#the models posed for like 5 minutes and then kept changing poses it was so streasfukvndndbs

[jellophoid]

FIRST YEAR OF COLLEGE IS FINISBEDD— some of my favourite pieces from my drawing 2 class ^^)) what a fun year

[vulpiximisa]

Me: i think im burnt out from idols, i should watch something else

Me also: oh boy colorful boys, lets go DreamFes

So the fact that Crunch only has the second season should have deterred me from even starting it, but I guess I didn’t want to watch anymore IMas Side M, so here we are.

I also did not look beforehand if there was any seiyuu I know in it, but this seems like the type of show that has Nobodies. Anyway, I’ve done this before with Futsal Boys, so I can handle this.

So if I thought UniteUp felt like a sports anime, this would be the more generic, played up straight up sports anime of idols. It’s preeetty much Futsal Boys but with idols. In terms of it selling something that doesn’t quite line up exactly for the target audience? I’ve never seen any of the Puri (not Cure) series or Aikatsu, but I’m assuming those are also “magical” transforming idols using cards? The most I’ve been exposed to costume changing cards is Happiness Charge Precure, which, I’m assuming was inspired by series like that. I’m not a fan of it, but I get what vibe it’s supposed to be. So like, sentai toys, but with idols. 

Anyway, not gonna lie, I binged the first three episodes straight up because it was entertaining enough. It’s not as deep as I would have liked, where Blue’s tragic backstory was Not the “I watched someone I care about commit suicide” that I thought it was gonna be, but I guess that was semi traumatizing for a kid. I can’t say the characters are necessarily deep, as Kanade’s reason for dropping soccer kind of pisses me off, and we could have gotten a little more something from Keigo before he left for the 20:32 train. (Why was this the make or break role? Was there an on going rivalry between Keigo and Shin before?) 

The pacing of the series is too fast but at the same time doesn’t really give information. I feel like it really is targeted towards 5-8 year olds with the way the story is written. (Why the characters kept dredging up 2032’s lyrics and talking about it like that. It just felt like it was written sooo simple-y.) Also the semi-repetitive lines/gags from ep 1 and 2, mostly episode 1? Felt like they were dragging for time at some point (a minute too much of Kanade handing out balloons, a minute too much of Kanade and Yellow competing)

Also, I love transformation sequences IF THEYRE NICE TO LOOK AT. The boy’s Dorika henshins are way too samey, so yeah I’m gonna be bored at them. I get it's so they have a generic enough pose so they can CG slap the DoriKa outfits on. The landing pose, dorika catch animations are nice and fun, but iunno, I guess I like my smooth 2D henshins where they are fun to look at.

I complained about IChu’s performances but I see that DF is going to try to cram a performance into each episode. I get it I get it. I think it works for DF though, even if I think the performances themselves are kinda goofy. I like the face model for the guys, but the rest of the body feels a little wonky. (Their hands look under rendered and blobby sometimes I don’t know.) Hold the Phone, this was from 2016, which was also around the time I7 came out. And these guys look leagues better than the first MonGen MV, sooooo I think I know who is winning in this category. 

I guess I can get to talking about the characters now? …I uh, I think Kanade is cute ngl. I like the ponytail and even though his seiyuu sounds unrefined in terms of vocal range/acting, I like the boyish tone. Everyone is generic as hell though, but I was semi pleasantly surprised that Kanade (Red) was butting heads with Yellow (Junya, if I feel like remembering it) instead of the usual Red vs Blue. 

Speaking of Blue, I can’t really say that Kanade’s reason for wanting Shin to stay was super developed but ngl man that chase scene and “I dont want to not see you” etc etc, that shit got to me. See, the tone could have been more serious, if Shin’s tragic backstory was about suicide, so Kanade chasing him thinking that Shin would have followed the same path because of the scandal, etc etc etc. Anyway I’m already writing fic about them in my head while watching the episode skldjflkslfk

Also ngl, Mikami grabbing Kanade and throwing him into the car saying he wanted him Sure Was A Way to Sell to Fujoshis. It’s me, I’m the Bitches. Mikami is supposed to be the fun old star, I guess, I like him, he’s fun. The DF president is also cute! Anyway, I’m looking forward to meeting the other veterans of Sankishi.

Uh oh, I accidentally looked at the seiyuu casting and I guess there actually Are notable seiyuu in here. That’s fine though, I like when they give newbies a chance, but it’s too detached when I know Nobody. (Futsal Boys.) 

Anyway, I guess I’m looking forward to Purple Sweets Shota and his maybe not so tragic backstory with the Black other Shota that might be his Twin, because we love twins. (Not me.) Also, I couldn’t tell if Keigo was also an idol in the opening or if it was someone else? Will also look forward to finding out. 

[the-lighwood-who-lived]

The North Star

SUMMARY: SUPERMODEL Y/N AND A CERTAIN 1D HEARTTHROB WITH GREEN EYES HAVE KEPT THEIR RELATIONSHIP DOWN-LOW. THE THING IS, THEY DON'T WANT TO ANYMORE. A SIMPLE PROMISE TO BE BOUND FOR LIFE MAKES THE COUPLE ANNOUCE THEIR LOVE TO THE WORLD. ~ set during fashion week new york when harry performed for victoria's secret special ~

Lights and chatter beamed at New York fashion week. The audience filled with people who stick out their pinkie while having tea or tuck in the legs when they sit down. The light went low as a spotlight focused on the far end on the ramp. As the low beat of music started, an incredibly beautiful girl walked out, dressed like an angel. Victoria’s Secret Angel.

Paired with her beautiful outfit was knee high boots, with 7inch pointy heels. She struts down the ramp in all confidence. How does she do that? Anyone else would have fallen on their face by now. She walked all the way to the front, striking a pose as the beat dropped. Now that, ladies and gentlemen, is Y/N Y/L/N- the opening angel for fashion week New York.

She smiled discreetly as a familiar beat started playing. A tall lean guy, quite young and very good looking- walked onto stage. He was wearing Gucci, a perfectly toned suit. He wasn’t a model- No, he was the performing special this evening. Y/N turned around as the beat grew higher, giving the cute guy a nod and a wink. He returned the same adding his own signature smirk. Little did the audience, or anyone else for that matter know how familiar that smirk was to her, how familiar those lips were to her. That’s when the beat dropped and he started-

‘Its New York baby always jacked up!’-

Well now you know, it was him, it was One Direction heartthrob- Harry Edward Styles. He rocked the whole show, the angels looked like his back-up in fact. Harry Styles owned Fashion Week.

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

Y/N stood tall, having removed all her makeup and going ahead with simple winged eye-liner . She changed into a simple dress, although quite short, set to meet with her friends in about 20 minutes for the after-party. Giving her company, and also getting ready, stood another tall figure. She was leaner than Y/N with amazing eyes. Her hair let down across her face down to her waist. They had about 5 more minutes until Y/N’s so-called date drove them to the venue.

And-oh well- speak of the devil, here he is. Strong arms wrapped themselves around Y/N catching her slightly off guard, but she new who it was, she had seen the tattoos peeking out of his sleeves. ‘Hey Haz’ she said leaning back into him. ‘Hey honey’ he greeted her kissing her cheek before picking her up and twirling. He set her carefully back down and Y/N looks at her friend whose jaw was wide open. ‘Gigi, darling, pick your jaw up from the floor’ Y/N says laughing at Gigi’s expression.

‘Since when was this going on?’ Gigi asks her best friend incredulously. ‘5 years. Exactly today.’ Y/N replies smiling fondly. Gigi shifted her stance and Y/N did not understand what was happening. ‘Haz, this is Gigi, my best friend. Gigi, this is Haz…. Y’all know each other, right?’ she says. Both Gigi and Harry smile and shake hands.

Y/N closed Gigi’s still open mouth and laughed. ‘Shall we?’ Y/N asked, looping her hand through Harry’s. They walk down to Harry’s car, though someone was already in it. Y/N looked carefully at the figure until it snapped. ‘Zayn!’ she yelled and ran to hug him. It had been so long since she saw this figure who was once so very close to her- well, all 5 of them were, One Direction that is. As Gigi and Zayn got in the back and Harry and Y/N in the front, she took some time to overlook the years past.

Y/N met Harry at the This Is Us premiere, all the way back in 2013.That was the start, and possibly the lowest point at her career. Harry wanted her at her lowest, he deserves her at her best. She was the ‘mystery girl’ as the public called it. It was astonishing how brilliantly they held their privacy- but today, no more. Harry’s idea initially, he said he wanted the world to see how he loved her.

Their friendship from then grew into love, which they had admitted to each other shortly after. She grew over the lads too- Louis and herself were rather exceptionally close. Day led onto day- she was there with them through it all, even though no one could see.

She was there through Where we are tour, fan projects, Zayn leaving, OTRA and even little Freddie Tomlinson. Oh how she loved Freddie. And they were there through it all as well. There were there when Harry along with a model much more famous than her was the media’s new buzz- as for the first time , she cried over love , as a fake couple was blown up for popularity- they were there when she scored her first gig, they were there when the media kept taking digs at her…they always picked up pieces to her broken heart.

‘Love?’ she finally heard Harry say, realizing they reached and she zoned out. She smiled at him as he got down and opened her door. She lent close to him, tired to the bone. He, of course, instantly realized. Unclasping their hands, he looped his arm around her waist, letting her lean in. Funny how some people become your everything… the reason you feel alive.

They walked into the party-for the first time- as a couple. A bunch of smiles shone across the room, having speculated this. Y/N’s eyes caught three in particular. She looked at Harry with a jerk, wide smile across her face. He laughed fondly at her expression and pushed her towards them. She didn’t waste a second – she ran into a group hug with them. ‘What are y’all doing here?’ she asks smiling so wide. ‘Can’t we come to see our very successful angel? Besides, it is a sick party’ Louis said smirking, nodding at Liam and Niall. ‘Well I only came for the food’ said Niall nonchalantly, earning an elbow to the rib from Y/N.

‘Liam came here for me, didn’t you Liam?’ Y/N asked, knowing Liam of all people would pick her side. ‘Oh yea, being the amazing friend I am, I came just for you’ He said and Y/N happily slung her arm around his shoulder while Niall and Louis snorted at his response.

And they danced through the night, the dinner party being non-alcoholic, they all still had their senses. It was the final song on the dance floor. The music abruptly stopped though, Y/N looked up from her conversation with Gigi to see Harry’s silhouette holding a mic in the dark shadow of the spotlight. ‘What’s happening?’ Y/N asked Gigi who just smirked. ‘You knew, didn’t you?’ Y/N asks rather amused. Gigi jus nodded as she nudged Y/N to look back at Harry.

Music very familiar to her started playing, one she hadn't heard for a while, a huge wave of nostalgia- Harry started singing-

My hands Your hands Tied up Like two ships Drifting Weightless Waves try to break it I'd do anything to save it Why is it so hard to say it? My heart Your heart Sit tight like book ends Pages Between us Written with no end So many words we're not saying Don't wanna wait 'til it's gone You make me strong I'm sorry if I say, "I need you" But I don't care I'm not scared of love 'Cause when I'm not with you I'm weaker Is that so wrong? Is it so wrong That you make me strong?

Harry had pulled Y/N into slow dancing halfway through. And as he sang the chorus one last time-

‘You make me strong…’

He got down on one knee. A beautiful blue velvet box with a gorgeous rose gold ring extended in his hand. The audience to the entire party seemed to be in on this. Only Y/N gasped, her eyes shining with tears. ‘Darling, my Y/N, your smile is the reason for mine. As long at I have your heart to love, mine will beat. Every night I dream, I dream of you- its always you’ Harry paused as Y/N chuckled at the Marvel reference.

‘I love you till all the stars of the night sky die. Y/N Y/L/N, would you do me the honor of making me your husband, Marry Me love…. Will you marry me?’ He asked, vulnerability evident in his voice.

Y/N was shaking, she took a deep breathe before she spoke, ‘ Till the end of the line Styles, I promise. Yes.’ She said.

The room broke into laughter and joy. Harry slipped the ring onto her finger and stood up kissing her without missing a beat. A kiss like never before, a kiss the felt like a million stars exploding.

The night was far from over, just like their story. They both stood there, wrapped in each other, shining the brightest among all the stars.

The North Star.

[let-them-read-fics]

Bite

Pairing: Vamp!Lisa x Human!Fem!Reader

AU: Vampire

Word Count: ~ 5,564

Warnings / Misc. -- Mentions of Blood

Disclaimer: This writing is a work of fiction, and no disrespect is meant for those mentioned herein.

A/N: Hey everyone! I'm alive! School has kept me crazy busy and I've had my hands full with other things as well, but I finished writing this one and I wanted to share with you lovely peeps. To everyone who stopped by to check in, and to those of you who’ve been patiently waiting, thank you endlessly. I love having you as my readers 💜

PS ~ I hope this isn't too bad for my first one shot in forever! Also, happy Lisa era. I’m so proud of our girl!

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

Saturday, October 31st

You look like an idiot. 

The nurse uniform you have on is obnoxiously cliché; short and tattered in various places to really sell the "sexy" aspect of it, little is left to the imagination. Fake blood stains dot the flimsy material in random patterns and mat some strands of the tacky blonde wig atop your head, making you look like something out of a B-movie at best. 

A bonafide, absolute idiot. 

When you express that sentiment to your best friend, she just rolls her eyes and holds out one last costume for you to try on. She had a few lined up in case you didn't like her other options, and clearly that's come in handy; you've already worked through the previous picks, so she crosses her fingers as your eyes skim over this one.

"Humor me, will you?" She asks, hoping that you'll give in and at least check this last one out. 

"Fine, but this is your last chance. It had better be good." You raise a pointed finger at her in warning. 

"I have a good feeling about this one," she says, smiling as you take the bag from her and slip into the dressing room one final time. 

Her phone chimes soon after, and she's quick to retrieve it from her pocket.

Willow: Are you guys almost here?? Jackson's been asking about you.

Your best friend bites her lip at that, nervously nibbling on it as she rereads the message to make sure she didn't imagine the last part. She's liked Jackson since middle school, and he'll be swinging by the party that you've all been invited to; that's one of the main reasons she begged you to come with her tonight. 

Y/BFFs/N: Still getting ready. We'll be there ASAP tho!

Willow: Alright, we'll see you soon. Don't take all night, or else👩🤛

Y/BFFs/N: Yah, cut the violence!

The sound of your best friend's soft giggling fills the air just as you manage to fasten the costume's last zipper and pull its hood over your head.

Surprise etches its way into your features as you do a spin, taking in the sight of yourself through the full length mirror of the dressing room. The outfit's red and black color schemes complement each other beautifully, giving you a powerful and sensual appeal that the other costumes didn't even stand a chance of doing. You look alluring in every sense of the word. 

"Holy shit," your best friend says when you emerge, striking a pose. "You look hot!" She squeals, clapping a few times in quick succession. 

There's no way you think this one looks bad. 

"I think Wanda would be proud," you grin, tilting your head up and wrapping the cape around your neck. 

"One hundred percent," Y/BFFs/N nods adamantly, in total agreement. The Scarlet Witch getup really compliments your features. 

"Now," she starts, changing topics as she looks in the reflection of her phone's dark screen to adjust some of her hair that's gone astray. "Let's pay and then go. Willow's looking for us, and my future man's wondering where I am, too." 

"Hell yeah!" You chuckle, patting her on the back. "I'll help you finally land him so you can stop pining."

You watch as she takes a moment to decide between coming up with a decent rebuttal to defend herself or agreeing with you, and you smile when she goes for the latter. 

"I'd accept nothing less," she says, holding her head high like a princess. "You are my wingwoman, after all." 

"And the best one in town," you add, tugging her towards the register. She reaches into her purse and pulls out the money to pay before politely handing it to the cashier. 

The teenage boy takes it with a small smile, though the action looks a little comical as his upper lip gets caught on the cheap, plastic fangs he's sporting. His knock-off version of Dracula is definitely…. something… and you can tell that his managers forced him to wear it for the holiday. 

"Come back and s-shhee us," he says, handing your change back. Your best friend takes it, failing to contain her laughter at his messy speech. He blushes crimson, likely cursing the plastic teeth for making him look a fool. 

"We surely will," you respond, giving him a comforting smile to keep his embarrassment at bay. He nods gratefully, and you're quickly pulled out of the store by your best friend. 

"Happy Halloween!" You shout over your shoulder, accompanied by the chime of the bell over the door. 

"You too," he calls back, letting out a soft sigh. 

---

20 Minutes Later -- The Party

Upon rounding the front of your car and stepping up onto the sidewalk outside of Willow's house, your attention is immediately caught by the numerous decorations that she put up last week. 

"Huh," you mumble, gazing up at the skeleton that towers above you, standing 12 feet tall. "I think it's safe to say that this is her favorite holiday…" 

"What makes you think that?" Your best friend plays, feigning ignorance as she pops up from behind a life-sized, animatronic Jason Voorhees. 

"I don't know," you tut, admiring Willow's hard work a little longer. "Just a feeling." 

Y/BFFs/N giggles in her unique way, making you smile at the sound as the two of you make your way up the path towards the house. You gaze down at your feet, careful to step on the stones of the walkway and avoid the motion-activated hands that scramble out of the weeds to grab unsuspecting guests. 

Having known Willow your entire childhood, you've grown used to her ways. 

*knock knock*

A strong, iconic synth bassline sounds off from inside, filling the otherwise quiet night around you with its catchy beat as you wait to be let in. Its sound is well known, and you almost instantly recognize it as "Sweet Dreams" by the Eurythmics.

A few seconds later, you hear clambering from inside, followed by concerning groans and shouted apologies. 

Y/BFFs/N arches a skeptical brow at you, perfectly mirroring your thoughts.

Directly after, the door swings open in a flash, and you're nearly tackled by a whizz of curly hair. 

"There you guys are!" Willow shrieks, pulling the two of you close as she nuzzles her face against your cheeks. 

"Yep, here we are," you struggle out, nearly being strangled in her tight grip. She responds by squeezing you even tighter, blinded by her joy at seeing you again. 

After all, it's been a while since all three of you have had the opportunity to spend the night partying together like this. 

"Can't… breathe," Y/BFFs/N squeaks, successfully getting Willow to release you. 

"Sorry," she apologizes, stepping back. "I'm just so happy you're here." 

The freckles that spread across the bridge of her nose look especially adorable with the blush she's sporting, and her shy grin makes you forget about the near-fatality you just encountered moments before. 

"We're happy to be here," you reassure her, returning her smile. 

Your best friend agrees from beside you, nodding her head with a happy look of her own. "Believe it or not, we've missed your weirdness." She adds, cocking her head to the side. 

Willow giggles again, and her eyes crinkle up into those half crescents that could surely melt even the iciest of hearts. She's practically sunshine in human form, and you have to resist the urge to shield your eyes. 

"Yo, Willow! Who's at the door?" 

Jackson.

You feel your best friend tense beside you, and you subtly pat her leg to calm her down. 

Willow falls silent, though her lips go through the beginning stages of answering him; they open and purse, but she quickly halts her reply and shuts her mouth. She knows of Y/BFFs/N's crush on him, and she doesn't want to say the wrong thing. 

Plus, if the lovesick girl wants to run and hide in the bushes, Willow's silence could buy her some time to slip away. 

But alas, she doesn't. 

Jackson appears in the doorway a mere 5 seconds after asking his question with a beer clutched in his hand. He moves to lean against the wooden frame as his pearly smile beams at you, and Y/BFFs/N audibly swallows at the sight. 

For someone who's usually so confident, she can really be shy sometimes. 

"Lovely to see you, ladies," he greets, putting his free hand in front of him as he bows. His accent is modeled after that of Jack Sparrow, as is his surprisingly well designed costume.

You nod back at him. "Hey, Jackson. Long time no see." 

You elbow your best friend when she remains silent for a beat too long, and the action snaps her back to reality. 

"Yeah, hey Jackson." Her voice is quiet -- she doesn't trust it to refrain from cracking.

He smiles, not failing to notice the nervous aura that's quickly taken over the girl beside you. Her eyes nearly pop out of her head when he gives her a curious once-over, and you take that as your cue to save her from the impending embarrassment that's lurking just around the corner. 

"Alright, guys!" You clap, stepping forward. "Let's get to partying." 

Her shoulders relax, and you feel her slip her hand into yours as you enter the house, squeezing twice as a silent thank you. 

15 Minutes Later

Willow stands beside you in the kitchen, mixing a few things together in one of the millions of red solo cups that she bought for tonight. You sneak a peek over her shoulder at the concoction, seeing its light blue color turn purple-ish as she adds a new liquor into the equation. 

In comparison to typical house parties, this one is relatively small; most of the rooms are filled with people, but it's a comfortable amount. Maneuvering around the place is fairly easy, which is always a plus when you're coexisting with sweaty, drunk people. 

"Willow, love, why did you buy so many cups?" You ask, toying with the ripped plastic packaging of one of the stacks. 

"You know I like to be prepared," she laughs, brushing off her major miscalculation. "Plus I can just use the rest of them at my next party." 

You nod, knowing she's right. "Are you having another soon?" 

"I think so. Jiu and her crew are coming back in a couple weeks, so I thought I'd surprise them with one." 

You scoff, humor laced in the sound. "What, they didn't get enough partying done at their university already?" 

Willow turns around, grinning at you as she hands you your drink. "Evidently campus police keep a close eye on them. Siyeon whined about that a lot when she called me." 

"Sounds like her," you chuckle into your cup as you take a sip. 

PFFT

"Eww, Willow! What did you put in this?!" 

Your spit take didn't land on anyone, thankfully, but it did capture the attention of some people nearby. You wave a hand at them as a silent apology, and they go back to their previous tasks. 

The curly headed prankster covers her mouth, though the action does a terrible job of quieting her maniacal laughter. 

"You're lucky Y/BFFs/N isn't over here," you say, wiping your lips with the back of your hand. "She'd avenge me." 

Willow uses a napkin to dab the tears of laughter from her eyes. "Why else do you think I waited until she was busy with Jackson?" She asks, motioning to her lounge room across the foyer. 

You look inside, spotting Y/BFFs/N holding a pool cue in her hand as Jackson sinks another shot into one of the corner pockets. 

The sight reminds you of the pep talk and 2 shots of liquid courage you gave her earlier, and how she disappeared with the promise to make a move and actually talk to him. Now, she looks completely absorbed in whatever banter they're sharing, and although your violated taste buds still ache from the sickly-sweet mixture that Willow made, you wouldn't want her to be anywhere else. 

You can get your own revenge. 

Sneaking a glance around the kitchen, you search for something to help with your retaliation. A small package of streamers lays abandoned on the island, forgotten to be put up earlier, and you slyly grin. Their ribbons sparkle with glitter, shimmering as the multicolored party lights stream in from the living room and land on them. 

It's as if the universe is putting a spotlight on them, just for you. 

After side eyeing Willow one final time to ensure that she isn't catching onto your plan, you act quickly. She stands beside the counter, right where you left her, and you dart to the island to grab the streamers. Your fingertips soon gain purchase on the packaging, and you tear it open in one swift motion. 

Her gaze locks onto yours just as you near her, but it's far too late for her to get away. 

"Take this!" You declare, upending the baggie atop her head. She shrieks as they cascade down her body, getting caught in the creases and wrinkles of her costume as they go. A small wave of glitter tumbles out of the bag as well, coating her hair and clothes. 

Boy, that'll be fun to try and get out later. 

Her head slowly raises once you finish your assault and place the baggie on the countertop beside you, but the look in her eye is unlike anything you've ever seen. 

"You're dead," she warns. Just as the smile drops from your face, an even larger, more sinister one begins forming on hers. 

The floor creaks beneath your feet slightly as you take a step back, and you know you have to high tail it out of there if you want to evade her. 

"Catch me if you can!" You shout, springing into action. You turn around and dart out of the room, gliding past numerous partygoers in the hall. 

Willow's choice of footwear works in your favor, you soon realize; the sharp rapping sound of her heels pierces the air behind you, serving as a tell of how much distance is between you.

Her unstable platforms buy you a little time, and you thank the universe as you rush through the living room and back towards the foyer. You plan to cut across it and hide out in one of the bathrooms until she drops her plan for revenge. 

A grin pulls at your cheeks as you skid into one of the walls, looking like a character from Scooby-Doo as you will your feet to work correctly again and get you to safety. Willow laughs behind you, joining in on the fun. 

"Perfect," you mutter under your breath, spotting a clear path through the foyer. It leads under the stairs, and you can see the open door of the bathroom from where you are. 

Your feet take you past a handful of drunk people, bobbing and weaving through them with ease, before you're racing towards the restroom to take cover. 

Before you can make it there, though, you collide with someone rather abruptly as they step straight into your path. 

Your eyes shut tightly as you brace yourself for impact with the ground, but it never comes. The person reaches out and catches you before you can hit the floor, and a soft apology slips past their lips as they scoop you up. 

Upon hearing that uniquely feminine voice speak its regret again, you peek your eyes open. What you see nearly makes the woman's effort to keep you upright moot; she's so gorgeous that your legs almost give out from underneath you. 

Dirty blonde locks cascade over her shoulders in soft waves, half-mussed, half-pristine from your run-in. Her doe eyes are a velvety chocolate color, and you find yourself getting lost in them. Flickers of red show in them, illuminating almost rhythmically the longer she admires you. 

Are those contacts? You ask yourself. They have to be. 

She seems to be just as affected by your presence as you are of hers. 

"Y/N, I'm coming to get you!" 

Willow does her best to sound like a villain from a 90s horror film as she clambers her way closer to you, bumping into a few people on the way. You're brought out of your stupor by her rapidly approaching footsteps, and you take a step away from the woman. Her hands fall from your waist, where they had previously been resting. 

Stealing a quick look at the bathroom, you feel your stomach turn.

Damnit. Someone's in there now. 

Screw this sexy stranger for distracting you. Now you'll have to deal with Willow's wrath. 

"What's wrong?" 

There's that voice again. 

Part of you wants to brush it off and slip away quietly, but an even bigger part of you is determined to stay where you are and tell her. Something about her pulls you in, and you're having a hard time denying it. 

"I need to hide. I glitter-fied my friend and now she's coming after me." 

The woman's plump lips pull back in a humored smile, and she nods as a chuckle leaves her. "Right," she says, like that's a common occurrence. "I can help, if you'd like." 

"How?" You ask, your brows momentarily knitting together in confusion. When she unties and opens the black cloak that's wrapped around her body, your breath catches. 

"You in?" She asks, side eyeing the foyer as Willow nearly careens into the Egyptian vase that her mother bought her last year for Christmas. 

You take a deep breath and hold your hand out to her just as Willow rounds the corner, and she swiftly pulls you in close before you can be spotted. She winds the cloak around both of your bodies, concealing your faces as the fur-lined hood falls atop your heads. 

Unconsciously, you wrap your arms around her waist and pull her flush up against you to further ensure your safety. She quietly grunts when she stumbles over her own feet, falling into you a little. 

"Sorry," she whispers, though her third apology of the night is unnecessary. You almost want to thank her for what happened.

Especially when her warm breath fans across your right cheek, where her head is angled. 

Every breath you take pushes you closer to each other, and the satin shirt she's wearing slides against your heated skin. She swallows thickly as one of your hands falls to the small of her back, testing the waters. 

When she shifts a little to encourage you, you're acutely aware of the thigh that's worked its way between your legs. 

When did that happen? 

You bite back a sigh as she just smirks, quietly shushing you. 

Willow thunders by, shouting your name and threatening to throw you into the pool when she tracks you down. You want to laugh at that, but you'd honestly welcome it right now. Some cold water would surely bring you to your senses after being led astray by this goddess in front of you. 

Her footsteps grow distant as she makes her way outside, still searching.

The two of you remain as you are for a couple more minutes until you're certain that the coast is clear, and then you part. When she lowers the cloak, you look away; a deep blush has worked its way up your neck and across your cheeks, and letting her see it would surely make you die of embarrassment. 

She keeps her eyes on you as she reties the cover around herself, attempting to get a read on you. The bashful aura that's befallen you is cute, no doubt, but she can sense your arousal. She can smell it on you, and the scent is beginning to drive her crazy. 

You fiddle with the sleeves of your costume, readjusting them nervously.

"So, um… thanks," you say, sneaking a glance up at her. 

The red hues in her eyes are even more pronounced now, and the sight makes you press further into the wall behind you -- the one that you were previously pushed up against. 

"No problem," she smiles, showing off her pearly white teeth. Two of them catch your attention; a set of fangs now shine, looking alluring and threatening all at the same time. 

There's only one issue: you're certain that they weren't there when you first bumped into her. When did she put them in? And why do they look so real?

The feeling of her hand landing on your forearm pulls you away from the millions of questions that're firing off in your head right now. 

"May I ask your name?" She politely requests, dipping her head down sweetly. 

"Y/N," you breathe out, quickly realizing that you'd do just about anything she asked you to. 

"Y/N." She repeats, allowing the letters to blend in her mouth as they roll off her tongue. She looks satisfied for some reason as she says it again, trying it out. 

"I'm Lisa." 

"It's nice to officially meet you," you smile, reaching a hand out. Her touch is gentle but firm as she takes it, shaking it with ease. 

"Likewise, beautiful." 

The grin on your face only widens at the name, and you pull your hand away out of fear of what she might do next. She's already putting you under her spell, and you're sure that another touch would have you fully entranced. 

She studies you with pursed lips for a moment, clearly debating on something. Her eyes flicker over the dips and curves of your body as a smirk grows on her lips. 

"What are you thinking?" You question, curious but teasing. 

"That I'd love to have your body on mine again." 

She's bold, and she says it like the fact it is. No shame, no bashfulness. Just true, honest desire. 

You bite the inside of your cheek at her bravery, silently thanking the universe for it. The likelihood of you gaining the courage to make a move is slim to none even in the best cases, and this was no exception. She already has your heart skipping beats and you've only known her a few minutes. 

"How about a dance?" She suggests, quirking a brow. The look on her face disarms your defenses, and you take a deep breath before agreeing to your demise. 

"That sounds wonderful." 

She dips her head again, hiding her face away momentarily, and you think it's the cutest thing ever. 

She's shy all of a sudden as her cool demeanor slips up a bit, and that never happens. You might just be her downfall, too.

She holds an elbow out and steps forward, allowing you to link your arm with hers and cuddle in close. 

Her eyes scan across the living room as she studies it, but she's unimpressed. 

Sweaty, winding bodies thrash around to some upbeat pop song that's been overplayed on every radio station in town for weeks now, and the idea of taking you there puts her off. 

When a drunk boy comes into view with a dildo strapped to his forehead, her mind is officially made up. 

"Let's go outside," she says, leading you through the patio doors. 

A quaint gazebo sits on one side of the yard, and the dance floor that Willow's family installed a couple years ago occupies the other. Both are decorated with string lights in combinations of gold, purple, black, and orange. Other ornaments adorn the surfaces as well, and you smile when you spot a comically large spider sat atop the gazebo's roof. 

"Where would you like to go?" Lisa asks, keeping her voice low. It's calm and deep, running a chill through you. 

Softer music plays out here, offering a totally different vibe than inside. Some couples -- many of them introverted, assumably -- sway on the dancefloor as the DJ that Willow hired takes a sip of her drink on the raised stage. She adjusts a few switches slowly, not rushing for a second.

"Let's try the gazebo," you decide, glancing over your shoulder at Lisa. She's looking away, but you don't think anything of it as the two of you fall in step with one another on your way over. 

Shit, Lisa thinks to herself. 

Her plans to come to this party, feed, and make a quick getaway are totally derailed. She'd hoped to find a victim that she was attracted to but didn't like, if that even makes sense, and feed like the animal she is. Then she would leave them like all the rest, drained but still alive, and slip away. 

But now she's met you, and any desire for those plans have been thrown out the window. 

You interest her, and that doesn't happen often. She hasn't met someone who's been capable of doing that in years, and she's intrigued. Something about you just pulls her in, inexplicably, and she knows her feelings would be glaringly obvious if you saw her face right now. 

"Woah, look at this," you sigh, stepping out of her hold to check the place out. A bench runs the perimeter of the gazebo, only stopping at the doorway, and the lights look even prettier from inside. They shimmer, looking like star showers as their strings hang down in the windowless openings of the building. 

Lisa quickly learns that she loves seeing you like this. Your eyes are alight, and your sweet smile of wonder warms her heart. Her hands slip into her pockets as she eventually manages to take her eyes off you, following your lead as she admires the decorations. 

