#then she decided she'd had enough so i rinsed and then turned it off

[dilfian]

i got emira to take a shower with me 😭

[rosie-b]

it’s them (again)

Written for @ladynoirjuly days 15 and 16!

Summary: Tikki and Plagg work at the cafe at the end of the world, where mortal souls rest and recharge for their next life with a magical drink made by the baristas. Here, souls can meet and decide to be soulmates, ordering their lives together at the counter, and one day, Plagg and Tikki's favorite mortal couple walks in. As cute as they are, their soulmate status is no guarantee since mortals never remember their past lives, but Ladybug and Chat Noir may have a bond like no other…

You can read the fic on AO3 (as a registered user) or below!

It was a quiet day at the cafe. The scent of fresh-baked brioches and cookies filled the air as a few patrons chatted in soft voices while sitting at the aquamarine booths filling the large expanses of the store.

Tikki was rinsing out one of the metal pitchers, humming a song to herself as she worked, when Plagg's urgent whisper reached her ear.

"It's those two again," he hissed, and Tikki looked up.

"Do you mean those two soulmates you're obsessed with are here?"

Plagg spluttered at Tikki's comment, and his face was completely red by the time Tikki nonchalantly turned around.

"I'm not obsessed with them," he insisted. "You're pretty interested in them, yourself, if I remember. You couldn't keep from cooing over them last time."

"Well, you can hardly blame me," Tikki responded, walking over to the shelf to replace the cup she'd washed. "They don't even know how adorable they are! It's so rewarding to watch them fall in love with each other again and again. They choose each other every time."

Plagg's expression softened, though it was only obvious to Tikki, who knew him well enough to read his every expression, no matter how inexpressive. She smiled in turn, wiping her damp hands off on her apron before asking, "Now, where are our favorite soulmates?"

"They're not soulmates yet," Plagg automatically responded. "They just got here, you know. They'll need some time to process before they decide."

"Of course," Tikki responded smoothly. "But we both know — or we hope we do — who they will decide on."

Plagg grunted. "Every time a human dies, their memory gets wiped, Tikki. You know that. Their souls arrive here, not their old body or their brains. We let them take on the appearance they had in their first life, just so there's something familiar, but they don't remember anything from Earth. All they know is what the soul guides told them when they were summoned — when they died. The usual spiel, you know; reincarnation is real, but you stay at this cafe and relax for a while before getting tossed into your next body. While you're here, you can pick a soulmate for your upcoming life. Meet as many people as you can, figure out who you want or if you'd rather go without a soulmate at all. When you're ready, tell the baristas" —Here Plagg motioned back and forth between himself and Tikki, an unneeded gesture that Tikki had to smile at— "Tell 'em who you choose, and get sent back to Earth for round the umpteenth or whatever."

"I know how the human life cycle works, Plagg," Tikki said, hiding a laugh in her voice.

Plagg rolled his eyes and huffed. "Yeah, yeah. My point is, they don't know they know each other, Tikki. I know we love it when they pick each other, but there's never any guarantee."

"Hmm. That's true enough, but over the history of humanity, they're the only two who've chosen each other every time, in each new life. When they die at different ages, one waits here for the other's soul to arrive, as if they're still connected by the same bond after they pass."

"That's impossible," Plagg countered. "Here, everyone is free of the ties they had on Earth."

"But once those two meet each other at our cafe, they always choose one another. Romantically or platonically, they always choose to be bonded in life. So, we send their souls to be born at the same time—"

"Roughly the same time," Plagg corrected. "Imperfect world, imperfect timing. Once they were a whole decade apart, age-wise."

"True," Tikki admitted with a wince. "But they've never lived a single life without each other. They complement each other perfectly, and make sure their time on Earth is fuller than it would have been, if it was spent with someone else."

Plagg nodded, looking away, past Tikki. She followed his gaze until she found the two lovers they'd been talking about. They were standing in the courtyard, blushing and smiling as they talked about something she couldn't hear from behind the main counter. The boy said something to the girl, and she paused in shock for a moment before giggling helplessly and playfully pushing him back a step.

"They are a perfect match for each other," Plagg said at last. "I'll admit I even try to make sure they don't have to wait long until they meet, back on Earth."

"You put a little extra whipped topping on their drinks," Tikki nodded. "I pretend that I don't see it." After a moment, she added, "I add a little extra sugar to their orders. I just want them to be happy, that's all! I— I'd do it for everyone if we had enough sugar!"

Plagg's lips stretched in a lazy smirk, and he looked back at Tikki. "You love them as much as I do."

Tikki smiled back at him. "We see too much of ourselves in them not to."

For a while, they stood there in amiable silence, watching their favorite soulmates stumble through the first meeting they could recall.

Already, the girl was blushing and the boy was looking at her with stars in his eyes. Whatever drew them to choose each other, it had worked like a charm, as it did every time. Plagg and Tikki could tell that they were already close to making their decision, just like they had the last time, and the time before that, and the time before that, stretching back for millennia.

Sure enough, before much more time could pass, the newly formed couple headed inside the cafe at the end of the world, hand in hand.

Tikki’s heart melted at the sight of the shy, but confident smiles on the pair’s faces, and Plagg let out an approving hum.

“It’s just as cute as it was the first time,” Tikki commented, and Plagg didn’t need to respond for her to know he agreed. Instead, he quickly manned the counter, ready to talk to the cafe’s newest customers and take their order.

“H-hello,” the girl stuttered out once she and her partner reached the counter. “Is this where we order? Um, soulmates, that is, not just coffee?”

“Unless there’s another cafe you’ve seen around here,” Plagg said snarkily. Tikki rolled her eyes and lightly slapped his arm as she stepped forward.

“What my partner meant to say is yes,” she said firmly. “You’re at the right place. What can we do for you?”

“We’re here to pick our soulmate in the next life,” the boy said, looking at the girl beside him for confirmation. She smiled and squeezed his hand in hers reassuringly. He visibly relaxed and beamed as he smiled back at her.

“Awwww,” Tikki cooed, dropping her head into her hands as practically melted onto the counter. A happy grin glued itself to her face, and the couple in front of her blushed at the attention.

“Let me guess, you’re picking each other,” Plagg said in a bored voice. Tikki knew the excitement it was hiding, or she’d have swatted him again for his attitude.

“Yeck,” the girl squeaked, and blushed harder. “Wait, no, I meant yes! We are, and so we’re ready for the next step to rebirth.”

“Mm-hm,” the boy agreed, leaning his head on top of hers. “And for some reason, that’s getting a coffee, right?”

“Caffeine is the best way to prepare your soul for an unforgiving round of mortal life,” Plagg said plainly as he prepared two large takeaway cups for the couple. “What names should I put on these for you?”

The pair of soulmates jumped, evidently having not prepared for this. 

“Uh,” the girl said, and the boy similarly muttered, “Um.”

Plagg and Tikki exchanged mirthful glances. This was another one of their favorite parts at their job. Human souls never remembered their names, from the first or most recent life. However, some souls, these two in particular, gravitated towards the same names, over and over.

“I’ll be— Ladybug, I guess,” the girl stammered.

“Call me Chat Noir,” the boy said with a grin. “Pleased to make your acquaintance, my lady!” 

With a flourish, he bent and raised Ladybug’s hand to his lips. She blushed helplessly and grinned at her new soulmate.

“You too,” she managed to squeak out.

“All right, then, two large passion-strawberry frappes with whipped cream and white chocolate shaving. Try not to get cavities,” Plagg said as he slid their order across the counter.

“That would be hard since we don’t have actual bodies yet,” Chat Noir commented as he handed Ladybug her drink and took a sip of his. On tasting it, he did a double take, staring at the drink with huge eyes. “Woah! Will all mortal drinks taste this good, or is it just at this cafe?”

“A bit of both, I think,” Tikki said, still resting her head on one hand as she happily stared at her favorite soulmates. 

“Come on, Tiks, you know my drinks are the best in the universe,” Plagg complained. “Mortal drinks might taste almost as good if you’re the ones to make them for each other, though,” he added.

“What he means is, the secret ingredient is love,” Tikki whispered conspiratorially. “Especially once you get to Earth.” 

“I’ll remember that,” Chat Noir said, smiling at her. “Or I’ll try, anyway. Hey, Ladybug, what do you think of the drink? Do you like it?” he asked, sounding a little anxious.

The soul guide who’d led him must have let it slip that the drinks were only as good as the relationship and life they heralded. Now Chat Noir must be worried that his partner wouldn’t like being with him as much as he’d like being with her, Tikki realized.

Ladybug, who’d been sipping her drink, paused to give Chat Noir a smile. “It’s really good,” she said happily. “If it’s really like the soul guides said, then I’m excited to find out what makes my next life as good as this drink. Though I might already have a guess,” she tacked on shyly. 

Chat Noir blushed as he smiled at Ladybug. “I have a similar feeling,” he sighed. “I can’t wait to start my new life with you.”

“That’s exactly what you said last time,” Plagg remarked, half conscious of what he was saying.

Ladybug squinted. “What did you say?”

Plagg straightened. “Oh! Well, it’s just, last time, you guys chose each other, too, and he said the same thing. That’s all,” he said with a shrug.

Tikki resisted the urge to facepalm.

“We chose each other last time, too?” Chat Noir asked curiously. “Wait, do you know if our lives were good together? Are there any tips we should know for this life, to make it even better?”

Plagg faltered, so Tikki spoke up. “We don’t know most of what happens on Earth,” she explained gently. “We can only spare so much time to peek down at the mortal world. It’s a busy job here, you know?” At Ladybug and Chat’s falling faces, she quickly added, “But from what I know, you were very happy together. You know, you choose each other every time you can,” she blurted out.

“What? You mean we’ve, wait, how many times have we picked each other?” Ladybug asked.

Tikki crossed her arms. “I’m not allowed to say, technically. But it happens often enough that we started recognizing you. You’re my favorite soulmate pair!” she squealed. “You’re always so cute together! Plagg agrees, don’t you, Plagg?”

Plagg took off his glove and scratched his head. “It does make me happy to see you’re still happy with each other,” he admitted. “I’m not really one for all that mushy stuff, though. That’s more Tikki’s thing.”

“But you do think we’re good for each other?” Chat Noir pressed. “It’s not a mistake to keep choosing each other, is it? Not that I think it is!” he quickly added as his face twisted up. “But is it common to pick the same soulmate repeatedly? Are we supposed to branch out, work with new people? Are we doing this wrong, or right?”

“There’s nothing wrong with picking the same partner,” Plagg said emphatically. “It’s not your fault it’s so rare. Most mortals are just less well suited to each other, or get separated on the way here, or something. The universe just seems to like you.”

“Almost as much as you must like each other,” Tikki added with a wink. “Nothing this cute could ever be against the rules. I wouldn’t mind seeing it happen more often!”

Ladybug, blushing furiously, took another sip of her coffee. Tikki noticed she was still holding Chat Noir’s hand, like she’d been doing ever since they both got their frappes. It was really like they were always being pulled together, she noted. Or choosing to be. Maybe both.

“So, when do our next lives start, then?” Chat Noir asked after a while. “As soon as we finish drinking, or a little after?”

“It all depends,” Plagg said. “Keep an eye out for soul guides. They’re the ones that give the signal. The coffee’s just the fuel, not the thing that kickstarts your next life.”

“In the meantime, you can take your drinks anywhere to enjoy them,” Tikki said. “Inside at a table, or outside, by the beach or at the soul station. It’s fun to watch the newest souls arrive, if you ask me.”

Chat Noir and Ladybug exchanged glances and whispered to each other for a moment.

“Okay, we’ll head outside then!” Chat Noir said cheerily. “Thanks for all your help! See you next time around.”

