as their feet expanded. Much like their hands before, their feet were getting larger, now to fit their new bodily proportions.

   The neck of their undershirt was getting increasingly uncomfortable as their own neck thickened, but at this point that didn't matter to them. All they could think about was how great this felt! 

   "Zis… zis power is…" They couldn't even find a proper word to articulate it. It was just so good to feel all of this strength coarse through his form.

   "Deific…" they said under a breath, their German accent thickening a bit more. The word was the closest thing to god-like. Although whether or not this was some newfound God complex from just the thought of becoming Medic was beyond them.

   Thoughts were cast aside once they felt pressure wrack their skull. "Ohh, I'm going to enjoy zis!"

   Arti had a pretty rounded face at first, but steadily their skull structure was losing that. Angularity getting introduced, their jawline hardening and getting more chiseled while the overall shape of their face became more rectangular. A small cleft formed an inch beneath their lower lip as well, accentuating that masculinity that was being formulated.

   Aspects of their face shifted as well. Their face was overall developing a more aged appearance. Their mouth seeming to get wider. Their eyes getting larger while their brows thinned and gained an almost stylized crookedness to them. Even their nose flared as it lost its almost button-like shape; reshaping to something wider, concave bridge with an almost pointed base. Their glasses weren't really accustomed to this size, although the new wideness of their skull was already giving them trouble anyway.

   Last to the physical changes came their hair, which was on its way to getting shorter. The black coloration of it lightened slightly, gaining a deep brown tone. However, the hair at the sides of their temples gained a grayish tone, signaling their age a bit more. Hair continued to shorten, rushing back into their scalp as its once neck-reaching length and almost slightly messy style became long forgotten. Their hairline had also receded a bit as well, developing quite the substantial U-shape. What could be considered close to a three on the Norwood scale.

   Still grinning, Arti took a moment to ungrasp the handle of the Medi Gun and feel their jaw. "Ja, this feels great!"

   Although no words could probably explain the pure ecstasy they were feeling. This wasn't just great, this was great! So, so great…

   Their gaze descended back onto the Medi Gun, although their vision was still a bit blurry thanks to the fact their glasses no longer fit. The object was still glowing, pouring red energy into them though, they could tell that. "Hm, handle must be stuck."

   They placed their hand back onto the handle and tried to push it forward. No response. Maybe it had one last thing to change? Hopefully it was their clothes.

   Luckily, their hopes were answered.

   Tightness was being alleviated rather rapidly, all the clothing on their body concurrently growing in an attempt to fit their new form. It was also shifting as well. Undershirt gaining a split while already fastened buttons lined it, the neck raising as well as it formed into a collar. The blue color was shifting into a plain white, it becoming more like a dress shirt than anything else. A red object slithered around their neck and beneath the collar, comfortably wrapping around it as a tie started to hang perfectly from it. Their coat probably endured a more drastic change as what rips and tears formed fixed themselves while the material seemed to alter and become softer. The soft fur of the collar seemed to fade into this material as well. The deeper blue coloration was shifting to a shaded white as well. The zipper slunk into the new material while a few buttons lined a portion of the upper half, steadily buttoning themselves over Arti's now much muscular torso. The bottom of the coat lengthened drastically, quickly going from their hips to their knees, all the way down to reaching the lower half of their legs. A more triangular collar swelled from the now lab coat's neck, and a breast pocket emerged above where the left pectoral would be.

   Their jeans soon followed, getting subsumed by a dark brown color as they seemed to take on a much baggier appearance than before. A belt materialized around their waist, large and with a single pouch already clipped to it. Their shoes gained a smoother shine to them as they dulled to a full black color. The topline raised halfway up the crus of their legs, making their footwear more into boots. Following this, the portion of their pants shoved themselves into their boots, which resulted in their legwear getting a puffier appearance in the lower half.

   The red aura steadily dialed down as the final aspects of the changes came forth. Red latex materializing and covering their hands, hardening into gloves that extended to cover their forearms. Their glasses grew larger, frames thinning as they now better Arti's new facial structure  A sudden weight (albeit one that they could definitely handle) manifested on their back as a massive metallic backpack seemed to have just appeared with straps coming from it, snaking down the front of their body, and buckling to their new belt; all while a hose connected the Medi Gun to the backpack. The final piece was a glow on the sides of their sleeves, a red cross symbol with a yellow background appearing on the upper portion on each one.