She does a twirl, looking around. 

"It's gorgeous." 

"I know, right? This is totally up Willow's alley," you say, grinning at the mental image that you can conjure up of her giddily spiffing the scene up. 

"I'll have to thank her for making it look so special, then," Lisa says, smiling. The place really makes you feel like you're in your own little world; everything about it is just right. The ambience, the decor, the company… it’s perfect, and Lisa's content with how the evening is playing out. 

Her fingers skate down your arm as she nears you, trekking their way down to your palm. She takes your hand and spins you, watching with admiration as your hair flows in the breeze. Now facing her, you thread your fingers together around the back of her neck as she encircles your waist with her arms. 

"Why have I never seen you around?" You ask sincerely, looking up at her. 

She hesitates briefly. "My university is a few towns over. I just come here to visit my family every few months." 

Not a total lie, she thinks to herself. 

"And stop by terrible parties like this, of course." You add, smirking. 

She shakes her head at that. "No, I can't say I do. I just decided to check this one out on my way to my friend's house." She explains. 

Underneath your cloak, her hands find their way to the small of your back. One stays put while the other dips a little lower, testing the waters. 

"And besides," she starts again, feeling you pull her closer. "Meeting you here automatically makes this an awesome party. Not terrible."

"Cheeeesy!" You scrunch your face up and groan, making her laugh. 

"Maybe, but it's the truth." 

"Sure, Lisa." 

She shakes her head and you laugh lightly together, still swaying about. You hold her close enough to rest your head on her shoulder, and the pads of your thumbs rub small circles on the sensitive skin of her neck. She hums at the feeling, and you take note of the way she relaxes in your arms. 

The night breeze appears again, performing a flowing dance of its own as it lulls past you in waves. A slight chill resides in it, mixed with a generous amount of the day's sweet, fading heat, and you're at peace. 

The slow song that had been playing across the yard ends delicately, parting with some melodic feature that resembles a warm embrace, and it blends seamlessly into the next song. 

Turning Page, you recognize it as.  

Huh, how ironic. One of your favorites. 

Lisa's lips brush against your cheek as she turns her head slightly, whispering, "I like this one, too." 

How did she know? You ask yourself. You hadn't said it out loud… 

Maybe she's just a good guesser. Yeah, that's gotta be it. 

You feel yourself melt as she begins singing the words to you. It's hushed and sentimental -- meant only for your ears to hear, and that makes it even more special to you. 

"If I had only felt the warmth within your touch"

She croons, pressing her cheek against your warm skin. You blush, catching yourself when you remember what the next line of the song is. 

"If I had only seen how you smile when you blush" 

She brings a hand up to cup your cheek in her palm, and her other arm remains around you, holding you tenderly. 

"Or how you curl your lip when you concentrate enough"

Now, her thumb runs across your bottom lip. You look into her eyes and find them an even deeper shade of red than they had been before, but it doesn't frighten you for some reason. She glances down at your mouth again, fighting her impatience as she waits for permission from you. 

"I would have known what I was living for all along"

You nod and lace your fingers in her locks, and she doesn't waste another second. 

She leans in, humming against your lips when they meet hers for the first time. Her lipgloss spreads across them upon contact, smudging its precise application, but she doesn't seem to care in the slightest. She draws you in closer, and you bring both of your hands around to cup her face as you deepen the kiss. 

Her mouth is welcoming against yours, and it moves languidly as you get adjusted to one another. Every move makes you feel dizzier than the one before it, and swarms of butterflies take flight in your stomach with no signs of stopping. 

She nips at your bottom lip as her hands dip far lower than before, now kneading your ass as your kisses continue to work her up. 

"Fuck," you curse, breaking away from her lips to catch your breath. She's stolen it all from you, and yet she's still not ready to give you a rest; her mouth drops to your jaw, embracing your skin there before moving down to your neck. 

She doesn't realize how dangerous the game she's playing truly is until it's almost too late. 

Her lips press to the area just above your pulsepoint, where she's learned over the years that blood pumps the hardest and tastes the sweetest. She draws it into her mouth, swirling her tongue over the area as her ears perk up at the breathless sound of your moans. They spur her on, and she nips at the skin, surely leaving a hickey. 

Her senses become even more clouded when you say her name, the title caught somewhere between a whine and command, and she feels the strong impulse to claim you. The sensation is overwhelming, and she knows you can feel it too. 

Your hands tug on the collar of her shirt as she lets her fangs fully extend, no longer suppressing them. They rake across your pulsepoint, making you shiver against her. 

"Please…" 

That's all you manage to get out before they pierce your skin, eliciting a whimper from you. Blood fills her mouth instantly, sliding across her taste buds in velvety waves and calming her constant craving. Your hands tighten in her hair, and the delicious twinge of pain that it provides only encourages her more. 

Your blood is different than anything she's ever tasted; it's richer -- sweeter. A throaty groan leaves her as she savors it, and you shut your eyes in pleasure. It's addicting, but she knows she has to stop herself before she hurts you. If she continues like this much longer, she won't have the willpower to let go. 

She retracts her fangs as she licks your taste from them, and then you feel her warm tongue clean the wound she made. It stings a bit, but in all the right ways.

When she pulls back to look at you, she finds your eyes half-lidded and a pleased smile on your face. It nearly kills her, then and there. 

Her gaze flickers back to your neck to admire the hickie she made earlier, but what she sees surprises her. Below it is a darker, more prominent marking that she's only seen other vampires leave behind before. 

Definitely not a hickie.

Your brows furrow as you look at her neck as well, noticing a faint outline of something growing darker by the second. Blinking a few times to ensure that you aren't hallucinating, you find that it's really there. 

"Lisa, what's on your neck?" You ask. 

"A soulmate mark." She responds, feeling a sense of belonging settle over her as she looks at you again. You just confirmed her suspicions by asking that.

"Same as yours," she smiles.

[sindrafalcone]

Adventures in Babysitting pt. 4

Fandom: BIGBANG/ Choi Seung Hyun x reader

Synopsis: A babysitting job turns into something unexpected…

Warnings: Still fluff, with a bit of steam  at the end.

Author’s Note: Surprise! I wrote this part right after finishing the last one. I was on a roll. lol But, fair warning, part 5 will probably take me a little while. Still I hope you all enjoy this one. Thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. This story contains fictional representations of real people. None of the events are true. This is from an American standpoint, so some of the situations may not happen the same way they might in Korea. I make no money from the writing of this fictional work.

Masterlist

Part 1   Part 2  Part 3

“There is no way I'm prepared to have this conversation without alcohol.” Seunghyun said as the two of you hung up your coats and slid out of your shoes.

You simply murmured your agreement as he headed off to the kitchen, presumably for more wine.

The taxi ride back to the hotel had been awkward, to say the least. You'd kind of run out of things to talk about & neither of you wanted to discuss the proverbial 'elephant in the room' until you got back to the hotel.  So most of the ride was spent in awkward silence in between bits of random small talk.

In just a few moments you were both seated on the sofa facing each other, just as you had earlier that same evening, glasses of liquid courage in hand.

“I guess the best way is to just tell you...” he said, taking a deep gulp of his wine.

You nodded in encouragement. “Like a band-aid, all at once.”

“I'm a rapper.” Seunghyun blurted. The look of disbelief on your face only made him talk even faster.

“Well, I'm a rapper, an actor and a sometimes model. I'm part of an incredibly popular group, Bigbang. They call us the “Kings” of Kpop. So, that's why Mrs. Tran recognized me.”

“And that explains why you wanted to eat in the private room.” you smiled at him. “I thought maybe you had a phobia of crowds.”

He laughed a little at that. “Well, I don't really like crowds. But only because if I get recognized, it can cause a mob scene.” “You're really that popular?”

“It's worse in Asia.” he admitted. “But it can happen anywhere. We have to be really careful.”

You took a sip of your own wine, gears turning in your head; and it was then that sudden comprehension dawned on you. It took all that you had to not spit it out in surprise & Seunghyun watched in concern as you choked a little.

“Wait a minute...” you managed to gasp. “Is your name Choi Seunghyun?” you tried to keep your voice level.

He nodded sheepishly.

“I'm such an idiot...” you lightly smacked your hand up against your forehead before taking another drink. “I've been spending the entire evening with THE Choi Seunghyun and I didn't even realize it.”

“So, you've heard of the group then?” Seunghuyn asked, his voice a little bitter, thinking that perhaps you'd been leading him on all night.

You shook your head.  “No, that's not it... Um, maybe it will help if I spill my secret now. Do you happen to still have that pamphlet from the museum?”

“Yeah. It's in my coat pocket.”

“Would you mind going to get it, please? It'll make this a lot easier.” you murmured.

Seunghyun gave you a curious glance before setting his glass down on the table. Unfolding himself from the couch, he strode over to the entryway of the room & dug around in the inside pockets of his coat for a bit before he found the piece of folded paper. He handed it to you before sitting back down & to your surprise, he plunked the fortune cookies from the restaurant on the table as well. You felt yourself swallow thickly as you set your own glass down.

“Okay, so the Surrealist exhibit... you liked it, right?” you asked, bending the paper and folding it so that the back was prominently displayed.

He bobbed his head eagerly. “I loved it. It was both innovative and immersive. Not to mention that it featured work by some of my favorite artists.”  

“I'll take that as a compliment.” you told him, feeling the heat rise to your face at his genuine words.

Seunghyun looked confused, so you handed him the pamphlet, shyly pointing at the bottom of the paper.

His eyes scanned over a list of names that he didn't know; donors, directors, and managers of the museum... until he came to a line that stopped him cold. Surrealist Exhibit Curator: __________ ______________.

He pointed where your finger had just left. “That's.... that's your name. You're the curator of the exhibit I've been dying to see for  months?”

You tried your best not to be offended by the disbelief you thought you heard in his voice. “Yeah, that's me. Surprise... I guess? Small world.”

Seunghyun sat there in stunned silence for a moment as he thought things out, giving you the perfect opportunity to finish off the wine in your glass. He drank the rest of his as well, then poured fresh for you both.

“I thought...” he began, his voice soft. “I thought you worked there as a tour guide.” “Technically, I do.” you sighed. “I have a masters degree in art history, as well as a minor in public relations. It helps with the marketing and fundraising aspects.” you explained before sighing heavily. “But the job market to be a curator is stupidly competitive, not to mention, heavily dominated by men. So... I took what I could.” you had another sip of wine, slower this time because you could feel it starting to go to your head. “I figured I could start at the bottom and work my way up.”

“And you finally convinced them to let you curate an exhibit.” he said, taking his own drink. “How?”

You shrugged. “The Museum chief envisioned Surrealism and no one else wanted to do it. So, I more-or-less pulled double time for a few months while I put it together.”

“Did they pay you more?” Seunghyun asked, anger evident in his voice.

You just shook your head. “Not in the budget.”

He snorted. “Bullshit. I'll bet the chief gave himself a nice, fat bonus with the money that should have gone to you for all that extra work. And all you got was your name on the back of the tour pamphlet... in tiny print... at the very bottom.” Seunghyun grimaced and took a drink.

“No need to rub it in.” you grumbled, looking down at your feet, face flaming in embarrassment.

“No! That's not what I meant...Ugh, I'm making a mess of this.” he gently took the wine glass from your hand & set both his and yours down, then he turned back to you. Seunghyun slowly reached out his hand and settled the tips of his long fingers under your chin, gently moving your head up until you were looking into his eyes. “I'm not trying to make fun of you. If anything, I am enraged on your behalf. What they did to you was wrong and you shouldn't have to tolerate it.”

“I can't afford to quit.”you sniffed. “Besides, I get to lead people through the exhibit every day and see their reactions to it... good or bad. Most don't really appreciate it, at least... not the way you did. But it gets people thinking.”

“Wait...” Seunghyun said, reaching out and taking your hands in his. “Just a minute ago, you were shocked that you had spent the evening with “THE” Choi Seunghyun & hadn't realized it. What did you mean by that? If you don't know me by my music or acting, then...” he let the sentence hang there, unsaid.

You took a deep breath and blew it out awkwardly. “Mark has been trying to get me to agree to meet with you for months. I've kept putting him off, mostly because I can't afford to fly out there right now. But... I've heard your name come up in the art circles occasionally & I'll admit, I felt intimidated....”

“Mark?” he interrupted. “Mark Grotjhan?”

“The one and only.” you laughed. “We met a while back when our museum was doing a showcase of his work. And he helped me get in touch with some artists and donors when I was curating for the Surrealist exhibit.”

“Wow...” Seunghyun breathed. “It really is a small world.”

“I know, right? What are the odds that I ended up being your babysitter for tonight? I mean, you got to see the exhibit, which otherwise would have been closed. And I got to meet you... even if I didn't realize it was you at the time.”

“Why did he want you to meet with me?”

“Connections, I think. You know how the art world works as much as I do. It's all about who you know and what influence you have.”

Seunghyun nodded. “That makes sense.” Then he surprised you by pulling out his phone and patting his thigh.

You just shot him a questioning look. “What?”

“We may as well let him know we found each other.” he laughed. “Come here, _________.”

The way that smile lit up his face, especially his eyes, had you crawling across the couch and  into his lap before he could change his mind. The two of you put your heads close to each other and smiled for one picture. Then Seunghyun made a funny face, so you did too & he snapped another. He took a few more with various poses before he seemed satisfied.

You sat there while he typed out a quick message and sent it, not knowing what else to do. But you did notice that he still had the smile plastered on his handsome face. Once he was finished he looked over to you, seeming to realize for the first time that you were still in his lap.

It could have been your imagination or the wine, but it seemed like his expression completely changed. One second, he had a boyish grin and a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. The next, it had shifted to a look of pure hunger, with maybe just a touch of lust.

You cleared your throat. “Um... we, uh... still haven't eaten our fortune cookies.” you tried lamely, pointing to where he had left them on the table.

“Is that so?” his voice practically purred.

You felt one of his arms snake its way around your waist as he leaned forward to grab one off the table. Seunghyun settled back into the sofa, arms still around you as he unwrapped the cookie and broke it. He offered up half to you, which you took, surprising him by just grabbing it from his fingers with your mouth. He popped the other half  into his before unfolding and reading the piece of paper it had contained:

You are very talented in many ways.

As you read the fortune, you started laughing. It began as a small chuckle and just progressed further and further, until it was an outright, full on belly laugh. You could feel the tears just beginning to prick the sides of your eyes when he finally spoke.

“I don't see what's so funny.” Seunghyun deadpanned around a mouthful of cookie. “I am very talented in many ways.”

His statement only made you laugh harder. It took you a few minutes, but when you realized that he wasn't laughing, you began to recover enough so that you could finally explain. “Don't tell me you don't know how to play the game!” you finally managed to wheeze.

“Game?” he asked, genuinely intrigued. “What game?”

“The fortune cookie game!” you sat up straighter. “One of my friends in college taught it to me because we would get Chinese takeout at least once a week.”

“So what exactly is this game and why is it so funny to you?”

You suddenly felt a little embarrassed. “Well you, um... you take your fortune and add 'in bed' to the end of  it.” you felt your voice trail off at the end.

“You are very talented in many ways...” he paused. “... in bed?”

You nodded and giggled again slightly. “Sometimes it works out and it's really funny like that one. Other times it doesn't really make sense, but it's still fun to try.”

“I don't see how this one is funny...” his voice rumbled darkly.

You were about to get up, afraid that you had  possibly offended him, when Seunghyun took gentle hold of your shoulders firmly keeping you in place. And that's when you felt it.... his lips pressing softly onto the side of your neck.

“I am very talented in many ways...”  he asserted again, his breath ghosting across your heated skin.

[girlboss-molina]

Be Who You Are (No Compromise)

A Julie and the Phantoms Modern Royalty AU

Chapter 5: Let’s go Lesbians

AO3 Link

Words: 9721

-----

Julie POV

...

Julie awoke with the sunrise barely peeking over the mountains into her window. The light didn’t hit her eyes, though, she woke of her own accord… wrapped in Luke’s arms, with her head on his chest. 

She could’ve stayed there forever. He was warm, and smelled sweet, like roses, honey, and something else she couldn’t place, but it reminded her of the forest. She had her arms wrapped around his waist, securely holding them together. She wasn’t tired at all, but she did not want to move. She was too comfortable, and holding Luke close like this wasn’t something she might ever get to do again. 

She tilted her head, watching as the sunrise painted bands of gold and pink throughout the lightening sky, watching shadows move with the trees and mountains, watching the silhouettes of birds flocking from tree to tree, soaring through the light like dandelion wisps on the wind. A few cotton ball clouds graced the sky, like bits of cotton candy hung from the heavens. 

She shifted an inch more, freezing when she felt Luke jump. He blinked and looked around, finally catching her eyes. 

“Sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“No, it’s okay,” he replied, his cheeks pink in the sunlight. “Why are you up so early?” She shrugged.

“Just not tired, I guess.” He gave a sleepy smile that made Julie’s heart flutter. How dare he be so cute? She didn’t move again, still laying next to him, one arm around his waist. He didn’t move either, seemingly content to hold her. Then, he hugged her closer, bringing his face to her hair. 

“Your hair smells nice,” he whispered. Julie giggled. Dork. 

She laid there for a few minutes longer, finally wiggling out of Luke’s arms and standing upright, doing her best not to trip over a blanket. Luke pouted, and she had to stifle a laugh in order not to wake up anyone else; All eight of them had fallen asleep, and aside from her and Luke, everyone else was still curled up in restful oblivion. 

“I’m gonna change,” she whispered, gesturing to her wrinkled dress. She’d forgotten to put on pajamas. “We’re still going to the mall later, right?” Luke nodded, and she smiled, stepping over Mira’s legs and Carrie and Flynn, who were snuggled up against each other, then silently padding to her huge walk-in closet and closing the door. 

She shed her dress, walking to the shelf and rack where she kept her normal, not so… princessy clothes. She chose a pair of straight-leg plaid pants, bright yellow and black, and hooked a chain through the belt loops by her right hip. She also chose a white, slim-fitting crop top with a purple butterfly embroidered over her heart, paired with a distressed denim jacket that she left unbuttoned and hanging off one shoulder. She chose a pair of black Vans with a white stripe on the side, as well. 

Her signature necklaces still hung by her collar, and she left her normal earrings, as well as a faux helix. 

Walking back out of her closet and to her bathroom, she sat in front of the vanity, fixing her hair and tying it into a thick braid over her shoulder. She carefully painted some eyeliner into a wing on each eye, brushed mascara onto her lashes, and even dabbed on a bit of lip gloss. Then, she stood in front of her mirror, deciding she looked cute. 

She hopped back to her room, where Luke had sat up and was now looking at his phone. Julie caught his eye, smiling when he blushed. She was sure she was blushing as well, though, so she looked away, walking to the side of her bed where she’d left her phone, careful to dodge Erik’s arm, which was sprawled over Reggie. She grabbed her phone and sat down, scrolling through her notifications. She had a reminder from Duolingo to keep doing her French lessons (which, if she was being honest, she was not going to remember to do), a couple memes from Carlos, a few Instagram DMs, plus an email from the Dahlian Times, telling her that the combined story from them and the Tambor Times, with their photoshoots, had been a huge hit, and that if she wanted, they could hit up their connections with Vogue to get her a modeling job. She politely declined; Vogue wasn’t on her radar at the moment. 

What was on her radar, however, was the fact that she would be going to the mall with her friends today. It was a thirty minute drive, and she didn’t want an escort. They could handle themselves; plus, it would make it a lot harder to avoid flocks of people. Julie knew that Alex wasn’t a great driver, nor was Flynn. She herself wasn’t bad, nor were Carrie or Mira. Reggie was probably the best driver out of all of them, which was surprising. And yet, every time she’d been in a car with him, he’d never missed a sign, never gone too fast, and always stayed in his lane. He wouldn’t want to be the one driving, though. And Julie didn’t know Erik’s driving skills very well, given that she didn’t know him as well as she wanted to. They were friends, sure, but not as close as she was with the others. 

That left her, Luke, or Carrie; and there was no way she would let Luke drive. She didn’t care how good of a driver he might’ve turned out to be, his vibes were way too chaotic. And Carrie might not mind driving, but Flynn would protest. So, Julie supposed she would drive, if the rest were okay with it. 

She heard Erik stir, followed by Carrie. 

“Morning,” she whispered. Carrie gave a smile; contrary to popular belief, she was a morning person. Erik seemed to be as well, because his eyes were bright as he grinned at her. 

“Hi, Julie,” he whispered back. “We’re still planning on going to the mall later, right?”

“As far as I know.” Luke nodded.

“I think it’ll be a lot of fun,” she remarked. “I haven’t been to the city in awhile.”

…

When they got to the mall, Julie pulled the large SUV into a parking space, very proud of how even she was. Everyone piled out of the car. 

As they reached the lobby, they decided to split into two groups since there were multiple places they wanted to go, and they would draw less attention than they would as a group of eight. It took a few minutes to settle on the groups, but they eventually decided that Julie, Alex, Carrie, and Flynn would be one group, and Erik, Luke, Reggie, and Mira would be the other. 

“Let’s meet at the food court for lunch at noon,” Julie said. 

“Sounds good to me,” Reggie agreed. 

Julie had to admit, she was a little disappointed that Luke hadn’t been put in her group. But, then again, she wasn’t sure she could handle it if he was; she’d be a blushing mess the entire time. However, when she saw the sad puppy eyes that Luke was giving her, she hoped they were because he wanted to be with her as well. 

As they went their separate ways, Alex led Julie, Carrie, and Flynn to one of the long aisles. 

“Where should we go first?” he asked, gesturing to all the different shops they could choose from. “Personally, I vote to go to Justice.” Julie couldn’t tell if he was being sarcastic or not, but she laughed, and Carrie’s giggle-filled nodding, plus Flynn’s smiley eye-roll all convinced her. 

…

“Okay,” Alex said. “Be honest.” As he strutted out of the changing room, a pink crop top in place of the tee he’d been wearing, he struck a pose. “How do I look?” 

Julie laughed, clapping. 

“Almost ready for your Vogue shoot, I see,” she quipped. Alex flipped his hair. 

“Covington could never.” 

“Amen to that, sister,” Carrie said, walking up to him and spinning her finger. He twirled, and Carrie clapped. “It’s perfect. Now you just need a skirt to go with it.” Alex turned bright red, and Julie stifled a laugh, as did Flynn. But his smile never receded. 

After he’d changed back into his tee, and Carrie (lovingly) bullied him into buying it (“You didn’t need to bully me, Carrie, I was going to buy it anyways!”), Julie wandered through the racks of sparkly clothes, letting the glitter blur in her eyes. A calm wave washed over her, and she basked in the euphoria of being in the mall with her friends. 

“Julie? Did you hear me?” Flynn asked. Julie snapped out of her daze, shaking her head. 

“Sorry, I zoned out.”

“I said, we’re going to grab a snack at Cinnabon.” When Julie didn’t move, Flynn rolled her eyes and dragged her out of the store. 

Julie followed along, a grin on her face. She’d always loved Cinnabon. Every year on her birthday, her Tía Victoria would take her there in the morning, and there was nothing not to like. 

She noticed Alex slow, staring at someone walking away. From Julie’s view, she saw a top hat and a cloak, but they walked with a strange saunter, like they knew something nobody else did. 

“Alex, you coming?”

“Yeah, yeah,” he said, jogging back to them. “Sorry.”

…

After they’d all eaten their cinnamon rolls, they walked into a women’s apparel store that Julie couldn’t pronounce the name of, and Carrie immediately went to the business casual section. Flynn protested, but not too hard, because Carrie had a sort of elegance to her that made even the most standard outfits seem ethereal. Julie and Alex wandered over there as well; Julie had been wanting a new suit. She only had one, and she was starting to outgrow it. 

She browsed through the racks of carefully hung jackets and pants, soon, finding one that she loved and rushing to the changing room to try it on. 

Underneath the jacket was a slim white dress shirt. The jacket was violet, and the sleeves reached perfectly to her wrists. The pants were white, slim cut but comfortable and professional. Julie left the top buttons of her shirt undone and didn’t fasten the jacket over her stomach, letting the casual in business casual shine through. 

As she walked out of the changing room, Carrie gasped.

“Let’s go, lesbians!” Julie stifled a laugh.

“I’m glad you like it!” Carrie rolled her eyes.

“Like it? Jules, if you don’t buy that, I will, and it will end up in your closet no matter what.” Julie blushed. 

“I think I'm going to buy it,” she agreed. 

“Alex! There you are!” Luke’s voice made Julie’s head whip around. 

“Yeah? Is everything okay? I thought we were meeting for lunch in”- he pulled out his phone and checked the time -”half an hour.”

“No, we are, but we needed to find you and tell you about this amazing prank we just pulled-” his voice trailed off as he looked at Julie. She looked back, her cheeks warm, but not as warm as he seemed to be. His blush stretched all the way down his neck. 

“We, uh…” he cleared his throat and looked back at Alex. Julie’s face might’ve caught fire, especially as Flynn elbowed her and gave her The Look.

“-Luke, I could’ve sworn we told you no shenanigans before we separated!” Alex’s voice caught Julie’s attention. 

“Oh come on, bro, it was one singular shenanigan,” Reggie interjected. “Just one!” Alex sighed.

“Do I even want to know?”

-----

Alex POV

… 

When Alex woke up, Julie, Luke, Carrie, Erik, and Reggie were already awake. It wasn’t that late, though; the sun had risen, and the clock on his phone read 08:11. He stretched, giving a quick “good morning” to his friends, before wandering down the hall to change into more casual clothes, after Julie had confirmed that they were still going to the mall.

He chose a pair of black shorts, vans, and a pale pink t-shirt, plus a fanny pack that he strapped across his chest to hold his epi-pen, inhaler, and wallet. 

As he walked back to Julie’s room, she was still laying on her bed, scrolling on her phone, and she and Luke kept shooting each other glances whenever the other looked away. It was adorable, to be honest. But they were both so oblivious, it was almost painful to watch. Alex was positive he was the only one with a brain cell. 

Well, actually, that would be Flynn, Carrie, or Mira, but, he got fourth place, which wasn’t bad. 

Alex gave Luke The Look, glancing at Julie, then back to Luke, raising his eyebrows. He held his tongue, however much he wanted to blurt out that they were both stupid.  

…

As he got ready for breakfast, something inside of Alex clicked. He wanted to bring Willie to the mall today. It wouldn’t be like a date, of course, just a casual hangout with a friend whom he was mildly in love with, accompanied by seven other friends, one of whom he was supposed to be marrying, but didn’t want to. 

The usual. 

“Hey, Julie?” he asked, jogging up to her before they reached the great hall. “Would it be okay if I invite my friend to come to the mall with us?” He scratched the back of his neck, sure he was blushing. “I, well, I met him the first night I was here, and-” 

“Of course,” Julie said, giving him a knowing smirk. “Let your friend”- she winked as she said it -”know that he’s welcome to hang out with us any time.” Alex grinned. That went… way better than he’d expected. Not that he’d expected it to go wrong, of course, but it was still comforting. 

He barely ate any of his breakfast, just enough so he wouldn’t be hungry when they left. Then, as soon as he was done, he walked out the back door of the great hall, turning to the kitchen doors. He allowed himself a few minutes to settle his nerves, and then knocked, disappointed when the person opening the door was a tall (seriously! He was almost six feet tall, and this woman had at least three inches on him), severe looking young woman instead of Willie. She gave him a smile, though, softening her harsh appearance. 

“Your highness, may I help you?”

“Hi, yeah. Sorry to disturb you, but I was looking for Willie?” The woman grinned. 

“I’m afraid you just missed him. He left on break about five minutes ago. Not sure where he is now.”

“Oh.”

“Sorry,” she said. “I’ll tell him you were looking for him the next time I see him, though.”

“Thank you, miss, uh…” 

“Lilian.”

“Awesome. Thank you, Lilian.”

“Of course.” She offered a kind smile and wave, though Alex definitely noted the quirk in her eyebrow. Was he really that obvious? 

He gave a wave and walked away. He didn’t know where Willie would be, although he had a hunch. So, he followed his instincts and walked out the back door, breathing in the mild air as he turned and headed to the park where Willie had brought him for their not-date. 

Hey, maybe this would count for Luke’s trade-off thing about it being Alex’s turn to ask out Willie? Even though it hadn’t technically been a date, it had kinda felt like one, which made Alex’s heart soar. And it only soared higher when he saw a familiar, brown-eyed baker skateboarding around one of the roundabouts. 

Alex considered calling out, but he didn’t have to. Willie saw him as he came around the bend. He grinned, but his smile didn’t reach his eyes. 

Had Alex done something wrong? What if he’d freaked out Willie? What if he was annoying? What if-

“Hey there, your royal pancakeness!” Willie called, skating to a stop as Alex shoved down those anxieties. He had to be brave. 

“Hey, Willie,” he said. “So, um, I was wondering…” he took a breath, gathering his words and trying not to gay panic. “We’re going to the mall today, and I was wondering if you would want to come?” Willie’s smile did reach his eyes that time, and it eased Alex’s nerves. But then, his face fell.

“I wish I could, man,” he said, “but I’m going to be working all day today. I’m really sorry.”

“No, no, that’s okay,” Alex assured him, despite the low feeling in his heart. He caught Willie’s gaze again, beautiful and deep, with flecks of gold in his warm eyes, and the emotions tangled in their depths were unreadable, but strong. Then again, Alex couldn’t piece together his own emotions warring inside his heart either, so he supposed it was normal. 

“Well,” he said awkwardly, “I guess I’ll see you around?”

“Yeah!” Willie said, a genuine grin on his face. They stood there for another moment, just comfortable in each others’ presence, before Willie’s phone beeped a timer. The baker sighed.

“That’s my cue. See you, Alex,” he said, sounding disappointed. Alex offered a weak smile and a wave as the baker walked away, staring at the grass, each individual blade flicking in the wind and making his eyes blur. 

…

Julie was the one driving to the mall, and Alex beat Reggie to the passenger’s seat. 

“Uh uh, cretins sit in the back,” he told him. Reggie pouted, but they all knew it was a joke. Besides, Alex wanted what little space he could get. 

He knew Willie wouldn’t lie about that. Even if he hadn’t wanted to go, he was too polite. So it didn’t make sense for Alex to be as upset as he was; it wasn’t even a big thing, for God’s sake! It was the mall! And it wouldn’t have even been a date, since there were seven other people there. 

He just wanted to spend time with Willie, didn’t he? He was such an idiot. Willie didn’t like Alex the way Alex liked him. And besides, it was quite literally treason. Willie had to know that. So, even on the off chance that he did feel the same way, there was no way he would ever make a move, lest he have the desire to be exiled.

Alex sighed, but it was more of a groan. He was right back to considering his ingenious run-away-into-the-woods plan.

…

As he walked with Julie, Flynn, and Carrie, deciding to go into Justice, it was 99% because they all wanted to make fun of the store that they’d all loved when they were little (despite how much Flynn denied ever liking it). But, if he was being honest, Alex did kinda want to go. Even though it was mostly for elementary or middle-school-aged girls, the excess of sparkles and pink always made him smile. And if he’d once bought a small tube of lip gloss that tasted like strawberries, that was nobody’s business but his own. 

They were all bouncing around the circular racks, brushing the mesmerizing flippy sequin pillows back and forth, letting the glitter and bling spot their eyes, when Alex found a really cute pink crop top, in his size. It wasn’t something he would wear regularly, of course, but as he put it on in the changing room and sauntered out, he felt confident and comfortable with his friends. 

Of course, he was already planning on buying it and tucking it in the back of his closet, before a certain Carrie Wilson bullied him into doing it. He wasn’t sure what he expected from a mean lesbian with fashion sense, though. 

“Now you just need a skirt to go with it,” she informed him. Alex laughed, sure his face was bright red. He’d never worn a skirt before, and while he wasn’t opposed to the idea, it wasn’t something anyone else could see. 

Ever.

They started making their way to Cinnabon, when Alex bumped shoulders with a tall man. 

“Hey-” he started, before being overwhelmed by confusion. He looked so familiar, with his piercing blue eyes, but his outfit was… strange, to say the least. He wore a black three-piece paired with a dark purple shirt, and a black cloak that sparkled violet on the inside. His head was adorned with a top hat, and the cold smirk he gave Alex sent chills down his spine. 

“Alex, you coming?”