“Enjoy your evening,” Ladybug said with a wave, and even Plagg couldn’t find the heart to tell her evening wasn’t really a thing at the end of the world. The sky was just like that.

“Have fun, kids,” he said, and watched as they exited the cafe.

“They’ll be back soon,” Tikki said, and Plagg realized he was frowning. She rubbed his back and gave him a smile.

“Yeah, you’re right,” he said, dusting off his spotless apron. “With how helpless mortals are, they’ll probably be back before we make another billion lattes. Ridiculous.”

“I bet it’s two billion,” Tikki said as she started restocking the straws. “And you’ll be the one looking for them when they show up. Since you always miss them so much,” she teased.

Plagg rolled his eyes half-heartedly. “Ah, you miss them too,” he huffed. “At least I’m willing to admit they might not always pick each other.”

“But they will,” Tikki insisted. “Ladybug and Chat Noir always choose each other. They’re the perfect soulmates.”

Plagg looked off in the distance as a smile curved his lips upwards. “Yeah,” he agreed contently. “They really are.”

[icycoldninja]

Here’s something hilarious 😆

Can I please request headcanons for Dante and Vergil thinking they’re dating the same girl but it turns out they’re dating identical twins?

Oh no, disaster incoming lol

Dante + Vergil x Twin Readers headcannons

-Dante and Vergil both started seeing these really hot girls at the same time, for which they were glad. They both bragged to each other about how sexy their girlfriends were, when Vergil noticed one day that the girl Dante was describing having dated sounded oddly like the girl he was dating.

-Quite suspicious, Vergil began questioning Dante and asking very specific questions about his girlfriend's appearance, making Dante very concerned. Just what the heck was his deal?

-Both brothers go home wary of each other, doubts and misunderstandings already beginning to form in each other's minds.

-The next day, Dante decides to take his girl on a date at the exact same time Vergil decides to pop in for a visit, and possibly more interrogating. As he rounded the curb, he saw Dante and a girl that looked suspiciously like his girlfriend.

-Jealousy overcoming him, the devil hunter shrunk back against the wall and began to follow the two, now sure his girlfriend was cheating on him with his brother.

-Unfortunately, Dante and the girl entered a very crowded shop, making it impossible for Vergil to continue following them. He was quite upset and debated calling you to confront you, when to his surprise, you called him first.

-When he picked up, he was shocked to hear what sounded like water running, meaning you were in the shower. But how could that be? He just saw you!

-He then decided he must be seeing things and that Dante's girlfriend must just have a similar hairstyle and similar clothing as yours, and he was jumping to conclusions. Shaking his head, he went over to your house, where sure enough, you'd just gotten out of the shower. We shall not discuss what happened next.

-Dante, meanwhile, noticed his girlfriend was always busy on her phone and never let him peek over her shoulder. Highly sus behavior right there. He would have downright asked, but what if she was cheating? She'd know he was onto her and delete all the evidence. No, he'd do this the sneaky way.

-He spied on his girlfriend for a while, but nothing too incriminating happened. She just messed around on her phone for a while, turned it off, got up to do stuff, then came back, rinse and repeat.

-The whole day passed and nothing happened, so Dante was forced to let it go for now. His girlfriend left for her home, and that was that.

-Both brothers were very disturbed and were unable to sleep. Of course, because of sibling rivalry, neither Vergil nor Dante thought to contact each other--they were sure they could handle all this on their own.

-The next day, Vergil's girlfriend left early in the afternoon and refused to tell him where she was going. Dante's girl did the same. Both Sparda twins, now even more concerned, followed their girlfriends out to a small cafe, unaware they were about to run into each other.

-The boys got to the cafe before the girls and ran into each other at the entrance. Now throughly pissed, each believed the other had seduced his girlfriend and was now waiting for her at the cafe.

-"What the hell, Verg?! You're stealing my girl?!"

"What foolishness are you rambling about now, Dante? It is you who has stolen my soon-to-be wife."

"What?! Did you have a stroke no one told me about?! I'd never try to take your girlfriend away from you!"

"You wouldn't?"

"No! Come on man, you know I'm better than that."

"And I am far superior to you and all who associate with you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means I would not interfere with your relationship as there is no need to."

"Oh."

-After that lame exchange, the twins turned around only to find another set of twins staring back at then. The tension and shock in the air was palpable. Before them were two girls, dressed exactly alike, same nose, same hair, same eyes, same everything.

-Dante immediately started jumping around laughing while Vergil froze and turned into a statue from the waist down. This whole thing was a massive misunderstanding, he realizes now. No one was being unfaithful--the bros were dating twin sisters!

-The girls explained they were setting this up to surprise the two with their twin sister-ness, which worked way better than they ever expected. Many pictures were taken, and at the end of the day, neither of the brothers could tell who was who.

-Let the confusing twin games begin! Though Dante and Vergil can't trick others since they act so differently, you girls can trick them no problem.

-One time you switched places when they weren't looking and when they came back, they ended up walking off with each other's girlfriend.

-Vergil was very upset about this, but Dante found it hysterical.

-Don't worry, eventually, the Spardas will find a way to distinguish you two, be it through your mannerisms or another way.

[ghostboneswrites2]

Doe Eyes - CH14 - We’re In.

Chapter List

Warnings: Violence, Gore, Spoilers, Character death

Masterlist // Taglist

        Rick and the others returned with a large haul of canned food. There was a sort of feast that night, everyone filling plates like it was a buffet. You sat near Carol and Daryl in the pews, digging into your canned carrots and green beans.

        "That's all you got?" Carol asked you, giving you a funny look.

        "I don't like beans and canned meat freaks me out." You admitted. She laughed.

        "All things considered and you're afraid of canned meat?"

        "Not afraid!" You laughed. "Just isn't appetizing." 

        "There were some peas up there, I think." She said.

        "Ew." You scrunched your nose.

        "You're pickier than my daughter was." She shook her head, chuckling as she took a bite.

        "You had a daughter?" You asked.

        "Yeah. I did. She was the sweetest thing, but she was a picky eater. Just like you." She lamented.

        "I'm sorry she isn't here anymore. I would've loved to meet her." You consoled.

        "It's good that she isn't." Carol nodded. "She didn't need to go through all the things we have."

        "She would've been fine." Daryl said. "Would've been kickin' ass like the rest of us."

        "Yeah, maybe, but that wouldn't have been her. She shouldn't have to do that." Carol sighed. She didn't seem sad, she seemed at peace, but still, you didn't know how to respond. You never had a kid, let alone experienced that kind of loss. 

        "I'd like to propose a toast." Abraham spoke up at the front of the church, grabbing everyone's attention. "I look around this room, and I see survivors. Each and every one of you has earned that title. To the survivors." He said, raising his glass.

        "To the survivors!" You all said, toasting back.

        "Is that all you wanna be?" Abraham continued. "Wake up in the mornin', fight the undead pricks, forage for food, go to sleep at night with two eyes open, rinse and repeat? 'Cause you can do that. I mean, you got the strength, you got the skill. Thing is, for you people, for what you can do, that's just surrender. Now, we get Eugene to Washington, he will make the dead die and the living will have this world again. And, that is not a bad takeaway for a little road trip. Eugene, what's in D.C.?"

        Eugene cleared his throat.

        "Infrastructure constructed to withstand pandemics even of this fubar magnitude. That means food, fuel, refuge. Restart." Eugene replied.

        "However this plays out, however long it takes for the restart button to kick in, you can be safe there. Safer than you've been since this whole thing started. Come with us. Save the world for that little one. Save it for yourselves. Save it for the people out there who don't got nothin' left to do except survive." Abraham added.

        "What was that?" Rick asked Judith as she cooed and babbled. "I think she knows what I'm about to say. If she's in, I'm in. We're in."

----

        Carol had disappeared, so you and Daryl decided to go see what she was doing. Daryl said he had a feeling where she'd snuck off to, and sure enough he was right where he thought he'd find her, by some old car. She had it turned on and gassed up when you got there.

        "What're you doin'?" Daryl asked as the two of you stepped out of the brush.

        "I don't know." Carol admitted.

        There was the sound of an engine in the distance, and Daryl pulled the two of you down behind the back of the car. The three of you watched a car zoom by on the street that ran perpendicular to the road you were on. Daryl sprinted over and watched as it drove on. He ran back and started smashing the tail lights off the car Carol had found.

        "What are you doing?!" She yelled.

        "They got Beth!" He said. "C'mon. Get in!"

        And with that, the three of you piled into the car, Daryl in the driver's seat, Carol riding passenger, and you in the center of the back seat so you'd have a clear view. 

        You guys followed the car for a while, making small talk along the way.

        "So it was just you two and Beth after?" Carol asked.

        "Yeah." Daryl said.

        "You saved her?" She wondered.

        "She's tough." You said. "She saved herself."

        "We were out there for a while." Daryl continued. "We got cornered, she got out in front of us and I don't know.. She was just gone."

        "We came out of the trees and a car was pulling away with a white cross on the window." You added.

        "Just like that one?" She asked.

        "Yup." Daryl nodded.

        "Rick's gonna wonder where we went." You said.

        "Tank's runnin' low." Daryl sighed.

        "We can end this quick, just run them off the road." Carol suggested.

        "Nah, we're good for a bit." Daryl shook his head.

        "If they're holding her somewhere we can get it out of the driver." She said.

        "Yeah, but what if he doesn't talk?" You asked.

        "Then we're back to square one."  Daryl replied. "Right now we got the advantage. We'll see who they are, if they're a group, and what they can do. And then we'll do what we gotta do to get her back."

        "They're heading north." Carol observed. "I-85."

        You could see Atlanta off in the distance, the outline of the cityscape looming in the dark. Whoever you were following was unaware of your presence because Daryl kept the headlights off. He followed them into the city, creeping around each turn. He pulled to a stop when they did, a few building lengths behind them to maintain cover.

        "The hell is he waitin' for?" He wondered aloud. A man exited the passenger side of the car. "There's two of 'em."

        "Is that a cop?" You asked, gripping the small pistol in your belt. Carol seemed to have the same idea, pulling a silvery revolver from her waistline. 

        "Maybe they've seen us." She suggested.

        The man rounded the corner of the building they parked beside, walking out of view. The three of you waited in silence. A walked slapped Carol's window, hissing at the meal he it couldn't reach. She jumped and let out a breath, but you all ultimately ignored it. The cop came back, dropping two bicycles down on the corner of the street. He was dragging something into the street when he noticed the walker clawing at Carol's window.. He took a double take, probably wondering what the walker was clawing for.

        Daryl went to start the car when the officer got back into the passenger seat, but it wouldn't start.

        "Aw, shit." He said. "Tank's tapped. They'd have taken the bypass and they didn't. They must be holed up in the city somewhere."

        "Must be a load of fuckin' psychos. Who the hell would want to stay here? This place is infested." You commented.

        Over in the distance, you could see walkers slowly emerging from the darkness, probably drawn by the lights and sound of the engine.

        "We gotta move." Daryl said.

        "We could find a place to hole up until sunlight." You suggested.

        "I know a place." Carol said. "It's just a couple blocks from here. We can make it."

        She rolled her window down and stabbed the walker outside and the three of you made a run for it. It was mostly smooth sailing to the hideout she talked about. You and Carol took down walkers as they approached while Daryl worked on breaking into the building as quietly as possible.

        "Come on." Daryl called to the two of you as you paused walker slaying. Carol froze as if she heard something before the two of you ran inside. The place was mostly clear, any walkers were already taken down. Daryl took some keys off of one that was against the wall, and you guys held up in a small office.

        "You used to work here or something?" He asked.

        "Something." She replied.

        She took the keys from Daryl and led you two through another door within the office. The next room had some bunkbeds and other random things. 

        "What is this place?" You asked.