   And with that the handle dislodges and the Medi Gun deactivates. The aura fully disperses, leaving Arti with their new body. With a hand on the bottom handle, they lower the object and look down at their body. Their muscular form clothed in a dignifying set of doctor's clothing. "Perfect!"

   Now, the only logical conclusion would be that their friends…

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

   A few minutes earlier…

   Parker had found himself looking at his other two friends. They seemed to be exploring the supposed replicas pretty well, especially since Arti was practically beaming with euphoria. Although Parker had also noticed Mike's apprehension with the rifle. The other guy seemed to have turned away though, probably to inspect the rifle in peace; all while Arti seemed about ready to test their new Medi Gun.

   Parker looked down at their wrench. It was… large, he supposed. And a bit heavy, although not so much so that he'd be unable to lift it. It looked to be some kind of standard agricultural wrench as well, although Parker wasn't quite sure how he knew that. 

   He fumbled around with it, rolling it around in his hands idly as he thought. It wasn't really the most impressive thing in comparison to the other two, and it felt a bit odd to have a replica wrench of all things. Like, yeah that could be considered Engineer's signature tool, but it's still an odd choice to him.

   They sighed. It's fine at least. Plus, what are the odds everyone decides to take these home with them? Well, for Arti that was 100% but that's whatever. Parker then smiled to themselves, lost in thought and deciding to just casually tap the top of the wrench onto their belly. They weren't sure why they did it. It just felt a bit silly.

   He was unaware that that action alone kick-started his own transformation, alongside those of his friends…

   It was subtle at first, very small amounts of fat beginning to accumulate around his abdomen. A small bit of chub at first, but it didn't take very long for that small bit to increase by a lot. Fat continuously piling on his belly, the area bloating more and more as the hem of his undershirt rode up it, the region just getting larger and softer. It didn't take very long for it to be considered less of a belly and more of a thick gut. And all the while, abdominal muscles had started to form beneath it, although greatly obscured by his sizable tummy.

   It would be hard for such a development to go unnoticed, especially with the chill running across the skin of his abdomen thanks to his shirt slowly becoming more ill-fitting. Parker looked down, eyes wide as he nervously moved a hand towards his belly. "What the heck…"

   The gain in weight only persisted though, moving from his belly to his chest with ease. Mirroring what occurred on his abdomen, a softness filled his chest region as his pectorals pushed out slightly. This was still accompanied by a firmness of muscle mass, giving him a more balanced mixture of muscle and fat in that area. It steadily squeezed up against his shirt, faintly etching his cleavage into the light blue portion of it.

   At this point Parker had started squeezing his belly, then moving that hand upwards to squeeze a pectoral. He winced as he felt something squeeze his spine, him slowly getting taller and his shirt moving even further up his belly. This allowed him to catch onto body hair starting to grow on his usually hairless form, slowly rising up his midline and moving beneath his shirt. Judging by the itchiness on his chest, he could tell he was getting some chest hair as well (although the amount wasn't extremely impressive).

   "Soft…" was the primary thing Parker could think of as he continued to squeeze himself. It was nice and warm, kind of reminded him of all those stereotypical images of a dadbod. An ideal for him, really…

   He didn't notice the few specks of gray entering his chest hair as he thought this. What he did notice, though, was his shirt and jacket getting a little more constricting. It was starting to stretch out, Parker taking a few moments to realize his body was widening as well. The slight discomfort only continued as the shoulders of his sleeves filled up, his own shoulders steadily welling up in size.

   While fat started to spill into his arms, muscle seemed to grow a little more prominent in that area. His delts getting thicker, his biceps and triceps steadily increasing in mass. All with the accompanying feeling of strength entering them, years of hard work being granted in mere seconds. If he were being honest, the newly amassing upper body strength was slowly aiding in making the wrench less heavy than before.

   Things then trickled beneath his elbow and onto his forearm. Muscles growing, getting nice and strong. Hair speckling across the top of his arms with ease, mixed with browns and grays. The area in general was growing to fit his new proportions. However, once the changes reached his hands things began to get stranger, each hand changing on in a different way.

   The right one seemed to be normal. Stretching out larger and getting thicker. Fingers getting meatier. Age creeping into them as the palm calloused, cuts forming and scarring instantly. Even a few fingernails seemed to chip as grime got beneath them. 

