#there's like an 8 second tracking shot at one point

[stairset]

Season 2 is the most underappreciated Clone Wars season no one gives it credit cause they didn’t give the show a chance until season 3 and they don’t wanna admit they were wrong about the first two seasons but season 2 is literally so fucking sexy from start to finish

[snippychicke]

Poppy Seeds--Part Three

Inspired by TooManyPsuedonyms work, which in turn was inspired by @semisolidmind fanart/cabin!Au for Playtime Poppy. Especially these works today

Master post

Seven: Music

As soon as Kissy found the old radio stuffed away, she was in love. Especially when you found the vinyl records and 8-track tapes stored away. Old records your grandparents had loved like The Mamas and The Papas, Abba, John Denver, and others you weren’t so familiar with.

Soon music was always playing in the house as long as Kissy was awake. To the point that every time you were in town, you had raided the second hand store and old music shops for more.

Because it not only made the pink giant happy, but seemed to lift everyone's spirits, even on the bad days. And if that’s what it took, you would be all too happy to accommodate.

-+-

Some old song played, and something about it had everyone up and dancing. Kissy had Ollie in her arms, and the boy was giggly as the giant spun him around. Poppy was swaying by herself on the kitchen counter, though she seemed quite content by the smile on her face.

Dancing with Dogday was a bit challenging considering your size difference, but he was determined to make it work. And well, you had no complaints as he held you close with an arm around your back while his other hand encompassed yours.

Actually, you were in heaven, you just didn't want to admit it. The feelings in your chest had been slowly growing warmer and fonder for Dogday, but burying your face in his soft chest was making you realize what exactly those emotions were.

Surely this was just another side effect of the horrors you survived, right? Or just having someone so openly affectionate with you after being somewhat socially isolated the last decade as you hid from the truth you accidentally had uncovered at Playtime.

It didn't help with him always calling you angel, or following you around like a shadow. And right now, some of your favorite moments were just laying together in bed, snuggled closely and basking in the moment.

You were starting to fall in love, and you weren't quite sure how to deal with it.

His deep voice started to sing softly along with the chorus, and you knew you were in deep trouble.

Eight: Hunt

Feeding four people was going to strain your meager funds as a small farmer/rancher. Especially when two of those ‘people’ were towering creatures with an appetite of 2 each.

You knew they could ‘survive’ off less, and they both tried to hide the fact the typical portions were leaving them hungry. But after hearing both Kissy and Dogday's growl loudly several meals in a row, you deduced that it wasn't quite enough. And while you had a large garden planted, it was going to be at least a few weeks to a couple of months to benefit from that.

You knew there were plenty of deer and elk in the woods this time of year--along with things like bears and mountain lions. So you had your gramps' old shotgun hanging off your shoulder by the old strap, unable to see either Dogday or Kissy but you knew they were still within shouting distance. Surely between the three of you, you'd be able to bring something in, even if it was something smaller like a rabbit or one of the wild turkeys.

Hunting was not your favorite thing, but it put food on the table. Besides, you knew Ollie needed more nutrition too if he was ever going to get rid of that sallow tint and put meat on his bones.

There was a grumble along with a crack of a branch that gave you half a second warning. You turned, not expecting the giant grizzly bear that somehow got behind you.

You swore as you fumbled with the shotgun-- you had been more familiar with the old Grab Pack than you were the gun. The grizzly huffed again and lumbared towards you far faster than you thought something that size could. You attempted a shot, which fired with a harsh crack, but it went far too wide.

You were dead.

But in a blur of deep violet, the grizzly was knocked to the forest floor. It took you another second to recognize Catnap as he tore into the animal.

There was a brief moment of relief… and then you realized you had just traded one deadly situation for the other.

Catnap eventually released the grizzly bear and looked towards you. You took a step back, even though you knew there was no way you could outrun him. Not here in the open where there were no places to hide. You could try and shoot him, yet that weighed too heavy on your conscience, even if it meant saving your life. Never mind you couldn’t even shoot the grizzly at point-blank range.

Catnap suddenly stood on his back legs, easily switching to be bipedal… then kneeling before you. “Savior,” he breathed with more reverence than Dogday which was… was something.

“Uh,” you answered intelligently, blinking at the giant cat. Savior? You?

With a sense of deja-vu, Catnap was tackled in the same way he had tackled the animal moments earlier. Dogday’s giant paws were clenched into fists as he wailed upon the purple cat, a deep thunderous growl echoing from his chest.

Before he could do too much damage, and before Catnap could start fighting back-- you rushed forward and grabbed Dogday’s fist and held it back. You knew he could easily overpower you, but thankfully he paused, looking at with narrowed eyes.

“Stop it,” you begged, “please. He-he saved my life.”

That seemed to get through to him. Dogday looked towards the lifeless form of the grizzly, then at Catnap beneath him. The other giant Smiling Critter was glaring up at the dog with the same hate Dogday was glaring at him.

You gently pulled at Dogday, and he slowly followed your lead, unpinning Catnap and allowing him to climb to his feet and brush off the dirt and leaves.

"Why are you here?” Dogday snarled, placing himself directly between you at Catnap just as Kissy arrived, her smile dimmed as she bared her needle-point teeth at Catnap.

Yet Catnap seemed unaffected, his eyelights focused on you, peeking out from behind your friend. “They saved us. They are The Savior who defeated the false-god.”

Dogday relaxed somewhat at his word, though just a little. “Ah, just as much of a fanatic as before.”

“You deny their works?” Catnap growled back. “Even after the many works you saw yourself, you are a heretic of the true savior?”

“My angel saved us; I’ll agree with you on that, but I know they’re not going to be happy about that new title, or your worship. Unlike the prototype, angel doesn’t exactly like sacrifices.”

“N-no fighting,” you agreed, holding on to Dogday’s hand as you stepped up to his side. “No killing--other than for food,” you tacked on, seeing Kissy pause. A deer in one hand that she had dragged like a stuffed animal along the forest floor. “Or for protection. And that goes for both of you.”

It was probably seeing you try to boss the two--both of whom were about twice your height.

You squeaked indignantly as Dogday suddenly lifted you up and pulled you close to him. “Only for your sake, angel.” he murmured, nuzzling against the crook of your neck and shoulder the best he could due to both his size and also undoubtedly glaring at Catnap over your shoulder.

You could feel your face burn hot, but still gave an exasperated expression to Kissy, who hid her teeth and instead looked far more amused than she should have been.

Nine: Close

You escaped into the porch, desperate for some fresh air. It had been about a week since the Incident in the woods, and if you thought Dogday had been your shadow, you had been sorely mistaken. Knowing Catnap.was somewhere in the nearby forest left him on high alert and even more protective.

At first, you could understand it. You were more than a little shaken yourself. Especially when you would find random animals dead on your porch, ranging from rabbits to a moose. Dogday was sure Catnap was taunting everyone but…

But you had cats before. And yes, Catnap was not an actual cat, but neither was Dogday yet there were traits that seemed too much of a coincidence.

For example, Dogday loved to be petted. To the point he often rested his head in your lap while you both sat on the floor to watch tv. He had that ‘magic spot’ where his ear and head joined that when scratched would make his leg kick. (You avoided it most of the time, knowing he was self conscious of it… but sometimes temptation was too great to see that blissed look on his face.)

So you had to admit, Catnap acting like a cat… was not so far fetched. Bringing food (because they had all been fresh kills of edible animals) was a sign of affection in most cats--even moreso, you were sure, for a giant cat who had endured a decade of near starvation.

But convincing Dogday that Catnap meant no harm… that would be a challenge.

You rubbed your eyes hard with an aggravated sigh, hard enough you saw stars when you opened your eyes.

…or maybe not. You noticed a pair of eyes reflecting the porch light, far taller than any animal you could think of…

Slowly Catnap stepped out of the shadows, though didn’t pass the treeline. Instead he seemed hesitant to draw too close, his gaze flitting between you and the house behind you.

Probably expecting Dogday or maybe one of the others to come out in a rage. Yet you could hear them talking and laughing as they played one of the board games (that you purposely lost for a chance for some fresh air.)

You didn’t feel comfortable enough to approach Catnap, but… something about the lonely creature tugged at your heartstrings. Without really thinking you scooted to the edge of the porch, dangling your legs off the edge, and offered a hand.

“Psspt ppsspp ppsspp.”

The giant cat blinked at you, and for a long moment you felt like an idiot. Trying to call Catnap like he was just an old farm cat? Really?

Yet it seemed to work as Catnap slowly stalked out of the first, slinking low to the ground with his attention split between you and the cabin.

He really was an overgrown cat.

The thought made you relax some, even ast Catnap eventually loomed over you, head tilted in curiosity as if to say: “Okay, I’m here. Now what do you want?”

“Thank you for the presents?” you offered awkwardly, not sure yourself what had compelled you other than pity. “The turkey especially, even if we had feathers strewn about for a while. They were quite… novel to everyone.”

Catnap appeared to accept the praise pridefully, standing a little taller. Without thinking (which was certainly a common theme tonight) you raised your hand to scratch his chin. He paused for a moment before sinking into your touch, a slow and deep purr resonating from his chest.

Oh. You don’t bother fighting the smile as Catnap slowly slumped to the ground, looking as blissed with the soft scratches as Dogday. Though the purring was quite new, and where Dogday allowed his eyes to close completely as he rested his head in your lap, Cat nap’s were only half closed, though the expression in them was full reverence and tenderness.

It was a rather peaceful moment--until the door slammed open. “Catnap!” Dogday snarled as the other giant Smiling Critter jumped, back arched and a hiss on his lips. “Angel! Are you okay?”

“I’m fine!” you answered as you jumped to your feet, stopping Dogday from going after Catnap as he retreated back into the woods. “He didn’t hurt me, see?”

It took a moment for Dogday to tear his gaze away from the shadows where Catnap disappeared into and look down to you. You reached up with the same hands you had petted Catnap with and cupped his face. As always, it helps him relax, though only somewhat.

“Angel,” he sighed, leaning into your touch, though not as deep as before. “Why do you have to be so kind?”

You're pretty sure his question was rhetorical, but you smiled anyway as you rubbed the pad of your thumb along the curve of his cheek. “Because no one else was.”

That caused the last bit of stress to ease, and he sunk deeper into your touch while wrapping his arms around your waist. “Angel, my sweet angel, you're going to be the death of me.”

---*--

Dogday knew logically that his angel was as kind and merciful as their namesake. They wouldn't be his angel if they weren't.

But they were als very brave and foolhardy.

It drove Dogday up the wall to see them be so kind to Catnap for some reason. They had all done things they weren't proud of, the only innocent one among them being Ollie. But they had done so to survive. There had been no pleasure in it.

But Catnap… he killed because the Prototype told him. He had killed so many in the name of the Prototype.

He may call their angel ‘savior,’ but Dogday didn't trust him. He didn't like how his angel would leave portions of food out, going as far as to yell for Catnap to come and get it before the other wild creatures did. He didn't like it when they'd scratch Catnap behind his ear, laughing as the giant cat rubbed his face against them with a deep purr.

He really didn't like it when his kind hearted angel made a space for Catnap in the barn. Filling the area with blankets and pillows, and even a spare radio and lamp.

“I can't just leave him!” You argued with a huff later that night, dressing yourself for bed. “It's going to get cold at night--winter comes early to these parts. I know that letting him in the house would be a bad idea--if he'd even accept the offer.”

Dogday knew he would--if just to spite him. Everything Catnap did, Dogday swore was for the sole purpose to annoy him.

“He doesn't deserve you, angel. None of us do, but especially not him. Yet your so kind to him, going out of the way to make sure he's okay…”

“I'd do that for anyone, ‘day. You guys didn't deserve the shit you went through, the least I can do is make up for a bit of it.”

Dogday hesitated as you climbed into bed, an uncomfortable feeling welling up in his chest. “Is that why we're here, angel? For you to try and repent as well?”

He could tell he struck a nerve as you flinched, and almost apologized, except the words got caught in his voicebox, twisting themselves into barbs to cut deeper. “Is that the only reason you let me stay with you every night?”

Your eyes were watery when you looked up at him, though there was that steely resolve as well. “You know it's not, Dogday. You're… you're special to me. I wouldn't let anyone else share my bed… except maybe Olie if he had a nightmare.”

Something twisted and knotted in Dogday’s chest relaxed at your reassurance allowing him to sigh. You echoed his sigh before patting the bed beside you. “Come here, big guy. It looks like you could use a hug.”

How were you so perfect?

Instead of crawling in beside you, Dogday decided to take that hug by crawling halfway atop of you, head pressed against your chest as he wrapped his arms around your waist.

He could hear your heart beating, quick but strong, and simply presumed it was from emotions running high like his own. He didn't even realize he had nestled himself between your legs until he felt the soft weight of your thighs press against his hips.

Oh. He may not be human but he did recognize a compromising position when he saw one. Yet before he could pull away, your hands reached up and scratched behind his ears. “Oh ‘day,” you sighed with such a hint of fondness he felt his tail wag in response. “You haven’t been feeling jealous, have you?”

His tail froze as he tensed, and he tried to hide his face in your chest. “No,” he lied.

Your laugh made it clear you didn't believe him, but you didn't call him out on it. Instead you pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “Good, because that would be silly. No one can compare to you, no matter what.”

His face felt like it was on fire, yet his tail was wagging faster than ever. His arms tightened around your waist as he tried to press himself closer to you. You were his angel, his guiding light, and for you to say that he was special to you.

Well, he couldn’t be happier.

[ghostflowerhotpotch]

Miles' Drawings Compilation

Sure you don't, champ?

Okay, this will be less of an analysis, and more of a collection of frames showing the drawings of Miles; I will also take notes of how many times someone appears, appearance and other details.

Let's dive in!

For this, I would looking for frames on 3 times on the movie; his sketchbook at the beginning, the wall on the subway, and his sketchbook again in Gwen's hands this time around.

We start with Miles drawing on this sketchbook.

Okay, while looking for frames I realized that some pages weren't completely show or were just being flipped, I captured as much as I could, but again, I am not doing this in any professional fashion, just pressing pause a bunch of times at half speed.

Complete Pages

First Page we see, Gwen is front and centre in a page solely dedicated to her.

For the appearance of this shot, I am pretty sure this is based on Gwen going down the portal, the last time he saw her.

Gwen appearances: 1

Gwen is the taking most of the page, but Aaron is here too, alive and looking just like another dude, as he remembers him.

There is some lettering around in the other pages, tho is hard to see.

We have one mysterious person that is mostly being obscured by Miles's head, so it will go as undefined character.

Some ketches of a street.

Gwen appearances: 2

Undefined character: 1

Aaron appearances: 1

Landscapes: 1

Lettering: 2

Okay! At first appearance, Gwen is only taking a quarter of the page; we also have Noir's first appearance, and Miles doing some Lettering, and finally some light doodles close to the spine.

Gwen appearances: 3

Undefined character: 1

Aaron appearances: 1

Landscapes: 1

Noir: 1

Lettering: 3

Doodles: 1

Okay! This entire a mostly Gwen only page, there is some words there but I think that would be more calligraphy than lettering, but would count it as lettering to not have too many numbers to keep track of.

And to give some chance to other things to score points.

Gwen appearances: 4

Undefined character: 1

Aaron appearances: 1

Landscapes: 1

Noir: 1

Lettering: 5

Doodles: 2

Once more Gwen is the biggest thing on the screen, but we have more people this time around! Thought Rio and Jeff some to be just sketches with lineart while he is putting full color to Gwen. Another point for lettering and doodle, which also, isn't that such an adorable little alien?

Gwen appearances: 5

Undefined character: 1

Aaron appearances: 1

Landscapes: 1

Noir: 1

Lettering: 3

Doodles: 3

Rio: 1

Jeff: 1

Once again Gwen is the bigger piece, but is also Peter's first appearance! I wonder how he would feel knowing it took this long for him to show up here.

Gwen appearances: 6

Undefined character: 1

Aaron appearances: 1

Landscapes: 2

Noir: 1

Lettering: 3

Doodles: 4

Rio: 1

Jeff: 1

Peter: 1

Double whammy this time around, Gwen appears big on the top corner, but also on the other page, apparently dancing. We also have a small hooded figure that I think may be Miles himself but I am not sure, and 2 people who I can't be sure who they are, so I will have those last three as Undefined characters, and finally, some more landscapes.

Gwen appearances: 8

Undefined character: 4

Aaron appearances: 1

Landscapes: 3

Noir: 1

Lettering: 4

Doodles: 4

Rio: 1

Jeff: 1

Peter: 1

Gwen being at the top of the page is not surprising at this rate, but I had also realized now that until this point, every drawing Miles has been actively working on has been Gwen's, except for the second page. I may add the total number at the end of this post because I am already counting a lot of things already.

Some lettering and Landscapes are here as well.

Gwen appearances: 9

Undefined character: 4

Aaron appearances: 1

Landscapes: 5

Noir: 1

Lettering: 5

Doodles: 4

Rio: 1

Jeff: 1

Peter: 1

Not only Aaron comes back, with Miles writing "Rest in Power," on it, I found this detail interesting because this phrase is also used a lot for people who struggled with systematic oppression; which there is a big chance was Aaron's case.

In the comics, Aaron and Jeff were criminals initially, with Jeff reforming once he became a father. We aren't sure what exactly is Jeff and Aaron's backstory in this universe; but I wouldn't discard the possibility that it was the same; with Aaron feeling he may had no other option not just because he already started this path, but because he couldn't get out due to circumstances.

Aside of this, we have another two drawings of Gwen.

We also have a drawing of Miles fighting against Dr. Oct, I wonder if this is suppose to represent the battle at the collider, or a new fight he may had with her.

Gwen appearances: 10

Undefined character: 4

Aaron appearances: 2

Landscapes: 5

Noir: 1

Lettering: 6

Doodles: 4

Rio: 1

Jeff: 1

Peter: 1

Miles: 1

Gwen is taking most of the page in this one, but we also have Peni's first appearance alongside her first robot. Also, on top of Gwen it says a small note of "Buy more Red!"

Gwen appearances: 11

Undefined character: 4

Aaron appearances: 2

Landscapes: 5

Noir: 1

Lettering: 6

Doodles: 4

Rio: 1

Jeff: 1

Peter: 1

Miles: 1

Peni and SP//dr: 1

And Noir is back! You know, considering he was the second one to appear, and the first to reappear, I wonder if Miles liked Noir that much, or maybe he is going it as art study of some sorts, since he is quite literally void of color.

Gren Goblin Appears! I didn't even register this before, I guess it does leave you with an impression.

Gwen appearances: 12

Undefined character: 4

Aaron appearances: 2

Landscapes: 5

Noir: 2

Lettering: 6

Doodles: 4

Rio: 1

Jeff: 1

Peter: 1

Miles: 1

Peni and SP//dr: 1

Green Goblin: 1

(FINALLY! This page goes on so quickly it took me multiple times to get it, jeez if anybody has a better idea of how to capture frames, please tell me in an ask or something please.)

Okay! So multiple people this time around, we can see Gwen a couple of times (because of course,) Noir is back (and I think my theory of this being black and white study is becoming stronger,) and on the other page we can see that Peter B is back again. Some equations as well, perhaps he needed to do it on the fly? Seems off to use his sketch book for this but oh well.

Gwen appearances: 14

Undefined character: 4

Aaron appearances: 2

Landscapes: 5

Noir: 3

Lettering: 7

Doodles: 4

Rio: 1

Jeff: 1

Peter: 2

Miles: 1

Peni and SP//dr: 1

Green Goblin: 1

The following pages were the ones I couldn't get complete because they were obscured when full on display, or there was never a chance on that shot to seeing the entire page.

Half Pages

On this one, we see this is the top part of page three, which is another Gwen drawing, surprise surprise. This means now she went for being in a quarter of the page to taking half the page.

Gwen appearances: 15

Undefined character: 4

Aaron appearances: 2

Landscapes: 5

Noir: 3

Lettering: 7

Doodles: 4

Rio: 1

Jeff: 1

Peter: 2

Miles: 1

Peni and SP//dr: 1

Green Goblin: 1

This one was hard to get, but we can see that before his hand got on top of the drawing, there was a doodle not just of Aaron, but Aaron as the Prowler!

Gwen appearances: 15

Undefined character: 4

Aaron appearances: 3

Landscapes: 5

Noir: 3

Lettering: 7

Doodles: 4

Rio: 1

Jeff: 1

Peter: 2

Miles: 1

Peni and SP//dr: 1

Green Goblin: 1

And finally, of course our final doodle of this sequence would be a big, beautiful close up of Gwen. Honestly his memory is impressive.

Gwen appearances: 16

Undefined character: 4

Aaron appearances: 3

Landscapes: 5

Noir: 3

Lettering: 7

Doodles: 4

Rio: 1

Jeff: 1

Peter: 2

Miles: 1

Peni and SP//dr: 1

Green Goblin: 1

With that, we go to the next part, the wall!

Mural

Since this one Miles just adding more drawings and such, there is really one frame to analyze. I could in theory talk about who he draws first and in which order, but I decided not to in hopes I can include all drawings in one post without hitting the limit of pics.

Is a big difficult to see everything, specially if seem in one go, so I did a breakdown of each character here.

The wall is interesting because unlike the Notebook, everyone except Aaron appears an equal amount of times, while Aaron only appears 2 times instead of 3, I found interesting how Miles drawn him both as the uncle he remembered, and the Prowler. I think even if he was technically a bad guy, Miles preferred to remember his uncle for the enterity of who he was, the good at the bad.

Also, front at centre we have Gwen, Aaron and Peter for the most part, which were also important key players last movie.

And I just notice, but this is the first time Ham appears in Miles's drawings! He is also the last one; huh, maybe not too much into cartoony art style?

Gwen appearances: 19

Undefined character: 4

Aaron appearances: 5

Landscapes: 5

Noir: 6

Lettering: 7

Doodles: 4

Rio: 1

Jeff: 1

Peter: 5

Miles: 1

Peni and SP//dr: 4

Green Goblin: 1

Ham: 3

Miles Notebook in Gwen's Hands.

. . .

I wasn't sure if they were going to show different drawings when Gwen had the books in her hands, I thought it was worth taking a look in case something was different, but it would make sense to just use the ones they already showcased.

What I did not expect, was to catch a continuity error.

Notice it yet? The page on the left actually had those exact same drawings on a right page earlier, in fact that page was suppose to come after the page on the right,

This is not really the first continuity error I had caught, I thought of doing a post about it, but with the news of the overworked animators I felt almost like an insult point out the mistakes when they were already working overtime to finish this movie. Perhaps at one point in the future when things had calmed down.

And if the last paragraph didn't made it clear enough: I don't want to hear anything against the animators for any possible mistakes I may point out or not in the future, I had dealt with far bigger bullshit than this and all things consider the people working on this movie deserve an award for multiple reasons.

With that out of the way, I came to see that actually, Ham DOES appear in the notebook! Miles shoulders made him difficult to see him as well as the explosion, but here he is!

Gwen appearances: 19

Undefined character: 4

Aaron appearances: 5

Landscapes: 5

Noir: 6

Lettering: 7

Doodles: 4

Rio: 1

Jeff: 1

Peter: 5

Miles: 1

Peni and SP//dr: 4

Green Goblin: 1

Ham: 4

And here we have the only drawings that didn't appear before, which is of course, another big one with Gwen on it.

Also, we had seen Miles do some lettering, but, is it just me or this is the first time he has done it with her name?