        "Temporary housing." She answered. You looked down to a table by the bunks and saw a thick book labeled 'Treating Survivors of Childhood Abuse'. 

        "You came here?" Daryl inquired, looking at the same book.

        "We didn't stay." She said. He set his crossbow on the table.

        "I'll take the top bunk." Carol announced, setting her weapons up top and climbing up. 

        You and Daryl looked at each other. You shrugged. "You can bunk with me." You smirked. He huffed a breathy chuckle and shook his head.

        "It's alright." He shook his head.

        "C'mon. I'm real cuddly." You urged.

        "Jesus, get a room, you two." Carol rolled her eyes before she laid down.

        Daryl studied you before he sighed, taking off his vest and his jacket. You set your gun down on the table by his bow. You thought about your crowbar and wondered if you could find a new one in the city while you were there. There was bound to be one laying around somewhere, and you never got yours back from Terminus. 

        "You two should sleep. I'll keep first watch." Carol said as she sat up and slid off the bunk, walking over to a window.

        "Place is locked up pretty tight." You said.

        "I know." She replied.

        "So we're good then." Daryl added.

        "I'll keep first watch." She insisted. "I don't mind."

        You and Daryl shrugged and got ready to sleep. You crawled on the bottom bunk and scooted close to the wall in case Daryl decided to take you up on your offer. 

        You were surprised to feel the weight on the bed shift as he laid down. You thought he'd probably take Carol's bunk until she laid down. 

        "Now we can stink up the mattress together." You joked. You didn't realize how tired you were until he laid down next to you. 

        "Whatever, it'll be your stench soakin' into the sheets, not mine." He fired back.

        "Oh, please. You smell like trees and dead squirrels."

        "Mm. Better than onions and dead bodies."

        You kicked his leg with the side of your foot.

        "Just the onions, thank you very much." You scoffed.

        "Nah. Your nose just got so used to it you can't smell it no more." He teased.

        "Whatever, Dixon." You sighed as you rolled over.

[aneenasevla]

Spookengan 5 - Sherlock Mousie

Previous / MasterPost

Made in Collab with @useless-bi-otch

"Seven days."

That's what the whispering female voice said on the call she'd received, the exact day she was watching Ring, the famous horror movie, last week. It was an unknown number, of course.

A part of her brain was skeptical, saying it was just a prank call that coincided. Another part, the superstitious one who loved to mistake coats for people in the dark, said it was too coincidental to be anything mundane. Either way, it was extremely difficult to ignore.

Ayami decided not to let that interfere with her work, though. She tried to focus on the office paperwork, the calls she needed to make, the contracts she needed to sign. It was a useful way to occupy her mind. And with her busy schedule as it was, she wouldn't jump in fright every time the phone rang. She was a big girl, enough to not fall for that stuff anyway…

But things didn't stop there, of course. The phone rang, and when she answered it, the meeting she had scheduled for the weekend had been canceled due to the disappearance of one of the employees. The other day, the printer started printing a bunch of weird little notes.

“Don't run away”, one of them said.

“I know who you are”, the other said.

And the next day, the living room’s carpet was wet. Akito, her brother, swore he hadn't done that. This was very strange.

The feeling of strangeness only increased when, the next day, when she turned on the faucet at the bathroom sink to do her morning hygiene, the water was dirty and accompanied by a handful of dark and viscous hairs, and there's so much of it so that she wondered how it didn't clog all the plumbing. She had to ask to use the neighbor's bathroom while calling the plumbers, trying not to let her head paint bizarre, terrifying scenarios.

As tempting as it was to get someone else to see the movie too, she didn't want such a cheap and petty solution. She decided to wait and see. She had a Katana at home, anyway.

The night of the last day arrived, and she, trying to silence the anxious voice that whispered scary nonsense in her ear, decided to take a shower. She rinses off and washes her hair under the shower, all the while glancing nervously over her shoulder. When it's time to get in the tub, she makes a point of inspecting the water, making sure there aren't any submerged creatures, emerging from the depths of Hell. And then she ties her hair back and steps into the tub, sighing, feeling kind of ridiculous.

"Don't be an idiot, Ayami…” She says to herself “It was just a prank call… and you didn’t even watch any tape before that call, that’s not how the curse works…"

And the silence kinda helped her to calm down, the water felt really good… she reached for the soap, and was surprised when it landed right in her hand. She opens her eyes and, right in front of her, she saw a pair of black eyes peeking at her through locks of lank, black hair, hiding a devilish smile.

"SQUEEEAK!" Ayami loses balance in the bathtub, slipping, sinking to her nose and swallowing a mouthful of water. Coughing, eyes watering, she faces the macabre figure and yells: “Raian! You almost made me drown, you…!" And throws the soap at him, which he dodged with a reflexive swipe of his hand. He burst out laughing right in front of her.

"AHAHAAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh fuck, I'm gonna throw up- ahahahahaha!" He holds his belly as he leans against the wall and slides down it as he loses strength, still laughing "Holy shit, it was so damn worth it!" He turns around when his lungs start begging for air, clapping his hands like a seal "I can’t get enough of this mouse-like, high-pitched scream…"

"Catching me off guard during the bath was unfair! You big…" She growls, staring at him indignantly while he laughs his ass off "Yeah, go on, keep laughing! You must be very proud of yourself, huh? Spending the whole week building up the tension for the ultimate scare…"

His laugh goes from devilish to mischievous. He looks at her, tugging the wig off his head, getting to his feet "And you fell right into it. The invincible Sherlock Mousie, a rational strategist, being deceived by absurd coincidences right outta a ghost movie."

"It's your fault! You and your effort to make everything as believable as possible!" She kicks some water at him "How did you manage to do those things, huh? When one of the employees I was going to have a meeting with disappeared…"

"Uh? Oh, that idiot", he shrugs "Making people disappear is our specialty, you know…" he smiles devilishly at her, and when her eyes widen. He laughs and waves his hand "Just kidding, he drank too much and took a soothing injection. He's in the hospital, he'll be back on his feet soon."

"Ooh… okay then…" She sighs, relieved "I don't need to ask about the printer, it was definitely you… but what about the carpet? I mean, you really got it soaking wet just to make a prank? That's dedication..."

"It wasn't intentional. I stopped by the house to organize the 'black hair coming outta the sink' thing in the bathroom when I saw your brother walking down the hall. I made a run for it and dropped some stupid vase on the carpet by accident. Luckily he's as inattentive as you are, so I didn't get caught."

"The hair!" She gestures agitatedly, her brow furrowing even more "That was by far the most absurd part of it all! Where did all that hair come from? I had to call the plumbers, the pipes were so clogged!"

He shrugs as he chuckles “Well, you know my family, we're never short of black hair” He crosses his arms, now full of himself, his smile still not fading in the slightest.

“You're going to reimburse me for the damage, do you hear me?" She throws more water on him, but the truth is that the relief was so much that she couldn't even get very angry. She was actually impressed with his dedication "But seriously, you did some good mix with the sources there. I noticed as much detail from Sadako's version as Samara's version’s."

"You're not the only one who likes this crap", he gets up, approaching her "I've seen both versions, and honestly, we do better. But the best part was your face when I finally showed up, like..." he kisses the tips of his index and thumb fingers "Chef’s kiss. Tha shit deserves an Oscar. Shall I call you Marilyn Monrat from now on?"

She lets out a fart-like sound through her mouth, quickly covering it up "Pffft…! If- If I were acting, maybe… you're the one who should get an Oscar for playing the most muscular Sadako I've ever seen in my life, hahaha! It deserves one for originality alone."

"Hahahaha, I met an idiot who looked just like that, not original at all" he comes even closer "heh, but today... ooh, today was the day I finally caught the so elusive Sherlock Mousie off guard" he sits down and uses his knuckles to squeeze the tip of her nose "Now she's right here, helpless and naked in front of me" He crosses his arms and, without any shame, looks her up and down as if there's no water covering her up. 

Her first reaction was to try to cover herself with her arms, blushing at his intensely interested gaze. But she holds the urge back, mustering up the courage to put her hands on her hips and let him get a good look, arching an eyebrow.

"Naked? Maybe. But never defenseless…" And she grabs the back scrubber beside the tub, attacking him as if wielding a sword. He obviously defends himself like it's nothing, but she uses that half-second of distraction to jump out of the tub, rushing out of the bathroom while grabbing a towel on the way. He could’ve sworn he heard her giggling. He lets out a low laugh in response.

"Seriously? Still gonna run away?" he smiles devilishly "Hehe, that's how I like it", and he runs after her.

Neither of them was going to sleep that night, that was for sure.

Next Chapter Here

[desertofsnowflakes]

Incorrect Order Chapter 5 (Nessian AU)

A/N: Do inform me if you wanna be added/removed from the taglist! If you happen to find my storyline similar to another fic or one of yours, I'm extremely sorry, I might've just not known. All characters belong to the author Sarah J. Mass. Enjoy!

Summary: Don't first impressions always affect the way you see someone? Well, what more with the Nesta Archeron? Nesta meets Cassian at few unexpected places and to say it didn't go well was a major understatement. Certain circumstances make them become enemies to tolerable company to friends to lovers.

Trigger Warnings: Swearing, an angry Nesta and a heart-broken Cassian

2094 words | Incorrect Order Masterlist | Read on AO3

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Nesta had never been one for small talk but in his presence she spoke as if she was excellent in small talk. They spoke of all unimportant things and ended up forgetting the important stuff; their names. Again.

Feyre sent an invitation for her first anniversary party as she did for every other occasion. The only thing different was that Nesta never bothered to pay heed to her invitations before. After the day in the alley, however, she decided she was going to turn over a new leaf. This was her first step.

She checked her reflection on the side-mirror. She tried to keep her outfit and make-up as simple as possible. She only wore a white ruffled-sleeved blouse with a black pencil skirt. Her hair was braided into a coronet. She looked good, but not as good as she’ll look if she took her own time to do a detailed make-over. She let out a breath and braced herself for the inevitable little chat with her sisters.

“Nesta?” a bewildered voice breathed. She whirled around to face her younger sister, Elain, looking up at her, a small smile playing about her lips. “You’re here,” she said and flung her arms around Nesta. Nesta automatically wrapped her arms around Elain’s smaller frame. Eventually, Elain pulled back.

“No offense, but I really thought you wouldn’t be coming,” Elain said.

Nesta felt as if the smile on her face couldn't be wiped out for the next few hours. “Honestly, I didn't think I'd come either. But here I am.”

She nodded and pulled Nesta to the garden the party was held at.

“I did this,” Elain said. “This garden, I planted and groomed all this.”

“No wonder why it looks so beautiful,” Nesta replied.

She flushed and said contemplatively, “You're so different now, Nesta.”

“I hope in a good way. Where's Feyre?”

“Let's go meet everyone first.”

Nesta shook her head. “I— I need to talk to both of you before I meet everyone else. ”

Elain hesitated then said, “Can you wait in that room? I'll fetch Feyre and come.”

Nesta nodded and headed to the door at the end of the garden Elain pointed at. The room was classy, much like the exterior of the house. She was struck by the simple yet grand theme of Feyre's house. She knew he and his brothers were rich but she just didn't understand the extent of their wealth. Till now.

“What are you thinking?” Feyre wasn't the type to blindly trust people. It took more than coming for her anniversary to persuade her that Nesta's intentions were good.

Nesta faced Feyre, her youngest sister, who stood before her, gorgeous yet fierce in a simple but elegant blue gown. She shrugged, “Just thinking that I'm glad my sisters were well-provided when I couldn't take care of them.”

Feyre’s face didn’t change, she just gestured towards the couches. “Have a seat,” she said.

Nesta sat down, “You both look splendid,” she said. Feyre said that the gown was a gift, Elain thanked Nesta and offered the same.