   The left one though, the one holding the wrench, that one was the one Parker was focused on. It started to feel numb, the skin upon it looking discolored. An almost metallic sheen coming into it as if the wrench's metal was melting into his flesh. His skin soon started to harden, that metallicness getting more and more prominent. It was consistently getting more inorganic, the fingers segmenting for free movement, hand disconnecting from his wrist as the associated forearm underwent a similar shift to metal. It did somewhat hurt, having his nerves reconnected to the now prosthetic limb, but that was only temporary.

   The shine was only temporary, dulling as grime dirtied up the metal and years of work piled onto it in seconds. He could see assorted dents and gashes emerging as well. It was definitely well worn, but as he casually turned it around he found that it still responded to his every movement. 

   "Woah," Parker started with a smiled, "a-a robotic limb!"

    He blinked his eyes. "Wh-what happened to mah voice… there…"

   He cleared his throat. His voice was getting deeper? And… "Is that a… Texan accent??"

   His cheeks flushed momentarily. It was. It sounded really good though. Deep, masculine, part of him wanted to say 'yee-haw!' just to hear how it'd sound, but he decided to do that later. Once all the changes were done.

   Speaking of, his jeans were beginning to be next on the list of things that were steadily losing their fit on him. His waist had already widened to incorporate his new width, now all that remained was his legs. Slowly bulking with muscles, fat forming around those as well. Thighs getting decided thicker as an end result. He could even feel his butt round out as it swelled up, filling up the seat of his pants.

   The floor started to get a little further, his height increasing a second time with his legs getting a bit longer. The muscles in that area were also gaining in size, although at this point it was clear his leg muscles weren't as worked on as his arm muscles. But they still possessed a substantial amount of bulk to them, at least in comparison to what they used to have on him. It actually felt quite empowering.

   Following this came the changes in his feet. His shoes were quickly filled, before filling out a bit more as his feet grew larger than what his previous shoe size was. Larger, bulkier, heels digging into the back in, ankles digging into the size. The straps started breaking from the Velcro they were attached to, and an outsider could probably see bulges where their toes were. To say their shoes barely fit them was an understatement, especially since they were doing more to attempt to contain the changes rather than try to fit around them like the rest of his clothing had.

   "Agh- darn body bulkin'-" Parker said, smiling in contrast to his complaints. The sound of his Southern accent getting thicker was pleasing, although he wasn't quite sure if the way things were being phrased was him leaning more into the accent or not. "I hope my clothin' changes soon, don' think it'll last too much longer."

   He pulled at the neck of his shirt with his organic hand, his neck having already thickened a bit over the size it'd actually be comfortable in. The scarf he kept around his right arm was also rather constricting, Parker swearing his blood flow there was getting cut off. "That don' sound very good…" he said towards that thought. It was fine though, it was fine-

   Parker shivered as a tingle ran up their spine and zapped into their skull. Pressure started to squeeze into it, him feeling it get squished and molded like putty. His jawline getting squeezed, roundness becoming a little more chiseled and square. Dusty brown stubble prickled out of his face, starting at his chin and gradually working its way up the sides of his face and around his mouth. His eyes got a little smaller, his rounded nose getting more pointed and triangular. His brows even seemed to fade a bit, getting thinner than they were before. The youthful look of his face seemed to harden, aging and weather as his age crept upwards towards middle age.

   The most noticeable change came to his hair. It was long, full, fluffy, but as the transformation seeped into his face that was getting lost. His hair began receding back into his scalp, steady at first before picking up the pace with the rest of his face. Shortening from neck length, retreating consistently as its fullness got lost. His manbun undid itself almost instantly as a result, and his hairline had receded slightly as well. His hair continued to get shorter until the brown reached a point of being more of a dusty brown equal to that of his facial stubble. He was sporting more of a buzzcut now, extremely short and scratchy.

   "Ah hell, kinda wish I'd keep that!" Parker exclaimed, rubbing his head with his human hand. It did feel kind of nice though.

   A rip then pierced the air, the sleeve of his jacket unable to handle this kind of movement with this bulky an arm. Parker let out a nervous laugh, "God damn, eheh- now'd be a good time for some new clothes right about now!"

   His desire was granted in an instant with all the constricting of his clothing steadily fading, everything better growing to fit his size. The hem of his shirt edged downwards, finally covering his belly as the light blue and white coloration of it saturated to a hard red color. The sleeves of it elongated, then rolled themselves up. Meanwhile, the neck lengthened and folded into a collar, a small placket forming in the middle of his shirt to accompany it. A white undershirt seemed to have separate itself from the red shirt as well with it being visible from that placket.