On the other page we have a bus ticket, that upon closer inspection, is the Hudson Valley ticket from the last movie! This one in particular seems to be going TO Brooklyn, which means this is the ticket he had for when he, Gwen and Peter were coming back. No wonder he keep that one!

There is also a last mysterious person I have no idea who may be, I think maybe Genki? I don't remember his hair being that long but maybe it was like that at point? Will be put as a mysterious person in the final tally.

Final countdown.

Okay! The numbers may be a bit off, and I guess one could argue how many things could count as doodles/lettering, but the results seems to be this!

Gwen: 20

Lettering: 9

Noir: 6

Aaron: 5

Peter: 5

Undefined character: 5

Landscapes: 5

Doodles: 4

Peni and SP//dr: 4

Ham: 4

Rio: 1

Jeff: 1

Miles: 1

Green Goblin: 1

Miles's parents tied up with Green Goblin in appearances, which is kind of funny, but I guess he doesn't spend that much time with his parents, and he has them always in his corner so is not like he misses them like the rest. Green Goblin was probably because it could be interesting to draw.

Then we have Ham and Peni on the lower end of characters that appear, this makes sense since they didn't interact that much with Miles inthe last movie.

Landscape, Doodles and Undefined Characters come after it on the numbers, but I don't think there is much to talk about those.

Peter and Aaron being tied isn't that surprising all things consider, what it is surprised is that Noir of all people appeared more than them; I insist it can be explained by Miles trying to do black and white drawings.

Lettering is the second thing that appears the most, this number can varied depending if you lump together Grafitti style with Caligraphy or not, or even on the fact that there were some words that I didn't count for this. I think is safe to say the number would still be high one way or another.

But nothing is topping Gwen, who appears AT LEAST, 20 times in Miles's drawings.

Wow.

And Gwen is still the one who won the poll in who has crushing harder, and the worst part is that even with this number she winning makes sense.

They are both so stupid for each other, I love it.

Well, this post was more work than I expected, but it was a lot of fun either way, and this pics will be useful for references later.

I encourage people to reblog this post specially since I believe regardless if you ship Ghostflower or not, this information can come handy for anyone interested in the contents of the notebook or for fic reasons.

Thanks for reading and stay awesome!

[kingsandbastardz]

MLC's prop department has been having fun

Tinfoil hat time. I've been tracking the movement of Li Lianhua's pillows at the Lotus Tower (yes I know, crazy)

Anyway, here are my findings that I think will be interesting to know:

(Episode 1) We are given 1 shot of a pillow. It's rust colored with a white center - he uses it in his own bed.

(Episode 8) We now see 2 pillows. One white one on the bed (llh's) and a grey-bluish colored one on the side dresser. Being that Fang Duobing has been staying there, I have assigned this color to him.

(Episode 13) We still see the grey-blue pillow that I assume is FDB's. He was using the white one here because LLH's put him in his own bed after he was injected with gangchi

(Episode 19) This looks similar to the grey-blue pillow, but I've dubbed it blue-grey because it's more blue and it's darker. Which means this is not FDB's bedding, but who is it for?

(Episode 20, images A and B) Ah here we go. It's Di Feisheng's. In the second image, you can see that he is a messy blanket folder.

(Episode 27) Post A-Fei getting taken away, and post-fdb breakup, LLH passes out and wakes up several days later. Su Xiaoyong has found him and has apparently been nursing him. I assume she helped herself to his prettiest pillowcase while she made herself at home. At first I thoguht she gave him his own white pillowcase, but on closer inspection, it looks grey. So I can't tell if it's a lighting/color-filter situation or if Su Xiaoyong actually grabbed fdb's pillow when dragging LLH to bed.

(Episode 28) The upstairs room - This is while they're traveling to the city and Su Xiaoyong is still with him. As she's a young unmarried woman, I assume for propriety's sake, he moved himself temporarily to the upstairs bedroom while he's still feeling ok, so you see his white pillow, fdb's grey-blue, and dfs' blue-grey. Yes, they look like the same shade under different lighting - but they're actually under the same strength shadow. So one is a full shade darker than the other.

(thanks @difeisheng I completely missed this one)

(Episode 40) No spare bedding on the side counter. FDB was sleeping in the chair against the table. LLH has been alone.

Conclusion:

LLH color codes his pillows for people who stay over

So in the previous episode 19 DFS had told LLH that he would come find him later. Apparently, that was enough for LLH to get out some extra bedding. Just in case. And then DFS shows up with amnesia immediately in the next episode.

Clearing out his loose bits and bobs wasn't just about people or situations, but included packing away all the extra bedding

FDB and DFS (With and without amnesia) totally shared the upstairs bed without murdering each other at night. Somehow. despite the bed being tight enough they would probably end up cuddling at some point. And then never spoke about it during the day. LMAO.

[thedeviltohisangel]

All The Things I Did (8): That Girl Is Going, Going, Gone

a/n: ok a bit of a different chapter! this is more cass than john & cass until we get to the main event. i PROMISE the next chapter will pick up right where this one left off (don't be mad, be excited!). lots of warnings for this chapter and hopefully you guys don't change your love for her after reading about berlin. please let me know your thoughts & send in any interlude (aka novels) requests. always open. love ya xoxo

warnings: murder, blood, death of minor character, smut

Cass looked at Will with horror as he opened a black briefcase and set it on the ground of the alley way. It looked a lot like a gun. 

“Will, no one said anything about an assassination.” She had shot a gun before. Had been shot by a gun before. But she had never pointed one at another human being and pulled the trigger. 

“Cass, you’ve got this. You stay steady and you’ll be fine.” She rolled her eyes. Of course he would think it was so simple. He wasn’t the one expected to pull the trigger. To take a life.

“Walk me through the plan again.” 

“Dressler comes through this main drag on the way to his country estate. We track him to the edge of the woods where your asset has placed an obstacle for the car and when he gets out, you take the shot.” Cass knew it wasn’t going to go according to plan because things like this never did. Because Dressler had been on OSS’ target list for almost a year and they were the third pairing of agents to try and accomplish this task. “You scored better than me on the range. Don’t think for a second you aren’t the right choice for this.”

“And we avoid the fatal flaws from previous iterations. Don’t approach the vehicle. Maintain surveillance detection tradecraft. Make the exfil window.” 

“That’s kind of a big one, isn’t it?” he smiled. She was too busy testing the weight of the weapon in her hand to notice. “I meant it when I said I’d get you back home to him.”

“You got someone to get home to?” Will shrugged. 

“Thought I did. Then I got a letter last week…it’s for the best. Loving someone in this line of work isn’t for everyone.” Cass gently palmed his cheek.

“Then we’ll get you home to find someone who will make it work.” Find someone who would love those doubts right out his head the way John had for her. Find someone who’s passion for their work matched in kind. Find someone who would help him clean the blood off his hands when the war was over. 

----

It was Sunday and the roads were filled with people going to and from church. Cass was in a white dress, Will in a suit, as they each smoked a cigarette while they waited for mass to let out.

“When did you start smoking?” 

“I didn’t. Still don’t really drink either.” She dropped the cigarette onto the sidewalk and pressed it beneath her foot. “They take away your control over yourself. I don’t like the way they make me feel.” But she thinks she was learning to like the smell of smoke on the collar of John’s jacket. The bitter whiskey on his lips when he kissed her. The way his face flushed and his curls pressed to his forehead and his hands wandered after a night of them both. The doors opened and people began to exit the church.

“I’ll go get the car,” Will said, slipping into German with ease. Cass nodded and removed a compact from her purse. She pressed the powder to her nose as she caught sight of Dressler over her right shoulder. She counted two men who looked like SS hovering around him for protection. They escorted him to a waiting Mercedes, Will pulling up to her a few minutes after their departure. “Let’s go kill some Nazis.”

They took the occasional turn to ensure no one was following them, maintaining a safe distance from the target who was following the route from church to his compound outside of Berlin just the way they had mapped it. 

“Final weapons check.” Cass pulled the chamber to ensure a bullet was loaded before releasing it back into place. “Will…if something goes wrong, we abort and get to the airfield. We don’t need to force this.” 

“Copy, Lieutenant,” he smirked. “But it would be nice to be the one to knock Dressler off the list.”

“I agree but-” Her hands flew to brace against the dashboard as he slammed on the brakes. An overturned horse cart was blocking the Mercedes path and the car sat still as the occupants determined what to do.

“Come on,” Cass whispered, “Get out of the goddamn car.” The door opened and one of the SS officers got out and walked towards the cart. 

“Close protection remains,” Will muttered. When the second SS officer exited, Cass began to get nervous. He walked towards her side of the car and she rolled the window down with a smile.

“Good morning, sir. Is there a problem with the road ahead?” The pistol was hidden in the fold of her skirt, her thigh acutely aware of the metal. 

“Yes. We’ll need you to turn around so we can go back the way we came.” She knew there was no other way to get to the compound. Knew they were really just clearing them from the area. She opened her mouth but the words were silenced as Will whistled. The third door was opening. 

Will pushed the car into reverse and rolled over the foot of the man by her door. He dropped quickly with a yell. It took one second for her to lean her body out the window. One second for Dressler to look in her direction. One second for her to shut down her humanity, inhale, exhale and pull. Between his eyes and he was gone. A man who only answered to Himmler. It was automatic for her to move the gun to the man on the ground. He had seen their faces. Looked her in the eyes and stared at her legs. A loose end and he was gone, too. 

“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” she screamed as Will took them backwards down the road as quickly as he could. The second SS officer in the car and chasing after them as quickly as he could. “What did I just do?” 

“What you had to, Cass!” They both ducked as the first bullet hit the front of the car. “Hang on.” The car pulled sharply to the left as they raced through a field, another bullet pinging off the exterior of the car. 

“Two minutes until takeoff.” Her watch seemed to be ticking faster than usual. As if the universe was trying to close the gap between here and home. The Mercedes gained ground and nudged the back of their car, spinning them in a circle Will couldn’t regain control of. 

“Run!” They could see the clearing in the not too far off distance. Her knees hit the ground before she pushed herself up with urgency and took off at a sprint. She heard the consistent popping of a gun behind her but she kept running. 

Cass collapsed on the open hatch of the low profile plane and let herself slide down as it closed, Will stumbling in right behind her. 

“Do you think we did it?” she asked after they had settled for a moment. “Will?” She turned her head and noticed he looked a little pale. His breathing was labored. He turned and looked at her and he was afraid. She repeated his name again before she noticed his hand pressed to his side and the red blooming out from underneath it. 

“You guys good back there? Going to be bumpy if you can hold onto something.”

“Where’s your medical supplies? My partner’s been shot!” Cass pressed her hands with all her strength to the wound. She grunted as they took a tight turn and they slid to the wall of the plane. 

“Orange bag!” She grabbed it, the zipper slipping through her bloody fingers. Cass grabbed as much gauze as she could and the scissors, cutting Will’s shirt to get a better sense of what she was dealing with. 

“I’ve got to look and see if there’s an exit wound.” She rolled him slightly as he yelled in pain. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she said but there was a hint of relief to her tone as she found a matching wound in his back. She took a deep breath as she cleared the blood in search of the bullet’s entrance. Once she found it, she held the gauze to it and tried not to wince as his breathing sounded like it was growing ragged.

“Cass…” The gauze in her hands turned red, a pool of blood seeping out from underneath him. The wound wasn’t clotting and the rudimentary kit had no platelets to help. 

“You’ve got to hang on. Save your strength. We’ll be back before you know it.” An hour and she was out of gauze, cutting fabric from her skirt in its place. Wil was sweating. Paler. Taking a long time to inhale after he exhaled. “Do you remember back in school when I almost quit? You stopped me on my way to the Colonel’s office and told me the OSS needed me, that Europe needed a free spirit to bring back their freedom. Now, I need you to do exactly what you told me. Pull up your boot straps, keep your head in the game and fight through it.” His hand weakly rested on top of hers.

“You…did…”

“I’m right here. We can talk about it all when we get back.” A tear rolled down his cheek and a matching one rolled down hers. “Don’t do this, Will. Please.” His hand dropped to his side and there was no longer light behind his eyes. 

“Lieutenant, we’ve got wheels down in 30!” 

“Tell the control tower that Captain Foster is…” Her hands were on his chest as she tried compressions. Her tears were coming quicker now. She watched them drop on his face and he didn’t react. All she could hear was her own heartbeat and the silence of Will’s as she pressed and pressed and pressed and nothing happened. She didn’t notice the plane landing. The pilot calling her name. She kept pressing and pressing and pressing. 

“Cassandra.” Harding’s use of her full name pierced through the fog. It was soft and familiar and safe. “Cassandra, you have to let him go. Let the doctors look at him.” She couldn’t even imagine how she looked. His blood all over her arms and clothes. Her dress ripped from when she was trying to make bandages. Tears dried to her face and snot dripping from her nose.

“Where’s John?” she asked. That was who she wanted to see. The only person who could offer her comfort in this moment.

“He’s probably halfway to Norway by now taking a second strike at those submarine pens for you.” She choked out a laugh. No doubt John would be willing to do an extreme act of commitment such as this. “Come with me to get some water? Maybe some food?” 

“That sounds good.” He offered her his arm and she gripped it like without him she would collapse, letting him escort her out of the plane. There was a group of people waiting and watching. The mechanics to make sure Cass was alive and well. The medical team. Extraneous personal who just wanted a glimpse of the covert American intelligence officers.

Harding led her to the mess hall, the orderlies freezing at the sight of her before scurrying to set the table. He pulled a chair out for her and she sat and avoided his gaze when he took the chair across from her. 

“Were you successful?” 

“Yes, sir,” she croaked out as the food and drink was placed in front of her. Harding waved off the second plate they brought. “I apologize I wasn’t here to give the briefing this morning. I should have been available for their questions.” 

“You can’t be in two places at once, Lieutenant. You were where you were needed most.” She nibbled on a bite of eggs and chased it with a few gulps of water. “They’re going to want you to talk to a shrink.”

“I’ve talked to them before. Know how to play the game.” He reached for her hand across the table and she offered it, wanting the reminder she was here and she was okay. He looked like he was inspecting the blood dried into her knuckles and caked under her nails. “He was a friend. An old friend.” The loss would sting for awhile. 

“The world is a better place for the task you two accomplished.” Cass took a shaky breath and blinked back tears.

“Then why do I feel so awful?” Harding knew the general feeling of taking a life. He had dropped bombs and shot guns and watched the havoc with a smile. But he had never looked another human in the eye and watched the life leave it. “Why do I feel like I did something wrong?”

“War is not natural. The role we play in it won’t be either.” She nodded with understanding. “You feeling up to interrogation?” They would want a look at her before she was able to change and clean the blood from her skin.

“I don’t have a choice.” She hoped it would be the first and the last time she had to relive the traumatic moments this day had brought. “Thank you, Colonel.” He indulged himself for a moment. Held her chin between his thumb and pointer finger. Looked into the eyes that he had found himself learning to love. 

“You should get going,” he whispered. Before I say something I might regret.

----

“How you doing, Bubbles?” The medical wing was the first stop John had made after landing. He hadn’t been able to find Mary to ask for an update on Cass and Colonel Harding had disappeared almost as soon as the last B-17 touched down. 

“Never better, sir.” His eyes were flickering to the door at the end of the wing. A private exam room. Crosby was also oddly quiet. They had seen Lieutenant Cooper be escorted back there almost an hour ago and she hadn’t emerged. They hoped nothing was wrong because they didn’t want to be in the radius of John Egan when he found out.

“That’s good. I was actually looking for you, Crosby.” John paused as both men continued to shift in their seats. “They not keep you comfortable?”

“No, sir, I mean yes, sir, I’m fine it’s just-” Bubbles stopped as the entrance opened and he recognized the secretary from Lieutenant Cooper’s office. She looked vaguely horrified to see John Egan.

“Mary! I stopped by but you weren’t there. Any word from Spook?” Bubbles, Crosby and Mary all looked at each other. “Clearly, I’m on the outside of whatever this is.” John’s finger twitched as his side. He wasn’t liking the feeling in his chest.

“Colonel Harding didn’t talk to you, sir?” He liked that even less.

“No. Mary, whatever is going on, I need to know right now.” Her gaze dropped to her feet.

“I can’t, sir. It’s need to know at this moment in time.” His chest heaved at her words. 

“You can’t?” He spun back towards the airmen. “Then why do you two look like you know something?” Why wasn’t anyone telling him anything? What happened that they were keeping from him. 

“Sir, we don’t really,” Crosby started. 

“Someone just please fucking tell me if I need to start grieving.”

“Can’t get rid of me that easily, Major.” She is trying so hard to smile because John is who she has been wanting all day. But he turns to look at her and he looks so relieved and she hasn’t felt safe enough to show emotion since she left his arms a few days ago. 

“Cass…is that…blood?” He walks towards her slowly. They had let her wash the blood from her arms and face but there was still some dried into her hairline and soaked into her dress. She nods as a sob rips from her throat. “Oh, Cass, baby.” She collapses into his chest as soon as he is near enough. 

“Will’s dead,” she sobs into his neck, “I tried so hard. I wasn’t good enough.” His arms were iron around her, the only thing keeping her standing. 

“I know you did everything you could.” He kissed the side of her head and stroked his hand down her hair. “I’m sorry you lost a friend today, my love.” The word felt like a slap across her face. She was so undeserving of his love after what she had done. She had taken the life of another, twice over. She could scrub at her skin but the blood would never wash away.

“Will you take me back to my room?” He slid an arm under her knees and lifted her so she was in his arms, her arms around his neck and her head resting on his shoulder. “Don’t let them take me away from you. Please.” 

He noticed the stares and whispers that followed as they made their way to her billet. He didn’t put her down until they were safely behind her closed door.

“We should get you cleaned up,” he noted as she sat on her bed and looked through her wardrobe for her shower kit. 

“How was Norway?” she asked quietly. 

“Successful. Had to leave Biddick in Scotland but he’ll be fine.” He found the basket of her toiletries and a towel. 

“Good. I’m glad you guys were able to use the information.” She smiled. “I’m sure Curt will find his way around quite well.”

“I can stand outside the door. Make sure no one bothers you.” John was offering her a few moments to shed her armor and embrace the emotions that were still heavy in her chest. 

“Outside the door will be too far.” Cass stood and pressed her forehead against his lips, asking for the strength of his touch during this weak moment. 

“I don’t want to be intrusive.” 

“I’m asking you to take a shower with me. That’s all.” They had seen each other naked. Shared a bed. Expressed the very real feelings between them. What was one more facet of domesticity gracing their lives? 

Cass undressed and stepped under the water and watched it run red down the drain until John’s chest pressed against her back. He wrapped one arm around the front of her chest and the other around her hips. She rested her own hands on top of his. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Her head turned so she could look at him. 

“They sent me there to kill someone,” she whispered. John stiffens for an instant before he recovers. “I killed him and his bodyguard because he saw my face.” She hates that in the moment she had been thinking about the fact that they would remove her from the field if they thought her identity had been compromised. That she wouldn’t be able to do the job the way it was meant to be done anymore.

“It’s okay you don’t feel good about it.” Cass smiled. He was the only one so far to not try and convince her that she had done the right thing. That she had made the world a better place and shouldn’t let the specifics bother her. This was why she had sought him out in the first place. This was why she loved him.

“They’re grounding me. Desk duty until further notice.” He reached for the shampoo and lathered it between his hands. She titled her head back into his waiting hands and let his fingers work through the roots of her hair, the last of the red going down the drain, her eyes closing as he soothed the ache away. 

“Bet you’re as happy about that as I was being Air Exec.” 

“Touche.” Next was a bar of soap, Cass turning around and John dragging it across her skin and focusing on the few spots of dried blood she hadn’t been able to scrub off in her haste earlier. He seemed to get lost in a trance, circling her breasts a few extra times and moving it slowly down her torso before letting it slip into the wispy curls between her legs. “So much for just a shower,” she whispered as her legs spread a little further. 

“I’ll stop, Cass.” He moved his hand and she grabbed his wrist and moved it right back.

“Make me forget, John.” The soap was discarded out the shower stall, his fingers dipping between her folds and relishing in her warmth. Her forehead dropped to his chest as she shuddered. 

“Remember what you said to me before you left?” His fingertip circled her clit and she nodded. “Said I could show you how much I love you when I get back.”

“I did say that,” she gasped as he slipped a finger into her and the heel of his hand rubbed her bundle of nerves with every thrust. “Oh, I like that a lot.” 

“I want to show you, Cass, show you properly.” She brought him in for a kiss as she felt herself getting closer and closer. “Take my time and love you the way you deserve.” 

“I want that too, John, please.” Her hips rocked at the same gentle rhythm of his hand as she chased the feeling stirring low in her belly. 

“I missed this sight, baby.” He had her like this once before, had only been separated from her a few days, but it had been too long. “Love having you like this.” 

“John, I-” The words caught in her mouth as he hit that sweet spot with a curl of his fingers and stars danced across her vision. He held her as her knees buckled, his fingers not stopping, as she kissed him to try and keep quiet if only slightly. “Take me to bed. Take me to bed and make love to me, John Egan.” 

He would be happy to oblige.

[quack-quack-snacks]

Star Crossed - Chapter 7

| Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 |

The Star Crossed Masterlist

My All Of Us Are Dead Masterlist

My Navigation and Masterlist

Warnings: Normal AOUAD things Word Count: 5,362

“I mean… I wanted to bite her.”

“N-no. But you didn’t!” You tried weakly to protest. 

“I shouldn't stay with you any longer. If I hadn't come to my senses, I would've bitten her.”

“No, wait. Stop!” Su-hyeok tried but she just took a step towards the door as she spoke with determination. 

“I'll go.”

“Please wait,” On-jo begged, stopping Nam-ra in her tracks. She then turned to Cheong-san. “You saw Gwi-nam get bitten by zombies?”

The boy rolled his eyes before answering. “I told you a hundred times, yes.”

“And you saw Gwi-nam turn?” She questioned.

He paused for a moment before sighing. “No, I didn't. I was busy running away.”

On-jo then turned to Su-hyeok. “Su-hyeok, you definitely fought Gwi-nam?”

“Yes, I did,” he confirmed. 

“There's no reason for either to lie,” she started. “Maybe Gwi-nam was bitten but was not affected. In the movies, there are always people who are immune, remember?”

“We shouldn’t rely on movies for our information. Those are fiction, this is real life,” you whispered sadly and On-jo looked at you empathetically, also knowing what it was like to lose your best friend to this god-awful virus. 

“And still, she tried to bite her,” Ji-min announced and your head shot over to look at her. “She could have bitten her for real. Regardless, she isn't normal, so I'm not going with her.”

A tear streaked down Nam-ra’s face and you grabbed her hand, squeezing it gently but she shook you off and your heart broke when she scrambled to take a step back, flashbacks of when Gyeong-su turned presenting themselves in your mind. 

“Ji-min, stop,” On-jo pleaded. 

“What? Are you saying that I'm wrong?”

On-jo paused as she debated in her mind over what to say. “Maybe… I really don't know what we should do.”

“We can't pretend she's fine,” Ji-min insisted with an angry glare towards her. 

“Enough!” Nam-ra called out and everyone fell silent, the only sound being the soft groans from the turned students out the doors. 

“Please don't fight. Leaving will solve everything,” and with that, she quickly started walking towards the door and before you could run after her, On-jo already had and grabbed ahold of her arm. 