“Yeah, yeah,” he said, jogging back towards Julie, Carrie, and Flynn. “Sorry.”

“You’re good,” they assured him, though they did seem confused and concerned. 

…

As Julie tried on a purple and white suit, Alex was well aware of the fierce blush on Luke’s face when he walked in, hoping to inform him of some dumbass shenanigan, but instead being flustered by one Julie Molina in a suit. It was understandable, though; If you were into girls, you automatically had a crush on Julie Molina. Especially if she was wearing a suit. Carrie agreed; as soon as she walked out, she’d excitedly thrown up her hands and said “let’s go, lesbians!”

Alex shot Luke a smirk, before remembering his friends’ dumbassery. 

“Oh my God, Luke, I could’ve sworn we told you no shenanigans before we separated!” Alex rolled his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose as he tried to comprehend the amount of chaos that Luke, Reggie, Erik, and Mira could cause. 

“Oh come on, bro, it was one singular shenanigan,” Reggie interjected. “Just one!” Alex groaned.

“Do I even want to know?”

“Of course you do!” Mira told him. So, Alex endured multiple minutes of her’s and Erik’s intertwining retellings of their infamous prank, which was something along the lines of them hiding in one of the giant store entrances at the front of the mall, then jumping out, pretending to be time travellers. 

“Whose idea was it to leave you four alone?”

“Yours.”

-----

Luke POV

...

Luke never remembered his dreams when he awoke, only tiny snippets and feelings that tied with them, but when he awoke that morning, he didn’t even remember that. He wasn’t sure if he even dreamed at all, though he was well-rested.

He woke up suddenly, when he felt something move on his chest. He inhaled, looking around, before realizing that it was Julie’s head shifting to look out her window and see the sunrise. He smiled sleepily.  

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you,” Julie whispered softly. He grinned. 

“No, it’s okay,” he replied, caught up in the golden glow cast across her dark skin.. “Why are you up so early?” 

“Just not tired, I guess.” He smiled, letting her lay her head back down on his chest, then taking a risk and hugging her closer. She didn’t protest, which made Luke’s heart soar. He loved the feeling of floating when he held her, loved how her head fit perfectly in the crook of his shoulder, loved how well her body fit next to his as they cuddled. 

He leaned down, his nose in her curly hair.

“Your hair smells nice,” he whispered. Julie giggled.

They laid there for a few more minutes before Julie wiggled out from his arms. Luke let out a protestant groan, holding her tighter, and she giggled again.

“I’m gonna change,” she whispered, gesturing to her wrinkled dress. Luke pouted, which only made Julie smile. “We’re still going to the mall later, right?” He nodded, letting himself smile. He wasn’t actually upset, though it was a crime that he was being deprived of Julie Cuddles. 

Luke grabbed his phone from under his pillow where he’d left it, being careful not to disturb Alex, whose back was pressed against his. Alex’s parents were never very touchy, and paired with Alex’s anxiety, he was very touch starved, so there was no way Luke was going to interrupt any cuddles with his best friend. 

He scrolled through his feed, and found an article about the alleged budding romance between Princess Julie and Prince Alexander. He snorted. Did the Tambor Times have no gaydar? It was kind of pathetic. 

As he scrolled through his news and the occasional meme, he caught a glimpse of a butterfly fluttering past Julie’s floor-to-ceiling windows. He smiled to himself as it flew against the wind. It reminded him of Julie, graceful but stubborn. 

When Julie walked back out, dressed in a slim white crop top and plaid pants, complete with a chain over her hip, he blushed. In his defense, she had a very different vibe in regular citizen clothes, though he supposed that was the point. Either way, though, she was still ethereally beautiful. 

He glanced away, hoping he wasn’t as red as he felt. Julie grinned - great, so she had noticed his blush - and flopped above him on her bed, leaving the faint aroma of peaches and vanilla. 

…

Luke felt much more comfortable in his normal clothes - a sleeveless shirt, pants, and a chain - than he did in his regular, formal attire. He loved feeling fancy, sure, but dressing casually was a luxury in and of itself. 

He spent the entire car ride watching Julie from the right back seat, the way she furrowed her brow in traffic, how the light played off of her collarbone. She was breathtaking. 

When they got to the mall, they’d decided to split up into two separate groups to draw less attention; needless to say, Luke pouted when he wasn’t in Julie’s group. But, he got to hang with Reggie, and get to know Erik and Mira better. He’d already gotten a chaotic vibe from Mira, but he did not expect Erik to be just as down for causing a little trouble. He’d seemed so chill and outspoken, but he had a ton of fun with their little time-travelling prank. 

But, as he was trying to explain their shenanigans - or, as Reggie decided, one singular shenanigan - to Alex, he got distracted by a certain Julie Molina, who was checking out how she looked in a purple and white suit, which she’d left partially unbuttoned, showing her collarbone. Luke had never seen Julie wear a suit, and holy shit. It should’ve been illegal for someone to look that good. 

Julie caught his eye, and every instinct in his head told him LOOK AWAY BEFORE SHE NOTICES YOU WERE STARING, but he just couldn’t. Julie’s cheeks flushed a bit, and Luke scratched the back of his neck, trying to remember what he was saying, finally saved by Alex ranting about how he’d thought he’d told them no shenanigans. 

“Okay,” Mira said when Luke finally tore his eyes away from Julie, “but consider: it was really funny.” Alex rolled his eyes so hard he might’ve seen his own brain, and Luke laughed. 

“Relax, bro, it wasn’t that bad.”

“Yeah!” Erik agreed. “All we did was jump out and pretend we’d just time travelled from 1995!”

…

They ate their lunch in the food court afterwards, and Luke helped himself to a taco from Cafe Rio. 

“Dude,” Reggie said, “did you seriously get a taco rather than pizza?” 

“I’m always a slut for Mexican food.” He’d said it with a straight face, but no sooner had the words left his mouth than the entire table erupted into laughter, including Julie, her cheeks flushed from laughing. Luke grinned and looked back to his food, suddenly very interested in the avocado on his tortilla. 

He finally looked up, tuning out Reggie and Erik’s intense conversation about Star Wars, when he saw a strange man staring at them from a few tables away. He looked vaguely familiar, but was so… creepy that Luke couldn’t place him. He wore a top hat, dark three-piece, and a cloak that glittered violet on the inside, his eyes colder than ice. Luke held his stare, allowing his face to fall into a glare. The man stood, and Luke elbowed Alex, muttering “uh, guys,” as he walked towards them. 

Luke’s hand reached to his pocket, where he kept a pocket knife concealed. He didn’t pull it out, but kept his hands near the handle should worst come to worst. 

Julie looked at him, her brow furrowed before raising in… nervousness?

“Well, well,” the man said with a sly smile, “if it isn’t Princess Molina.” Julie stood, smoothing the front of her pants, and Luke noticed she squared her shoulders, not quavering as she stood her ground. 

“King Covington,” she said, and Luke’s stomach dropped. “To what do we owe the occasion?” She spoke the words sharply, bitingly, and it sent a shiver down Luke’s spine. 

“Well, I couldn’t pass up a chance to see my favorite princess and her… friends, now could I?” he asked, and Luke didn’t like the way he lingered on the word friends, especially when he caught his eye and furrowed his brow. 

“Nonetheless,” he continued, “I’m coming for this diplomacy meeting tonight! So exciting,” he said, readjusting his cloak. “Though I must say”- his voice became like poison -”I’m not sure what a diplomacy meeting has to do with impeding on Kryptonian sovereignty for over two centuries.”

“With all due respect,” Julie said, in a way that implied that the amount of ‘due respect’ was, in fact, none, “the kingdom of Dahlia has in no way impeded on the sovereignty of yours. We’ve been peaceful allies for a century.”

“Yes, well, I’d argue that certain friendships aren’t what they seem, hm?” he said, his eyes flickering to Alex, then Luke, before he looked back to Julie. “Nevertheless, we needn’t discuss this right now. You’re just teenagers! Go enjoy yourselves,” he told them. Luke’s fists curled. 

“Have you informed my father that you’re here so soon? We only decided on a diplomacy meeting last night.”

“Yes, he contacted me to tell me your idea last night. I decided to come as soon as I could, so we could get this over with and move on to your surrender,” he said, far too cheerily for the situation. “Ah,” he continued, “I’m afraid we’re drawing attention.” He pointed to multiple people staring and pointing confusedly. “As you were, your highness.”

Luke glanced back to Julie, who practically radiated stress. 

“Jules?” Flynn asked. “Are you okay?”

“Wonderful,” she replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm. 

…

After lunch, they’d decided to stick together, but despite that, the anxiety never quite left. 

Julie didn’t speak to anyone much until they left for the car, and when she sat in the driver’s seat but didn’t turn the key, Reggie offered to drive. She didn’t say anything as she nodded, trading seats with him. 

“Julie?” Erik asked, but she didn’t respond, just tucking her knees to her chest in the seat. Luke pulled out his phone, locking eyes with Flynn, who nodded concernedly. He opened up his messaging app and clicked on Julie’s contact. 

Me: julie? i know you’re really stressed now but i wanted you to know that i’m here for you

Me: and the rest of us are too 

Julie shifted, pulling out her phone, and Luke looked out the window, half-surprised when his phone buzzed.

Julie: Thanks, I appreciate it. I’m just scared. I already texted my dad to ask if he knew Covington was coming today, but he hasn’t responded. I get why he wouldn’t have told us if he knew, but still. 

Me: i know what you mean. but i’m sure it’ll be fine

Julie: Thanks for understanding. And yeah. I’m sure everything will be okay. 

They didn’t text anymore through the drive. Luke stared out his window as Reggie steered them towards the palace, and none of them said a word as they went inside, passing by palace staff and giving cordial waves and bows. They all went to Julie’s room, and Luke sat in the same place he’d slept the night before. Julie immediately went back to her closet, and Luke barely registered the minute she must’ve taken to change out of her civilian clothes and touch up her hair and makeup. 

She didn’t smile as she walked out, dressed in her suit that she’d bought. 

“Covington isn’t going to get what he wants,” she announced to the group, all of whom were sitting silently around her room. “My dad texted me back. He said he was going to wait to tell us until we got back, because he only heard the news after we’d left.” That made sense to Luke. Ray was a kind man, and wouldn’t want to ruin their fun. 

“Is there any other news?” Alex asked worriedly. 

“Yes,” Julie said, her voice cold, confident, and smooth. “There will be an impromptu ball tonight. Covington is an extravagant man, so this will appeal to him. It will be us, my father, Carlos, the council, as well as Covington and representatives from Krypto, plus any members of the Dahlian Nobility who choose to attend. Mira, Erik, rather than being a lady-in-waiting or butler, you’ll be counted as Nobility. Not much of a change, since you’re both relatively used to just hanging with us. If anyone needs assistance, you can call for someone, but tonight, we’re all going to be united, none of us better than the other.

“Covington doesn’t get to show up this abruptly and claim we’ve impeded on Kryptonian sovereignty. So, we’re going to prove that he doesn’t own us.” A grin spread on Luke’s face. That was the confidence he liked to see. 

“So,” she continued, a smirk on her face. “Take the afternoon to prepare. Instructions will be sent to your rooms, probably with my dad to check up on all of us. So get ready,” she said. “We have a ball to attend. And,” she added as everyone got up, “put on your dancing shoes.”

-----

Reggie POV

...

When Reggie fell asleep, his head on Alex’s lap and torso curled around Erik, he didn’t dream, which was odd. He was a very imaginative person, and couldn’t remember the last night he hadn’t dreamed. He would’ve expected to have been horribly exhausted, but it was the best night’s sleep he’d gotten in awhile, despite the stressful situation. 

When he awoke, Erik had moved, having woken up an hour ago. Luke and Julie were also awake. 

Reggie stretched, rolling over. He didn’t try to go back to sleep, but he didn’t actually get up, either. 

This was alright.

…

As Reggie got dressed for the mall, he considered a few outfit variations, finally settling on a white tee, black leather jacket, distressed skinny jeans, and some nice shoes for a bit of flair. He gave himself finger guns in the mirror (his right as a dramatic bisexual) and sauntered back to Julie’s room before heading to the car. 

He scrambled for the passenger’s seat, but Alex beat him to it. 

“Cretins sit in the back,” he said. Reggie pouted, but also smiled. The backseat was always more fun in a crowded car. 

He hopped between Luke and Flynn, settling in and grabbing his phone, scrolling through an email from the Dahlian Times asking if he (and Julie) wanted to be put in line for a Vogue photoshoot. Julie had already declined, though, so he politely declined as well. 

The car ride wasn’t as chaotic as he’d expected, but it was still fun. He, Luke, and Flynn showed each other memes, whilst Mira, Erik, and Carrie chatted in the row behind them. 

…

“Alright, we should probably split into two groups,” Alex said. “That way we’ll draw less attention.” They all nodded, and Reggie tried to grab Alex, but he’d already gone with Julie, Flynn, and Carrie. So, Reggie got to hang with Luke, Erik, and Mira.

“We’re gonna cause some chaos, right?” Luke asked.

“100%.”

“Definitely.”

“Was that even a question?”

Reggie grinned, ideas already forming in his mind. He could just imagine the fun they would have if they… ooh, if they played hide and seek? In the mall? The chaos would be incredible. And then they could get pizza at the food court for lunch, and-

“Brooooo,” Luke said, “follow us.” Reggie did, letting Luke lead him into a warehouse store. A huge grin spread on his face. These kinds of stores were always the best for causing chaos. If he released a herd of puppies? Iconic. 

Reggie tugged on Erik’s sleeve, and they all followed him behind a large tower of containers and baskets. As a few employees turned around the corner of their aisle, Reggie hissed instructions to Luke, Mira, and Erik, who all nodded enthusiastically. 

…

“Whoa,” Luke said as he popped out from behind the tower, right as the employees walked by. “How did we get here?” Reggie had to give him credit; he was a better actor than he’d thought. 

“Where is here?” Mira asked. “Weren’t we just at the Blockbuster?” She turned to the employees, who were staring at them like they’d just grown horns. “Hi, uh, where is this?” 

“It’s the Container Store,” one of them said warily. 

“Whoa,” Reggie said excitedly. “What is that?” He pointed to a television screen that showed the cameras. “It looks like my TV at home but after getting squashed!”

“And the picture is so clear,” Erik pointed out. 

“Rad,” Luke breathed. “It’s like the future.” 

“Not the future,” the other employee countered amusedly. “It’s still 2021. It is the newest model, though.”

“Wh- 2021?” Mira asked, dumbfounded. “Has it been… 26 years? Have we been in those baskets for 26 years? HOW is that possible?” 

“I don’t know, bro,” Erik started, “but-”

“Ha, ha,” the first employee interjected, “very funny. The good ol’ time travel prank.”

“Bro, this isn’t a prank,” Reggie lied. “I literally have my blockbuster card right here!” He whipped it out of the pocket of his leather jacket, meriting an impressed look from Luke, and respective how the fuck??? looks from Mira and Erik. 

Reggie always came prepared, and that sometimes included the random Blockbuster card he’d found a few months back. 

… 

They pulled their schtick a few more times around the store, and one time, the employee had believed them to the very end. She freaked out because, in her words, holy fuck time travelers, but she asked a lot of questions like “wait so how old are you?” and “did you enjoy neon being a thing?” Reggie wanted to be friends with her, but she had to leave. 

As they wandered the mall in search of Julie’s group to inform them of their single shenanigan, Reggie resisted the urge to get a bunch of gumballs and shove them in his mouth. He needed his mouth for talking. And eating pizza. 

When they finally found them, Julie was trying to figure out whether she was going to purchase the suit she was wearing, which was absolutely gorgeous. And Reggie noticed Luke immediately trail off when he saw her. Reggie elbowed him and quirked his eyebrow, offering a smirk that Luke didn’t even register. 

Simp. 

“-No, bro, it was awesome,” Erik insisted as Alex reminded them that they weren’t supposed to do any shenanigans. 

“But it was one singular shenanigan,” Reggie informed him. “One.”

“Still.”

“Okay, but consider,” Mira suggested, “it was really funny.” Alex pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing. 

“Whose idea was it to leave you four alone?” 

“Yours,” Reggie added helpfully. 

“It wasn’t… okay.” 

As they made their way to the food court, Reggie didn’t hesitate to order pizza, with thin slices of pepperoni dotted on top. He loved pizza. 

“Okay,” Erik said over his sub. “Star Wars. Thoughts?” Reggie nodded excitedly.

“Yes!!! The Millenium falcon has such a cool design, and even though it wasn’t the best for spatial usage and storage, it had a badass vibe, so it gets rights. Plus, it looks like a frisbee.”

“Right?” Erik agreed. “I just want to skip it over a giant lake like a rock.”

“You. You get it.”

“I know, I’m awesome. Favorite character?”

“Oooh, Han Solo for sure. He’s the best, I do not take criticism.” Erik snorted, and Reggie gasped in mock offense, but also not mock offense. 

“How does it feel to be wrong?” he asked. “Leia.” Reggie sighed.

“Leia is a badass, I agree, but Han Solo is just the best character.” 

“Okay. You’re wrong, but okay.” 

“Hey, don’t diss Solo!”

“I’m not dissing him! But Leia is just better!” Erik took another bite of his sub, and Reggie huffed. 

“I’d agree with you, but then we’d both be wrong.” 

“You guys are both wrong,” Flynn informed them. “The best character, hands down, is Rey.” 

“New movies don’t get rights,” Reggie and Erik said in unison. They looked at each other, grinned, and Reggie reached across the table to give him a high five. 

“Solidarity.”

Reggie was about to reply, when he noticed a man walking towards them, a man in a top hat, three-piece, and cloak. 

Reggie recognized him immediately.

And he was walking to Julie. 

“Well, well,” the man said with a sly smile, “if it isn’t Princess Molina.” Julie stood confidently, and Reggie resisted the urge to stand and guard his sister. 

“King Covington. To what do we owe the occasion?” Julie’s words were cold, sharp, and sent a shiver down Reggie’s spine. He’d never heard her speak so coldly. 

“Well, I couldn’t pass up a chance to see my favorite princess and her… friends, now could I?” Covington lingered on the word ‘friends,’ glancing around the table, his eyes settling on Luke before he continued, each word making Reggie’s hands curl into fists. 

“Nonetheless, I’m coming for this diplomacy meeting tonight! So exciting. Though I must say”- his voice became like poison -”I’m not sure what a diplomacy meeting has to do with impeding on Kryptonian sovereignty for over two centuries.”

“With all due respect,” Julie said, in a way that implied that the amount of ‘due respect’ was, in fact, none, “the kingdom of Dahlia has in no way impeded on the sovereignty of yours. We’ve been peaceful allies for a century.” Reggie fought a grin. That was his sister, that badass woman standing up to another royal was his sister. 

“Yes, well, I’d argue that certain friendships aren’t what they seem, hm?” he said, his eyes flickering to Alex, then Luke, before he looked back to Julie. “Nevertheless, we needn’t discuss this right now. You’re just teenagers! Go enjoy yourselves,” he told them. Reggie had a feeling he didn’t want them to just enjoy their teenage years.  

“Have you informed my father that you’re here so soon?” Julie shot back. “We only decided on a diplomacy meeting last night.”

“Yes, he contacted me to tell me your idea last night. I decided to come as soon as I could, so we could get this over with and move on to your surrender,” he said, far too cheerily for the situation. “Ah,” he continued, “I’m afraid we’re drawing attention. As you were, your highness.”

…

Reggie took Julie’s shoulder and helped her out of the driver’s seat when she froze, leading her around the front to the passenger’s seat. Wordlessly, he helped her down as she rubbed her temples, stressed and deep in thought and worry. 

He pulled out of the parking lot once everyone was buckled in, and nobody talked much. He noticed Julie on her phone, texting someone. Who, he wasn’t sure, he just hoped she was okay. She might’ve been in shock, but she wasn’t pale. She was just scared. And confused. Reggie understood; he was extremely confused as to why Caleb had come so soon. They were supposed to have tonight to contact him again and work out the details, weren’t they?

Reggie dragged a hand down his face as they waited at a red light, but the ride to the palace was quick after that. As he pulled into the huge garage, Julie seemed more alert, and she walked steadily back inside. He smiled to himself. 

As he made his way to Julie’s room, his hands clasped with MIra’s and Erik’s, Reggie offered his signature smile to anyone they passed, hoping he was convincing enough. 

As he sat, he wrapped an arm around Luke, hoping the touch was comforting. It seemed to be; Luke’s shoulders softened, and as Reggie reached across to give the same contact to Alex, the prince sighed and wrapped them in a hug as Julie went to her closet. Then, they sat, waiting. Julie was the boss. Even if she was one of the youngest, she was also the most qualified. 

When she walked out, her face was stone cold, confident, but not a trace of a smile.

She didn’t smile as she walked out, dressed in her suit that she’d bought. 

“Covington isn’t going to get what he wants,” she decided. “My dad texted me back. He said he was going to wait to tell us until we got back, because he only heard the news after we’d left.” Ah. Reggie understood; Ray never wanted people to be worried. 

“Is there any other news?” Alex asked worriedly. 

“Yes. There will be an impromptu ball tonight.” She smoothed her jacket around her waist. “Covington is an extravagant man, so this will appeal to him. It will be us, my father, Carlos, the council, as well as Covington and representatives from Krypto, plus any members of the Dahlian Nobility who choose to attend.”

Reggie planned for a crowded night. Not that it would be a problem; the ballroom was huge. Everyone would fit with room to spare.

“Mira, Erik,” Julie added, “rather than being a lady-in-waiting or butler, you’ll be counted as Nobility. Not much of a change, since you’re both relatively used to just hanging with us. If anyone needs assistance, you can call for someone, but tonight, we’re all going to be united, none of us better than the other.

“Covington doesn’t get to show up this abruptly and claim we’ve impeded on Kryptonian sovereignty. So, we’re going to prove that he doesn’t own us.” Reggie nodded, smiling, proud of his sister’s confidence. 

“So,” she continued, a smirk on her face, “take the afternoon to prepare. Instructions will be sent to your rooms, probably with my dad to check up on all of us. So get ready,” she said. “We have a ball to attend. And,” she added as everyone got up, flashing her most confident smirk yet, “put on your dancing shoes.”

----- 

Willie POV

...

Willie had finally gone back inside in the middle of the night, after his tears were dry and the stars left spots in his eyes. 

He snuck back into his quarters, falling on his bed and staring at the wall until his eyes glazed over, finally falling asleep, but the day came all too soon. He was exhausted; not the kind of exhausted where you yawn and doze off, but exhausted emotionally. He didn’t speak much throughout the day, and only felt better when Lilian gave him a break and he went skating. 

Then, when he turned around the bend, he saw Alex, and he couldn’t help but let his heart flutter and his face break out into a grin. But it wasn’t as full as it could be. Still, though, he was happy to see him. 

“Hey there, your royal pancakeness!” he called, skating towards him. 

“Hey, Willie! So, um, I was wondering…” he took a breath, and Willie wondered if he was okay. “We’re going to the mall today,” Alex explained, “and I was wondering if you would want to come?” He grinned. He would love to; and, this kinda sounded like Alex asking him out. 

“I wish I could, man,” he said, “but I’m going to be working all day today. I’m really sorry.” Lilian had said that there was another meeting happening tonight, but they weren’t allowed to know what about. Only that King Ray had seemed stressed.

“No, no, that’s okay,” Alex assured him, and Willie’s emotions warred in his heart. Confliction toyed with anger, anxiety fought with love, happiness danced with melancholy. His eyes met Alex’s, blue in the light but with a silvery tint.  

“Well,” he said awkwardly, “I guess I’ll see you around?”

“Yeah!” Willie agreed. Neither of them moved, and Willie was okay with that. Alex seemed nervous but comfortable, which lifted his spirits. At least Alex didn’t dislike him. If he had, why would he invite him to hang out with him and his friends? Willie might never get to act on his feelings for the prince, but they could be friends.

And that was enough.

Willie inhaled to speak, but then his phone beeped, sounding the end of his half-hour break. He sighed.

“That’s my cue. See you, Alex,” he said. Alex offered a weak smile, and Willie tried to return it. Then, he kicked up his skateboard, jogging back towards the palace, stealing one last glance at Alex, who was still facing away, staring at the grass. But he did eventually look back, and Willie’s instincts told him to act as if nothing had happened. 

So, that’s exactly what he did.

He hated himself for it, but he really did have to get back, and he didn’t want to waste Alex’s time. 

…

“Hey, Willie,” Lilian called as he kneaded the dough he’d just finished making. “Prince Alexander came looking for you while you were on break, just thought I should let you know. Everything okay?” she asked, the subtle quirk of her eyebrow making Willie laugh. 

“Yeah, everything’s good,” Willie assured her. “Alex just had a question.” Lilian’s eyebrows shot up. 

“Well, it’s nice that you and Alex are such good friends,” she prodded, a shit-eating grin on her face. Willie’s face flamed at his mistake; he’d referred to Alex as Alex rather than Prince Alexander. Sometimes he cursed Lilian for being so perceptive. 

“You know,” she continued, “I’ve always hated the idea of an arranged marriage.” Willie’s stomach dropped, but a laugh bubbled in his throat. He wasn’t at all surprised that Lilian was pulling this move. 

“I have as well,” he agreed. “But we can’t get in the way,” he said pointedly. “It’s literally treason.” Lilian snorted. 

“As if you’ve ever cared about rules.” Willie stammered before she laughed. “Relax, child. I’m happy for you. And don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.” Willie blushed. 

“Uh huh, thanks,” he told her sarcastically. She clapped him on the back. 

“I’m here to help.” 

“Yeah, sure. Hey, have you actually confessed to your crush yet?” he asked, and it was his turn to grin as Lilian stammered indignantly. 

“Ah,” he continued. “Still at the pining lesbians stage, I see. Hypocrisy at its finest.” Lilian couldn’t get on him for crushing on Alex if she refused to woman up and ask out the girl she liked, one of the palace blacksmiths. Willie had met her once, and while Lilian might’ve been intimidating and tough and a million other things, but he knew her weakness: any time he mentioned the blacksmith, a petite woman with dark skin and short, curly hair, she got all blushy and told him to shut it. 

“Shut it, Wilbert,” she said. Willie burst out laughing. They all knew his full name was William, but whenever Lilian wanted to be mean, she would call him Wilbert. 

“Oh, so mean,” he said jokingly.

“I’m a lesbian, I get to be mean when I want to be.”

“Fair enough.” She playfully swatted his shoulder as he kneaded the dough, putting it in a bowl to rise. Note to self, Willie thought, the mean lesbian is, in fact, a simp. 

While the dough rose, Willie stretched and started stirring together the ingredients for the cake he was making, adding his signature pinch of cinnamon to bring out the depth of the cocoa, but never tasting the batter. He never tasted batter or dough that had raw flour or eggs in it; he’d learned his lesson after getting salmonella from it when he was nine. Truth be told, salmonella could get fucked. But he still didn’t want to risk it, because it sucked. 

At some point, Lilian had stalked away and was preparing the roast, her sleeves rolled up. Willie grinned. She knew how to get her mind off of her crush when she needed to work. Willie, on the other hand, preferred to get lost in thought about something - or someone - as he baked. If he could get so lost in thought that he was almost dissociating, it would be like no time had passed, and everything would be done perfectly. So, he let his mind wander as he preheated the oven. 

He wondered what was happening tonight. There had already been a royal meeting last night, what could be so urgent to call another the day after? 

“Willie?” Lilian called. “I just got word from the king. Better make that a double batch of cake, at least. The king of Krypto is coming for an impromptu ball.” 

“Whoa,” he said, grabbing another bowl to make more batter. “Why?”

“He couldn’t say, but he seemed tense. Time to put those cake decorating skills to work.” Willie nodded, turning back to his bowl. 

A ball? Willie remembered the last - and only - ball he’d ever attended. He’d attended as a chef, of course, but it was huge. Two and a half years ago, for Princess Julie’s sixteenth birthday. There had been people galore, dancing around the massive ballroom, eating treats he’d made (and complimenting him, allowing him to ride off of that serotonin for weeks), and chatting amongst themselves. 

He poured the cake batter into tins, different shapes for tiers, then shoved them in the oven, washed his hands, and put the risen dough in a loaf pan, sticking it in the other oven, which had already beeped to temperature. 

He wondered if he would get to go to the ball; it was impromptu, but still. He was one of the main bakers, so maybe he’d be allowed to serve some of the desserts and see the fancy lights and outfits. 

He’d never been a very fancy person himself, usually opting for shorts and a t-shirt or crop top, plus some funky socks and vans. But he wasn’t opposed to wearing a suit, he actually quite enjoyed these rare occasions in which he was able to dress up so fancy. 

Of course, he might’ve just wanted to use the ball as an excuse to see Alex. He wondered if Alex was at the mall at that very moment. Did he know about the ball? Was he excited, or nervous? And why was the king of Krypto coming for it? Was something happening?

And, most importantly: what was Covington’s opinion on red velvet mini cupcakes?

Better safe than sorry, Willie decided as he started making the batter. It was, admittedly, very similar to chocolate. However, a few ingredients gave it some extra flair, plus the deep maroon color that he enhanced with red dye. He shoved those into the oven as well, setting another timer and getting started on the cream cheese frosting. 

He remembered making this exact recipe of frosting when he was little, teaching his little sister, Eva, how to measure the ingredients. He remembered picking her up in his gangly twelve-year-old arms so she could reach the counter, laughing when she spilled powdered sugar all over the place. She would be twelve now; he couldn’t wait to visit her again. She and their mom lived near the eastern straits. It was a long drive, they lived at the southern end of them, but the palace, while slightly east, was also far north. But he had plans to visit them for a few days next month, and he was ecstatic. 

Memories of baking with his mom and Eva floated through his mind as he pulled the cakes out of the oven. Eva was always partial to anything strawberry flavored, while Willie had an affinity for key lime. His mom, though, loved chocolate. Willie did too, of course, but his mom’s smile any time he made chocolate cake was infectious. Her enthusiasm and excitement whenever he and Eva experimented with recipes, her laugh whenever they made a mess, even the long braid down her back, all of those memories flooded back to him. 

His family was always important to him. His mom and Eva, yes, but also the people he’d grown to love as his own. People like Lilian, or his childhood best friend who he still pestered over text, or his eighth grade science teacher who’d helped him when he came out. 

But one face floated through his head that confused and delighted him at the same time. 

Alex. 

He didn’t know if Alex even knew how to bake, much less why his face was appearing when Willie was thinking about his family, the people he cared most about-

Oh. 

Oh. 

Well. He’d known he’d liked Alex, but… it was truly something that, even in their limited interactions, he’d made his way far enough into Willie’s heart that he fit in so naturally with the people he loved, the people who were his home. 

He thought he would be surprised, but as he thought more and more about it, the more it made sense. Alex, with his endearing laugh. Alex, with his anxious smiles and bursts of courage. Alex, with his eyes that shifted from icy blue to spring green to steely grey, Alex, with his freckles like the constellations in the night sky but still somehow bright as day. 

Although, the current situation was decidedly Not Great. Alex was a prince, and in an arranged marriage. Plus, he didn’t even know if he felt the same way. To confess his feelings would be treason, and would possibly get Willie (and maybe even Alex) exiled. He knew exile was only used for the most severe punishments, but still. He’d met one of the council members (Councilman Richard, if he recalled correctly), and got absolutely rancid vibes from him. 

So. Confessing his feelings was out. Alex might not even like him back. Alex was also already set to be married, and a literal prince.

A prince with whom Willie was in love. 

This was a problem. 

[mordoriscalling]

Stay or Sail Away (5/6)

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4  (@geraskier-trashh​ @negativenuggetz​)

A/N: oh lord this wasn’t supposed to be 3k words long XD Hope you like it tho!

***

It was a bad idea to tell Geralt not to wear all black. Well, the scarf is grey and the coat and the shoes are black, but they don’t matter. Geralt’s just taken them off to reveal a three-piece suit and a shirt with two top buttons undone, the clothing in a deep, navy blue colour. His eyes stand out beautifully against it. Geralt in navy blue makes Jaskier want to weep and it’s only half-past noon. To add to Jaskier’s tragic swoon, Geralt’s hair is braided away from his face into a lovely plait at the back of his head (which Jaskier suspects is Ciri’s doing). It just shouldn’t look as good as it does. Geralt is so stunning today that words other than what the fuck do not begin to cover it.