   His jacket was next to follow, although its changes were exceedingly peculiar. The split started to merge with itself on the lower half while much of the upper half seemed to practically dethread itself into oblivion. It promptly, albeit temporarily, disconnected before metallic clips materialized and snapped them onto the changing attire, seemingly to conform it to being a pair of overalls. The coloration of both his jacket and pants shifted, the denim altering to a deep brown. A belt then manifested, snaking around his waist while coming pre-equipped with various pouches and a sheath for his wrench. His shoes then enlarged, blue and white cloth shifting to a normal brown leather, the soles growing more rigid, and the topline raising and going beneath his overalls. All of which was in one slew to change his footwear into a more fitting pair of boots.

   The last fixtures to his attire came in a slew of various materializations. Metallic knee pads appearing from thin air and wrapping around his knees. A yellow and gray glove effortlessly slipping on his robotic arm. A hard hat had even popped into existence atop his head, a pair of goggles slipping from within it and clinging comfortably to his face.

   Any remnant of his old attire that remained was the colorful scarf on his right arm, which just grew to fit the arm more comfortably. With all of that settled, a soft glow emanated from the sides of the sleeves of his shirt, a yellow symbol with a red wrench insignia within it forming and signaling the end of his transformation.

   "Heheh, lookin' good Engie…" Parker said, patting his belly proudly as he sheathed the wrench. 

   He then looked up to speak. "Ey guys, ya see this- oh!"

   His eyes widened beneath the goggles. In Arti's place was Medic, and in Mike's place was Sniper.

   "Parker, my friend! You got transformed as well?" Arti said excitedly.

   "Yup!" Parker slung an arm around Arti. "Glad t' know I ain't the only one!"

   After just a few seconds Mike walked up to the two. "G'day, mates! Guess uh, we all got changed, huh?"

   "Yep!" the other two said in unison.

   "It feels… strange, don't it?" Mike said, pulling at the collar of his shirt awkwardly. "Still tryin' to grasp all of this. Weird feelin's."

   "I do quite like the strength zis body provides, if I do say so myself!" Arti said, their mind jumping to their newly gained muscles. His attire felt quite nice on them.

   "The dadbod I got is quite nice as well, although I do agree with our partner here. This does feel rather disorientin'. Head's been a little achey, a lot of unfamiliar knowledge comin' ta me." Parker explained, rubbing the back of their head nervously. 

   "I can alleviate that easily!~" Arti said with a smile, pulling back the handle of their Medi Gun and shooting a stream of healing energy into Parker. 

   A smile formed on Parker's face, the pain getting alleviated. "That feels real nice, partner…"

   "Glad you two are enjoyin' yourselves. Now, how 'bout we get out of here before someone else decides to come in after us?" Mike said, slightly worried about the prospect of getting caught in here. Although odds are they'd just be seen as very accurate TF2 cosplayers over anything else…

   "Sounds good to me!" Arti responded, with Parker giving a thumbs up in response as well.

   "Great, although…" Mike looked around for a moment, his agoraphobia not triggering for once as he noticed the room looked different. "Does this place look any different to either of you?"

   His friends looked around curiously. Parker was the first to speak, "It does look a lil' dirty. A lot more brown than gray."

   Arti didn't speak at first, but they had a look on their face that Mike could clock as them having a theory. They did speak after a few seconds though. "I think we should take a look outside-"

   Mike and Parker looked each other in the eye quizzically, then nodded in agreement. Something weird was going on…

   After a couple minutes, the trio had found themselves walking through the very hallway they used to get in here. Dust was replaced by dirt, and both Arti and Mike were pretty sure they saw a few bloodstains around, albeit it was long since faded.

   "The hell are we…" Mike said, his deep voice practically rumbling as it echoed through the hall.

   The trio eventually found the door they came through, and Parker was the one to push it open and walk out first. Arti came out behind him, Medi Gun in hand; and Mike seemed to almost instinctively pull out his rifle as he stepped outside.

   The grass crunched under everyone's boots. The sun was hanging high in the air, and the once heavily forested area around the warehouse seemed to have heavily lost much of its foliage. 

   "What in tarnation…"

   "Car seems to be missin' to," Mike observed as he stepped out from behind Parker.