Nesta cleared her throat. “I need to tell the both of you something. Many things, actually.”

Elain nodded encouragingly. Feyre said, “Go on.”

So Nesta spoke. She apologised. For how she wasn't there to fulfill the role of an elder sister. For how she failed to attend Feyre's marriage and many other occasions. For all the rude words she spoke to them. For shunning them. She apologised for being self consumed. For everything else.

She also promised. To try harder. To become better. To be a good sister and sister-in-law. To be with them at all times, especially when they needed her. And they listened.

“I know these words aren't enough, but I'll try to make it so,” she finished, her hands clasped with both her sisters on her sides.

“You said you'll try, Nesta. We will too,” Feyre said.

“I see a very bright future ahead of us,” Elain said.

Nesta couldn't help the tears anymore. She folded her arms around her sisters and tucked them close. Her sisters. Her beloved sisters she now knew she'd do anything to protect.

“I see a very bright future too,” Nesta said.

Nesta pulled back after what felt like an hour and looked at her sisters' tear-streaked faces.

“I love you,” the three of them said simultaneously. Nesta giggled. Elain laughed. Feyre stared.

Nesta gently brushed the tears from both of their cheeks. “I don't want to see any of you crying.”

She hugged them again, willing the hug to convey everything she didn't say out loud.

“Now, now, enough snuggling. We've got a party to attend and people to meet, remember?” Feyre said.

***

Cassian was anxious. He had always hoped Nesta, his sister-in-law, would come for the gatherings they had; be it family dinners, or birthday parties, or the random meetings they had when they just got tipsy and played games. He hadn't seen her face-to-face before. All he knows about Nesta are from the descriptions from Feyre and Elain. That, too, was minimal. One of them would quickly change the topic to something pleasant the moment traces of an emotional breakdown were visible. Every time he hoped, he was let down. She never came. He vowed he would stop hoping and instead just go about and act as if she didn't exist. But that never happened. Every time his family met, his treacherous heart would start hoping only to have a chunk of it fall off when she failed to attend. Today was no different.

Then there’s the woman who he’d been talking to the whole afternoon. He was a tangled up mess of emotions and doubt and confusion. He had been sort-of pining after Nesta. She was exactly the person he’d like. Apparently she was drop-dead gorgeous, witty and… feral. Feyre said that. Feral. She’d be someone worth seeing. She was totally a worthy opponent. It’d be fun. But the other woman? Mother above, she was ethereal. More than ethereal, in fact. Words can't contain what he had to say about her.

He was damn near killing Az for calling him right when they were about to exchange names. He really can't believe he was a hairsbreadth away from knowing her before it was all ripped away. Now they were back to square one. He didn't know anything about her.

Azriel clapped him on his back so hard that he almost stumbled and fell. Or probably that was because he was too distracted. “All good Somm?”

“Mmm-hmm,” he replied noncommittally. He busied his hands with re-rinsing the champagne flutes and wiping them clean again. He did this two times already. Still.

“Mood is sour today, Cass?” Az teased, mock-frowning.

“Nah,” Cassian said wryly, “it's as sweet as honeydew. Especially today, when my chat got interrupted.” He glared at Azriel.

“Now, now, that is a story for another day. For now though, I think I've got something that can cheer up your brooding self.”

“What is it?” he mumbled.

Az grinned. “Nesta is here.”

***

Feyre and Elain took Nesta on a quick tour around the house. Feyre’s paintings were hung on the walls throughout the whole house. Nesta grimly noticed that there wasn't a single picture of her. There were even paintings of their father whose heart had long stopped beating. But none of hers. If only she didn’t push herself away, Nesta would’ve been a happy part of her sisters’ lives.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. Feyre took her hand in hers. Elain tucked herself to Nesta’s side, wrapping her arms over her slender shoulders.

Nesta already met Mor, a stunning blonde woman, and Amren, a slightly intimidating and short person. Now she only had to meet her brother-in-laws.

“Let’s go meet the boys!” Elain said brightly.

We walked back to the garden. Feyre seemed to get more and more elated the closer we got to the garden. Huh. Probably falling in love would do that to someone. Anyway, as long as her sisters were happy.

They stepped through the doorway. The garden was decorated with more banners and streamers hung on the back of chairs and on the low branches. Again, it looked opulent in a simple way.

There were three men in the centre of the garden, gathered around a table. They all were slightly similar, broad shouldered, tapered waists, muscular limbs. Three of them wore formal shirts and pants clinging to their frames. The one in the middle was Rhysand, she supposed. She smirked internally. Of course Feyre ended up with this guy. She's got a good taste. Must've gotten it from the oldest sister.

The one on the right, though. His figure felt familiar. Very, very familiar. She couldn't quite put a finger on it yet.

“The one on the left is Azriel, the one on the right is Cassian,” Feyre said, and Nesta nodded.

The boys must be really engrossed with their conversation. They hadn't noticed the three of them yet.

The guy she thought was familiar threw his head back and laughed. She gasped. That laugh. She'd know the laugh anywhere. Indeed, when he angled his face so that she could get a glimpse, she knew she was done for. She swallowed with much difficulty.

“I need to go,” she said quickly.

“Go? But— but we haven't cut the cake yet. It's still early. We've got lots more fun stuff,” Elain said.

“You said you'll try, Nesta. Only, this doesn't feel like 'trying',” Feyre said.

They sounded… hurt.

Mother above, I'm doing this wrong.

“Nesta?” Elain asked. “Is something wrong?”

“Yeah,” Feyre added, “you look pale.”

“Y-yeah it's f-fine. Kinda. My head hurts,” she said, accidentally clutching her stomach. “I-I mean, yeah my head hurts. Very badly. I gotta go.” She looked helplessly at both of them. “I'm so sorry. I really am. It's just— I think I need rest. I'll recompense. Probably dinner in three days?” They both shared a look and agreed.

Nesta was already walking away. “Love you both,” she threw over her shoulder.

***

“Feyre!” Rhys called. He beckoned Feyre and Elain to the table. He didn't see Nesta.

Cassian lightly kissed Feyre on her cheek once they made their way to the table and said, “Gorgeous as always. Happy anniversary!”

Feyre grinned, but it showed traces of disappointment.

He frowned. “Hey, what's wrong?”

She just shook her head and mumbled, “Nesta.” Rhys's face hardened. His brother was never fond of Nesta. He said that she was why Feyre was always worried.

“Where's Nesta?” Az asked, craning his neck to see behind farther.

“She… left,” Elain pointed, revealing a figure disappearing behind the gates. A figure he knew all too well. Shitshitshitshit.

His head snapped back to his brothers. “That is Nesta?” he damn near shouted.

Rhys scowled, “Yeah.”

No wonder why she's so beautiful, he thought dumbly before running after her with a quick “I'll be back.”

***

Nesta was wrong. In all her happiness of being reunited with her sisters, she completely forgot how even a small thing can break one's smile. She felt like she couldn't breathe. She kept her calm demeanour, but inside, she was a raging storm of emotions.

One step in front of the other, she kept reminding herself.

She kept walking. Even when she heard footsteps. Even when the steps got louder. Even as he got close enough to cease running.

But not when he called her name. She halted. Locked up her emotions. She knew she shouldn't but she turned around anyway.

“What do you want?” she snapped.

“Nesta,” he breathed. She tried to hold back her shudder. It was from the night air, she told herself.

“If you have nothing to say, do let me know. I'm not going to wait forever,” she said. Harsher than she intended to. But she didn't care, at least, that's what she told herself.

Cassian winked, “I'm honored you came, sweetheart. I'll pass the credit to my influence on you. ”

She ground her teeth against the truth threatening to fall off her lips. Yes, I came here because you made me happy. And I thought that if I tried, as I did with you, I can rebuild my relationship with my sisters.

***

Cassian did something stupid. He grabbed her hand. Her eyes snapped to his, burning with anger. Like the day they first met.

He gave her a crooked grin that he knew would drive her mad. Well, more than she already was. He tilted his head to the garden, “The party is that way, love.”

She snatched back her hand at continued walking. Like a fool, he followed. “I spoke to my sisters. Told them I won't be staying tonight. And that we'll have dinner in three day's time. Does that satisfy you? Now, can you stop following me?”

“Something's wrong. What's wrong, Nes?”

“One,” she ground out, “don't call me that. Two, I'm a grown-ass woman; I know how to take care of myself. I don't need a babysitter.”

“You did. That day,” he said quietly.

She whirled on him, “Is this you taking back favours? Because I'm not interested. You want money? Take it. Tell me your price and fucking take it! Don't tread on my heels because you helped me, okay? I've got way better things to do.” She paused, “And don't follow me, Cassian.”

She turned and stalked away.

You want money? Take it. 'Take it.' As if he were a beggar, asking for alms. As if they weren't laughing at each other's jokes not more than an hour ago. As if he didn't spend a week taking care of her as if she were a part of his soul. Maybe she was.

But that was before, Cassian thought as his heart cleaved into two perfect halves. No— it smashed to a million tiny pieces.

He waited till Nesta was out of his line of sight. He turned and walked back to the garden, leaving his heart behind.

taglist: @shadowsinger07 @im-someone-i-guess @saltyfortunes @cressjacquine @julian-blackthorn-supremacy @champanheandluxxury @zemiraa @ladygabrielli1997 @nehemikkele @heartless--aromantic @sv0430 @ddsworldofbooks @irenethaleia @sjm-things @dontgetsalmonella

[fortheloveoffanfic]

Behind Closed Doors

Keanu Reeves x OFC (Emma Mathers)

Masterlist Prologue

Warnings- Tiny, tiny bits of angst, but not a lot.

Chapter 1 The Pancake Disaster

2 Months later

The mattress dipped gently, though, it was a small body flinging itself on top of hers that awoke her, just past seven am. A tiny, though excitable voice shrieking, “Emma!” Right into her ear was enough to finish the job, and with a suppressed groan, she turned onto her back, careful not to let Matt fall off her, even if he’d really only be hitting the memory foam.

Groggily, Emma wiped the sleep out of her eyes, coming to her senses. Stretching and yawning, she found it hard not to return Matt’s little smile, "Good morning,” she smacked her lips, trying to wake herself up some more, totally not prepared for him to leap back into her lap, “What’s up kiddo?” It wasn’t like the twins hadn’t woken her early in the morning before, she’d been living with the Reeves’ for going on two months and she’d found that kids seemed to enjoy awaking with the sun. Though, it was odd for Matt to bound into her room with such urgency, with his teeth already brushed and without his sister.

“Daddy’s making pancakes,” he jumped up excitedly in her lap, and Emma had to hold him at the hips to ensure he didn’t toss himself off the bed by accident, “But he’s terrible at it!” Crawling out from the safety of her embrace, Matt crept to the edge of her bed, nearer to her side, jumping off and proceeding to tug on her hand encouragingly, “You need to come help him, or its gonna be a disaster!”

Chuckling quietly, Emma shook her head, running her free hand through her caramel highlighted hair, kicking off the sheets. Swinging her bare, tan legs out of bed, it was almost a struggle to keep up with Matt without stumbling over her fluffy slippers, “Slow down Matty, I still have to brush my teeth.”

“Ugh,” Matt pouted deeply, as if she’d just ended his world. Though, his expression perked up soon after and he let her hand go, “Okay! But you have to come soon, before daddy burns the kitchen down,” he made a few explosive noises gesturing wildly with his tiny arms, and Emma couldn’t help the splitting grin that painted her features. They’d come a long way since that first meeting; Matt had been the first to warm up to her, and now, there was very little that he didn’t want Emma around for. And Poppy, while it had taken her a couple weeks, she’d more or less broken out of her shell, probably finding it nice to have someone to do her hair and who’d let her paint their nails. By then, it went without saying that the children absolutely adored Emma, and she’d be lying if she said that she didn’t feel the same. Matt and Poppy had filled a void that Emma didn’t even know was there until they’d made her laugh. Time spent with them was incomparable, and every time she’d though she couldn’t be amazed by them, they'd do something so beautiful that she couldn’t help but adore them even more.