“Don't go! Where would you go?” She cried out as Nam-ra struggled to set herself free from her grasp. “Stop it. Please!” Nam-ra finally stopped and they stared at each other. “I don't want anyone dying.” On-jo’s hands glided down Nam-ra’s arm until they reached her hand which she gently held in her own. “Hyeon-ju and I-sak… They're hands were very cold before they turned,” she turned around to face everyone else, one of her hands still holding Nam-ra’s as she spoke again. “Nam-ra's hands are warm,” she explained her point. “She isn't a zombie. So cut it out, and let's talk about how to get to the roof.”

“No,” Ji-min stubbornly demanded. 

“Ji-min!”

“No way! She may be fine now, but who knows what's gonna happen when she turns?” She looked around for help as everyone else had remained quiet for the entire quarrel. “Guys, say something. This is wrong,” everyone remained quiet at her pleas. “She said herself that she wanted to bite her. She has zombie blood in her veins. Zombies killed my mom and dad,” she paused for a moment and your eyes widened as you looked at her sadly in sudden realization. “My mom…”

Seeing a break in the talking, you looked around for something that could help you and keep your friend by your side. Finding it, your eyes lit up and you walked over to where it was. Picking it up, you walked back over to Nam-ra and gently grabbed her hand, starting to tie the curtain tieback around her hand. 

“What are you doing?” She asked in confusion and you looked up at her for a second before turning your head back down to focus on the knot you were tying.

“I’m tying us together.”

She struggled and tried to pull her hand away from you, not willing to allow you to let yourself die if she did end up turning. “Stop it. Stop!”

You gently grabbed her other hand and placed it down, her struggling stopping as you looked her deep in the eyes. “Hold still, I don’t want to make it too tight for you,” you looked back down and tied to the fabric around your own hand as Su-hyeok came up to stand beside you.

“(Y/n), I don’t think this is-”

“Su-hyeok, respectfully, stay the fuck out of this,” you interrupted him as his hand reached out to stop yours and he sighed before stepping back in defeat, knowing he wouldn’t be able to convince you to stop no matter what he said. 

This was your best friend after all. 

You turned back to the group and held up your, now-connected, hands with a sarcastic smile. “Are you happy now? Now you don’t have to worry. If she turns and bites anyone, it’ll be me and not any of you.”

You saw some of the group’s eyes tear up but nobody spoke out to protest. 

You sat with Nam-ra to your left near the window and Su-hyeok to your right. No matter how much convincing you tried to give him, he wouldn’t leave to go sit on the other side of the room with the rest of the group. It warmed your heart but annoyed you nonetheless at his stubbornness.

You couldn’t really speak though with how stubborn you were being with Nam-ra. He was probably just being a good friend just like how you were being to Nam-ra. He’d only said it once but you knew he meant it. 

~364 days ago~

You walked to the cafeteria by yourself like always, passing by the group of friends Su-hyeok had gathered after leaving Myeong-hwan and his little band of bullies. You sent a subtle smile towards him when he looked at you and he returned it full force, not trying to hide it in any way so you immediately looked away and plugged your headphones in. You were still terrified by the thought of Su-hyeok getting caught up in the way people thought about you, he didn’t deserve that. 

You let out a little gasp as a hand grabbed one of your wrists and your waist before pulling you into a broom closet that was to your right. You rolled your eyes after you got past the surprise, knowing it was him. You turned around to find him grinning at you so genuinely that it almost made you forget your annoyance.

Almost. 

You slapped his chest and he winced slightly. “Su! I told you about this, what if someone sees us?”

“And I’ve told you about this, I don’t care who sees us. I don’t care about my reputation. I just want to hang out with you,” he reassured but you rolled your eyes despite the heat rising to your cheeks that wasn’t visible under the dim lighting of the closet. 

“Well, I do. I don’t want you to be seen with me,” you told him with a stern tone and he just looked at you with a sad smile. He wrapped his arms around your waist and brought you in for a hug that you instinctually returned. You sighed as he rested his head on top of yours. “I know you have your own reputation. I know that… but I don’t want it to be any more tainted by the fact that you hang out with the school bully’s little sister. That… that would just hurt you and your friends,” you pulled away so you could look him in the eyes. “I like your friends. They’re good for you and they’re kind. So, I don’t want them to be caught up in it either. I don’t want them to leave you over a silly fact like someone you’re friends with.”

He shook his head with a frown. “(Y/n), if they choose to leave me over somebody that I am friends with who they don’t even know, I don’t want to be friends with them anyways.”

You still didn’t look convinced at his words and plopped your forehead against his chest. “But they’re becoming your real friends! Friends that you need after… everything. You should keep them.”

He placed his hands on your cheeks and forced your head up so you could look at him. You tried to avoid eye contact because of how intimate the position seemed but he tapped your cheek and you sighed, complying. He smiled when your eyes met and your heart fluttered. 

Stop it. You know he doesn’t like you like that.

You mentally smacked yourself for giving yourself false hope but stopped when he spoke. “(Y/n). They might be my friends, and I might need them in my life,” he paused to place a lock of hair behind your ear. “But you’re my best friend. I don’t want to have a life without you in it.”

You smiled despite yourself and just wrapped your arms around him again. 

Even if it never becomes anything more, at least he considers me his best friend.

~Present~

You were brought back to the present when he rested his hand on yours and squeezed it. You looked over at him with a smile but it faltered when you thought of something. Putting on a fake teasing smile that he didn’t seem to realize wasn’t genuine, you spoke. “So…” You leaned over to elbow him gently. “I saw you drew a picture of a girl in your notebook,” his face flushed and he looked at you with a panicked expression. “She looks familiar, who is it?” Your tone turned into genuine curiosity as you were able to hide your disappointment. 

He let out a sigh that seemed relieved but also disappointed. With a blush, he looked away from you and spoke, “She’s just a drawing, nobody really…” 

He didn’t seem too convinced of his wordings but you decided to let it go with a slight push of your shoulder against his and he smiled. Right as you were about to speak again, you heard banging from across the room. You looked over to see Dae-su ramming his body into the storage closet door. While he did, the zombies got more aggressive and tried to come into the room. Everyone else noticed this and started yelling at him to stop. As he calmed down and slid down the door, you turned back around to face the window, not bothering to turn around when soft music started playing behind you. 

As Ji-min started to talk to the camera, you remained facing forward looking out to the blue sky. The camera passed around, each person leaving their message for their parents or what they wanted to be known for if all went wrong. After On-jo’s message to her father, telling him how much she loves him, she stood up and walked over to where Nam-ra, Su-hyeok, and you sat. She held the camera out to Su-hyeok who was closest to her. 

“You guys can leave a message as well if you want to.”

Su-hyeok took the camera and looked at it for a moment. “I don't really have anything to say,” he turned to you and Nam-ra. “Do either of you?”

You looked at Nam-ra and she shook her head. Looking back at him, you spoke. “No.”

On-jo looked from you to Nam-ra, to Su-hyeok, and then to the tie that held you and Nam-ra together, then back to you. “We trust you. You can untie it now,” after that, she walked away to retreat to her chair on the other side of the room. 

Su-hyeok placed the camera on the table behind you and you hesitated before reaching over to grab it. 

Opening the camera and flipping the screen so it faced you and you could see how you looked while recording yourself, you hesitated before pressing the record button. 

“It is currently day two of being trapped in the school. None of us have had water since the apocalypse started so we’re all tired and dehydrated,” you took a deep breath before continuing. “I’m scared to go to sleep and realize that I won’t be able to wake up,” you felt tears well up in your eyes as you thought about what you were going to say next but you blinked them away. “My brother… the high school bully… the one who always woke me up in the mornings an hour before my usual wake-up time by smacking me with a pillow. He… he was bitten by zombies and bit my best friend. I guess he’s still sentient even after being infected and that got passed to her since she hasn’t turned yet either and it’s probably been at least half an hour. I-” You got cut off by your voice breaking and you took a moment to collect yourself. “Gwi-nam? I know there’s no way you’ll ever see this… but I cannot believe what you’ve become. I stayed silent for years when you joined Myeong-hwan’s group because you told me it was to protect me. To protect me not only from them but also from Dad. He only focused on you and how badly you did in school. But, after a while, it stopped being about protecting me. Even though I know you were still scared of them, both Dad and Myeong-hwan, you liked doing it. You liked hurting the kids of the school. I wish I had said something sooner so you would have stopped before it’s too late but here we are,” you raised a hand to gestures around you with a frustrated sigh. “I’m stuck in a classroom and my best friend has been infected. Because of you, nonetheless. I don’t know what to do anymore,” you sighed again and a tear streaked down your cheek. “I already lost Mom to the pressure of dad’s expectations, I don’t want to lose you too,” you sobbed once and closed the camera. 

Neither Nam-ra nor Su-hyeok said anything and you wonder if they even heard it from how quietly you were speaking. You placed the camera back onto the table behind you and after a few seconds, Nam-ra picked it up and faced the screen towards herself. She seemed troubled, like she was seeing something that no one else could see, and you grabbed her free hand gently. 

She looked down at your hands, seeing the red fabric still tying them together. “I don’t understand why you’re doing this, (Y/n).”

“I’m doing it because if I didn’t then the people over there,” you gestured to the group with your free hand. “Would have kicked you out… I know it was your choice, but I just couldn’t allow it. You’re too important to me Nam, don’t you understand that?”

She looked down at her lap for a minute before asking, “You know how I said I wanted to bite you earlier?” 

“Yeah, I know. But you didn’t, and you won’t,” you insisted and she nodded but still looked grim.

“It felt like I was dreaming. You were just giving off such a beautiful scent,” she said seriously but you couldn’t resist the temptation to playfully flirt with her or tease her. 

“Well, if you liked my perfume that much, you could’ve just asked,” you winked at her mischievously and she shook her head with a smile. You went back to being serious as you asked her your next question, “What kind of scent was it?”

“I'm not sure. It was something that I had never smelled before. All I could think about was eating you… How much I wanted to bite you. Bite you and eat you. But then I heard your voice saying my nickname,” she looked at you and smiled. 

“So you’re saying I brought you back?” You teased and she scoffed with a playful eyeroll

“Yes. I am saying that it was your voice that woke me up.”

You smiled and looked down when suddenly she looked over her shoulder at the door and stood up. 

“What is it?”

“I heard something strange…” She started walking towards the door and you, still being connected via the curtain holder, walked after her, Su-hyeok following loosely behind. The group started walking towards the two of you as you did and you heard indistinct talking which you couldn’t make out. Nam-ra stood for a second and listened. “I hear it.”

“You hear what?”

“What?”

“What do you hear?”

You, Su-hyeok, and On-jo all spoke one after another. 

She paused as she listened again. “I think someone is puking,” she paused before continuing. “It stopped.”

“What stopped?” Su-hyeok asked from behind you and you turned around to give him a disappointed look. 

“The sound of puking,” you told him and he oohed while you shook your head.

“Yes. It stopped,” Nam-ra confirmed. 

“Stop it. You're scaring me,” Hyo-ryung complained and Nam-ra turned to look at her, confused.

“Don't you hear it?” She asked but everyone shook their heads. 

“I'm not hearing anything,” Hyo-ryung told her again and breathed heavily. Nam-ra’s eyes dilated for a moment as she stared at her. “What? What?” Hyo-ryung asked, obviously scared which kind of ticked you off. 

“Are you scared?” The girl connected to you asked. 

“Stop that.”

“It's just… you're the one breathing the loudest.”

“Do you hear that?” On-jo whispered loudly to Hyo-ryung and Dae-su.

“All I hear is that zombie,” the boy responded. 

Nam-ra looked around, focusing on some things you couldn’t see or hear. “We should go. It's weird here.”

“We can't just leave,” Cheong-san stated. “There are zombies out there.”

“We should've gone to the roof when the music was playing. Shit,” Dae-su groaned and sat down in one of the chairs. 

“Music. Wait a minute. We have music!” On-jo exclaimed excitedly. 

“What? What music?” He asked.

“I heard some music playing a while ago, do you mean that music?” You asked and she nodded before walking over and picking up the video camera still resting on the table. 

“I have an idea. We're going to have to build a tall barricade here,” she walked around and gestured a line down the middle of the room. “And then we lure them in with music. Use the instruments too.”

“We could also use the instruments as a source of noise for the zombies to hear us and come after us,” you suggested and she nodded at your idea. 

“Yes, that could work well! If we leave the door open, they'll follow the music in. Once it's clear, we take the back door up to the roof,” she continued to explain the plan only to receive a couple of confused looks from her classmates. 

“Am I the only one who’s lost right now?” Wu-jin asked and Dae-su raised his hand in agreement. 

“Basically, we are going to build a barricade in the middle of the room by stacking the chairs and desks here, open the front door, before running out the back door once the zombies have all gathered into the room,” you looked back at On-jo for confirmation. “Right?”

“Not here. Farther back. We need more room on this side,” she corrected and you let out an ‘oh’ while nodding. 

“And why is that?” Dae-su asked, not getting it.

“There aren't that many of us, but there are lots of zombies,” she explained and Dae-su closed his eyes with his head facing upwards.

“Ah…” he sighed out in understanding. “She sucks at school, but she's pretty smart,” he backhandedly complimented her. 

“Hey!” She growled at him and he held his hands up in surrender.

“It's a compliment,” he defended and you rolled your eyes with a scoff.

“It’s a backhanded compliment,” you pointed out but he just gave you a confused look.

“What’s that?”

“It basically means a compliment with an underlying insult. ‘You’re pretty strong for a girl’ is an example of a backhanded compliment. It’s degrading the person you told it to and setting them on a different level than the rest. In this case, it’s just insulting,” you explained with a wink at the end while he just looked at you in shock. 

“Wow, (Y/n), I never knew you were so smart. I always thought you were quiet because you didn’t know anything,” he told you and you rolled your eyes.

“Another example of a backhanded compliment,” you stated and he just rolled his eyes with a playful dismissive wave in your direction. 

“Let's give it a shot,” Cheong-san commented after he saw the conversation/argument between Dae-su and yourself end. “We can figure out the rest later,” everyone nodded at his words.

“We have a TV too,” you pointed out. “If we can maybe connect the camera to the TV it might be louder than just the camera by itself.”

“I can do that!” Joon-yeong blurted out. “I will have to look for the cord though. Hey, can you help me look, Ji-min?” 

The girl nodded. “Sure,” they both went to look for the cord and Hyo-ryung quickly followed behind them. 

On-jo walked up to where you and Nam-ra were standing side by side. “We should untie that,” she pointed to the knot and then reached forward to untie it when you lightly knocked Nam-ra’s hand back away from On-jo’s outreaching one with your own.

“It’s okay, On-jo,” you gave her a small, although genuine, smile but she just frowned. 

“She'll never be able to get close to the others this way. And no one will approach her,” she mentioned and you nodded for her to continue. “Hatred is contagious… but so is trust.”

She reached forward again and this time you let her, holding your hands out so it would be easier for her to untie it. 

“You should've been the class president,” Nam-ra told her with a genuine but still monotone voice and On-jo just looked down as she smiled. 

As you and Nam-ra just watched On-jo leave, Su-hyeok jogged over to stand beside you and placed a hand on your shoulder. “Come on, let's help out.”

You nodded and the three of you went over to assist. Finding whatever you could to help create a strong barrier, you pushed and pulled desks and chairs and instruments and cabinets to wherever it was needed. 

“It's looking great,” Dae-su examined the work done with a proud expression and you took a step back to do so as well. 

“Alright. I think this is good enough,” On-jo explained with a worried face after checking the situation outside. 

“Okay,” Cheong-san agreed before Dae-su called for the rest of you on the other side of the wall near where the exit was supposed to be. 

“Aren't you guys coming? We left a gap over there for you.”

“Let’s go,” Su-hyeok directed, looking back and forth between everyone before grabbing a chair and walking towards the gap in the door. He placed it down before stepping onto the desk and hopping over the gap. You helped Nam-ra and On-jo hop across, Su-hyeok doing the same on the other side, until you saw Cheong-san stop, not hopping over himself. 

“(Y/n), you go,” he told you and you nodded before hopping over yourself, Su-hyeok’s hands landing on your waist to help you even though for the previous girls he only held their hands. You and On-jo looked back to see Cheong-san still hadn’t jumped over, standing on the other side looking like he had no intention of crossing the barrier. 

“Why aren't you coming over?” On-jo questioned. 

“Well, someone has to stay to open the door.”

“Fuck…” you cursed. “We totally forgot about that…”

“Couldn't you have come up with a better plan?” Dae-su complained and you smacked his arm which he dramatically grabbed in pain. 

“It's okay,” Cheong-san reassured. “I'll come over right away.”

“Wait,” you protested. “I'll come,” you told him and pressed your hands up on the cabinet to lift yourself up when hands grabbed your waist and pulled you back down. 

“It's fine.”

“Like hell, you will.”

Cheong-san and Su-hyeok both spoke at the same time and Su-hyeok lightly pushed you back as he jumped over the cabinet himself. You let out a sound of complaint but he just poked your nose which succeeded in rebooting your brain for a second. 

“It’ll be okay,” he promised and you pressed your lips together as you debated if you should let him go but knowing you were on a limited schedule you just sighed and held out your pinkie. It was childish and something you hadn’t done in years but he just laughed and interlocked your pinkies. You smiled at him before backing up, making sure to give plenty of enough room for them to jump over when they had the door open. 

After a while, Cheong-san came back alone but the door was yet to be opened. You decided not to say anything because you knew two people on that side would just be too many people to get out. 

Seconds later, the door opened and Su-hyeok ran to jump over the cabinet, using the window sill to give himself an advantage before you pushed a desk placed on its side where the gap was. You held it there as Dae-su, Cheong-san, and Su-hyeok pulled a bookshelf over and pushed it to where you once stood before moving out of the way while Joon-yeong started the music. Zombies flooded into the room and you all held it there before On-jo ran to the window to see how much you all had succeeded in your plan. 

By her face, it wasn’t good. 

“Dae-su, you gotta make some noise!” She instructed and Dae-su took a deep breath before screaming. 

“Die, zombies! Fucking die!

“Do it one more time!” She ordered desperately. 

“Shit! Stupid zombies, motherfuckers!”

On-jo grabbed an instrument and started hitting it, creating a loud banging sound and the girls followed suit as Wu-jin ran over to the window to see if the halls were clear. You stayed and held onto the bookshelf, keeping it there as the zombies piled and started to climb over. 

“Wu-jin!” Cheong-san screamed in distress but he shook his head.

“We can't go yet! Not yet!” He looked back in anguish and all the girls ran back to help support the barrier, hitting the zombies that had climbed over back to the other side. 

As a zombie had crawled over the rest to where Nam-ra had run back over to help, you quickly looked around and picked up a drumstick that was lying on the floor and then ran back over to her. “Nam-ra!” You screamed as you stabbed the zombie through the eye with the drumstick along with other zombies that had started to climb over and they fell back down the crowd in a lifeless heap. 

As you saw Cheong-san do something similar for On-jo, you heard Hyo-ryung shouting at Wu-jin despairingly. “It's not going to hold up!”

“How much longer is it gonna take? Let's go!” Dae-su called out but the answer was the same. 

“A little more. Not yet!”

‘A little more’ became ‘just a few more’ which became ‘they’re still coming’ until finally it stopped.

“Clear. We have to go now!” Wu-jin shouted as he opened the door to find no zombies roaming the hallway. “Hurry!”

Hyo-ryung was the first to go, followed by Ji-min, then Joon-yeong and Nam-ra, and then On-jo. Su-hyeok, Cheong-san, Dae-su, and you were the last of the bunch. 

“(Y/n)! Go!” The three boys seemed to yell out simultaneously and you would’ve laughed given another situation but you just squeezed your eyes tight as you continued to push against the barrier to hold it up. 

“Fuck off and save yourselves first!” You screamed back at them. 

“Dae-su, go!” Cheong-san tried again but to a different member. 

“You go first,” when Cheong-san nor Su-hyeok nor you responded, he yelled out more strainedly, “I'm gonna shit my pants. Go!”

Su-hyeok reluctantly left but not before grabbing you by the wrist and dragging you out of the room. You turned back just in time to see Cheong-san drag Dae-su away from the barrier and the barrier collapsed. You turned back around to focus on running and hurried after the others who were headed for the roof. 

As you all continued to run up the stairs, Su-hyeok, who was still holding onto your wrist for dear life, tripped and almost brought you down with him if you hadn’t caught yourself in time. You reached down to hold his hand and drag him up. “Hurry!”

You all reached the top and you saw Cheong-san twisting the handles to no avail as the doors didn’t give way. 

“Come on, open it!” Dae-su whined, looking behind him in fear of anything there. 

“It's locked,” Cheong-san breathed out in disbelief. 

“What? Move!” Dae-su pushed Cheong-san out of the way to try himself, slamming his shoulder into the door in an attempt to open it but to no success. 

“Wait. Get back. Move,” Choeng-san told everyone as he ran towards the keypad to try and enter any code that might work. 

As they started to call through the door in hopes of someone being on the roof, you looked over to see the sign written on the door and sighed in anger. Anger at the situation, anger at the door, but also, anger at yourself. 

You had known the rooftop was always locked, your brother had told you time and time again but in the moment you had completely forgotten. 

Su-hyeok and Cheong-san had gone down the stairs with their makeshift weapons and you looked back and forth between them and the door. Nam-ra had announced that the zombies had arrived and you quickly decided to try every combination on the keypad that you could. It wasn’t great but it was something. Thank god it was only 4 digits. 

That’s still 9,999 codes though.

You could hear the zombies as they screamed and growled but you just focused on trying the codes. Nam-ra had the great idea of throwing a tarp over to hold back the zombies and it did an amazing job, only a few zombies got passed which Cheong-san and Su-hyeok dealt with accordingly. 

Dae-su and Wu-jin fell to their knees, leaning against the door as they gave up on using brute force to wrench the door open. You watched from the corner of your eye as they ran to help with the tarp but just remained focused on trying to wrack your brain for the code. They changed the code every day but you just knew you had seen it. Gwi-nam kept a paper in his room that held the number combinations to open the rooftops because of how often his group went up there. You had seen it once and even took a photo of it, just because you wanted to. You’d never done anything with it, you just had it, looking at the codes now and then as you debated whether or not you should go up there. You decided against it every time. 

8834

Just as you had remembered it and you almost laughed with glee, you heard Nam-ra say something from behind you and it made your heart stop. 

“Why didn’t you die?”

You looked behind you just in time to see your brother get sent slamming down onto the blue tarp. Your eyes then locked onto Nam-ra’s and she looked at you with the same amount of shock you were looking at her with. You shook your head in dismissal of the situation, the zombies below still coming and cornering your group. “Guys! I’ve unlocked it! The door’s unlocked! Let’s go!”

On-jo was the one to push open the door and you waited until everyone piled out onto the roof, saving Cheong-san and Su-hyeok for last before you followed them out. Just before running through the door to escape the inbound zombies, you saw a withering bouquet of flowers leaning against the corner of the wall.

They were your favorites.

~~~

| Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 |

~~~

Taglist!

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Lmk if you want to be added!

[zahri-melitor]

So I’m going to provide Potted Fanon Histories, one character at a time. Putting this all into a single timeline was too messy. If you have additions to give, would love to hear them.

Let’s start with Robin One, DICK GRAYSON.

Dick, 8-12: Haly's Circus. (Exactly who is in the crowd is up for debate. Definitely Bruce. Arguably half of DC at this point)

Dick, 8-12: Dick becomes Robin. Exactly how old Dick is for this varies depending on if the writer wants to think about Tiny Child Dick.