   "Seems like it. Where even are we? This place… looks like where we were." Parker responded. 

   "I have a feeling that transformation changed more than our bodies-" Arti said. Mike and Parker both looked at him.

   Mike was the first to ask, "Mate, what are you tryin' to say?"

   "We done got reality shunted?" Parker followed up.

   "More like time shunted!" Arti corrected, a finger raising to punctuate their point. "I think ve might be in some kind of… alternative 1970s? It's quite convoluted to explain-"

   "Time travel, got it." Unease fading, Mike sheathed his rifle. "I have a feelin' this'll be quite the interestin' week…"

   Parker nodded. "You and me both, partner."

   Arti smiled, placing their hands on their Medi Gun. "So, my friends, how about ve head out and live these new lives we've been granted?"

   Mike was a little perturbed, but a part of him felt… oddly accepting of this. Especially since he's got both of his friends here. "I don't see why not, I suppose. Had to be put here for a reason."

   Parker brought both of his friends towards him and slung both arms around them, the middle aged man smiling. It could be the steady amount of knowledge being hammered into his mind making him think this, but he also wants to think that this is a legitimate feeling he's having. Being in a strange alternative world with his two best friends, planning out some kind of weird adventure. "I think we should as well, partners!"

   Parker's enthusiasm was infectious, Mike softly smiling alongside him while Arti grinned (although with their new facial structure it looked practically devious).

   All tension that was in the air was displaced by a strange buzz of excitement. The trio of friends were still rather confused why this all happened, but all of them came to a mutual agreement that…

   One way or another, they were all going to find this out together.

[trinitywc]

On chapter 15 of Endless Winter currently, and loving every moment of it but the lead up to some projects and finals is gonna gear up within the next week so I won't be able to finish as fast as I would like to. Given that, I wanted to verbally dog ear my place & jot down some thoughts before they escaped me (particularly my appreciation for the way you portray character dynamics and the nuance you provide that I could sit and stew on for hours).

I've been enjoying Rutherford and Pinefrost's interactions a great deal. I get the feeling he loves infodumping about his interests, and particularly likes how good a listener, as well as perceptive, that Pinefrost is. She's sharp in more ways than one! and I also particularly adore the way Pinefrost often uses his explanations and points when he is explaining things to her as an anchor for her wandering mind during the present in a way that doesn't make her feel as though she's out of the loop or excluded unlike past scenes when the gang is discussing whether to stay or leave the domicile. Those two bounce off one another so well, and in such a way that it makes it so apparent how isolated Pinefrost has been even amongst her surviving group, and even before that when Creek Clan was still intact. Her loneliness has been really keen in previous chapters, and it's nice to see her feeling like she has a companion that shows her just as many new things as she can with honing Rutherford different skills.

That being said, while I really enjoy Rutherford, I don't know if I trust him fully. He's been dependable and a great source of support for the group, but I can't help wondering about his intentions. Perhaps he just wants company! But it strikes me as odd that he's giving away resources when he was so skeptical of Pinefrost giving Sedgenose her fresh kill, and is directing them all out of the city purely out of the goodness of his heart and during the thick of winter, no less. It makes me wonder to what end he plans to act as a tag along with the group, and not to mention he'd have to make the entire trip back to the city by himself once they get to the river! He seems like too much of an intellectual city slicker to want to rough it with the gang when/if they reunite with the clans... clan??? (Creekwood consolidation with the survivors perhapseth???) Surely he's not doing all this JUST because he met our intriguing mule headed protagonist, could he?

Crackpot theory but maybe he's not leading them to where he say he is- but then again he hasn't lied even with the explanation of the atom to Pinefrost. Crackpot theory #2, he seems to have observed Pinefrost's reluctance to leave, and her feelings of insecurity that she confided over what they have the possibility to come back to with the clans and I have to wonder if he'll use that to either isolate her (unhealthy option) or encourage her (healthier alternative!!!) to stay with him instead. The summary certainly implies so! Crackpot theory #3 combination of both #1 & #2.

Then a random comment and some purely satirical jokes that are essentially nonsense, feel free to skip;

"She had one option, and that was through. Through the winter, through the atom."

SO INCREDIBLY METAL, LOVE THIS. HAUNTING, GUT WRENCHING, TRAGIC IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE- A CAR CRASH YOU CAN'T AVOID OR REDIRECT. So much of ch 11 in particular to be honest! Rutherford's entire explanation left me with dreams. I left it waking up and checking my little kitty cat's nose for black ash.