And then, there was Keanu. Like his children, he had a colorful personality, never ceasing to amaze her. Though, the affections she’d grown for him……they were different. In quiet moments, Emma had found that she’d lost an hour or two just thinking about him; how bright his smile was, how his deep, rumbling chuckle warmed her heart and how even the slightest of touches could make her stomach flutter, and when he was around, watching him with his kids was almost enough to make her heart burst. He wasn’t around very often, owning a successful company and being a movie sensation did eat up a lot of his time, but when Keanu was there, he was always putting out his best for those two.

“Emma!” Matt broke her thoughts, and Emma hadn’t realized that she’d just been lingering near the door of the adjoining bathroom. Her bedroom at Keanu’s house was near triple the one she grew up in back in Nevada, and the one in her old apartment might have been a matchbox compared to it. The room was beautifully decorated too, modern minimalism matching the rest of the house.

“Yeah,” she shook off her thoughts, “Sorry hun. Why don’t you go wait in the kitchen and I’ll be out in a few.” With a quick, purposeful nod, Matt ran out of the room, his light footsteps barely audible. Shaking her head, Emma just chortled softly at his behavior, eccentric, much like his father’s.

In the bathroom, she made short work of quickly freshening up, deciding that she’d head out in her pajamas, an oversized cable knit sweater and a pair of shorts, and shower after she’d been covered in flour, batter, syrup and whatever else they’d decided to get into in the kitchen. Grabbing a hair tie off the counter, Emma maintained eye contact with her reflection on the awning mirror over the sink as she piled her hair into a messy bun at top her head, tendrils carelessly curtaining the sides of her face and the little diamond studs adorning her ears twinkling lowly. Free of the moisturizer she'd worn to bed, Emma dabbed a nearby hand towel below her eyes and on her cheeks, soaking up whatever water had remained after she’d rinsed her face, and finally, when she was finished, she headed out, intent on the kitchen downstairs.

Downstairs, Emma was almost stunned by what she’d walked into. The typically blindingly white and ever spotless kitchen was far different that it had ever been since she’d moved in. Clutter adorned the counter tops and the marble island, while there was a growing mountain of dishes in the deep farm sink. There was a spill on the floor too and all in all, the kitchen looked as if a small tornado had wreaked havoc on the room. And something was definitely burning. After the initial shock had passed, Emma rediscovered her voice, though her tone was still laced with an air of confusion, “What is happening in here?”

As if caught in the act of doing something insanely criminal, Matt, Poppy and Keanu all looked up at her from where they’d gathered around the island. Keanu was at the electric stove, a frying pan on one of the flat burners, while the twins were a safe distance away from the action, attempting to help by taking turns stirring the batter and both perched on the counter. Their printed pjs, Poppy’s with Disney princesses and Matt’s with race cars, were messed up with flour, and Keanu’s face was the same.

“We’re making you breakfast.” Surprisingly, it was Keanu who’d spoken up, looking bewildered and far out of his element. Then, smiling sheepishly, he cast his head down, “But I guess we’re just giving you more work, aren’t we?” He sighed, clearly embarrassed that his sweet gesture had gone awry, “I’m sorry-”

“No,” Emma blushed, she couldn’t believe that he’d thought of her, gone out of his way to try to make her breakfast for no foreseeable reason. “Its okay,” she reassured, cautiously approaching them, “I am so, so grateful that you thought of me, and tried to do something so sweet, really,” gently, she touched Matt and Poppy’s faces, quickly pecking them on the foreheads, “But maybe I could help too?” And by help, Emma actually meant take over so she could do some damage control and save Zelda, the housekeeper, the task of a huge clean up.

Before Keanu could oblige or protest, Poppy spoke up, telling the whole truth as children usually did, “It was daddy’s idea Emma! You should thank him!” She beamed, all but hopping onto Emma’s waist.

“I…..” Keanu stuttered, visible parts of his cheeks going tomato red, “I just- it’s just…..You know, you do so much for us. You’re up early every morning, making us breakfast. You take care of us, I just thought that we should do something nice for you,” he rambled on, avoiding her gaze. It was true though, while Emma had been hired to care for the children, preparing their meals, getting them ready for the day, watching them when they weren’t with their tutors and everything in between, she'd started picking up after him too. Tossing his laundry in with the kids' and making him meals so Zelda wouldn't have too. “Maybe we should have just taken you out,” he finally concluded with a quiet laugh, "Would have saved you the trouble of having to come in here and dealing with this disaster."

"Its okay," tentatively, Emma squeezed Keanu's surprisingly firm bicep reassuringly, and when he glanced at her, the moment feeling more intimate then she'd intended, her breath hitched. Still, her hand lingered, and Keanu didn't seem bothered enough to pull away. Emma held his gaze, her heart jumping after he turned a bit more, the space between them almost becoming mute and his chest close to her face, his stare penetrating. "Um," she cleared her throat quietly, knowing that the kids were watching and that their behavior was borderline inappropriate. They were too close, she was holding on for too long. But getting lost in his eyes seemed so much easier than letting go.

“It’s okay,” Emma repeated, trying to shake off the feeling that came with being in close proximity to her boss, “Why don’t I finish this, and you can……”

“Make coffee,” Keanu interjected when Emma trailed off, “And start cleaning up. I can do that without,” he gestured widely with his hands, the way Matt often did when he was flustered or excited, “Burning it.”

Smiling giddily at his erratic behavior, almost mesmerized by Keanu, Emma nodded stiffly, “That’s uh…..” Emma laughed breathlessly, vaguely aware of Matt striking up some harmless mischief off to their sides, but knowing that they only had a matter of minutes before……

A distressed scream erupted, followed by Poppy’s despondence, “Daddy! Emma! Matt put pancake batter in my hair.” When they turned, lo and behold, Poppy’s dark strands were streaked with the batter, some of it already on her pajamas and in her hands, while she was on the verge of tears.

“Matt!” Emma and Keanu scolded in unison, and immediately, she slipped past Keanu, scooping Poppy up on her hip, walking over the sink to start washing the sticky batter off before Poppy could really start crying. “Why’d you do that, Matty?” Keanu continued behind them, his stern side coming out. “You need to apologize to you sister,” he explained, lifting Matt off the counter, setting him on the floor, “We’re not supposed to pull mean pranks on each other, remember.”

“Yeah,” dejected, Matt dragged himself over to where Emma had just set Poppy down, parts of her hair still wet and a frown still painting her face. “I’m sorry Pop,” as she leaned on the sink Emma folded her arms, watching with a soft smile as the siblings made up, the sweet moment between them making her wish she had a sibling, and worse yet, making her want kids of her own. It wasn’t quite in the cards for her just yet though, Keanu paid well, but not that well, she lived in his house and it would be exceptionally hard to raise a kid when most of your time was spent taking care of someone else’s.

Still, for as long as it lasted, Emma could make do with doting on Matt and Poppy, feeling a swell of pride when they did something so magical that it reminded her of the purity of children, like when the two decided to hug it out, quickly forgetting how upset they both were. That was one of the greatest things about kids; they were so innocent that the notion of holding grudges was completely foreign to them. It was so…….untainted.

As he wiped down the counter, trying to clear a decent work station, Keanu found himself occasionally stealing glances at Emma, leant on the sink with her arms folded. She looked beautiful, almost ethereal, with her hair up in a bun, wispy honey hued strands curtaining her flawless features, oversized beige sweater guarding her perfect curves, and tiny shorts that boasted her smooth, tanned legs, the light sheen of lotion still present. Keanu thought that he'd ever met a woman quite so naturally stunning.

She's too young for you, was what the voice in the back of his mind protested, along with several other valid arguments. But for some reason, tearing his gaze away had continuously proven to be a trying task. Keanu didn't want to look away, as corrupted as it was, he wanted to hold Emma; trace his thumb over her pink, plump lips, feel her hot breath fan his cheek, know what it was like to have her satiny skin brush against his.

He wondered if she knew her effect, what it did to him when she swayed her hips as she walked, or gnawed on her lower lip between thoughts. Keanu wondered sometimes, how easy it would be in another situation, to have her all spread out under him. Or simply, to just have her company, listen to Emma talk about whatever she wanted, be the man she went to for the most intimate of reasons, a shoulder to cry on, when she wanted someone to make her laugh.

A crush.

That's what he might have called it twenty something odd years ago. But at his age, Keanu thought of it as more of a fantasy. A very cliché one at that; lusting over the nanny. Maybe if she wasn't the nanny………. Oh, but she was. The one that his children, the apples of his eyes, his pride and joy, the two best people in life, adored to death. Keanu wasn't sure if they knew it themselves, but he could tell; Poppy and Matt were growing affections for Emma that ran past likenesses, they loved her.

The relationship that Emma had grown to share with his children was one of the more unadulterated things that had fueled his ridiculous attraction to her. They adored her, and she them, and it was warming to see her laugh with them, care for them, the way a mother might. Still, there was so, so much more than Keanu liked; her laugh, that little half smile she’d offer him when they bumped into each other in passing, the way having her around felt. Like she made their home more complete, the one missing jigsaw piece that was so satisfying when it was slipped into place.

Hoping she wouldn’t notice his lingering stare, Keanu carried on with clean up, a grin ever present on his rugged features as Emma continued without much concern; getting the kids to help set the table without fuss and finishing the pancakes while she was at it. It felt so normal, so domestic, Keanu was usually so busy getting ready to leave that he was often left grabbing what she’d carved out the time to pack for him, kissing Matt and Poppy just as he left. But that Saturday morning, he got the chance to live almost the way he’d hoped to with Diane; the twins’ mother, before she walked out on them.

Before the painful memories could wash over him, Emma was calling everyone to sit for breakfast and Keanu once again sank into the present. Laughing when Matt and Poppy did something cute, smiling brightly when Emma doted on them and eventually, when it was over and they’d hurried off to the TV room, feeling a sense of giddiness that accompanied being alone with her. “Did you do this a lot when you were a kid?” Keanu probed as he and Emma finished up in the kitchen.

She was busy clearing the table, collecting the jug of orange juice to be returned to the fridge, “I guess,” Emma shrugged dismissively, her expression troubled, and Keanu was worried that his seemingly innocent question had struck a nerve, “My parents weren’t around a lot when I was a kid.” Swallowing thickly, she continued shuffling around the large kitchen, “Making ends meet wasn’t always easy for them, you know?” Gathering the plates, she moved over to the sink, “My mom stayed home to take care of me, and the house, and my dad worked two jobs. He worked really hard for us, and….”

“Em,” Keanu frowned, noting her tormented expression as she dumped leftovers from the children and packed the dishwasher, “If it's too hard to talk about, you don’t have to tell me. And I didn’t mean to upset you, if I’d known-”

“It’s not your fault,” she turned towards him, straightening up and smiling faintly so he could be reassured, “And it’s fine really. It's just hard to talk about, but I don’t mind telling you,” moistening her lips, “I was around six, when my dad died, he was at work; fell off a scaffolding and had a heart attack on the way to the hospital,” it was easy to tell how hard she was fighting the wave of emotion, the way she struggled to contain tears while biting her lower lip. But still, he was grateful that she felt comfortable enough to open up, it felt like they were closer. “After that, funeral expenses blew our savings, and my mom had to work. She hated leaving me with my grandmother, but she had to.”