Dick, 14-15: Teen Titans get together. The line up of this Titans may vary but frequently looks far more NTT than Fab Five. Garth for instance is almost certainly not present.

Dick, 18-20: Bruce fires Dick or has a massive fight with him (it’s definitely getting fired, Dick does not quit), usually over Dick being attacked by the Joker. Sometimes over Dick being shot by Two-Face.

Dick’s time as Robin: largely an impenetrable black hole. He and Bruce did everything together, they were the best, etc etc. Dick calls Clark “Uncle Clark” and Diana “Aunt Diana”. Only storylines referenced will be sneaking out to try and kill Zucco, and maybe the Hanging Judge with Two-Face.

Dick’s time with the Teen Titans: As likely to just be ‘remembered highlights of Teen Titans 2003 (cartoon)’ as actual comics events, but if they are comics events it’s the highlights of NTT: Trigon, Brother Blood, Judas Contract, plus Snowbirds Don’t Fly. They’re based in New York. Dick’s closest friendship is with Wally.

Optional teen Dick storyline: ‘Dick was Slade’s apprentice!’ via some horrible mashing of Devin Grayson’s Renegade arc with TT03 (cartoon)’s Red X arc. Dick spent 6 months or so under Slade’s mental control.

Second optional teen Dick storyline: AU where he was a Talon

Dick, 20: after being fired/fighting with Bruce, Dick becomes Nightwing and moves to Bludhaven immediately. He is either working as a gymnastics teacher or training to become a cop.

Dick, still 20: goes on a ski trip with Jason.

Dick, 21: probably was a relationship with Kory. They broke up. The reasons why are unknown, or implied to be due to Mirage. If you’re really lucky there’s a joke about the wedding. (yes. Events happen in this listed order)

Dick, 21: in space when Jason dies. Has a guilt complex over this forever.

Dick, mid 20s: tried to kill the Joker at some point. The Joker lived. Little context is given for this other than maybe mentioning that Joker mentioned Jason’s death. This is the single event that has occurred during the 90s and 2000s between ADITF and UTRH.

Dick, mid 20s: is (probably) a cop. Conflict with Blockbuster, Blockbuster dies, Dick is ‘raped in the rain’ by Catalina Flores. Whether anyone remembers she is Tarantula is up for debate. This is the single thing Catalina ever does.

Subsequent to this, Dick’s just…hanging around Gotham and Bludhaven. Not a single event in Nightwing vol 1 after Nightwing 93 occurs. He’s around the Batcave helping Bruce track Jason down during Under the Red Hood.

Dick, slightly later mid 20s: becomes Batman while Bruce is dead. Insert preferred flavour of Red Robin 1 angst here. Battle for the Cowl may happen, but if it does the only aspect of it involving Dick was that Dick was reluctant to become Batman.

Dick mid 20s: raises Damian all on his own! They become incredibly close immediately and Damian never bonds properly with Bruce or SHOULD do so, as Dick’s Damian’s real dad.

Dick later 20s: Spyral arc MAY have happened. It was traumatic. Dick is now back as Nightwing.

Dick, currently: Dick has remained Nightwing since either stopping being Batman or since Spyral. No other events have occurred. He lives in Bludhaven, drops in at the Manor constantly and cheerfully teases his brothers. He may have shared custody of Damian and be living at the Manor with him part time. 

Dick, currently: is in a relationship with pick one - Barbara, Kory or Wally. If in a relationship with Wally, no event in the Flash has ever occurred. Linda who?

[suddenlybambi]

as long as you stay here [8] ♥ kyle broflovski

pairing : kyle broflovski x reader

college AU - 18+

tags : strangers to friends to lovers, slow burn, fluff, angst, alcohol, afab reader, she/her pronouns, eventual smut

words : 2.4k

chapter 8

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a/n - soooo little warning before we get into this one... it is a little teeny tiny itsy bitsy bit spicy - just like very small amount - but definitely where the fic starts to get 18+ 👀

“Why did I agree to go tonight?” Y/N groaned as she examined her two options for costumes for Tweek and Craig’s party that were laid out on Bebe’s bed. One was a white dress with a black corset over the top and a pointy hat so she could be a witch, and the other was something out of Bebe’s closet. It was a skin-tight black latex dress that underwear simply could not be worn with. It had an incredibly low cut on the chest and was backless. That, paired with some fangs, was supposedly a vampire costume. 

“You agreed to go tonight because the love of your life asked you,” Bebe grinned, twirling Y/N’s hair as she looked over her shoulder.

“Kyle and I aren’t even-” Y/N started to protest, but Bebe’s laugh stopped her in her tracks.

“I was referring to myself!” She grinned. Y/N wasn’t sure if it was just the little devil costume she was wearing, but Bebe looked more devious than before. “Funny how I mentioned love, and your mind automatically drifts to him.”

“Aren’t there any other costume options?” Y/N changed the subject, wanting to avoid addressing what Bebe had said. “The witch one is so boring, and the vampire is… borderline just lingerie.”

“Those are your choices!” Bebe shrugged. “Come on; you’ll look so hot as a vampire.”

“I’ll also be frozen,” Y/N pointed out. “It is the end of October in Colorado. Do you want me to die?”

“Vampires are cold! It’ll be accurate to the costume!” Bebe protested, picking the latex dress up and waving it in front of her. “You can just cuddle someone for warmth?” 

Clyde walked into the bedroom, carrying a small tray with 6 shot glasses. “Or you could warm up with some shots?” He suggested, holding them out. “Two each! Let the alcohol get your blood pumping!”

“You know alcohol doesn’t actually warm you up, right?��� Y/N pointed out, but Bebe lightly smacked her on the arm.

“Stop being all sciencey!” She pleaded, picking up a shot and holding it up to Y/N’s mouth. “Let loose for a night!”

“Or are you too chicken?” Clyde’s taunts were the straw that broke the camel's back for Y/N. She wouldn’t dare let him call her a chicken and get away with it. Grabbing the shot from Bebe’s hand, she downed it before grabbing a second from the tray and chasing the first down. She wasn’t sure what they were shots of, just that she had been hit with an overwhelming blast of cherry that almost made her eyes water.

“There she is!” Bebe cheered, downing a shot of her own. “Clyde, get out; Y/N needs to get changed!”

“This wasn’t part of the plan!” Wendy’s mouth hung open in surprise as she watched Y/N down an entire glass of whatever people had poured into the punch bowl. There were at least 7 different alcoholic beverages in it. It was enough to leave even the best of drinkers unsteady on their feet.

“Wends, she wouldn’t put the dress on without a little liquid courage,” Bebe shrugged it off as Y/N returned to them with a blissful smile. “Isn’t it nice to see her let go for a night? Let the party animal loose?”

“How much have you had to drink?” Wendy asked Y/N directly, giving Bebe the side eye. She had seen when the party animal was let loose, and she knew why it was rarely ever let loose again.

“Two- wait, no… Three shots and two cups of whatever that stuff is,” As it was, Y/N wouldn’t seem very drunk to anyone who didn’t know her, but Wendy knew better. She was well on her way to getting wasted, and when Y/N started, she didn’t stop until she was made to. “You make the cutest little kitty!” She reached up to pet the cat ears that Wendy was wearing.

“See! She’s fine!” Bebe whispered. “We’ll just monitor her a bit to make sure she doesn’t drink too much more. Where is Kyle?”

“He’s with Stan,” Wendy nodded over in the direction. “But he’s the designated driver, so he’s limiting himself to one drink.”

“That wasn’t part of the plan either!” Bebe groaned, using Wendy’s own words against her. 

“What plan?” Y/N asked, looking around when she heard Kyle’s name mentioned to see if she could find him. She spotted his taller frame over the crowd quickly. His hair was like a beacon. Her eyes lit up when she realised what his costume was. “He’s a vampire too!”

Kyle was dressed in a more traditional vampire costume as opposed to her revealing one. He had a cape with a dramatic upturned collar, a white button-up shirt with the first two buttons undone and dress pants. She could see two little white fangs protruding from his mouth when he opened it to talk to Stan.

She didn’t stick around to hear what Bebe and Wendy were saying about whatever their plan was, now focused on talking to Kyle. He must have been able to feel her eyes on him as he turned to look at her as soon as she started weaving through the crowd of partygoers to get to him. 

“Fang friends!” Y/N grinned once she was close enough to him, proudly opening her mouth to show off her own fangs. Kyle couldn’t pay attention to that; he was too distracted by how incredible she looked in her dress. He wanted to be selfish and steal her away so no one else could see her, but she wasn’t his to be jealous over.

“I guess this is why Wendy wouldn’t let me change my costume last minute?” Kyle put on his best attempt at a normal smile while he tried to distract himself. She wasn’t making it any easier when she grabbed his arm and held it, seemingly for no reason other than to be close to him.

“Should we get some drinks?” She suggested, looking over at the table where the vast array of alcohol had been set out.

“I’m the designated driver,” Kyle shook his head. “Someone has to get you home safely.”

“I feel safe as long as I’m with you!” She spoke so confidently that Kyle had no choice but to believe it.

“What are you wearing?” Cartman gave Kyle his usual disapproving look, though this one was slightly more spurred on by alcohol. “You look so fucking stupid.” Kyle didn’t get a chance to defend himself as someone else jumped to the task.

“That’s rich coming from you, asshole,” Y/N tore him apart with her eyes, a judgemental scowl appearing as she scanned over every inch of his wolf costume. “What is this? A soft launch of your fursona?”

“I’m not a fucking furry!” Cartman denied loudly, causing some heads to turn.

“Dude, no need to get so defensive over it,” Y/N shrugged. “I’m sure your friends will accept you.”

“I am not a goddamn fucking furry!” He was mad, Kyle needed to stop this before it went further, but Y/N wasn’t one to back down.

“Sweetie, people don’t usually get that defensive unless there is truth in the claims,” She shrugged as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. “I mean, you do you, boo, but I think you’d be happier living your truth.”

“I am going to beat your ass, you bi-“ Kyle had to stop this before it divulged into a full-blown fight. He took Y/N by the arm and pulled her away while Cartman threw out threats. Y/N looked like she was about to wiggle away to continue the argument when Cartman yelled out that he wasn’t afraid to hit a girl, but Clyde came to the rescue carrying 3 shots of something alarmingly green.

“Let’s loosen up!” He cheered, holding out a shot to each of them. Y/N took one without hesitation, but Kyle refrained.

“I’m driving, so no shots for me,” He wouldn’t have taken one even if he wasn’t the designated driver, but what Clyde didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.

“More for us!” Y/N grinned, grabbing Kyle’s shot and downing both shots one after another. He watched in bewilderment, knowing she didn’t usually drink. He flinched when Clyde slapped both of their backs a little rougher than he probably intended due to how drunk he already was.

“Come on, Y/N!” He grinned and pulled her away from Kyle. “Let’s go play beer pong!” To Kyle’s shock, she agreed with no hesitation, and he was left to watch her trail after Clyde to the table that had been set up.

Kyle had spent the night babysitting a drunk and emotional Stan with Wendy while Y/N was dragged around by Clyde. It was strange to see the two together and genuinely getting along without any of their usual play fightings. There was so clearly nothing going on between them, but Kyle couldn’t help but feel jealous. He had drunk one single beer over the night, hoping it would alleviate his petty concerns, but it didn’t.

It wasn’t until two hours into the party that Y/N finally returned to him. He had been sitting on the couch feeling bad for himself after Wendy had called a cab for her and Stan. He didn’t want to leave until Y/N did, so he knew she was safe, but he didn’t want to tell her it was time to go and stop the fun she was clearly having. He silently mourned their plan of being miserable and bitter until they were kicked out of the part.

While pouting and feeling sorry for himself, Y/N flopped down onto the couch next to Kyle. Instinctively, he reached over to pull her skirt down so she didn’t flash everyone. She was clearly quite drunk and didn’t notice.

“Hiiiii Kyle!” Her words were ever so slightly slurred, but you wouldn’t notice it unless you knew how she was normally.

“Hi, Y/N. Are you okay?” He asked, hoping she was coming over to say she wanted to leave.

“You know… You are so amazing,” Y/N looped her arm around Kyle’s neck, pressing a kiss to his cheek. He thought back to when she had done it accidentally on that first day. She said she usually kissed her friends on the cheek; it meant nothing. His heart shouldn’t be racing so much at a gesture that meant nothing. “I’m so glad I met you.”

“I’m glad I met you too,” Kyle admitted, hoping that the dark lighting disguised his blush as she climbed onto his lap, nuzzling her face into the crook of his neck. That wasn’t something she claimed to regularly do with friends; at least, he hoped not. “But you are very drunk.”

“And you are very pretty,” She cooed, one of her hands reaching up to play with the hair at the nape of his neck. It sent shivers down his back, and he had to try and stop himself from arching his back and pressing his chest against hers more than it already was. “My pretty boy.”

“I think it’s time to go home now,” He hoped that changing the subject would distract him from his growing arousal at the praise. She was drunk; this wasn’t right. “Come on, let’s get you home and to bed.” He patted her leg to try and hint that she needed to get off of his lap, but she clung to him harder, which really wasn’t helping him avoid getting harder. He needed to get her home and tucked up in bed before she did something he was worried she would regret in the morning. She appeared to be a very touchy-feely drunk with him, though he had watched her the whole night, and she hadn’t been like it with anyone else.

“Carry me?” She pleaded. He could feel her hot breath tickling his neck. He sighed, knowing it wasn’t wise to carry her the way she was currently wrapped around him as, even drunk, he was sure she would soon be able to feel the effect she had on him. It was embarrassing. He felt like a horny teenager again.

To try and avoid intimate areas of contact, he managed to shift her around in his lap, narrowly avoiding having her brush up against him as he lifted her up bridal style. Y/N giggled, and he could feel her eyelashes fluttering against his jawline. It made him shiver again despite the stiflingly hot air in Tweek and Craig’s crowded apartment.

He looked around for any sign of Clyde or Bebe but came up empty. They were either in a bedroom or bathroom somewhere together, or they had gone home without Y/N. He could tell, based on how skin-tight Y/N’s dress was, that there was no way she had a pocket with her keys in, so he would have to take her back to his. It wasn’t ideal, but it was the best option he had. He would just sleep on the sofa or on his floor while she took the bed. With how clingy she was in public, he didn’t think he could cope with sharing a bed with her in that state. She didn’t know what she was doing.

Doing his best to wave goodbye to Tweek and Craig as he left, he carried Y/N to his car, placing her down on the passenger seat and leaning over to fasten her seatbelt. He tried to get back up afterwards, but she wouldn’t let go of him, her arms wrapped around his neck to hold him close to her.

“You’re going to have to release me, or I won’t be able to drive,” He mumbled, trying to peel her arms away from him. It wasn’t working; she was very strong for a drunk girl. “I promise I will hug you again when we get home.” At that promise, she finally let go and slumped into the seat with a pout.

“Hurry! It’s cold!” She complained, fiddling with her seatbelt while Kyle got into the driver’s seat and started up the car. 

“You’re barely wearing anything; no wonder you’re cold,” He laughed nervously, grabbing his coat from where he had left it on the backseat and wrapping it around her. “I’ll go as fast as I’m legally allowed to.” 

“This is why you’re the bestest,” Y/N sighed happily, snuggling up against the coat. One hand peaked out and rested on Kyle’s thigh, which would have been sweet had it not been so distracting while he was trying to drive. He just hoped the journey home was a fast one.

a/n - let me know if you would like to be on the taglist for this fic

current taglist - @n0tangeliccc @solana-central @charqing-qing @eiizabeth-torres @hand-writxen @audiliah @cosmicbroenies @himoutolikesjojo @katnipkoffee @desertofdessert @inkedintothepaper @ky-uwu

[youmakemyhearthowl]

Punk Princess

Ao3| Part 1| Part 2| Part 3 (Next Part) |Part 4| Part 5| Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8| Part 9 | Part 10

Eddie really was just trying to get through the day unnoticed by Tommy and his goons. He’d been prepared to spend his second senior year with his head down and his eyes on the graduation prize. So when he heard whispers through the halls about some ‘freak’ he felt dread coil in his stomach. He hasn’t even done anything yet, it was the first day of classes for shit sake and he’d been late getting in. 

So when he was scurrying around the halls trying to find a pen in his backpack, glancing up at Tommy’s voice and spotting a literal punk god with Robin Buckley hanging off his arm he was a little surprised. But when his eyes tracked over the body of the other boy, he’s pretty sure his brain completely just turned off when he caught a glimpse of the face attached to the body. 

Steve fucking Harrington in all his glory was wearing a cropped mesh top, and what looked to be a black battle vest. But that wasn’t the end of what the fuck was happening because his hair was shaved on the sides and his face, Jesus Christ his face, was painted with a black charcoal around his pretty brown eyes, and fuck was that a piercing in his lip? In his eyebrow?? 

Hold the fuck on is that a hanky in his back pocket?

Eddie’s pretty sure he made some kind of noise as he stumbled and spilled the contents of his backpack over the hall floors, scrambling to pick it all up while his eyes were still locked firmly on Steve. 

He’s pretty sure Tommy had said something towards him at that point but his brain hadn’t even fully booted back up when he watched a determined look coat Steve’s face as he drew the other guys attention back to himself. Eddie couldn’t stop the noise he made at that pretty sure his entire face was tomato red now as Steve shot him a soft smile.

“They’re called shit kickers.” Steve offers, catching Tommy’s gaze. “Wanna find out why?”

And for fucks sake, no one, no one should look that attractive stating they were going to basically kick someone's face in, but Eddies pretty sure he just completely blue screened because the next time he was even aware he had a body, Gareth was pulling him away from the scene where a teacher had at some point stepped in. 

Eddie noted with disappointment that it looked like Steve hadn’t gotten to give Tommy a demonstration after all.

“Eddie..” The tone Gareth took was a long cultivated one, used specifically when Steve Harrington was involved, and Eddie cringed before smoothing out his expression, he was prepared to go on a long winded rant about how jocks were apparently stealing the looks outcasts had spent years creating and getting ridiculed for.

He knows that's what he was going to say.

“Holy shit Gareth I want to get down on my knees and worship that man.” Is what ends up coming out, and Gareth’s face does a weird mix of disgusted and unsurprised, his brows twisting together.

“Christ Eddie.”

“Did you see him Gareth? I’m pretty sure my brain had to do a full reboot.” Just as they were rounding the corner to their shared first period class, Eddie's feet stopped working and he stumbled roughly into a very firm back. The head attached to said back turned around slightly with a startled expression that turned into a smirk and honestly Eddie shouldn’t be surprised his brain goes offline again, because holy fuck.

“You sure do trip a lot, Munson.” Steve's voice comes out with a well practiced boredness to it that should be insulting, if it wasn’t for the playful twinkle in his eyes as he turns around and faces Eddie, who’s being manhandled to standing back up straight by Gareth. Eddie can feel the snarky, playful reply on the tip of his tongue, his whole body alight with the fact that finally, finally for the first time Steve is talking to him. Eddie is only slightly ashamed to admit that he’d spent a few sleepless nights imagining what he would say if he ever got to talk to Steve. So subtle flirting is what he’s prepared and ready to throw out at him. 

“Only if I can lick those boots.” Is what comes out instead. Eddie is pretty sure he feels his face explode, because what the hell?? Fucking get on the same page he shoots the thought to his brain and mouth filter as he pulls a chunk of hair up to cover his face. Steve looks startled for a second, before a slow devilish smile spreads across his face.

“I’m more into being the one that does the boot licking, but I’ll keep that in mind, babe.”

Eddies pretty sure he goes into cardiac arrest right there in the hallway.

Ao3| Part 1| Part 2| Part 3 (Next Part) | Part 4| Part 5| Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8| Part 9 | Part 10

[pisupsala]

One for The History Books [Chapter 19] [Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw]

[Summary] You are an archivist at the Pentagon, sent on assignment to TOPGUN to catalog and report on a top-secret mission. In the days under the Californian sun, a certain naval aviator puts your once orderly life in a tailspin that you might never recover from.

[Pairing] Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw x fem!reader / Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw x fem!oc

[Warnings] Mature content: swearing, (explicit) smut. 18+ only.

[Words] 3.6k

[Index] All Chapters | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 | Chapter 15 | Chapter 16 | Chapter 17 | Chapter 18 | Chapter 19 | Chapter 20 | Chapter 21 | Epilogue

[Library]

Chapter 19 - Rock bottom

“I really fucked up.”

Pete is temporarily stunned into silence. For a second he was elated Bradley was calling him of his own accord, but now he is just worried. His relationship with Bradley has only slowly been healing—facing mortal danger together might have helped them reconnect, but a decade plus of anger, hurt, and grief are hard to set aside.

Bradley was a kid, hell, he still in his teens when they fell out. He’s a grown man now. That’s a lot of time passed.

Much has changed.

He has changed.

But maybe this is his chance to made amends with Bradley. He feels a little spark of hope in his chest that Bradley is choosing to reach out to him—trusts him enough to come to him when he’s in trouble.

“Whatever you do, don’t say anything without a lawyer present.” Pete springs into action immediately, rummaging through paper on his desk. “I know a good one. Where are you? Still in Virginia?”

The silence on the other end of the line is uncomfortably long.

“I’m not in trouble with the law, Mav.” Bradley sounds tired, voice flat.

“Oh.” Pete stops in his tracks. “No, of course.”

He sits back down. Stupid. Bradley was never a troublemaker—he takes after Goose in that sense. At least Pete thinks so. When they talk, they talk about shared memories—things they both remember from… before. Goose, Carole, baseball.

They talk about the Navy and flying, but Bradley omits pretty much anything that pertains to his personal life. Pete assumes he doesn’t rate that information—yet, he hopes—as Bradley probably still resents him on some level.

Healing is a slow process—something Pete is all too familiar with.

“So… what’s going on, Rooster?” Pete asks hesitantly, unsure how to navigate the situation. At first, a deep sigh on the other end of the line is his only answer.

“I just had a huge fight with Darcy,” Bradley pauses awkwardly, like he is trying to gather courage to finished his sentence. “I walked out on her.”

Pete blanches. This conversation is taking a direction he really didn’t expect. When Bradley had visited him, Pete had asked point-blank about whether he had someone waiting for him back home, and Bradley just shrugged. “My girl is back in D.C.”

That was pretty much the end of that conversation. Bradley hadn’t even mentioned a name. Pete realized at that moment how much Bradley is keeping him at arm’s length— and it hurt.

To make matters worse, relationship shit is really not Pete’s forte.

“What did you fight about?”

“Fuck - Mav, I don’t know.” Bradley sounds desperate.

He does know. He’s struggling to find an explanation for that entire shitshow of a day that doesn’t make him look like an absolute monster. You got hurt. Because of him. And when you called him out on it, he retaliated.

A venomous voice in his head tells him you were already spoiling for a fight. You backed him into a corner. Refused to let up even after he asked you to drop it. Then had the audacity to be shocked when he went on the counteroffensive after all the potshots you took.

Fuck. This really isn’t helping anything,

Whichever way he turns it, he took the first shot. Quite literally to your face. And Bradley also knows he’s not going to get out of this unless he confronts everything head on.

Leaning back, eyes screwed shut and heart beating in his throat, he decides it’s best to rip off the band-aid.

“I’ve been having nightmares.” He swallows thickly. “Regularly.”

Pete stays quiet, listening, his breathing the only indication he is still there.