Pinefrost: Oh yeah we knew this would happen, sedgefrost had a vision from star clan that the great light would take us out :/

Rutherford: the FUCK? the HUH?

Everytime Sedgenose or Woolycloud have an interaction with Pinefrost, I'm that one twitter reaction video, "-and she's the mother, she's mother earth, she is mother gaia, she is YOUR mother 👁👄👁"

I AM ON THE FUVKING FLOOR WITH THOSE MEMES THATS SO FUCKING FUNNY

Good luck with your exams!!!

"I get the feeling he loves infodumping about his interests, and particularly likes how good a listener, as well as perceptive, that Pinefrost is" - It’s kinda shown but Rutherford starts talking to Sedge and Wooly first before diverting to Pinefrost, he couldn’t get the same conversation about the world and atom and stuff from them; they really just click. If they had a glass porch table and a bottle of wine they’d talk for hours and hours. They are both very curious cats, for better or worse.

"Those two bounce off one another so well, and in such a way that it makes it so apparent how isolated Pinefrost has been even amongst her surviving group, and even before that when Creek Clan was still intact" - they do have such good chemistry imho. I wanted Rutherford to be a friend for Pinefrost, genuinely. She is a very lonely little cat. As is he, they are both on each others level, she is able to understand his city/atom terms where other cats cannot, and he is eager to learn more about the world outside the city. Pinefrost needs that understanding/knowledge of the world to feel more secure, and Rutherford gives it her in spades.

"it strikes me as odd that he's giving away resources when he was so skeptical of Pinefrost giving Sedgenose her fresh kill, and is directing them all out of the city purely out of the goodness of his heart" -everything is a means to an end ;) As for your theories… i love em both. I love getting people’s midway theories!

There is no way but through!!!

[ambrossart]

Hiii🎈 how are you adapting to your new life after the move and the wedding? Hope everything is great!!

I've been inspired by the last posts with the asks (I love to read them). Aaand I thought of a few questions...I hope not to bother you too much

For DWM, I was thinking...are they going to approach the infamous campaign again? Like, she felt pretty guilty about what happened,are these feelings going to resurface sometime? For example going on dates and doing things together will take them to think/discuss about what could've been if they weren't so stubborn/oblivious?

Eddie said he would ask her out on her freshman year...if she never killed him do you think they would have been friends for the 2 years of distance (middle - high school)? Or they would stop hanging out and just met again when she finally was a freshman?..2 years is A LONG TIME especially at that age.

Also, you wrote that in order to learn d&d she went to play with kids in the Wheeler's basement, is this going to be referenced in the side stories? You hinted Gareth doesn't like her..will the youngest guys of Hellfire have a nice opinion of her?

Finally, not an answer but an appreciation. I'm not a native english speaker so it takes me a while to get all the details. I LOVED the parallels in the chapters for example the openings of chapter 1 and 9, when they were both skeptical. She was caught off guard when Chance invited her to prom because he is popular and on the basketball team while she was just Chrissy's friend. And he was caught off guard because he thought she was popular and he was just the trailer park kid. I don't know if it was intentional but while rereading I was upset I didn't notice it before.

Lastly for Paper men, I was wondering if Evelyn's family will still present in future updates, it's so refreshing to read about a positive-non toxic-supporting family, in such toxic environment. I have to say.. I'm team Vic for the win, as much as Evelyn and Patrick's interactions show really good chemistry and I'm intrigued about her and Henry's past, they are too toxic to deserve that pure little heart.

I always apologize for the long questions but I end up writing more and more each time, so I get it if you don't want to answer.😂

Have a nice weekend 🥰

Hey! I'm almost fully settled in. It's a much smaller apartment than what we're used to, but we're making the best of it. Thanks for asking!

Now, moving on to your questions!