Slumping his shoulders, Keanu yearned to reach out, pull her into a hug and let Emma know that she was always welcome to find comfort in him, but seeing her the way he did was already crossing so many lines, he didn’t think he could trust himself to take her into his arms. “That must have been hard,” he sympathized instead, “And you were just a kid.”

“Yeah,” she forced a watery smile, probably hoping to ease his worrying, “But life’s like that right? He left us way sooner than anyone would have liked, but I’m glad to have had him when I did. Both my parents, they taught me that sometimes you’ve gotta bust your ass for the good life, but that just makes it even better when you get it,” she sighed quietly, “I wish he could have been here for the big things, birthdays and graduations,” she sniffled, “But I’m thankful for what I did have, and I hope one day, I can be that kind of parent for someone else.”

“That’s beautiful,” Keanu hummed with a soft smile. It couldn’t have been easy growing up without her father, but Emma still seemed so content with what she’d gotten. Grief, it hurt people, it could change them too, and he knew that all too well, but Emma had been so young that it had shaped her instead. Molded her into the kind of person that was caring, kind and driven. Someone you wanted to trust and whose presence emanated warmth. “You-” Keanu leaned back, expecting to brace his hands on the counter, though swearing loudly when his left hand landed on the top of the stove. “What the fuck?”

In an instant, Emma was at his side, weaning Keanu’s hand out of his own grasp, hissing empathically at how the base of his palm had taken on an angry red tint, “Shit,” her hands were so soft and smooth, her touch soothing, “We need to get some ice on this,” when she moved away, grabbing a dish towel as she headed to the fridge, Keanu’s face fell further, already missing her touch. Though, when Emma returned, a couple blocks of ice wrapped up in the patterned fabric, pressing it to his hand as she held it up between them, Keanu’s eyes fell on her once again. With her head downcast, it was hard to decipher her expression, though, he could see her brows knitted in worry, “Does it hurt like this?”

When she glanced up briefly, their eyes meeting, Keanu stumbled on his words. He wasn’t expecting to be that close to her that morning, or, well, at any given point. He liked it though, maybe too much. “A little, but it's no big deal,” he shook his head slightly, his gruff voice low, “Thanks Em.”

“Of course,” she swirled it ice around a bit more, “You know, the kids love having their boo boos kissed,” Emma teased lightly, not thinking too much of it, “Think they get that from you?”

Chuckling quietly, Keanu replied, also without much of a protesting thought, “Maybe.” And just like that, the moment unfolded, so quickly that it felt completely natural, like her soft, supple lips were meant to touch him. They weren’t too warm on his skin, and could hardly be considered medicinal, but Keanu swore his hand felt ten times better when Emma pulled away, once again laying the ice on top of the burn. Simultaneously, they raised their heads, that time, their jaws slackened as their eyes met. “Em….” he groaned quietly, knowing that if he leaned in any closer they’d be no point of return, yet Keanu ached to. He wanted to kiss her, feel her mouth respond against his. But he couldn’t, and more importantly, he shouldn’t.

At the very last minute, right when Keanu swore that Emma was leaning up to meet him halfway, her pupils dilated, her breath slow and ragged and his chest just and inches away from hers, he rediscovered his self restraint, abruptly turning his head away. Clearing his throat, Keanu shoved his feelings down, irrationally disappointed when Emma stepped back, easily reading the shift of the moment, “Matt has swim practice today right?” It was honestly just a ploy to make professional conversation, change the topic so they wouldn’t need to have an uncomfortable conversation.

“Uh,” flustered, Emma seemed unsure of what to do with herself, and if Keanu wasn’t mistaken, there was a disappointed glint in her dark eyes, “Yeah, at three.” Gnawing on her lip, she fiddled with her fingers, “I should go see if his bag is ready, I can't remember if I packed it or not.” Keanu knew it was a lie; Emma didn’t forget things like that, and worst yet, he was almost sure that he’d hurt her. Yet, she didn’t give him a minute to apologize, or say anything really, hurrying out of the room with nothing more, leaving him tormented and feeling more guilty than ever.

*****

Tagging- @harrisongslimited @magnificentclodpiebanana @keandrews @greenmanalishi @rdjloverxxx @danceoftwowolves @planetkt @wheretheriversrunintothesea

[selene-tempest]

Mud bath.

"Erm..." Selene blinked, not really knowing what to say.

"I know."

"It's just that..."

"I said I know!"

"There's just so much..."

"I get it!"

"That's gonna take some scrubbing."

"I'm aware of that fact," Kayo's curt reply held a definite tone of warning.

Selene couldn't blame her, not really. She was covered from head to toe in mud, the dirt clinging to her skin, soaked into her hair and Selene was pretty sure she'd heard the sound of squelching whenever the other woman moved.

"Do you need any he-"

"I've got it, thanks." Kayo turned her back, walking stiffly from the hangar to the adjoined showers, knowing that Grandma would pitch a fit if any of them traipsed mud up to the main house.

Dismissed, Selene gave up the battle, knowing that Kayo, more than anyone, had moments where she just wanted to be left alone.

-x-

"Anyone seen Kay?" Virgil asked later that night when they were all in the lounge, spread out across the sofas in what Jeff called Sloth mode. Nothing was moving them short of an emergency call, which they all desperately hoped wouldn't happen.

"Not since we got back," Gordon answered. "She said she was pretty tired, maybe she went straight to bed?"

"Without eating?" Selene's inbuilt need to care for those around her pinged into life.

"I'm sure she'll get something if she's hungry," Gordon shrugged, not taking his eyes off the show on the holoscreen.

"Don't be mean," Selene swiped at his shoulder. "How would you like it if you got back and no one fed you?"

"It happens all the time," he protested.

"Not while I'm here," she said firmly. "I'm going to go and check on her."

"Your funeral."

It took her very little time to rustle up some left over mac and cheese and she took it, along with a glass of milk, up to Kayo's room.

She knocked on the door but got no answer.

"Come on, open up, I've brought you some food."

"I'm not hungry," floated through the door.

"Don't give me that shit, you haven't eaten since breakfast."

Nothing.

"It's mac and cheese," she wheedled.

Selene heard a sigh of defeat, followed by shuffling footsteps coming closer to the door.

"I'm warning you now," Kayo said through gritted teeth, "you'd better not laugh."

Selene frowned. What was there to laugh about?

"Promise me."

"Erm... OK, I promise not to laugh."

The door opened slowly, just enough for Selene to squeeze through, slamming shut behind her the moment she was inside the room.

"Where shall I put this..." Selene trailed off, catching sight of Kayo for the first time. "Oh lawd."

"Don't. Laugh."

"I wasn't going to!" Selene slid the tray of food onto the bedside table and turned to get a closer look.

"Yeah, right. I know how it looks, I've looked in the mirror."

"I honestly wasn't going to," Selene assured her. And she hadn't been. Her poor friend didn't need teasing, she needed help. Badly.

Her hair, that beautiful, thick, naturally shiny hair that Selene secretly lusted after but couldn't get without a mountain of products, looked like shit. There, she said it, even if it was just in her own head. It was fluffed up beyond all recognition, a mass of tangles and frizz the likes of which Selene had never seen.

"I'm sorry, I gotta ask..."

Kayo folded her arms, tapping her foot, daring Selene to say something shitty.

"How the hell did that happen?"

"I don't know," Kayo huffed. "I know my ponytail got loose from my helmet, that's never good because it gets all tangled then. Then the band snapped and it was a lost cause."

Selene nodded, she'd had a similar experience with her hair coming out of the back of her jacket while riding on the back of her Dad's motorbike and it had taken her and her mum the best part of an evening and two washes to get it untangled again.

"I've washed it three times, blow dried it and broken a brush on it but it's just made it worse."

"What type of conditioner did you use?"

"The one I always do, the one in the locker room and then mine up here. That one that Grandma buys in bulk."

Selene's eyes widened in horror as her friend described the torment she had just admitted to putting her hair through.

"Generic conditioner? You used generic conditioner? The same shit that Alan uses? That conditioner? And then you tried to brush it out?"

Kayo shrugged.

"What are you, a savage?"

"What else would I do to get tangles out?"

"Oh my gods," Selene clasped her hands over her heart and swayed dramatically. "I can't believe I'm hearing this. How? How could you think that would be OK?"

"It's always been OK every other time."

"No! No don't you dare dismiss it and pretend that you didn't just commit a cardinal hair sin!"

Kayo shrugged again.

Selene pointed at Kayo then the tray of food. "You, you're going to eat that while I go and get some emergency supplies, and then we're going to fix this mess!"

Selene didn't give Kayo a chance to respond, she just swept out of the room, having delivered her orders which she expected to be obeyed. Kayo wanted to argue but knew it was a pointless waste of energy. Her hair felt like straw, she was grumpy and now that the enticing scent of cheesy pasta was permeating the room, she realised she was hungry too.

By the time Selene returned, arms ladened with so many bottles Kayo was sure she had just robbed a salon, she had eaten all of the food, drank half the milk and could admit that she actually felt a bit better.

"Right," Selene declared, dumping her load on the bed and sorting through it. "This is a moisturing shampoo, it's my favourite, the one that Scott keeps stealing. We're going to wash your hair with this and then we're going to slap on this deep conditioning mask and leave it for the full half hour before rinsing."

"Half an hour?" Selene had never heard Kayo sound so shocked.

"Yep, while wearing this." Selene produced something that looked like deflated balloon that had mated with a wedding bouquet.

"What the hell is that?"

"It's a swimming cap, ignore the flowers, it'll keep the conditioner in place and create warmth to help it soak in, we'll cover it with a towel, you won't see it."

It took some persuading, but soon Kayo was back with soaking wet hair. Selene helped her to smother her locks in an insane amount of the hair mask and wrestled it into the swimming cap then wrapped her whole head in a towel.

"I feel ridiculous."

"Ypu look it too, but beauty is pain and it'll be worth it in the end."

"I know at least six different ways to kill you without you making a sound, they will never find your body."

"But you wouldn't do that to me, would you? Because then you'd be combing that shit out on your own."

The witch spoke the truth.

"Urghhh," Kayo groaned, refusing to admit defeat but knowing she had to. "This is going to take forever."

"Nah, it won't, don't sweat it. We'll have a girly night. Look, I bought face masks and chocolate too, it'll be great."

There was protests, but Selene quickly bulldozed through them like she always did, going so far as to launch herself at the other woman and sit on her when she tried to escape to lock herself in the bathroom, holding her down while she scrubbed at her face with a cleansing wipe and then painted on the mask. Ignoring her outraged screeching as she flailed her arms in a defensive attack.

The door opened at one point, Gordon and Alan sticking their heads in to make sure everything was OK. In their house screaming was never ignored. They took one look at Selene straddling Kayo, holding a dripping brush between her teeth while Kayo tried to push her hands away, both girls faces smeared in bright green face mud, and backed right out again. Selene didn't blame them.

Kayo looked at Selene, her eyes narrowing as if she were about to shove her onto the floor, but then her lips curved in a smile and she started to laugh.

They both collapsed into manic giggling, unable to stop. The looks on the boys faces ahd been priceless, as had theirs when they had turned to look at the door, pausing in the middle of their fighting.

"Thats going to be all around the island in the next ten minutes," Kayo howled.

"Oh gods, yes. They're never going to let this be forgotten," Selene wheezed, easing up on her friend and rolling sideways to get off her.

By the time their hysterics had subsided Selene gave Kayo permission to wash out her hair.

Over the course of the next two hours Selene smothered Kayo's hair in detangler and painstakingly combed through the now thankfully not so tangled mass, working in tiny sections at a time, from the tip to the roots until she could run the comb smoothly through her hair.

As they worked, with Kayo sat on the floor in front of the bed and Selene perched on the edge behind her, they fell into an easy chatter, sharing the chocolate Selene had brought with her and catching up.