“And today… I hurt Darcy today as I woke up from one. I swear it was a fucking accident, Mav!” Anger creeps back into his voice. Bradley pauses for a moment to steady himself. “She confronted me. I couldn’t handle it.”

It’s out in the open now. Bradley thought that maybe it would help to say it out loud. It doesn’t. If at all possible, he feels worse.

“How long?” Pete’s voice is steady, no nonsense. Bradley rubs his eyes. He needs to see this through. Then, more urgently: “How long, Bradley?”

“Since the mission.”

“The crash?” Pete pauses. “Just that?”

“Yeah, sorry, it was my first time being shot down by a SAM behind enemy lines.” Bradley spits out venomously. He doesn’t even know why he reacts so defensively—the question was far from accusatory.

“It could have been any number of things from that mission.” Pete feels like he’s flying blind. “Not everything… we carry with us has to stem from one incident. Sometimes it’s years of things that build up to a breaking point.”

Bradley is silent, waiting for Pete to continue.

“Does it affect your flying at all?”

“No.” Finally opening his eyes and blinking against the sun reflecting from the hood of his car, Bradley continues. “Just my sleep. Sometimes it’s weeks of nothing, and then suddenly I wake up every night.”

Sometimes it’s easier to just keep talking.

“I was afraid to fall asleep next to Darcy. I knew I would sometimes jerk awake violently, and I didn’t want her to know. I didn’t want to hurt her.”

“But she knew.” Pete concludes, not unkindly. “How did she react?”

“She never pushed the issue. I thought it would go away eventually.” Bradley replies honestly.

“Until she did.”

Bradley lets out a heavy sigh and echos in a pained voice: “Yeah, until she did.”

“Mav - I don’t know what to do.”

Pete slumps in his seat, not knowing what to say. Bradley sounds so lost.

“Go home, Rooster, clear your head.” Pete hesitates. “And give Darcy some space for a bit. It’ll be easier to talk when you’ve both had some time to cool down.”

“What if she’s done talking?”

In moments like this, Penny would know what to say. She always does. Pete struggles to find comforting words—are there even any?

“Do you believe she might be?” He asks instead.

“I’m… I’m terrified that she is.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Darcy! Darce! Jesus Christ, what happened?”

You’re sobbing so hard you are nearly dry-heaving, body shaking, as you kneel hunched over on the floor. After what seems like ages, you finally catch your breath enough to speak.

“Bradley walked out on me.” You utter completely defeated, fresh tears rolling down your face. Speaking it out loud is like making it a reality.

“Oh sweetie…”

“He just fucking up and left, Beth.”

“Did you fight?” Beth asks kindly.

“Yeah…” You swallow thickly. You hear Emma whine in the background. “He’s been so evasive, like he just never could completely show himself to me. And I guess… it just all came to a head today…” You trail off into a soft sob.

“I’m sorry, Darce.”

“Just why!? It’s so fucking unfair!” Anger breaks through your grief like a lance. “I’ve been nothing but patient—I gave Bradley every opportunity. I waited, I gave him space. And what do I get? Fucking nothing. He throws his parents’ death at me to shut me up. Who the fuck does that?”

You fall silent for a moment.

“He said both his parents died before he was out of high school…” You trail off, voice breaking, as your anger melts away as quickly as it bubbled up.

“Jesus, that’s awful.” Beth agrees sympathetically. “What brought all this on?”

You still. No matter how much you want to vent to your sister, get all the poison from the fight out of your system, you hesitate to tell her about Bradley’s nightmares. It was the catalyst, but doesn’t feel like your place to share.

Strangely, despite your vicious anger, you still feel protective of Bradley.

“I might have pushed too hard…” It’s probably technically not even untrue. “I am just so tired of having to guess, feeling like I am never enough and always only being shown snapshots, not a whole person.”

“Darcy…” Beth’s weary tone raises your hackles. You’re not going to like where this is going, you can tell. “You always do this.”

“Do what?” You retort defensively.

“You have the patience of a saint, but when you’ve had enough, god knows you’re like a bat out of hell.” Beth’s voice is calm, but it’s like nails on a chalkboard to you. “You stay in your head until you can’t make sense of something, and then you dig in, tearing at wounds when you have no idea how to stop the bleeding.”

“I didn’t start this.” You grind out.

“But you’ve let it come to this.” Beth argues back gently.

“I called you to help me feel better, not to get a lecture about how you think I am a doormat.” You cut at Beth. “You’re supposed to be on my side.”

“Never said you’re a doormat,” Beth counters easily, “And I am helping you.”

You don’t reply, just rolling your eyes instead. Your whole face feels puffy, skin strangely tight from the dried tears. The bruise under your eye still stings. That strange hollow feeling in your stomach is back—the exact feeling you had last summer when you thought Bradley ghosted you. But it never hurt like this, it’s like it’s tearing your insides apart.

“Look…” You hear Beth take a deep breath. “In the end, you can only control your own actions. And I get it, it sucks right now. How many times have our places been switched in this situation?” She ends with a slight chuckle.

Beth is right—despite your many differences, you shared pretty much every teenage heartbreak together, crying cuddled up in bed, sharing pints of ice cream and bingeing rom-coms. Unfortunately, you’re several thousand miles away from each other now.

It’s an ice-cold realization trickling down your spine.

You are alone.

“Do you think I should call Bradley and apologize?” Your heart feels heavy, like it’s being weighed down by a boulder. “I said some… truly awful things.”

“No.” The resoluteness in Beth answer takes you aback. “God, Darcy. Don’t you get it?”

“Get what?” You want to be angry and argue back, but your voice is thick with tears again.

“Bradley walked out on you. What kind of signal are you giving by calling him now to apologize?” You don’t have an answer, so you just sit, lip quivering. Beth continues: “Christ, I mean—I get it. I really do. And Darce, god, my heart aches for you. I don’t think I’ve ever heard you so devastated. But don’t do this to yourself.”

You are fully back to crying again. “Beth - wha- what are you saying?”

“Let him make the first move. Let Bradley apologize for leaving.” Beth leaves no room to argue. “If you call him now, you condemn yourself to doing all the emotional labor every time you fight and absolve him from taking responsibility for his actions.”

Beth hesitates for a moment as she listens to you crying silently.

“And Darcy… if you do that, you’ll never be happy.”

“But what if Bradley doesn’t come back?” You whisper brokenly. Could you ever be happy again if that happened? You can’t bear to think about it.

“Then…,” Beth swallows almost nervously. “Then he was always going to walk out on you. Sooner or later.”

The desperate sob that tears from your lips has Beth screwing her eyes shut in pain.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After what can only be described as the Monday from hell, Bradley collapses on his bed and he feels like the walls are about to cave in on him. Where the room had felt cold and barren before, compared to your small and cozy apartment, it feels like a complete black hole now. He stares into the darkness.

Since yesterday, he must have started a hundred different messages and erased every single one. What can he even say? 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to walk out like that”? 

Except he did. 

Bradley regrets it now, but at the moment it felt like the only course of action. Should he apologize? Somehow, it doesn’t feel adequate to do it over text, but it’s too late to call tonight. And he’s pretty sure he doesn’t have enough courage to that either way. What if you don’t pick up? What if you’re really done talking?

You haven’t texted him, either. 

It gnaws at him. 

Some things are irreversible. No matter how much he wants to wake up, wishes it away—reality is immutable. It’s a deep sense of dread, knowing he’s on a path that he can’t change. The doomed outcome is pre-determined. 

He had that same feeling when his mother got sick, and it became clear she wasn’t going to get better anymore.

It’s the exact feeling when he ejected from his flaming aircraft. 

And no matter how much he tries to push it away, that dread is creeping up on him now, clawing at his mind, tearing at his heart.

Can he still turn the tide?

How does he let someone in his life? The life that’s he forgotten how to talk about; every memory overshadowed by pain, death, and betrayal. How can he ever start to all untangle that after leaving it to fester deep inside him for so many years? Is there a way to explain that in his dreams, he sees everything he loves disappear in roaring flames?

Bradley knows all too well he’s been carrying this pain inside him—he just likes to pretend it’s not there, even though it very definitely influences his thinking and behavior. It always has. He went on every tour possible, volunteered to stay behind as the duty over the holidays, and made incredibly sure he would never find himself on a carrier with Mav. Hell, the fact that he’s even in the Navy…

The matter of the fact is, time is running out for him. He needs to do something. How can he convince you that he wants to give every part of him to you, but doesn’t know how?   

Bradley feels like he’s almost paralyzed by the uncertainty he’s feeling and the questions that are running in circles through his head. 

Almost automatically, he dials Pete’s number. It’s not that late on the Pacific coast yet, and Bradley doesn’t think he’ll be able to sleep either way as the feeling of dread envelops him.

“Hey Rooster,” Pete greets him casually as he picks up on the first ring. “How are you?” 

“I’ve been better.” Bradley sighs. “Do you have time to talk?”

“Yeah, of course.” Pete replies immediately. 

Bradley sits up in his bed, leaning his back against the wall. “I feel like I’m stuck. Darcy hasn’t been in touch, and I don’t know what to say to her.” The frustration is evident in his voice, he’s been going in circles in his head for hours now. “It’s like there’s a doomsday clock hanging over my head—I’m leaving for a month-long training mission in a week and I need to do something.” 

“It’s probably a good start to tell Darcy you want to talk and resolve this.” Pete supplies patiently. “There’s no use in forcing a resolution now, just because you are leaving. You can still talk when you are in Texas, too. Give each other time to heal and figure what you want from this.” 

Bradley swallows. Leaving you to figure out what you want from your relationship is the single most terrifying prospect of the whole situation. Every minute that passes where he doesn’t hear from you, he becomes more convinced it’s because you are figuring out that his broken and emotionally damaged presence is not worth the hassle.

“I don’t think Darcy will be waiting for me anymore if I don’t do something now.” Bradley confesses, feeling like the dread that had been creeping up just pushed his head underwater.

“What do you think needs to be done?” Pete asks honestly.

“I don’t know!” Bradley half-shouts. “Sorry- I—I just don’t know” He groans. “I don’t know how to give her what she’s asking. I don’t know how to let her in—I’ve closed that part of myself off for so long, I don’t even know how to let myself in anymore.” 

“Why not start with telling her that?”

“Wouldn’t that be admitting outright I can’t give her what she wants?” Bradley sounds exasperated. “Might as well just end the whole thing right away.” 

“I don’t really know Darcy,” Pete pauses for a moment. “But maybe give her a bit more credit—she stuck by you so far.” 

“It’s not enough.” Bradley’s voice is pained. Talking about his fears actually makes him feel like you’re actually slipping through his fingers. “Darcy deserves better. More.” 

Running his hand through his hair, Bradley sits in his dark barracks room wishing he was anywhere else. With you preferably. Just so he could talk to you, at least try to explain. Mav is still talking to him, but Bradley barely hears him. 

Back when Bradley was a teenager, Mav had some singularly horrible advice when it came to girls and relationships, proven by his own pretty disastrous love live. In the years they spent apart, Mav clearly went through some personal growth, as most of his advice is… balanced and level-headed. Mature even.

“Don’t think, just do.” Bradley mumbles. 

“What?” Pete stops mid-sentence, surprised. 

“I’m wasting time overthinking this.” Bradley starts with renewed energy—suddenly things start clicking into place. And while Pete feels like he should be happy Bradley is coming to some sort of break through, he can’t help but feel worried. From what he’s seen, Bradley veers dangerously between extremes of cautiousness and overthinking to what even Mav can only describe as recklessness.

“I need to get my mom’s ring.” 

The words hang in the air while Pete tries to parse what Bradley just said. On the other hand, Bradley is pretty sure he just found the solution to the whole problem. You want to be in his life, and he wants you there—so what better way to do it than just show you he is committed to you for the long haul? 

Even better, it will give him time to figure his shit out with you by his side.

“You want Carole’s ring… for Darcy?” Pete asks cautiously, trying to ensure he’s actually understanding Bradley’s sudden leap in logic.

“Yeah. Don’t you think it makes sense?” 

“I - I don’t know, Rooster.” Pete pauses, unsure. “Getting your mom’s ring for Darcy is… a pretty big step.” 

He considers his options. Pete doesn’t want to alienate Bradley by talking him out of this, and women like grand romantic gestures, right? “But if you think it’s the right thing to so, you have my support.” He concludes diplomatically.

Bradley can’t believe Mav is not more enthused by his plan. But before he can start arguing his point, he hears the metallic sound of a pan being slammed down with considerable force, followed by the noise of rapid footsteps coming closer. 

“Pen- Penny-” Pete protests weakly through the rustling and crackling on the line as the phone is getting wrung out of his hand. ���Pen - stop!”  

“Give me the phone, Pete.” Penny’s voice is low.

“Hey Pen-” Bradley starts sheepishly. He had no idea Pete was with her. She mercilessly cuts him off.

“Bradley Bradshaw, if you propose to that poor girl after walking out on her, so help me god, I’m banning from the Hard Deck for life.” 

“I - what?” Bradley is lost for words. First off, how does Penny know…? Ah. Mav probably talked to her. All that sudden levelheaded advice had to come from somewhere. Secondly—how is she not onboard with this? Penny had been telling him for years she should settle down.

“And I cannot believe you are going along with this, Pete!” Penny’s on a warpath now. Somewhere in the background, Mav is mumbling something that sounds like an apology. “Proposing with his mother’s ring, no less!” 

“What do you suggest I do then?” Bradley fires back. 

“Talk to her.”

God, back to square one.

“It’s not that easy, Penny.” 

“Then tell her that.” The edge in Penny’s voice softens. “You have to start somewhere. But a proposal is not an apology or resolution.” 

Bradley deflates as he pulls up his knees. For a hot second, he thought he finally had it figured out.

“So don’t put Darcy—or yourself for that matter—in that position. Whatever problems you are having will still be there, the only difference will be the ring on her finger.” She continues sympathetically. 

“And that ring will suffocate you both if you don’t figure this out first.” Penny’s voice is suddenly laced with pain, the kind that comes from experience. Bradley silently contemplates his options. 

“I -I’m scared...” He starts, hating how his voice shakes. “I’m scared of telling Darcy what I see at night. I don’t want her to see how broken I really am.” 

He takes a shuddering breath. “What if she doesn’t want me anymore?”

That’s the knife stuck in his heart. What if you don’t want him anymore if he’s not the fun, confident and capable Rooster you fell in love with, but just the scared and hurt Bradley that is plagued by nightmares?

“There’s a reason they say “for better or for worse.” Penny’s voice is soft. “Give her—give yourself a chance. And be honest. You can come out of this together, and be stronger for it.”   

“Thanks Pen.” Bradley suddenly feels exhausted, like he’s been on a metal rollercoaster. He says his goodbye’s to both Mav and Penny, sitting motionless in the darkness of his room, staring at the light emanating from his phone, feeling more and more lost.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[note] When it comes to relationship shit, Rooster and Mav have share one brain cell, but Penny is actually in charge of it.

[taglist] @ponyboys-sunsets | @thatchickwiththecamera | @littlewhiterose | @katieshook02 | @straightforwardly | @zazzysseoul | @rororo06 | @datingbtr | @notalxx | @fresh-new-yoik-watah | @gretagerwigsmuse  | @swthxrry | @joshkiskasbunion | @caelipartem | @blackbrownie | @yanak324 | @unluckymonaghan | @letusbewildflowers | @ticklish-leafy-plant | @alana4610 | @eg-dr3amer3 | @turningtoclown | @mell-bell | @mak-32 | @avis15 | @helplesslydevoted | @benhardysdrumstick | @chaoticversion | @cherrycola27

[crimsonredfeathers]

Leaving

~*~ Chapter 1 ~*~

Hawks x fem!Reader

Warnings: none

Word count: 1.1k

Notes: This is an ongoing series for now that will probably include fluff, angst, and smut at a later point. Reader is a few years older than Hawks.

Prologue * Chapter 1 * Chapter 2 * Chapter 3 * Chapter 4 * Chapter 5 * Chapter 6 * Chapter 7 * Chapter 8 * Chapter 9 * Chapter 10

🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤

🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤

Scanning the fifth job market side on your laptop today, you sighed deeply. Ever since your former boss unfortunately had to retire from his duties due to an injury he had acquired during a fight with a villain that left him unable to continue his work as a hero and the agency had to close down, you were forced to look for another job. And your growling stomach wasn't too much of a help either. Sad and exhausted, you closed your laptop. You really needed to find a new job quickly. Rising from your sofa, you pulled a jacket over your arms and shoulders and slipped into some sneakers. It was already late, and you'd barely eaten anything during the day because you'd been so busy. Taking your purse and key with you, you left for the convenience store nearby, grabbed a sandwich and a few snacks, a can of beer, and a newspaper at random.

~*~

After you had gobbled down your sandwich, you leaned back into the soft cushions of your sofa. An open pack of chips next to you, and the nearly empty can of beer on your sofa table, you unfolded the newspaper, scanning the pages for any type of job offer. One piqued your interest right away. The newly founded agency of Hawks, a newcomer under the pro heroes, who was only 18 years old at this point and who had recently started to gain fame faster than anyone had ever before, was looking for a secretary. You grabbed your laptop and did some research on the internet to find out more about that young hero, emptying your beer and chips in the progress. Maybe it was worth a shot. You hastily typed up a few words for an email and included all the attachments they could possibly require as well as your contact information before you did a last proofreading and hit the send button. Yawning, you put your laptop away, made your way into the bathroom to take a quick shower before finally going to bed.

~*~

It took only a few days until your phone buzzed, and a well-spoken lady on the other end of the line invited you to come over to Kyushu for an interview in the upcoming week. "We'd love to have you over for an interview and actually get to know you," she had said, "you seem like the perfect addition to the team." Thanking her profusely for the opportunity before ending the call, you jumped up and down out of sheer excitement. Your neighbors' knocking stopped you in your tracks just a few seconds later. Well, if everything worked out, they'd be your ex-neighbors pretty soon anyway.

~*~

You got off the train and checked your phone for directions. Luckily, the agency wasn't too far away, a 20-minute walk at best. You took a few pictures while strolling through the streets as you had never been to Kyushu before, and even if you wouldn't be accepted, you wanted to remember the trip. Your mobile told you that you had reached your destination, when you suddenly heard a soaring noise that took you by surprise. Looking up, you saw a set of huge red wings - and a guy that was looking back at you. Predatory golden eyes focused in on your form, dirty blond hair tousled from the wind, and a huge grin plastered on his face as he was waving at you. Before you could react, he flew upwards and vanished into one of the giant windows on the top floors. Stunned, you shook your head, barely believing how fast that guy actually was and how graceful he'd looked flying up alongside that building. You remembered the photos you had seen of Hawks when researching your potential new boss, but damn, they didn't do him justice at all.

You entered the building, greeting the lady at the front desk in the hall, introducing yourself. "I'm here for an interview," you concluded your little introduction, and the woman nodded, smiling politely. "Please use the elevator to the top floor," she said and pointed over to the elevator. You thanked her and made your way over, pushing the button next to the sliding doors to call the elevator. A few seconds later, the doors opened. You stepped inside, pushing the button for the top floor, and waited for the doors to close. You could see the lady from the front desk looking at you, and you made sure to bow to her one last time. When the doors were finally closed, you let out a breath you hadn't even realized you were holding. You checked your appearance in the mirror of the elevator and tried not to let your nerves get the better of you. "You can do this, y/n," you reassured yourself, "they will love you, and they won't have a choice but to hire you!"

The ringing inside of the elevator told you that you had reached your floor. The doors opened, and to your surprise, the young hero was waiting right next to it. "Beat ya to it," he chuckled. "I heard you were fast," you sniggered, mentally noting that your hopefully soon-to-be boss was quite a cocky one and stepped into the common area of the office, where you were greeted by what you assumed to be his sidekicks. Another woman came into view, greeting you in a much more formal way than everyone else had. She introduced herself as a member of the Hero Public Safety Commission. "Shall we, Ms l/n?" You nodded at her request, following her over to the sofa and taking a seat. "Ms l/n, let's be honest right away," you swallowed, but to your surprise, her features softened, "Hawks already decided to give you a go after checking your résumé, and a young lady like you, who already gained experience in the field, is exactly what we are looking for." Out of the corner of your eye, you could see Hawks peek over his shoulder, most of his face hidden by his large, red wings. "But," the lady's voice got quieter, "be warned. He's quite a handful." You looked her dead in the eye. "I figured."

~*~

The days back at home went by faster than you'd expected. Packing up your belongings, traveling back and forth between your hometown and Kyushu to find a new apartment, saying goodbye to your former boss and colleagues that became close friends of yours early into the employment, and finally the day you moved to a new city by yourself arrived.

[oliverreedmasterass]

Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Interlude | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Second Interlude | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Epilogue

Chapter Summary: Rae, Jake, Josh, and Sam head into the woods and Rae learns more about their motley crew.

Words: 2.6k

Warnings: language, violence, mentions of death and blood

Notes: Thank you to @infinisonicosm for the fic idea!!

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

At a pace similar to the one they had taken to get to the bar, they rushed towards the outskirts of the woods. Their trek was silent for the most part, except for a brief update from Sam that their dad was on his way to the mayor to try and sort things out. Rae should have enjoyed the silence on their journey over, because once they actually stepped foot into the woods, Jake and Josh were almost immediately at each other’s throats. 

“We need to go this way,” Jake pointed to the east, where the trees looked especially sinister and dark. Rae stared in that direction and felt her stomach do a somersault in retaliation. 

“Absolutely not,” Josh shook his head. “The woods go deeper to the west, we have a better shot at finding something in that direction.” 

Rae turned her head in the opposite direction and felt even more dread wash over her. The west woods didn’t look any more inviting than what was in the east. She considered turning back to book it to her house, but after a deep breath to center herself, she tried to channel whatever bravery she had. 

“You’re wrong,” Jake stopped in his tracks, glaring up ahead at Josh. That was enough to get Josh to whirl back around and grimace at Jake in frustration. 

“I’m definitely not,” Josh countered. “Maybe get off your high horse for once.” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jake spat back. 

Josh let out a cold laugh. “A little self-awareness would do you some good.” 

“That’s rich coming from you.” 

Before Rae could react, Jake and Josh’s hands were curled back up in their fighting positions. It was a relief that Sam stepped in between them this time around, before things got especially messy. 

“I found Danny’s backpack in the west,” Sam’s voice was firm enough to break them apart. Josh reacted to that news with a celebratory whoop, followed by a pretty juicy raspberry directed towards Jake. Jake looked like he desperately wanted to dispute his younger brother, but instead gave in and let his shoulders slump in defeat. It wasn’t a battle worth fighting. That still didn’t stop him from shoving Josh to get to the front of the pack so he could lead them deeper into the woods. Josh gave Jake a firm push back, and Jake kicked his foot back, sending it into Josh’s shin. Josh keeled over with a yelp of pain and bared his fangs at Jake, who in turn cackled. This tipped Josh over the edge, since he lept forward and clung onto Jake’s back, tugging him to the ground. 

“Stop it!” Rae called out in desperation as she tried to push the two tussling boys apart. The effort was entirely futile: no matter how much she tried, they found a way to return back to clawing and throwing punches at each other. It reached the point where it was becoming too much for Rae to handle, and they weren’t fighting to kill, it seemed more like they were both trying to get something out of their systems. Rae didn’t understand why they had to do that, but she decided to let them get it out, so she fell back in line with Sam. 