1. In regards to the campaign itself, they're totally gonna replay it at some point over the summer because they never got to finish it together. So once Scottie gets out of prison, they're all gonna sit down and play it again, properly this time, and the Reader will probably be tempted to sacrifice Eddie again, just for giggles. She's such a troll. 😂 But in regards to those feelings of guilt and regret, I think they both would prefer to move past it and focus on the present. They only have a couple months before the Reader leaves for college, and they don't wanna waste time dwelling on the past. They've already had their big heart-to-heart. Now they just wanna enjoy their time together. But as we get closer to the end of summer, I think a lot of those old feelings will inevitably resurface because neither of them knows what will happen. I wouldn't be surprised if the Reader has a massive anxiety attack. She might even consider breaking up with him in order to spare herself the heartache of another separation because it would be 100x more painful than before. She's not a kid with a crush. She's a woman in love. The more time they spend together, the stronger her feelings get, which means she has a lot more to lose, so I could definitely see that triggering another fight-or-flight response.

2. If she hadn't betrayed Eddie, they would have absolutely remained friends during those two years. Yes, it is a long time, but Eddie is a very loyal person and he values his friends (because he doesn't have that many). This is something Eddie wishes he had told her when they were kids, but that would have meant putting himself out there and opening himself to potential hurt. At that point, Eddie wasn't 100% sure of the Reader's intentions (if she genuinely wanted to be his friend or if she had some kinda ulterior motive) and, like you said, two years is a long time. A lot could happen in two years. She could be fully embraced by the popular kids and not need him anymore. That uncertainly alone would make him hesitate. But yes, if Eddie had reassured her, if she hadn't betrayed him, they would have stayed friends and let their romantic relationship naturally develop over time. It would've been like this unspoken thing between them. They both would just know that eventually they'll start dating, and neither of them would be in any rush to get to the finish line. They'll be perfectly happy and content with their friendship and then take that next step when the time is right, which would probably be when the Reader's about 15.

And let me just say, Eddie would be SO FREAKIN EXCITED to have her in school with him again. If he has his license, he's picking her up and driving her to school. If he doesn't, he's gonna be waiting for her in front of the building (like she used to wait for him 🥺), ready to give her a private tour. He's been waiting two years for this day, so he's gonna do whatever he can to make it special.

3. You know, I was going to include a scene of all the boys trying to teach her D&D (and given how bad she is at the game, clearly none of their lessons sank in 😂), but there just wasn't enough content there. I imagine at first they would be super eager to teach someone their favorite game, but over time they would become increasingly frustrated with her for sure. Anyway, I don't know if I'm ever gonna write that scene, but I do have others planned that will showcase their relationship well enough. I could definitely see her having a special soft spot for Will. I think his passion for D&D would remind her of Eddie. Plus she would be intrigued by his artistic abilities and would commission him for random drawings of her and Eddie's D&D characters.

4. Yes, the similar openings for chapters one and nine were completely intentional. 😊 The initial plan was to have nine and ten be one chapter, so the final chapter would mirror the first chapter. It ended up being way too long, though, so I split it into two chapters. It kinda ruined the effect, but oh well. 🤷🏻‍♀️

5. Evelyn's family will definitely be in future updates. Her family is extremely important to her, so they're not going anywhere. 😉

And I'm not gonna lie, I'm completely Team Vic here. I love their relationship and I think he and Evelyn would be absolutely adorable together. HOWEVER, personal feelings aside, the reason Victor isn't listed as an official pairing is because, compared to the other two pairings, you're not gonna see much romance between Vic and Evelyn. At this point, Evelyn has already moved on. She's painfully, hopelessly, and foolishly in love with someone else. Vic knows this. He doesn't like it, but he respects it, and right now all he cares about is righting his wrongs and salvaging their friendship.

Whew, that was a lot, but it was really fun! Thank you for taking the time to write all these awesome questions. Hopefully I answered them well enough ❤️

[sentimental-idiot25]

SasuSaku Shoujo Week Day Four: Fake Dating

{modern au}

Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke had planned to meet at a park, seeking a much-needed opportunity to catch up without the presence of anyone else or the weight of college-level studying. Sakura strolled towards the bench where she spotted Sasuke engrossed in his phone. As she removed the earbuds from her ears, she drew nearer. Sensing a presence approaching him, Sasuke shifted his attention from his phone to the figure approaching him. Sakura greeted him with a smile and wave, and Sasuke responded with a wave of his own.

”Hey!" Sakura began the conversation.

"Hi," Sasuke replied.

"So, how's life treating you?" Sakura inquired.

"Good. How about you?" Sasuke responded.

"Hinata set me up on a blind date last night, and it was a disaster," Sakura shared, a tinge of frustration evident in her voice.

"Oh, really? What happened?" Sasuke asked, genuinely interested.