Not to blurt out that in lieu of a greeting, Jaskier spreads his arms wide and exclaims, “Ahoy, captain!”

Geralt snorts with disgust. “Never say that again.”

Jaskier laughs out loud. “Come in, come in,” he says as he ushers Geralt into the living room, “make yourself at home. Are you hungry? It’s last chance for a snack before I put on some eyeliner and we’re off!”

“Eyeliner?” Geralt repeats with a raised eyebrow.

“Yes, to finish off this look!” he replies as he gestures at the floral Gucci suit he’s wearing. The outfit’s actually demure considering his usual fashion choices. Bright colours and ridiculous patterns are his go-to but today is the first day of his life when he doesn’t want to draw attention to himself. Much. “Help yourself with something from the kitchen if you want,” he says over his shoulder, already leaving for the bathroom.

The makeup takes just a minute or two – eyeliner application has become much less of dark magic with practice. He decides to put on some pretty pink lip gloss as well because, although he’s going to spare his family today and won’t flaunt his queerness at them, he still has to do something. It’s not at all because he hopes his fiancé might like it.

(Geralt’s suit)

(Jaskier’s suit)

When he strides into the living room, he poses like a model and asks, “How do I look?”

Geralt, who sits on the couch, stares him up and down. His gaze almost makes Jaskier blush, so does his smirk. Both border on appreciative. “Really good,” he says.

Since Jaskier expected some mean comment, he almost topples over in shock at the compliment. He sputters, definitely flushing a bit, but quickly re-establishes a working link between his mouth and his brain. “Of course I do, darling,” he replies with a wink. Geralt smirks in that sexy way again. Jaskier has to give himself a good mental shake to stop staring. Clearing his throat, he starts thinking out loud, “So! Have I got everything for the party? I’ve got Geralt, and then the present, and then... Ah! The rings!”

Jaskier sits down next to Geralt and pulls the box out of the pocket of his jacket. Raising the lid, he reveals two rings seated within, one silver and one gold. “Should I kneel?”

“Don’t you fucking dare,” Geralt growls.

Jaskier laughs with delight, then takes out the silver ring and passes it to Geralt. It’a simple but chunky band with tiny engravings. Jaskier figured Geralt wouldn’t appreciate anything too showy. Geralt takes it and inspects what’s engraved on it. “What kind of flowers are those?” he asks.

“Buttercups,” Jaskier explains, “That’s what my name means. My grandma always told me I’m a jaskier.”

Pretty but poisonous. It’s extremely fitting.                                    

Geralt only hmms and slides the ring on his finger. It’s a perfect fit but it’s no thanks to Jaskier’s genius deduction or anything; he simply knew Geralt’s ring size because Geralt told him. After their phone conversation regarding ring preferences, family drama and other things, they kept talking. Geralt even began starting conversations by himself – he’d send some texts about Ciri like “Ciri says hi” or “Ciri’s playing that song again”. It made Jaskier melt every time.

“Look what you bought me in return, darling,” he says, smiling excitedly, and puts on the gold ring. It’s much more flashy than Geralt’s – a signet with a three-dimensional head of a wolf. “White Wolf” is apparently Geralt’s nickname and a pseudonym of sorts. Wolves are his favourite animals, too.

Jaskier holds out his hand, putting it next to Geralt’s on the couch, and admires the rings on their fingers. “They suit us,” he says quietly

Geralt hmms. “They do.”

The drive is two hours long. Geralt insisted on driving even though it’s Jaskier’s car. Jaskier has a suspicion that driving is an excuse not to listen to him as he’s going over the essential family drama, but it’s mostly for his own sake anyway. He just wants to delude himself that Geralt will be well-prepared for everything and all will go smoothly. They will be fine. They must.

When they pull up in front of Jaskier family’s mansion, panic and second thoughts wash over him alternately in cold and hot waves. As they walk out of the car and Geralt hands him the keys, Jaskier hides within himself and observes the reality unravel a sense of detachment. He doesn’t want to be a part of the upcoming disaster.

“Ready?” Geralt asks.

Jaskier only looks at him helplessly. Geralt offers him his arm and Jaskier takes it like a lifeline. He clutches on it, the touch grounding him, as they walk towards the front door silently.

“Should’ve guessed you were rich,” Geralt remarks as he takes in the mansion looming before them.

“My success in music is all my own,” Jaskier replies feistily, “it took me ten years.”

Geralt wisely doesn’t say anything else and Jaskier settles down, letting out a shaky breath. He always gets very defensive of his achievements. Sis parents paid for nothing; he never asked them to. He hates that people assume differently.

The entrance hall is empty when they invite themselves in, but not for long. Just as they manage to take off their coats, they hear someone coming down the stairs. Jaskier looks up to see Rozalia, his older sister. She’s only one year older than him but doesn’t look a day over thirty. In appearance, she’s all mum: luxuriant dark locks, cat-green eyes, tan skin, and regal features.

“Julek!” she exclaims with a smile and rushes down the stairs into Jaskier’s open arms. They laugh when their bodies collide.

“Hey, horror sister!” Jaskier says, the words their special greeting.

“Hey, wild brother!” Rozalia replies, as tradition commands.

When Jaskier releases her from his embrace, he goes on to introduce Rozalia and Geralt to each other.

“So this is your fiancé,” Rozalia drawls after she and Geralt shake hands, clearly amused, and looks Geralt up and down. “Holy shit. I can see why you kept him a secret.”

Jaskier purses his lips, putting a possessive arm around Geralt’s waist. “Roza, you’re married.”

Rozalia only smirks, then turns on her heel and starts walking down the corridor towards the living room. “Everyone! Julek’s here!” she announces loudly.

“Julek?” Geralt mutters to Jaskier as they start following Rozalia.

“Diminutive of Julian,” Jaskier explains quietly.  

“Sweet.”

“Shut up.”

“That’s rich, coming from you.”

Jaskier snorts under his breath but doesn’t reply. The sensation of detachment from the reality is there again and Jaskier doesn’t fight it – the distance between him and everything else wards off the impending panic attack.

Like in a dream, he sees his other sister Amelia, who’s five years younger than him, marching towards them, her mop of short golden curls bouncing up and down as she walks. With her sweet face and wide blue eyes (just like Jaskier’s, which they both got from their dad), she looks like an angel. (Spoiler alert: she’s not. She can be the worst. That’s kind of the youngest’s privilege, though).

When Amelia hugs him and Jaskier introduces her and Geralt to each other, he’s still in a daze. Amelia walks on his side as they all enter the living room, chatting about something to him, but he doesn’t really hear it due to the ringing sound in his ears.

“Jaskier?” Geralt’s voice rumbles.

Jaskier looks into the sun-like, concerned eyes. The warmth calms him down. 

He takes in everyone in the room: his parents, Alfred and Wanda. Amelia, Rozalia and her husband Silvio. Dad’s brother, uncle Konrad, with his wife and son Ferrant. Mum’s sisters, aunts Maria, Hanna and Anna with their husbands. All watching Jaskier and Geralt expectantly.  

Jaskier puts on his best smile and lays a hand on the small of Geralt’s back. “Everyone, this is Geralt Rivia. A Royal Navy commander,” he says and observes, delighting in the array of shocked reactions his family display. “My fiancé,” he adds with pride that he doesn’t even have fake.

A round of introductions follows. Geralt shakes everyone’s hands and says nice things like “honoured to meet you finally”, “Jaskier told me so much about you” and “I’m sorry I couldn’t meet you earlier”. It’s actually pretty convincing, Jaskier has to give him that. Still, it doesn’t stop one of the questions Jaskier dreads the most.

“But why didn’t you tell us anything, darling?” his mum asks as everyone sits down at the table in the dining room.

This is it, Jaskier thinks mournfully, this is when it all goes to hell. At least Geralt sits next to him. It would be a quick departure – Jaskier will just grab his fiancé and run out of the house.

“Exactly,” Amelia seconds, her slender arms crossed before her chest, “it isn’t like you. You would tell the whole world about your engagement in some wild Twitter thread.”

Shit. She got him there. “W-well, I...”

“I asked him not to,” Geralt comes to the rescue. At the confused looks from everyone around, he goes on, “Not until I go on at least one more deployment and Jaskier’s absolutely sure he wants this. He should have it easier in case he changes his mind. Fewer people know about it, less painful it is to announce.”

Jaskier’s dad frowns. “But why do you assume he’d do that?” he inquires, regarding Geralt with suspicion.

“Being in a relationship with a marine officer is hard,” Geralt replies with a heavy sigh and makes a dramatic pause. Jaskier’s family looks at him with almost bated breath but he takes his time, the bastard. He already has them hanging off his every word. “My deployments are rarely shorter than nine months long,” he confesses ruefully.

A stunned silence falls over the room. Jaskier’s family stare at him with disbelief – they all know Jaskier wouldn’t be able to survive a relationship like that, not with how needy he can be.

Of bloody course Geralt would take it too far at the very start.

“But I’m stubborn!” Jaskier exclaims as cheerfully as he can, “Won’t have anyone else but Geralt.”

“Well, that’s all you,” Amelia says, and Jaskier heaves a sigh of relief.

It’s not that Jaskier doesn’t appreciate Amelia’s inquisitive mind. She’s always had the tendency to analyze and look into everything until every fact and detail adds up. Her character makes her the perfect heir to the family business, which she’s agreed to gladly. Ever since she made that decision, Jaskier choosing music is much less of a painful topic for their family. And so, Jaskier certainly values his younger sister’s nature of constant question-asking, but not in moments like this.

Amelia appears to already know what is going on here and Jaskier only prays she’ll be nice enough not to delve into it too much. Maybe some warning glances from Rozalia and begging ones from Jaskier will stop her. Maybe.

Food is served, alcohol starts flowing. Jaskier’s family begin asking Geralt about himself but Jaskier always tries to twist the conversation so that questions about their relationship don’t come. Until they do.

After they sang dad happy birthday, told him their wishes and gave him the gifts, it’s time to eat the birthday cake. Just when Jaskier puts half of his slice on Geralt’s plate (he doesn’t even like cake), Silvio asks, “When did you two meet?”

Geralt and Jaskier share a look. Jaskier opens his mouth to answer but it’s Geralt who says, “It was two years ago. I walked into a bar where Jaskier was playing. He asked me for a review of his songs after his performance.”

Geralt has the audacity to smirk at him so Jaskier, just to be a little shit, adds, “In three words or less!”

Geralt doesn’t appreciate this contribution judging by how he narrows his eyes at him. Jaskier knows they’re treading a dangerous ground – in their stupidity, they didn’t discuss the details of their “first meeting”. Geralt started it, though.

“And what did you say?” Silvio questions.

“That they don’t exist,” Geralt replies without a beat, still staring Jaskier in the eye.

“Whaaat don’t exist?” Jaskier’s father says what Jaskier himself almost blurts out.

“The creatures in his songs,” Geralt explains.

The affronted noise that leaves Jaskier's mouth is beyond his control. “It’s folk! The genre allows for fantastical elements like that!” He huffs. “But you know, Geralt with his commander mind always wants the facts and only facts.”

“So you don’t like Julek’s singing?” Rozalia asks Geralt.

Geralt denies this with a shake of his head. “Jaskier sings beautifully,” he replies, “Like a siren.” He lays his hand on Jaskier’s and looks into Jaskier’s eyes. “My siren,” he adds quietly.

Jaskier has to gape a little. He barely restrains himself from mouthing are fucking serious? because, really, Geralt can’t just say things like that. When he regains his composure, he decides to be mean. “I told you not to call me that, dear heart,” he says, “Not exactly flattering. Sirens lured sailors to their demise.”

Geralt does that lethally adorable head tilt and answers, “Still would go for you.”

He can hear aunt Maria cooing in the background, bless her heart, but Jaskier almost doesn’t register it. His attention is fully on Geralt – there’s something new in his gaze, beneath the teasing glint. Something guarded, tentative and true. Jaskier cocks his head to the side just a little bit. Geralt notices the question in the gesture (they’re really getting good at reading each other, aren’t they?) and answers by raising an eyebrow, his eyes crinkling at the corners. Jaskier experiences the feeling of a thousand butterflies fluttering their wings in his stomach when he understands – it’s an invitation. He accepts.

Geralt’s lips stretch into a small smile and he squeezes Jaskier’s hand on the table, intertwining their fingers together. Jaskier’s heart almost gives out and he grins, giddy like a teenager who’s just found out their crush is reciprocated. It’s not that far off from the truth anyway.

Uncle Konrad asks Geralt about the Navy. The two of them start discussing working in the army but Jaskier only half-listens, too focused on cherishing the feel of Geralt’s palm engulfing his. Until Geralt takes his hand away, that is.

With a displeased grunt, Geralt takes his phone out of the inner pocket of his jacket. The screen displays an incoming call. “I should take this,” he says apologetically and quickly walks out of the dining room.   

The moment Geralt leaves, the assault is unleashed upon Jaskier. His family bombard him with so many questions and remarks at once that he only hears what Rozalia sitting next to him says. “Didn’t know you were into older men,” she comments, swirling the wine in her glass innocently.

“He’s forty!”

She frowns. “Then what’s the deal with the hair?”

Jaskier freezes in panic. Fucking hell, what is the deal with the hair? He has no idea. Geralt refused to answer his questions. “W-well,” he stutters out, “it’s really... uhh...” He clears his throat. “Not my story to tell. Geralt doesn’t like to talk about it.”

Rozalia hums, an amused twinkle in her eyes. “How mysterious.”

“He sure does seem mysterious,” uncle Konrad chimes in, “And...”

“Quiet?” Ferrant suggests.

“Taciturn?” Silvio supplies.

“Closed off?” aunt Hanna adds.

“Why are you saying it like it’s a bad thing?” Jaskier cuts in, interrupting this merry-go-round offering of adjectives before it spirals into everyone calling Geralt a brute.

“It’s not,” aunt Anna reassures, “It’s just that... I’m sure I’m not the only one wondering how on earth the relationship is even working with him being like this and you being, well...” she trails off and gestures at Jaskier with her fork. “You.”

“Frist off, I’ll take this as a compliment –”

“Of course, dear.”

“ – and secondly, even though we’re different, our differences only keep things... interesting, if you get my meaning.” Jaskier throws in a telling wink, and his uncles chuckle.

“Julian!” both his parents cry out, scandalised.

“Honestly,” Jaskeir goes on, unmoved, “deep down, he and I are quite the same.”

“Indeed?” Amelia asks, “Is he also a bastard at heart?”

“Yesss!” he hisses out, wildly pleased. Sometimes he loves Amelia’s analytic mind.

“He actually seems like a sweetheart,” his mum says, warming Jaskier to his very heart. He loves his mum so much – she always sees the best in people.  

“He’s both, really,” he replies, “He’s certainly a sweetheart to his daughter.” Jaskier delights in shocking his family once again. Then, an idea pops up in his mind, “If you ask him about her, he’ll open right up.”

Before anyone can ask anything else, Geralt returns. After taking one look at him, Jaskier knows something is wrong. There’s tension about him but his face is a blank mask. 

“Something wrong, love?” Jaskier whispers, barely realising that he even said the endearment.

“Work,” Geralt grunts.  

“Geralt,” Jaskier’s father says, “Julian tells us you have a daughter?”

Geralt face lights up immediately. It’s such a charming sight. Jaskier’s chest constricts with how everything in him screams and begs don’t ever go. 

“Yes,” he answers and launches into talking about Cirilla – how old she is, where she goes to school, what she likes doing. How she loved to paint her little hands on the walls when she was six. Soon after that, everyone shares funny stories about children, either their own or themselves as kids.

Jaskier zones out a bit, too busy wondering why Geralt took his hand away when he reach for it.

Later, Jaskier’s parents invite Geralt to stay for the night, which makes the fake-fiance scheme a success; they wouldn’t allow someone who they thought to be a stranger to sleep in their house.

Geralt doesn’t take them up on their offer.

TBC

Part 6

***

A/N: Rozalia is the Horror while Jaskier is the Wild 💕 (Amelia is the nasty angel baby. They adore her for it. Must protecc).

(Also, I love making up OCs, can you tell? XD)

[confused-stars]

hawksweek2020 - Day 5: Insecurities

@hawksweek2020

__

Pretty Bird

(or: someone just give him a hug please im begging you)

It had been eight months since the Winged Hero Hawks had made his debut. The spotlights hadn’t let up since then, and he hadn’t stopped moving.

At his first hero ranking, he’d already made the top twenty, popularity polls adding a huge bonus to the sheer number of successful rescues he’d already pulled off with seeming ease. And it was easy, to him. Saving people came as naturally as breathing after all the training he’d gone through.

 Charming the masses? That was also easy. A smile that was just smug enough to make him interesting, and just warm enough to have people believe he was genuine. Words that sounded a little too blunt but were carefully picked and made the public love him for his honesty. A wink thrown in at the right time, a strategic placement of his wings in front of the cameras. All of that had been training.

 This was just another one of those things, another side of hero work that he hadn’t experienced before but should have been fine with.

He should have.

So why exactly did he find himself hiding away in a storage closet?

Well.

Fuck.

Keigo pulled his wings tighter around himself and tried to count to ten under his breath. He got to seven before there was a knock on the door.

 “Kid?”

Ah, shit. They knew where he was.

Of course he was already going to have to answer for running out and messing up the schedule the way he had, and he didn’t even know how long he’d been here, but he still didn’t want to be talked to.

 “Go ‘way!” he called back, and his voice sounded way too shaky and not enough like his hero persona at all. “I’m fine! I just need a minute!”

 A pause. “… Hawks.” The voice was softer now. He knew he’d heard it before, but his panicked mind wasn’t supplying him with anything. “Can I come in if I close the door behind me?”

 Keigo furrowed his brows. Why would she do that? Wasn’t she here to drag him back out? But saying no would probably make them break down the door or something. He twisted the feather he’d kept stuck in the lock around until he felt it click open.

 He straightened up where he was sitting in between a bunch of nondescript storage crates and cleaning supplies, his wings folded neatly against his back even though he just wanted to curl them around his body again.

 The door opened a moment later, and Keigo could have slapped himself for not recognizing Midnight’s voice when she’d been outside the door.

She must have had a photoshoot here today, too. He vaguely remembered that this was supposed to be the place where she most often did her modelling work. She was in her hero costume, though lacking her usual accessories, and she was holding the shirt that he’d left when he’d hurried out of the studio.

 He caught it when she tossed it at him and freed his wings of feathers for a moment so he could pull it on, slotting them back in place after.

“… thanks.” He flashed Midnight one of his trademark smiles, and from her furrowed brow she wasn’t buying it in the least.

 Keigo wondered just how much of a persona she was putting on for her hero work, and how much of it was real. There was no way all this 18+ nonsense could be her entire personality.

 Keigo thought she was fun to watch, sure, and definitely capable, but she’d always seemed very… fake to him. There were just some heroes who were so obviously playing a role, and unfortunately a lot of the female pros who were being pushed into the ‘sexy lady hero’ stereotype came across like that. Keigo was always glad he was a man, or this might have very well been his fate.

And he’d proven today that he was not cut out for that.

 Midnight kicked one of the crates aside and sat down on top of it, one leg over the other, and watching him closely.

“First model shoot?” she asked, “They can be a little awkward.”

 Keigo sighed and dropped his smile, shrugging a shoulder. “It’s not… I’m good at what I do.” That sounded very defensive. But he was! He was good at this! He had no problem with the posing, even though he hadn’t exactly practiced that before. It had actually been a lot of fun, in the beginning.

 “I didn’t say you weren’t,” Midnight pointed out, “Just that it can be awkward. I’ve been doing this since I was your age, and don’t tell anyone, but that was a while ago.” She winked at him and Keigo huffed a laugh. “But, even for me it can get… a bit much at times.”

 Keigo looked back at her with more intent this time, studying her face. Did she enjoy what she did? Well, she had picked her own brand, and she got more choice in what she did than he ever had, but she’d also picked that brand as a teenager. Playing into the R-rated hero thing got her a lot of fans, of course, and modelling contracts, and adult merch, and a ton of other things, so it had been a clever move for her career. But to constantly be seen like this? Keigo nearly shuddered at the thought.

 Midnight met his eyes and smiled, a little more gentle, and Keigo remembered that she, in fact, was also a high school teacher. “Don’t look at me like that, bird boy. I love what I do. It’s normal to get overwhelmed. Happens to the best of us. Just last week, I witnessed Present Mic screaming into a pillow for almost ten whole minutes.”

 Keigo pulled one of his wings across his lap and smoothed out some feathers. They’d been groomed extensively before the shoot, but he’d gone and gotten them all ruffled up again. “… is the pillow okay?” he asked after a moment.

 Midnight snorted. “That’s what we keep Eraser around for.”

 Would Keigo ever have any real friends among other heroes? He sure hoped so. He had never really had the opportunity to make friends.

 He looked down at his wing. “… I don’t like being on camera shirtless.” And in a room full of people, too. He pulled up his shoulders a little. “I mean. I know I’m objectively hot, right? This is all… very marketable.” He gestured down at his body, and then at his face.

 He'd been lucky to grow up attractive, he’d been told that many times. And yet.

“It doesn’t make sense. I just… they didn’t warn me beforehand, and so when they told me to, I just took it off and I started feeling worse.”

Letting go of his wing, he instead traced his fingers along his chest, where there weren’t even visible scars. “It’s stupid.”

 “The way you feel about your body is never stupid,” Midnight said, voice surprisingly firm.

Keigo jerked his eyes up to look at her.

“It’s unreasonable. I should be fine with it. Plenty of people are gonna look at these photos, and they’re not gonna think ‘oh, look at Hawks, he’s way too skinny to be attractive’ or ‘he’s tiny, how’s he supposed to save people’ or ‘hey, doesn’t Hawks look kinda like a girl?’. That’s just me thinking that.” He waved a hand in the air vaguely and sighed, feathers fluffing up as he did so.

 Midnight was still watching him. Keigo hated it. She seemed to be seeing right through him, and he himself didn’t even know what she was seeing.

“I have a feeling it won’t help any if I say I think you’re cute,” she finally said, “Because this is about you. This isn’t going to change, no matter how many crazy fans in the streets scream that they’d love to have your babies.” She paused. “Or… eggs.”

 Keigo couldn’t help the surprised laugh, and he tried to give her a half-glare. “I’m pretty sure I’d have perfectly human babies, thanks.”

 “I’ll believe that when you prove it,” Midnight teased, and Keigo realized she’d done that very much on purpose to distract him from his doom and gloom.

 She was a pretty good hero, he decided. The best heroes had to be the ones who knew how to help other heroes, and not just civilians. “I should probably get back out there and finish the shoot, huh?” he asked, glancing at the door.

 Midnight clicked her tongue. “Or you walk out there, apologize, and fly home like a good boy.” She met his eyes and winked, and Keigo blushed maybe a little bit, though he would deny that to his dying day. That was just how she was though, and her flirty nature was enough to keep him somewhat grounded and from letting his thoughts spiral again.

 “… I have responsibilities,” he protested half-heartedly, though home sounded very good right now. He hadn’t been living in the apartment long, but it was his and it was safe. He didn’t have to be Hawks there.

 Midnight waved a hand at him. “They must’ve gotten a bunch of pictures they can use. You’ve been here all morning, and it’s almost four now.”

 That late? Oh, shit. Keigo had a patrol at six. He’d need to pick up some food on the way. But, hey, at least patrol was going to make him feel less shitty about himself. He stood up and brushed himself off. “You’re probably right, Midnight. Thanks.”

 Midnight got to her feet as well, and Keigo nudged her arm with his wing.

“Kayama is fine, you know? No need to be all formal with the hero names.”

 Keigo never liked when this happened. He shifted. “I prefer Hawks.”

 Midnight’s gaze was too knowing, but he didn’t think that she knew the full extent of why he didn’t use his other name.

“Hawks it is, then. It’s a good hero name anyway. Very catchy.” She nodded her approval, and he smiled as he moved past her – only to be stopped by her hand wrapping around his wrist.

 “Okay, I know you barely know me, but I want you to listen to me. Because you’re just a kid, and you’re taking your first steps into this mess of a professional world. Are you listening?”

 Keigo nodded.

 Midnight’s gaze was serious. “No one can tell you who to be, Hawks. No one can tell you what to do with who you are, either. You want to save people, you’re good at that. You clearly don’t like this aspect of it all, and that’s fine. Not everyone is born for this. Being a hero isn’t about looking sexy, or letting them treat you like a piece of meat. It’s about finding danger and facing it to keep others from getting hurt. And you’re doing that. So you can damn well decline any of these publicity engagements that have you doing things you’re uncomfortable with. They’ll tell you to just go through with it, and not make a fuss, but they’re wrong, okay? Set up your boundaries now, because you’re allowed to. Do you hear me? You’re allowed to.”

 Keigo nodded again, a little dazed from her intensity. Or maybe her quirk. But she wasn’t using it right now.

 Midnight let go of his wrist, and placed both hands on his shoulders. “I look forward to seeing more of what you can do. Up in the sky, not on some advertisement for a product neither of us is ever even going to use.” She raised a hand and put a finger under his chin, forcing his head up a little. “Now, don’t look like a scared little bird that’s just been a cat’s plaything for the past ten minutes. Or else there’ll be rumors about the two of us and this closet.” She laughed, and Keigo swallowed.

 “Uh… yeah. Okay. Okay.” He was very off kilter now. Did she have that effect on everyone?

 Midnight looked him over, and then gave a satisfied nod. “Good. Now, remember that you’re an ass kicking, whip smart, devastatingly handsome young man, and get out there.”

 Keigo blinked at her, stood still for another second or so, and then turned and opened the door, his shoulders set, and the weight of his wings still heavy on his back.

He couldn’t wait to spread them again and get back to doing his actual job.

[fortheloveoffanfic]

Love; Lost (part 2)

John Wick x Reader (A/n- the only canon thing about this is that John is an assassin with a cute dog.)

Part1

Warnings- (more) Angst, pregnancy (does that need a warning?)

5 years ago To Y/n, fall in New York always went by vastly underrated. Sure, there were some places in the city where you could walk a mile without seeing a single tree, and the sheer volume of people made the air typically seem more humid than necessary, but there were also little sections of the sleepless city that could turn out to be absolute gems. As it turned out, Central Park, while it couldn't really be called a "hidden gem", was actually a cornerstone of New York's autumn experience. The air was cleaner, the surroundings somehow seemed brighter and when the leaves changed, they created the perfect, picturesque scene.

That day, she had really just been scouting for a place that would afford her some good shots. She had recently been hired by a popular fashion house to do their fall shoot and after seeing their sample pieces, Y/n had decided that a natural backdrop would perfectly compliment the line.

By noon, she had been already been at the park for a couple hours, snapping pictures at spots she liked, drawing nearer and nearer to the thick foliage, that had at some point, gone from healthy, lush green to warm orange and red.

Closer to the forests, the crowd was thinner and the scene was beginning to look more conducive to Y/n's upcoming shoot. She could already see it; the models would pose among the trees, the brightly colored leaves perfectly blending with the popping colors of the outfits.

Y/n was just a couple feet into to the thicker part of the forest when she saw him; a dog, no owner in sight. The grey pit-bull sniffed around, shifting leaves around with his nose, apparently searching for something. Curious and a little smitten by the canine a few feet away, Y/n lowered her camera, trying not to make any sudden movements or startling noises as she approached him.

He looked so cute, Y/n thought, not a care in the world, seemingly amused by the the crunch of the fallen leaves. Raising her camera again, and against her better judgment, Y/n took a couple pictures; the light filtering through the canopy created by the tall trees captured his healthy coat wonderfully and he didn't even seem to mind that there was a complete stranger cooing over him.

When a man cleared his throat loudly behind Y/n, she jumped startled. Gasping, she turned around, only to find the definition of "tall, dark and handsome" dressed in a off white Henley standing a couple feet away with his arms folded across his chest. At the sight of him, the dog perked up, trotting over towards him. A little taken aback by his looks, Y/n internally stammered for something to say, "God," she sighed eventually, letting the camera hang freely from her neck, "I'm so sorry," she smiled sheepishly, "I swear I'm not some weirdo taking pictures of your dog; he just looked so cute playing in the leaves, I couldn't help it."

Taking in her words, the man eventually smiled, crouching down to rub the mutt's head affectionately, "It's okay, I'd be lying if I said he doesn't love the camera," the man's smile widened and Y/n could help but feel the slightest tingle in her chest, "Isn't that right boy?" He took the dog's head in his large hands, letting him lick all over his face.

"Well he certainly has every right to, he's very photogenic," she quipped with a bright grin.

Beautiful. That was probably the only word that John could readily think of to describe the woman standing before him. Her hair was effortlessly wind blown and she seemed dressed the part of a born and bred New Yorker in tight jeans, a sky blue button up with a long thick coat over it and ankle boots. John couldn't remember a woman ever having that kind of effect on him; rendering him at a loss for confidence and aching to talk to her, to say something funny, just so he could hear what her laugh sounded like.

Swallowing his nerves, John glanced at Dog and then back at the gorgeous photographer, "Yeah," he chortled softly, rubbing the back of his neck nervously, "He is, isn't he. I'm John, by the way, sorry about startling you earlier."

Y/n chuckled quietly, blushing despite her brain's orders not to. John had a firm grip, though it felt like was purposely avoiding squeezing her hand too tightly and his palm and stocky fingers were calloused. "It's okay," Y/n breathed, "I'm Y/n." When John released her hand, they still lingered there, kept apart by a just about eight inches. Clearing her throat, Y/n inhaled, trying to fill the new silence, "So you're John, and he is....."

"Dog," John offered bluntly.

Y/n furrowed her brows, "Your dog's name is......Dog? That's actually kind of cute," Y/n giggled.

John chuckled too, "I guess it is." For a minute he wondered if he'd have to let her go. John didn't want too though, something about Y/n was already reeling him in; her musical laugh, her shy smile, something. Maybe that was love at first at first sight felt like. "Would you mind sending me those pictures?" John finally summed up the courage to ask.

Her cheeks and the tips of Y/n’s ears heated up, not sure if John just wanted to spend more time with her or if he actually wanted the pictures. “Sure,” she finally managed, “Just give me your email and I can do that tonight.”

“Great,” John bit his lip. He couldn’t believe himself, he was actually going to do it; he was going to ask Y/n out, even if he had only known her for just over fifteen minutes, “Maybe I could give it to you over coffee.”

Taken aback, Y/n blushed again, “Now?” 

Suddenly nervous, John rubbed the back of his neck, “Yeah,” he smiled tentatively, “If it’s good for you.”

Laughing giddily, “Yeah,” Y/n nodded, hoping she didn’t sound too eager, “It’s good for me. Lets get coffee.”

6 Weeks Later Y/n sat on the bed in the guest room of her best friend’s apartment. They had met in collage and had been roommates until graduation, so naturally, when she had left John, Lacy had been the one to suggest that Y/n crash at her place until she’d found something she liked. Y/n had been at Lacy’s little two bedroom apartment in the city for going on six weeks. The first three had been fine, though, tear filled, but as more time passed, Y/n had started to feel off. She couldn’t define it really, but she knew that something was different. Her clothes had started to fit differently, tighter in some areas, an occurrence that Y/n had passed off as a consequence of having ice cream for dinner but there were other things too. Frequent tension headaches, fatigue in the middle of the day and an odd repulsion to coffee, which she usually loved.

When Lacy had first suggested it, Y/n didn’t want to believe it; it couldn’t be, not now. But sitting there on the bed, with the truth staring back at her, Y/n realized that there was no escaping it; this was happening. The only thing she could do was make a decision going forward. “What are you gonna do?” Lacy broke the tense silence.

Y/n’s breath caught as tears welled up in her eyes. What was she going to do? Fumbling for words, she shook her head, tendrils escaping her loose ponytail and falling sadly over her paled face, “I don’t know......this is....” She trailed off, getting lost in her own though. 

Pregnant?

How’d that happen?

Well, she knew how that happened.

But she and John were always careful; Y/n was on the pill. Granted, she’d sometimes forgotten to take it, but that wasn’t often, once, twice tops. “Well, this is just an opinion, but I think you should tell him,” Lacy had always strove to be a voice of reason, even when reasonable wasn’t something that Y/n particularly wanted.

Scoffing, Y/n stood abruptly, tossing the flimsy plastic test to the made sheets, trying to ignore how the two little pink lines mocked her. It sort of felt like a betrayal of her body. She couldn’t be pregnant! A single mother in her late twenties, without even as much as an apartment? Of course, Y/n knew she could afford a decent one, money wasn’t the issue, it was time. Just six weeks after she’d left John, in the midst of her career; where did a kid fit into that? Of course, Lacy was right, telling John was the most viable course of action, no doubt he was the father, but what kind of father could he be? He was an assassin!

Briefly, just for a minute, Y/n’s mind took her back to a time where John would promise to leave the criminal life behind so they could have a normal life, but that was years ago, and he never did it. And now, they weren’t even together. Y/n wasn’t even sure if she wanted kids. “No,” Y/n finally dismissed Lacy’s idea, nervously toying with a loose thread at the hem of her t-shirt, “No,” she repeated, “John is.....”

“A good man,” Lacy stood too, trying to still Y/n’s fidgeting hands, “You said it yourself. And it’s not like you’d be getting back with him, but don’t you think he deserves to know? This is his baby too.”

By then, quiet tears were falling freely, warm on her cheeks, her lips trembling slightly, “I know, I do, it’s just.....” if Y/n went back, she couldn’t trust herself to leave again. 

Emotion overtook her and Y/n finally let a chocked sob escaped her lips. Sighing, Lacy pulled her into a hug, her hands rubbing soothingly over her back, it was nothing like John’s hugs, warm, protecting and consuming, but it was still filled with love from one friend to another. “It’s okay,” she whispered, low and close to Y/n’s ear, “Whatever you decide, I’m here for you, I’ll always be here for you.”

John’s sleep had grown fretful and unsatisfactory in the past six weeks and he’d only recently realized that it was because he had grown used to the security that Y/n offered. Of course, he’d often sleep alone when he was away for work, but it was always with the knowledge that she was at home, awaiting him, and when he’d return, she be there with ready arms and a safe haven, with an embrace that made him feel blissfully normal. Y/n made him feel loved. She made him feel at home, at ease. She made him feel safe. 

Maybe that was why John had squeezed her so tightly, not just to protect her from his life, but because deep, deep down, he know that she was protecting him. Protecting him from the insanity that he always feared loneliness would drive him too, protecting him from himself. John missed her, he needed her and he craved her. 

Scrubbing his hands over his face, John sat up in the bed, sparing a glace to the empty space next to him. For weeks, he’d tried patting the spot to coax Dog into sleeping next to him, but it was if even he knew that the spot closest to the awning window was reserved for only one person. It was hers, even if she no longer wanted it.

Swinging his legs out of bed, John didn’t bother with slippers as he padded out of the room towards the kitchen, Dog close on his heels. In the kitchen, John stood in front of the open fridge, trying to decide if he actually wanted something, or if he just needed a reason to be awake. Despite the late hour, he reached for a beer, though eventually decided against it, opting to go for something stronger; a glass of his preferred bourbon. 

With the bottle in one hand and two fingers of the amber liquid in a crystal glass in the other, John slid into a stool at the kitchen counter. Dog wandered around the room, whining despondently when he neared a shelved table at the corner of room, where the wall of the kitchen and the hallway joined. The top was still littered with things she’d left behind, the kind of things that John assumed blurred the lines of ownership. Some of Dog’s toys, ornaments she’d bought in an attempt to add personality to the place and of course, more pictures. Standing about half foot away from the stand, Dog trotted in his place, whining and John took a lengthy sip before turning to him, “I know boy,” he sympathized, “I miss her too.”

Dog didn’t seem to notice John, and it pained him even more to think that they were both hurting. Y/n had been good to Dog, she adored him and often, he could return home to find them playing together in the backyard or cuddled on the sofa watching television. One of the reasons that John could often leave for work so readily was because he knew, that in his absence, Dog would protect Y/n with his life. 

“Come ‘ere boy,” John called, and seeming to give into him, Dog just hung his head, moving over to lay at John’s feet. Though, the painful silence didn’t last long, because in just a couple minutes, his furry friend was up again, that time hurrying to the front door; barking as if to tell John to follow him, his ears alert. “What?” John grumbled, wondering what the dog could possibly want with outside at nearly one am. 

At the front door, Dog jumped anxiously, barking and begging as John sifted though the keys, looking for the right one, “Alright, calm down,” he shushed, about to slip the right key into the slot when his trained ears heard it; the hum of a car growing closer and eventually parking at the top of his yard, light footsteps approaching the door. 

Thinking the worst, John stepped away from the door; judging from the sound of the footfalls, his uninvited guest was on the lighter side. Not before long, soft knocks hit the heavy wooden door and John figured that the faint taps made the person seem almost afraid to draw his attention. Ignoring John wordless demands to get back, Dog lunged for the door again, barking excitedly, presumably begging John to open it. 

After a debate, where through it, Dog primarily ignored him, John finally succumbed, unlocking the door and pulling it open, gasping quietly when he saw who it was. Swallowing tightly, John licked his lips, not even noticing that Dog had started jumping at her feet. 

Briefly, Y/n bent, scratching between his floppy ears and hugging him quickly, one might have assumed she missed the animal more than she missed John. “Y/n,” even saying her name hurt, “What are you doing here? It’s so late.” Though a huge part of him was happy to see her, hoping it meant that she was coming back, John was also worried; she shouldn’t have been out past midnight alone, anything could happen.

Ignoring his question, Y/n’s fiddled with her fingers nervously and John thought she looked tired and a bit worn out, though still absolutely beautiful, the same woman he wanted to marry, the woman he’d still marry if given the opportunity. “Did I wake you?”

Raking his short nails through his scruff, John shook his head, “No, I uh....” haven’t been sleeping much, “Haven’t gone to bed yet.”

“Oh,” she forced a smile, though her breath shuddered and John could see the first hints of tears in her eyes, “Can we talk? Please?”

“Yeah, sure, of course,” John pulled the door open some more, “Come in,” he huffed, feeling a little strange inviting her in; he had bought the place long before he’d met Y/n, but it was her house too. Their home. 

“Thanks,” she smiled tightly, pulling her thick, woolen cardigan closed as she stepped inside, more out of nervousness than coldness. Awkwardly, she waited for John to lead her towards the familiar kitchen. Immediately, she noticed the glass and the bottle, noting that he’d been drinking, but hoping it wasn’t too much. 

Catching her staring John hesitantly offered, “Can I get you a glass?” 

Y/n shuddered again, she loved whiskey almost as much as John did, learning loads about the drink from her father, who before his passing a couple years ago, was a collector of rare bottles. Even in her young age, Y/n could probably name the more popular labels by just tasting them. It was one of the things that she and John had bonded over in the beginning and before he passed, her father respected John’s refined taste. John and her father; they had become fast friends, Y/n wondered what he’d think now. Y/n also hated thinking that he’d never meet his first grand-kid. 

“No thanks,” Y/n waved off his offer and she could see, even in the low lighting, the furrow in John’s brows. 

“Okay,” John managed, moving the things away, “Should we sit?” He gestured to the stools.

“We should,” Y/n claimed the one next to John’s. Internally, she scolded herself for procrastinating. She had planned the entire thing in her head, yet, from the minute she saw him, all of her courage melted away, probably still in a puddle at the front door. She knew that it wouldn’t have been easy, but it shouldn’t have been that hard either. Absently, Y/n placed a hand at the top of her stomach, trying to quell the nerve included nausea all while slowing her heartbeat.

She hoped he hadn’t noticed, but John knew her better than most and worriedly, he reached out, tentatively resting his hand on her arm, his eyes worried, “You okay? Can I get you something?”

“No,” Y/n breathed, blinking away tears, “I’m fine, I just need to.....umm...” Blurting out seemed a little too brash and suddenly, Y/n was at a loss for the right words.

“Are you sure?” John felt a breath-stealing surge of worry swell in his chest. He hated seeing Y/n even remotely sick, and if he had his way, she’d never be troubled.

Nodding vigorously, Y/n swallowed tightly, “John, I uh.....I have to tell you something,” nonspeaking, John questioned her with his chocolate gaze, licking his lips, “I’m.....I’m pregnant.” 

“Pregnant?” He breathed. In another instance, he’d be overjoyed; it was one of the reasons he’d bought the ring. John had promised Y/n that he’d get out long ago, but lately, he’d finally started seeing a way of doing just that. No longer under the mob, he’d just have a few loose end to tie up before he was done for good and he and Y/n could get married and hopefully, soon start a family. The idea had given John a giddiness and he was over the moon with the prospect of their future. Had things gone as planned, John would have gathered Y/n in his arms from the minute she told him she was carrying their child. Hell, he might have been there when she found out.

But finding out like that; when she no longer lived with him, when she’d made it clear that he wasn’t any good for her, it was confusing. Part of him was still happy, he’d always wanted to be a father, so he could give someone the thing things he’d longed for as an orphaned child. But another part was worried; worried that she was only telling him to be polite, that she was about to follow it up with the admission that she didn’t want a part of him with her like that. Unknowing of how to proceed, John asked what he thought was the most logical, and perhaps impersonal question, “How far along are you?”

“Nine weeks,” Y/n looked down at her lap, before meeting his eyes once again, “I’ve only known for a few days now, so I understand if you’re surprised. I wasn’t expecting this either.”

Nodding, John stood, combing his hands through his hair. Her words had him a little unsettled, “Are you,” he winced at the words, hating how harsh they sounded, “Keeping it?” He’d respect her decision either way, it was her body after all, “Obviously, I wouldn’t want you to feel pressured-”

“I could never....” Y/n shuddered of at the thought; she respected the notion of choice, but she could personally never do it. “I’m keeping it,” shaking her head, Y/n corrected, “I’m keeping the baby,” she couldn’t get her head wrapped around the idea of calling their child an ‘it’ even if she logically knew it was still just a fetus and probably couldn’t even hear her.  

Sighing in relief, John moved to the other side of the counter, all in an effort to put some distance between them and get his emotions under wraps, “Okay,” he dragged his lips between his teeth, “Have you done one of those......DNA test things?” he didn’t know why it mattered, but some part of him screamed that it did.

Scoffing, annoyed Y/n folded her arms, “This baby is obviously yours!”

“I know that,” John stressed, just realizing how insulting the question must have sounded, “I meant,” he searched for the words, though his very finite knowledge on the medical jargon had him stammering, “You know, one of those tests where you find out the gender.”

“Oh,” Y/n frowned, wishing she hadn’t just taken that tone with John. She knew him well enough to know that he trusted her. “No, I haven’t. I wanted to wait,” she smiled sheepishly, though it looked more like a faint frown.

Licking his lips, “Okay.” For a while, they fell into silence. Everything that he thought of saying felt wrong, like he’d be overstepping somehow. It was funny he thought, he’d known Y/n for five years, she was pregnant with their child, yet all it only took was six weeks to put a seemingly unbridgeable space between them. Though, according to Y/n, that distance had existed long before their break-up. 

Courage. That’s what he needed. John typically had it in excess, his job required it. But that night, he seemed severely lacking in that department. His thoughts swam in a pool of confusion and indecision as he debated whether or not he should try to convince her to come back.

In the interim, Dog had made his presence known at Y/n’s side, somehow sensing that his other person needed him more than John did, stationed protectively at her feet. 

Finally summoning some resolve, John reached over the granite, his fingers just barely brushing Y/n’s, “You could come back,” he suggested.

When she pulled her hand away, John had to pretend it didn’t sting and when Y/n stood, Dog did too, on high alert, “That’s not why I came here tonight. We don’t have to be together just because we’re having a baby together.”

“So why did you come?” John folded his arms across his broad chest, “So you could walk out of my life again, but make it hurt more this time?” He grew defensive, hating that she wasn’t willing to change her mind.

“You think I came here to hurt you?” Y/n’s voice rose, “I came here because it was the right thing to do. I don’t need you to....”

“To what Y/n?” John could feel the tension building between them, a long over due fight on the horizon, “To stifle you?”

Y/n chuckled humorlessly, “God, you’re so....” she sighed, ranking a hand through her hair, “No John, I’m more worried about you just popping in and out of this kid’s life. You know, like you did mine.”

“I told you, I only did that to keep you safe,” he managed through gritted teeth.

“And I told you that I didn’t need you to keep me safe!” She yelled. “You know what? Maybe coming here was a mistake,” already, Y/n was swiping her keys off the counter, and starting to walk off.

A few paces behind, John wasn’t ready to let her go so easily that time. He couldn’t let her got, not when she was mad, not when he felt, despite her protests, that it was his job to protect her and their baby, not when there was still so much he had to say, “Oh yeah?” John huffed, “And what were your other options? Hide it, do this on your own and never tell me about our baby?”

“Yeah John. And I was gonna do it too, but I figured that there were already enough secrets between us. Didn’t really feel like adding one more to the pile,” there was a venom in her tone and as they stood at the door John and Y/n both wondered where it came from. How did still loving each other turn into so much anger.?

They both stood there, eyes challenging, something tense flowing between them. Y/n did still love John, but that night wasn’t going the she’d expected it to, though, she wasn’t really sure what she was expecting. Maybe it would have been easier if John had told her he didn’t want the baby, that way she could disappear from his life with a reason to hate him, with an excuse to give their little one someday. But he just had to step up to the plate, be the good man she knew him as, make her love him even more. 

On his end, there was so much John wanted to say; he wanted her to know that he had planned to get out, to commit fully to her and now, to raising their child. But the more she pushed him away, the more defensive he became. Not speaking, he held her gaze, not even knowing if trying to fix things would make them better or worse.

“I’m leaving John,” Y/n’s voice broke and John’s anger cracked. He didn’t want her to go. Y/n didn’t want to stay. His fingers itched to reach out, his heart bled with the desire to beg her to talk things through with him. But John knew Y/n; he knew her will and determination, how hard it was to change her mind when she’d made a decision. So instead of starting another fight, John let her go, just like he had nearly two months ago

That night was different though, there was a new bitterness between them, and something buried deep in the back of their minds told both John and Y/n that things weren’t near over. 

*******

Tagging- @harrisongslimited​

[quickspinner]

Finding Harmony - Ch 5 M Major

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7

Luka had never cared about clothes much. Sure he had a style, but it wasn’t something he thought consciously about, it was just things he liked to wear. He was doing this modeling thing as a favor for Juleka, and to spend time with Marinette. The clothes, until today, had mostly been an afterthought.

He wasn’t prepared for the wave of emotion that hit him once he was standing there, in clothes that Marinette designed and made with him in mind. 

This was why he loved her. This was what he’d seen that day, when she walked into his room wide-eyed and stammering. Something in his soul had recognized her, when he had given her a song and she had received it, not with blank confusion, plastic smiles, or guarded hostility, but with reverence and wonder and gratitude. Marinette took all the bits of himself that he gave, and cradled and treasured them, because she understood. Because she was the same. Because he was standing here wearing a song she wrote with color and cloth and the work of her hands and it was absolutely wrecking him.

Juleka was right, he was hopeless. 

“Luka, is everything okay?” Marinette called, and he realized he’d been standing there too long.

He steadied his voice as best he could and called back, “Yeah, everything’s fine, I’m dressed. These clothes are amazing, Marinette.”

She got him. Marinette absolutely, one hundred percent got him, from the subdued base colors to the pops of brightness, to the way the snake motifs were simultaneously edgy and whimsical enough to be nonthreatening. The shirt fit closer than anything else he ever wore, but it was comfortable and not clingy. The jeans, subtly textured to mimic the lines of Viperion’s suit, felt like an inside joke between the two of them, made even funnier because she didn’t know that he knew she knew.

He took one more steadying breath and stepped out from behind the screen.

Marinette did an excited little wiggle. “Oh, you look so good, just like I imagined! Ooh, I love it when a project comes together. How does it feel, do I need to fix anything? Turn around.”

“It feels great, Marinette, really, it’s like they were made for me.” He winked at her as he turned slowly.

“Hang on, there’s a loose thread back here...there.” Marinette stepped back. “Perfect.” She looked up into his face. “Do you like it?”

“I love it.” Luka stepped close and gripped her shoulder. “I really do. You’re an artist, Marinette.” He grinned. “Sneaky, too. You didn’t have any of this detail done the last time I was here.” He turned slightly to indicate the patches of different textured fabric on the jeans. 

Marinette giggled. “It’s true, I saved some things for last so you’d still be surprised.” 

“I’m speechless, really.” He dropped his hand and stepped back, gesturing her towards the other screen. “But you better…” Marinette nodded and turned away as he turned to look in her full length mirror. He could see then just how well the clothes complimented his body. Luka wasn’t especially vain, but his face heated a little bit as he wondered exactly how much time she’d spent looking at him to get such results. 

“How’s Juleka doing?” He heard Marinette whisper to Rose, who was standing at the corner of Juleka’s screen. 

“She’s freaking out a little bit,” Rose whispered back. “I think I can calm her down, I just need a little more time.”

“Take as long as she needs,” Marinette told Rose, and then she turned to Luka. “Why don’t I go on down and meet Alya at the park?” Marinette suggested, putting a hand on his arm. “Come down when you’re ready, okay? No pressure, we’ve got plenty of time.”

“Thanks Marinette,” Luka smiled at her. “I’ll play for her a bit, that might help calm her down.”

“Perfect. Okay, we’ll see you in a few minutes. Meet us by the near fountain when you’re ready.” Marinette went down through the trapdoor.

Luka picked up his ever-present guitar and sat on Marinette’s chaise, playing a familiar, comforting melody just to remind Juleka that he was there with her. 

After a few minutes his sister finally emerged from the screen, paler even than usual, but breathing steadily. Luka smiled as he looked Juleka over. He wasn’t sure how they’d done it but her hair was smoothed back into a low tail, the purple tips of her bangs tucked under the rest of her hair so the color didn’t show and clash with the blues and reds accenting the black clothes, and she wore combs on the sides of her head with a beaded version of Marinette’s snake motif. The flowy shirt had lace accents edging a wide collar that exposed Juleka’s collarbone, paired with sleek black pants that were textured similar to his own. Her outfit was both Juleka and Marinette, with a vibe that mixed Juleka’s edge with Marinette’s sweetness, and lent Juleka a bit of Marinette’s boldness as well. There was no hiding in this outfit, even with Juleka curling in on herself in nervousness. Luka got up and maneuvered her in front of the long mirror, so she could see herself. 

“I like it,” was all he said, but Juleka glowed, her shoulders straightening as she looked herself over, and he swallowed against another rush of emotion to see her stand proud. “Well,” he said, smiling at her reflection, “Are we ready to do this?”

Juleka gave him a decisive nod, and led the way down the stairs. 

Marinette had her back to them as they approached, and she was clearly arguing with Alya about something. 

“No, Alya. I’m going to go with Luka and we’re going to have fun and there’s not going to be any pressure or awkwardness or drama, end of story. Anyway, I asked him weeks ago, I’m not going to bail on him now.”

“I still think you’re missing a chance, but if you’ve already asked him then I guess—oh, hey guys! Ready to rock the camera, you two?” Alya waved and Marinette turned quickly, blushing as Luka and Juleka approached. 

“Great, you’re here,” Marinette said, putting on a smile that was only a little strained.

“Everything okay?” Luka asked her quietly as Alya turned away.

“Yeah, just a difference of opinion,” Marinette smiled thinly. “We’re having a lot of those lately, but we’re working on it. At least this time she took no for an answer, so that’s progress.” She smiled at Juleka. “Ready Juleka? How do you feel?” 

“Okay,” Juleka said, fidgeting. Her shoulders were rolling forward again as her chin dropped toward her chest. Rose took her hand.

“Just like the plan, Juleka,” Marinette said gently, putting a hand on her shoulder. “We’ll start out here at the fountain, and then if we feel up to it, we’ll try a few other places through the park. We’ve got plenty of time so we can take a break any time you need to. We’re aiming for way more pictures than we actually need, so don’t feel pressured. Then just before sunset when we have the best light, we’ll change you both into the formal clothes.” 

Juleka nodded her understanding. 

“As for poses, I have some reference pictures to get us started, and then as you get comfortable, we can just roll from there.” She patted Juleka’s shoulder. “If you need a break, don’t be afraid to let us know, okay? ”

Juleka dipped her head in a way that normally would have hidden her face, ashamed of her weakness. “Okay,” she mumbled.

Luka lifted his hand to rest it on her shoulder but he was distracted as Alya put one fist on her hip, and proclaimed, “Man, I had no idea you were packing guns like that, Luka. Marinette, he needs a tattoo. He doesn’t look right without one. Maybe you could draw the snake on him with a sharpie or something.”

“Alya, he doesn’t need a tattoo, his arms are nice the way they are,” Marinette replied decisively, pushing Luka gently towards the bench by the fountain and scowling back at her friend. 

“Ohhhh are they now,” Alya drawled, cocking a hip and shooting a smug look at Marinette, who spluttered. 

“I’m just saying he’s fine the way he is!” she flailed, and then turned to Luka. “I mean, not that you would look bad with a tattoo if you wanted one, but you don’t need one.”

Luka snorted, seating himself on the bench. “I’d love one but I’m a total wuss around needles.”

Marinette paused her freakout and looked at him. “Really?”

“Absolute truth.”

“But your ears are pierced.”

Juleka snickered. “He passed out.”

“And she’s never going to let me forget it,” Luka sighed. 

“Not in a million years,” Juleka grinned back at him. 

“Big talk from someone who’s afraid of a few pictures,” Luka challenged, eyebrows raised. “Are you coming over here or what?”

A flush lit Juleka’s pale cheeks and he winced, afraid he’d pushed too far, but Marinette took her cheerfully by the hand and led her to the bench. She sat down between them for a moment, showing them the pictures she’d brought.

It was smart, giving them a place to start from, though Luka frequently had a hard time keeping a straight face as they tried to get into the poses. Marinette finally rolled her eyes at him and told him to go ahead and laugh so he could be serious when it was time for the pictures. 

While he did manage to keep a straight face once they really got started, the awkward feeling didn’t leave him. Luka tried not to mind. He was really doing this for Juleka and Marinette, anyway, and he was willing to feel stupid for a while for their sakes. Marinette kept up a cheerful stream of praise and chatter and Rose was bubbling over with enthusiasm as always. Juleka began to relax and get into it, even giggling once or twice at Marinette’s silliness or blushing at Rose’s enthusiastic praise. Pride swelled in his chest as Juleka’s confidence grew; she really was gorgeous and it was gratifying to see her come to life, out of the protective shell she’d so carefully built around herself. 

“Oh, are you guys doing a little photoshoot? How cute!”

The saccharine voice was unfamiliar and somehow thoroughly unpleasant, but Luka didn’t break pose until he heard Alya’s camera click. He felt Juleka draw closer to him, nearly hiding behind him, and he looked down at her and raised an eyebrow. She bit her lip and raised her hand as if to brush her bangs forward, but stopped.

Marinette planted herself squarely between her models and the newcomer. Newcomers, Luka realized. He didn’t recognize the girl with the long hair but Adrien had come up behind her. Great, he thought, glancing at Juleka again and then back at Marinette. Just what we needed. 

“Hi guys,” said Adrien, looking more on edge than Luka had ever seen him. Or maybe it wasn’t the way he looked, maybe it was the way he sounded, a stressed out edge to his voice that was at odds with his relaxed stance. “Doing some more work for your website, Marinette? The designs look great, really unique.” 

“They’re definitely not like anything I’ve ever seen,” the girl said, and though the words were innocent, somehow they sounded like an insult. Luka felt his shoulders tensing up.

“Isn’t it cool, Lila? Marinette’s always been plugged in to the rock ‘n roll aesthetic,” Alya said cheerfully. “You know, with all the work she’s done for Jagged Stone, and all. It’s a smart angle to start with for the website, but you know you need to show some range too, girl! Maybe next time, you can be her inspiration model, Adrien!”

“Adrien’s a professional model, Alya,” Marinette pointed out. “He’s under contract with Gabriel and they’re very strict about using his likeness. I could get sued if Adrien modelled for me without permission.”

Adrien looked stricken. “I didn’t even think about that last time, Marinette.” 

“You’re okay! I mean, it’s okay! I didn’t think of it either until later. N-n-not that I didn’t appreciate the lelp, uh, help.” Marinette squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath, then squared her shoulders and opened her eyes to smile at Adrien. “I appreciate you helping out, and of course I’m always happy to have your advice, but I think it’d be best if you didn’t appear in any more of the photos.”

Luka’s eyes widened slightly. “Whoa,” Juleka muttered beside him. “That was a whole sentence.”

“Well, of course Gabriel can’t allow Adrien to be used like that,” Lila said brightly, just the slightest emphasis turning her statement into a condemnation. Easily deniable if anyone called her out on it, Luka thought, a sour taste in his mouth. What a manipulative piece of work. Her eyes on him made his skin crawl and suddenly he was the one who wanted to hide behind Juleka.

“I’m glad to see you’re giving modelling another try, Juleka,” Adrien grinned at them, and Juleka gave him a tentative smile around Luka’s shoulder. “Don’t be shy, you look fantastic, and this is one of my favorite locations to shoot.” He waved a hand at the photographer setting up near the carousel. “Just be confident, you’ll do great.” 

Luka turned his body so that Juleka was fully visible, though he put his hand on her back for support. “She looks awesome, doesn’t she? I keep telling her how pretty she is, but I guess it doesn’t mean much coming from her brother.” Juleka scowled and socked him in the arm. “Ow, don’t bruise me before we’re done with the photos,” he teased. 

“Of course Juleka’s nervous,” giggled Lila. “I mean, there’s so much more to modeling than just being pretty. I don’t have much experience yet, but M. Agreste picked me personally, so I just know I can’t let him down. But when you’re working with an up and coming designer, you never know what people are going to think! I mean, we all know Marinette’s wonderful, but once it’s out on the web it’s out there for everybody, isn’t it, and people can be so fickle and cruel. It definitely won’t do Juleka’s modelling dreams any good if it turns out the public hates the designs.”

“Well, Marinette did win my father’s design contest,” Adrien piped up, his smile as bland as ever, but with that same stressed out edge to his voice. “And I know they gave you a release to use the photos from the show for that. That should get people’s attention, and once people are looking I know they’ll be blown away.”

“Marinette’s work speaks for itself,” Luka agreed, his own easy tone covering just how much her insinuations annoyed him. “There will always be haters, you can’t please everybody, but these are definitely the best clothes I’ve ever worn.”

“Of course,” Lila said, eyeing him up and down with a slight sneer, as if she hadn’t been blatantly checking him out a few minutes ago. Luka heard Juleka growl quietly. “I’m so lucky, modelling Gabriel clothing, you just can’t help but feel confident.” Lila gave a little twirl to show off her dress. “It makes such a difference.” She latched on to Adrien’s arm. “And having such an amazing partner to work with is a huge help. And you have such an unusual look, Juleka, I’m sure you’ll stand out no matter what people think of the clothes. Just don’t think too much about what you’re wearing and you’ll do great!”

Juleka straightened up, her shoulders going back and her uncovered eyes flashing. “Don’t worry about me,” she said, so clearly that everyone looked at her in surprise. “I feel great in this.” She struck a pose, and Alya whipped the camera up, grinning like a maniac.

“Show her how it’s done, Jule,” Luka muttered approvingly, backing out of the shot.

“That’s great, Juleka. Tilt your chin up just a little more—there, perfect!” Adrien cheered. Lila gave her “partner” a black look, but if Adrien noticed, he ignored it. The others were staring wide-eyed at Juleka as she went through a series of poses, looking like the pro Luka knew she could be. He folded his arms and grinned, winking at her when she seemed to run out of steam and glanced at him as if to ask, how did I do?

Suddenly Alya gasped. “Marinette, I have the greatest idea,” she squealed, grabbing Marinette’s arm. “Why don’t you put on the jacket and go pose with Luka?”

Marinette scowled. “Alya, that was supposed to be a surprise!” 

“Never mind that right now, put it on! It’ll be great, you’ll look like the sweet girl wearing her bad boy boyfriend’s jacket. Juleka, you don’t mind taking a quick break, do you? In fact, maybe you could do something with Marinette’s hair real quick. Luka, come back over here.”

Marinette sighed, but took a prettily wrapped package out of her bag, opened it carefully, and slipped on a denim jacket with the snake motif embroidered on the front panels. It was much too big for Marinette, and Alya was right, it did look like she was wearing her boyfriend’s jacket. He took a slow breath to banish the heat creeping up his neck, glad that he had an excellent poker face. Because he was mature and chill and he could totally pose like her boyfriend without blushing up a storm, no big deal. He glanced at Alya, who looked entirely too pleased with herself. Luka was aware from Juleka that Alya was the head of the get-Marinette-a-date posse. Whether all this achieved was pushing Marinette and Luka together, or whether they actually managed to make Adrien jealous enough to open his eyes, he supposed it was a win-win from her perspective.

Oh well, if Marinette wasn’t going to object, he wouldn’t either. 

Juleka redid Marinette’s hair into a low ponytail and put the end over her shoulder, while Rose touched up her makeup with quick, efficient movements. 

When Marinette turned towards Alya for her approval, Luka saw that the back of the jacket was intricately embroidered with more elaborate version of the snake and flowers design on his guitar. It was a stunning piece, a little bit retro and a little bit punk with just a touch of Marinette sweetness. It looked like a huge amount of work and he kind of loved it. Maybe if he ever did manage to sell a song, he could get Marinette to make him one.

“Wow, Marinette,” Adrien said admiringly, examining the detail on the jacket lapels. “That’s quality work. Really nice. And did you design the back yourself? It looks amazing.” 

“Oh, Marinette, you do so much work,” Lila chimed in. “No wonder your hands are always so rough, you must work your fingers to the bone, poor thing! It’s great to follow your passion, but you shouldn’t wear yourself out! I can tell you haven’t had much sleep lately.”

Marinette growled, and Lila’s eyes widened innocently. Alya elbowed Marientte, who just sighed. 

“Ready when you are, Marinette,” Luka said nonchalantly, putting a hand on her shoulder to guide her away. “Where do you want us, Alya?” 

“The jacket is amazing, by the way,” he added under his breath as Alya directed them back toward the fountain. “And your friend is about as charming as you described. Don’t let her get to you, she can’t ruin this.”

“Don’t underestimate her,” Marinette muttered back.

“Don’t underestimate yourself either. You’ve been fantastic all day, Marinette. You’re confident, in charge, you have a plan for everything, the clothes are fantastic, and did you see Juleka just now?”

“She was amazing, wasn’t she?” Marinette giggled. 

“Because of you. You set this whole thing up to be as relaxed as possible, you made sure she had the support she needed, you planned ahead and prepared. You set her up for success. I’m proud of her, but I’m always amazed by you.”

Luka smiled at her, and heard the camera click behind him, reminding him of the others. 

“Okay, Luka, stand over here and then lean against the bench there, like you’re almost sitting on the arm, and then Marinette, you go stand close to him.

“You might want to move a little more to the right, Marinette, so you can still see his clothes,” Adrien interjected. “There, perfect,” he grinned as Marinette adjusted.

“Luka, put your far hand on her waist and Marinette, you turn your back to me and put your hand on his shoulder—or maybe his chest would be better,” Alya directed.

“Is that okay with you?” Luka asked Marinette, who was blushing rather fiercely. 

“S-sure,” she stammered, and Luka frowned. 

“You don’t sound okay with it. You can tell Alya no if—”

“No, it’s fine, I just didn’t expect to be in front of the camera today and I’m nervous.” He watched her face as he settled a hand on her waist, but she didn’t flinch or look like she wanted to move away. Marinette raised her hand and it hovered uncertainly in front of him. “What about you, is this—”

Luka took her hand held it over his heart, cradling it in such a way that her hand was mostly resting on his hand rather than on his chest, and Alya squealed. “Oh, keep holding her hand like that, that’s perfect. Marinette, keep your back to me but turn towards him just a little bit. Perfect. Now just look like you’re in love, you too.”

Well, at least that wasn’t hard. Not for him, anyway. Luka studied Marinette’s stiff face. “Is she always this enthusiastic?” he asked with a small smile. Marinette giggled and relaxed a little.

“Yes, always,” she told him. “Always, everyday, one hundred percent. That’s Alya.”

“Marinette!” Alya called. “Get up on your toes and kiss his cheek!”

“Alyaaaa,” Marinette grumbled, and then looked up shyly at Luka. “Is that okay?”

“It’s fine with me, but only if you want to, Marinette. The world won’t end if we don’t get that specific shot. Don’t do anything you’re not comfortable with.”

Instead of answering she did as Alya directed, rising up on her toes and barely brushing her lips to Luka’s cheek, pausing there for a moment to give Alya a chance to get the shot, before pulling back. Luka tried not to smile, but didn’t succeed very well. 

Alya squealed when she checked the image and showed it to Juleka, who smirked at Luka, and to Adrien, who nodded approvingly. “Looking good.”

“They should back up a little more, closer to the fountain,” Lila suggested. 

“Great idea,” Alya replied brightly. “Luka, why don’t you get your guitar? Marinette, sit on the edge of the fountain and cross your legs.”

“Wait, let’s make sure it’s not wet first,” Lila said, hurrying forward. “Maybe over here, Marinette, come this way.”

Luka didn’t clearly see what happened, he only saw Marinette pitch forward suddenly. He lunged forward at the same time as Adrien. 

Both of them were too far away. Marientte crashed into the bowl of the fountain with a splash. 

“Oh no, Marinette!” Lila cried, jumping back just in time to avoid the wave of water that slipped over the side of the fountain. “Oh, I should have remembered how clumsy you are, I should never have suggested getting that close! All those outcroppings at the bottom, of course you tripped!” 

Luka stopped short of the bowl of the fountain and leaned over the edge, reaching for Marinette. Adrien hopped right over the edge and waded to her, catching her other arm. Together they hauled the gasping and stunned girl upright and got her seated on the edge.

“Are you all right? Did you hit your head?” Luka asked anxiously. 

“I don’t think so, it was just c-cold,” Marinette stuttered. “It knocked the wind out of me.” 

Adrien didn’t say anything, but the model’s lips were pressed in a thin line as he looked back at Lila. To Luka’s surprise, the girl openly smirked at him. She was too close for any of the girls to see it. 

“Oh, Marinette, is your jacket ruined?” She crooned, pitting her hands to her face.

“No,” Martinette gritted. “I made sure it was washable.” 

“Oh, that’s a relief,” Lila said insincerely as the other girls finally snapped out of their stupor and came running. 

“Oh, Marinette,” Alya sighed. “Girl, what a time to pull a Marinette special. At least we got a few good shots.” She looked at Luka and groaned. “And now you’re wet too. Guess that means it’s time for the wardrobe change.” 

Lila opened her mouth but Adrien cut her off. “Well, I’d say good luck, but I don’t think you need it. The weather’s great for a shoot, just enough clouds to keep the light soft. I hope you get some good shots. We’re due in makeup any minute now, so we better go.” Adrien took Lila’s upper arm and began propelling her away. “Stay confident, Juleka, you look fantastic. I can’t wait to see the pictures, Marinette.” He practically frogmarched Lila back to their waiting photographer across the square. Luka watched them go with a frown. Their whole vibe was just...weird.

“It’s almost golden hour anyway, so this is as good a time as any,” Alya shrugged. “You guys go, I’ll hang out here and wait for you.” She looked over toward the other photoshoot.

Marinette sighed, shoulders slumping. “Sure. But, why don’t we take the camera with us? I’ll go ahead and download a copy of the pictures so we have a backup. You know, in case you need more space or something.” 

Alya raised an eyebrow. “You sure, girl? You’re more likely to drop it in the street by accident. And you’re dripping wet.”

“Rose can carry it!” Marinette declared, looking over to the other photo shoot with narrowed eyes. Alya rolled her eyes.

“You’re paranoid, girl. I don’t know how you’re blaming Lila when we all know you don’t need help to fall in a fountain, but whatever.” She handed over the camera.

Marinette turned towards the rest of the group and pasted on a smile so fake Luka felt physically pained by it. “Okay, my fabulous models, back to the bakery!” She started off without looking back to see if they were following.

Luka hesitated, and then sped his long stride a little bit to catch up with Marinette. She looked up with that fake smile and he winced. “Don’t,” he said, as he put his arm around her shoulders, ignoring how wet she was. He’d already been splashed getting her out, anyway, and she hadn’t freaked out, so presumably the water wouldn’t hurt his clothes. Marinette’s smile dimmed, became a lot smaller but a lot more genuine, and she leaned into him. 

“Sorry,” she sighed.

“It’s okay. Just feel what you need to feel. You don’t have to fake it. So that was Lila, huh?” 

“Yep,” Marinette grumbled. 

“I think you were smart not to leave the camera.”

“Really?” Marinette looked up at him.

“Yeah. I mean, I don’t know the girl, but I don’t like the way she looks at you. And after everything that happened, better safe than sorry.” He bit his lip. “Did she push you in?” he asked very quietly.

“I don’t think so,” Marinette frowned. “It happened so fast. Will you think I’m paranoid if I say I think she planned it either way?” 

“No,” Luka replied grimly. “The look on her face afterward was proof enough.”

“Thanks, Luka,” Marinette sighed. “You don’t know how much it means to me to hear that someone sees what I see.” 

“I saw it. I heard it in every word she said.” Then, hoping to lighten the mood, he asked, “What’s golden hour, by the way?”

“The hour right before sunset has the best light,” she explained. “It’ll make everything look nice and soft for the formal clothes.” 

“But it means we’re on a schedule,” Luka nodded. “Got it. All right then, your dress-up doll awaits.” Marinette snorted and smacked his arm, and he chuckled.

They all trumped up the steps to her loft, Marinette waving off Mrs. Chemg’s confused questions about why her daughter was soaking wet with a “tell you later!”

“You were amazing out there, Juleka,” Marinette, now wearing dry clothes, told her over the screen. “You really showed Lila.”

“I suppose,” Juleka’s subdued voice replied. “It was just...I didn’t like...I mean, she didn’t really say anything bad, but…” There was a long pause. “I just didn’t like it.”

“She was being kind of insensitive,” Rose agreed. “I’m sure she didn’t mean to, but..”

“She meant to,” Luka said flatly, emerging from behind his own screen, straightening the suit jacket. “If I tried to play what was in that girl’s heart this afternoon, it would sound like a horror movie soundtrack. She knows exactly what she’s saying.” He sighed as Marinette and Rose stared at him. “You know I would never tell you who to be friends with, Jule,” he said, addressing himself to the screen, “But if you’re going to keep hanging around with her...well, just be careful. She’s the kind who knows how to hit where it hurts. If she decides you’re not on her side anymore, it won’t be pretty.”

“You...really think she’s that bad?” asked Rose, glancing sideways at Marinette and then back to Luka. 

“Probably not, as long as you’re on her good side.” Luka shrugged. “But she’s definitely not the kind of person I’d want to be friends with.” He spread his hands. “How do I look?”

“Gorgeous,” Marinette answered without thinking, and then blushed deeply as Luka grinned. “I mean, the suit looks perfect on you.”

“You’re spoiling me for regular clothes, you know that, right? Do I need to wear a tie?” He tried really hard not to whine that last bit, but it did come out sounding a little put-upon.

Marinette giggled. “No, I cut the collar to look good without one. We just need to do this--” Marinette unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt and fidgeted with the collar for a moment. “There. Okay, stand back, look relaxed, put your hands in your pockets.” 

Luka did as she asked, and chuckled as she gave a little squeal-hop-wiggle. “It looks so good!”

“Of course it does,” he said warmly. “You do great work, Marinette. Don’t let anybody tell you otherwise.” He looked up as Juleka emerged from behind her screen in a closely fitted dress that flared out from her knees, going to the floor in the back and the middle of her shins in the front, and grinned. “Awesome, Juleka.” 

“I took a chance with this one,” Marinette said critically, circling Juleka. “But I think it worked out. Girly, but edgy. Do you like it, Juleka?” 

“I love it.” Juleka said it in a mumble, but there was a smile on her face as she rotated in front of the mirror. “Awesome.” The snake motif flowed down the lines of her body from her shoulder to the hem. 

“Man, when did you grow up?” Luka asked admiringly, even though he knew she would hit him for it. She did, turning and punching him lightly in the arm.

“We’re only two years apart, weirdo.”

He reached out to ruffle her hair, but stopped himself just in time. The girls had tucked it up into some kind of complicated knot that they probably would have killed him for destroying.

“Let’s go,” Juleka huffed, turning away, but Luka could see she was pleased. 

They made it down the stairs and to the park without incident. Marinette had been right, he realized, the park was filled with soft golden light. Marinette frowned. “Where’s--oh.”

Alya came jogging over from the other shoot, waving. “Hey all, you look great! Let’s do this!”

Marinette showed them another packet of poses and this time it didn’t take nearly as long for them to get relaxed into it. Marinette pulled Luka after they had a few good shots of him and let Juleka take center stage for the rest of the shoot. 

“Look at her,” Luka said softly to Marinette. Thanks so much for doing this, Marinette. I can tell it’s really helping her confidence.”

Marinette squeezed his arm gently. “You’re such a softy of a big brother.” 

Then it was sunset and they all went back to Marinette’s, the models changed back into their regular clothes, and everyone crammed around Marinette’s computer. “Now keep in mind none of these are edited,” Alya warned. “This is just a first look.”

“Tell me if there’s any you really hate and I won’t use them,” Marinette said as Alya loaded the images.

Pride swelled in Luka’s chest as they clicked through the pictures. Juleka was a bit stiff in the first few, but as she got more relaxed the pictures got better and better. The girls squealed and gushed, and he stood with a slow smile spreading over his face. Luka put his hand on Juleka’s shoulder and squeezed. “You look great, Jule,” he said quietly, when there was a pause in Rose’s excited gushing. “I told you you were made for this.” She didn’t say anything, but looking down, he could see the smile curling her lips. “This is...kind of a lot of pictures,” he remarked as the slideshow seemed to go on and on. 

“Thank God for digital,” Alya said brightly, and then Luka couldn’t answer because he was staring at the picture of himself holding Marinette’s hand against his chest, looking down at her with an expression that could best be described as “quietly enamored” as she looked back up at him, the picture of sweetness and innocence. Objectively, it was a good picture, showing off the cut and details of his suit as well as the detailed embroidery on the back of the jacket. They also absolutely looked like a couple. In fact he’d seen engagement photos that looked just like this. He felt Juleka’s elbow dig into his ribs and his face heated at her quiet snicker. 

Luka folded his arms and covered his mouth with one hand as Alya went through the rest of the pictures. Marinette standing on tiptoe to kiss his cheek almost killed him. It was obvious that he was trying not to grin and Marinette had a pretty blush on her face. He hadn’t even noticed at the time that she had lifted one foot off the ground but it made the whole pose even cuter. 

He dared a glance at Marinette and found her peeking through her fingers at him. He bit his lip and tried not to laugh, she looked so cute, sparkling with both amusement and mortification. Both of them shook with repressed laughter as Rose squealed delightedly at each new picture.

“So we can do some editing tomorrow,” Alya said, closing the window. “There should be plenty to work with. I think that turned out pretty well. I gotta jet like now, guys, so I’ll see you tomorrow!” She packed up her things and was gone as the other girls waved.

“I think some of those will be really fantastic for your portfolio, Juleka,” Marinette added. “Thank you so much for coming today.” 

Juleka turned and hugged Marinette, mumbling something in her ear that clearly wasn’t meant for anyone else to catch. Whatever it was made Marinette tear up and squeeze Juleka even harder. Then, to his mild surprise, Juleka turned away from Marinette and hugged him too. “You’re stupid and I hate you,” she muttered into his shoulder. “Thanks for being there with me today.”

“You’re a pest and you exhaust me,” he told her, kissing her forehead. “I wouldn’t have been anywhere else.”

“Can I pleeeeeeeease hug now?” Rose begged, and then jumped on both of them before anyone could answer her. Luka laughed and expanded his embrace to include her. 

“All right, all right, you guys go,” he squeezed them both one more time. “I know you’re dying to gush, so don’t wait for me.”

They didn’t, and he chuckled as they clattered down the stairs, Rose’s squeals audible until they left the house entirely. “Juleka’s going to have hearing damage before Rose is done with her,” Luka observed. 

Marinette sat down in her desk chair with a heavy sigh. “That was fun, but I’m tired.”

“I could hear it, today,” Luka said, sitting down on the chaise and picking up his guitar. Marinette looked up at him. 

“Hear what?”

“M.” 

She brightened and came to sit next to him. “Really?”

“Really. I told you earlier, you were amazing today.” He brushed her bangs back from her forehead and tilted her chin up so he could see her eyes clearly. “I was right. It’s beautiful. I can’t wait to hear more of it. But Juleka said something to me a few days ago and I think she was right too.” Marinette blinked at him and he let his hand fall, still smiling back at her as he continued. “You can get by on your own—“ He played G for her as he’d done before. “But it’s not what makes you happy. M sounds better as a chord.” He played a G major chord. “Now that you’re in tune, maybe the next step is figuring out which other notes need to be in it, and which ones just don’t mesh.”

Marinette sighed. “How can I do that if they’re all out of tune too?” She wrinkled her nose. “This metaphor might be too complicated for me.”

“You're doing fine,” he chuckled, squeezing her shoulder. “You know you can’t control anyone else, Marinette. People will be who they are.”

“But it’s not who they are,” Marinette pouted. “It’s who she wants them to be. That, what you saw out there earlier today, that wasn’t Alya. That wasn’t Adrien.”

Luka hummed thoughtfully. “Well, I can’t really speak to that, I don’t know Alya enough. But, you know, I don’t think people really change that much that fast. Maybe it’s just that, Alya is her best self when she’s with you, and her worst self when she’s around Lila. Selfish people have that effect sometimes. Selfishness feeds selfishness. And as for Adrien...” Luka shook his head, strumming a tune thoughtfully. “I don’t know, there’s something weird going on there. He seemed like he was trying to rein Lila in, but for some reason he was afraid to be too open about it.” He shook his head again. “Really weird. But...try to give him the benefit of the doubt. I think there’s something going on there that we’re not seeing.”

Marinette nodded slowly, and then smiled up at him. “Thanks Luka.” 

“Always, Marinette.”

“So...are you part of my chord, then?”

He smiled down at the strings moving under his hands. “I’d like to be,” he said softly, and then quickly added, “Remember how you felt today. How it feels to be the real you. It’ll help you stay in tune from here.”

“Thanks for doing this, Luka,” Marinette said, as he stopped playing and reluctantly put the guitar back in its case. “It was great you were there for a bunch of reasons, but--I also think it wouldn’t have been as much fun without you. It was great having your support the last few weeks. I really needed it.”

“You know you don’t need any excuse for that, Marinette.” Luka stood up and lifted the strap over his head, settling the case on his back. “Really. I’ve loved spending time with you and I hope we can still hang out.”

“Me too,” she said, cheeks dusting with pink, standing up with him. “Um, and…” She turned away and pulled down the denim jacket she’d hung up to dry. “Alya kind of spoiled the surprise,” Marinette sighed, “And it’s still pretty damp, but, um,” she held out it out to him. “This is for you.”

“For...me?” Luka just stared at her for a moment. “Marinette, I can’t, that must have been so much work. It looked so good on you, you should keep it.” Luka folded his hands over hers and pushed the jacket gently back towards her. 

Marinette pouted. “Luka, I made it for you. I just, I was thinking about you and the idea came to me and I couldn’t not make it for you. You have to take it, I even made it with extra room so you can still wear your hoodie under it. It goes with your guitar. It’ll never suit anybody else as well as it would you.”

“But—” He knew even as he protested that it was futile. He was an artist, too, and he knew exactly what she meant when she said she couldn’t not make it. Sometimes a melody was too perfect and you just couldn’t help but use it. Luka knew he had to take it even before she spoke again.

“Please? I wanted to. I’ll be crushed if you don’t keep it,” Marinette told him, and that was it. Luka sighed and took the jacket from her hands. 

“I love it,” he told her, running his fingers along the embroidery. “I really do. It’s perfect. I...” He shook his head, at a loss for words.

Marinette stepped into him and hugged him, and he wrapped one arm tight around her. “Thanks for everything, Luka.”

“I didn’t do much. Certainly not compared to this, and painting my guitar, and taking me to the awards gala, and letting me wear the suit you made.”

“Yeah, you did,” Marinette muttered into his shoulder. “You just don’t know it. You don’t know what it’s meant for me, these past few weeks. Maybe I would have made it through without you, but probably not nearly as well." 

“Marinette…”

“I’m glad you’re part of my chord, Luka.”

Luka knew it was a bad idea even as his hand curled behind her neck, tilting her face up, and he called himself six kinds of idiot in his head as he kissed her. But when her mouth came alive under his and they moved softly together, it didn’t feel like a bad idea at all. It felt like heaven, like the cure for homesickness, like the bridge of a love song. 

Love. She loved someone else. He pulled away, already missing her, hating how much he loved the delicate little noise their lips made when they parted. “Thank you,” he said into the space between them, taking a shaky breath. He cleared his throat as he straightened, dropping his hand. “And...sorry. That one was on me. I know I said we shouldn’t, but...I don’t know how else to tell you how much this means to me, Marinette. I’ll treasure it, really.”

“As long as you wear it,” Marinette said a little breathlessly, smiling softly. “Don’t treasure it in the back of the closet.”

“I don’t know how I’ll be able to wear anything else,” Luka said honestly. 

Marinette licked her lips nervously, eyes flicking away and back to his, hands tightening on his almost painfully. “Luka, I—“ 

“I should go,” he muttered, prying his hands away, not wanting to hear another apology. He saw her concerned face and smiled. “It’s—“ He didn’t want to lie to her. “I’ll be okay. I’m just a little overwhelmed and I really need to go now, okay?” 

He turned and walked blindly until he was out of sight, and then slumped against a tree and closed his eyes, irrationally angry. How many times could two people kiss before they admitted they were more than friends? He wanted to kiss her and she wanted to kiss him and why, why couldn’t it just be that simple?

Because attraction isn’t love, Luka reminded himself, and just because his reactions were driven by his emotions didn’t mean it was the same for her. She didn’t have to be in love with him to be attracted to him, to enjoy kissing him, and if he was hurting right now it was his own fault for kissing her when he knew better. He wanted something so much deeper than that with her. She has every right to want someone else. She trusted me when I said I can handle it.

We’ll both be crushed if it turns out I can’t.

He shook his head and started for home, determined to find some kind of balance within himself. Luka saw a lot of meditation in his future.

[praphit]

BAMFs of 2019

Here's last year’s CHAMP -

THANOS

(Thanos: ”WTF did you just say?” #Mood)

Let's see if he made it back.

But, first, let’s take a look at some honorable mentions, as well as some people who were trying too hard:

Rey - 

Of course she is a total BAMF. So, why isn't she on this list? 3 REASONS: 1) She looks like a racist ex that I once dated. How can someone who decided to date you (a black man) be racist? Did y'all see the movie "Get Out"? You didn't know that the story was based off one of my relationships did you? So, yeah, she ain't ever gettin on this list.

2) The force is cheating - their I said it.

3) This last movie sucked. This rap she did didn't help her cause.

ALSO - there’s this - her rapping. I repeat, she ain’t ever getting on this list.

Nic Cage - cuz he's Nic bleepin Cage

Cardi B - cuz she’s Cardi bleepin B

Hooded Justice - if only he had been in more episodes. A black man disguising himself in a hood, as well as white, to fight evil in his neighborhood, that the police force (of which he is a part of) refuses to stop. Hell yeah! I love "Watchmen".

Lupita! - her brilliantly scary performance in "Us" is def BAMF material.

The Rock - honestly, The Rock is so awesome, and has been for so long, that he needs to be extra awesome to make it.

Trying too Hard. Please STOP:

Batwoman -

I like Ruby, but she's like an elf. She's an elf model. It's not bad to be an elf model, but... If a villain in Gotham, let's say "Bane" 

has me cornered, and Batwoman shows up to "rescue me", Imma start praying. He'd swing her around by that red hair of hers until her head pops off.

Rambo - He’s like 80! C’mon, Sly. Please STOP.

Dark Phoenix - a movie about her temper tantrum 

Joker -

 - not with all of that awkward dancing he was doing

NOW, finally, the top Bad Ass Muthas of 2019!

12) Greta - 

Say what you will about climate change, but you can't deny her passion and dedication, and how inspiring it is (unless you're Prez Trump or Fox News) to see and hear a kid like her do her thing. I admit that her winning the honor of "Person of the Year" is too much. But, we all wish our kids would be this dedicated to what they believe is positive change. Plus, she has a kickass soundtrack. Gets me hyped every time!

11) Dave Chappelle

Back in the day, comedians used to be brought on stage, tasked with the difficult job of making a room full of different types of people laugh. Now, it's not just about the job of jokes, but you have to do so without offending anyone, and with clean living. When did we start holding a comedian's behavior to a higher standard than we do elected officials? Dave saw this, and kept doing what made him popular anyway. In a world where most comedians are running scared from difficult topics, Dave plunges right in. BAD ASS. 

10) Linda Hamilton - 

Old as bleep! We have what's-her-face here, 

who is kinda badass herself, but despite being a badass cyborg (or whatever the hell she is), she still felt the need to ask for help from Linda bleepin Hamilton. LH traded her Hospice bingo card in for some guns and went to town on some machines! It'd be like if your home was being surrounded by aliens, and despite you having some fire power in your home and 911 at your disposal, everyone's first thought is to call grandma. That'd have to be one BAMF of a granny!

9) Masvidal - 

Allow me to describe this brotha to y'all who might not know.

Some guy was talkin smack to Masvidal, and that guy got kneed in the face by Masvidal (fastest knock out in UFC history = 5 secs). Some guy was arrogant enough to say he was the baddest mofo around, and Masvidal scheduled a fight with this dude for a literal baddest mofo around belt. Plus, that same night of the fight, when he was talking to the media after he had won, he started mocking Conor McGregor, talkin bout Conor don't want none of this. He was talking trash, publicly, about Conor, while people were feeding him pizza. BADASS!

If there is ever a fork in the road, and on one side you see The Rock, Jason Statham, and Will Smith chasing after you, and the other you have Masvidal sitting down, eating a slice of pizza, you had better take your chances with the three action heroes over this BAMF.

8) Nunes - 

If you don't know who she is, I wouldn't be surprised. The UFC botched her marketing before and after she fought and beat (badly) Ronda Rousey - yeah, RONDA ROUSEY; remember her? Nunes pretty much ended her career.

The UFC was so certain that Ronda was going to win, and so shocked when she lost, that they missed an opp to get behind a fighter who is better than Ronda (though mad respect for Ronda), and is currently holding TWO belts (first woman to do so). ALSO, she's the first openly gay UFC champ in history. She's so sweet too! - well, unless you're locked in the octagon with her, then she turns into a werewolf.

7) MANDO

I don't know about you, but all of this talk of teamwork from comic book movies can be a bit tiresome. The Avengers, The Justice League, The X-Men. Everybody wants to form a band. What happened to solo acts? What happened to lone rangers? People may say "There's no I in TEAM." Yeah, that's the prob! What about I?! Sometimes, you're Justin Timberlake, and the rest of the group is simply holding you back. That's Mando. He's Disney's updated (non-racist, unless you’re talkin drones) Lone Ranger. He doesn't need teamwork (maybe a weekly cameo, and a baby tag-along, but that's it!). He has beaten up gangs of robots, burnt people up, taken people out Jason Voorhees style, cut people in half, blown people up, blown off heads, BUT because it's Disney, we haven't seen any of that good stuff. He'd be higher on this list if they gave my man an R-rating.

6) Capt Marvel -

Captain Marvel is definitely the most powerful person on this list. She is probably also the fiercest person on this list. In Endgame, when she saw her black daddy (Nick Fury) on the screen, talkin bout Thanos snapped him away, and then something snapped inside of her, and she said "I'm going to go kill that mofo." The Avengers accompanied her, but I don't think she would have needed their help. She didn't really need their help in the final showdown with Thanos. He threw her aside, but you know she was coming back, until Tony got in her way. She is so fiery that it wouldn't surprise me if in her sequel, she goes back in time in order to rematch Thanos by herself, to prove her dominance. The reason that she's not higher on the list is because she's so damned destructive. She's just like The Hulk in the fact that she shows up to destroy everything. Now, she's a lot more focused than The Hulk, but she's so powerful that she does more damage. And she doesn't have much of a personality (so far), so it's hard to gauge her badassery of attitude, you know?? Like, if you're a villain, and you get in the way of a gorilla, that gorilla will destroy you in a very spectacularly badass way, but... it's a gorilla, you know??

I’M NOT CALLING HER A GORILLA. Don’t go snitching on me to her.

I just don’t know if she’s a hero or simply has anger management issues. Is she badass or too powerful not to do badass things?

Either way, RESPECT... or she'll come for that ass.

TIME FOR A BREAK - 

Let’s break from all of this badassery with some cuteness

Look how cute it is - I CAN’T TAKE IT!

Ok, back to action.

5) Iron Man - 

Look, Iron-Man started this shit! Who knows what would have become of the MCU had Robert Downey Jr. blew it. Tony Stark assembled the team (granted, he was partly the reason for the break-up), he gave us Spider-Man (with that suit) (he also gave us Ultron, but let's not get bogged down with details), he held his own against Thanos in "Infinity War",

Dr. Strange thought HIM worthy of saving, and no way time travel would have worked in "Endgame" without him. Plus, in the very end, he out-smarted Thanos, and countered Thanos' one-liner ("I am inevitable.") with his own ("And I... [five minutes later - I swear that's what it felt like] am Iron-Man.").

Paid the ultimate sacrifice. Hell yeah, he's on this list. I felt kinda bad for his wife. After IM3, she was barely around. And when Tony died, she was barely comforted... cuz nobody knew her. Oh, well.. she be aiight.

4) Thanos - 

This dude saw his demise coming, and still went straight ahead towards the foes who cut his head off. BADASS! He was exceptionally crafty in playing The Avengers and blowing up their base. Then, he was just sitting around waiting for the main Avengers (Capt, Iron, and Fat Thor). He wanted to gloat a bit first. BADASS! And had Gamora not betrayed him, and had given him the gaunlet, he would have beaten The Avengers AGAIN!

He even died with a cool pose (he took a knee and got his "Thinking Man" on). BADASS!

3) Arya Stark - 

This young lady scared the bleep out of me. She has my fear AND respect. I was actually scared for whomever her current target was... I was like "Run, fool! She gonna get ya! Damn, Arya, you didn't have to do them like that!"

Now, I know I talked about Ruby Rose being a ridiculous choice for Batwoman, but if Arya Stark left on a voyage to Gotham and became Batwoman, I'd buy that. I can see her killing Bane very slowly. This woman is a frickin psychopath, and I love it. She's fearless! She also went up against the top cheese of the white walkers. Y'all remember that badass move she had at the end!

YES! I only wish she had said something cool when she took him out, like... "You've been Starked." No, that's terrible, but something like that. I wish she was the one sitting on the throne, but they... you know... did what they did.

2) Capt America - 

I think that it's fair to say that Capt America was the rock of The Avengers After the snap, he was the only one to keep his shit together; he actually worked to help others keep their shit together.

Meanwhile, Widow is crying in the dark every night while having a PB sandwich and bourbon dinner. And she just gave up on her hair.

Thor became an alcoholic.

And you could say Hulk was ok, but... was he?

I mean, that ain't right. This is avoidance behavior if I've ever seen it.

But, Capt kept it together. Then, that fight with Thanos at the end was one of, if not THE best one on one fight of the series. Using both Thor weapons, meaning he was both badass on a fighting level and a righteousness level - which ain't easy to accomplish. And when he straped tight his shield in that trailer, and gritted his teeth - hell yeah!

Chills. Capt to Thanos: You motha bleeper"

1) John Wick - 

Three movies with no time in-between to shower, sleep, take a piss, brush his teeth, NOTHING! His life for the last few years (it seems like) has been running, lurking, hiding, beating ass.. and beating ass some more. Lord knows what this dude's kill count is up to. His nickname is "Baba Yaga" Have y'all seen what the actual Baba Yaga looks like?

Terrifying. And yet, not as terrifying as John Wick when he's angry at you.

The amount of endurance and focus that has gone into this long stint of murdering (only fueled by rage and a few shots of bourbon from time to time) is uncanny.

In JW3 he makes a guy eat a book (imagine what must be done to a person's jaw for that to happen), he gets shot, stabbed, hit my two cars (seconds within each other)... Nah, y'all ain't hear me! TWO CARS! The people in the cars were trying to kill him! He fought two super ninjas - like IP Man caliber, he beat up an army of soldiers, crawled through a desert, got shot by a friend who betrayed him, fell off of a building (bouncing around a few times before hitting the pavement), and was somehow still good to schedule a fourth movie after all of that - which I assume will pickup right there.

He doesn't have any superpowers (though you wouldn't know), but his tenacity is to be envied, and outdoes everyone else's on this list.

BAMF!!!

[wooowon]

for all the times ➳ hwang hyunjin

genre: fluff, angst, high school! au

pairing: hyunjin x reader

description: hyunjin, being the whole visual who is also the classroom's escort, was selected to be a contestant of mr. sopa and sadly, his partner wasn't you.

you just stared at the classroom wall in wonder while your boyfriend of 2 years, hwang hyunjin, the homeroom escort stood at the front, hands behind his back as he chews his bottom lip nervously.

he was chosen to participate in the upcoming event during the school festival tomorrow and he had stood at the front along with yuqi, a chinese exchange student who is excellent in korean, (sometimes, you wonder if she is even chinese) to represent your room and for the teacher to announce why they had to leave the room for they had to practice catwalking outside.

you weren't sad that you were not his partner but you were insecure. there were so many girls who were different from you, pretty and skinny girls who desrved hyunjin. you were just an average girl who had the right curves at the right parts with long straight hair and milky white skin, yet you felt insecure because there's a vast ocean of beautiful girls, afraid that hyunjin would leave you for one of them.

hyunjin no longer payed attention to chewing his bottom lip as he looks around for you, only to find that you're staring at space with your jaw cradled by your hand. he looks confused as he thinks of the many possibilities you could be thinking of, 'is she hungry? or sleepy? or tired?' he just shrugged it off, thinking that you just wanted the day to end so you could play with kkami after class since you've been whining that haven't seen kkami the whole weekend.

after what seemed like 1 a year, both of them finally returned to their seats. hyunjin takes a seat beside you as you still space out, when you hear the metal chair scrape the floor you are immediately out of your trance as you try to avoid hyunjin's stares and glances by pretending to be sleeping.

"i know you're faking it, princess. what were you thinking about that you were startled by the sound of my chair?" he, too lays his head facing you.

"why aren't you outside yet? didn't mr. yoo say you guys had to practice?" you ask rather harshly. you didn't mean it to sound harsh but you were just mad at yourself for being insecure. hyunjin had always caught you crying, heard you say that you weren't worthy of having him as a boyfriend since few people kept on going about why hyunjin even decided to have you instead of other girls. he always told you to not feel that you weren't deserving of him because you do deserve him, so it made you feel bad to just disregard his words.

"oh yeah, i just wanted to check on you. i'll see you at lunch, baby." he leans closer to your figure and kisses your cheek, his lips on your right cheek has you burning because he decided to make your heart palpitate for staying there for a minute while stroking your hair. after a minute, he kisses your forehead and goes away to the door.

2 years and he never fails to make your heart beat fast. throughout your relationship, he never actually got to kiss your lips, there were forehead pecks and cheek kisses but it was only up to there. he was intimate with you rather, backhugging and cuddling were his favorites because he took advantage of your height. he could easily spoon you and you found it cute that yesterday, instead of his arm being around your shoulder for a movie marathon, he wanted you to spoon him so you ended up with his arms around your waist, his head on your shoulder, peppering kisses on your exposed skin through your worn-out grey sweater to which he pulled down.

he was a perfect boyfriend, a fluffy big baby who always took candid photos of you with his camera and someone who'd hold onto you pinky while you guys sneaked out at night to watch the stars, someone who'd stay at night with you, comforting you when lightning strikes as you snuggle closer to his chest, taking a waft of his cologne which smelled heavenly on him, much like his face. he was someone you never thought you'd have which you thought would only occur in your dreams. all of it made you think whether you deserve him or not.

[the next day]

cheers erupted from girls behind as hyunjin walked the runway, wearing a white turtleneck underneath a black jean jacket with light blue denim jeans as his blonde hair was parted. you smiled, thinking that he looked good and could be scouted for a model as he posed at front edge of the stage, looking for you at the crowd and winking at you.

you blushed madly while the girls behind you screamed much louder, "hyunjin winked at me! he winked at me!" she shooked her friend as her friend scoffed, "stop being delusional, he winked at his girlfriend in front of us, he may be handsome but he has no taste for women. he could easily have bae joohyun-sunbaenim or hwang yeji but he chose an ugly duckling. she doesn't deserve him." the girl snorted as she laughed while you felt tears blur your vision as you look down, overhearing their conversation hurt and what hurt even more was that it was true.

[backstage]

hyunjin bows at other contestants as he was the first to finish changing into summer wear, a white shirt underneath a blue polo with white flowers and white shorts with black sandals. his blonde hair parted at the side while he stood where they woukd be going out of, looking for you.

wheb he finally got ahold of your figure, he noticed that you had your head down and you were trembling, your back moving up and down slightly. 'is she crying?' it took him just 5 minutes to find the cause. the girls behind you were holding up their middle finger without you noticing and mocked you by purposely kicking your chair.

this made him furious. what were their rights to even do that to you? he knew about you being insecure and was confused why. he told you that you were his life and as cringy as it sounds, he didn't want to live life without you in it. he had always thought that you looked like a goddess who fell from the heavens, everytime you tucked a stray hair behind your ear he would always find himself staring while his inner self told him that you were a pure goddess. you were so attractive in so many ways, a straight a's student who'd always top the rankings and a girl who loved music, someone who had the most captivating smile and honey-sweet voice. you weren't a replica of a goddess but you were one. one of the perfect people who made him fall head over heels inlove with.

he wondered whether they were degrading you or talked about harsh things about you. it made him want to forfeit from the competition so that he could run to you and hug you tightly, whispering 'you'll be okay' while stroking your hair.

he made his way to the teacher in charge with clenched fists. "can i forfeit? i really need to go to my girlfriend who's crying and i'm worried that she might faint since she has breathing problems because of the enclosed space and loud screams."

"i'm sorry mr. hwang but we can't let you forfeit, that's against the rules since the show has started. if you forfeit you'll have minus points and a 2 day suspension for breaking a major rule and also refusing to represent your class." the teacher said as hyunjin sighed deeply. he didn't want to waste a day of school which makes him see you, his ethereal girlfriend. he uttered a thank you to the teacher and tapped his shoes on the worriedly while biting his nails.

he wanted the show to end quickly so that he'll engulf you in a hug, comforting you.

[after few hours]

when the show ended, you had puffy and red eyes. you wanted nothing else than to run into hyunjin's arms. he had won the title of mr. sopa while you smiled weakly, proud at your boyfriend.

you sat there while trying to calm your breathing. there were only few people left snd the participants, taking pictures with each other or other students. when you stood up and walked to the door, halfway towards the door a hand pulled you and you collided into someone's chest, his hands engulfing your waist. your first instinct was to push the man away but when his cologne took place in your nostrils and wrapped your arms around him and buried your head in his chest. your eyes watered for the nth time and started sobbing into hyunjin's chest while hyunjin stroked your hair and whispered comforting things to you, all the while kissing your head.

he pulled away for what seemed like 10 minutes and placed his hands on you cheeks, his thumbs wiping away your tears and kissed your tears away.

"baby, why are you crying?" he asks as you hold his hands that were on your cheeks.

"they- they said that- i- i don't- hicc deserve you- hicc, because i'm- hicc ugly and i am- hicc i don't deserve you- hicc." you sob as you manage to spurt out a sentence.

"princess, you do deserve me. i'm not perfect you know and i just want you to know that i love you so much. don't listen to what they say and just think of what i'd feel if i knew you're hurt. i'd also feel hurt, more hurt than you are." he says as he feels tears sting his eyes, tearing due to the fact that you've been feeling hurt all this time because of harsh words that aren't true at all.

"you could easily have joohyun-sunbaenim or- hicc yeji but- hicc why did you choose me?" you choke out, slightly calming down as hyunjin pulls you closer and keeps his hands on either side of your cheeks.

"i chose you because you're you. i love you because you're not like them, because you're unique and perfect in my eyes. can't you see what i see in you, babygirl? i see perfection in you and i never once regretted that i fell inlove with you. i wish that you'd think what i see of you, princess. i'm hurt because you think so lowly of yourself. that you have such low self-esteem and confidence in yourself. you're perfect, baby. don't ever think that you're even of the same rank as them because you're way much more than that." hyunjin says as his tears flow down, pulling you again in a hug and strokes your hair, calming you down.

he pulls away and once again cradles you face with his hands, "you're so beautiful, babygirl." he says with much affection as he leans closer, staring at your lips.

when you feel his lips touch yours, you wrap your arms around his neck and pull him closer. by now, no space is left hanging and you've eliminated all the space between you two. his mouth opens under yours as his left hand wraps around your waist whilst his right gently cups your neck, tilting his head for a comfortable angle. you're addicted to the taste of his lips, intoxicated by the feeling of his lips colliding with yours. you crave more of him and as if he read your mind, he licks your lips, signalling you to open it to which you do, as your tongues fight for dominance. he pulls you even closer as he deepens the kiss, he lightly bites your lip as he pulls away, almost losing self control when he hears you whimper.

breathing heavily, he stares at you with so much love and adoration, "promise me that you'll never say that you don't deserve me or ever think that you're hideous."

feeling euphoria wash over you, you smile at him genuinely, thankful for having him as the love of your life, "i promise."

[midorichan10]

KnB Stageplay Ultimate Blaze Report (5/5, 5/11, 5/19 Livestream)

Okay I know I said I’d do my report after my second viewing on the 11th but then the finale was on the 19th so I thought I’d wait til then so it’d be easier to remember everything. A 3.5 hour play is super long....

So I watched the play live on the 5th and 11th, and the finale on livestream on the 19th. This is the very last Kurosute ever...Thank you Kurosute for 4 years of wonderful casting and performances. I also want to thank Ono Kensho for once again doing an outstanding job of his role as Kuroko. 

FYI, for those who also watched the livestream or plan to purchase the delayed stream, sharing pictures/screenshots or clips in public is prohibited. As such, I will not have any pictures included in this report. Please support the franchise by purchasing the DVD or Blu-Ray.

Major spoilers ahead. Proceed if you only wish to be spoiled. Again, this was a 3.5 hour play so this is VERY, VERY, long. 

EDIT: This took me two days to type out ORZ

Before the play starts, Tsuchida’s actor has a voice over on the intercom about stageplay rules and manners. Turn off/mute your phone, no recording, etc. It’s nice that they had him still do his rules even though he wasn’t in the play. ;w; 

The play opens up with the Yosen and Seirin scoreboard and Haizaki walking in the audience

Haizaki goes up to a random girl in the audience and flirts with her asking for her phone number.

On the show on the 5th the girl just tried to ignore him lmao

Kagami walks on stage and sees him and calls him out. Haizaki then confronts him saying he beat Mukkun and taunts him until a ball is thrown from the side at him. Kise comes on stage and the whole Haizaki and Kise bickering proceeds. 

Haizaki gets REALLY close to Kise like literally breathing down the neck kind of close. How Mario didn’t flinch is beyond me. 

Kagami learns that Kise has never beaten Haizaki, and eventually Haizaki leaves. Kise tells Kagami to leave Haizaki up to him.

Kise leaves and Kuroko comes on, using misdirection on Kagami. Kagami asks Kuroko who Haizaki is and that he’s met him. Kuroko explains he’s a former teammate but that he was still a regular so regardless he’s a strong player. Hyuuga and Seirin come telling them off and says they’re going to watch the first quarterfinal match of Kaijou vs Fukuda Sougo.

The opening song for this play’s dance is “Memories.” Personally this is my favorite one so far. I think I have the team order for this correctly...

Opens up with Seirin then switches to Kaijou proceeded by Shuutoku. Then there’s a Kaijou Shuutoku and Haizaki segment.

I just want to say how good Haizaki’s actor is and how his moves were so appropriate as Haizaki....wow

Seirin comes back on for a bit then exits with Aomine and Momoi taking over. 

Oh, for the 5th I had Airi (new Momoi) and 11th and 19th were Arisa (original Momoi)

Mukkun does his own dancing segment between Aomine and Momoi

for the 19th finale he danced with a lollipop in his mouth. Isnt’ that dangerous? Lol

Akashi comes out with his jacket on his shoulders to the front of the stage, Then quickly takes it off and runs back. Rakuzan then dances in the front (without Akashi) and Seirin joins back on. 

For the instrumental intermission, Kuroko goes to the center and each of the GoM come out and then surround him and do a short dance ending with a dance motion of their signature move/pose. 

GoM exit and Kuroko watches Akashi run off  (who went directly back) with a pained face, and Ogiwara runs out all smiley (seriously protect this boy he’s so pure) . Ogiwara runs off to the side and Kuroko chases after him. As Kuroko still looks pained, Kagami comes out on the other side and the two walk towards the center and meet in a fist bump. 

The last chorus everyone (except Ogiwara) comes out. (Yes, including Mayuzumi). The song ends with each team forming a group pose (Except Rakuzan, Mayuzumi runs off before they form a pose)

All the other teams run off leaving Seirin left, and the senpais then exit leaving only Kuroko and Kagami to do one last running motion as the display title falls on the back. The two of them fist bump again as the title falls. 

The play resumes with the match against Kaijou and Fukuda already starting. There are two other members on Fukuda besides Haizaki (apparently they are Ogiwara and Mayuzumi’s actors in black wigs hahahaha)

As always, the match more or less follows the manga/anime so I’ll leave out most of the story details. Most of it is gameplay anyway.

In this play, they’ve really incorporated more ball handling, aka using the real ball. 

Seirin is watching in the back. At some point Aomine and Momoi join in to watch. (I can’t remember if Mukkun joins in to watch here or later...I’m almost certain he joins later)

After the match with Kaijou’s victory, Kise limps off with his injured leg. Then Haizaki walks back on stage, looking for Kise. Aomine sees him and tells him Kise hasn’t come out yet from the stadium. The two have their argument and Haizaki tries to punch Aomine but Aomine beats him too it. Aomine always says some sort of variation of “Oops..I did it....Eh, he’ll be fine”

Scene changes to Kagami calling someone, which is revealed to be Kuroko, saying his shoes broke. Kuroko replies how his feet are unnecessarily big (Kagami: OI!!). Kuroko says he’ll have to call ‘that person.’

‘That person’ is revealed to be Momoi as she runs up and gives Kuroko a tight hug. She tells Kagami that Aomine will give him one of his many shoes and that Kagami’s the type that wears by model rather than care for color.

As Aomine and Kagami are playing basketball in the back (Aomine lecturing him) , Momoi tells Kuroko about Aomine punching Haizaki.

Aomine finishes the quick game and convinces Kagami to accept the shoes.

The scene ends with Kagami and Aomine stupidly arguing and Momoi and Kuroko are literally dragging them off the stage. 

For the May 5th show, they just literally drag them off

For the  May 11th and 19th, Kuroko jabs Kagami in the stomach and pushes him off as Momoi pulls Aomine off.

Midorima walks on stage prepared for the semifinals.

His lucky item is a giant shogi piece

The rest of Shuutoku join him and the senpai question why the shogi piece is so big. Miyaji asks Midorima what rank is Cancer that day and he says 2nd and he gets mad. Takao says Midorima is never wrong with Oha Asa but Miyaji asks  for a pineapple from Kimura (off stage) anyway. 

Shuutoku is introduced as the first team of the semifinals with Rakuzan following (except Mayuzumi). 

Seirin is in the back again and Hyuuga explains how the other Uncrowned Kings are in Rakuzan with Akashi.

The Shuutoku supporters are ‘jacket mob’ actors which are Haizaki and Kaijou

Haizaki’s actor kept dancing around with Mario.....

Ogiwara’s actor is the referee for this match.

Again , more gameplay here. For the actual story read the manga or watch the anime. 

For the May 11th show, there were a lot of ball handling errors here. 

Otsubo was supposed to pass a ball to Midorima but Nebuya accidentally caught it instead, so he quickly passed it back to Otsubo who passed it to Midorima again.

Midorima ‘shot’ the ball but the ball bounced against a railing and into the audience. It was during the part where he and Takao do the miracle shot. In the script, the senpais pat and hug Midorima and Takao for pulling off the play anyway but for this show they gave Midorima extra hugs and paps for the mistake. How sweet. 

One of Reo’s shots also bounced against a railing but it was towards the back so the ball just rolled behind the front fence

Akashi uses a real ball for his Ankle Break. He dribbles the ball around his legs and finishes with the ball going between his legs and catches it. I’ve never seen him mess up nor seen any reports of him doing so.

Mukkun joins Aomine and Momoi in watching the match. 

During Hayama’s speed dribble, everyone who is watching ‘shakes’ to the vibration. I don’t know whose idea it was but Mukkun excessively shakes to the point he looks like he’s being electrocuted or something haha. Oh yeah, he’s eating Pocky in this match, real Pocky. 

Mayuzumi was out most of the match but occasionally you see him run past between the main fence as he ‘passes’ the ball to Akashi.

When Shuutoku loses, Takao and Midorima are crying real tears. For the finale, everyone was crying...

The scene immediately changes to playing Punky Funky Love and Kaijo senpais practicing. Talk about a mood change. I was still crying over Midorima crying....

It’s a flashback of when Kise joins Kaijou and Kasamatsu explaining how the senpai have worked longer than him. 

Just as Kise leaves, Kuroko and Kagami join the stage and they make eye contact with each other.

Of course as usual, before a break there is the Kagami vs Kuroko janken game. Usually involving Kuroko asking for a longer break and him mostly losing. For this break, it was 10 minutes. 

May 5th janken- Kuroko tells Kagami that ten minutes is fine, much to Kagami’s surprise. Instead, Kuroko wagers that if he wins, Kagami must treat him to this fancy eel later. Kuroko wins and Onoken posts on Twitter that Yuya did indeed buy him the eel lmao

May 11th janken-Kuroko again tells Kagami that a ten minute break is fine. This time if he wins, he’ll switch to speaking ‘tameguchi’ which is using the casual form of Japanese (like basically everyone else, aka not using ‘desu/masu’). He actually switches to ‘tameguchi’ as he’s talking to Kagami, and Kagami’s trying his best not to laugh. At some point he says it’s annoying haha. Kagami wins so Kuroko’s like ‘well I guess I’m not speaking in ‘tameguchi’

May 19th- it’s their last time to do janken so Kuroko suggests that this time they just play janken for the heck of it. Kagami’s surprised but goes with it. Kuroko wins to his delight, but Kagami being stubborn begs for one more chance. Kuroko allows it, and they have one more match. Kagami wins and Kuroko kneels in defeat. 

Other adlibs I’ve heard were Kuroko asking Kagami to buy him boba tea, and the usual longer breaks like 3 hours. 

The second chapter opens with one of the ‘jacket mob people’ making sure the audience’s phones are off. The rest of the jacket mobs come out holding various items, such as a camera, cheering horns, towels, and one member has a corndog.......

These are the Shuutoku+Haizaki and Rakuzan actors. 

Akashi was the smallest one with the camera on the Rakuzan side. Also he just had Yohchans body structure anyway I mean-no

The corndog guy was on the Shuutoku+Haizaki side, I’m not sure which it was since it was harder to tell who was who (except Takao)

Seirin and Kaijou are introduced and the second semifinal match begins

May 11-Another mistake in this match. Kise jumps to knock a ball out of someone’s hand from Seirin, but the ball hits a railing and bounces back onto the court so Hayakawa quickly picks it up and throws it off stage

May 11- Kise shoots the ball but either doesn’t put enough power into it or shoots in the wrong curtain so the ball ended up going to Kiyoshi who was just coming out from the side. 

The jacket mob members act as the ‘fans’ in the stands. Both support Kaijou at first then Rakuzan cheers for Seirin and Shuutoku+Haizaki for Kise.

For Kagami’s line “This is our drama!” Hyuuga and Kuroko had the most outstanding ‘wtf’ faces

When Kagami said it, he puts his hand and fists together. So Izuki repeats him and continuously punches his hand like a bodybuilder. 

Hyuuga taunts Kiyoshi with the “Iron Heart” nickname. For the finale he gets everyone in the audience to chant “Iron Heart” with him and Kiyoshi gets mad, “EVEN IF ITS YOU OR THE AUDIENCE I’LL GET MAD AT YOU GUYS!”

When Kaijou loses, Kise cries real tears, every time when he says he wanted to win with everyone. 

For the finale, the other members of Kaijou are seen crying too when they lose...

After Kaijou walks off stage with Kise crying, Seirin comment how they made it to the finals and look at the scoreboard which has now changed to Seirin vs Rakuzan.

Kagami walks on stage noticing his necklace is missing. He starts to look for it and Midorima walks on with his giant shogi piece with the necklace. After he gives it back to Kagami, Kuroko walks on with Takao following. 

As Kuroko and Takao are talking, Kagami and Midorima are talking (whispering) to each other. Usually it’s about Kagami pointing out Midorima’s shogi piece and for the May 5th show he even tried to take it much to Midorima’s displeasure. 

Midorima tells Takao they’re leaving before telling Kagami there’s two Akashi and tells him to ask Kuroko about it. 

Here some really dark music plays and I wish they had a soundtrack for this play.....because wow I got chills

Kuroko tells Kagami that he’ll explain what Midorima meant by the ‘two Akashi’s’ by telling everyone about ‘our past’ 

At this moment, the instrumental for the Teiko ending song, Ambivalence, plays and Ogiwara runs out (Kagami exits and Kuroko moves so he’s behind Ogiwara who’s facing us). Ogiwara then says “Are you alone? I’m Ogiwara Shigehiro! Let’s play basketball together!” and the stage fades into darkness. This marks the end of chapter 2 and a 15 minute break before the last chapter of the play. During the break the instrumental for Ambivalence is still playing so we’re all just preparing ourselves for the feels.

*Note: The Teiko arc is briefly covered in the play, but the actual arc itself is  covered in the Teiko Reading screening which was available to stream online and in select theaters before the play, including scenes with Nijimura and Coach Sanada. The Teiko Reading only goes up to right before the match between Teiko and Meiko. The play covers highlights of the Teiko arc and the Teiko vs Meiko match.  For those who were unable to watch the Teiko Reading, it’ll be included in the Ultimate Blaze DVD/Blu-Ray.

The third chapter opens up with Ogiwara and Kuroko playing basketball together and Ogiwara confessing that he’ll be moving. The two promise to play against each other in junior high school.

Kuroko explains how by second year, he had moved up to the regulars and he and Ogiwara keep in contact with each other.

Each of the GoM come out in their Teiko practice shirts (and colorful shorts....)

Mukkun had red shorts and Kise had neon green.......

For every other GoM member, they had a dramatic DON! when they appeared. For Kise, he had a super *SPARKLE” effect as he did a double peace sign and smiled.  Kuroko comes out last and his is his ‘misdirection’ sound effect that is often used in the play for him. 

Oh yeah, Momoi is here too as she watches over them/Aomine. 

The Teiko members do some practicing.

Akashi (who is receiving the passes from someone off stage) passes the ball to the rest of the members on stage. 

The scene shows how Kuroko and Aomine work well together.

The scene changes and Kuroko narrates how Aomine has started missing practice. They discuss that maybe he had a valid reason and then the stage darkens to just Kuroko who confirms that the reason for Aomine’s absence was that he was ditching. He calls Ogiwara for advice, who said that Aomine is different from Haizaki in which he actually enjoys basketball and the problem is because he likes basketball. He tells Kuroko that since Aomine helped him, Kuroko needs to be there for Aomine. 

Aomine comes on in his Teiko jersey, having regained his happiness with Momoi watching. However the other players give up and he in turn gives up playing his hardest. (there’s no players on the stage but  you have the image based on the sound effects). Kuroko walks on smiling for a fistbump but Aomine walks away saying his “The only one who can beat me is me’ line. 

Kuroko gets a call from Ogiwara later saying that he lost in the first round, and that their promise will have to wait til next year. 

For the finale, Ogiwara was almost crying, or he was crying....save this boy please. 

Kuroko and Momoi talk about Aomine, making no progress. And Momoi asks him if they’ll always be together, in which Kuroko is hesitant to answer.

Slowly, the other GOM members (minus Akashi) slowly realize their abilities. 

Mukkun with his ability to block, Midorima with his ability to shoot.

Kuroko then finds Aomine by the river, and the whole “I don’t remember how to receive your passes” scene plays out. 

Aomine’s face looks so pained here /cries.

Back at the gym, the rest of the GOM are wondering about Coach Sanada’s approval of Aomine ditching practice, and Mukkun wants to ditch too. Akashi tells him that’s not allowed and the Mukkun vs. Akashi match starts with Bokushi awakening.

Akashi’s acting was so good, the contrast between Ore and Boku. And the music for Bokushi’s appearance was spine-chilling....I want the soundtrack for this please....

They use a mix of actual ball-handling and using an ‘air’ ball. Even without the ball you can tell Akashi’s actor is really good at basketball.

Akashi declares as long as they win, no one needs to show up for practice, much to Midorima’s shock.

Kuroko returns and asks Akashi who he is, and Akashi responds, “Of course, I’m Akashi Seijuurou.”

Months pass and the GOM are unbeatable and getting bored in matches, so Kise suggests making it a competition of who can score the most, with even Akashi joining in. 

Ogiwara happily tells Kuroko they made it to the finals, but Kuroko is unhappy with the current atmosphere of the club. He asks Akashi to let him start out in the semi-finals, which Akashi permits. 

Ogiwara is impressed with how much Kuroko has improved.

Kuroko gets hit in the head by the other team and is taken to the nurse.

Ogiwara talks with Akashi about Kuroko, and asks Akashi if basketball is fun. Akashi responds he doesn’t understand such a question.

Kuroko asks to play but Akashi tells him no under doctor’s orders, and tells him Ogiwara’s message about playing each other agian someday. Kuroko asks Akashi to not hold back against Meiko.

Despite losing 111-109, Ogiwara is fighting back against Teiko, telling his teammates to score one basket and losing proudly.

Ogiwara shoots and misses, and Aomine complains how they gave him the chance and tells Mukkun to shoot it.

Ogiwara, on the ground, looks at them in confusion to why they would score on their own basket. 

Kise happily announces how they reached their goal and that they’re all matching, and points to the scoreboard to reveal the score of 111-11.

Kuroko comes out to see a heartbroken Ogiwara, who looks at him before leaving the stage. 

Kuroko talks how painful it is, and what is victory. Onoken’s acting here was emotional, as expected from already portraying Kuroko in the anime. 

The GOM come out and line up behind Kuroko similar to the panel in the manga. 

Kuroko announces his resignation. 

Kuroko narrates how Ogiwara has transferred, and Ogiwara comes out on stage saying how the GOM had such cold eyes, but Kuroko can melt that coldness. 

Kagami then comes out, and scolds Kuroko along with the rest of Seirin. 

Hyuuga gets mad at both of them and sends Izuki and Koganei to drag Kuroko off and give him a tickle attack. Riko follows.

Kiyoshi and Hyuuga comment how it was a sad story and that Kuroko never talks about himself like that, so now they must win.

The next day is the Kaijou vs Shuutoku match for third place and the finals.

Mukkun meets up with Aomine and Momoi, who talk about who would win. They say third place is decided but the finals could be anyone.

Kise is on the bench due to his injury, and Shuutoku easily wins the third place match.

Midorima tells Kise their match is ‘postponed’ for now.

Kise gets annoyed saying, “WELL OF COURSE. IF I WAS IN THERE I’D WIN”

Kise and Midorima continue to bicker.

Kasamatsu and Otsubo just look at each other and let their kouhais fight it out.

Towards the second half of the runs, when Midorima points his finger at Kise, Kise actually bites his finger. No, I mean it. He actually bites it. Midorima gets grossed out by it.

Midorima: EW SO GROSS NANODAYO Kise: I’M NOT GROSS. I’M PRETTY. 

^yes, those were actual lines.

Now it’s time for Seirin vs Rakuzan. 

Haizaki’s actor is the referee.

For the tip-off, Nebuya gets upset that Kiyoshi isn’t the one jumping.

Seirin declares Mayuzumi not a threat since there’s little information on him, so Aomine asks Momoi about it. This is an adlib scene and varies per show.

May 5- Aomine asks Momoi to get ‘that’ (her notebook) from her bag. Instead she pulls out one of his gravure photobooks. She proceeds to put it back but Aomine hastily takes it away. Momoi asks Mukkun if it’s in his potato chip bag. He looks in it and pulls out..................a chip. Turns out the notebook was in her bag after all, much to Aomine’s annoyance.

May 11- Instead of her notebook, Momoi kept pulling out Mukkun’s empty potato chip bags. Aomine gets mad, but Mukkun only responds, “They were yummy~.” The notebook again was in her bag after all. 

May 19- similar to the May 5 adlib. 

When Hayama does his dribbling, Mukkun agains shakes vigorously on the side. This time, since he has chips, he sometimes dropped them on stage. So afterwards, you would see him picking them off the ground.

Both Reo and Mayu admit how loudly annoying Hayama is (they were running across stage too )

When Nebuya gets upset that Kiyoshi doesn’t remember what he told him 2 years ago, he literally throws a tantrum on the ground. 

Everyone in both Rakuzan and Seirn:.............

When Akashi goes into the Zone, he actually dribbles around everyone with the ball across the stage. Talk about coordination! 

Akashi’s shocked face as he’s starting to lose was perfect too. Sorry I have a lot of Akashi notes....

As he’s starting to lose, Akashi starts switching between Oreshi and Bokushi. Oreshi’s voice has like an echo/autotune effect but it’s not a recording or anything. 

Thus, the monologue between Oreshi and Bokushi was amazing. The actor constantly switches between both sides very smoothly. Give this guy an Oscar please.

When Oreshi talks about his mother, a ball falls from the sky and he hugs the ball close to him as he mentions it’s what he has left of her.

You can actually visually see the difference between Oreshi and Bokushi in face expression. 

As Seirin admits defeat, they’re all collapsed on the ground, even Riko, until Ogiwara comes out and cheers for them. 

Aomine shouts out from the side of the stage. In the finale he was even crying. 

Kaijou and Shuutoku go in the audience and cheer for Seirin from there. 

For the May 11th show I had Kaijou right behind me. Literally -screams

Aomine was crying real tears when he says “So it was you all along, Tetsu...” 

For the finale was sobbing more

For the final shot, the stage goes all dark as Kuroko says “I’m a shadow.” Then Kagami comes out from behind and makes the final dunk. 

Lantana then begins to play as Kagami declares Seirin the winners of Winter Cup.

In the final performance, Akashi cried as he admits his loss and even when he shook hands with Kuroko. 

After Kuroko shakes hands with Akashi, and says that they can play basketball at anytime, Seirin and Rakuzan make a quick bow and run off stage. 

Final Scenes

The remaining GOM come out in their uniforms, each with a basketball, and happily dribbling around the stage. 

Kise sees Haizaki walking out with his shoes, about to throw them away, but Haizaki hesitates and instead hugs them close to him. He sees Kise was watching him and Kise smiles knowing Haizaki didnt’ really hate basketball after all. 

The different teams come out taking a stand in front of the stage and then having a fun match against each other. 

Kaijou vs Shuutoku

Seirin vs Rakuzan

The players even go up against other players that we didn’t see during the matches. Everything was so emotional and happy. 

The last scene ends with Kuroko and Kagami fistbumping each other and Kagami poses as he’s about to dunk and Kuroko kneels below him fistbumping towards us as all the other players are reaching out towards Kagami.

Curtain Calls

May 5th Aichi Finale - Akashi and Reo

Reo mentions how in high school he was the only one in his group who didn’t read KnB. And now he’s IN KnB. 

May 11-Kiyoshi and Koganei

They got Hyuuga to go to the center and do a big “KUROSUTE FIGHT O” cheer with the cast and audience.

May 19th-Kuroko and Kagami

This one was really emotional as it was the final performance ever. Yuya starts crying over his talk over Kagami, and he even deeply bows to Onoken to thank him. 

Onoken didn’t cry but he was on the verge of doing so, his voice was shaking. 

I lost count of how many curtain calls there were for the finale, but there was a lot.

Highlights

Every show Rakuzan would high-five Akashi as they left the stage

For the finale Mayuzumi even hugged Akashi, and then for another curtain call afterwards all of Rakuzan group-hugged Akashi

Kuroko and Kagami asked if the director was around, apparently he wasn’t so they asked someone to say “Thank you” in his place instead. The cast chose Akashi to say it. 

Momoi ran up to Aomine and Kise and walked off together.

On one of the last curtain calls, Aomine and Kise decided to have OnoKen thrown up in the air and got everyone to join in. 

Every curtain call ends with Kagami and Kuroko fistbumping each other and leaving. For the very last curtain call, it was all of Seirin together. 

Kiyoshi lifts Riko up in the air for a few seconds to celebrate. 

And thus concludes my last Kurosute report....please consider buying the DVD or Blu-Ray when it comes out, you won’t regret it. 

Once again, thank you for four years Kurosute. Thank you cast members for doing a wonderful job portraying our beloved characters. Thank you Fujimaki-sensei for creating such a beloved series. 

[homeofthelonelywriter]

Take the Stage: Curtain Falls

(A/N) This...is the last part. Writing this was such a joy! I was excited everytime I opened the document. I really love this story and will miss it dearly. Still, I hope you liked it.

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. The portray of mentioned, real life people are not accurate!

Pairing: Tom Hiddleston x Royal!Female! Reader

Warnings: angst, nightmare

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

Part 9

Part 10

Part 11

Part 12

Part 13 (Trigger warning!)

Part 14

Part 15

Part 16

Part 17

Part 18

Part 19

Part 20

Part 21

Part 22

Part 23

Part 24

Part 25

Part 26

Part 27

Part 28

Part 29

Part 30

Tags:

@beenthroughalot

@moonstar86

@sarahivi

@godhateskyleigh

@sweet-hot-latte

@connnnnnected

@redfoxwritesstuff

@olyamoriarty

@kcd15

@lykaonimagines

@anini71

@midgardiansstuff

@drakesfiance

@0from-another-galaxy0

@chippychipmunks

@theoneanna

@thelilpanther

If you want on or off the tag list, let me know! I hope I forgot no one! :)  

Masterlist

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next few days passed in a flash. I went to the psychiatry with the experts and we agreed that it needed to change. Since we didn’t have the time to build an entire new facility, the architects looked around and made a list of the changes that were needed. The psychiatrist looked at some of the patients and watched the staff while they worked with them. He later told me, that almost all of them were incapable and we would need new staff, but he promised me that he’d take care of that. When we got a list of the patients, the managers and representatives decided which hospital would take which patients. It was amazing how well everyone worked together once it was requested by Her Majesty. But all of that also meant, that I spend most of my time with the specialists and barely any with Tom. Thankfully, he was very understanding and partly accompanied me to the meetings or spend his time at the theatre. Everything was perfect, but the cherry on top, was that Felix made incredible progress. Upon my request, the psychiatrist personally took care of my old friend and it showed. I visited him as often as I could and met a lot with his father. Everything was well. And surprisingly, it staid that way.

Time skip

Raging applause sounded through the theatre, while the others ran back onto the stage and bowed to the crowd. Tom stood on the opposite side of the stage, waiting for his turn. As did I. When there were no more people in front of us, he winked at me and started walking onto the stage. I did the same and we met in the middle. Our hands met and our fingers intertwined as both of us bowed and waved at the crowd. I found my family, they weren’t hard to spot, and threw some kisses in their direction. Today was a special day. It was the last time, this play was shown here and that’s why my whole family came to see it. It was one of the rare times, when everyone was in one spot. It wasn’t too difficult since it was still close to Harry’s and Meghan’s wedding and everyone had staid in London for a bit. Perfect time, I’d dare say. I was so focused on waving at the crowd, that I didn’t notice that Tom stopped. When I finally looked at him, I noticed that he was down on one knee. He was still holding my hand and his thumb rubbed small circles on the back of my hand. Everything went quiet, when Tom opened his mouth.

“The first time I saw you, I felt my heart stop. I forgot my lines, forgot that I was even on a stage. It felt as if it was only you and me in the entire world. When you walked backstage after the performance, and we were introduced, I was the happiest man alive. And when you and I escaped together, I felt like a child again. A child with a driver’s licence, but a child.” A quiet chuckle moved through the crowd. “All this time we spend together, made me so incredible happy, that I often had to pinch myself to make sure that this wasn’t a dream. And every second we spend separated, it hurt so much, I sometimes had to lay down to endure it.” He stopped for a second and looked at the ground and I immediately fell to my knees and wrapped my arms around him. “I felt the same way.” My voice was so quiet that no one except him could hear me. He pulled me close and pressed a tender kiss against my temple, before he pulled back again. “What I want to say: I love you. I love you so, so much and I’d give anything for you. And what I want to ask: Would you do me the honour of becoming my bride?” He fished a small velvet box out of his pocket and opened it. It was a beautiful ring with a small diamond. He had his eyebrows raised and looked at me, awaiting an answer. I began nodding frantically, while I searched for the right words, but only one made it out of my mouth. “Yes!” Chuckling, he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into a passionate kiss, while cheers erupted all around us. When we pulled away from each other, he carefully slid the ring onto my finger and stood up. Tom pulled me to my feet and wrapped his arms around my waist.

“I love you.” “I love you too.”

Time skip

“You can’t be serious.” Meghan was clamping her mouth shut with her hand, while Kate looked at me with wide eyes. “Sorry?” Meghan gave up and started laughing, holding her swollen belly. “Oh my, I love you.” We were currently at a wedding dress shop, to look at the final collection of my possible dresses for the big day. When the first model walked out, wearing a very loose dress, both, Meghan and Kate, looked at me with a question in their eyes. Then, I told them that I found out I was pregnant a few weeks ago. I immediately called the designer to let him know and he changed the designs. Meghan clearly found this very amusing, but Kate was a bit more serious. “At least this explains your mood swings and the amount of food you’ve been eating.” A small smile found it’s way onto her lips. “Do Camilla and Granny know?” I nodded, looking back at the runway, where another model was posing. I gave a thumbs up and she walked to the right. “I told them after Tom and I talked about it.” I shook my head at the next model and she walked back behind the curtains. “And? Is he excited?” Meghan was looking at the runway while asking. “Very. I think he is more excited then me.” I chuckled and the others laughed. “Oh! I like this one!” I chuckled at Meghan’s enthusiasm. When I’d chosen my top five, I tried every single one on and we finally decided on the one.

The day of the wedding, the designer would arrive with everyone of his assistants in case I’d grow too much until then. Tired, we went back to the palace, where Tom was already waiting for me. He was so excited about everything, that he constantly tried to get information about the dress out of me. Chuckling, I told him ‘no’ one more time and shut him up with a kiss. Time flew past us and before I knew it, I was standing in my room, people buzzing all around me, getting me ready. Between all of them, Camilla tried to get some food and water into me but was constantly shooed away by make-up and hair people. When they were done and I was allowed to look into the mirror I gasped. I looked beautiful, still like me, but beautiful. Everyone clapped and since we had a few more minutes, before we had to leave, Camilla handed me a bottle of water with a straw in it. Then, she grabbed my bag and we made our way downstairs, to the carriage that would bring me to Westminster Abbey. I took one more deep breath, before I stepped into the carriage and we began to move. The way there was wonderful. People were everywhere and I was constantly waved. When we finally arrived, my wrist was sore. Camilla and Sue and Mary helped me out and straightened my dress and veil. Then, they brought me up the stairs, until we stood in front of the closed doors. “Ready?” I nodded. Just then, a man walked up to us and offered me his arm. I smiled at Peter and linked my arm with his. “You look beautiful.” “Thank you.” I asked Charles to let Peter walk me down the aisle and he agreed immediately. At that moment, the doors opened and music started to play. We started to slowly walk down the aisle, while I felt everyone’s eyes on me. I kept mine on the floor, until we reached the end. Then I looked up and smiled at Tom. He had tears in his eyes and smiled at me with so much adoration, that I had to force myself to not start crying right that instance. Peter handed me to Tom and walked to his seat beside his son. Felix was straight out crying. I smiled at him and he send me a small wave. Then I turned back to Tom and lifted my hand to his cheek. He leaned his forehead against mine. “I love you so much. You look beautiful.” I quickly pecked his lips and he chuckled. After the music had faded out, the ceremony began and was over again. It was beautiful, but I could barely remember anything. All I was waiting for, was for the priest to say five words. “You may kiss the bride.” Tom leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine. His arms wrapped around my waist and he picked me up and whirled me around. I started laughing during the kiss and pulled away slightly. When he sat me down, both of us were breathless, but grinning from ear to ear.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

[mayquita]

Pictures of Reality (14/16)

Happy New Year everyone! Thank you so much for all your support and for continuing to give this story a chance.

Summary: Emma Swan returns to her birthplace, Storybrooke, in search of a fresh start after a life marked by abandonment and betrayal. After a year there, she finds the stability she needed and also the possibility of learning about one of her passions, photography. Killian Jones, a former British war reporter with a tragic past, establishes himself in the same town as an instructor of photography, following in the footsteps of his best friends, the Nolans. What will happen when their paths cross? Will their common passion for photography help them heal old wounds?

Rating: M (Language, mature themes, implied sex)

Warnings: Alcohol abuse, mentions of the loss of a limb in an armed conflict.

Other ships / Characters: Although, obviously, this is a cs fic, Snowing plays a major role here, mainly David. In fact, the story contains three different points of view, those of Emma, Killian and David. Also, Henry appears in the story as Regina’s adopted son but he is not Emma’s biological son.

Beta: I’d like to express my gratitude, as always, to my beta @jarienn972 I’m aware that you have had to deal with a monster of more than 100k words and English is not my mother tongue, so I value your effort even more.

Artist / art: Go visit @imagnifika’s blog and enjoy her amazing art.

Art for the prologue/ Art for chapter 1 / Art for chapter 2 and banner / Art for chapter 3/ Art for chapters 4-5  / Art for chapters 6-7/ Art for chapter 8 / Art for chapter 10 / Art for chapter 11 

Special mention to @saraswans , thank you so much for your perpetual support, for believing in me when I doubted myself and for offering ideas to make this story grow.

Don’t forget to go read and enjoy the rest of the amazing csbb stories and art.

Word count: ~ 4100 (116k total in 16 chapters)

Also on (From the beginning): Ao3 / Ffnet (Current Chapter) Ao3 / Ffnet

Tumblr: Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10  Chapter 11  Chapter 12

What to expect from this chapter?  We’ll see how the relationship between Emma and Killian develops now that there is no longer any secret between them. Besides, will Emma be able to forgive The Nolans eventually?

CHAPTER 13

Emma Swan. Storybrooke - May 6, 2018

There was something intrinsic in the fact of dating a professional photographer, any excuse was appropriate to take out the camera and portray the world through it. Whether it was walking out holding hands but stopping every few minutes to immortalize the arrival of the blossoming spring to Storybrooke. Or spending a lazy Sunday morning under the sheets of her (their) bed, taking selfies and competing for who would get the most awful grimace (he always beat her, the dork).

Other mornings, however, Killian felt an impulse of creativity that made him wake up at dawn and grab the camera to satisfy his need to make art. He always told her that she was the one to blame, that she had become his muse and source of inspiration. And that her apartment was located in one of the best places in Storybrooke, at least at that time of the day, when the sun's rays fell directly on her window and made her glow - literally — his words.

From that morning after the first time-make up night, she had learned to secretly love those days. There was no doubt that Killian had become an expert in making the most of her potential and in making her feel powerful, able to achieve whatever she set out to do, whether it was getting a good close-up in a photo or leaving all her inhibitions behind to become a sexy improvised model.

She knew that today was one of Killian's creative days when she woke up alone in bed that Sunday morning in early May.

"Good morning, love. Are you up for a photo shoot?" Killian asked from his favorite place in the room for these occasions, her (their) old armchair.

She ignored him at first, stretching arms and legs, too lazy to leave the bed just yet. Something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye though, one of his button-up shirts, the black one made of a silky fabric, hanging on the back of a chair. Suddenly, the idea of the soft fabric sliding over her naked torso was too appealing to let it pass. After all, she also had her creative side, right?

She got up right away with a new purpose in mind, grabbing the shirt on her way to the bathroom and stopping only for a second to give Killian a quick peck on the cheek. "Just wait here." She murmured as she winked at him and kept walking without waiting for his reaction.

Once in the bathroom, she put on the shirt, which by chance, matched her tiny panties in color, leaving the buttons open and the sleeves rolled up to the middle of the arm. Next, she washed her face and brushed her teeth, put on her contacts and applied a light layer of lip gloss. Finally, she brushed her hair to add an extra shine to her golden locks. Once satisfied with her reflection in the mirror, she returned to the bedroom, ready to give a show to her boyfriend.

Before climbing back to bed, she cast a sidelong glance at Killian. Seeing him that way, positioned in a corner of the bedroom, camera in hand, as if waiting for his prey, ignited a spark of lust inside her, eliminating any possible previous reluctance as she offered him what he was looking for.

She sat back on her heels with her back to him, letting the shirt slide down one of her shoulders, leaving it bare. She turned her head slightly, giving him a seductive look over that shoulder, while putting the tip of her index finger between her teeth.

"Bloody hell, woman." He growled from behind his camera, making her almost lose her pose in an attempt to prevent an incipient smirk from drawing on her lips.

She let him take a few pictures, staying in that position with only slight changes. Then, following his instructions, she tried a new posture, this time sitting in front of him, leaving the shirt open enough to reveal only a glimpse of her curves.

There was something impossibly appealing in Killian's stance, a mixture of professionalism as he helped himself, holding the camera with his stump and watching her through the lens with a clinical eye. But there was also something more primal, only revealed when his eyes slid from the visor to her body, offering her a hungry look that had the ability to make her skin tingle with anticipation. The fact that he was shirtless and that his pajama pants did nothing to hide his arousal, far from deconcentrating her in her improvised task of posing for him, caused her postures to become much more suggestive and her gaze to be much more provocative.

The photo shoot ended earlier than expected though. Before she could react, Killian was over her, capturing her mouth in a searing kiss with the ability to take her breath away. She resisted, still reluctant to finish the seduction game that she was enjoying too much.

"I wanna see those pictures." She managed to ask as she tried to reach for the camera Killian had dropped on the bed.

"Later." He mumbled pressing even more against her, his teeth playfully nipping at her bottom lip.

Her resolution began to dissolve as she held back a moan bubbling in her throat, her blood running hot and spreading a burning sensation all over her body.

Still, she tried again, distracting him with the first thing that came to mind, while she reached for the camera. "I'd like to choose one of those photos to upload to Instagram. Or maybe I'm not allowed to share photos of half-naked women either?" Although her voice came in a shaky exhale she hoped to have endowed it with enough innocence.

He raised his head looking for her gaze, the blue of his eyes almost gone. "Two things, darling. First, you are allowed to upload whatever you want to the bloody Instagram. And second, I'm really tempted to share the marvel I've got for girlfriend with the rest of the world, but I prefer to keep you to myself."

"Just for the record, you are not allowed to share photos of your naked girlfriend on Instagram. Although maybe I wouldn’t be opposed to the photo with the bare shoulder…” The diversionary maneuver was enough for her to finally grab the camera and sneak out of his arms. "It's my turn, now. So go and pose for me, Jones."

Killian's eyebrows went together in confusion, as if he had not yet processed what had just happened. When he finally seemed to realize what she was planning, his eyes widened. "You can’t be serious, love."

She stood up, moving away from his reach, holding the camera in the most professional way possible. "I assure you I am, buddy."

"Look at me, Swan." He complained through a hiss as he pointed his hand at his more than prominent tent in his pants.

"I learned from the best, professor." A spark of interest appeared in his eyes, while he gave her a predatory look. "Give me your best, Killian, and I promise you will have your reward, later." A wave of heat flowed to her core, in anticipation of what he would be able to do, as she bit her bottom lip and watched Killian through the lens.

She definitely loved her life now.

//

Gone were those times when she had no choice but to share her photos with herself, or when she had to settle for taking selfies or taking pictures of random people in the streets, since no one had stayed around her long enough for her to reveal her passion.

Now photography was present in practically all facets of her life, but Emma wasn't going to be the one to complain, not when the fact of living surrounded by photos implied that Killian's image was always present, even though they were physically separated at some points.

It was not that they were separated for long, really. From the moment they had made peace, resuming their relationship, she had begun to add new routines to her life, in which Killian was always included.

Now, two months later, they spent most of the nights sleeping together in her apartment. That first night of make-up sex had been the prelude to many ardent nights, full of passion, nights where they buried their inhibitions while discovering all the secrets of their bodies and the magic that they were able to create together.

The dark room of his apartment, a witness of his first kiss, now also hid the secret of insatiable encounters, the faint red light causing the flame of lust to ignite at the very moment when the door closed behind them.

But dating Killian Jones not only meant enjoying the best sex of her life, it was more, much more. If she had already fallen for him despite his stormy gaze and the burden he carried in his very soul, now that he was dropping layer after layer, revealing his true essence, Emma's feelings towards him had grown with such an intensity that she sometimes felt a kind of vertigo seizing her.

That feeling could be overwhelming at times, but she had stopped being afraid to feel and express her feelings towards others. It was as if, once she had admitted that she loved Killian (at least to herself as it was still too early to express those words aloud) the walls around her heart had finally fallen down, leaving before her a new and unexplored path, with some dangers lurking, but also full of promises.

For the first time in a long time, she could say that she felt happy, experiencing a normal life, hanging out with her friends, going out with her boyfriend, or going to double dates with the other new couple in town, Elsa and Graham. She had even begun to consider the possibility of not keeping photography as a mere hobby but of continuing to expand her knowledge in an official manner.

There was a small parcel of her heart that still remained closed though, its access almost impenetrable. Her parents. Two months later, she hadn't been able to forgive them yet, the betrayal in the form of a bleeding wound still too fresh.

That was not entirely true, she had indeed forgiven them for having given her up for adoption, even though she hadn't felt strong enough to hear the full story.

What had hurt her most had been their later behavior, the fact that, in the first place, they had taken advantage of Killian's blind loyalty to them, and also that they hadn't trusted in their own daughter to tell her the truth and would have been content to stay by her side as mere friends.

Killian had tried to bring up the subject several times, always tentatively, knowing that he shouldn’t push or he would end up getting the opposite effect.

She appreciated those attempts, she really did, because she was aware that he not only did it for his friends, but also for her because, according to him, she deserved to have all the love in the world - especially that of her own family after so many years without it. But it was as if something inside her, like a protective instinct, prevented her from taking that first step that would bring her closer to them.

But she was frankly tired of that situation, tired of the fact that each time she entered her bedroom, even if she tried to ignore it with all her strength, her gaze inevitably landed for a few seconds on the closet door that hid the box containing fragments of her past in the form of a handful of letters.

She also felt bad for Killian, for the fact that he had to compartmentalize his life in such a way that his girlfriend and his best friends —his family— didn't coincide in the same place. He had not stopped seeing them, she did not have the heart to even think about it, but he clearly proceeded with caution, afraid to say or do something in relation to them that could affect her. It was unfair to him.

Since David's visit to her apartment, she had barely met them, only on occasion had she run into them while walking down the street, or had they met by chance at Granny's, generating such an awkward situation she sometimes ended up crossing to the other side of the street to avoid them, or swallowed her food quickly in a desperate attempt to spend as little time as possible under the same roof as them.

Deep down, she was aware that it was up to her to end this situation once and for all. Sooner or later, she would have to trust them, at least to let them explain themselves. The idea of being able to add another level of normalcy to her life, including her family, was also becoming more appealing. The problem? She hadn't the faintest idea how to do it without getting even more damaged in the process.

Maybe it would be a good idea to start with small steps, such as not running away each time she met any of them.

David Nolan. Storybrooke - May 8, 2018

"How is she?" David asked Killian, knowing in advance that the answer would be the same as the one from the previous day.

"She's fine, Dave." Killian always answered like that, in an almost apologetic way. Then he would go on to tell him some small detail related to his daughter, with the simple purpose of getting him to keep her close, even if it was indirectly.

They had agreed to meet at Granny's for lunch, like every Tuesday since Killian had started the new course. In fact, Killian was busier than ever. It seemed that his talent was beginning to be recognized on this side of the ocean and more and more people were interested in learning through him everything related to the world of photography, expanding to the point that he had decided to start a free online course so that any interested person could acquire the basic knowledge. Art and talent do not understand money , it was one of his mottos, which he put into practice whenever he had the chance.

Even so, he always managed to share moments with his friends. Tuesday lunch had become a tradition added to the already existing ones, such as Sunday lunch in David's apartment, breakfast with Mary Margaret on Mondays and Thursdays and his sporadic collaborations in the newspaper.

It was evident that Killian was making great efforts to keep their relationship intact despite what happened with Emma. He couldn't be more grateful for it, but that also meant adding even more burden to the guilt he endured. His actions should not affect his friend in that way.

"She is seriously considering quitting the job and starting to study to become a journalist." Killian's voice brought him back to reality. The pride evident in the words of his friend, matching the one he felt. "You know that from what happened, her relationship with Regina has not been the same again. If she keeps the job, it's just for Henry, frankly."

"I guess it runs in her blood." David could not help but smile at the thought of his daughter following in her father's footsteps. "And as for Regina, you already know that my relationship with her has always been complicated. But she found our daughter after all, so I guess in a way, I'll always be in debt to her." He admitted, although he was still angry at her for being the one to confess the truth without caring about the consequences.

"It was Emma who found her way back to Storybrooke in the first place. Regina only offered her a way to stay." Killian replied in a harsh tone, not bothering to hide his dislike for the mayor. He did not blame him, honestly. Regina's action had caused his relationship with Emma to nearly end.

The little bells above Granny's entrance door announced the arrival of a new client, capturing the attention of both friends, who were sitting at the counter.

David's heart skipped a beat when he realized that it was Emma the one who had just arrived, as if she had somehow been summoned. When her gaze met him, she remained still for a moment, her eyes wide in surprise.

David could not prevent a sigh of resignation from escaping his lips. He was not surprised by her reaction, it had always been the same in recent weeks. He even anticipated what would happen next. She would approach Killian, murmur any excuse and leave in a few seconds.

In fact, once the initial impact was overcome, she began to walk with hesitant steps towards their position. David cast a sidelong glance at his friend, who also seemed equally surprised at her presence there. He was looking at Emma as if there were no one else in the room, though, with a special glow in his eyes that had only begun to appear since he met Emma.

She barely had time to get to their side when Killian got up and greeted her with a kiss on the lips maybe less chaste than it should be appropriate in a public place. David looked away discreetly, still uncomfortable at such public displays of affection. Killian might be his best friend, almost like a son to him, but, in spite of everything, in his eyes, Emma was still like his little girl.

"Hi guys," Emma said after separating from Killian, a small smile adorning her lips, while she offered him a shy look. "I didn't want to interrupt you, I just forgot it was Tuesday."

This is new, at least she hasn’t ignored my existence, David thought as he tried not to read too much in her reaction. She was just surprised to see them, that was it. Even so, he decided to offer her an escape route so that she would not be involved in any kind of uncomfortable situation.

"I should go..."

"No," Emma cut him off, looking back at him. "I mean... it's not necessary. It's your day together, guys. I just came to grab something to eat... It's an excuse, actually, Regina was especially picky today. I needed a break." Emma was rambling, clearly nervous about the unexpected encounter, but at least it seemed that she was doing her part to keep a civilized conversation, so he was going to grab onto that even if it was the only thing she could offer at the moment.

"I can relate, Regina may be difficult to deal with sometimes." David offered in what he hoped was a carefree tone, but even so, he held his breath, waiting for Emma's reaction.

"Just sometimes?" Killian snapped, making an exaggerated grimace of disdain, causing a chuckle on David and a giggle on Emma, who took advantage of Killian's absent-mindedness to steal one of his onion rings.

"Hey, those are mine, get your own." Killian huffed, putting his hand and prosthesis over the plate in a protective manner while making a pout, which caused a new attack of laughter from Emma.

David remained there in awe, observing the scene without even daring to participate for fear of breaking the moment. She seemed so relaxed, so happy, that he had to repress the need to take a picture and immortalize the moment for eternity, his heart thudding in his chest.

After stealing another onion ring from her boyfriend, she caught the attention of one of the waitresses to place her order and then returned to them.

"So, Killian just told me you're thinking about starting to study to become a journalist, Emma." David commented tentatively, in an attempt to make that magical moment last a little longer.

"Yeah. I'd start in September. I guess it's something I've always wanted to do, taking pictures and telling stories." She shrugged, the corners of her sides twisting upward.

"It's a good idea. You know, anything you need, you can count on us." He offered, trusting her to grasp the true meaning of his words.

"Thank you." Emma nodded, her cheeks flushed slightly, while she held his gaze for a few seconds. The moment passed soon, though, as she refocused her attention on Killian.

His friend wrapped his arm around her shoulders, holding her close, as if he, with that simple gesture, was supporting her in some way, making her feel safe. Then Killian gave him an appreciative look, while nodding almost imperceptibly.

David was not sure that he would live long enough to thank his friend for all that he was doing for his family, making Emma happy and trying to build bridges between them. He only hoped that this was the first of many advances that would come in the future.

When Emma left a few minutes later, she turned around just before she reached the exit door, offering David a soft smile, causing the flame of hope in his heart to look brighter than ever. He couldn't wait to tell Mary Margaret.

Killian Jones. Storybrooke - May 9, 2018

Killian decided to spend the next morning locked in the darkroom developing photos, taking advantage of the fact that he had the morning off and that Emma would be working, which meant that she would not be a distraction this time.

Even so, he wasn't able to fully concentrate on the task. That room had already witnessed several amorous encounters between them although for him, the most important memory shared with her in this place would always be their first kiss.

Killian grabbed a photograph with the tweezers to extract it from the development liquid and hung it delicately on the rope he had placed for that purpose in a corner of the room. He couldn't stop his lips from drawing a smile when he observed the smiling face of Emma in that image. The memories of the previous day, when she had been relaxed for the first time in front of David came to his mind then, warming his heart.

Just when he was about to carry out the same process with the next picture, his phone started buzzing on the table. Unknown number.

"Hello?"

"Good morning, can I speak with Mr. Jones, please?" A polite, female voice asked from the other side of the phone.

"That would be me. Who is calling?" He replied cautiously while he held his breath. There was something in the woman’s tone that made him uneasy.

"I'm calling from Storybrooke's General Hospital, sir, since you were listed as one of David Nolan's emergency contacts and we haven't been able to locate his wife..."

"She is a teacher, she’s working right now." Killian cut who he supposed was a nurse off. At the same moment he had heard the word hospital, all his senses were on alert, while his heart beat frantically against his chest. "What happened?" He forced himself to ask in a controlled voice, holding the phone tightly against his ear.

"Uh, I'm afraid that Mr. Nolan has been involved in an accident. He was hit by a car..."

No.

A paralyzing panic crawled up his throat while his ears stopped working properly, preventing him from listening to the woman who was still offering him details. Swallowing hard, he forced himself to take a deep breath, letting out the air slowly through his nose in a desperate attempt to keep his composure.

"...he seems to be out of danger, but given that he has lost consciousness..."

"I'm on my way. Thanks for informing me." Killian cut the poor nurse again, feeling bad for a few seconds since she had been kind enough to him, but he could not waste more time, needed to take action before a new wave of panic gripped him.

He clenched his jaw and blocked any disturbing thoughts, burying any memory of the past that could take advantage of that moment of weakness to beat him.

Instead, he set himself a goal - pick up Mary Margaret on his way to the hospital and make sure his friend would be okay. He didn't contemplate any other option.

With that goal in mind, he grabbed his phone and wallet and left his apartment, cursing himself for not yet having been able to purchase an adapted vehicle that would allow him to get to his friend sooner. Instead, he had to literally run to school while wondering how he was going to break the news to Mary Margaret. Only at that moment did he remember that he also had to give the news to another person and his heart sank in the process. He would have to inform Emma that her father had suffered an accident.

//

Thanks for reading. Let me know what did you all think :)

There are only two chapters to go, the final chapter and the epilogue, so whatever happens to David, it can't be so bad, I'm not that cruel, am I? Also, Emma will read the letters, finally!

[mysheithheart]

This is my first Sheith quick prompt and I didn’t beta it so sorry for any errors!

The Art student! Shiro/ Sheith fic no one asked for.

——

After Shiro’s third attempt to putting together his painting still life, Shiro realized he wasn’t going to get anything done that October night. He figured with his roommate Matt visiting his sister he would have some quiet time to get some work done. But every time he tried to arrange the now chaotic still life in their dorm room common area, he ended up hating it when beginning to sketch it out. Deciding to take a mental break, Shiro took off outside to breath in the fresh air.

It was about 2 am (usually Shiro’s favorite time to work on his art portfolio) and some students were still relaxing outside at the picnic tables smoking cigarettes. Although Shiro didn’t smoke himself he always did enjoy this spot especially late at night with all the other junior collage students. Conversations would either get really deep or really funny.

Tonight it seemed that the only two other students were doing more making out than smoking, so he took up his favorite perch further away from them to sit on top of the picnic bench with his feet resting on the bench seat.

The University was in a great location on top of a very steep hill overlooking the city. Although the city looked completely different from the his hometown, it still gave him a warm feeling that he could be apart of it. He sat in the quiet for a few minutes just letting his mind go blank. This way maybe getting a small break from his final painting will give him the motivation he needed to go back up to his dorm to finish it.

The calm was broken when a group of four students came out of the dorms, clearly drunk from their loud explanations as soon as they hit the night air. Shiro got off the picnic bench and decided to take a walk around campus instead. It wasn’t that he wasn’t social, but sometimes the drunk students were pretty easily offended and were ready to fight anyone. He learned that from experience.

The pathway around campus was bumpy as the roads were still the old brick in the 1800s, but Shiro had taken this walk enough times to know where the tree roots were taking over the brick path and the deep man hole that the campus didn’t intend to fix until the next century.

What Shiro didn’t expect was to find a young man who appeared to be sleeping in said man hole. He didn’t look homeless so maybe he was a drunk college student. With jet black hair that almost looked violet in the night, the boy was pretty breath taking for a passed out drunk.

Deciding to finally do something besides standing there like an idiot, (god, Shiro what if he had a medical problem? He berated himself) he knelt down to feel for the guy’s pulse. It was pretty strong, thank goodness. He tapped the stranger on the cheek a few times to see if he would wake up. Thankfully this seemed to do the trick. Dark blue, almost violet looking eyes snapped open to stare into his own, and Shiro felt his breath catch a bit. Damn, this was definitely a sign that he needed to get laid if that’s all it took for him to go weak in the knees. Matt would be cackling if he ever found out.

“Hey, are you able to stand?” Shiro asked, backing up a little bit so the man could stretch and blink the sleep out of his eyes.

“Oh my goddd Jamie Lee Curtis is that you??” The guy slurred. Shiro couldn’t help the snort that came out of him at that and was surprised with himself that he found the comment more funny than offensive from a total stranger. Was it because of his white hair? Most likely. Matt had made a similar joke when he had first dyed it.

“Nope, just a broke college student.” Shiro chuckled as the stranger went to sit up, if not a bit shakily. “Can you stand up?”

“Are we at your house?” The guy asked instead, moving to stand but having a hard time getting his footing right. Shiro immediately went to help him to get on the vertical plane again. Now they were both just chilling in a man hole with Shiro trying to help this guy stay standing. He wondered how he was going to get them out of this one.

“This is definitely not my house. I’m not that broke.” Shiro kept his tone light. He pulled himself out of the man hole and gave the stranger a pull up. “Do you live around here?”

“Uhh.. yeah??” Shiro sighed inwardly. This guy was clearly too drunk to even remember his own name. How was he supposed to get this guy back to his house safely?

“Do you have someone you can call to pick you up?” He asked instead. The young man’s nose crinkled up in thought and Shiro couldn’t help thinking that it was the cutest shit he’d probably ever seen.

“Yeah you can call the blue chicken nugget.” The guy grumbled, literally throwing his phone at Shiro before stumbling over to a mail box to lean on it heavily. “Have we met before?” He seemed to be talking to the mailbox, so Shiro was left clueless.

“Blue... chicken nugget?” He unlocked the guys phone and decided to just look at his recent calls. Surprisingly, “the blue chicken nugget” was a contact name he had called multiple times that day including 2 hours ago.

“I’m going to give them a call then.” He said to the younger man, but he seemed to be too preoccupied trying to strattle the mailbox. He decided to just do it. The guy on the other end was thankfully not drunk and went by the name of Lance. He apologized several times before asking for their location and told Shiro he would be there in 5. Shiro ended the call and looked over to the drunk stranger, who had successfully made it on top of the mailbox but looking strikingly like Humpty Dumpty. Shiro thankfully had great reflexes so when the drunk fell off the mailbox he was quick to catch him in his arms.

“Jamie Lee how did you get so buff? What’s your secret?” The guy giggled, and he seemed to be comfortable hanging off Shiro’s arm. It didn’t look comfortable to him.

“Actually, the name’s Shiro. And Lance will be here soon, so let’s get you back on your feet.” Shiro felt like he was moving an American girl doll back to standing position, if an American girl doll was squirmy and had great abs.

“Shiro, that’s a great name. You’re a great guy. So great. So helpful.” He giggled before Shiro finally led him to a nearby bench so they could wait.

“Thanks.” Shiro chuckled. “Do you go to school around here?”

“Nah, I work. Gotta pay for the bear traps somehow.” Shiro was so surprised at the response he didn’t even get to ask what the drunk man was talking about before the guy changed the subject. “Do ever just think about the fact that we just like exist? Like bro, we’re alive.” Shiro smiled at his drunken rambling, deciding to stay relatively quiet as the guy then continued to give him facts about wolf hounds.

“Geez, man. I can’t leave you alone for two seconds!” Shiro turned to see a Cuban young man with the University jacket on and a white baseball cap that read: ‘FBI: Female Body Inspector.’

“You must be Lance?” Shiro smiled patiently. The Lance guy helped the drunk man to his feet and thanked him too many times to count before the two went stumbling in the direction of East campus.

“Thank you so much Jamie Lee! I loved you in Scream Queens!” Shiro just threw his head back and laughed as he heard Lance scolding the drunk man for insulting his savior.

After watching the two stumble off into the night, Shiro decided to head back to his dorm. He had a sudden spark of motivation after meeting the interesting stranger. He now realized that asking for the guys name would have been a good idea. Better not to mention this to Allura or Matt. The two would badger him about finally being interested in someone after his breakup with Adam and not even having the balls to get his name.

To conclude, Shiro finally found his muse for for his still life. Getting back to his dorm and grabbing a mouse trap from under the sink, he set it to the far right of the still life. It wasn’t a bear trap, but it was close enough, he thought amusingly deciding to endulge himself. It somehow pulled the whole composition together. He laughed for a good two minutes straight by himself in his dorm at 3 am at the relavation.

——

The next week, Shiro’s Painting professor had given him so much praise on his still life (Matt thought the guy was just trying to sleep with him. “Not everyone is trying to sleep with me, Matt.” “You’re to close to the truth to see it!” Matt argued back.) that he suggested Shiro try broading his portfolio by step in on a few of the advanced figure drawing classes. Shiro never was a big fan of drawing the figure, but if he wanted to be a well rounded artist, he had to make the attempt. That’s how he found himself sitting in the back of a small figure drawing class that was held later at night than his normal classes. He felt nervous that he didn’t belong there, but the other students were all nice and welcoming. One girl named Nadia assured him that they all felt what he felt when it came to drawing the figure. “I screw up constantly and they still let me back in!” She smirked.

The professor walked in right on time and then class began with a quick critique of the homework. Shiro just balked as Nadia pulled out a nude figure that was depicted perfectly in his eyes to be critiqued. Several minutes later and many ideas and inputs that gave Shiro inspiration for his own work, the class began to get their supplies while they waited for the University hired nude model to arrive.

“Yes, we got Kogane!” Shiro heard Nadia almost sing quietly while he rummaged his portfolio bag for the third time looking for his tube of aquamarine blue. “The Professor doesn’t like him because he says that it’s easier to draw the figure with thicker bodies, but the guy has the same body type as my boyfriend, so it’s easier for me.” That must have been the skinny but very muscle toned man that was in her homework assignment. She was so lucky to have a boyfriend who would pose for her. Shiro finally made a small noise of triumph when he found the oil paint tube. But when he looked up he choked on his own spit. In the front of the studio arguing with the Professor was the handsome drunk he found in the man hole last week. He was going to be seeing this guy nude??

Lord, give me strength. Shiro thought when the guys eyes scanned the room and locked onto his.