If anyone asked, Selene would say she was closest to the boys, and most definitely Scott, but she counted Kayo as a close friend just the same.

At first meeting the two women had decided that they had very little in common, although they had banded together, two girls in a sea of testosterone that was Tracy Island and had become close pretty quickly.

Selene was more of a girly girl, finding enjoyment in putting on makeup, dressing up in nice clothes and watching weepy movies. Whereas Kayo was a tougher nut. She didn't really like dresses and considered makeup to be a waste of time, but they had worked hard to find a common ground.

Kayo had been used to being the lone girl (apart from Grandma) on the island and Selene often wondered if her mother dying young and her moving to the island where she had had to hold her own with what amounted to a chattering pack of wild monkeys, had stopped her from exploring her feminine side a bit more.

Kayo was great for so many things, she and Selene often spent their workout time together and had found they both shared a curious fascination for real crime documentaries, especially those of a more historical nature like Ted Bundy, The Yorkshire Ripper and the Night Stalker, it was interesting to try to figure out how today's modern technologies could have helped with the cases.

They would be found by John, wide awake in the small hours of the morning, camped out in the lounge with blankets and unhealthy snacks that Kayo would never admit to actually eating, engaged in some debate or other, sharing theories on unsolved cases or giving their opinions on one's that had already been solved.

No, their Kayo could never be described as girly but she was awesome just the same.

As Selene worked Kayo regaled her was the story of the whole sorry rescue from start to finish, starting with the flooding and finishing with all of then wallowing around in knee high muck, slopping around, falling over and basically having a less than relaxing mud bath.

The boys had had it easy, they just needed a quick shower and change of clothes, but Kayo had not been so lucky.

But the time all the tangles were out of her hair and Selene had dried it with the hairdryer she'd borrowed from Virgil's room, both girls were laughing again and with each sweep of the brush through her friends hair Selene felt her tense shoulder relaxing, simply enjoying the feel of someone looking after her for once.

Kayo didn't like being looked after, where the boys were always happy to accept any and all attention, especially if it came in the form of food, hugs or tv buddies, Kayo was more reserved and less likely to seek out company when she felt tired or moody. Selene made a mental note to force her company on her friend more often.

"There, all done," Selene announced, running her fingers through it one more time just because it felt so soft and shiny now that it had had some TLC.

"It actually feels amazing," Kayo admitted, stroke a strand between finger and thumb.

"That's because your heathen head has finally been nourished with something decent."

Kayo ignored that dig as Selene started to gather up her products, leaving some on the bedside table for Kayo to keep.

"There, that wasn't too horrendous was it?"

"So you say," Kayo huffed, but there was just a tiny hint of a smile on her face.

"So you wouldn't want to make this a monthly thing then?"

Kayo rolled her eyes. "Obviously not."

Selene shrugged, turning to pick up her things.

"But, I consider you my friend so, you know, hanging out once a month wouldn't be that much of a chore, but only because you want to."

"Oh, of course," Selene agreed, trying not to laugh.

"So, what now?" Kayo asked, reluctant to admit that it had actually been quite a fun night that she wasn't really ready to end yet.

Selene thought about it for a moment or two. "Wash off this stuff," she pointed to the mask that had long since dried into a flaking, crusty mess, "and then shove the boys off the couch so we can watch the next episode of 'Crimes of Passion, the 80s years'?"

"Thought you'd never ask."

Big thanks to @myladykayo for the picture prompt. Not sure what this turned into but I went with it.

[loridrabbles]

Imprisoned | Dogma x Reader (Part 8)

(Y/n) finishes up her trial. Dogma'a mental state declines due to isolation.

     Dogma lay on his back, staring at the ceiling of the cell. It was empty, except for him, though he swore he heard people calling his name. In reality, the only things he could hear were the whir of the fan behind the bars in the ceiling, the drip from the leaky faucet in the refresher, and his own breathing. 

     (Y/n) was gone and he missed her. He missed her dearly. The time he spent alone was pure agony. He played checkers against himself, flipping the board each turn, thumbed through a couple books. He paced the room, fiddled with his fingers, and did nothing but wait. He didn't know what he was waiting for. Mostly just for the day to pass. 24 hours felt like days. 

     Time was taking a toll on his mind. When he'd close his eyes, he'd see things. He'd be in the barracks, trying to join a conversation, but he couldn't open his mouth. They'd wave their hands in his face, trying to wake him, but he couldn't. He'd be on the battlefield, standing, motionless, unable to breath as his brothers ran past him, screaming for him to move. He couldn't. He missed them. They never treated him well, but he'd take being the picked on out cast any day over complete solitude.

     Sometimes he'd be sitting on the cell bench, with (y/n) by his side, the both of them rambling on in a long, pointless conversation. He'd run his hand through her hair, but he could feel nothing at his fingertips. He missed her. The softness or her skin, the taste of her lips, the warmth of her body against his.

     He was going mad. The room spun and his heart palpitated in his chest. He wanted to scream. He fought it for so long. He fought it for weeks. Finally he gave up. A tear slipped from his eye as he sat on the edge of the bed. They began to pour down his face as he buried his head in his hands, sobbing to himself. He didn't want to be there anymore. He'd never follow through, he wouldn't be able too, but he knew he'd be better off dead. 

     Through his blurry vision, he saw a guard slide new towels and sheets under the door along with his dinner tray. He didn't want it. He trudged to the door, and grabbed the towels and sheets. He pulled the old ones off the bed and threw them by the door to he taken away. Once the bed was made, he grabbed the towels and climbed in the shower, hoping it would help him think more clearly.

     (Y/n)'s trial was up. 3 years and 5 years probation. She was happy to have received a sentence that was so short, but she would be lying if she said she wasn't hoping to hear life. She couldn't imagine leaving Dogma in that horrible place all by himself. She couldn't imagine how terrible the last few weeks had been. It was bad enough with just the two of them.

     As she left the court and entered the jail, the muzzle was places back on her head. As the was lead in chains through the prison, her heart jumped to her throat when the guards took her to the elevator that led to solitary. They would see eachother again.

     Dogma stepped out of the shower. He was mentally exhausted. His movements were slow and by the time he was dressed for bed in a tshirt and loose cotton shorts, the mirror had unfogged from the shower. He heard something. A door slam and some voices. He was hallucinating again. He picked up a little packet that held a razor and shaving cream. Making the shaving cream was hard. It was cheap, but he managed. He had to be extremely careful with the razor. It was made to prevent someone from hurting themselves or someone else. One wrong move and it would snap. It also dulled quickly, but luckily there were 3 in a package. It took him about a half hour, but he finally removed any stubble that had grown in, and shaped his hair how he liked. 

     (Y/n) sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for him. She stared blankly at the floor, thinking about everything that had happened the last few weeks. Kix, the trial, what Dogma might have gone through. She wanted to cry. The door to the refresher swung open. Dogma stepped out, staring at her, blinking a few times as if to make sure he wasn't seeing things again. 

     "(Y/n)." He said, his voice almost a whisper. He couldn't believe his eyes. Slowly, he walked to her as she stood. She looked up at him, tears in her eyes and she stood and rushed to collide with his chest. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, burying his face into her hair, stroking it gently. Minutes passed before either of them spoke.

     "You're back." He whispered. "I was so worried. What happened?"

     "My trial. I got 3 years and 5 years probation."

     "Oh..." He sighed. "Well, I'm happy for you." He looked down at her and noticed she was still crying. He put his hands on her cheek. "What's the matter? Aren't you glad you'll be out of here soon?"

     "I saw Kix." She said. She took a seat on the bed, Dogma next to her. "He treated my wounds. He took the muzzle off to talk to me for a moment even though he wasn't supposed to. I told him what was going on. When he left the room, the guards beat him. I screamed for them to stop, but I-I think they k-killed him." She cried, burying her face in his chest as he tried to think of what to say. "I shouldn't have asked him. I didn't have to tell him."

     "Shhh. It's not your fault." He stroked her hair and squeezed her close to him. "He knew the consequences. Don't think about it. It's over with. There's nothing you can do. Besides, the 501st is going to wonder what happened to him right? They're going to find out."

     "You're right. There's no sense in making myself sick over it." She said, wiping her tears. Dogma used the sleeve of his shirt to help dry them away. "We're stuck here anyway."

     "Did you eat?" He asked.

     "Kinda. I haven't had much of an appetite."

     "Neither have I, since you left. I was starting to go mad from being alone for so long."

     "I can imagine. I was in our old cell so I was able to interact with others, but I dared not speak to anyone. The guards threatened to kill me if I talked to anyone about the trial."

     "Kriff. Well, if your hungry, they dropped off dinner an hour or so ago." He pointed to the tray that was set on the table. She walked to the bench and slouched on it, kicking off the loafers she had on. 

     "What did you do while I was gone?"

     "Paced. Read. Waited." He answered. 

     "Sounds fun." She answered sarcastically. "Up for a game of checkers?" She asked.

     "Yeah. What are the rules this time?" He joked.

     "Nothing. I just missed playing together." She smiled. They played a few rounds rather silently, just enjoying eachother's company. (Y/n) broke the silence with a question.

     "Ok. If you were trapped on a planet with only one person from the 501st, who would it be?"

     "Hmm. Probably Rex." He answered, moving his piece to be kinged. "He was always very kind to me. What about you."

     "Probably the same." She paused. "Wait a minute. You!" She laughed.

     "Well you're pretty much already doing that. If you were going to be trapped on a barren planet for a year, what 3 things would you bring with you?"

     "Hmmm. A copper pot. It can kill the bacteria in water and I can use it to cook. An axe or machete and a tarp. You?"

     "My blaster, a canteen to collect water, and a firestarter."

     "Oh I'd probably have to trade my tarp for a fire starter. I couldn't make a fire by hand for the life of me."

     "That's true. Of course I could probably use my blaster to start a fire. Then I could trade my firestarter for a tarp or bug net."

     "Ooh a bug net is a good idea. Hey if we ever get out of here, let's try to survive in the wilderness together with only 6 items."

     "Sounds like a plan. I think we could do it."

     "If you could only be on one planet for the rest of your life, which would it be?"

     "Hmm. Probably Coruscant. Surprisingly I'm not sick of it. There's so much of it I haven't explored yet. You?"

     "Naboo. There are cities but but there's forests and plains too. I couldn't live in a city forever."

     They talked and talked, catching up on the time together they had lost. They talked until their mouths went dry and stayed up so late their eyes stung with exhaustion. Finally, they caved in and went to bed.

     (Y/n) and Dogma were getting ready for the night when (y/n) felt a heavy trickling down her leg. She looked down to see a small puddle of blood at her feet.

     "No no no no." She gasped.

     "What?" He asked, fluffing his sheets.

     "I got my period." She said, tears stinging her eyes, threatening to spill.

     "Oh dear."

     "Uhg this is so embarrassing." She said, hiding her face in her hands.

     "No it's not. Don't worry about it. Go clean yourself up. I'll take care of the floor. It's alright."

     The next 4 days were going to be difficult, but with a copious amount of cloths in her underwear and Dogma insisting she didn't have to be embarrassed, she'd make it. The clothes she'd use as pads, she kept and would rinse them out every night and swish them in the sink with soap.

     She had gotten used to an empty, cold room during her time away for thr trial. She hated it. She had been away from Dogma long enough and he was so close. Deciding she was done with being alone, she got out of her bed and walked to his. He was already asleep, facing the wall away from her. He had rolled over that way from his back, leaving enough room for her to squeeze in. She climbed under the covers, and wrapped her arm around him. He awoke slightly, finding her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers. She buried her face in his back and took a deep sigh. She could still smell the shaving cream.

[lovemecharlie]

Uh Oh, Charlie

This is directly after Good Time, Charlie. Italics were written by Angel and taken from her fic 32 Weeks.

“I think we should fuck consistently until you’re over him.”

“Tuh.. Sounds like a lotta fuckin, let’s get started.”

Over the month Charlie had been messing with Trevante, they barely spoke about her husband, choosing to act as if she were single. In Charlie's mind, she was. Charlie knew burying feelings was an ineffective and unhealthy way of dealing with the anger and bitterness of rejection, but she also didn't want to dwell on negative feelings knowing that her life had to go on. Trevante was more than willing to play distraction, wining and dining her at cute spots that were out of his comfort zone. It was cute and he was honest. She felt more herself than she had in a while.

As for their arrangement.. It was sex, sex, sex, and more sex back to back and for hours whenever Charlie and Trevante had free time. They'd had sex on the hotel bed, chair, in the shower, on the sink, in the women's bathroom on the main floor, in the pool, in her car, in his car, in his barber's chair at work when no one was there.. that was her favorite because he gave her a clean undercut after.. in his bed, on his kitchen counter and table, in his bathtub, on his couch. The sex was great and it was often.

However, something strange had been happening. For perhaps the fifth day in a row, Charlie woke up feeling like Hell above ground. She woke with nausea and an aggressive case of heartburn that felt like acid reflux. Her body was fatigued and she felt achey like a virus was coming on. She still felt the ghost of Trevante's strong fingers hard on her sides and on her hips. Rolling from the bed, she ran to the bathroom and emptied the contents of her stomach, wiping her mouth with tissue and rinsing with mouthwash. On her return to the bed, Trevante was awake and he looked concerned.

"That's the fourth time that I've seen you vomit this week.. and that's only what I've seen. I think you should go get checked out and before you say you're fine.. you're not fine." His voice wasn't loud or accusatory like N'Jadaka's would've been in that moment. Trevante was way easier to deal with.

"It's probably a virus or maybe I got food poisoning from the Thai restaurant we went to last week."

"We ate the same thing. I don't think so," he squinted. "Plus, if you had a virus I'd be as sick as you as much as I'm around and up in you."

"I don't know what else it could be," Charlie shrugged crossing her arms stubbornly.

"I have a guess," Trevante's brow raised and they stared at each other in a long moment of silence.

"...It's probably heat exhaustion. Oh my God, it's a heat stroke." The look in Trevante's eyes said he knew the truth and Charlie needed to accept it and come to terms. She didn't want to even think of it. "Tre, it's probably the heat," she reasoned again silently begging him to agree. The hotel had A/C, it wasn't the heat. She simply felt awful. "...And I'm supposed to go to Angel's gender reveal party today and be all fancy in a gown and heels? I don't know how this is going to work."

"You don't owe anyone an explanation of what we've been doing." His hands folded behind his head, vibes of tranquility wafting from him to Charlie, keeping her calm.

"I don't wanna talk to my estranged husband at all. I don't wanna see him, I just want to support my Angel on her big day." She moved to the small closet to grab her white and gold dress laying it on the bed. "I think I'm pretty much over my anger and the whole situation, but real talk. I've been thinking about this for a while. What if my husband found out we were fuckin and came to attack us?" She stared at Tre as his calm smile widened. He didn't take it seriously. "Tre, I'm serious." She felt paranoid, but she knew Erik's mind.

"With all due respect, Charlie? Like I've told you again and again.. I'm not afraid of him. I'll be in the same barbershop he saw me in before, cutting hair. It's good. He can come through anytime, get a shape up," he joked.

"You're not taking this seriously, do not underestimate him. He's done some things."

"He's crazy, I know," Trevante nods rolling his soft eyes. "Half the niggas on my block crazy. Everybody crazy. Don't worry about me, beautiful, I've been crazy too. I can revert if need be."

"How are you so level-headed and unbothered about all this?" Charlie sighed. He sat up and climbed from the bed, still fully naked in all of his chocolate glory to wrap his arms around her in an embrace.

"Stop worrying so much. Peace is attainable if you're vigilant."

"You and that poetry," she smirked.

---

"Okay, everyone!" An ever stunning Janelle Monae spoke into the microphone. Angel had asked her to host the event, and much like most people, couldn't tell her no. "It's time for the moment we've all been waiting for! Ryley and Henny planned the coolest gender reveal ever, a firework show! So if you're ready, let's travel outside of this lavish tent and see the show!"

Charlie felt as though she were being watched and she had the suspicion that it was of Erik's doing. It was definitely something he'd do, hire people to watch her. Her nausea increased. How much had they seen? There were people left and right and she looked at all of their eyes. Erik's eyes were the only ones she avoided since she could sense a conversation in those dark brown peepers that she didn't care to have.

It was a sticky situation she found herself in. She absentmindedly felt on her own stomach pudge, praying for the nausea to be a product of food poisoning as everyone watched the night sky. A baby was not ideal. She'd been good on her own needing Erik for nothing and she'd already begun to rediscover herself and her own happiness. She refused to go backwards.

"Charlie! Come sit with the fam," Homie pulled her so that she sat with the other wives who greeted her warmly with hugs. She did miss them all, each and every one. They looked beautiful in their stark white, glittering gold, and deep emerald green. Angel herself looked exquisite and was glowing. Girl had gotten thicc enough to bite.

“5, 4, 3, 2, 1!” They watched as fire shot up into the sky, flying up at the speed of lightening until….

Charlie's jaw dropped and tears slipped down her awed face thinking of what it meant as blue and pink lights rained down.

Pink and Blue. A boy and a girl. Twins!

The house would be getting boy and girl twins. She couldn't wait to hold them and squeeze their cheeks and read to them. She wondered if they'd be tiny babies or fat like cherubs. She hoped they were fat like cherubs.. and healthy. Health was most important. Her hand went to her stomach again. She didn't take back her wish for food poisoning, but she figured that maybe having a baby wouldn't be so bad. Angel was already on the road to childbirth.. all Charlie would have to do was watch and take her cues from what Angel did. She could make it work.

After the fireworks, she caught up with her sisterwives, glad they weren't asking too many questions. She just wanted to talk about the twins and how everyone had been without her. Angel was happy to see her, giving Charlie a careful hug, her baby bump serving as a large barrier. As Charlie stood talking to Homie and Kimora, she looked over and saw Erik coming her way. That was her cue to leave.

“Hold on, Shy.” He spoke before running over to Charlie. “Ayye,” he said before grabbing a hold of her arm to stop her. She froze as she felt his touch, stopping in her tracks. “Where you headed off too? You leavin already, Charlie?”

Charlie turned around with a deep breath to look at him before speaking. “Yeah Daka, I’m a bit tired. I wanna head home and rest.”

“Home huh?” Erik said, looking her over, analyzing her body language. She did look tired, but she also looked nervous…. he could tell she was hiding something. He also noticed how she had unconsciously placed her hand on her belly. He decided he’d let her off easy this time, wanting her to come to him on her own. He wouldn’t let her keep her secret for too long however.

“Alright princess, take it easy then.” He said as he went in for hug. Being sure to take in the scent of her full hair.

“Y-yeah, I will.” Charlie said as warmth filled her body from Erik’s tight hug. Her sensitive body quickly being effected from his touch. She was sure she was covered in goosebumps.

Dammit, she thought feeling powerless all over again. No matter how far away she went physically and mentally, he still had this effect.

“Alright Daka, let me go big boy.” She said with a laugh, ready to get away from him. Her thoughts were becoming too clouded & she was afraid she’d do something she’d regret.

Finally Erik loosened his grip, giving her his signature smirk. Naturally he knew what effect he was having on her, he always did.

“I’ll let you go. For now.” He said, his eyes filling with fire & a promise. 

---

"He's watching us," Charlie blurted over the phone when Trevante picked up. She was changing out of the white and gold gown in her hotel room that had become more of an apartment. "Remember what I said to you?"

Trevante wasn't afraid and no matter what Charlie said or how much money she offered him to leave and start over elsewhere in financial comfort and safety, he wasn't with it. "Have some faith, shawty. It'll be okay." She could hear the buzzing of his clippers in the background. He was so unbothered.

Charlie on the other hand was sick physically and with stress. Trevante said to take a test and common sense told her to take a test, but she didn't want to take it and see a positive because then she'd have to deal with the fallout and plan the rest of her life around a surprise factor. She put it off like she pocketed her feelings for her husband.

"Hello? Charlie.. Charlie.." She heard the clippers stop.

"Huh? Sorry, I zoned out thinking about the chaos that is my life!"

"You're the one who has to make the decisions. Don't panic until you take a test." Solid advice.

@poosypoosy @bastioncarterstevens-udaku @hennessystevens-udaku @itsangeludaku @alyshastevens-udaku @itskimorafireudaku @allhailnjadaka @bidibidibombaclaat @blackpinup22 @destinio1 @hold-me-like-a-heart-beat @leahnicole1219 @vikkidc @thehomierobbstark

[jakethejakejake]

day four: this trek is piss easy

kick off the morning with a trillion gabillion steps down to our first suspension bridge stretching across a mountainous causeway bouncy and swingy but most definitely a safe one. after the bridge we climbed a short distance where we came across what looked like a nepalese youth prison

turns out it was a primary school. some (10 or 12) children (5-11 years old) were on their break time and gathered around a cliff-edge (naturally). it was a patch of sandy dirt, they were playing around, cartwheeling and stuff like that - normal stuff.

they looked like mini-mini humans, like fully active, pierced, bronzed nepalese new borns. imi kicked off their extended playtime with a demonstration of an extended lunge which inspired most of the group. gym class had officially begun when ross taught a headstand (nearly crushing a couple of newborns) and dan gave a practical lesson in flying: let me hold you by your wrists and launch you into space. the newborn students took most favourably to the flying lesson, whereby we were all then obliged to teach this exhilarating skill of flinging children into the air at their will. this carried on for long enough to account for rest of their schoolday, surely flying is more valuable than learning english and numbers?

we were all exhausted by the amount of near-wrist-snapping we performed, michael actually dropping one tiny oompa-loompa whilst all the nepalese adults laughed .. the child was fine. so fine that he decided to play a game, where when all of us tried to regain some energy sitting down, he would sneak attack from behind and pull us by our collars to the dusty ground.. we parted with pictures and a ten rupee (7p) donation to the school. i'm sure that can buy them something useful like a stick.

then, surprisingly for a ten-day trek, we trekked and trekked and trekked and trekked and trekked until finally we came to have lunch at a cafe overlooking some amazing fog. no no i think we may have seen a mountain.

inside the café toilet, imi decided to put her plumbing passions into action by refilling the cistern to aid the flush. unfortunately, after flushing, the loo's guests from the past eight years resurfaced and nearly flooded the entire mountain. imi returned to the group looking as though she'd just witnessed the most heinous crime, which she did. the loo is being sentenced to life imprisonment in that same café bathroom (without any possibility for parole).

after that atrocity, we had a nice lunch.

then we trekked some more

then we stopped trekking and refused to pay for wifi so we stole our tour guide's and rinsed his nepalese limit. im sure he won't mind on picking up the bill for our very necessary instagram scrolls

we checked into a lodge atop a picturesque himalayan village, stunning scenery spanning millions of lightyears of open blue air, the sweet stench of oil and burning as nepalese village people welded with metalwork and sparked sparks sparingly across our legs as we skipped past in fear.

our lodge was alright but there were flies inside every crevice of material necessary to our survival. it was alright because the hot chocolate tasted like melted chocolate and we had a large heaping of food (i had pizza as well as everyone else's seconds). three of us had a soothingly warm shower which was actually scaldingly boiling and then got charged for it in the morning.

to round off the day, a thunderstorm in the night made me feel as if the world's end was imminent. really honestly i thought my end was to be crushed by flee infested ceiling.