“Have they always been like this?” she asked. It was still unclear to her why they seemed to hate each other so much. How much of a difference was there really between vampires and werewolves? 

“You’re not gonna believe this, but they actually used to be best friends,” Sam said under his breath, so his brother and Josh wouldn’t hear him. 

“No way,” Rae gaped back at Sam. She looked beyond him to Jake and Josh, who had started to roll around in the dirt, swiping at each other like feral animals. Sam followed her gaze and shook his head at the sight. It was obvious he was just as fed up as her with their feud. 

“They were literally inseparable when they first met in elementary school,” Sam explained. He started to move his hand towards Rae like he did before to show her another memory, but Rae slapped it away. 

“Sorry,” she was fast to apologize while Sam cradled his hand. “I didn’t like that the last time you did it. It was freaky.” 

“Most people say that,” Sam sighed. “I guess it is a bit weird.” 

“It’s…unique,” Rae tried to assure him. Sam snorted, and Rae quickly steered the conversation back towards Jake and Josh. “So they were best friends?” 

“I mean, I was super little back then, but I remember when Josh first moved to Frankenmuth, they immediately gravitated towards each other. It was like you couldn’t keep them apart. Well, until my dad found out.” 

“You son of a bitch!” Jake cursed beyond them as Josh grabbed a handful of his long hair and started to tug on it. 

“Don’t call my mom a bitch!” Josh hollered back, and gave a hefty yank on Jake’s hair. 

“He was furious,” Sam continued on, as if nothing was happening in front of them. “I’d never seen him like that before. It was like smoke was pouring out from his ears. He brought Jake and I together and told us we had to stay away from the vampires. They took our mom.” 

“Shit,” Rae whispered. 

“Jake confronted Josh about it and their argument blew up into this big thing that neither of them have ever gotten over.” 

“OW!” Josh screamed. “HE BIT ME!” 

That, apparently, was Sam’s breaking point. 

“JAKE!” he shouted, powering to Jake’s side. “You know we’re not supposed to bite people! It’s in our code of conduct!” 

“Code of conduct my ass,” Jake barked back. Fortunately, though, Sam’s scolding was enough to break the two apart. They moved away from each other, Josh cradling his wounded arm, while Jake clawed at his tongue to get rid of Josh’s germs. 

“You two are ridiculous,” Sam shook his head, looking more dejected than upset. 

Josh’s phone buzzed, and he gave it a quick glance. 

“Our parents are talking to the mayor now.” 

“We need to remember what’s important here,” Rae reminded them all. “Set aside your differences, suck it up, and let’s work together to find Sam’s friend.” 

“Danny,” Sam quietly interjected. 

“Right, Danny,” Rae gave Sam a nod with a sympathetic smile. 

“Nice motivational speech, Rae,” Jake said as he patted her on the back. It was hard to tell if he was joking around or being condescending. He took the lead and they made their way deeper into the trees. 

They scoured around in silence for what felt like hours, Sam and Jake sniffing the perimeter while Josh and Rae scanned up in the trees for anything. The woods felt barren, which was almost more unnerving to Rae. It was like every creature around them was hiding from something they didn’t know about. Rae wanted to get a better sense of what they might be up against, so she tapped Josh on the shoulder. 

“Hm?” he asked with a jump. Rae had a feeling he had been caught up thinking about something and consequently forgot that he had company. “What’s up?” He raised an eyebrow after collecting himself. 

“I’m sorry, this is a stupid question -” Rae started, but Josh cut her off. 

“Nope, no such thing as a stupid question.”

“Okay, well, are there any other, uh, creatures that exist alongside vampires and werewolves?”

“Actually, Bigfoot is real.” 

“Are you serious?” Rae paled. If that was what was taking people in the woods, Rae was ready to throw in the towel. She had done enough to help. 

“No,” Josh let out an infectious laugh. “Sorry, I had to pull your leg a little bit.” Rae gave him a playful shove which brought along more giggles. From across the clearing, Jake took a pause from his tracking to see what the commotion was about, saw Josh and Rae, and shook his head, redirecting his attention back to his search. “Aside from Bigfoot, just about everything you grew up hearing about in fairytales and shit is out there.” 

“Ghosts?” 

“Yup.” 

“Fairies?” 

“Absolutely. They’re kinda assholes.” 

“Leprechauns?”

“Those fuckers can kick hard.” 

“Do you have any floating theories about what’s taking people out here?” 

“I don’t know if you want the answer to that question.” 

“Trust me, I do.” 

Josh gave Rae an amused look and shook his head, trying to think of the best way to respond to her question. He leaned up against an exceptionally large balsam fir and crossed his arms over his chest. 

“I’m sure it’s something that’s been hiding for decades, if not centuries. For as young as he is, Sam has a wealth of knowledge. If he doesn’t know what the hell he’s smelling on that bag, it’s gotta be something beyond our comprehension. I’ve only ever heard stories about wendigos, but that’s what I’m going with.” 

“Great,” was all Rae could think to say. She had heard tales about wendigos when she was younger, and always got spooked by the thought of greedy humans transforming into a monster so bloodthirsty and completely removed from any ounce of humanity. 

“They have a shield of ice around their hearts, so they’re especially hard to kill,” Josh continued to explain. “You have to weaken them before you can get the job fully done.” 

“Do you think that’s in our wheelhouse?” 

“I’d like to think we’d have some luck on our side that could help us out.” 

“You don’t sound optimistic.” 

“I’m trying to avoid thinking about it too much.” 

“That’s understandable.” 

“Have you guys found anything?” Jake asked, rejoining their side. He was caked in sweat and had his brows furrowed. 

“Literally nothing,” Josh reported back in a monotone voice. 

“I bet we went the wrong way,” Jake grumbled to himself. 

Josh’s phone buzzed, saving them from another heated argument, and he checked his notification. 

“It’s not going well with the mayor,” he reported. 

“Fuckin asshole,” Jake threw up his hands. He stomped away and dropped himself on a wide stump sitting in a patch of grass and wildflowers under the canopy tall firs nearby. In the distance, Sam was still searching around in desperation, hoping to find even a crumb of evidence about Danny’s whereabouts. To Rae’s surprise, Josh made his way out to Sam and started to talk with him about something that was out of earshot. She planned to move closer to figure out what was going on, but Jake spoke from his stump. 

“I feel like there’s no way this is going to end well,” he mumbled just loud enough for Rae to hear. She let out a small sigh and took a seat beside him on the stump, their bodies close together. 

“That’s the spirit, bud,” she told him. She wasn’t the best at cheering people up - Morgan was always giving her a hard time that she was too sarcastic to be any comfort. To her relief, her comment did get a small smile out of Jake, and he had a twinkle in his eyes as they looked at each other. 

“I’m sorry for bringing you into all of this shit.” 

“I’m sorry for all the shit you’ve been through. You’ve been dealt one hell of a hand in this lifetime.” 

“No kidding,” Jake blew out some air. “Same for you though.”

“You suck it up and power through,” Rae shrugged. That was her mantra, and it had worked pretty well for her so far. 

“Well, Josh is the one who sucks things up,” Jake mumbled. He blushed as he made eye contact with Rae and gave a goofy grin. “Vampire joke, sorry.” 

Rae scrunched up her face, which made Jake’s grin widen. 

“That’s an awful joke.” 

“I’ll be here all week,” Jake bumped shoulders with her. They let silence sit between them for a while, watching as Josh and Sam engaged in some kind of energetic conversation in the distance. The air felt like it hung heavy in their air, as if Rae could cut through it with a knife. She wiped some perspiration from her brow and wished for a gust of wind to bring them some relief, though she knew it would never come. 

She watched Jake out of the corner of her eye. His brows were scrunched as he stared down at his feet in the dirt, not bothering to blink once. Rae wondered what he was thinking about, and then was haunted by the vision Sam had shared with her earlier. Jake had an innocent man’s blood on his hands. Granted, he hadn’t been the one to directly do it, but she knew that he carried the burden of knowing his mistake had cost someone their life. She wondered what it was like to go home every day to a man who had orchestrated that murder. Did Jake think his dad had done the right thing? Or did it keep him up at night? Did he have to tell himself lies to make him feel better? 

She caught a glimpse of him again and grew concerned when she saw that a couple of tears were sprouting from the corners of his eyes. She purposefully turned her head away from him to give him space to wipe his eyes clear, but then slowly offered out her hand for him to take. She wasn’t looking at him, but she had a feeling there was a look of shock sprawled across his face. Eventually he gently took her hand and gave it a light squeeze. So maybe Rae could comfort people if she really cared. 

She looked around, still avoiding eye contact with Jake, and frowned at something that was laying just beyond a tree a few yards away, partially shielded by an impressive amount of dried pine needles. 

“Your hand is soft,” Jake awkwardly commented, sounding infinitely more calm than when Rae had first joined him. 

“Jake,” Rae whispered back, her eyes still glued on the thing. “I think I found something.” 

Their eyes finally met, both wide. Rae released her hand from Jake’s grip and used it to point at the pine needle pile. Jake took in a few deep sniffs, which was something Rae was still getting used to, and jumped to his feet. 

“Danny,” his voice warbled with emotion. Rae ran behind him as he sprinted towards the tree that seemed to extend into oblivion in the sky. How she was able to see the small square of fabric tucked underneath the pine needles, Rae had no clue, but Jake threw himself into the pile and began to dig, throwing foliage behind him in huge clouds of dirt. Once the dust settled, they stared in awe.  

It was a University of Michigan hoodie that had at one point been light gray, but now was dirtied brown from the ground. Jake studied the jacket first in disbelief, and then sadness. 

“I wonder how far away his backpack was from here?” Rae asked as she took in the jacket. It looked in rough shape, like Danny had been dragged and thrown around in it. There were tears in the sleeves, and the hood was entirely missing. Jake tucked his hand carefully into the front pockets and shook his head. 

“Nothing in there,” he reported. With a sigh he stood back up from his squat, carrying Danny’s jacket up with him and holding it out so he could look at its front. Rae saw the back of the jacket and let out a sharp gasp. “What is it?” Jake looked around in a panic. 

“The back of the jacket,” was all Rae could get out. Jake turned the jacket around and his face immediately dropped. 

Written in blood on the back of the jacket were five words: 

GET ME OUT OF HERE

****

Taglist: @lvnterninthenight, @writingcold, @myownparadise96, @i-choose-the-road, @psychedelicsprinkles, @mama-likes72, @ascendingtothestarssasone

[momochizoey]

Thank you for tagging me @celinou !!

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 

I've got 12 on my AO3! 9 ATLA/TLOK fics, and 3 Wednesday fics.

2. What's your total AO3 word count? 

46,759 words in total! Most of it is one shots so that tracks tbh, though I'm actually pretty impressed with how much that actually is, especially cause it doesn't count how much I've written for WIPs.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos? 

#1) Scrapped Scenes, a Wenclair fic, at 1,632 kudos (which is frankly insane, I hadn't realized it got that much)

#2) Crying Wolf, another Wenclair fic, at 759 kudos

#3) And Iphigenia Felt Rage, a Yuezula fic, at 225 kudos

#4) The Future Looks Brighter Together, a Sokkla fic, at 163 kudos

And at #5) Yours In Body And Soul, another Sokkla fic, at 154 kudos

I'm not surprised the two Wenclair fics are on top by such a wide margin, I wrote those when the show had only just come out so the fandom was at its peak. Very glad that many people liked what I wrote though! Since most of the other fandoms I've written for (on ao3 or here) are a lot less active, it was a new experience!

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? 

I usually do, but I do have to admit I've been struggling a bit with it recently 😅. I read them all, and I'm so grateful for them, but especially on fics that I had huge plans for still, and which are in no way close to progressing, I have this feeling like I should have a new chapter to offer when I do answer them. I'm blaming it on my social anxiety 😬

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Ooh, that's a hard one cause I definitely tend to go in a more fluffy, feel-good direction. But I'd have to say it's Keep Your Fire On A Leash (Let The Ashes Bring You Peace). It's a June/Azula oneshot, mainly focused on Azula dealing with the pyromania she developed in captivity (as a need to reclaim complete control over at least this aspect of her life). She tries to manage it a little by working in pottery, where continuous, constant temperature control is crucial to porcelain quality, but it's not perfect. It's not angsty per-se, but it's definitely more ambiguously neutral.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? 

Oooh, I'd say it's a toss up between two of my fics:

The first is Not Alone, a TyZula band AU fic about Azula recovering from bottom surgery. I wrote it while I myself was still recovering from bottom surgery, and I wanted to explore a facet of trans characters journeys that isn't often discussed? It's a bit more niche, and I only recently made it open to anyone, not just ao3 users, so it's one of my less popular fics for sure, but it's very hopeful portrayal of a trans experience.

And the second is Yours In Body And Soul, a Sokkla soulmates AU, where soulmates bodyswap at night when either of them has had a bad day, in order to try to cheer them up. I got the idea from a korrasami fic called Paralyzed I read a while back, and changed the mechanics a little bit to make it work. It's definitely a more traditional happy ending, romantic getting together included (up to a point, they are still kids in the timeline so just an excited hug).

8. Do you get hate on fics? 

I don't! Sometimes people disagree on one interpretation of something, but never disrespectful or anything, so I'm pretty happy!

9. Do you write smut? 

I've tried it before in private, got some good feedback. But no, never anything that I'd share.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've ever written? 

I'm not sure if ATLA/TLOK counts😂. I've had some ideas for crossovers though, and written a few draft snippets, I think it was a TLT/ATLA one, an ATLA/Shang-Chi, and a Naruto/ATLA one that I've actually posted a few snippets from on here if I remember correctly.

That last one was a Sakura reincarnated into Azula idea, to explore some interesting anti-imperialist ideals, because that's actually a blind spot Sakura has as well with Konoha. It's easy for her to fall into the same ideological fallacies as before, especially with the significantly lower usage of child soldiers in the Fire Nation making it seem like the epitome of peace and human rights to her. Like looking at the same problem in a different font, at a slightly different angle, it gives Sakura an opportunity for growth by maybe showing her some of the issues she had been ignoring or missing in Konoha, shaking some of her loyalty.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? 

Nope, not as far as I'm aware!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? 

Also nope, theoretically I could translate it in Dutch, but I'm a lot better at expressing myself in English I think, and almost every Dutch person can read English (especially on ao3), so I don't think it would add much. Maybe one day though!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? 

I haven't, though it seems like it'd be very cool, I'd definitely be open to it!

14. What's your all time favorite ship? 

God, don't make me choose 😭😭 I guess it's probably Chasefield? I'm such a sucker for those two it's unreal. Otherwise maybe Yuezula, Maizula or Sokkla? They each have such interesting possible dynamics, in such varying ways.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will? 

Again, that's a tough one cause I'm afraid I have a lot. I still have several half-written chapters of Getting Family Approval In Six Fool-Proof Steps (Cue The Fools, Sokka And Azula), as well as the start of a longer fic that continues on from And Iphigenia Felt Rage that I've fully outlined and would love to write someday but can't be sure I ever will. There's also Indelible Mark which I've been blocked on forever. As for WIPs that haven't even been partially published yet, I've got 11k for a Chasefield fic I've posted a scene or two for on here called Muse on My Mind, that I wish I could finish but I'm not confident I can manage any time soon. I've also got the start and the outline of a TLT griddlehark fic, where I'm absolutely in love with the premise and the twist I'm building it on, but which, again, I've not progressed much with in a good 6 months. There's a few others, but these are the ones I'd really like to finish at some point.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic? 

I love reading it, writing it I could do Dutch or Google translate a different language, but much preferably I'd be able to check it with someone who actually speaks the language for accuracy. Best to use some of the more advanced ao3 html uses to make a translation appear when you hover over it though, unless not understanding it is an important part of the reading experience, in which case people can look it up later if they want to.

19. First fandom you wrote for? 

My very first fic was actually a The 100 song fic based on an opera song, which is too embarrassing so I won't share where it is🤐 I was like 17 so it's too embarrassing.

20. Favourite fic you've ever written?

Tbh, it's either Muse on My Mind (the chasefield fic I mentioned that isn't posted anywhere except for 1 or 2 scenes on Tumblr), which is super fun because it's playing with the perspective of a character that just straight up doesn't understand half the plot happening in the background that is hinted at for the reader who does know. Oblivious characters too caught up in their own shit to pay attention are so so so much fun to write, especially when you have fun with it, implying things but never outright confirming it!

Otherwise it's Haunted By Runaway Ghosts. That one is a Sokkla fic that explores their past through flashbacks while Zuko and Katara are both grappling with the discovery of their niece and nephew they had no idea existed (or could exist). Which, not to brag, but from a technical standpoint I really think that one is probably one of the most skilled fics I've written and published, and it was so much fun to write and puzzle it all together; the slow build up and explanations slowly coming together to form the bigger picture, the hidden ties between locations in the show and events in the story and how they fit into each other perfectly - genuinely a joy to write (and if people are interested in reading it please do, imo it's on par with And Iphigenia Felt Rage, if in a pretty different style, definitely something I'd love for more people to enjoy the way I did writing it).

Thanks again for tagging me @celinou, this was very fun to do! I see you've already tagged @sourrind, who I'd have tagged as well, so next I'll tag @dawnsiren @ly0nstea and @likeadragonfruit , and of course whoever else wants to do it!

[incognit0slut]

REQUESTS GUIDELINES

For a limited time, my requests are currently OPEN. Please refer to this post before submitting any requests!

1) Please check my Masterlist for other similar plot before you request. Also, DO NOT repeat the same requests you have submitted to other authors. It’s disrespectful.

2) I will predominantly write as Female Reader although it can also be Gender Neutral for fluff or angst, however, I will not be writing Male Reader (especially smut) because I know I won’t be able to put myself in that point of view.

3) This is a 18+ blog, if you are a minor, I encourage you to block my content. NEVER INTERACT WITH ME. EVER.

4) I accept requests based on songs but please clarify if you want it to either be fluff, angst, or smut.

5) DO NOT ASK for a part 2 for either of my published works. Sometimes I do like writing a second part, but for now, I am strictly writing one-shots or drabbles.

6) WHAT I WILL NOT WRITE:

↳ Cheating, incest, mature content including minors. Age-gap is fine but keep in my mind I will have the youngest age of the couple in their 20s.

↳ His on screen love interest as a side-plot for a story, like Lila, Maeve, Max, even JJ because I adore her as a character but adding her as a potential love interest is a big no (I am looking at you CM writers).

↳ Rape/Non-con. CNC. Dark Kinks. Anal.

↳ I can write a sub/dom dynamic but no mommy or daddy kink. Even as a proclaimed slut you will not be seeing me write reader/him calling out a parental figure in the middle of sex. It’s just not my thing.

↳ I don’t write for real people so no, I won’t be writing for Matthew.

7) If I am uncomfortable with your request on a matter that I haven’t mentioned here, I will answer with a reply and explain why I’m not interested in writing said request.

8) If you’re too shy and want to request anonymously you can name yourself (either with an emoticon or a pseudonym) because I like to interact with everyone and it’s nice to keep track on who is who✨

9) Most importantly, be patient. Everyone active on social media has a personal life, including me, so it might take some time for me to write everything.

.

Whew! Now that’s all out of the way, you can send me a request here. Thank you!

[kikufuku01]

I Love You, Always

Sukuna x Reader

Part 8 Alcohol on Your Tongue ♡ ♡ ♡ Part 9 Jealousy in Your Eyes series m. list

Reblogs likes and comments are appreciated!

Warnings: Under the influence kissing, alcohol intake

Taglist is open, just message me if you’d like to be tagged in upcoming posts! Must be 18+!

Sukuna should’ve been more responsible. He shouldn’t have drank this much knowing he had to watch over you. He’s lost track of time; lost track of how many drinks he’s had and now he’s lost track of you. He hopes that you’re not with another man and instead are with women. He’s strayed into the kitchen area to pour himself another shot, yes, shut up, don’t say anything.

“Pour me one too!”

You jump out from nowhere and surprise him, causing him to drop the glass. Sukuna breathes a sigh of relief at the sight of you, “you startled me for a sec.” He bends down to pick up the glass and then tosses it into the trash before coming back to you. You, however, see the red that forms on his fingertip even in your drunken state.

You grab his hand to observe, “you cut yourself.”

He barely noticed it, “it doesn’t hurt.”

“Still,” you say, bringing his hand closer to your face, “you’re so clumsy.”

You bring his finger up to your lips and he stares with shock, “hey, what are you–” it takes him a minute to process, “what are you doing?!”

You release his hand with a satisfied smirk, “I just licked it a bit so it won’t get infected.”

“That’s… a bit much.”

You see a tinge of pink on his cheeks and lean closer to him, “you blushing?”

The cool and chic Sukuna is back, and he smiles down at you, “you wish.”

“I think you are~”

A small fit of giggles leaves your pretty lips and all Sukuna can do is roll his eyes at you, “I’m not~ leave me alone.”

You begin to wave at him, “okay, bye!”

Right as you spin on the heels of your feet, Sukuna grabs your shoulders and stops you, spinning you back around, “stop, don’t really leave. I didn’t mean it~” The way he drags out the end of his sentence is slurred and cute, so you feign irritation while still smiling, “yeah, okay.”

“You switched shoes.”

“All thanks to Satoru,” you sigh, “he says ‘hi’.”

“Didn’t know he was here. I haven’t seen him all night.”

There’s not a single sober thought in your heads when you both jump and dance to the music in close proximity. Bodies are pressed against each other in the process of people passing by and you’re way too far gone to voice out the ick you have of other people’s sweat getting wiped onto you. You also hate to say it, but Sukuna looks majestic with his messy hair and dopey smile. This moment almost feels surreal to you.

You also don’t realize that there is a couple literally making out on your back. You really thought that it was just another person’s back, but Sukuna reaches his hand out towards you and you take it, placing your hand in his.

“Might wanna turn around,” he suggests, “unless you want to join them.”

You raise your brows at him in confusion and turn around to look, gasping when you do.

“You should’ve told me sooner!”

“I only realized a second ago.”

You squint your eyes accusingly and purse your lips, “sure, whatever. You just wanted a small laugh.”

Sukuna nods his head at you with a smug grin and his hand grips yours. He leads you away from the couple and drags you somewhere else, somewhere less crowded with people. He’s still holding your hand, so you jump, “twirl me.”

And he does. He twirls you, and it’s very sloppy, since the world is spinning in both your points of views. The action causes you to stumble a bit, and you accidentally bump into a woman, slurring a quick apology to her. It’s almost like she never realized, since she only smiled back.

“Maybe I shouldn’t be spinning ya,” Sukuna says, yanking you back towards him.

You lose your footing and lay your cheek against his chest, “careful, my body feels heavy.”

His skin feels hot beneath your cheek, even through the layer of his clothes. He’s always radiated heat naturally but the effect of alcohol really boosts it even more. Sukuna to you, is a literal human heater. If you stayed laid up on his chest for a second more, you’d definitely fall asleep.

“Then I guess that means no more drinks for you.”

After you peel away from Sukuna, he’s once again, dragging you through the house. He sees Junta and marches over. In his hands, there’s a frozen bottle of liquor. The liquid swishes around as his hands make wild movements to emphasize whatever he’s even talking about.

Sukuna lazily taps his shoulder, “yo, let me take a sip from the bottle.”

No questions asked, Junta passes Sukuna the bottle and turns back around to continue his conversion. Sukuna tilts his head back and begins to pour, your thirsty eyes watching the whole thing. The brown liquid just keeps flowing and his throat keeps bobbing. When Sukuna thinks he’s had enough, he closes his mouth, holding the bitter liquor in his mouth as he taps Junta again and gives the bottle back. He looks down at you with full, puffed cheeks and he’s about to swallow the rest of the liquor.

You sulk at him, “I want a shot too.”

And then you smile.

Sukuna doesn’t have time to answer you, and he won’t think much about this action either, because he knows you’re both not in your right minds. So when your hands come up to cup his cheeks, he doesn’t pay it any mind. When you tiptoe and press your lips to his, he doesn’t mind. Sukuna isn’t an idiot, he knows what this action implies, so now he’s purposely holding the liquor and not swallowing.

You’re kissing him, but it’s not what you want. You want him to pass the liquor through your lips, but you’re too afraid to do anything else, and that’s fine. He’ll do it. Sukuna pushes his tongue against your soft lips, a sign for you to open. When you do, his left hand snakes behind your neck and he begins to spit the liquid into your mouth. It’s still a bit cold but you can tell it’s warmed up a tiny bit from being in his mouth and your nose starts to sting from the strong scent. In the process, some has dribbled past your lips, now running down your chin, but you don’t care. You should, but you don’t. That’s weird, right?

When he’s done, he breaks away from you with a stone face. His irises flick all over your face and he’s confused as to why you’re not in an uproar. You do, however, look very cute swallowing the nasty ass liquor. The reason why is because you scrunch your face at the bitterness.

Dazed eyes fall onto him and all he can do is sigh at you.

“I just took your first kiss, you do realize that, right?”

You don’t see a tinge of pink on his cheeks at all. What a bummer, sort of. Oh well! You shrug and continue to beam at him, “it’s alright. Tasted very bitter though.”

Sukuna pats your head gently, a silent sign of affection, “you should care about it more.”

“I literally asked you to take me here to find someone to hook up with so I’d be more experienced. I don’t mind that it was with you.”

“Y/n, you shouldn’t say careless things like that.”

His heart does flutter at your words, but his stomach sinks at the possibility of you going all the way with someone else. He pushes his hair out of his face, “speaking of which,” his voice goes an octave lower, “did you meet someone? You know, when you went off on your own?”

You blink for a few seconds as you try to recall the rest of your night, but all you can remember is drinking and dancing, so you shake your head confidently, “nope! I was too caught up in having fun by myself.”

“That’s a relief then,” Sukuna admits, exhaling slowly. He does feel bad for taking your first kiss though… even though you practically kissed him.

Sukuna pulls his phone out from his pocket and looks at the time. He’s very drunk, but the time seems to have sobered him just a tiny bit. Enough for him to get back some sense of reality. “Shit,” he mutters, “y/n, it’s way past midnight. I gotta get you home.”

You laugh happily, “I can’t go home now, Sukuna! Look at me, I’m drunk.” Your own finger slides across your neck, “my parents will kill me if they see me like this, and–” a hiccup interrupts you, “I didn’t leave my window open tonight.”

Sukuna blinks away with his heavy eyelids, “damn, so I can’t sneak you into bed…”

“Take me home tonight, Sukuna. I’m really drunk.”

Now that is a dangerous invitation. That is something you should never do, but! Sukuna throws away all dirty thoughts and grabs your hand. The two of you begin to walk towards the door while he calls up his chauffeur, and after he’s done with that, he calls Satoru and tells him to bring your shoes.

When you see Satoru, you lazily wave and slur your second greetings to him, which makes him burst out into a fit of laughter, “you’re even more drunk than before, y/n. Would you be more careful?”

None of them can make out whatever you’re saying, so they quickly exchange thanks and then Sukuna drags you outside with him. As crazy as it sounds, it doesn’t take Sukuna’s chauffeur a long time to get here; it’s almost as if he’s always on standby. Sukuna pulls the door open and carefully tries to shove you inside. You’re a lot heavier now that you’re completely depending on him to hold your weight, but it's only a minor struggle. He shoves your legs inside and groans in annoyance when one of your crocs fall off.

“Fucking kidding me,” he mutters, snatching the shoe off the concrete. He grabs your ankle and shoves the shoe onto your foot and then circles around to the other side to get in. You’re really testing his patience today because you’ve made yourself comfortable in the back, stretching out on both sides, leaving no space for him. He takes a deep breath and shuts the door, wobbling around the car again to sit in the passenger side.

“Shall I take the young miss home?”

“No,” Sukuna croaks, “she’s too drunk. Just take her to my place.”

The chauffeur, Fujisaki Yuuma, reaches into the back to hand Sukuna a water bottle and then raises his eyebrows in concern, “are you sure that’s a wise choice?”

“Yuuma, it was her request. I’m not gonna do anything to her, she’s drunk.”

Yuuma begins to pull away from the lively house, “you’re both intoxicated, young sir. I’m just trying to look out for the both of you.”

Sukuna’s half lidded eyes stare at Yuuma’s side profile, “you’ve got nothing to worry about, Yuuma. Just do your job and go back home to your wife.”

Yuuma sighs in a defeated way but nods, “as you wish, young sir.”

♡ ♡ ♡

“Would you like some help getting her inside?”

“Please.”

Sukuna opens the door and tries to step out but ends up falling out instead. They’re parked in front of the heavy iron gate, so while Sukuna struggles to stand on his own, Yuuma presses in the code for the gates to open. As soon as the doors automatically swing back, he turns around and sees no sign of Sukuna.

“Ryomen-san?”

He steps around and finds him on all fours. The man must’ve gotten more drunk during the ride home. The thirty-nine-year-old sighs at the man, as he can’t help but feel such things as care for him. He presses a kind smile on his lips and helps Sukuna stand, “is that better, Ryomen-san?”

“Quit callin’ me that, Yuuma.” Sukuna gives him a small pat on the back as a ‘thank you’ and then heads towards the back door, “just call me Sukuna. You know I prefer that.”

With anxious eyes, Yuuma watches Sukuna drag you out of the car. He wraps one of your arms around his neck and supports the rest of you by your waist. Sukuna quickly points inside the car, “would you mind grabbing her heels for me? She’s kind of heavy right now, playing dead fish and shit.”

Yuuma laughs at his commentary but obeys, following Sukuna in. He sets your heels down by Sukuna’s bedroom door and bows at him, “is that all you need for tonight, Sukuna?”

The pink-haired man lays beside you and sinks into the mattress with a sigh of content, “yes, thank you for always coming.”

“I’m just doing my job, that is all.”

“Still,” he grins, “I appreciate you, Fujisaki Yuuma.”

Although he cannot see, Yuuma bows once more and shuts the door behind him. Sukuna turns on the bed to face you and grins even wider when he sees that you’re awake.

“You’re up,” he says flatly, “you should’ve walked up here, lazy ass.”

“But it’s so much better when someone else carries you,” you sulk, giggling after.

You look cute to Sukuna. There’s a slight hue to your face, it’s barely noticeable, but he can still see it. When his hand comes up to touch your cheek, the skin is hot beneath the pad of his fingers. You’re blinking slowly at him too, the effect of liquor making you do things slower. The tone of your voice is lower too, and it’s a bit alluring, even with the drunk slurs.

You pull at your dress straps, “I’m uncomfortable. Got anything I can change into?”

His eyes follow your fingers and he flips onto his back again, “I do, but don’t you wanna shower first?”

“Pft, I don’t know if I can.”

You pull yourself up anyway and look around, observing his room for the first time, even though everything is spinning. Sukuna stands from his bed and walks towards a door; one you assume would be a bathroom. You can hear the shower turn on and you think he’s gone to shower first, but he comes out after a few minutes.

“Try to shower before sleeping, halfie.”

Sukuna grabs your hand and drags you to the bathroom, “if you can’t stand, then sit. And if you need help, just call me. I’ll look away.”

Showering was a bit tricky, but you managed to do so on your own. There was a moment when you almost gave up and called for his help, but you didn’t.

You were glad that Sukuna gave you a black shirt (your nipples would be less noticeable) and plaid pajama pants. The outfit was very comfy. The only bummer was that you weren’t wearing underwear. They were ruined when Sukuna decided to be a jerk on the couch, so you washed them in the shower as well and hung them up to dry.

Sukuna thought you looked cute in his outfit. The pants were too long for you, but he still thought it looked nice on you.

“Try to get some shut eye.”

He’s on his way to the bathroom as well, but you shrug at him, “I’m not tired though. I am still drunk though.”

“Yeah, we’ll see when I’m done showering. I bet you’re gonna be knocked out,” he challenges, shutting the door behind him. The first thing he sees are your clothes in the hamper and your undies. Before getting in, he grabs your clothes and walks back out, passing you as you stare at the ceiling. Part of him expected you to question where he was going, but you’re drunk anyways. You wouldn’t remember regardless. He throws your things in the washing machine and starts the cycle. If he ruined your dress then he’d just buy you a new one, no biggie.

When he’s done showering, he towel-dries his hair and then walks out, feeling refreshed. A small part of him has sobered down but not by a lot. “You’re ruining my sheets,” he teases, gaining your attention. Like an eager pup, your eyes light up and you sit up in his bed, “I thought I’d die waiting!”

He plops down beside you and grabs your damp hair, “want me to dry your hair? You’ve made a damp spot on the sheets.”

His speech is slurred and lazy, but you can understand him to an extent. He most likely feels the same way towards you.

“If you wanna,” you chirp, turning your back to him.

This is so out of character for him to do. He doesn’t usually act this way. He’s gonna go ahead and blame the alcohol. Yeah, he shouldn't have drunk tonight. Sukuna begins to towel dry your hair, smiling when he feels you melt into the action. It must feel nice to you. His fingers gently rub into your scalp with the towel, and he makes sure to pat and not rub, since your hair is precious and must not be damaged. When your hair is dry enough, he brushes his fingers through your natural hair to help detangle and then tosses the towel somewhere, yelling “all done”.

Everything smells like Sukuna. The citrus scent is strong but not overpowering, and there’s that hint of tobacco as well. Not caring that you’ve left a damp spot on Sukuna’s side, you crawl onto the other side, an evil smirk plastered on your face.

The lights are still on so you can see each other perfectly. Sukuna is always admitting that Kaede is pretty. Something about it makes you feel insecure, but you’re not sure how to voice it to either one of them without them getting the wrong idea or putting words in your mouth.

Since you’re already feeling loopy, you smile prettily at him, “am I pretty?”

“No, you’re not.”

The audacity of this man. Sukuna titters to himself when he sees your angry little eyebrows. You readjust, propping yourself up on one arm, “I’m pretty!”

Sukuna copies you, his tone staying the same, “no, you’re not pretty.”

Your mouth literally drops at his denial, “hmph!”

Since you’re determined, you scoot closer to him and shove your bare face at him, “look at me again.” Your bat your eyelashes at him dramatically, “am I really not pretty?”

“You are beautiful.”

Sukuna holds earnesty in each of his features as he looks into your eyes. No matter how drunk you two are, he’s now being so transparently honest. Those simple words are cringy, yet they make you blush. Not the kind of blush that makes your face turn pink, but the blush as in you feel your stomach flipping. You clear your throat and back away, “what was the point in that? Pretty and beautiful mean the same thing.”

Sukuna’s cheek falls deeper into his knuckles, “it really doesn’t.”

You muse, “care to explain it to me then?”

His eyebrows raise as he contemplates. There are a lot of words that come to mind but he’s not sure if he can process a single one. Sukuna decides to focus on how his lights cast down on you. He knows you’re no saint, but you sure do look like a being from above. What the hell are you doing, hanging out with someone like him? When he notices your patient eyes, he blows a few raspberries, “in my terms, Kaede is pretty.”

He reaches for the chain around his neck, “you, are beautiful.”

His explanation makes no sense… Your nose scrunches as you openly voice your confusion, “I don’t understand.”

The way you say it so quietly has Sukuna’s heart beating harder. He shrugs his shoulder in a carefree way, “you’re drunk as fuck, that’s why.”

When you think about it, it still doesn’t make sense. You choose to look at his necklace instead, “nah, I seriously can’t process it in my head.”

He really considers if he should elaborate or not. It’s useless either way, but he wants to make sure you’re reassured, so he sighs out loud, making sure you understand that he’s running out of patience. “What I define as pretty is what’s on the outside; just an attractive shell,” he speaks slowly for you, articulating every word. He laughs in between at your expressions, “beautiful is to be pleasing in all senses, inside and out. To be beautiful is someone who keeps me curious.”

God, you’re so fucking annoying. Bitch. One hand brushes his hair back, “to cut it simple for your peabrain, your allure keeps me drunk on you.”

You gasp in an exaggerated way and lay back down, “are you saying you’re attracted to me?”

When Sukuna lays down, he stretches his arm out and traces your facial features in the air. He really likes how you look right now. It reminds him of when he wakes up in your bed and sees your raw face, “you’re prettier than usual, y/n.”

You laugh at his cringiness, “I don’t know if I should be flattered or offended.”

“It’s a compliment,” he states.

“Lately my heart beats a little harder for you,” this time he whispers this, afraid you’d hear him. You still heard him. You heard him loud and clear, and maybe it’s the liquor that’s making you both ballsy, but you cuddle into his pillow, “you confessing to me or something?”

You’re not even sure if you’ll remember anything tomorrow morning, but this seems like something you need to engrave into your brain.

Sukuna’s hand falls onto the bed’s surface, “I don’t know, y/n. Just telling you what’s up.”

You can’t believe your heart is beating so fast at this man. You’re scared you’re gonna get a heart attack from how fast it’s going, but you’re fine. After swallowing what feels like a lump, your playful expression relaxes into a serious one, “don’t fall in love with me, Sukuna.”

“Can’t I?”

This is bad. Really bad. There’s so much tension in the air and you’re not sure if it’s sexual tension or what. Even though you said all of this, Kazuya is long tossed out of your mind and all you can focus on now is Sukuna’s lips. You remember how they felt against your ear and how he made you feel when you sat on his lap. You especially remember the way they felt on your very own lips. You’ve always thought losing your first kiss would be somewhat of a big deal, but it’s not. Is it because of Sukuna? Because it was with someone you could trust? You’re not sure if you find him attractive and it’s blinding you from all morals, but right now, you really want to kiss Sukuna.

“I don’t know if it’ll be good for us. I feel some way about you, but I like the way we are,” you admit in a small voice.

You’re severely confused, and you’re questioning everything in life.

He nods understandably, “so you wanna stay as friends.”

“I’d like to.”

Fuck. You feel so fucking guilty right now. You’re almost sure that Sukuna is acting like this only because he’s drunk. You know that he likes Kaede, but when you think of that, why do you feel jealous again? Sukuna stretches a bit and yawns, “okay. Forget the nonsense I just said.”

The air is still thick… What in the world are you doing? You’re going to regret this so much, you know it, but, seeing and hearing him give up so easily has your heart dropping to your stomach. It’s like your body is no longer in your control and is acting on impulse.

You lean over and place a soft kiss on Sukuna’s cheek, taking him by surprise. When you pull away, his hand comes up to graze the area and he has a stupid blush on his face. He’d like to play it off as red flush from alcohol intake, but it’s a bit too late to claim that.

Don’t you dare fucking do that to him. You’re looking at him with uncertainty. With a look that’s waiting for assurance. There’s lust in your eyes too, and if you keep staring at him like that, it’d be hard for him to hold back, even if all the alarms are going off in his head. When he’s radio silent, you lean back down and place a kiss on his lips and then you move back again to see his reaction. Just like before, his lips are soft, warm and plump, and it’s not what you expected at all.

When and where did the lines between you become blurred? Because surely, it’s been blurred way before tonight, right?

There aren’t words being exchanged between you two. He doesn’t know what to say anyway. Instead, he pulls himself up again and kisses you carefully. A soft peck that lingers for a few seconds. It’s different from the first time, that’s for sure. When he pulls away, his eyes are still closed, and he leans back in again, doing the same thing. He can feel you kiss back as well, so he decides to test the waters.

One hand comes to hold your cheek, and what started off as long pecks slowly turned into sensual kisses. Soft, slow and warm. No tongue yet, but he enjoyed the way your lips collided with his. You were sloppy at first but quickly learned how to copy his movements.

Sukuna carefully pushes you back down onto the bed, his hands caging you while half his body hovered above you.

“Can I keep going?” he asks, out of breath.

He stares into your eyes for consent, and you nod eagerly, wrapping your arms around his neck again as he continues where he left off. He slips his tongue into your mouth, and just like before, you learn quickly. By now, he’s rock hard and it’s straining in his pants. It’s a bit painful but he’ll hold out.

You can taste the alcohol on his tongue and it just tastes so good on him. The wet sounds of your kisses fill your ears and you can feel yourself throbbing, begging to be touched, but you’re not entirely sure if it’s okay to go that far with him. Clearly, you’re not thinking straight, and neither is he.

Sukuna’s tongue delves deeper into your mouth, and you copy this movement, giving him your best. The friction of your hardened nipples rubbing against his chest has your mind going crazy and you can feel him poking at your thigh as well. You almost feel bad for him because he must be going through the same thing.

Before anything escalates, you surprise him, jokingly biting his lips. It’s not hard enough to actually hurt, but enough to excite him.

Sukuna pulls back and chuckles, his tongue coming out to lick the area you nipped, “you bit me.”

“I thought I should surprise you once, since you keep surprising me,” you playfully reason.

Even though you’re both sexually aroused, he knows nothing else should happen. Sukuna gently pats the top of your head again and pulls back, laying on his side again.

You’re still trying to catch your breath, steady your breathing as you sigh, “I’m sorry about that. Are you okay?”

You understand how this could lead him on, even if he’s not into you, and it makes you feel like shit. Sukuna, however, sends you a quick smile, “don’t worry about it, y/n.”

“But are you okay?”

“I always am.”

Sukuna gets out of bed to turn off the lights and returns to bed. When he doesn’t immediately find you, it makes your heart wrench. This whole ordeal could cause a huge drift between you two when you’re both sober tomorrow morning.

While you’re busy overthinking, Sukuna finally tucks himself under the blanket and turns your way. It makes you feel better when he opens his arms and pulls you in for a cuddle. He makes it quite easy to lose your train of thought when he does stuff like this. But since you feel good, you snuggle closer, “I like you too though, if that makes you feel any better. I like waking up with you next to me,” you giggle out loud with him, “even when you’re not supposed to be there.”

Sukuna drags out an amused hum, “so you do like me sneaking into your room.”

“It’s fun,” you beam, smiling into his chest.

Sukuna blinks at the darkness, a frown on his lips as he speaks in a light tone to ease your thoughts, “we’re just two silly kids going with the flow huh?”

“Yeah, haha.”

♡ ♡ ♡

Sukuna lays there with a heavy heart. His eyelids feel heavy, but he doesn’t want this moment to end. He doesn’t want to fall asleep and lose time with you. He wants to stay up longer and keep talking but you’ve fallen asleep hours ago. His chin nuzzles the top of your head, and he pulls you closer to him while his eyes search the dark room. There’s nothing to look at. Man, he really wants to smoke right now but he won’t.

His body stiffens when you stir in your sleep, your hand coming to pat his back in a soothing manner. Did he accidentally wake you?

“Having trouble with sleep?”

Your voice is groggy and your throat sounds dry. Should he offer to get you some water? He hums a bit, “sort of.”

“Then,” you look up at him and yawn, “I’ll pat your back like this until you fall asleep again.”

It makes him chuckle at you. Are you still drunk? He also brings his hand towards your back and begins to pat you in the same way.

“Something tells me you’ll knock out first, halfie.”

There’s a tired laugh that you let out at him, “no, I’ll make sure you’re snoring before I doze off again.”

There’s not another word said between you two and its only silence. Sukuna’s eyes are finally closed and he’s patting your back at a set rhythm. And, despite your argument, he can feel your pats slowing down. He smiles softly to himself when your movements stop completely, your hand falling limp over his waist. You’ve fallen asleep, silly girl.

Sukuna continues to pat your back, choosing to sigh at himself. When he’s sure you’re deep asleep, he presses a chaste kiss on the crown of your head.

“If only you could read my heart,” he whispers, “you would see the place I have given you there, y/n.”

Sukuna doesn’t like this. He doesn’t want to get used to this. He doesn’t want to get used to you, but it’s already too late for that. He absolutely hates the fact that just seeing your face can either make or break his day. Why did you have to come and involve yourself in his stupid life? He kisses your head once more and finally lets his eyes shut for the night.

♡ ♡ ♡

The reason why you wake up is because your throat is dry. It feels like you swallowed a bunch of sand and it’s not the most pleasant feeling. Your eyes slowly look around and you realize you’re not home.

Your back is pressed against someone, a light gasp leaving you as you take in the familiar scent. You’re in Sukuna’s home, and flashes of last night replay in your mind. You get bits and pieces of what happened and then you remember the kiss.

Heat rises in your cheeks as you break away from him, choosing to sit up instead. You remember the kiss feeling so good, but it’s wrong to enjoy it. God, you were so stupid! This whole thing was stupid and now you feel like you’ve dug your own grave. When Kazuya’s face pops up into your mind, you want to cry. You’re feeling really sorry towards him, and it doesn’t help that you’ve been so curt with him either.

You look back down at Sukuna and he’s still asleep. His hair is soft and tousled, splaying all over the pillow. His breathing is light and airy, and he looks like he always does whenever he sleeps over. It has your heart tugging, but then you remember the words you exchanged last night. You guys crossed a line that should’ve never been touched and now you feel sorry towards another person. That person being Kaede. You have a feeling she likes Sukuna, and you thought Sukuna felt the same until yesterday. The way you see it, he basically confessed.

“Can’t I?”

Those words play over and over again in your head. When Sukuna groans, you look at him again. One of his eyes open, but he doesn’t bother to smile.

“Mornin’”

“Good morning. Thanks for taking care of me.”

Sukuna nods lazily, “seems like you had a lot of fun yesterday. Didn’t take you for a party girl.”

You shrug, “didn’t know I was til last night.”

He closes his eyes again and shifts in the bed for a better position. That’s right. Your head moves back and forth as you guess where your phone is at. When you find it near the edge of the bed, you grab it. There are a ton of texts from both parents and just like last time, there’s a message you don’t remember sending. Sukuna apologized and told them that you’d be spending the night at Kaede’s. You exit the log and see that Sukuna sent a message to Kazuya as well.

Kazuya: Hey, I know you’ve been busy lately, but I hope to see you again soon. Maybe I can pay for lunch? Don’t feel pressured if you don’t want to. -10:45pm

Kazuya: Goodnight, y/n. -10:46pm

Y/n: Give me time to think about it. -2:54am

Y/n: Night. -2:54am

You’re not exactly upset at his response, but it doesn’t seem like it can pass as you. Oh god, you most likely seem like the shadiest person alive to him. Actually, you feel like it!

You’re looking around the room for your clothes but can’t seem to find them anywhere. Sukuna listens to the way your breathing becomes a bit panicked, so he pushes himself off the bed and turns to you, “I washed and dried them. They’re still in the dryer, I’ll get it for you.”

All you can do is give him a nod. You feel like you can’t even look him in the eyes. Your lips sting when you think about the kiss and your heart throbs when you don’t know what to say to Sukuna. How do you confront him?

He’s back quicker than you anticipated, handing you your folded clothes. “Thanks,” you mutter, breaking eye contact. Can he sense how awkward it is? Wait, that’s a stupid question. Of course he can sense it. Anyone could.

“Just keep the clothes you have on.”

You keep your head down, “what am I supposed to tell my parents? They’ll ask who these belong to.”

Your avoidance has Sukuna feeling dejected. His teeny tiny heart is falling to the pit of his stomach and it’s suddenly really hard to breathe, but he’s putting up a good act. You admit to liking him last night as well, do you not remember? You’re crushing his heart over and over again. Just how much do you expect for him to keep picking up the pieces? He doesn’t expect much from you, but it still hurts. Do you really like Kazuha that much?

He huffs, “do I have to do everything for you? Tell them a white lie.”

Why does his tone make you nervous? You begin to fiddle with your clothes, “I never asked you to message anyone back. You did that on your own.”

Sukuna scoffs at you, his arms crossing over his chest, “sorry if I was trying to save you from any more trouble. Next time I’ll let you handle it on your own.”

This is your fault. The room is filled with tension because of you. You should have been more careful yesterday and the kiss shouldn’t have happened.

“I’m sorry.”

Your voice is small. You hate apologizing. It doesn’t feel good at all and you’re very embarrassed of yourself. Sukuna must’ve thought you were a fool, getting drunk and looking for a quick hookup. Well, your mission somewhat failed. No one at the party made your heart flutter other than Sukuna, but you’re going to go ahead and base it on the alcohol.

Sukuna’s soft pout drags into a frown at your apology. His instincts are telling him he won’t like what’s to come next, and he can feel his heart beat a bit faster.

“The hell are you saying sorry for?”

You let a whole minute pass without saying anything to him. It’s when he sits by your feet that you finally glance up. Sukuna can only be so patient with you, so you lick your lips and sit a bit straighter.

“I’m sorry about the kiss, Sukuna. It shouldn’t have happened.”

You blink slowly at him, “it was a mistake and I don’t want Kazuya or Kaede getting wind of what happened.”

You don’t miss the way his jaw clenches. Maybe it wasn’t the alcohol talking for him. Maybe he meant what he said last night. Now you feel even worse.

Sukuna tries to exhale slowly to calm his racing heart. He hopes you don’t notice.

“Did you regret it?”

“We weren’t in our right minds, Sukuna. I don’t know if it’s okay to say no.”

You hate that your voice cracks towards the end. You hate that you sound so unsure of yourself, but you don’t want to be that friend. The one who gets between two friends with mutual feelings, so you’ll lie.

Sukuna knows. He knew he was damned from the start. You’re too good for him, and you don’t see him as a man. A part of him is saddened by this fact, but he knew it was too good to be true and now he’s glad he stopped before anything else could proceed because you seem surer of your feelings for Kazuya now. He’s sure you like him, you just needed to kiss someone else to confirm it. All the gears in his head turn when he realizes why you wanted to party so much. You had a little plan in your head, didn’t you? It wasn’t because you wanted to be ready for Kazuya, it’s because you wanted to confirm something, right?

He’s about to speak but you beat him to it. You look into his eyes with your pretty ones, “I really like Kazuya, Sukuna. I don’t know what I was thinking, but I’m so sorry. I feel so guilty right now.”

It’s funny how both your hearts crack at the same time. You’re just choosing to believe that it’s because you feel especially sorry towards Sukuna, for kissing him and possibly leading him on. Yeah, your heart cracked because you’re extremely guilty for everything.

Sukuna really wants to smoke. He wants to numb out the world and be left alone for the time being, but you just keep pulling him in. Since you like Kazuha so much, he’ll give up.

Sukuna forces a grin and begins to stretch, “you’re right. The kiss was a stupid mistake we both made. Let’s forget it ever happened.”

Your eyebrows pull down at his statement and your mouth falls agape. It’s so stupid how your expression is betraying your words. You suddenly want to argue back but you can’t because you don’t know what to say. You’re confused. Is that okay? Is this, okay?

Sukuna begins to fix his messy hair, pushing it back and out of his face, “remember our deal?”

You scrunch your face at him, “what?”

He taps the side of his head, “the day I caught you. The day you met Satoru. Our deal, remember it?”

You nod your head carefully because you’re confused as to why he would bring this up now.

Sukuna breathes out a nervous sigh and finally takes his eyes off of you, choosing to look down and focus on the trident between his chest, “I want you to help me get with Kaede. I really like her, and I hate that the kiss happened between us.”

That’s not what he wanted at all. He never wanted Kaede. The reason why he went along with chasing you was because you made a deal with him. A deal you can’t deny. In truth, he wanted to keep you waiting until it was the right time. He wanted to ask you on a date. A date you can’t deny, because it was a prize he won, but since you like Kazuha, he’ll let the idea go.

When you’re too stunned to speak, Sukuna continues, “I won a fair chase, even with you cheating. No take backs, remember?”

“Yeah, I remember,” you mutter as your heart tightens. Why do you feel like crying? There’s no reason to be crying over things like this. You know this isn’t the right time, but you’re seeing all your memories with Sukuna fly by, and it makes you sad.

Sukuna smiles and stands up from the bed, “then help a friend out, y/n.”

It’s weird. You’re looking at the man you’ve grown so close with, but he seems like a stranger all of a sudden. He looks like the same man you met when you first talked. He doesn’t feel like Ryomen Sukuna to you. He’s not looking at you like he usually would. His eyes feel different. The way he looks at you is different. Why do you feel so distant from each other when you shouldn’t? Is it the consequence of blurring lines?

You suck in a breath and stand as well, holding a hand out to him, “deal. I’ll help you get with Kaede, Sukuna.”

He stares at your hand for a couple of seconds before eventually reaching out and shaking it. You’re both faking smiles at each other, stupidly falling into each other’s lies.

“Have some breakfast before you go,” Sukuna says, releasing your hand.

He spins on his heels and begins to walk away from you, not waiting for your response. The moment he’s away from you he’s back to frowning. How did such a good time turn into a bad one? Sukuna is sure that the little color you brought into his heart has blackened yet again, but he’ll still try his best.

With heavy footsteps, you make your way into the dining area where you find Sukuna. He’s seated at an empty table with a large amount of food. A woman is currently refilling his glass before she leaves him to feast. When you choose the seat across from him, she bows towards you and fills your glass with water.

What do you say? Should you talk about breakfast? You pick up the utensils and start to dig in but you don’t have much of an appetite. Do you know that you’re hanging your head?

Sukuna clears his throat to get your attention, “would you stop looking so depressed? It’s just breakfast, eat up.”

“Sorry, I don’t think I can eat right now.”

His sharp gaze lands on you and he smiles the best he can, “you don’t have to finish, just eat as much as you can. What kind of host would I be if I let my guest go home on an empty stomach?”

Can he stop that? He’s treating you like you’re some kind of stranger who stayed the night. You scoff at him but nod, “fine, only because they cooked so much.”

Only sounds of utensils clanking echo throughout the quiet house along with the chatter of housemaids from the kitchen area. Sukuna swallows the food he’s just finished chewing and looks down at the trident between his chest again. The necklace feels so heavy on him now.

“Don’t you think it’s time for me to meet Kazuya?”

What? What?? Did Sukuna just say his name correctly? Did he finally say ‘Kazuya’ and not ‘Kazuha’? He did, didn’t he? But what was he asking again? You look up with wide eyes at him.

Sukuna pressed his lips against each other, his eyebrows pulling down, “shouldn’t you introduce me to Kazuya? If you’re going to help me get with Kaede, I might as well get to know the man you’re talking to.”

You don’t want him to.

“Okay, just tell me whenever you’re free. We can all hang out and maybe go on double dates in the future.”

He chuckles to himself, but not because it’s funny. He’s laughing at his own situation and how pitiful he fucking looks. Oh, the things he does for you.

Sukuna looks up and grins freely, “you know I’m always free. I’ll be waiting on you.”

Taglist open! @lucyrocks86 @mykyoon @hxlalokidottir @wo-ming-bai @adoraspace @yourusernames

[atlasdoe]

Hello my name is Ace and i'm back on my lab rats bullshit so i'm rewatching the entire show

i've been trying to sort out all of the characters ages in my head since the dawn of time so im using this rewatch as an opportunity to keep record of all the times the characters mention their ages or time as a whole

also i would like to make it known that i have no idea how American schools work

also also I know that this is a kids show and I knew that the timeline had issues way before I started this but it was a fun thing to keep track of as I watched and now I have this information and I have no idea what to do with it so enjoy i guess

Lab Rats

Season 1, Episode 1: Crush, Chop and Burn Part 1

- All of the siblings attend High School meaning that they are from the ages of 13 - 18

- All of the siblings attend the same gym class

Season 1, Episode 8: Bionic Birthday Fail

- It's Leos 14th birthday

- Donald says that he's 38

this particular episode first aired on May the 7th so this could be Leo's date of birth but it's never said what the day is in the episode

also side note but it is cannon that Davenport did not celebrate Adam Bree and Chases birthdays up until this point. Also they don't know who Santa is but do celebrate Christmas with presents and decorations the same as seen in episode 3

Season 1, Episode 14: Chore Wars

- Chase says that 2009 was 3 years ago making the year this episode takes place 2012

Season 1, Episode 15: Dude, Wheres My Lab

- It's summer vacation meaning that it takes place during the months of May, June, July or August

Season 1, Episode 16: Air Leo

- Leo says that he's 14

- The episode takes place in the school meaning that if it was summer vacation in the last episode then it's a new school year in this one. American school years start in either late August or early September

Season 1, Episode 17: Night of the Living Virus

this isn't really anything but it was very obvious to me that this episode was shot before the others. Not only does Chase have his old haircut that he had for the first few episode but the sofa has the old throw pillows that they changed at the end of the second episode. Idk what this means for the timeline of when this episode took place (i believe it's a halloween episode as it aired in October) so idk if this episode is supposed to take place before the other episodes or if the producers just didn't care enough to care about the changes

- Caitlin is at least 16 years old in this episode as they mention her sweet 16

Season 1, Episode 20: Mission Space

- Leo says that Marcus is a Sagittarius

- Bree says that she's also a Sagittarius

Sagittarius have their birthdays between November 22nd and December 21st

Season 2, Episode 1: Speed Trapped

- Leo says he's 14

Season 2, Episode 2: Spy Fly

- Leo says that Davenport is almost 40

- It appears that Adam and Chase are in the same health class since they have the same assighment

- Bree and Leo are both doing the same physics test in the same class

Season 2, Episode 9: Spikes Got Talent

- At the beginning of the episode the siblings talk about the yearbook and about how everyone got a most likely to apart from Chase. This indicates that the yearbooks have just been handed out. When yearbooks come out depends on the school but it's mostly near the end of the school year

Season 2, Episode 12: Trucked Out

- Adam gets his drivers license meaning that he is at least 16 years old

Considering he passed on his first test and Bree, Chase and Leo don't have their licenses we can safely assume that Bree, Chase and Leo are all under the age of 16 in this episode

Season 2, Episode 15: Bionic Showdown Part 2

- Marcus is under the age of 16

Season 2, Episode 16: Memory Wipe

- The siblings erase 24 years of Donalds memory making him think that he's 15. Meaning that in this episode he would've been 39

Season 2, Episode 19: Llama Drama

- It's leading up to the homecoming game. Homecoming usually takes place in late September or early October meaning that it is probably a new school year

Season 2, Episode 20: The Haunting of Mission Creek High

- It's the homecoming dance meaning that it's still late September/early October

Season 2, Episode 21: Perry 2.0

- Adam and Bree seem to have gym class together but they're literally in gym for the entire episode apart from a small scene where they're at lunch so that might've been some special type of sport day or something like that

Season 2, Episode 23: Prank You Very Much

- It's been 150 days since Janelle and Leo first spoke to each other. Janelles first appearance in the show was Season 1 Episode 10: Can I Borrow the Helicopter? meaning that it (should) have been no more then 150 days since that episode. Though this doesn't make much sense since some of the most recent episodes revolves around homecoming which starts at the beginning of the school year and we already had a summer vacation episode last season and there is no way that everyone from "Dude Where's My Lab?" and "Llama Drama" happened within a month

Season 2, Episode 24: 'Twas the Mission Before Christmas

- It's Christmas Eve

- Tasha says that it's their first Christmas together but again like i just said this makes no sense since at least one christmas should've passed

- Bree says that Davenport Industry's have been risking the fate of mankind since 1992. If she hasn't made this year up then that means that if Donald is 39 in this episode and this episode takes place in 2012 like they're suggesting (even tho the episode came out in 2013. If this is their first christmas together it should be 2012) then Davenport Industry's started 20 years ago when Donald was 19

- Chase says that he is 15

Season 2, Episode 25: Trent Gets Schooled

- Part of this episode revolves around taking pictures for the Yearbook. Since Bree mentions her photo from the previous year and yearbook photos were mentioned in Spikes Got Talent this means that the siblings have DEFINITELY been going to school for longer then a year

- Leo and Trent both say that it's not football season. Football season is usually late August/early September to mid/late October meaning that it is not during this time in the episode

- Trent does a test in this episode and after passing he graduates immediately and then becomes the coach. Idk if it's possible for Trent to just immediately graduate at a random point in the school year or if this had to have taken place during the end of the school year

Season 3, Episode 5: Zip It

- Bree, Chase and Caitlin all get a part time job in this episode. In California you have to be at least 14 to work so this doesn't tell us anything about how old they are considering we know that Chase is at least 15 but I'm keeping it in anyway

Season 3, Episode 7: Scramble the Orbs

- Leo, Adam and Janelle have a gym class together

Season 3, Episode 9: Taken

- Douglas is at least 40 years old as he shows Leo a video from his 40th birthday party. This means that Donald has to be over the age of 40

Season 3, Episode 10: Three Minus Bree

- Eddy says that Leo is 16 years old

Season 3, Episode 12: Cyborg Shark Attack

- It's summer as said by Perry and indicated in what the characters are wearing but the school is still open meaning it might be around May - June

Season 3, Episode 13: You Posted What!?! Part 1

- Donald says that he's had Adam Bree and Chase for 16 years meaning that they are all at least 16 years old

Season 3, Episode 14: You Posted What!?! Part 2

- Donald says that he's 43

Season 3, Episode 15: Armed and Dangerous

- Donald says that he and the trio have had 16 years of training

Season 3, Episode 17: Brother Battle

- Bree mentions working a 12 hour shift at Tech Town. According to Google people under the age of 18 can be asked to work for longer then 8 hours a day in exceptional circumstances. They can ask only if no one who's over the age of 18 is available to do the work

Season 3, Episode 20: Merry Glichmas

- It's Christmas

- Leo says he's 16

- In the last Christmas episode Chase says that he's 15 meaning that for this Christmas Chase has to be at least 16. Since Leo says that he's 16 and it's could either be that Chase is only a few months older then Leo or that this episode takes place two years after the last Christmas episode and Chase is 17

Season 3, Episode 22: The Rise Of The Secret Soldiers Part 2

- It's given off that Krane began raising the secret soldiers since they were babies behind Douglas back as Douglas says that he had a tone of baby pictures meaning that Douglas and Krane must've been working together for at least 16 years

Season 3, Episode 23: Bionic House Party

- Bree mentions that some of the soldiers used her prom dress for target practice giving the impression that Bree has either already attended prom or was planning to soon. Since Bree is never seen with a stable boyfriend throughout the show it's likely that this was for her own prom. Students who attend prom are the senior class who are aged 17/18 years old. (i just wrote this and played the episodes only for Chase to say that the odds of her using it were very slim. Idk why Bree would have a prom dress if she never intends to go to prom but this could likely mean that she's a senior at the moment and already brought her dress before asking anyone to be her date) (idk use your imagination)

- Leo says that Donald is way older then he claims to be, giving the impression that throughout the show Leo has thought that Donald was younger then he really is because Donald keeps lying about his age. So far Donald has mentioned himself being 43. This would make somewhat sense if it wasn't for the memory wipe episode

- Bree says that Leo found them five friends in three years indicating that the first episode took place 3 years ago and if that episode took place in 2012 then it is currently 2015

Season 3, Episode 24: First Day Of Bionic Academy

- Bree says that she's still waiting on her sweet sixteen party meaning that Bree is at least 16 years old

- Leo has had his bionics for six months meaning it's been six months since the episode You Posted What!?! took place

- Bree mentions how she got stood up by a boy on prom night. this might be calling back to her unused prom dress

Season 4, Episode 4: Under Siege

- Leo refers to the time where Bree and Chase were looking after Kerry (Perrys niece) in the season 2 episode 18: Adam Up as "last year".

- Adam says that Leo is 16 years old

Season 4, Episode 6: Mission Mania

- Leo says he's been going on missions for over a month. His first mission would've been sometime after Rise of the Secret Soldiers

Season 4, Episode 8: Forbidden Hero

- Bree says that she has matured since high school giving off the impression that she did graduate. But it's noteworthy that none of the siblings go to school anymore and with Leo's last confirmed age being 16 he and maybe Chase should at least still be going. I can understand Chase no longer attending because there isn't much for school to teach him and he could've easily graduated early but it's odd for Leo to have just stopped especially since Tasha seems like the kind of mother to put Leos education over his bionic life. Also the last episode where we see the siblings attending school was Season 3, Episode 19: Face Off. In this episode all of the siblings were attending school. The show has never been accurate or cared about the characters ages when it comes to school and what classes they're attending so idk why i keep expecting them to subtly have Adam no longer be a student anymore or something but it was worth a try. Either way i think it's fair to say that school is giving us nothing in terms of finding out how old these characters are supposed to be.

- Also since i'm pretty sure that this is Caitlins last appearance in the show i'll mention now that she should be at least 19 years old since the Season One episode: Night Of The Living Virus mentions her sweet sixteen and with season one taking place in 2012 and this episode taking place in 2015 at the earliest, Caitlin should be at least 19. Although with that being said she was seen in Season 3 Episode 16: Alien Gladiators in school which she should've graduated by then. Again, the school setting seems to be ruining everything for me right now

Season 4, Episode 12: Space Elevator

- Chase says that their bionic secret has been out for a year meaning that it has been at least a year since Season 3 Episode 13/14: You Posted What!?! and it's been at least six months since the Bionic Academy opened

- Chase says that he went to High School for a year an a half meaning that everything that happened between the Season One, Episode One and Season Three Episode Nineteen happened within a year and a half (seems unlikely but okay)

Season 4, Episode 13: Bionic Action Hero Part 1

- Despite the fact that Leo moved up two colours in the last episode he's back to wearing the yellow shirt in this one meaning that this episode could've taken place before the last one but chances are the writers just don't care

Season 4, Episode 15: One Of Us

- We don't see Leo in his uniform in this episode but looking at the extras nobody is wearing the yellow shirt. In Season 2, Episode 12: Space Elevator all of the students moved up a colour and Leo two colours meaning that this episode takes place after the Space Elevator one definitely

- Bree says that she has 30 more years of being really cute. idk what this could tell us about her age currently but i'm taking what i can get

Season 4, Episode 18: The Curse of the Screaming Skull

- It's their first halloween at the Academy

Season 4, Episode 19: On The Edge Part 1

- Leo says that Chase named himself mission leader when he was 14 and Chase corrects him and says that he was 12. This could indicate that the trios first mission was when Chase was 14 and that's why Leo thought he named himself leader then

Season 4, Episode 20: On The Edge Part 2

- It's been two weeks since the last episode

Season 4, Episode 22: And Then There Were Four

- In the episode On The Edge, Leo becomes a mentor but for this episode he is back in his students uniform for whatever reason meaning that this episode could've taken place before On The Edge

- Douglas says that Daniel was just a baby the day that Donald took Adam Bree and Chase from him meaning that when Donald took the kids Daniel already existed

- Daniel is thirteen in this episode WHICH MAKES NO FUCKING SENSE. Donald said in You Posted What!?! that he had Adam Bree and Chase for 16 years. this episode takes place at least a year after that one meaning that it should've been no less then 17 years since Donald took Adam Bree and Chase in. If Daniel already existed when Donald did this (which he did) then he should be at least 17 years old

- Bree refers to her, Adam and Chase as teenagers so they all had to have been under the age of 19 and since it was said before that Donald must've had the trio for 17 years at this point their ages should be Adam: 19 Bree: 18 and Chase: 17

- It's said that the siblings threw Chase a 16th birthday party without inviting Chase (ouch) meaning that Chase is at least 16 years old

Season 4, Episode 23: Space Colony Part 1

- Perry says that she snuck up to space with the rest of the colonists when they were sent up. The colonists have been in space for almost a month and Perrys most recent appearance was in Season 4, Episode 21: Ultimate Tailgate Challenge, meaning that it has been at least a month since that episode took place

Season 4, Episode 25: The Vanishing Part 1

- Leo is back in his mentor outfit

- Bree says that she's a teenager and doesn't even have her drivers licence yet but there's no way i'm believing that she's under the age of 16 so i'm just gonna guess that she didn't have a chance to take any tests yet

Lab Rats Elite Force

Season 1, Episode 1: The Rise Of Five

- Donald says that he used to play in the subway 40 years ago. imma say that this means that he's at least 45 years old

Season 1, Episode 3: Power Play

- Bree says that there's three teenage boys living in the penthouse meaning that Chase, Kaz and Olivier are all still teenagers

Season 1, Episode 8: Coming Through in the Clutch

- The episode is focused on an Olympic send off event where fans can go and meet Olympians before they go to the Olympic games in Rio. They mention the Olympics being the ones held in Rio multiple times throughout the episode. The Rio Olympics were held in 2016 meaning that this episode takes place sometime in the summer of 2016 making this 4 years after the first episode of Lab Rats

- Bob says that he's 14 now meaning that he wasn't during season 4 of Lab Rats

Season 1, Episode 9: The Intruder

- Aj is 10 years old

- Chase says that his birthday is August 5th

Season 1, Episode 13: Sheep-Shifting

- It's Halloween and is implied to be the Elite Forces first Halloween together

- Bree says that she's 17 (idk how)

Season 1, Episode 15: They Grow Up So Fast

- Tasha visits in this episode with Naomi. During the Season 4 finale Tasha tells the family that she's pregnant and that it's a girl. The earliest you have to be to find out the sex of your baby is around 14 weeks but Doctors generally recommend waiting until 19-20 weeks (around 4 months.) Tasha does not seem to be showing at all during the season 4 finale (probably because the actress Angel wasn't pregnant and they didn't see the need to have her wear some kind of fake bump or anything since she wasn't so far in) and you start showing around 16-20 weeks leading me to believe that she was around 14-16 weeks pregnant at the time which is around 3 months meaning that Tasha had around 6 months until Naomi was born. Tasha says that she "hasn't had a moment to herself in 11 months meaning that Naomi is 11 months old in this episode. meaning that it's been around 17 months (a year and 5 months) since Lab Rats ended

- Namoi being 11 months old means that it must've been at least that long since the Elite Force was brought together as during Season 1, Episode 5: Need For Speed Douglas says that Donald isn't with the Elite Force because he wanted to be with Tasha when the baby arrived and during Season 1, Episode 7: The List Donald send the Elite Force a box of their old things as he was turning the lab into a nursery for the new baby. Although they never say if Naomi had been born yet.

Notes

I originally had the idea of making some form of a timeline of events to try to get something out of all of this but I literally did not have enough brain cells to do so. If you want to feel free though

I don't know why I did this. For some reason I just find this fun but I'm sure that we can all agree that this timeline is fucked and makes no sense whatsoever.

Anyways... i hope you got something out of reading all of this if you did *thumbs up emoji*