"He couldn't stop checking his phone! I mean, either I'm incredibly dull, or he had better things to do," Sakura exclaimed, raising her hands in frustration.

"On a first date, you should never do that. He was just being a jerk," Sasuke offered some comforting words to alleviate Sakura's concerns.

"You've been on quite a few first dates lately, huh, Sasuke?" Sakura teased, playfully poking his arm.

"I've also been set up on some terrible blind dates. The matchmaking attempts have been completely off the mark. I'm fed up with it," Sasuke chuckled softly.

"Me too!" Sakura groaned. "It's exhausting, and I expected our friends to understand us better than this, to set us up with people we actually click with."

"Ah, the perks of being the only two single people in our friend group," Sasuke commented with lackluster enthusiasm, matching the tone of his statement with underwhelming jazz hands.

"It's surprising they haven't tried to set us up with each other," Sakura said, lightly gripping her knees, her words revealing a hint of embarrassment.

They exchanged glances and burst into laughter.

"Yeah, I don't think we'd work out together," Sasuke laughed.

"Hmph, and what makes you say that?" Sakura playfully teased.

"I don't think our personalities align," Sasuke quickly replied, not wanting to upset Sakura.

"Hmm, I'm not convinced. We've been friends for almost our entire lives..." Sakura retorted, obviously annoyed.

"Don't be stubborn," he teased, "Anyway, where's Naruto?" Sasuke checked his phone. "That idiot thought we were meeting at midnight, not noon."

"Who does that?" Sakura exclaimed. "But getting back to the topic of me being undateable..."

"You're not undateable. I just don't want to jeopardize our friendship, you know?" Sasuke explained.

"Ah, that makes sense, I guess," Sakura laughed. "But imagine if we actually dated! Everyone would be shocked. Plus, we wouldn't have to endure these terrible blind dates anymore."

"That would be nice," Sasuke smiled.

Sakura gasped, a sudden realization hitting her. "That's it! I've got an idea!"

"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked, intrigued.

"We should pretend to date! Just for a while, to get everyone off our backs. And once we find someone we genuinely like, we 'break up'," Sakura proposed, making air quotes with her fingers. "What do you say?"

"But won't they be skeptical?" Sasuke questioned.

"Well, like I said earlier, we've been friends for such a long time. I don't think anyone would question it," Sakura shrugged.

"Well... okay, deal," Sasuke agreed, extending his hand for Sakura to shake. She took his hand and gave it a jolt of excitement.

Their bodies subtly leaned towards each other as they delved into the logistics of their fake dating plan. The early noon sun cast a warm glow, enhancing the beauty of the cherry trees surrounding the park.

A brief moment of silence hung between them.

Nervously twirling a strand of her hair, Sakura stole glances at Sasuke from the corner of her eye. "I can't believe we're actually going through with this, Sasuke. But it's better than enduring another disastrous blind date, right?"

Sasuke's onyx eyes met Sakura's emerald gaze, a flicker of amusement crossing his face. "Agreed. It's been nothing but awkward encounters so far. Maybe this fake dating thing will put an end to that."

As they continued their conversation, Sakura's mind wandered. Memories from their childhood resurfaced, reminding her of the days when she secretly admired Sasuke. Her heart fluttered then, and even now, in this unconventional situation, it seemed to do the same.

A similar sentiment echoed in Sasuke's mind. Sakura had always been more than just a childhood friend. She was his secret crush, someone he admired for her determination and kindness. The realization that they were embarking on this fake dating journey together stirred something deep within him, though he couldn't quite define it.

With each passing moment, Sakura and Sasuke grew more at ease. Their laughter became genuine, their gestures more comfortable. They found themselves leaning closer, sharing inside jokes and stolen glances that hinted at a connection beyond their pretense.

Unbeknownst to them, fate had intertwined their lives long ago, and this plan was merely a stepping stone toward a future they were destined to embrace. The park, the cherry blossoms, and the warmth between them became symbols of the love that had always lingered just beneath the surface, awaiting the perfect moment to bloom.

Hours slipped away as they lost track of time. Sasuke glanced at his phone, realizing that five hours had passed since they started talking. "That damn Naruto never showed up."

"Well, would that make this our unofficial official first fake dating date?" Sakura giggled, a hint of excitement lacing her voice.

Sasuke couldn't help but chuckle in response, his stoic demeanor momentarily giving way to amusement. "I suppose it would," he replied, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips.