#those fics that are like these 2 got so little normalcy! i want them to go to olive garden

[gideonisms]

I think we need 2 kinds of romance: Dinner Dates and Deathless Devotion. That's not the same thing & acknowledging it's not could literally stop wars (prevent me from going into fics craving Deathless Devotion when the fic is about the characters Living A Normal Life)

[herosplatling-replica]

Rhythm Doctor Fic Recommendations (Part Two!)

hi there! it's been quite a while since part one of what is essentially becoming a series of uplifting writers in the rhythm doctor community, and we're now as i'm writing this at a whole 78 fics!!!!

it's been amazing seeing this fanbase grow, and especially fun reading through what everyone writes. so here i am once again, giving you the scoop on some of the best fics i've read! ヾ(≧▽≦*)o

please go give the writers some love and leave some comments on their work, especially the incomplete ones!!! read below the cut for your reccs!!

for real though comment on these. they're all so good

Moments of Reprieve by @emphasis-on-the-oopsie/SnowyShipsLogicality: (Rated G, Paian-centric, 4+1 fic and domestic fluff, 2,758 Words; Completed)

4 times Ada kissed Ian (+2 times he kissed her)

morning laps for lovebirds by Tigroou: (Rated G, Miner Scales-centric, fluff & slice of life, 1,623 Words; Completed)

Lucky liked to run laps with the hospital team. Except today.

Smoke Signals by @sirwow: (Rated T, Cocole-centric, RD Connections Converged, 3,089 Words; Completed)

A Prelude story- Cole and Nicole's first meeting, the totally normal way Cole got here.

like real people do by @midnight--ink/magic-at-midnight: (Rated G, Paian-centric, fluff & first kiss, 2,367 Words; Completed)

Eight years was a long time to get to know someone, and he had spent those years memorizing all of Ada's traits and quirks and idiosyncrasies. He knew how much milk and sugar she liked in her coffee, the way she snorted when she laughed, which movies always made her cry. He knew all of her worst insecurities and how she covered them up with a smile. He knew how, whenever possible, she would take a few extra minutes to chat with the patients or reassure their nervous loved ones before an operation. So he watched her quietly, and he swallowed down the words that had been tangled in the back of his throat since their college days: I'm in love with you.

The Masque of the Mauve Death by @lolatulips/FieldofRoses2992: (Rated T, Intern OC, RD Possession AU, 8,912 Words; Completed)

A plague of Possession has hit Middlesea Hospital, afflicting its patients and doctors with a never before seen set of perils to traverse though and undo. Uuuunfortunately, one of the Hospital's main hopes for some return to normalcy is the newest Intern, Marie Sanglante, who would much prefer to just kick up her feet and watch the madness unfold as comfortably as she can while Ian and Ada manage with the worst of the work. (Or, well, mostly Ian) After all, what's a little plague to someone with control over space and time like her? It's not like she can be affected by it anyways, right?

mandarin peels on abandoned paperwork by @angelictactics/@herosplatling-replica: (Rated T, Paian-centric, RD Possession AU, Confession of Love, 2,590 Words; Completed)

things you said when you thought i was asleep (RD Possession AU by @possessable on tumblr!)

Helping Hand (Tumblr Mirror) by @hear-that-music-in-the-air: (Rated G, Ada & Ian focused, 1,566 Words; Completed)

After seeing Ada struggle with the rhythm treatments and get reprimanded by Edega, Ian comes up with a way to help her out.

prestissimo by @angelictactics/@herosplatling-replica: (Rated G, Intern OC, depiction of an anxiety attack, 3,357 Words; Incomplete as of 4/5/24)

(musical notation and terminology) extremely quickly; as fast as possible The Internbot™ is taken on a test run.

Conversations Behind Closed Doors by @hear-that-music-in-the-air: (Rated G, Ian POV, Ada & Ian and Edega & Ian focused, 1,661 Words; Complete)

Displeased with Ian's lack of progress on the rhythm defibrillator project, Edega calls him into his office, and presents him with an ultimatum.

Aerophobia by @i-want-to-do-things/Amiiiiiiiii: (Rated G, Paian-centric, Fear of Flying, Fluff & Slice of Life, 848 Words; Complete)

Ian is the kind of guy to be terrified of flying on a plane

eisoptrophobia by Tigroou: (Rated G, Miner Scales-centric, Slice of Life, Introspection of Body Image, 1,948 Words; Complete)

“I just noticed,” Miner finally said, “that you don’t look at yourself in the mirror.”

A Gift From the Heart by @angelictactics/@herosplatling-replica: (Rated T, Polyrhythmcule-centric and Cocole Loghailucia & Miner Scales featured, Valentine's Day Fluff, Slice of Life, 8,226 Words; Complete)

Valentine's Day (noun) Definition: Holiday observed on February 14 (Wednesday) to celebrate love and friendship

Last Cup of Coffee by ReneeDokobora2042/@rendekobora: (Rated G, Cocole-centric, Fluff, 2,689 Words; Complete)

Nicole gets informed that she can be discharged, and she doesn’t wanna break the news to anyone… especially Cole.

helping hands by Tigroou: (Rated G, Lucky-centric, Slice of Life, 3,406 Words; Complete)

[“I’m just asking,” Ada said carefully, “but have you thought about speaking to a therapist?” The silence that answered her was more deafening than any roar he could have uttered in her ear. “You want me to talk to a shrink?” Lucky said incredulously, making her wince.] or, one night leads to an important conversation.

Middlesea Slices by Pokemod123/@pokeart123: (Rated G, Intern OC, Slice of Life, Episodic, 4,762 Words; Incomplete as of 4/5/24)

Every day at Middlesea Hospital is uniquely chaotic. Join Mal Prachett, the Rhythm Doctor Program Intern, as they try their best to navigate work, friendship, and the malleable nature of space-time itself. This will mostly be episodic slice of life content. Anything that veers from that will be clarified in the pre-chapter notes. Because each chapter is a oneshot, content warnings will be placed in the notes as well.

Reality Bending Beat by @i-want-to-do-things/Amiiiiiiiii: (Rated G, Intern OC, Slice of Life & Mystery, 1,131 Words; Incomplete as of 4/5/24)

There seems to be a new intern in the hospital! They seem to be a bit odd, dont they?

In Dreams by @hear-that-music-in-the-air: (Rated G, Ada & Ian focused, depiction of nightmares, 2,143 Words; Complete)

About a week after Ian's "talk" with Edega, and a number of sleepless hours attempting to continue his work on the rhythm defibrillator, the nightmares begin. Ada starts to worry. Sequel to "Conversations Behind Closed Doors"!

A Hollow Voice by @lolatulips/FieldofRoses2992: (Rated T, Intern OC, Robot AU, robot gore and death, 3,669 Words; Complete)

A robot Marie stumbles upon a broken and dying android in the middle of a drizzle and decides to do whatever she can to help, despite everything telling her it would be worthless to do so.

Wet Socks by @hear-that-music-in-the-air: (Rated G, Ada & Ian focused, for Week of Spring on RDL!, 1,914 Words; Complete)

Ian is not a fan of hiking, or anything generally outdoorsy. Unfortunately for him, Ada is very persuasive.

Blossoming romance outside of fitness room by @granat-sof/GranatSof: (Rated G, Miner Scales-centric, Fluff, Romance, & Slice of Life, 7,679 Words; Incomplete as of 4/5/24)

An assortment of various fluffy stories about Lucky and Miner having a life together after leaving the hospital. A continuation of a comic made about them. A LOT of headcannons and toothrottingly sweet romantical crap included.

Cough Syrup by @angelictactics/@herosplatling-replica: (Rated G, Polyrhythmcule-centric, Slice of Life, Sickfic, Domestic Fluff, 5,787 Words; Complete)

Ada wakes up with what sure as hell feels like the flu.

Connections Converged by @sirwow: (Rated T, featuring Miner Scales, Cocole & Loghail, RD Connections Converged, 7,773 Words; Incomplete as of 4/5/24)

A post act 5 story continuation, exploring new shenanigans, the lonesome characters, and ever growing tension across the hospital as everyone gets closer or further.

okay thats all my recent fic recs good night everybirdy im disintegrating as we speak xoxo 🥰

[ditch-lily]

Idolistic - titles and symbolism

Thanks for those who encouraged me! So here it is, idolistic chapter titles! Not all of them are symbolic, and some are obvious lol. But a few have made my brain light up in nerdery because I’m a little into connecting/crafting simple phrases into symbolism. Also puns (sorry). Idk if that even makes sense but, here we go!

Be aware idolistic spoilers for up to the latest chapter, chapter thirteen. Also warning for some of the quoted scenes, as they have canon typical violence.

Idolistic 

So, actually - I’ll start off with the fic title. We all know it’s a play on words/pun I figure. It’s a play on idealistic/and idol, and idolistic is the worship of idols, in a religious context. For me the title feels like it’s more Chay’s POV, which is interesting as idolistic is my Kim epic lol. 

But it’s that journey from having an idealistic view of your idol slowly turn into something real. Chay’s literal wall of idolatry (wik shrine my beloved) turning into Chay’s real interactions with Kim. So for Chay, it’s like Kim turning into a real boy, and all the unexpected scary things of Kim’s real life running into that idealistic view of an idol.

On the other side of it from Kim’s pov, the symbolism in idolistic is what he’s seeking from the world. He wants to escape into a singing career – an idol career. And he’s idealistic about all the things this world could give him, safety and normalcy. A haven away from his family’s world.

Also - being idealistic about something in my view doesn't mean what you believe is false, or you're being naive, it's just your hopes and dreams and what you want out of something.

Chapter 1. The mortifying ordeal of being known 

Uhhh alright this one isn’t all that deep. It’s just the meme. But it’s chosen for that spike of intense suspicion / fascination Kim gets when he stumbles across Chay’s stan account, and all the ways Chay shows he knows Kim without them ever having met. Like Kim is so into being known. What a little freak (affectionate)

Chapter 2. Dirty pool

This is a fun one! It’s a phrase meaning ‘underhanded or unsportsmanlike conduct.’ It's Chay cornering his idol and putting kittens on his lap until he’s too burdened down by all the tiny little creatures he’s got to look after to move. And then Chay smiling sunnily and going; hey, how do you know which school I went to?

And for anyone who’s like, Idolistic Chay is more suspicious than the show, one of the first questions Chay asked in the tutoring scene in kp was how did you know I have a brother. Kid knows!! But he’s like this is my beautiful babygirl idol? I am hanging out with him right now and if he’s a little weird? Okay that’s cool I don't mind, I like all sides of him :)

Okay also thanks jeff for now giving us literal photos of the scene

Chapter 3. Three times in the back, with a serving knife 

Okay, no this is just cluedo. Murder mystery Kim. Kim so into being the hot nightclub singer who gets to stab people on screen. Nothing deeper than that.

But thanks Jeff for also like giving me a visual ref after I posted that chapter. Helpful.

Chapter 4. The reel in 

The reel in is where I start playing with lines. This chapter title comes from a line in the previous chapter, here’s the whole paragraph:

The man was a loose end, his father didn’t have the right strings to pull at the right time. Kim had just had an interview, the T-pop segment, his face broadcasted to thousands of new viewers. The call the next day, the reel in. Kim can still feel the echoes of it, that night. The crack that reverberated through him, his hands. The pull on his muscles.

Chapter four is where Kim gets drawn back in on an errand. It’s the first time we see it on screen in Idolistic, rather than as a memory. This is the reel in, him being dragged back. It’s also playing double duty, the reel in, after the job is done, he’s almost magnetized and makes his way on autopilot to Chay’s house. 

So it’s both the worst part of his life, being drawn back into the violence of his family and father, but then it’s also the other side of it – one of the best parts of it, being drawn into someone else’s sphere, someone who he’s attracted to and wants to be around.

Chapter 5. Cupid's bow

Another link! So, this is the love chapter for me. The title links back to chapter three:

Chay gently traces over the shape of Kim’s lips, the tips of his fingers trailing across the bottom lip, then the top, gently pressing against the cupid’s bow.

And it’s playing on different notes in the chapter, but all the same theme. Cupid's bow – Kim is falling for Chay. It’s him reciprocating Chay’s interest, the return of affection, falling into the beginnings of love. It's Kim being shot with an arrow from cupid's bow. But its not just the metaphorical, it's also a physical real thing - the cupid's bow on the lips. So it becomes a real world expression of how Kim returns that affection. He doesn’t know how to approach it, so he echos Chay’s affection back to him, caressing him in return:

Chay’s eyes are dark and intent on his, his face flushed from kissing. Kim reaches up, tracing the evidence on Chay’s lips, an echo of Chay’s touch from last week– bottom to top lip, a press against the cupid’s bow, then lets his hand fall away.

Idk, it's just profoundly Idolistic Kim to me. He doesn’t know exactly how to express things, but he’s intently paid attention to how affection has been expressed and acted upon onto him. 

Chapter 6. Debts cleared 

This one I feel isn’t that deep. It does hit more than one beat I feel, but it’s not complex. Debts cleared is the act of Porsche giving up his brother and his way of life to leave and clear their debts, so Chay can live free of that burden. 

But it’s also Kim, learning that Porsche is involved with his family, and not understanding how/or why that’s happened.

That bit of it comes from this paragraph:

Porsche’s entry is there. The amount owed is large, but Kim stares. There is a small notation next to it. It means, debt cleared. Kim flicks his eye over to the corner of the page, quickly checking. If a kill order was given there’s usually another mark, just a small circle to indicate. 

While it literally means you are clear of debt, to Kim it’s like, my family does not just wipe the board clean of debts. That's not how this world works, so this is suspicious, and shows something else is going on here.

Chapter 7. The soft launch

Okay this one is silly and simple. It’s just a soft launch, which in social media world is posting an informal picture of your partner, without a formal announcement. It’s like hey what up I’ve been hanging out with this hottie 

Anyway forever proud of Chay and his game and the way that boy must have just shocked his fellow stan following by posting this pic of Wik. Like boy get it

Chapter 8. Choose your fighter 

OH THE RED HERRING the side accounts. So, when I wrote the first few chapters the side accounts and that aspect of the story was meant to be a little bit more of a core theme, but I just went in a different direction. I like the direction it went lol, but it really means Kim’s side account and the plot of that got scrapped.

What does that have to do with the chapter titles? This is the chapter both Kim and Chay choose their fighters for their upcoming battles. In Chay’s world at that time, his biggest concerns are his brother (who’s ‘away’) his suddenly complicated but amazing dating life, and then – the things that link back up to that, say, a certain side account who is releasing personal information on his new beau.

So, Chay who has freshly met Kim’s team and manager is like, hey I have resources now, and chooses his fighter – P’Mod, for his upcoming sting operation to oust the account leaking sensitive Wik information. 

It's really only shown briefly but here's where it went down:

By the time he gets back to the office it’s lunch time. P’Mod is at her desk, going through files, talking to someone on the phone. Her tone is serious, and Kim inches forward, eavesdropping.

She’s talking about the Riverfest leak. “That account has always been annoying.” She hums with agreement over the phone. “Yes, that’s true. But don’t worry too much, if the source really is that close it’ll be an easy job.”

She taps her lip, considering something. “Y’know, you’re becoming a very useful addition. But don’t stress too much kid, I’ve got it handled.”

For Kim, it's his battle with his father. This is the chapter he chooses to risk it and approach Vegas. He needs someone that his father wouldn’t suspect he’d work with, and that’s Vegas. 

Chapter 9. Three for three

So, this is a baseball term lol, but I never learnt it from baseball. Baseball…isn’t really popular in my country. But it means three things were attempted and the person was successful all three times. 

This is related to Kim being reeled back in, into a fairly violent and worrying errand. And its Kim’s instincts of no, I can do it. I’m fairly on the nose with it in the chapter lol:

He is good at it, he knows. He does like being good at things. And he’s always had a skill here.

There are nine men. A much better number than twenty. Survivable, if he's quick. 

There’s three on watch, three out the back counting merchandise. Three in the main room, smoking and drinking. Nice and balanced, and he's ready to see if he can do it. If he can go three for three.

And as we follow, he counts down the men until we’re at the end, with his self-affirmation of three for three: 

One left, running for the door. Kim sets chase, knees screaming at the speed. He leaps onto his back, teeth bared and breath heaving. He takes him down, rides him down to the ground with his arm around his neck and his knife in the man's side.

There. Done. Easy.

See? He can do it.

Chapter 10. Fools rush in

No fancy linking of previously written things for this one! This is our fools performance, our clown car full of Theerapanyakuls crashing into a wall lol. This is our chapter of secrets coming undone, and for me it really is Kinn and Porsche, crashing into Kim and Chay’s world. It’s the collision of secrets and brothers and relationships, both romantic and fraternal, and how that unearths everything.

It's also Chay getting to see how he may have rushed in, and thinking (oh poor baby) that he’s been made a fool of, after discovering everything that has been hidden from him.

Chapter 11. Outgunned 

Another non complicated one. It’s Kim being physically outnumbered by the men who come to kidnap Kinn and Porsche, but also being outgunned/outnumbered by the situation. He’s reacting to things, he’s not in control of anything. This is the aftermath of all his secrets coming out with Chay, and then the lack of control and power he has to save his loved ones when danger comes knocking at their door.

12. Three things to bring to a deserted island

Okay also not complicated! It’s a reference to the side ficlet, of one of Wik’s early interviews. Which then links to Tankhun’s little trivia challenge for Chay, where he successfully wins Kim’s hand in marriage. Not that he knows it.

Chapter 13. Line of sight

Okay I’m fond of this one! Line of sight is a phrase I’ve used for Kim referring both to Chay and Vegas, and his father. The way I use it, line of sight is a reminder to pay attention, both to things you love (Chay) and the things that could blindside you, and threaten the things you love (Vegas, Korn).

From chapter three:

He doesn’t want to show up to Vegas’s little pre-planned meeting, but it’s better to keep Vegas in your line of sight.

Chapter seven, referring to how his life is directly shaded out by his father:

All the spaces he inhabits, his apartment, his studio, they get shaded out in the evening. It’s from the sun, low on the horizon, stretching out the shadows from his father’s building.

A distance would be better, sure. But Kim’s always believed it's better to keep your goals in your line of sight.

And within this chapter, I went all in on it lol:

But now the real world is creeping back in, and Kim doesn't feel ready to not have Chay in his line of sight just yet.

And

Tawan has a gun on his brother, and Kim’s out of his line of sight.

He moves quick. A blur behind Tawan, sliding in between Porsche and his target. It’s seconds maybe, his signature move. He launches himself up, gets him around the neck. A sharp thrust of movement, a snap, and it’s done, Tawan collapsing at his feet.

So, this chapter is the consequence of Kim not paying proper attention to his sightlines. He should have noticed more of Vegas and his plots –in fact Kim is aware of them in my opinion. Not the particulars, just that they're happening, and he’s dismissed them because Vegas is always plotting, and Kim’s busy. But then he gets completely blindsided by Tawan, and gets wrapped up in that messy plot.

So, we get a Kim who reacts to Vegas’s plots, rather than foiling them preemptively. But also, it's not Kim’s job to monitor Vegas and his schemes against the main family. 

Back to sightlines, it’s also, keeping Chay in his line of sight – in the warehouse showdown, Kim is always aware of where Chay is, at all times. That's his priority. When he first wakes up, he’s like, get Chay out of the bad guys line of sight. And he does it.

But then it ends on a more complicated note. Kim is not being fully seen by Kinn, and he’s getting tangled up in all the family plots. Kinn is not paying attention properly and seeing the danger Kim is in, and deals with. Kim is not being registered in Kinn’s own sightlines, and that’s painful for Kim. 

So when Kim notices Tawan can’t see him, when Kim is ‘out of his line of sight’ and Tawan is also actively putting his brother in danger - Kim makes an impulsive decision. He wants to save his brother, but he also wants his brother to finally see him, and the violence that he has been a victim of.

It's Kim's own version of a confession, he puts himself directly in Kinn's eyesight and show's him what he's capable of.

Okay and we're done! Yes that was overly thinky and dramatic. I have too many thoughts. But I hope you enjoyed me being a ridiculous overthinker. Will future chapter headings have symbolism? Maybe, maybe not, it’s all a little in the moment when I think on the titles, so I guess we will see!

[sharkneto]

For the Pick Any Passage ask game:

Searching for Good Times is still one my most favorite fics ever. Do have any more thoughts or feelings on how you built the Hotel around Five, particularly when describing things like Five's house.

some bits i really liked:

Her fully grown, adult, man of a brother.

How fucking long has he been in here?

Adult Five is recognizable, which is a relief. Same dark hair, cut short and flopping over his forehead, same sharp green eyes, same slightly curved nose. His face is more angular, longer and without the baby fat, and there’s a slight shadow of stubble along his jaw. He’s shorter than she would have expected, maybe an inch taller than she is.

. and .

Her first discovery is that Five doesn’t actually have any plates. Or bowls. There’s some pots and pans stored by the stove and a few miscellaneous utensils in the drawer by the sink. There is a can opener that has obviously never been used, which she finds a little funny. The pantry where he got the wine has more bottles stored inside, along with an entire shelf of coffee and a wall of plastic bins that protect boxes of cereal, crackers, oatmeal and protein bars. The double storage is a little strange but after the truly insane number of cans that are in the other cupboards, it’s easy to overlook.

. and .

No paying here then, either.

She frowns to herself as she steps onto the street. Why doesn’t anyone use money? There was a cash register in the deli, just like there was in the café yesterday, but it was ignored. There for decoration, again.

Five, she needs to think about all this in context with Five. Why doesn’t Five’s world use money?

Ah, designing the HOb around Five for Searching for Good Times was so fun. The whole point of it was to be Five's Perfect World, which isn't where everything is perfect but instead is a world Five understands perfectly. My overall concept of th HOb was that it works with the occupant's experiences and memories to create a place they can't leave by being a place they don't want to leave. The two biggest pieces for building Five's world (after "his family will be here Tomorrow" to keep him strung along) were 1) Five Lived In The Apocalypse For 40 Years and 2) Five Saw Thousands Of Years Of Human History. Those two things have to merge into a functional world for Five to wander around in and makes sense to him. How he looks prioritizes him Fitting In with his family (his greatest want and his priority over looking his actual age) and smooths over any niggling questions he could pull at for why he has the same birthday as his siblings but looks so much older (or younger). The merging of eras is just fun - what bits and pieces stuck out to Five, what parts did he particularly like. He's seen an insane amount of history. It's hard to wrap your head around, so I slapped it all right in front of Allison so she had a chance to understand that.

As fun as mashing eras together was, thinking about how the apocalypse shaped Five's idea of the world was even better. The angle I wanted to get across is that this is all the idea of what Five thinks the world is like. Five's house has a full kitchen he doesn't use because he knows what kitchens look like and that houses have them, but he also didn't cook on a stove or use a refrigerator for half a century, didn't use plates or dishes. Shops and restaurants have cash registers because That's What Stores Have but Five also grew up a billionaire and then, again, spent 50 years in the apocalypse. Money is Meaningless to him, an inconvenience drilled into him by the Commission so he would stop drawing attention to himself dining-and-dashing. It's the charade of normalcy, Five playing house with the best idea of it that he has, which is genuinely rather childish because he hasn't been home since he was 13 (as much as the Academy counts as a Home) and then glimpses of ones as he bopped around time murdering. On top of that idea of what the world is like, we have survival needs and instincts from the apocalypse so that he feels safe and secure - a woodpile in the living room, fully stocked cupboards and pantry with shelf-stable food, a pharmacy's worth of medical supplies in the bathroom.

And then, of course, he has Delores. You didn't specifically ask about her, but she's a pivotal part of the illusion. I thought a lot about how Delores fit in, if she was Actually Delores or if she was the Hotel, and I don't think I really settled on it until I wrote her Wall of Words in chapter four. What I settled on is that Delores was the linchpin to the entire illusion working but also the Hotel's downfall. Five would not have stayed without Delores, but he also would not have gotten out without Delores. The Hotel did supply a fake Delores as part of the initial illusion to keep Five there, but Delores has always been Fake. She's just Five. The Hotel accidentally gave Five his survival tool for compartmentalizing and figuring shit out. Once she was there, Five could shape her to be His Delores (and the Hotel had to oblige because if she didn't act right, Five would figure it out and Leave). Delores lets Five relax into the illusion - like the Hotel wants - while also being his emergency escape the second he needed it. A tricky, painful emergency escape.

send me ~500 words from one of my fics for director's commentary

[hoodievixen]

The Voice of God [Steven Grant/Mark Spector x Priestess!OC] Part 1

Summary: Steven and Godeleve thought they finally found some normalcy with each other. Little did they know they would drag each other further into the mysteries ands secrets in their lives. (Godeleve can see and talk to Gods - mainly the Greek kind)

Word Count: ~2k

Warnings: Fluff, establish relationship, bad use of English slang (maybe), author has forgotten what a normal conversation is after the end of the world, no beta we die like men

A/N: If you’ve seen the posts pertaining to this OC, know that those are sorta sperate from the story. Also this is the fist fic I’m posting on tumblr, so wish me luck.

Part 2 , Part 3 , Part 4 ,Master List

Steven wasn't sure how he got into this situation. Not only was he being brought back into the archives of the museum, somewhere he always wanted to go, but didn't have the ability to. But his hand was being held by the most beautiful woman he's ever known. It was but a few months ago that she accidentally ran into him. Over that time they became friends and were now dating. Steven wanted to be official to be able to call Godeleve his girlfriend, but he was scared he'd be moving too fast.

He glanced over at Godeleve. Her eyes shine in the darkness. His gaze slipped down to her lips, where they were moving as if she was speaking under her breath, but no words came out. Something he's noticed she does a lot.

"You don't need to do this," Steven told her as they passed through the third staff-only door, the first that needed a passcode.

Godeleve pouted and gave him a glare. "But I want to," she told him, already approaching the fourth door. "There is so much stuff back here that is probably never going to be shown. And if anyone is ever going to appreciate them, I know it's going to be you."

There was a small buzz before Godeleve pushed open the door. She held it open for Steven to pass through. He could already see some of the larger artifacts, which were items he never thought he'd see. "Remember, don't touch anything, if you want to see something closer, just tell me and I'll get it," she reminded him as she handed him the PPE of rubber gloves and a mask. One shouldn't get too close to many of the artifacts without such equipment.

With the protection and rules in place, Steven was set free to the Egyptian Artifact archives. Godeleve followed behind him, at a much slower pace than his frantic hopping from place to place. He would start telling her about one artifact before getting distracted and moving to another.

Godeleve just watch him, a smirk on her face, though it was hidden by her mask.

"I don't get it," the figure floating over Godeleve's shoulder commented. "What do you see in him? He's sort of weird..."

Godeleve sighed. While many people would have worshiped these things she could see, but after a whole life with them around, she found them similar to family. Specifically, the annoying kind. "Yeah, he's not like the guys you would go after," Godeleve commented under her breath. It was loud enough for a God to hear though. "I can thank you for that, can't I Aphrodite?"

With her power of being able to see God and other entities comes another power. The downside of it. God can abandon memories onto her. Never are they good ones. So many assaults and rapes and fears of immortals were dumped into her head. No one could blame her for being frightened of the average man, even if she was just stereotyping them out of fear. With a too harsh glare and a stern voice, she'd never want to be around them again.

But Steven wasn't like that. He was warm and soft.

"I think at least all who were ever female-presenting have abandoned a memory like that on you, it's not just me," the Goddess of love pointed out. "And I've been trying to branch out recently."

"I'm just saying you can't judge me, I've finally found someone I'm not frightened of," Godeleve pointed out, "And that effort is not working well. Maybe actually be loyal to your husband instead of confusing humans by dating your son."

"Dele?" Steven called out to her, seeing how she stopped following him. "Everything alright?"

"Of course," she answered, her smile returning to her voice. "Just seeing you this happy makes me happy."

"But does he do anything for you?" Aphrodite whispered in her ear.

"Come look at this," Steve told her, grabbing into her hand and pulling her into the maze of artifacts.

Godeleve let out a little laugh. "I've seen everything in here," she reminded him. She had been transferred to help the other conservator as they went through the entirety of the Egyptian collection. Godeleve actually worked in the Greek collection.

"How long has it been now?" Aphrodite continued to edge her on "You initiated friendship, asked him out on the first date, and you've been hinting at coming over to his place. Yet what has he done? Accepted your gifts and affection. Anything in return?"

Godeleve just ignored her staring at their connected hands. Aphrodite may be the Goddess of love, but she was ignorant. Steven was shy and timid. He wasn't one for grand gestures. Yes, Godeleve did a lot for him, but that's who she was. Steven was hand holding and loving looks. Quality time, and shared laughs. She didn't need grand gestures or acts of devotion. Godeleve just needed this, him by her side.

He came up to one of the papyri that needed to be resealed. Luckily there had been minimal damage to it from the poor preservation. "This papyrus tells of the creation of the universe," Steven explained, hand hovering over the document.

Steven went on to explain the myth. Of how the good Khepera used magic, or Maat to create the world, and how his eye became the sun. Godeleve just stayed quiet and continued on. She would have felt bad stopping him.

He was almost done before looking up to Godeleve, just seeing her watching him. He's learned how to tell if he's talking about something she knows but doesn't want to interrupt him. She would stand their eyes gently, and with a soft smile on her face. Though her smile was currently covered, her eyes held the look. "Sorry," he apologized, stepping back from the table. "You know all that already."

"I like being refreshed," she assured him, "So many myths in my head, hard to keep them all straight."

Steven wasn't sure what to do when she does that. Her little white lies she tells to make him happy. They did at the beginning, but now that he's figured out her lies, they made him uncomfortable. "You can just tell me to stop, no need to lie," he reminded her, clenching his hands behind his back.

Godeleve softly shook her head. Some of her bangs fell out from being tucked behind her ear. "But I love it when you're talking about something you love," she told him, "You're so passionate when you do."

"After so long, it must be annoying," Steven pointed out.

Godeleve softly laughed, "I've yet to reach that point. But I assure you, once I do, I will let you know. Now, would you like to see the rest of this document?" She was already stepping over to the stack of drawers to retrieve it. She returned with another papyrus sheet. Steven stepped away letting her set it down on the table.

Steven, excited to see the other docent was quick to look over Godeleve's shoulder. He even started reading it to her, explaining the language as he went. What was once a step away, had become practically pushed up agonist her as he was enraptured with the artifact. His face was now hovering near her own and his arms wear leaning on the table, effectively blocking her in.

The two turned their heads to look at one another. Neither moved or flinched away. There they stood, noses just about touching, staring into each other's eyes.  "Do you..." Steven started, his gaze slipped down to where her lips were, but there was the medical mask instead. Steven stepped back, pulling his arms to his chest. "Sorry."

"Those damn masks," Aphrodite complained.

"It's fine," Godeleve was quick to answer, gaze turning to the floor. She bashfully looked at Steven. "But what were you going to ask?"

"I..." Steven tried not to show he was freaking out. "What I wanted to ask was? I wanted to see if you... Wanted to.... go out for dinner. Yeah, dinner. There this falafel place, just a few blocks."

"I..." Godeleve started, not wanting to leave him waiting. "I'd love to, but shouldn't you go home to sleep? Hasn't it been hard for you recently?"

"I would go a hundred nights without sleep if it meant I got to spend one evening with you," Steven boldly commented.

"Alright lover boy," Godeleve laughed. "But please, try to get some sleep tonight."

Steven smiled and nodded. A lie. And both of them knew it.

Godeleve softly shook her head. "If we're getting dinner, we should head out soon, it was already late, to begin with."

Steven looked up at all the artifacts, barely getting to see them all. "If you would prefer we can still stay," Godeleve told him, "I just don't know how much later restaurants would stay open."

He looked back at Godeleve, the most captivating thing in the room. All the artifacts were there and safe, ready to be studied. He need not disturb it any longer. "Let's pop off then," Steven said, slipping his hand around hers.

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

It was always strange seeing the different sides to Godeleve. Around Steven, she was sweet and kind. A bit of a worrywart and scatterbrained, but in a good way. With everyone else, she was rather frightening, at least in Steven's opinion. It was like she was flaring down a blade at them. As if they weren't deserving of her time or attention. Always intimidating others and moldy threatening, but never disrespectful. Of course, if they lost her respect. Donna had it weeks ago. And Godeleve could be quite creative with words.

It was when no one was looking that a new side of her would come out. She was quiet, deep in thought. Her gaze filtered back and forth. She would keep her spine straight, and often times her hands would clench. Godeleve would walk with a purpose, even if there was none. It was in her eyes and the expression she tried to hide that gave her away. She was frightened. Her gaze would latch onto the closest person, watching their every movement. Like a stray cat, or guard dog.

Most often she would get like this in public. Steven always feels bad asking her out somewhere because she was clearly uncomfortable. But he wasn't ready to have her over to his place, nor was she ready to have him over. And talking on the phone wasn't the same.

The two of them stood in line next to each other. Steven could hear the faint clicking sound of her nervous habit. Godeleve's nails were grown out, and she'd flick them together. As well as pick and bite at them if the moment occurred. He noticed her gaze glued on an older man standing near the counter.

Steven took a step closer to her and slipped his hand into hers, to get her to stop it with her nails. "Do you know what you want?" he asked her quietly, tho loud enough to hear over the crowd. It was always best to send Godeleve's mind on another quest instead of lingering in its thoughts.

Steven softly laughed at how noticeable her gaze moved to look at the menu. There were only two more groups ahead of them, so it wasn't likely she was going to make a decision in time. We'll even if she had more time it wasn't like she would be able to make a decision. Godeleve's indecisiveness and love of food make restaurants rather hard for her. "Like a living hell," she commented on their first true date.

Quicker than expected the two were standing before the ordering counter. "What can I get ya?" the worker too cheery for working the closing shift answered.

Steven noticed Godeleve tense up as she realized she needed to make a decision at that moment. Her hands went up to grip tightly onto her satchel strap, their normal location. "Can we get a Bataka Pita and  Chika Pita?" Steven said as he had rehearsed in his head.

With the order placed the two waited in the back of the smaller restaurant for their food. "Thanks," Godeleve told him quietly and leaned into his shoulder.

The physical intimacy beyond holding hands still made Steven flustered, tinting his face with a heavy pink. Still, he leaned into her presence. "Of course, Darling."

[dreaming-about-fanfictions]

Choose Me Instead II Draco Malfoy x Reader II Chapter 3 of 27: Honesty

Summary:  Pretending to be in a relationship with Draco Malfoy to get back at your ex might have not been the smartest idea you ever had. Especially during your last year of Hogwarts where you should be focusing on exams and your future plans. However, you were just pretending. There was no way in hell you could actually catch feelings for someone like Malfoy. … Right?

CHAPTER 2

A/N: I’ve come to the realization that I’ve changed so much in this story during the past few days and added some chapters that it can probably already count as a slow-burn fic. I guess. Not sure. Have fun! Thanks for the lovely feedback! I love you all to death <3

Words: 3583 Pairing: Draco Malfoy x female!Reader, post-war Warnings: mentions of sex, light swearing

It was weird being back at Hogwarts. Something about it still didn’t feel right. After the war, it was unimaginable for you to come back here and finish school. But they took their time and closed it off for over a year. The school got rebuilt, the victims buried, the survivors tried to heal and move on. On the first anniversary of the end of the war, McGonagall – the new headmistress of Hogwarts – publicly announced that the school would open for the coming year and the seventh graders were given the chance to repeat their year.

You were excited about coming back and seeing your friends again, gaining a little bit of normalcy. School, homework, petty drama – you wanted nothing more than to be busy with all of those things. Yet something felt different when you stood in the Great Hall for the first time after your arrival. Something had changed. You had changed.

“You’re daydreaming again, Y/N.”

Ginny’s voice pulled you back into reality. Your best friend sat across from you with her eyebrows raised, chewing on a croissant.

“Tired,” you replied and smiled briefly.

“From what?”, she asked. “You left super early last night!”

“Yeah, because it was super boring.”

The redhead shook her head. “It was not! There was a fight between two Hufflepuffs and that’s the best indicator for a fun party.”

You chuckled. “Is it though?!”

“Or,” suddenly she put down her croissant. A devious smile appeared on her face and she began talking with a lowered voice: “Did you leave the party early with your date to –”

“I beg you to not finish that sentence, please!”

Ginny laughed. “Oh come on! McLaggen is kinda cute!”

“He’s awful.”

“He doesn’t need a good character to –”

“Ginny!” You playfully threw an apple at her. She caught it, laughing. “You’re the worst,” you said and shook your head.

Just when you wanted to change the topic, someone else started walked in. You stopped midsentence, staring at the couple who were coming down the hall, holding hands.

Ginny saw them too and she knew what you were about to do next. “Don’t, Y/N,” she said softly. “Stay here. At some point, you’ll have to face them. They’re our friends. He’s my brother. We have classes together now.”

You knew she was right. Yet, running away still seemed like a better option to you. Ginny sensed that, reached over the table and squeezed your hand. “Stay,” she repeated.

Ron and Hermione sat down right beside you, cheerfully wishing you a good morning. You didn’t reply but smiled at Harry instead who sat down next to Ginny and gave her a kiss. They were a cute couple and you were happy for the both of them. They finally found each other.

The four began to talk right away. It was still exciting to be in the same year as them, to finally share classes and spend so much time together. Well, not for you to be honest. You could happily live without seeing Ron every day.

You tuned out their conversation after a while, still debating whether or not you should leave the table. Your eyes drifted over the other students in the Great Hall and got stuck at the Slytherins. Not many people sat there as most of them had already finished breakfast. Before you knew what you were doing, you noticed he wasn’t here.

You felt a little sting of disappointment and frowned. Where did this came from? As if you cared about seeing Malfoy.

Saying that you didn’t replay that kiss in your mind over and over again would have been a lie. When you left the small room last night, you felt dizzy and confused. Yet you repeatedly told yourself that the kiss meant nothing. It happened so you didn’t get caught. Good god, it was Draco Malfoy, probably the last person in this school you wanted to kiss (well, besides McLaggen). So no. This kiss didn’t mean anything.

“Y/N?”, you turned your head when Hermione said your name.

“Why are you staring at the Slytherins?”, she asked.

You shrugged but the blush on your cheeks betrayed you. “No reason. I was thinking.”

She frowned. Ginny and Harry looked at each other in confusion.

“So? What is it?”, you asked.

“Right, um, we wanted to ask if you’d like to come play Quidditch with us?”

You raised an eyebrow. “Since when do you play Quidditch?”

“Ron taught me over the summer,” she smiled at her boyfriend. “Besides, they have to try out for the team in two weeks anyways so why not practice a little.”

You looked at Ron who stared at his plate. He probably felt as comfortable with the thought of you playing together as you did. The way he avoided your eyes made you angry though.

“No, sorry”, you quickly said and suddenly stood up. “Homework.” This was it. You had to leave.

 ***

You gritted your teeth angrily as you made your way up the stairs. God, you still hated him for how he treated you three months ago. You were supposed to be friends and he fucked it all up. Now you could barely stand the sight of him and every encounter left you feeling like you needed to punch a brick wall.

Being so lost in your thoughts, you almost ran around the corner, crashing into someone.

“Watch it, Y/L/N!”

Great.

“Watch it yourself, Malfoy!”, you snapped.

Draco Malfoy stood in front of you, one hand in the pocket of his pants, the other gripping your arm to prevent you from falling down. It must have been out of instinct because as soon as he realized he was touching you, he let go as if you were a hot plate.

“Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed,” he stated dryly.

“Shut up,” you mumbled, lowering the tone of your voice a little. “And let me through.”

He did neither. “Did McLaggen find you after all?!”

“None of your business, Malfoy!” With that, you pushed him aside and continued walking down the corridor. You were too mad for Malfoys bullshit.

“Y/L/N!” Apparently he was particular talkative this morning.

You ignored him.

“I couldn’t care less for your obvious boy troubles –”

Who did he think he was?!

“– however, I still have something that belongs to you.”

This made you stop dead in your tracks and turn around. “What?”, you asked, brows furrowed in confusion.

He smirked. “Your shoe.”

Oh. Oops.

Annoyed, you shrugged. “So give it back to me.”

“It’s in the Slytherin common room.”

“I’d rather die than go down there.”

“I’d change the attitude if I were you. After all, you want something from me,” his voice grew colder.

You were unimpressed by that. “Make me,” you shot back.

There it was again – that look on his face. The same look he had yesterday as he gazed over your body in the small room. It made you shiver – and for a second you weren’t sure if it was the good or the bad kind of shiver.

Then he smirked again: “Quidditch field. Tonight after dinner.” And while he already started walking backwards he added: “I’d rather die than be caught talking to a Gryffindor.”

Goddamn Slytherins.

***

It was unusually cold for a September night. You shivered and zipped up your jacket, regretting that you didn’t bring a scarf. No student or teacher seemed to be outside at this time, only the occasional crow flying above your head and the rustling of leaves accompanied you on your way to the Quidditch field.

The reason why Malfoy chose the Quidditch field of all places to give you back your shoe was beyond your knowledge. Yet you didn’t complain. In about half an hour, your friends would join you. Before the war, this was one of your favourite spots to just hang out and talk.

When you arrived on the field, it took you a while to spot Malfoy. He sat way up on the bleachers. You groaned and made your way up the stairs. Malfoy didn’t notice that you came as he was busy writing something in a small green notebook. Huh. Interesting.

He flinched when you sat down beside him and quickly closed the book.

“What are you writing?”, you asked curiously.

Malfoy pretended not to hear your question and instead reached inside his bag. “Here,” he pulled out your shoe, handing it to you.

“Thanks,” you put in the small bag you brought. “So what are you writing?”

He looked at you with an annoyed expression. “You have what you want so you can go.”

“You’re no fun, Malfoy.”

“Says the Gryffindor.”

“Excuse me?”, you raised an eyebrow. “We’re more fun than all the Slytherins combined.”

“Right,” he scoffed.

Still, you didn’t move or leave so with a sigh, he added: “Do you have no friends to bother?”

You grinned. “I do. In fact, they’ll be here in –”, you took a look at your watch, “– twenty minutes.”

Malfoy rolled his eyes. “Perfect.”

“Why did you tell me to meet you here?”

“I was gonna be here anyways,” he shrugged. “Easier to make you come to me.”

You ignored his sly remark. “You were going to be here anyways? Alone?”

Another shrug.

Leaning back, you watched Malfoy from the side. He had dark circles under his eyes and kept his gaze focused on the field, his fingers playing with the sides of the notebook. Something (beside you sitting next to him) bothered him.

“So what was up with you this morning?”, he broke the silence.

You raised an eyebrow. “As if you care.”

“No,” he admitted. “But you’re obviously not leaving until your friends come and that question might make you stop staring at me.”

You chuckled softly. Then you realized that he was actually waiting for an answer. “Nothing important.”

“I figured.”

“You’re a jerk.”

“Probably,” Malfoy stated without any emotion in his voice.

You were silent for a few seconds. Part of you wanted to get up and leave. After all, Malfoy was probably the last one you could trust. He didn’t care and it was literally none of his business. You didn’t even like each other. Keeping it simple and vague was probably the best approach: “Dumb stuff, really. Like you said – boy troubles.”

Malfoy shifted without noticing it, turning his body more towards you, leaning in a little. “Well, now I’m curious. Who managed to make Y/L/N this mad and can he teach me?”

“I don’t know if you’re keen on Ron being your teacher,” the sentence just slipped out. You regretted it right away.

Malfoys eyes widened. “No fucking way.” Then he began to smirk – that evil, ‘I’m-better-than-you’-smirk he had perfected over the years.

Your face felt like it was on fire and you were glad it was getting dark already. Maybe he wouldn’t notice the blush. “Oh, be quiet!”

“Weasley?”, he scoffed, not believing it. He stared at you with quite the interest now. There seemed to be a lot more to you than he would have guessed. “How the fuck did that happen? Isn’t he dating the … isn’t he dating Granger?”

You knew what he wanted to call her but were surprised that he stopped himself. That never happened before.

“Yes, he is,” you mumbled and gave him a suggestive look.

This caused Malfoy to laugh. It was a dry, short laugh. He leaned back a little. “You’re kidding, right? Fucking hell, Weasel managed to not only screw you but do so while dating Granger?”

“I like how eloquently you phrased that,” you said sarcastically.

He ignored you. “How did that happen?”

“Okay, first of all”, you began, “… they weren’t dating when it happened. I’m not a homewrecker, that’s probably more of a Slytherin thing.”

“Does she know?”

“Know what?”

“Does Granger know you two f–”

“Geez, Malfoy, watch your language,” you interrupted him quickly, before you added: “And no.”

“So cheating isn’t a Gryffindor thing but lying is?”, Malfoy concluded, smirking again. “Good to know.”

“Oh, shut up,” you raised your chin. You were right about this in the beginning – you shouldn’t have told him anything. How were you supposed to get this right? Even though there was no reason for you to explain yourself to him, you still felt the need to: “They were going through a crisis and broke up and well … I spent a few weeks with their family and I always considered Ron a good friend but … but something happened. And then he ended things with me and got back together with Granger. Well, he got back together with her first and announced it in front of everyone, including me.”

“That’s how he told you that you two were over?”

You nodded. “Yup.”

“Phew,” Malfoy let out a whistle. “Wow. I must admit, I’m impressed.”

“Sure you are.”

Suddenly Malfoys facial expression changed from amusement to confusion. “So what’s the big deal now? You two screwed a few times and now he’s playing house with Granger again.”

You sent him another suggestive glance which caused him to let out another laugh.

“Please don’t tell me you got feelings for the Weasel,” he said in complete disbelief. Then his eyes suddenly began to wander further down and you realized he was looking at your … body. Rude. Before you got the chance to put him in his place, he simply said: “You can do a lot better, y’know.”

Oh. This was unexpected. You felt a blush creeping up your cheeks again and felt actually a little flattered by his words. Yet, they confused you. Why would he give a Gryffindor a compliment?! Was there a hidden insult in it? Maybe a slight undertone you didn’t notice?

“It goes without saying that this conversation stays between us,” you cleared your throat. “No one knows about this whole mess except Ginny. And you.”

Malfoy nodded. “You put an awful lot of trust in me.”

“Don’t disappoint me then.”

The two of you were quiet for a few moments. It was almost completely dark by now and a nervous glance to your watch made you aware that Ginny and the rest of her friends might appear any second now. The silence grew uncomfortable after a while.

“What’s up with that whole engagement thing, you mentioned yesterday?”, you wanted to know, remembering that weird comment of him. “And don’t act all mysterious again. I told you my mess now you have to share yours.”

Malfoy snorted. “Ask away.”

This was easier than expected. “Are you dating the little Greengrass?” Totally understandable if he was – Astoria was the perfect mixture of smart and drop dead gorgeous. A lot of guys were into her.

“No.”

“She called you ‘honey’.”

“Yes.”

You frowned. “I’m confused.”

“Do I really have to explain to you how pureblood marriages work?”, Malfoy said with a mocking undertone.

“Of course not. I just thought we left that behind us when the war ended”, you remarked.

He gave a dismissive wave of his hand. “As if hundreds of years of tradition can be forgotten with one war.”

“So you’re forced to marry her?”, you tried to understand the situation better.

“No, it’s an arranged marriage which is not even official yet,” Malfoy shifted slightly. “Mother would like it because the Greengrass family is still respected and …”

“… rich.”

He glanced at you quickly. “We lost a lot.”

“I bet,” you scoffed.

Abruptly, Malfoy got up and grabbed his bag. “I should leave.”

Out of instinct, you extended your hand to reach for him but stopped just inches in front of his arm. “No, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that”, you apologized. Feelings of guilt and pity appeared inside of you as you didn’t expect him to be so openly hurt by what you said. “I heard … well, everyone heard about the trials and your parents and all that. Sorry.”

Malfoy hesitated but then sat down again. His whole demeanour had changed in just seconds. He had almost been … approachable but now the look in his eyes was as cold as ice again.

You cleared your throat. “Do you want to marry her?”

He didn’t answer right away. You wondered what went through his head in this moment.

“I don’t ask myself that.”

The answer didn’t surprise you. “Why not?”, you tried to dig deeper.

Again, a few seconds passed before he mumbled: “No, I don’t want to marry her. I hardly know her.”

“Hmm,” you nodded. “Does she want to marry you?”

“I don’t know”, he gave a half shrug. “She had a thing with Zabini over the summer so I guess … I’m probably not her first choice.”

The answer to all of his problems seemed so easy, you thought. Yet it would be met with much apprehension. Traditional pureblood families like his were difficult when it came to this stuff.

Knowing what his reaction would be, you still had to say it: “So don’t get engaged.” Before he could reply, you raised your hand. “Yeah, I know, traditions and all that bullshit. Why don’t you just start breaking traditions?”

Malfoy shook his head. “My family works a little different than yours.

“Not that different to be honest”, you whispered under your breath.

He heard you and you were met with a very confused look. When you didn’t elaborate, he continued talking: “Anyways, I can’t. I could try to postpone but I’d need a very convincing reason.”

“Like?”

“Another girl from a good family.”

“And?”

“And what?”

A grin appeared on your face. “There are at least ten girls I can name right away who’d love to get a shot with you.”

Seriously, even most of the Gryffindor girls your age had been crushing on Malfoy at least once. He was very attractive and clever and that whole ‘bad boy’-act made quite a few girls weak in their knees. You had noticed this too but being so close friends with Ginny and Harry those thoughts never found room to grow inside of you. In your mind, Malfoy had always been an arrogant jerk. Still is, you corrected yourself quietly.

“Have you spoken with them since I became a –”

… a Death Eater, you finished the sentence in your head. Looking at the young man in front of you, wearing his school scarf while sitting in a sports stadium, the whole concept of him being a dangerous criminal just seemed absurd to you.

“Besides it’s a dumb idea”, he continued. “It would be a fake relationship and no one in their right mind would agree to that.” He let out a dry laugh. “Only a Gryffindor can think of something like that.”

In that moment, your eyes met. Never before did you notice the unusual colors in them like you did now. The piercing grey reminded you of storm clouds on an autumns day. Yeah, a fake relationship. Who in their right mind would … Unless …

The sudden thought that appeared in your mind made you flinch. He seemed to be thinking the same when he quickly broke the eye contact, straightening up and staring over at the field.

You got up in a rush, swinging your back over your shoulder. To your big relief, Ginny and your friends had just entered the Quidditch field. Their laughter echoed through the whole area.

„I should go. There’s Ginny.”

He nodded. “Right.”

“Thanks for the shoe.” Could this situation be any more awkward?! You doubted it. Hastily you turned around and almost stumbled over your own feet when you made our way back to the stairs. Something else came suddenly to your mind.

“Oh, and Malfoy?”, you stopped. He didn’t turn to look at you but you knew he heard you by the way he slightly moved his head. “I know a lot of fucked up stuff happened and pureblood families are the worst but … but don’t spend the rest of the year sitting here alone. I bet that there are still quite a few of your Slytherin friends that want to spend time with you.”

There was nothing you expected him to say in response to that so it surprised you when he suddenly said your name. “Y/L/N?”

“Yes?”

“Get over Weasley. It’s beneath you.”

You were glad he didn’t see the big grin on your face.

 ***

Ginny was surprised to see you coming down the stairs and running across the field. She wondered what you did up there and frowned when he saw a guy sitting there with the all too familiar white-blond hair.

“Is that Malfoy up there? Were you talking to him?”, she wanted to know when you finally reached the group.

“Oh, um,” you stuttered. “We ran into each other.

Ginny squinted her eyes. “Right”, she doubted. “How did you –”

Bang! You let out a short scream at the sudden noise.

“Sorry!” Someone shouted and a very distressed looking Seamus Finnigan appeared behind dark smoke.

“What the hell did you do?” Ginny squeaked and with that she forgot all about Malfoy.

You looked back up to where he was sitting just a minute ago. He was gone now. A weird feeling was left inside of you after the rather unusual conversation you had with the Slytherin. You shook your head, trying to get rid of it and turned your full attention back to your friends.

***

I hope you like it! I’d love to hear what you thought about it! <3

CHAPTER 4

“Choose Me Instead”-Masterlist HP-Masterlist Tag List: @writerdee1701​, @youareinllve​, @sjmahoney​, @detroitobsessed​, @takura-rin​, @jadam268​, @wynterwind​, @mina672 , @renaissance-confiance​, @harpoon999​, @doitforthevine67​, @rinasrights​, @flowerpowerpixie​, @gold-flowing​, @starkssnarks​, @bookcornerkins​, @harpersmariano​, @markedsweetly​, @iraniq​, @pointlesscoconut​, @hvrcruxes​, @pillowjj​, @idkatee​, @jungjxxhyun, @magicwithaknife​, @graystherapy​

Let me know if you want to be added to my tag list! <3

[morkofday]

#10YearPromise - pingxie blabberings

bc i wasn’t able to answer these questions throughout the week (as i’ve been traveling around while being extremely busy), i decided to just collect all of my answers under one post! i never tire talking about pingxie so this was extremely enjoyable ♥ am also practicing some very shameless self promo in this so be prepared!

thank you for @laireshi​ for organizing this event (i take it’s you alone? am not sure, sorry for my laziness) and being amazing in general ^^ i won’t be able to join as i am still very busy and summer is always pure chaos for me, so i can only hope that other ppl have fun! if you are not aware of 10 Year Promise Pingxie Exchange, you can find the original announcement post here. join in if you have the time and inspiration ^^ 

and then to my answers which i will be placing under the cut bc i don’t want to flood anyone’s dash with me going bonkers over these two idiots. enjoy tho if you decide to read this :’D ♥

I. What made you ship pingxie?

Back when I got into Reboot bc of ZYL (as has happened to many ppl probably) and then saw stuff about pingxie once I started going through that drama’s tag on tumblr, my first thought about them was that they had to be a crack ship. The way Reboot portrays them as well as their actors and their huuuge age difference affected this a lot, and I was actually cackling at them bc all their moments in Reboot made me just go “oh, socialist brotherhood at its best” in my head. But then I finished watching Reboot’s 1st season (as the 2nd one wasn’t out yet) and started reading some fics. I learned more about them and the canon storyline. I learned how damn devoted they are to each other, and after that, many moments in Reboot gained new meaning in my eyes. So, I think what made me ship pingxie was a mix of Reboot (especially the hallucination moment where Xiaoge dies and Wu Xie loses it bc that’s my jam as I later on became to notice) and then the amazing fics I dug out during that time. After that the love grew stronger as I watched the other dramas, and these days I’m a lost cause. I feel like I spend most of my awake time thinking about these two and their love. They are amazing. I cry rivers for them.

II. Which pingxie version is your favorite?

After finding pingxie, I fell in love with them properly during TLT2. There is just something about that stage of their relationship for me, the stage where both of them are still very tentative about everything but they have deep down accepted that they’re tied now. Wu Xie is figuring out so many things, coming to terms with being betrayed by his uncle and slowly realizing that something bigger is going on behind the scenes. Meanwhile, Xiaoge is learning how to trust Wu Xie and how to accept that he cannot leave this naïve boy behind. It feels very fragile, and I have so many emotions about TLT2 bc of this. Xiaoge is so soft and feels very multilayered. Wu Xie is still his naïve self but is slowly gaining some sharper edges as he comes to face the cruel world. I like how Cheng Yi and Hou Minghao have portrayed this dynamic. Also, TLT2 is just very extra with all the pingxie scenes, who would be able to resist loving them? So, I have to admit that my favorite pingxie is these two, tho Ultimate Note comes very, very close.

III. What’s your favorite pingxie headcanon?

Headcanons are a bit hard for me as I don’t know enough of the canon. I have not read the novels so most of the story I’ve just patched together from all the bits I’ve read from somewhere (here, on twt, in fics) and through the scenes the dramas have shown me. I feel like the whole world is lowkey made of headcanons for me :’D But hmm, my favorite pingxie headcanon… I’d say there are two and then one bonus bc it’s more a Wu Xie related headcanon than just pingxie. The first one is that the pingxie confession happens after the Bronze Gate. It feels like the only moment when they’re both ready for such a thing. I’d say Xiaoge comes to realize his own feelings a lot earlier and he might tell something to unconscious Wu Xie before leaving for ten years, but he will not actually leave Wu Xie with such a burden. He doesn’t want to ask anything when it sounds like he doesn’t even believe that Wu Xie will be willing to wait for him, and I’d say that for him, his feelings are going to be fine even if Wu Xie never learns about them. He might even wish that Wu Xie never learns about them bc he’s not able to promise much as an immortal and amnesiac being (he outlives Wu Xie, most likely forgets him). For Wu Xie however, I’d say he needs time. He really is way too naïve and I’d say that he needs those ten years to realize that he’s in love with his best friend. I dunno who confesses first after Xiaoge returns but I think that only after that decade their relationship is “mature” enough to hold the weight of a confession (even if I also love to play around with the thought of them getting together during the events of Ultimate Note bc that drama offered many good chances for that). Another headcanon for me is that Xiaoge will find a way to die when Wu Xie does. After learning about them more, I feel like Reboot implies this too. Xiaoge is very accepting of Wu Xie’s death but in the last moments, when he really thinks that this is going to be it for Wu Xie, he hesitates. We see a spark of desperation there, and I’ve come to think that his initial plan, the plan he came up with once he got that call from Wu Xie and knew he would join Wu Xie on his last adventure, was to see this through for Wu Xie’s sake and then leave and die alone. I don’t know how much there would be left for Zhang Qiling after Wu Xie is gone. I feel like this is also what Wu Xie fears. But would he really resent Xiaoge for joining him in death after living such a long and hard life? I’d say no and I’d say that even Pangzi accepts this as one of the most likely outcomes. The bonus one then feels very personal to me. I don’t usually talk about this bc I feel so unsure of even mentioning this but I’ve seen others with similar thoughts so am sharing! I’ve never before gotten any vibes about a character’s sexuality in a drama I’ve watched but Reboot Wu Xie looked at me once in the eye and all I could hear was my brain yelling “asexual”. So, that is just my personal headcanon for Wu Xie. He’s ace and proud of it. He can flirt etc. but sex makes him go naah. He doesn’t need it or want it. He can appreciate beauty and hot ppl without wanting to sleep with them and I think his relationship with Xiaoge fits very well into this. I don’t have any personal experiences with being ace but I feel like Wu Xie has read the name once, shrugged and gone, “guess that’s me” and continued on with his life. He’s badass like that and I love him for it. (take a very relevant meme lol from this post)

IV. What’s the ideal pingxie date?

Ah, christ. I dunno if I’ve ever thought about them going on a date? In the middle of tomb raiding, hospital trips and fighting against powers bigger than themselves, I’ve rarely seen any time for them to do something like that lol. But after Ultimate Note, I’ve thought about star gazing a lot. Just them, the infinite night sky and some lonely hilltop. They would probably take a blanket with them, huddle together and talk about things in hushed voices. Wu Xie would go on a ramble about all the constellations and their meanings and mythology behind them and Xiaoge would just nod at him and watch Wu Xie talking. Maybe he would offer some tidbits in the middle of the rambling, making Wu Xie smile brightly. It would be relaxing and comfortable and loving. They would make out a lil bit. Would maybe lie down and play with each other’s hair. All their worries would feel insignificant. Wu Xie would fall asleep for a moment and Xiaoge would wake him up with a kiss to get him moving again so that they don’t need to sleep on the cold ground. They would return home and drink something warm and then go to sleep, cuddled together and happy. relevant edit x

V. What’s your favorite pingxie getting together scenario?

I guess I already talked about this a bit but let me elaborate then! As said, I’d see it happening after the Bronze Gate. I am not sure if it would be right away (they’re both going through so much trauma at that point) or if it would happen after Reboot (maybe we would still need Wu Xie almost dying for them to get their shit together), but I’d say it happens in a rush either way. It’s one of those “I have to tell you something before it’s too late” -type of moments. Or one of those “Bc I love you, you idiot!” -type of moments. I feel like I keep thinking that maybe Wu Xie would have to confess first bc as said, Xiaoge wouldn’t like to burden Wu Xie with his feelings when there’s so little he can give in the sense of normalcy. But then again, I have written a oneshot where Xiaoge is the first one to confess and that always feels better for me. That at some point Xiaoge feels secure enough to tell Wu Xie about his own feelings. That he feels confident and comfortable enough to say it out loud while still expecting nothing in return bc he knows that Wu Xie won’t abandon him either way. But no matter how that happens, I always see it as this dam breaking. The emotions finally become too strong. Something happens that reminds them that life is too short. Something happens that makes them finally talk it out and ah, Pangzi can finally take a break, what a joy

VI. What’s your favorite pingxie moment?

Every adaptation has its own good moments so let me make a list (like I saw someone else do too):

The Lost Tomb:

Xiaoge rescues Wu Xie from the shibie

Wu Xie worrying over unconscious Xiaoge plus taking care of him in the hotel room

The Pingxie MomentTM aka Xiaoge saving Wu Xie from falling and then cradling the boy to his chest while thumb rubbing his shoulder

The Lost Tomb 2:

Xiaoge revealed to be Baldie and Wu Xie yelling at him about it

Lowkey the whole underwater tomb arc bc holy shit that’s gay

Wu Xie losing it when Xiaoge doesn’t come up from the underwater tomb, diving after him and then almost dying himself + Pangzi getting angry at him for being stupid

pingxie ft. magical skype in the bronze tree cave (and Xiaoge being emo about the 1000yo warrior guy right before that)

Xiaoge rescuing Wu Xie from drowning (they shared air, you cannot convince me otherwise) + Wu Xie giving Xiaoge his watch in the hospital (relevant edits x x)

Wu Xie’s face when he sees Zhang Buxun in the coffin bc I love pain :)

Xiaoge not shooting Wu Xie despite not remembering him in the mountain village

Wu Xie grabbing Xiaoge’s jacket after being kidnapped and the Iron Triangle reunites in that old Chen guy’s cabin, asking, “Is that you?” from Xiaoge to make sure that he remembers again while looking like the biggest puppy (relevant edit x)

also some relevant memes x

Ultimate Note:

The hand over mouth reunion in the Golmud Sanatorium

“Xiaoge will ignore anyone else but you”

Xiaoge pretending he isn’t Losing ItTM throughout the whole time Wu Xie is in the Devil’s City with A-Ning

more hand over mouth with the gigantic snake

“The goddess has ascended”

Wu Xie protecting Xiaoge after he returns from the jade meteorite 

“Do you remember me?” “Wu Xie.”

Wu Xie promising to help Xiaoge find his memories no matter what bc Xiaoge’s business is Wu Xie’s business 

“Maybe you can return home with a wife today.” Wu Xie: proceeds to stare at Xiaoge, horrified

“Take me home.”

The sword gifting scene (especially Xiaoge denying the possibility of him killing Wu Xie or them harming each other, relevant edits x x)

other relevant edits for ultimate note x x

Reboot:

Wu Xie telling Xiaoge about his sickness and then Xiaoge coming back and promising to join Wu Xie on his trip (relevant edit x)

the death hallucination bc am a masochist 

Wu Xie’s death dream where Xiaoge calls to him but then accepts his choice to move forward bc am a masochist pt. 2

pingxie reunion in the Thunder City forest where Xiaoge saves Wu Xie & co. from the poisonous gas 

the moment in Thunder City where Wu Xie sits outside at night, eating the peanuts Pangzi gave him and then notices Xiaoge, offering him the peanuts and smiling 

when Xiaoge leaves for the last time and then gets reunited with healed Wu Xie against all odds

the train scene and their softest smiles to each other  

Time Raiders:

Wu Xie being the best bean and just wanting to befriend this mysterious man while seeing right under his skin and making Xiaoge baffled and fall in love in approximately 0.5 seconds

Xiaoge, catch! *proceeds to save only Wu Xie when they fall into that shibie horror chamber*  

Xiaoge’s desperation to save Wu Xie from the crumbling ground 

their death waltz at the end of the movie plus Xiaoge’s sacrifice

+ Sand Sea: 

“Don’t you dare call him Xiaoge!” 

Wu Xie offering his friends and then himself as comfort to Li Cu when he’s scared while smiling very softly at the memory of Xiaoge 

“But isn’t his surname Wu?” Hei Xiazi: You have seen nothing yet, you sweet summer child

Wu Xie talking about Xiaoge’s past in the temple (aka the Tibetan Sea Flower story bc I just adore how pretty they’ve made those scenes) 

VII. What is the best gift Wu Xie and Xiaoge could give each other?

I haven’t really thought about this type of stuff either bc we have already seen a ton of gifts being exchanged! I love the watch Wu Xie gives to Xiaoge in TLT2 as mentioned (it’s so silly but also so sweet) and I love it that Wu Xie gifts Xiaoge with a new sword in Ultimate Note. Also, I feel like I can count the food Wu Xie leaves for Xiaoge in Ultimate Note and that one moment where Xiaoge offers his knife for Wu Xie as a “pen”. They would give anything for each other as long as the other asked (which they never do) so I dunno what type of gift would matter the most. As it’s so hard to say, let me talk about one more headcanon that I’ve been thinking about ever since the infamous Bazaar photoshoot for Ultimate Note/XYL & ZSX. So, we see them having matching rings and necklaces in that photoshoot. I think jewelry would be kind of difficult for Xiaoge to wear when he needs to fight, as jewelry could be a hindrance in that type of situation But my brain won’t shut up about “pingxie married!!!” when I ask this question from it. To be honest, I do not see pingxie getting married in the traditional sense. They don’t need something like that after everything they’ve gone through. But I like to play around with the thought of promise rings. Just them exchanging rings for fun, for their own sakes, to have something concrete that reminds them of their promise to each other and of their feelings. Maybe even Xiaoge could wear that ring under his gloves idk. But am a sucker for that thought so my answer to this is then simply: a ring. relevant edits x x

if you read this far, thank you so much! I hope this gave you something and thank you once more for organizing this and allowing everyone to share their love for pingxie ^^ ♥

[badatjokezz]

Haikyuu!! Rare Pair Fic Recs

i’ve been so hype about some Hq rarepairs lately now imma list some of my fav fanfics, mostly OiSuga mwehehe.... 

(probably gonna add some more in the future)

Oisuga (Oikawa x Sugawara)

1. Stuck in the Middle With You by overlymetaromantic

It's not the kind of blossoming relationship either of them would expect, but maybe, just maybe, it could lead to something good.

1. In which Suga and Oikawa run into each other on a late night convenience store run.

2. In which Suga and Oikawa inadvertently switch bags and end up with the other’s uniform.

3. In which Suga gives Oikawa the lecture he doesn't want but probably needs, and Oikawa might accidentally be a little in love.

4. In which Oikawa won't shut up about Suga, and Iwaizumi plays matchmaker just to make him stop.

5. In which there is not a date, and Suga likes spicy things much more than sweet.

6. In which Karasuno and Aobajousai hold training camps in the same neck of the woods, and the trip back proves to be more revealing than it probably should.

7. In which there might just be a future to this after all.

(Dis is so fluffy i might die)

2. moving on (growing up) by _helios (neocitz)

‘I’ll do it,’ Suga says, walking into their prep school and dropping his bag on the floor next to Oikawa. He shoves the melon bun and drink forward into Oikawa’s hands, and stands there looking down at him because he knows that he needs to not chicken out.

‘You’ll do what?’ Oikawa looks up through his glasses, eyes wide and confused as the other students stream in around them.

‘The fake dating thing, I’ll do it.’

‘Fuck. Yes.’ Oikawa says with a fist pump.

(It’s been AGES since i read Fake/Pretend Relationship fic, this one is goood)

3. how strange, to be remembered by venusintwelfthFandoms

"He is not formed of the type of dust that makes up stars. Suga is not the type of person that stays in the mind of one like Oikawa Tooru, ten years later. He is formed of the type of dust you shake off, the type that settles into the ground."

Ten years after Suga last steps off a high-school court, Oikawa recollects a "Mr. Refreshing" in a post-game interview, and Suga is left scrambling.

(Cute one-shot, Oikawa still remember Mr. Refreshing from Karasuno)

4. all the small things by Authoress for lemedy

Sugawara Koushi.

Oikawa’s brain supplies the name of the person standing at the other end of the aisle before Oikawa can even register him, attuned to spitting out facts about other volleyball players on a second’s notice, even after all these years. Karasuno High vice-captain. 174 cm…no, more like 176 now. Skilled at raising morale and bringing an element of surprise to their strategy. Troublesome. Refreshing. Setter.

The enemy.

(Single Dad! Oikawa, cuuutee ugh)

5. Win Some by kingdra (aroceu) for Icie

Tooru does not have a problem, its name is certainly not Sugawara Koushi, and he is not going to the Karasuno practices just to watch him. Regardless of whatever Iwa-chan says.

(High school romane~)

6. Even as bright as you are? by BKAKCANON

That night when he goes to sleep, he includes "the safety of fairies" on his prayers, making a promise to whoever was listening him, that he'd protect all the fairies and keep their secret safe forever.

[Where Oikawa meets Suga when they are kids and Oikawa believes Suga is secretly a fairy and decides he has to protect his secret all costs.]

(This is basically matches my headcanon)

7. getting to know you by oisugasuga

Suga feels like he’s back on the court then, his heart thudding hard in his ears… so hard he almost misses what Oikawa says. Unfortunately, though, he doesn’t.

"My, my. What a surprise," Oikawa Tooru says. And then… "Hello, Mr. Refreshing."

(Haven’t finished yet but DAMN I LOVE OIKAWA AND SUGA IN HERE, single dad! oikawa, and Suga babysitting oikawa’s kid, def slow burn. Imma follow this fic till death)

8. Dear Reader by hyirule

No one seems to read the paper anymore. But Oikawa likes to for the sports section. One day he finds himself reading a section called "Dear Reader" and finds a submission he can relate to.

Basically messages sent through a page on a newspaper brings to unlikely souls together, who maybe have more in common than they first thought.

(Cannon compliant, simple and... refreshing(?))

9. rest by shicchaan

Tooru looks at the sleeping person beside him as he waits for the lights change into green. The growing fringe of his husband started to cover his eyes but he can still see the beautiful birthmark under the silver haired's left eye.

(Established relationship, fluff fluff!!!)

10. long is the road (that leads me home) by ichweissnichtauch

He thinks about himself, deleting contacts from his phone and throwing coffee cups away without even looking at the string of numbers scrawled in Sharpie ink underneath, and he’s tired of hiding, tired of carefully treading the lines he’d drawn for himself all those years ago.

Just this once, Tooru wants— he thinks he wants to be brave.

Oikawa Tooru is not a stranger to wanting.

(like... 20% Oisuga but i like the way this story follows the Cannon till he get to Argentina)

11. It's Always Been About You by mintycarrots

Every time Tooru had envisioned meeting his soulmate, it was a confession of love, filled with tears of happiness and a lot of making out. It would be a faceless petite girl that would support Tooru in whatever he chose to pursue and would understand when Tooru prioritized volleyball over all else.

It was never a boy on the rival team.

(Soulmate AU)

12. a play in three acts by venusintwelfth

"The first time Sugawara Koushi sees Oikawa Tooru play, he thinks that if he wasn’t so set on volleyball, he’d do well in theater."

the first seijoh x karasuno match through the eyes of suga.

(Kinda poetic i guess, well written af)

13. colors by dazeful

Sugawara Koushi's colorful life as an archer.

(this is like the perfect oisuga one shot ive ever read)

___

IwaSuga (Iwaizumi x Sugawara)

1. And so the moon cried by iwriteinpenFandoms:

The hillocks are the domain of unearthly creatures. Creatures of rot and fog, of music and dance. Like ghosts in the night they travel without leaving footprints, they disappear in a flurry of long dresses and pale hair. Those who are fated to see them risk curses far worse than death. You may hear them, a giggle in the wind. You may smell them, the smell of the fog rolling in through the trees. You should pray you never see them. Iwaizumi Hajime is a simple man. He works a simple farm job and enjoys simple things. After one morning where he woke next to a perfect circle of death and only the memory of brown eyes and cold hands, he finds himself inexplicably drawn to the forest. Will the tales of his childhood play out with him at the center or will he have to disregard all reason?

(Danish Folklore AU)

2. Cry Just A Little by DreadfulMind

Suga was whistling a tune to himself as he opened the door to the bathroom, so he didn't hear the muffled crying through the door. But he could hear it clearly once he was inside. He heard the sharp sob of someone trying to stop.

"Iwaizumi?" He asked, "are you sure you're alright?"

(Simple but c u t e)

3. Generations by Karasuno Volleygays (ToBeOrNotToBeAGryffindor), mozaikmage

Professional sports blogger Sugawara Koushi writes an article about a volleyball match that bears special meaning to him and his former kouhai: a showdown between Kitagawa Daiichi and Yukigaoka Middle School, ten years after the teams faced off for the first time. He doesn't plan on capturing the attention of the world of sports journalism, and he certainly doesn't expect himself to end up having a thing for one of the coaches involved, one Iwaizumi Hajime.

(Time-Skip, I loved it)

___

KuroTsuki (Kuroo x Tsukishima)

1. Invictus by Chiru

Kuroo T. » So let me get this straight (gay?) Kuroo T. » You want me to pretend to be your perfect and fabulous boyfriend, so that your little freckled friend will stop trying to set you up with cute little highschool girls? Tsukishima Kei » yes Kuroo T. » Aha. Tsukishima Kei » you'll do it? Kuroo T. » I don't know. I missed the part where I get something out of it. Tsukishima Kei » you get to annoy me. Unfortunately Kuroo T. » Tempting, Tsukki, very tempting indeed.

(Fake/Pretend Relationship, some fluff, some angst, i read this in the middle of the night and cried, fortunately happy ending)

2. hold onto hope if you got it by nekolyssi

"Now, in the beginning of their third year of high school, the obnoxious hollering and incessant spirit of his teammates became normalcy to Kei. And now, normalcy is this. Weekly psych meetings. Pharmacy waiting rooms. Prescriptions. Refusal of prescriptions. More prescriptions."

(Not finished yet but yep prolly gonna put this one to one of those best haikyuu fics ive ever read. I wasnt so interested at first but i really like the idea of mental ilness etc, this is g o o d!!)

3. [KuroTsuki Fest Week 2017] Traces by Heartythrills 

Kuroo’s disappeared for a little over a week now, and suddenly a 4 year old who looks like him appears before Tsukishima’s apartment.

(Age regression, fluff)

4. I swear by xArtemisx

Like the shadow that's by your side I'll be there

"What are you doing here, Tetsu? It's cold." Kei asked softly. Tetsurou smiled. Hearing his name came out of Kei's lips is always music to his ears.

"Nothing. I just came to think that whatever memory we make, may it be happy or sad memories, the bright moon and the starry night sky is always there to be the witness. Did you notice?" The alpha answered and Kei nodded. He also noticed it.

"Yes, I did noticed it."

(I love agony and sad ending....)

5. Honeybee by ClosetGoblin

Tsukishima has trouble sleeping one night during a Third Gym Camping Trip. So, he takes his acoustic guitar and passes the time with some music, and gets a visitor. Maybe he doesn't mind Kuroo's voice as he does the screeching that Lev and Hinata call singing.

(Simple but sweet)

6. Say You Like Me by the_madame21

It's been three months. And Tsukishima Kei is going to see Kuroo Tetsurou.

(light angst and.. s m u t. Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamic)

7. trying to get to you by mytsukkishine

Everything came crashing down on Kuroo when Kei had left him alone with nothing but the moon shining down on him.

Wherein, Kuroo was struggling to move on and decided that he wouldn't mind being with Kei again.

(sad beginning? yes. sad ending? y e s. you’re a masochist? come get your juice)

8. Please Hold by ThemooncatFandoms

Kei was expecting Kuroo to do one of two things; Send a text to the office saying that they will have to call back another time and continue what they started, or excuse himself from Kei to answer the call, which was most likely. He shouldn’t have been surprised when Kuroo does neither of those things.

(short but hot. what’s hotter than quiet sex?)

___

Ushijima x Oikawa

1. This Insignificant Pride and Prejudice by Mysecretfanmoments, Pouler (poulerslashes)

Oikawa Tooru graduated high school with the burning desire to succeed in his college career. He'd hoped that might include taking down his arch-nemesis along the way, but when he finds that his college team hosts an offensively familiar face, he can't help but think that the universe might be conspiring against him. After all, what could be worse than playing on the same team as Ushijima?

(It was funny for me reading oikawa/ushijima fic with that “you should’ve come to Shiratorizawa” joke at first but somehow i found this one... endearing :3, cute poor ushiwaka)

___

Atsumu x Nishinoya

1. All the things I love about Yuu by KilluCoulomb

Atsumu Miya is fixated in Nishinoya. The way the boy acts, talks, plays. He Carefully observes from afar, but he slowly warms up to the Libero. Friendship becomes more and more intimate. Atsumu realizes Nishinoya is not that simple guy he met three years ago. And he loves it.

(pro volleyball players AU)

2. i'll see you then by noyabeans (snowdrops)

Nishinoya Yuu and Miya Atsumu build a rivalry and something more.

“Oh, it's Karasuno’s libero,” he says, mildly surprised to see Nishinoya’s face staring back at him from the brochure, grinning wide with his arms folded over his chest.

Contains spoilers for the current manga arc, up to chapter 380.

[thedeathdeelers]

For a prompt Alex having a really bad Anxiety day and Willie taking him out trying to make his day better.

ok two things:

1. this may not be exactly what you had in mind with the prompt, but i started writing, and the fic just kinda did its thing- i had no control over anything i apologise

2. this is my first time writing about any of the couples in the show, so please excuse if it’s trash ty

cool! now enjoy xoxo

Edit: you can now find this on my AO3 as well.

——

“Hotdog, you know I love your bandmates but Reggie has got to be on something.”

“He just-“ Willie cut himself off the moment he sees him on the floor, curled in on himself with his head resting on his knees.

“Hey hey, are you okay?” He moved to crouch in front of Alex, his hands gently resting on his shoulders.

Alex lifted his head up, his eyes a little glassy, only just noticing the other boy’s presence.

He takes a deep breath, trying to calm his breathing, attempting to quell the nausea that has taken up permanent residency in his stomach these last few days.

“Ya.. ya I’m alright. What are you doing here?” Quickly followed up with a little panicked “Not that I mind, of course, you know that but-“

“Chill Hotdog, I know what you mean. It’s just Reggie. He showed up at the park a couple of minutes ago, looking a little twitchy - weird look for the dude, just saying - and shouted out “code word: Willex,” right before he poofed out. Not entirely sure what he meant by that. I figured I’d pass by and ask.”

As if suddenly remembering the purpose for his visit, Willie, with his hands still on Alex’ shoulders, lifted his head back up and looked around. No sign of Reggie anywhere.

“Like I said, weird dude. Lovable, but weird.”

Suddenly feeling flustered, and not just by the contact, Alex remembered Reggie hovering over him a couple of minutes ago. He was going to kill (okay, kiss and then kill) Reggie the next time he saw him.

“Ya,” insert super awkward laugh here. Smooth, Alex. “We just go with it most of the time, humour him. Easier than questioning it.”

Willie refocused his gaze on Alex, tilting his slightly to the side as he regarded the drummer crouched in on himself in front of him.

“You sure you’re alright? It looked like you were thinking about the afterlife again.” He tried to keep his tone joking. He knew how Alex got sometimes, heck he went through the exact same motions over 35 years ago.

“Ya, no, don’t worry. Just one of those things. It’ll uh, it’ll pass. Hopefully.”

“Well look Alex, sitting on the floor in the studio by yourself on a gorgeous day like this doesn't sound like much fun. I was going to pass by JB’s place for a bit - been meaning to try out this cool new trick I picked up, in his pool. Want to tag along?”

To be completely honest with himself, Alex did want to spend the rest of the afternoon by himself - or so he originally thought. But with Willie here (still touching his shoulders!!!), Alex could feel the nausea starting to recede. It wasn’t going to go away, because that’s definitely not how anxiety worked unfortunately, but maybe just spending time with the skater, the two of them by Justin Beaver’s pool, might help a little.

Willie just had a way about him. It’s one of the things he liked about him.

And while all of these thoughts were rolling around in his head, Willie sat there patiently waiting for Alex, fingers tapping along his shoulders.

Alex refocused on Willie, and tried a small smile.

“Ya, that’d be great.”

And with that said, the both of them got up, with Willie immediately throwing his arm over Alex’ shoulder. They poofed out, headed to spend the rest of the day in the unsuspecting singer’s empty pool.

Anxiety sucked l, yeah, but sometimes people came along to help alleviate some of the emotions that tried to suffocate any sense of normalcy in your life.

He might not kill Reggie after all.

——

Hope you like it!!

[angerissuesandrews]

Hello! Welcome to the Reddie Fic Rec!

 Please make sure you read all tags on fics before reading! 

 Have fun and enjoy :)))

Created by Evan (@iwannadie4000 on tiktok)

And special thanks to Charlie (@hippityhoppe on tiktok) for helping!

 *CLICK HERE FOR THE GOOGLE DOC REC LINK!*

  1. ON POINTE

by tossertozier (rednoseredhair); Explicit (18+)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12519724

“Eddie was a freshman at Boston University of the arts, majoring in dance with a concentration in ballet. He went to sleep early, woke up earlier & took nothing for granted. He fucking hated his dorm neighbors, loud, obnoxious idiots who got drunk all the time. They didn't even know where the library on campus was. He didn't have any idea how the three of them, especially the one with curly hair, even GOT into that school.

  2.  BRIGHT AS YELLOW

by speakslow; Mature (18+)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12786678 

Highschool AU, Richie’s loud Eddie’s annoyed what do you expect

3. WONDER VIOLET

by belby; Mature (18+)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/13179045

Eddie’s friends with Richie’s sister ,,, you know what happens

4. GO WEST

by ssstrychnine; Teen and Up Audiences

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12327069

“1996: Richie and Eddie finish school, drive to San Francisco, change their lives ft. hair braiding, a fake las vegas wedding, waterfalls, bumper cars, and approx. 3300 miles.”

5. I LEFT MY UMBRELLA AT HOME

by hippityhoppy; Mature (18+)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/22775233

“By 1996, the Losers are well into college. As they often do, life and time have distanced them in more ways than one. Richie, in an attempt to cling to the normalcy of the past in what feels like a steep slope into a downward spiral, ends up on an unfamiliar doorstep of an all too familiar friend. As if Eddie didn't have to deal with enough on his own plate. The both of them, they quickly come to find out, are unprepared for the storms to come.”

6. LOVESONG (A SERIES)*

by WaxAgent; Mature-Explicit (18+)

https://archiveofourown.org/series/852234

“They're all connected, sure, but nothing comes close to the iron bonds between Richie Tozier and Eddie Kaspbrak; they have their ups and their downs, but they always have each other. A look at their lives from leaving Derry to being dragged back by a promise than both of them had long forgotten.”

*(OKAY EVAN HERE!!! I LOVE THIS FIC/SERIES SO MUCH BUT IN PART 2 IT HAS A STRANGER THINGS CROSSOVER WITH MIKE AND EL BUT I SAY SKIP THAT AND GO ON YOU DON'T MISS MUCH AND WE ALL KNOW IM SO ANTI-CROSSOVER OKAY BYE)

7. WHENEVER I’M ALONE WITH YOU

by stellarbisexual; Explicit (18+)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12182691

“Losers in college. Richie's in an alternative rock band, and Eddie has flung himself into the queer scene.”

8. SAY THAT YOU’LL STAY

by speakslow; Explicit (18+)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12474044

“Richie works at a shitty amusement park for the summer and meets some new friends. Set in 1997”

9. STAY FOR THE STORM

by inoubliable; Explicit (18+)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/15442848

“Richie and Eddie had become friends almost on sight. Since they met, most of Eddie's time in Los Angeles has involved Richie in some way.

It's a little different, now that they're both famous.

It's a little different, now that they're sleeping together.

Well, to be fair, they've been sleeping together for a long time, but. No one knows, not even their friends. Eddie has been very careful about that. It's just not the sort of publicity he needs.

So when Beverly calls him that sunny Thursday morning, the last thing he expects her to say is, ‘You're fucking Richie?’”

10. COFFEE AND CARNIVAL BEARS

by StarshipDancer; Teen and Up Audiences

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12325209

“‘Eddie Kaspbrak knew how many germs were in a person’s mouth, and he would only swap spit with his fucking soulmate.’

Finding your soulmate should be pretty straightforward, but not for Eddie. Not when there were two possible candidates, and he had no idea which one it fucking was.”

11. LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE BOY(S)

by Kandakickas; Teen and Up Audiences

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12372279

“In which Richie and Eddie go to different colleges, and all of their friends are curious about their unnamed significant others - right up until those significant others come to visit and everyone is both shocked and confused.”

12. MEET ME HALFWAY

by ShowMeAHero; Explicit (18+)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/20667038

“‘Richie,’ Mike says sharply. “Who are you with? Why are you in Derry?”

‘Tell him,’ Eddie whispers again.

‘Is that Eddie?’ Mike asks.

‘Tell him, Richie,’ Eddie says again, louder.

‘Jesus Christ,’ Mike says, and Richie snaps, throwing his phone hard at the kitchen wall opposite them. The back smashes and the battery falls into a bowl soaking in the sink. There’s a beat of silence where Eddie and Richie stare at the battery floating in the soapy water.

‘Good work, Kobe,’ Eddie says.”

13. DREAMBOAT

by weepies; Not Rated

https://archiveofourown.org/works/14073438

“‘What are you? A third grader? What the fuck is this?’ Eddie asks. He looks at Richie, confused.

‘A list of fun stuff to do, duh. Can’t you read? I thought you were studying creative writing.’ Eddie glares at Richie, who raises his hands in surrender as he chuckles. ‘Okay, okay. Hear me out. Your professor tells you to write what you know, and you said you don’t know anything. Well, sugar, here’s your opportunity to learn something about yourself.’

Dumbfounded, Eddie cannot tear his eyes away from Richie, his mouth agape. ‘You’re insane,’ Eddie says.

‘And proud,’ Richie replies.

...

In which Eddie Kaspbrak is a writer with no ideas, and Richie Tozier is a coffee shop employee bursting with creativity.”

14. TO THE GUY AT THE BUS STOP:

by Ragno; Explicit (18+)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12809109

“The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, especially if the other side of the fence is Ireland and the grass is Eddie living his own life for the first time ever away from his mom. An International Students Exchange Program is what he needs to finally stand up for himself and doing what he really wants. Who cares if he won't know anybody there? Who cares if he'll be alone in a foreign country? Who cares if he won't have his car and will need to take the bus to go anywhere?? Okay, maybe Eddie does care about that last one…But, hey, at least the real grass is really greener there. Right?”

15. CLOSER THAN MOST

by tozierbraks; Mature (18+)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/14934062/chapters/34598660

“Richie was panting slightly when he reached out an arm and grasped the man’s shoulder a little too hard. He spun rapidly, stumbling backwards away from Richie, his deep brown eyes wide in shock.

‘Eds.’ Richie breathed, his stomach twisting.

Eddie’s wide eyes narrowed in confusion while his brows knitted downwards. He pulled his shoulder out of Richie’s grip

‘Sorry, do I know you?’

college au + forgetting!eddie fic”

16. SIGNED, SOMEONE

by roughentumble; Teen and Up Audiences

https://archiveofourown.org/works/21096380/chapters/50195051

“A secret admirer/love letter AU. Richie starts leaving anonymous love letters in Eddie's locker.”

17. CLUE(LESS) 

by endversed; Teen and Up Audiences

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12468440

“Every person on this sorry planet wakes up on their seventeenth birthday with a soulmate mark somewhere on their body – but it’s not always easy to figure out. It’s not their name, or their first words to you, or even some kind of matching shape. It’s not anything clearly indicative; nothing concrete (at first).

No, all this mark gives you is a clue.”

18. FOR BLUE SKIES

by sunsetozier; Teen and Up Audiences

https://archiveofourown.org/works/13978821

“Just as he’s beginning to shake himself out of his daze, his phone buzzes in his hand, a notification popping up at the top of his screen that makes his entire body freeze, reading and rereading it to make sure his eyes aren’t playing a trick on him. When the words don’t change, his jaw drops, an anxious excitement tingling just beneath his skin.

@trashmouthmusic followed you back!

[In which Richie posts anonymous covers on Twitter and Eddie is instantly infatuated with his voice.]”

19. OUR HOUSE, IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR HOUSE

by orphan_account; Teen and Up Audiences

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12458046

“Whatever song your soulmate has stuck in their head is resultantly stuck in yours. Eddie, long suffering through mattress commercial jingles and old rock hits, imagines he would kill his soulmate if he had the chance. Or, he would, if he didn't think revenge was a better answer.”

20. MAYBE, MAYBE

by lisscor; Not Rated

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12841593

“The light was on again. The one in room 307. Richie wondered, not for the first time, who was up there.

Maybe one day, he would find out.

*

In which two insomniacs who have never met find comfort in the last place they would think to look - each other.”

21. MOST BELOVED

by idaemilia; Mature (18+)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12160854/chapters/27598224

“‘But he had eyes like rain

and hair like waves

and a soul as vast and deep as the ocean

and I guess I didn't mind drowning in him’

-xvaniex on tumblr

Eddie keeps pining for Richie who is too blind to see it. But maybe he already knows.

*previously named Philtatos*”

22. TO WHAT WE MIGHT DO 

by MacksDramaticShenanigans; Teen and Up Audiences

https://archiveofourown.org/works/21709897

“He looks scared. More scared than Eddie’s ever seen him before. He looks nervous, too, and Eddie didn’t think it was even possible for Richie Tozier to get nervous.

But there he is. Looking like he's going to shit his pants or throw up all over himself. Eddie would be more worried about that if he still thought Richie was drunk.”

23. CROOKED HEARTS

by killerqueer; General Audiences

https://archiveofourown.org/works/13093371

The Monday before Christmas break, Eddie comes to school to find a yellow rose and a letter from a secret admirer taped to his locker. He's convinced it's a prank until the same thing happens the next day and then continues the rest of the week. He's determined to find out who is doing this, even though he's convinced himself that there's no way it could possibly be the one person he really wants it to be.

24. THE THIRD DATE RULE

by tinyarmedtrex; Mature (18+)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/13059960

“Bev drags Eddie along for her tattoo session, telling him that her artist is sex on a stick. She's right, Eddie likes him immediately- if only he wouldn't talk so much.

AU where Richie is a tattoo artist and Eddie pretty much just wants to work in HR and be left alone.”

25. PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION (PTA)

by reddiebitch; Mature (18+)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/13773060

“In which Eddie is Richie's kid's first grade teacher.”

26. FAKING IT 

by domino1234; Mature (18+)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/18023273

“The obnoxiously pretty boy with the filthy mouth across the hall manages to convince Eddie to spend spring break pretending to be his boyfriend at his family’s lake house. Can Eddie put his unrequited crush aside to play up the charade for a week or will his feelings inevitably get in the way?”

27. Nightmares

by MargotCelvin; Teen and Up Audiences

https://archiveofourown.org/works/15515028

“Richie Tozier is trying to start over in New York. He left California behind and wants to leave his old life there as well. The only thing holding him to his old life are the nightmares that have plagued him for so long. But is there something in New York that can cure him of this disease?”

28. FREAKING OUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD

by bearkwans; Explicit (18+)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/19342543

“Richie thinks that this is what being a father is like. He sure fucking feels like a father, dropping all of his plans to take care of his pet, making very specific google searches and running around his apartment like a madman, grabbing toys and a blanket and a few mice in a tupperware bowl. He knows logistically that everything he’s grabbing is useless and what he really needs is a chill pill and maybe some whiskey to soothe his shaking hands, but Richie can’t help the way his paternal side wakes up and takes control of his mind.

“[or: richie's pet snake is sick and he goes to see vet eddie ;) ;)]”

29. SUGAR, HONEY, HONEY 

by thefutureisbright; Mature (18+)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/17376344

“Eddie works in a bakery. His life was finally simple. He loved his job, he loved his friends, he loved his shitty little apartment with its shitty little balcony. He loved the plants he kept on his balcony. He loved that he could see the New York skyline when it was an especially clear day. He loved that he lived nowhere near his mother. Eddie loved his quiet, simple life.

Until he met Richie fucking Tozier, and his life was never simple again.”

30. THE BLIND BOX

by tinyarmedtrex; Mature (18+)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/13728915

“Eddie works at Gamestop and a dark haired stranger comes in and starts flirting with him. Eddie doesn't think much of it until they keep meeting.

Another College AU! Because why the hell not”

[randomdcfangirl]

You're On

(A/N): Kind of a part 2 to Rescue Mission but more random fluff, not really a mission.

(Disclaimer): Anything I write has nothing to do with the comics or movies it is my perception and opinion on how the batboys act and look.

(Tags): @rosewood-1302 @fandoms-and-sunshine (won't let me tag you but thank you for the prompt, this is what I came up with) @hottchocolatte

WARNINGS: CURSING,

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

You were 16 now, had been living with them for 2 years now. It was very strange to adapt to living a life that had the slightest bit of normalcy to it. Although the people you live with now are far from normal. But you loved them. You'd never admit it though.

You were sitting on your bed trying to sketch a bird you saw, Damian was always the better drawer, when Damian busted in your room.

"(Y/N)? How many knives do you have?" He asked.

"76, mostly collected from my time in the league." She said.

"Damnit, how many do you carry on your person?" He asked.

"Usually 17, on patrol 30." You responded.

"I have decided to start a competition. Whoever can hide the most knives on your person without it being noticable wins." Damian explained.

"Okay, how many knives do you have?" You asked him.

"76, same amount. I usually only carry 7, on patrol I carry 30 as well. But this is a out of costume challenge." He explained further.

"You're on." You smirked.

"I expect the best from you sister. The competition will go on within the week until someone notices. Good luck." With that Damian left your room and you couldn't help but get a little excited for the rest of the week.

Not wanting to waste any time you got up off your bed going to where you kept your knives. You started adding more to your person in the most unnoticeable ways. You were winning this competition.

Over the next week things got a little crazy. You and Damian were both coming up with some interesting places to hide them. Strapping them to the inside of your elbows when wearing a long sleeve shirt, in your bra, you hid one in your armpit at one point.

Unknowingly to you Damian came up with some interesting places as well. One of those places he doesn't want to talk about (keep your guesses tame ya nasties, wasn't that bad). But also had done the armpit, as well as the inside of his arm, those were pretty basic places, but strange to a normal person.

The first person to notice something was weird was Dick. They were in the living room. It was the end of the week and their siblings needed a few hints.

"Do you see anything different about, Damian?" You asked Dick, who looked up to look but saw nothing.

"Uhh, no why? Is he sick?" Dick asked confused.

"No, God you're so blind. Jason would do better at this." You replied, then got an idea that Damian got at the same thing.

"Don't you dare! I thought about it first!" You said starting to run out of the living room to find Jason.

"That's not fair! We thought of it at the same time!" Damian exclaimed running after you.

"I thought of it a few seconds before! Sorry little bro! Game's in my favor!" You yelled.

"You're older by 3 minutes! I thought of it first!"

That went on for a few more seconds when they finally ran into a half asleep Tim and a very awake Jason. They kind of cornered Jason and he was very confused.

"Notice anything different about us!" Damian and You yelled at the same time. Jason took a second to look them over more confused.

"Neither of you have your panties in a bunch for once." Jason said like it was so obvious.

"What? No. On our person's, Todd!" You said.

"More weapons then usual? I don't know?" Jason replied, but they hinted he was on the right track. "Knives?"

"Yes but on where and on who?" Damian asked.

"I don't care." With that Jason left them and they looked at each other.

"Soooo? What do we do now?" You asked.

"Father?" Damian asked.

"No, he's in a mood and would ruin it. Alfred wouldn't care. I think were should call a tie." You suggested, you and Damian were very competitive and that word hurt your soul to say.

"F-fine. I guess until next time sister."

With that you both dramatically parted ways and went on with your days. It was a strange week.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Oh my God I finally posted a fic. Anyway I'm going to be spending more time writing my Jason book on Wattpad but I hope you enjoyed this random thing lol.

Self promo lol

[keelywolfe]

FIC: Some Sense of Normalcy ch.3 (baon)

Summary: It’s Edge’s first day back to work at the Embassy, but his job isn’t the only thing on his mind.

Tags:  Spicyhoney, Kustard, Established Relationships, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Mentions of Past Injury

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 |

~~*~~

Part of the ‘by any other name’ series.

Read Chapter 3 on AO3

or

Read it here!

~~*~~

Stretch was only two steps out of the elevator and already he could taste his own sweat heavy on the back of his tongue. It was fine, no big deal, it was only a bunch of equipment, right? The harsh gleam of the overhead fluorescent lights on stainless steel shouldn’t be that damn upsetting, it shouldn’t.

Shoulda woulda coulda, and fuck it all, because it damn well was, and the bitch of it was that Stretch wasn’t even sure why.

He started to turn around. Not to get back into the elevator, no, he wasn’t peacing out. Only to breathe for a minute, use those hard-learned tactics for controlling an incipient panic attack that Doc Lee spent the past year trying to pound into his hard skull. She hadn’t said it in so many words, but Stretch got the idea that they’d all been thoroughly tested already on Sans.

Close his sockets, focus on breathing deeply through his mouth. In for four, hold it, out for four. He was supposed to be so damned good at math, he could manage that much.

What felt like a hard, rubbery fist clenched in his chest was starting to ease when he heard someone calling his name.

“Stretch!” He turned to see Alphys almost scurrying up and her smile was warm enough despite the trifle of worry in her eyes.

Yeah, okay, better to keep her worries on the right path. Stretch hung on a 100-watt smile and beamed it right her way, “hey, lizard lady, how’s it going? i didn’t even have a chance to ring the bell.”

She held up her phone. “I g-get an alert when certain k-keycards are used in the elevator. C-come on, come to my office.”

Going to her office sounded like a super plan.

Stretch followed after her as she led a path through the maze of metal tables and equipment, the other scientists in their long white coats. He knew the way to her office, but it was easier to focus on the long yellow tail poking out of the back of her lab coat, concentrate on keeping that breathing nice and even.

Alphys wasn’t always the most observant person out there when it came to social cues, but she sure as hell understood anxiety. She knew he wasn’t keen on the labs. Not from anything Stretch said, not fucking likely, but he was pretty sure Ass-gore had a top-secret file on him somewhere with a nice long list of his skills sets and another one of his phobias. He kinda thought the skill list was longer, not enough to bet on it. He hoped whatever pictures they stuck in it caught his good side, namely his ass.

The second Stretch was through the office door, Alphys closed it, shutting out all the bustling sounds and reflections, and the relief of it being out of sight, out of mind, made Stretch let out an explosive sigh.

Alphys gave him a nervous smile as she gathered a stack of folders out of the guest chair. “So-sorry about the mess.”

On her desk, bookshelves, and even the chairs were cluttered piles of papers and diagrams, surrounded her computer monitors like flimsy skyscrapers, the bright corners of manga books poking out from random levels, and empty coffee mugs standing around like statues.

There were toys, too, statues and plushies both, one that looked distinctly like smiling piece of poo, another of dragon, curled around one of the coffee mugs. On her desk was a figure from ‘Mew Mew Kissy Cutie’ and that gave Stretch a little pang to see.

Back home, (no not home, not for a long time now) it was ‘Bow Wow Smootchie Beauty’, the main character an anime girl with adorably floppy ears. For the first time in longer than Stretch could remember, a longing twinge for Undyne rose up in him. Not this world’s Undyne, his Undyne, and he hated phrasing it that way, but he couldn’t think of something better.

He and Undyne hadn’t been besties, but they’d still been friends. Close enough that he’d gone to her place a few times to hang out, watch anime, and chatter on about the episodes and what was the best kind of cup noodles. So many words tossed back and forth about nothing at all. So long as they stayed in her rooms and out of the lab proper, it didn’t bother him, and Undyne never brought up her work, even when it was kinda obvious she wanted to.

That wistful look started showing up more and more, and Stretch stopped going even before everything went to shit in Underswap. There was something for his regret bucket. That he hadn’t taken the time to keep up his end of the bargain, hadn’t invited her over to his place for some movie viewing and yeah, she hated Snowdin, but he hated Hotland, so it was a fair trade. What wasn’t fair was knowing that if he’d been in Underswap, he would’ve gone to Undyne about this problem, without ever letting her talk about her work. Watched her nervously rub her hands together, half her face obscured by her long hair, hiding behind that curtain.

Stretch blinked hard, tearing his gaze away from the little figure and focused back to Alphys’s concerned face. Underswap was a long time ago and he needed to keep the count his of personal issues to one hand, thanks.

“hey, so thanks for meeting with me,” Stretch said. He plunked down into the chair while Alphys sat at the one at her desk, specially designed to allow for her tail. He didn’t bother resisting the urge to reach for his lighter, letting the rhythm of weaving it through his fingers soothe him.

“No problem,” Alphys said, “we got off c-course with t-tracking your HP. Is it t-troubling you again?”

“let me get straight to the meat of it,” Stretch said, “i want you to run another scan on my hp, then you can tell me.”

She nodded. “Have you been h-having any symptoms?”

“i’ve been really tired lately, run down,” Stretch admitted, “i take a nap and i wake up still tired. i can fall asleep anywhere.”

Alphys hummed thoughtfully, “S-sounds like Undyne r-right now.” She gave him an unexpectedly teasing look, "Are you s-sure you aren't p-p-pregnant, too?"

"har, har, al." Stretch about sprained an eye light rolling them as hard as he could. “unless i grew some unexpected equipment, there won’t be any knocked up at my door.”

"Well, in theory, s-soul mating c-could result in the c-creation of a souling, there were experiments—"

"in theory, sure,” Stretch interrupted, unreasonably annoyed; he didn’t want to talk about experiments, thanks. “but that requires rubbing two souls together long enough to make a fire. since edge and i stick with rubbing pelvises, i'm going with not." Stretch shuddered; just the thought of it was nightmare fuel. "sorry, preggies is okay for people who want it, but i'd rather donate a femur to the cause.”

"I th-think I wouldn't have m-minded," Alphys said, shyly. "But Undyne has better HP than me, so we d-decided she should be the one to c-carry the baby.”

Even talking about this was making him a little uncomfortable, but Al had the look of someone who wanted to talk, maybe needed to. She was doing him the favor, here, the least he could do was listen. Probably Al didn’t get to talk about it much, since she wasn’t the one with the bump.

The memory of his Undyne made him push aside his discomfort. Stretch forced a chuckle and said, "heh, if that's the deciding vote, then if we were gonna baby it up, Edge would be the pregnant one."

"He would have very f-fashionable maternity clothes. He and Undyne c-could bond over prenatal yoga." Alphys looked at him curiously, rocking back in her office chair, “P-pardon me for asking, but are you t-two looking for a surrogate, then?”

“fuck, no!” Stretch blurted. Yeah, that might have been a little excessive, Alphys winced, cringing into herself. Stretch tied on his smile again, “sorry, sorry, that was rude.”

Alphys shook her head, and her words were gentle and nonjudgmental, “N-not at all, it’s a p-p-private decision, I shouldn’t have p-pressed.”

Probably not. He and Al weren't specifically close, as friends or anything else, so Stretch wasn't sure why his stupid mouth chose to add, "i really don’t want kids and edge…i mean. he says he’s fine with it.”

If Alphys was surprised to hear him toss out that conversational gambit, it didn’t show. She only leaned in, her eyes kind behind her glasses, “You d-don’t believe him?”

Wasn’t that the ten-dollar question? Stretch really wished he was sure about the answer. He wanted to believe Edge, maybe Edge even believed himself, tried to, anyway. Stretch looked down, away from Alphys’s gaze, and said in a small voice. “i don’t know.”

“Hm.” Alphys stood and waddled over to stand next to him. Even sitting, he had to look down at her as she settled a clawed hand on his shoulder, “I really want this baby,” she said, clearly, “But I th-think if Undyne d-didn’t want to have kids, I’d be okay w-with that.”

There was enough quiet sincerity in that to make him swallow hard against a knot settling in the back of his throat. “yeah?”

“Yeah,” Alphys smiled, a loving, brilliant smile meant for someone else, someone tall and brash, with a lot of red hair. Not his Undyne, but hers. “I f-fell in love with her, n-not her DNA,” Alphys said, firmly. “Although she does have very n-nice DNA. So maybe you should b-believe him.”

Stretch offered her a smile of his own, one that felt a little wobbly, but hey, it was there. Look at him, communicating back and forth like a grown up and all. Doc Lee would be so proud. “thanks al. congrats by the way. how are undyne and the bump?"

"Impatient," Alphys sighed deeply, and wasn't there chapters of meaning in that one word.

“know much about the sprog yet?” Stretch teased and it felt okay. “gonna be twins? tadpoles?”

She giggled and shook her head. “N-no, the ultrasound is showing one baby. She’s d-due anytime now, it can be d-difficult to gauge with mixed Monster species.”

The scientist in him was a little curious about that; he’d gone for physics over biology. He wondered who they’d gone with for the dad juice, but he wasn’t the kind of asshole who would ask.

“i do like kids,” Stretch admitted, “i just don’t want part ownership with one. bet edge would like to babysit.”

She hummed thoughtfully, “B-be careful with that offer, I’m s-sure we’ll take you up on it. Now, we’ve g-gotten off-topic.”

Stretch winced. “yeah, sorry, sorry, i know you’re busy.”

“Not so busy that I can’t h-help,” Alphys countered. She turned around to scrabble through the clutter on her desk, came back with a notepad and a pencil. The tip of the pencil hovered over the paper, ready to write, “Now, you’ve been t-tired. What are you getting when you run a Ch-check?”

Of course she’d ask that, it made sense, it was the very first thing to be done to see a Monster’s stats. Quick, painless, and loaded with info, and Stretch didn’t really have a good reason for not doing one already, past ‘don’t wanna’.

Time to face the tunes. “i haven’t run one,” Stretch admitted quietly, “i know, i know, i’m wasting your time--”

“Hm? No, I don’t think so,” Alphys scribbled something down on the notepad. “Anything else out of the o-ordinary?”

“i thought about it and the only thing i can think of is i’ve been doing a lot healing lately, more than usual.” He didn’t say why and Alphys didn’t ask. “a lot of shit’s been going down. honestly, i don’t even know if something is wrong, but if there is, i wanted to get a leg over on it, get checked over before anything worse crops up.”

“You’re t-tall enough to get a leg right up over my h-head,” Alphys said, and the gentle tease soothed. Right up until Alphys set aside the notepad and picked up a tablet with a pair of electrodes dangling from it. “Right then, l-let’s run some t-tests. Can you summon your soul?”

Fuck, he hated this part. Or maybe hated was too strong a word. It wasn’t that bad, really, Stretch was used to a certain clinical touch on his soul from time to time, he got sick too often not to be. Used to the feel of gloved hands holding it steady to slip in an IV needle, or to attach leads, or to take a minuscule sample to study under a microscope, checking for what kind of germ hooked its wagon to his personal shining star this time. He was pretty numb to the whole ordeal at this point.

If he were honest with himself, and hey, sometimes he was, it hadn’t felt quite so invasive until he’d let Edge go hands-on with it. No one else had ever cradled his soul in a gentle hand, gazed at the silvery light that poured out of it with adoration. Sure as hell no one else had ever seen it during sex, rubbed a careful, bare thumb across its smooth surface and dragged such toe-curling pleasure out of him he’d damn near fainted from it.

Yeah, it was hard to sit back down in the waiting room once you got a glimpse of paradise.

He summoned up his soul, and didn’t watch as Alphys went to work. She was professional and gentle, hooking up the leads with barely even a pinch. She tapped the tablet and almost instantly, her expression changed into something... complicated. Um. That didn’t seem good. “what?”

“Oh, it’s n-nothing, let me--”

“it’s not nothing, you look like someone gave you a pinch on the ass. what is it?”

“It’s n-nothing bad,” Alphys corrected. “L-let me finish first, hasty c-conclusions lead to bad r-results.”

True enough but that was easier to deal with when it came to his experiments on growing better yielding plants through hydroponics, not so much when it was his soul on the line.

He waited impatiently while she poked at the tablet and managed to give her all of three minutes before bursting out, “okay, so what’s going on?”

“See for y-yourself.”

She held out the table and on it was a screen was a visual display of all his stats, from his soul pulse (running too fast) to his defense (sitting at its normal too-low), to his HP, displayed down to the tiniest decimal.

His HP, which had been slowly ticking upward for the past few weeks, was still doing it. Only now it was above five, closer to 5.3453367883. The last three crawled upward as he stared, turning to a unaccusing four.

“it’s going up,” Stretch said blankly. Way to state the obvious, there. His mind wasn’t calculating anything past that, nothing beyond his initial shock. He’d been expecting bad news, braced to hear the worst, and this was the exact opposite. It was like a trash bag breaking open to reveal piñata candy inside.

“Y-yes!” Alphys said happily. She tapped a clawed finger on the tablet screen. “It’s s-still going at the same r-rate as before, only it’s traveled p-past your base HP!”

“but…why?” Pointless question, what did it matter so long as it was going up, but Stretch didn’t like mysteries, not on television and not in life. He liked answers.

“That’s harder to d-determine,” Alphys admitted. “You d-did say you’ve been getting more rest lately, but th-that usually causes a one-time boost, n-not a cumulative effect. You said you’ve been using your m-magic a lot m-more, yes?”

“yeah, more than i usually do around the house.”

“M-maybe you should keep that up.” She snatched up the notepad and started scribbling furiously, leaving Stretch to gingerly remove the leads himself and allow his soul fade back into his chest. “T-take more shortcuts, practice a few a-attacks. We aren’t meant to hoard our m-magic in our souls, we need to l-let it out, k-keep it from going stagnant.”

“i guess i could.” Shortcuts, anyway, Stretch wasn’t really keen on making any sort of attack, not even for the magic drain, thanks.

“I think you should t-t-try it,” Alphys said decisively, “For th-this week, work on using your m-magic more than usual, then come back and we’ll r-run another test. It’s worth investigating.” She paused. “Of course, there is a-another possibility.”

“what?”

Her smile was a little tremulous, “M-monster souls response well to h-happiness.”

Before Stretch could say anything to that, his phone rang, showing an incoming call from the main source of his current happiness.

Fuck, he’d told Edge to call on his lunch.

He held up a shushing finger to his mouth and Alphys nodded, even as he swiped to answer it, “babe! i was just thinking about you—”

“I hope they were kind thoughts and not nefarious plans.” Just the sound of his voice was soothing, the soft underlying humor wrapped around his concern, “How are you feeling?”

Too much enthusiasm was going to set off alarm bells, so Stretch settled for, “better, i think. more myself, anyway.”

“That’s wonderful to hear, love,” Edge said warmly. “Then if you’re feeling better, perhaps you’d like to come upstairs to my office and have lunch with me?

Welp, so much for secrets. He should have known better to even try at the Embassy. If the spy gear didn’t get you, the gossips sure did. “who tattled.”

“I’m afraid I can’t reveal my source.”

Yeah, about the only person that took out of the running was Andy, and only because he’d promised not to tell. “yeah, i’ll be up in a mo’.”

“Wait,” Came unexpectedly from Alphys. “C-could you ask Edge to c-come down here? For a few m-moments?”

“um, sure, al,” Stretch said slowly and all his relief about his HP started to curdle until she hastily spoke up again.

“It’s n-not about you. O-or it is, but n-not in that way, it’s n-nothing bad, only an experiment I’m doing. I c-could use both your help.”

That didn’t sound at all ominous or anything, did it. But he owed a favor and Stretch did like to pay off his tabs. Eventually.

“babe, can you come down to the labs, to alphys’s office?” Stretch said into the phone. “she says it’s nothing bad.”

“Of course,” Edge replied, surprised, “I’ll be down in ten minutes.” The call disconnected and left him alone again with Alphys for ten long minutes, ten minutes that he didn’t really want to discuss experiments in until Edge was here. He could give Alphys that much, more than he’d ever given his Undyne.

But only when Edge was here, that was the thing and it was okay; Edge might be the one with all the strategy, but Stretch had a trick or two up his sleeve, too.

“did you see the last mew mew kissy cutie holiday special?”

Alphys brightened visibly and took the bait, babbling her way excitedly into his trap. Stretch settled back into his chair to listen, for at least ten minutes, but his wandering thoughts were more on his HP and that slow upward tick.

~~*~~

tbc

[t100ficrecsblog]

an interview with @queenemori (she/hers)

what are you working on right now? I recently started posting We Don’t Need To Say It, which is a multi-chap Memori actor AU. It’s a slow burn, don’t ask me how I looked at Murphy and Emori and decided to write a slow burn, but it’s what’s happening. I really do mean slow, the chapter I just finished writing is only the beginning of the angst, you’ve been warned. My beta tells me she hates me at least once a chapter if you want an idea of how angsty this is gonna get. I started out writing for Bellarke in this fandom, and I’ll be going back to that later this summer. Anyone who follows me knows I’m obsessed with Emma, and I have an Emma Bellarke AU that’s in the outlining stages currently. I’m hoping to work on it more once I get further into this Memori fic.

what’s something you’d like to write one day? The fic I’m working on now is actually the thing that I was like, “I want to write that one day”. I love actor AUs and I wanted to write one for some fandom at some point, and in January I got this idea, but I was working on other stuff, so I was like, well maybe I’ll write it this summer. And now I am! Though I would like to write something featuring dad!Murphy in the near future.

what is the fanwork you’re most proud of? It’s actually one I haven’t published yet! I participated in Bellarke Big Bang this year, and I wrote a soulmates rom-com fic. I’m excited to share it soon once we get the go-ahead, and the artist I got to work with @clarkeindra has made some amazing art to go with it! For ones that you can actually go physically read, I will say You’re Already Breaking My Heart. It was my first fic I wrote for t100 fandom, and also the first thing I wrote after a really long time of just not writing anything, so I’m proud of it for getting me back into something I love and I’m glad that other people seemed to enjoy it. It’s what got me more into this fandom in the first place and how I made some of my first friends.

why did you first start writing fic? I got more into writing around the time I started college, though I always used to write little stories. There were a few times I almost wrote fanfic before then, like the time I almost wrote a Glee fic in ninth grade, or the time my junior year of high school where I almost wrote a Downton Abbey fic where Sybil and Branson were pen pals while Sybil was on her nurses course in season 2. But the summer before college, I wanted to write, and didn’t have any ideas for characters, but I had just read a really amazing next-gen Harry Potter fic called “Potters, Weasleys, and Misguided Snogging” which made me ship Scorpius Malfoy and Lily Luna Potter, or Scorily. So I started writing a couple stories specifically for that ship, back when I still used FF.net. It was just a one-shot and a multi-chap I never finished, but it was fun to interact with people and get to hear what they liked about the story and that they hoped I continued it, so I guess I caught the fic writing bug then.

what frustrates you most about fic writing? I wish people would leave more kudos. I’ve had this discussion with some friends before where they’re like, “What makes you leave kudos on a fic?” and I leave kudos on most fics I read, so it’s very interesting to hear people say they don’t do that as liberally as I do. If I made it to the end of the story, I’m probably going to leave kudos. The writer kept me engaged long enough to get to the end, which I think is worthy of showing some sort of support, even if I don’t leave a comment. Though I am trying to get better about leaving comments more often. Kudos are a very low stakes way to show you like a story that someone put out. Afraid to comment, but want to show the author you enjoyed reading? Leave kudos. A couple of stories I have out have gotten a fair amount of hits, but the amount of kudos in comparison to the amount of people who have probably opened it is a little disheartening. I’ve also heard people say they don’t want to leave kudos on stories that have been out for a while, but I love to get kudos on my old work! It’s fun to see that people are still reading things I put out in like 2017 or even just last year. Kudos brighten my day just as much as comments do sometimes, especially when I know not everyone feels comfortable leaving a comment!

what are your top five songs right now? The answer to this is 98% always related to what I’m listening to when I’m working on a certain writing project lol.

Sweet by Cigarettes After Sex Heartbreak Weather by Niall Horan I Will Follow You into the Dark by Death Cab for Cutie Bye-Bye Darling by Borns Fire for You by Cannons

what are your inspirations? Red, White & Royal Blue, since I read that recently. It honestly just made me want to write a movie, and I kind of hope that whatever TV or movie adaptation it ends up getting in the future I’m able to work on. I want to be a screenwriter, so I tend to get inspired by TV a lot. The Mindy Project, Insecure, and even Never Have I Ever are big inspirations for me. Or more like, anything that Issa Rae or Mindy Kaling are involved in, to be honest. I write a lot of modern AUs, so just anything that shows good relationship progression or has fun with mundane, everyday situations.

what first attracted you to Memori? what attracts you now? So fun fact, I stopped watching the show for a bit. I binged basically two seasons in a weekend while visiting a friend in like 2017, and I enjoyed it, but I wasn’t obsessed? Then I started s3 and a bunch of characters were getting on my nerves so I put it down for a while. Then I was on Tumblr at the beginning of 2019 and saw a gifset from 3x05 of Murphy and Emori kissing and I was kind of like, “That guy’s still alive? And he has a girlfriend?” So I started watching again, legit only because I was shook Murphy had survived lol. So the thing that first attracted me to them was just the fact that they were a couple at all, I guess. I’d say now that I’ve rewatched the show and seen their relationship develop, I love that these are two people who have always had to fend for themselves and kind of had that “me against the world” mentality. And then they find this other person that cares about them and wants to take care of them, and life becomes a lot less lonely. Also now we get to see their relationship after years together, so they’re very domestic, which adds this lovely sense of normalcy on this post-apocalyptic sci-fi show that I absolutely adore. Their interactions especially in s7 just read as a married couple who are very comfortable with each other, but still incredibly devoted to one another and in love.

Besides Memori, what character or pairing do you like best on t100? For ships, I also really like Bellarke. When I was more casually watching the first time around, I didn’t have much of an opinion on them/didn’t really ship it until season 4, but ever since then I’ve been on board. It’s very clear I’m a huge Memori person, but I do ship Murven, though mainly in AU settings. And Memoraven are my OT3!! My other fave character is Bellamy. And I feel like Gabriel has also quickly become a favorite for me. It’s definitely a mixture of his confused, but obsessed with science vibe on the show and the fact that he has been very fun to write in my actor AU when he makes appearances every so often.

why did you decide to start writing for bellarkefic-for-blm? Ever since I’ve been home due to the pandemic, writing has kind of been my escape. Weirdly enough, I’ve written so much (both fic and some real life stuff), even though I’m still working and everything like that. And when the BLM movement was getting a lot of traction specifically in our fandom spaces, I was immediately skeptical of people’s intentions because as a Black person in America specifically I’ve seen this happen before where all the attention is on this issue for a couple weeks and then everyone goes back to posting what they normally post about. And I guess this time things are a bit different, but the thing that began to frustrate me was seeing people shame others for saying they were going to watch the next episode of the show or for working on their fanfic. Fandom spaces have been my biggest escape from the news since March and while I was glad people were focusing on this sort of thing, I kind of hated the way people were making it out to be like this was a new issue when in reality it’s just my life. When I close my laptop and go out into the world, I’m still Black. I had considered opening my ask box up for prompts in exchange for someone donating to a bail fund or something like that, especially since I had just reached a follower milestone, but when I saw that Sam was organizing this and it was going to be an ongoing thing rather than just for a certain period of time, it was heartening to see someone realizing that this isn’t something we can just stop talking about even when the media moves on. The structure of these prompts makes it so that a person has to do a bit of research on BLM and educate themselves or confront the issue in a way they might not have had to before. And it gives me a chance to write things like my fluffy Memori wedding fic ! It’s a way to have my little fandom escape and also stay aware of what’s going on in the real world.

what’s your writing process like (esp for prompts, chopped!, etc)? I LOVE outlines! The Virgo in me loves to talk about my fic outlining process lol. With some short one-shots, I tend to just go in with a sentence or concept that I write at the top of the document and just write and see where that takes me. I also put at the top of the document all the things I want to tag it as when I go to post to AO3, so I don’t have to spend too much time thinking of those when it’s time to post. With multi-chap fics, I first make an ideas dump document which is just me typing out a bunch of thoughts, things like who’s in it, the premise, stuff like that. My actor AU has three preliminary documents: My ideas dump, the actual outline, and then the outline for what happens on each season of the TV show the characters are all on, since I reference those plot points a lot. For things like Chopped or prompts I receive, I do a mixture of the outline/ideas dump in one document. I put at the top all the information I received (so with prompts I tend to just copy/paste the ask from my inbox, and for Chopped the different tropes and theme), then think about what characters I want to use if it wasn’t specified, then kind of do bullet points on what happens in the story. These have all been really helpful in terms of keeping me on track, but I make sure to remind myself that things can change as I write and take a different direction than I expected. So my outlines are constantly changing, but the general idea is already written somewhere so I don’t get too stuck.

what are your thoughts on dad!murphy? The concept of dad!Murphy has really been living rent-free in my brain since before the beginning of season 7. I just kind of love the idea of Murphy (who is a character at first glance I feel like people don’t picture as much of a father figure) kind of falling into being a dad in an unexpected way, and then realizing how much he loves it. It’s just such a sweet thought, and I talked about it so much with some of my friends, that we started a Dad!Murphy Enthusiast Club server on discord (we’re always accepting members so DM me if you’d like to join us!). We just kind of talk about our dad!Murphy headcanons, share fics featuring dad!Murphy, and then get excited when people make new dad!Murphy content. It’s a fun time and though I am a very large Memori, I’m a multi-shipper at heart, and Murphy is one of those characters that I find easy to ship with a lot of people, so we love dad!Murphy in all forms!

what are some things you’d like to recommend?  This is a mix of Bellarke and Memori stuff, since that’s what I mainly read.

Literally everything @mobi-on-a-mission writes, but if I must get specific, then Revive and The Cockroach. 

Almost Paradise (We’re Knocking On Heaven’s Door)  by @nakey-cats-take-bathsss , 13 hours by Kats_watermelon, feat. by Debate, and of course, my comfort fic so i sing a song of love  by twilightstargazer.

The best place to find @queenemori is here on Tumblr. You can find her ao3 here. Request a fic written by her via @bellarkefic-for-blm.

[kalimagik]

Trouble in Paradise 

(Pt. 3)

Tom Holland x Reader x Harrison Osterfield

Word Count: ~3,500

Warnings: some language 

A/N: Here is the last part of Trouble in Paradise for my 100 followers celebration weekend! And the last fic of the weekend! I hope y’all enjoy reading it! I did rewrite it at 1 AM this morning...oops! The other parts are linked below if you are behind at all, so it’s super easy to catch up! I plan on getting some other works out in the next week, most likely Harry Potter related, so who do you guys want to see? and are we feeling fluff, angst, pining? what are we thinking, please let me know! Happy Reading <3<3

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Nearly two days passed since Jamie had exploded and left the house. That meant that it had been two days since Y/N learned that both Tom and Harrison were both in love with her. Not to mention, both boys knew that she had all the information and she still hadn’t made a choice.

The tension sat like fog and was so, so heavy, but no one dared to say a word. The three tried to act as normal as possible and pretend that no one had said anything. Nevertheless, any bystander could look at the trio and know that something was going on. Tom stood rigidly anytime Harrison’s arm brushed Y/N’s body. He could also see the blush rise in her cheeks whenever it happened. 

Y/N had never rambled so much in her life. She felt as though she had to keep saying words in order to mask the deafening silences that would fall over them. The glances that Tom and Harrison would dare to take in her direction burned into the side of her head as she refused to look at either of them for too long if she could help it. 

Harrison tried to back off as much as he could. He never went anywhere with just Y/N, as much as he really wanted too. He missed having her all to himself during those days when Jamie was around. She was being herself with him. She was relaxed and laughing, now she was anxious and Harrison could feel it.  

Two days had passed and Y/N had never missed “normalcy” so much in her entire life. She had said goodnight to the boys, letting them go into a room together while she retreated to her own sanctuary. She had every intention of going to sleep, but now she tossed and turned. 

 Harrison wound up back in Tom’s room with Jamie gone. No reason for him to share with Y/N when his old bed was available again. Unfortunately for Y/N, she had gotten used to sharing the room with Harrison. He’d slept on the floor, but having someone in there to talk to deep into the night had been a nice addition to the trip. It made Y/N feel like she was at university in England again when they were all still getting to know each other. 

 The numbers on the clock next to her bed changed from 1:29 to 1:30 and sleep didn’t feel any closer. Maybe she should just go wander the house or the beach so she didn’t wake anyone up. Deciding that the second option was the best, Y/N pushed back her covers and grabbed a sweatshirt. 

 She tiptoed to her door, trying not to make any noise as the door’s hinges opened slowly. Earlier in the week, she realized that the door squeaked when she snuck down for a midnight snack and woke Harrison up. 

 “Woah!” Y/N jumped. Speak of the devil. She came face to face the blond himself. Harrison stood outside her door with a pillow under his arm. 

 “What are you doing here?” she whispered, trying her best not to wake the entire house up. 

 “Tom.” Harrison said with almost no explanation.

 Y/N just raised her eyebrow at him, hoping that he would continue. When he didn’t, she was forced to ask. “What is he doing? Snoring or something?” 

 “Actually, he’s been on the phone with Jamie for the last hour.” 

 “Jamie?” Y/N felt her heart begin to race. No, she hadn’t told Tom that she wanted to be with him or anything, but that didn’t mean she could come back into the picture. 

 “She called him nearly two hours ago and I haven’t been able to fall asleep. I tried watching Netflix, but it didn’t drown out his groans and his eye rolls were extremely evident over the top of my screen,” Harrison chuckled. “Soooo, would you mind if I crashed on the floor?” he finally got out. 

 Y/N paused. She was going to go for a walk, but maybe having Harrison in the room would help her sleep. She’d slept like a baby before he moved back in with Tom.

 “I can go to the couch…” Haz started.

 “No!” Y/N said a little to loudly. “I mean, of course you can stay in here.” She whispered again. She opened the door wider so that he could slip inside. He started to place blankets and a pillow on the floor and laid down on top of his makeshift bed. 

 “You can have the bed if you want,” Y/N offered. The poor boy had already slept on an air mattress for most of the week. 

 “No, I’m totally fine down here!” Harrison assured her. Y/N inhaled deeply as she slid back under the covers that she had pushed back just moments ago. So much for that walk. 

 15 minutes had passed and Y/N still couldn’t fall asleep. There was a thickness in the air that she couldn’t get past. Harrison was also adjusting every other minute. Letting out a deep breath, Y/N sat up in her bed. “Haz, you should really just sleep up here. It’s fine, really.” 

 Harrison’s head popped off of his pillow. “Are you sure?” he questioned. Y/N couldn’t see his face well in the darkness, but she could feel the look he was giving her. It was so unsure, but hopeful. She knew his icy eyes were checking over and over to make sure that she was positive that she wanted him up there. 

 “Yes. I’m not going to be able to sleep if you can’t. It’s a curse.” 

 At that moment, the two heard a shout come from the direction of Tom and Harrison’s room. Y/N couldn’t keep herself from looking in that direction. “From the sounds of it, you won’t get any sleep if you go back there either. So, common.”

 Harrison silently got off the floor as Y/N slid over in the bed to make room for him. They took a moment adjusting to get ‘comfortable.’ Y/N knew she wouldn’t be able to though if they laid there trying not to remotely touch each other. There was this line in the middle of the bed that neither one could cross. Y/N could hear every one of Harrison’s shallow breaths. He had to be just as uncomfortable as she was, right? 

 Harrison on the other hand couldn’t stop glancing at the stiff figure that was lying next to him. He tried his best not to move his head, but in order to see her properly, he had too. He knew that line existed. Tom was his best friend. But, the girl next to him was something amazing. Damn the line, he had to talk to her. 

 Y/N heard him rustle and turned to meet those deep blue eyes that bore into her soul. “What are you looking at?” she managed to whisper. 

 “You can relax, you know. I’m not going to try anything. You can trust me.” 

 She felt him turn on his side, so his body was completely facing hers. The sudden closeness made her breath hitch. Y/N bit her lip, not sure what was coming next, but feeling his body next to hers felt right. It felt like home in some way. 

 “Y/N?” Harrison’s hand slid to touch her fingers. There was definitely a spark. 

 “Haz?” 

 “I do love you…” His words seemed to hang in the air as she processed. “You don’t have to say anything,” he quickly added. “I know you haven’t made a decision yet, but I want you to know that I’ll be here no matter what you choose.” 

 “Thank you, Harrison,” was all she could muster-up. Her words sounded calm, but her heart was racing faster than it ever had. Between the closeness, the silence, and the confusing feelings, Y/N was at a loss for words. 

 With the knowledge that Harrison would always be there, Y/N finally let herself relax. Harrison’s hand slid up her arm and it was such a calming presence. Y/N felt herself leaning into him and finally allowed sleep to take over. 

_________________________________________________________________

The sun shined through the curtains, the waves crashed against the shore, and Y/N hadn’t woken up feeling so rested in such a long time. She attempted to stretch her arms out, but found herself restricted. Opening her eyes, Y/N saw the peaceful face of a sleeping Harrison. He was beautiful. She, however, was restricted because Harrison had pulled her closer to him during the night. 

Now she was in a difficult position. Does she lay there and wait for him to wake up or sneak out of the room. He’d see her downstairs right? Knowing that the second option, once again, was the easiest, Y/N slowly moved out of Harrison’s grip. When she was free, she felt cold immediately. Had he really been keeping her that warm? 

She peaked at his slumbering form in the bed once more before slipping out the door and heading downstairs. She could hear dishes clinking and soft conversations. 

“Good morning,” she rubbed her eyes as she greeted the Hollands that were in the kitchen. 

“Morning, Y/N!” Nikki smiled. “Would you like some tea?” 

“Yes, please! I can help you,” she offered. 

No need!” 

Y/N sat at the island, sipped her tea, and made casual conversation as Nikki prepared some breakfast for her. That was until her voice caught in her throat the moment Tom entered. The boy’s white t-shirt stuck to his glistening skin. He must just be getting back from a run. His abs were outlined by the fabric. Y/N would have choked on her tea if she had been drinking it at that moment. 

“Hey, Y/N/N,” the boy grinned. He had to know how he looked. “You slept in today.” 

“Yeah, took me a while to get to sleep.” she explained. Before Tom could come up with some sort of witty response, a tired looking Harrison walked into the kitchen. 

“Where did you go last night?” Tom asked immediately. Y/N felt her eyes widen uncontrollably. She loved having Harrison in the room with her last night, but she didn’t know if she wanted the whole Holland family to know that. 

“Couldn’t sleep while you were on the phone with Jamie,” Harrison spit back quickly. 

“You talked to Jamie last night?” Sam’s voice popped into the conversation, but was quickly ignored by Tom. 

“Where did you sleep though? I was up at 7 and the couch down here was empty.” 

Y/N watched the conversation unfold and saw as Harrison’s eyes shifted to her quickly and then back to Tom. What she didn’t notice was how Tom saw the look too. He knew where Harrison went and it made him jealous. He felt the envy boiling up inside of him, but he refused to let it show. But, based on the way that Y/N looked down quickly, he could tell that nothing too serious had happened between them. He still had a chance. 

“What are you all going to do in our last few days?” Dom’s voice interrupted the questioning. 

“Sam and I were going to learn how to surf,” Harry spoke up, taking the attention from what seemed to be a staring- glaring contest between Haz and Tom. 

“We wanted to see if these two divs would join us,” Sam added as he pointed to the two best friends. 

“Sure, I’ll go.” Harrison decided quickly, not breaking eye contact with Tom. 

“Tom?” Harry pushed. 

Tom was the one to look away when he shifted his attention to Y/N. “I think I’ll stay back. I want to enjoy the beach a bit.” 

“Okay, whatever,” Harry shrugged as he stood up from the table. “Haz, we’re leaving in 15 minutes, so hurry up.” 

Harrison looked between Tom and Y/N, now regretting the fact that he agreed to go to this lesson. “We’ll be here when you’re done,” Y/N smiled encouragingly at him. “You should go have some fun. This is something you said you wanted to do before we even got here.” 

Tight lipped, Harrison nodded curtly as he took a cup of coffee and a banana with him and left the room. The moment he was out of the room, Tom turned to Y/N. 

“What do you want to do today?” he asked politely. 

Harrison was still in the back of her mind, but she hadn’t had a chance to spend much time with just Tom at all during the trip, so a little activity couldn’t be bad, right? 

“Well, I saw somewhere that there is snorkeling in the small reef near the house. We could do that, if you want?” 

“Sounds excellent,” Tom grinned as he downed water and turned to leave so he could shower. “See you in 20 minutes?” 

Y/N nodded and made sure to finish her breakfast before going to get ready herself. 

Snorkeling was fun. Tom paid for the underwater photographs which meant that there was plenty of evidence that the two of them had actually had fun together. But, snorkeling only lasted so long. Soon enough Tom and Y/N were walking on the beach towards the house. Neither one had spoken about the whole love triangle situation, but Tom couldn’t hold his tongue much longer. He didn’t want to press, but he was curious. 

“So, how are you doing?” 

“I’m good?” Y/N elongated her words. What was he going on about? “How are you?” 

“Fine. Tired today…” 

“Oh yeah, Harrison said that you talk to Jamie-” Y/N quickly shut her mouth. When else would Harrison have told her about Tom’s phone call with Jamie. She’d only seen him for a few minutes this morning as far as everyone else knew. 

“That was nothing. She was trying to apologize. I didn’t really want to hear it though.” Tom had caught her slip up, but chose not to say anything. If he was going to make a move, Tom didn’t want Y/N to be thinking about Harrison. Little did he know, but the boy had been in the back of her mind all afternoon.

“That’s good,” Y/N replied nonchalantly. She wasn’t really wanting to hear the details of the phone call that resulted in Tom raising his voice. 

“Y/N?” Tom stopped in the middle of the sand. Their resort house was within sight, but Tom couldn’t go any further before he told her what he was thinking. Y/N took a few more steps before she even realized that Tom wasn’t next to her. 

“What’s up, Tom?” 

The words came tumbling out of Tom’s mouth. “I need to know what you’re thinking. It’s killing me not knowing.” 

Y/N’s jaw slackened. Her heart may or may not have skipped a beat, but was it because Tom still wanted her and she was happy or was it because she didn’t want to have this conversation with him because she didn’t want to make a hard decision. 

“You have to have some idea,” he pushed more. “I may have been an idiot before, but I’m not going to go down without fighting for you. Not this time.” 

The lump in Y/N’s throat seemed to grow. She couldn’t swallow it as the curly haired boy in front of her continued talking and walking towards her. “I love you, Y/N. I have for a while. I was just too stupid to see it.” Tom was towering over her now. She could feel his breath on her face and his cologne overwhelmed her senses. 

This was the boy that she had been pining over for years now. He was spilling his heart out to her. It was everything she imagined. Tom seemed to be moving closer slowly. A small part of her wanted to stay and entertain this possibility, but another part, a larger part, wanted to run far away and into the arms that held her so tightly the previous night. 

“Tom?! Y/N?!” Sam’s voice echoed over the crashing waves. 

Y/N ripped herself away from Tom and Tom could feel the anger rising. The anger at Sam for ruining this moment, for ruining his chance. 

“You guys- you guys have to come quickly.” Sam was panting as he came to a stop in front of the pair that now had a few feet between them. Y/N had jumped back that far. 

“What’s wrong?” Y/N asked, waiting for the boy to say what was going on. 

“It’s Haz…” Sam panted out. “He was surfing and hit his head.” 

Y/N whipped her head around to look at Tom. Her eyes grew as she heard the news. They also looked apologetic. Tom knew right then that she had made her decision. She loved Harrison. She wanted to go to him now and didn’t care if she was ruining the moment that Tom thought they were having. Her eyes told Tom everything he needed to know. 

“Go to him,” Tom told her confidently. As Tom watched her run after Sam, he felt disappointed that he hadn’t chosen him, but she did deserve to be with someone who chose her first every time. That someone was Harrison and deep down, Tom knew that. 

______________________________________________________________________________

“Where is he, Sam?” Y/N asked as they approached where the boys had been surfing. 

“On the shore near the clump of trees.” Sam pointed. Y/N left him behind. He had run to find her and Tom and running all the way back had taken it out of him. 

An ambulance was pulling up as Y/N reached Harry and Harrison. The blond was laying flat on his back with Harry leaving over him. 

“Is- is he okay?” Y/N stumbled over her words. Panic was taking over as he laid there motionless in front of her. 

“I don’t know. He’s breathing and came to before going unconscious again.” Harry explained. 

The medics approached and asked Y/N and Harry to step aside so that they could attend to Harrison. While they worked, Y/N watched nervously. Her fingernails were destroyed from chewing them as she stood to the side, not being able to do anything. 

“Excuse me?” she finally spoke as a medic walked by. “Is he going to be alright?” Her breathing was uneven, but she couldn’t manage to control it. 

“His vitals are normal and there are no serious injuries. He won’t have to go to the hospital,” the medic informed her. Y/N nodded as she looked past the medic at Harrison. Blocking out all the noise, Y/N focused her attention on Harrison. The moment he moved, she ran to him, despite the medics still attending to him. 

“Haz? Haz? You awake?” she felt the tears begin to swell in her eyes. 

“Hey, love,” he smiled as he opened his eyes to see her leaning over him. 

“Oh my god, Harrison. How do you feel?” she urged. 

“A little sore,” he admitted, “but I’ll be fine.” 

Y/N gently took his face in her hands. It was as if he were a delicate flower. The worry was etched across her face. 

“It’s good to see you too,” he chuckled. 

“You scared me,” Y/N whispered, still holding him. “I thought- I thought that I might lose you.” She spoke as if they were the only two people in the world. No one could penetrate their circle. Even the medics had stepped back after determining that Haz would be fine. 

“You don’t have to worry about me, love. I always manage to bounce back.” Harrison groaned as he attempted to sit up, rubbing his forehead. 

“I’m serious, Haz.” Y/N’s eyes watched his every movement intently. “I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you.” 

“What are you saying there, Y/N?” Harrison’s blue eyes sparkled. 

“I’m saying I love you! Now stop making a joke about this. It could have been worse!” Y/N’s eyes were darting as she studied every inch of Harrison’s face. 

“I love you too, Y/N,” Harrison smiled softly. Y/N’s eyes softened when she realized what had just happened. Deep inside, she always knew it was Harrison. He was her home when she was far away from her family. 

“It is you, Haz. It’s always been you. I’m sorry I ever made you wait and feel like you couldn’t tell me. I’m sorry-” 

Y/N’s apologies were cut short by Harrison’s lips connecting to her own. Every feeling he had ever felt for her was poured into this kiss. 

When they finally pulled apart, Harrison’s smile was so wide his cheeks would definitely hurt if he kept it up. “Remind me why it took so long for us to do that?” Y/N exhaled, breathlessly. 

“I was just wondering the same thing,” Harrison chuckled, placing one of his hands on the side of Y/N’s face. “Maybe we should do it again,” he winked. Y/N couldn’t help but laugh into the kiss as Harrison pulled her towards him once again, just the second of many kisses to follow for the happy, new couple.

-

-

A/N: I know that if someone had a head injury, they’d definitely have to go to the hospital. But for the purposes of the flow here, it just is all okay and dandy...alright?

Tag List:

@thesuitelifeofafangirl // @viwihere // @joyleenl

[thethoughtsfromthreeam]

California

Pairing: Agent Whiskey/Jack Daniels x OC

Warnings: None

A/N:  Y’all, the end is here and I’m super sad about it?  Like I’ve been in this world for the better part of a month and I don’t want to leave!  This is absolutely the longest things I’ve ever written (all told, it’s 45 pages and 25,547 words) and I’m super fucking proud of myself and I’m so glad y’all were part of this journey.  Jack and Shirley will have cameos in my next fic, so they aren’t completely gone.  Not yet, anyway.

Reminder: I haven’t seen Kingsman: The Golden Circle, so I’m just using the Wikia, IMDB.com, some gifs, and my own weird ass brain to make up this whole ass story.

Tag List:  @zeldasayer , @romanticgumchewer, @tarrevizslas , @coolmaybelateruniverse , @the-feckless-wonder, @lavenderl3mons , @pascalisthepunkest , @mandoandyodito​ , @randomness501 , @fioccodineveautunnale [please message me to be added or subtracted]

[PART 1]  [PART 2]  [PART 3]  [PART 4]  [PART 5] [PART 6]  [PART 7]  [PART 8]  [PART 9]  [PART 10]  [PART 11]  [PART 12]  [PART 13]  [PART 14]

Part 15 

Tomorrow

Shirley flicked her wrist to open the curtains in her office, letting the morning light spill into the small room.  She set her things on the desk and began to bring the library back up to its daytime speed.  While she made sure the library was open to all Statesmen staff at any time, most operations only occurred when she was in office during the day.  She walked over to the window that faced out into the hallway to open the blinds.  She did all that she could not to make such a small space feel like a cave.

As she turned, her eye caught the glint of a picture frame on her shelf. She looked at it more closely and realized it was a picture of her and Jack at one of the Statemen’s tapping parties about two years after they started working on missions together – he the agent on the case, she his trusty Girl Friday researcher.  They had grown close early on, but that night of the party is when they finally admitted their feelings for one another.  You could feel it radiate off the picture.

“Moonshine, you take my breath away, you know that?”  Jack looked her up and down in the hunter green cocktail dress she wore for the evening.  The satin felt cool and smooth against his hand as he guided her out of her apartment.

“I’m sure I do.”  She replied jokingly as they waited for the elevator.  He suddenly spun her around to face him.  The serious look on his face stopped any comment from leaving her mouth. He stared at her intensely and for the first time, she felt a little uneasy under his gaze.

“Marigold, I’m not joking.  Whenever I see you, hear you, smell you, hell, even thinking about you, I feel like I’m gasping for air.  You consume me and I love you.  I will love you until time ends.” He looked at her, watching her emotions play out on her face.  She looked up and he could see tears forming in her eyes.  For a moment he wasn’t sure if the leap of his heart was fear or love. Then she brought up her hands to hold his face, thumbs rubbing his jawline absently.

“I know you’re not joking, Jack.”  Her voice wavered as the tears spilled over her lids and down her cheek. “I feel your love every day.  I wrap it around me like a blanket and when I go to sleep at night, I keep it close to me.  God, I’ve loved you since I laid eyes on you, loved you when you tried that stupid cowboy flirting thing you do.  I will fucking love you from the depth of my soul until I die!”

He started to laugh with delight, and he wrapped his arms around her in a hug, lifting her off the ground.  She tightened her arms around his neck and started laughing with him. When the elevator doors opened, Ginger and Tequila found the two lovers in their embrace.  Ginger looked over at Tequila, who rolled his eyes and produced a twenty from his pocket.  She yanked it out of his hand with a devilish grin.

Jack and Sirah broke apart at the sound of the ding.  Smiling, they walked hand-in-hand into the elevator. Tequila slapped Jack’s back and Ginger looped her arm through Sirah’s and they looked at each other and giggled the whole ride down.

Shirley smiled at the memory and lightly touched the photograph before moving on.  She left her office and began opening blinds and curtains throughout the rest of the library.  As she walked past the bank of computers, making sure they were on and ready for the day, Shirley heard something from one of the stacks.  She stopped to listen, but didn’t hear it again, so she moved on.  She continued her morning routine and when the bell tinkled above the door, she greeted a young agent as they entered.  Her life was back to normal it seemed.

After she got the agent settled with the requested materials, Shirley gathered up her return cart to restock her shelves.  She moved down each aisle, putting her little world back in order when suddenly she turned the corner and saw two very embarrassed agents staring back at her.

“Good morning Ginger, Merlin.”  Shirley couldn’t stop the slow spread of the shit eating grin that formed on her face. It wasn’t the first time her stacks had been used for purposes other than research, but she was a little surprised to see the two of them there, holding each other.  She mentally groaned, knowing she just lost fifty dollars to Tequila because she thought they’d be caught in the tech room.

“Shirley.”  Merlin’s soft brogue sounded a bit rougher than normal and he cleared his throat. “Good to see you this morning.  You’re looking quite well today.”

“As are you, Merlin.”  She replied. “If you could do me a kind favor and just put this book back on the shelf behind you where the marker is, I’d be much obliged.  Also, for next time?  Historical speculative fiction upstairs is always empty.”

She handed the book over, gave them both another smile, and then walked off. She was nothing if not a patient woman and she knew Ginger would tell her everything later.  As she sat at her desk, she kept an eye on her little world and on the stacks.  When she saw no one leave, she smiled again.  Oh, she couldn’t wait for such a good story.

An hour later, she heard movement and looked up to see Ginger and Merlin coming down the stairs from the second level.  His hand brushed against her back the entire way down and when they reached the first level, Shirley could see Ginger’s hand lightly brush against Merlin’s as they smiled at each other.  They walked to the door and from where she sat, Shirley could see reddish spots on the smooth skin of Merlin’s head.  Oh yes, this was going to be a great story.

Merlin dipped his head and left the library and Ginger waited a beat before sprinting across the room to Shirley’s office and slamming the door. The few folks in the library jumped at the noise, but otherwise, everything was normal.

“GINGER!” Shirley squealed and Ginger closed her eyes and clapped her hands while giggling.  “This better be worth the fifty bucks I owe Tequila now.”

“Oh, is it EVER!”  Breathed Ginger, pulling Shirley to the couch.  They curled up and gossiped about their men for a long time.  Their giggles and laughter sometimes leaving the office, but otherwise, everything said remained between the two women.

Later that day, Shirley went to Tequila’s office and found him sitting at his desk reviewing reports.  He looked up when she walked in and when she laid down a brand new fifty-dollar bill, he grinned.  She grinned back.

---***---

“Moonshine, you ready?”  Jack’s voice called her from the doorway of her office.  She turned to look at him and nodded.

“Let me just grab two things and I’ll lock up.”  The twilight outside of her office peeked through the closed curtains.  The day had gone fast and she reveled in the normalcy that her day to day world was now taking on again.  She had thought that after Agent Kirsch had died and released her from those invisible bonds that she would resent the library.  But she didn’t and if anything, she recognized this world was her catharsis, giving her back a sense of normalcy.  Him dying just finalized that feeling.

As they left her office, she stopped to chat with one of the admins, Cooper, about some things he was working on and what he would need the next day. After saying good-bye, Jack held Shirley’s hand as they left the library and headed to the elevator.  They were heading out for a night on the town to enjoy the lovely spring weather that finally came to Louisville.  Shirley rested her head on his shoulder, and he tightened the hold on her hand.  The ride down was a comfortable quiet and when the doors opened, they stepped out into the foyer.

When they exited the building, Shirley paused a moment to close her eyes and breathe deep.  When she opened them, she found Jack looking at her with a small smile on his lips. She nodded while grabbing his hand again and they headed out into their new tomorrow together.

[subasekabang]

Past Nova - Chapter 01

Title: Past Nova - Chapter 01

Rating: T

Word Count: 12,665 [Ch 01: 3976]

Pairings/Characters: Neku Sakuraba. Beat. Shiki Misaki. Rhyme. Sota Honjo. Nao. Joshua Kiryu. Sota/Nao. 

Warnings: Past Character Death mentions. 

Summary: Neku and his new friends find that they’ve been brought back to life, time wound back as if the three weeks had never happened. It’s something that they don’t have time to adjust to though, as Neku realises that Sota and Nao are still alive, with no guarantee that the two won’t end up back in the UG. Even without a timer on his hand, time is ticking down - but Neku isn’t going to let Sota and Nao disappear without a fight. Not again.

Partner: @licobleps & HB Kit

Author’s Note: Tadaa! I was having trouble coming up with what I wanted to write for the Bang but just before we had to submit the idea I remembered this old plot bunny and said ‘yes, this is it!’. I struggled to get this moving at first because I kept overthinking details but it was fun once I got going. A super huge thank you to Lico and Kit for choosing my fic to work with - look out for their artwork, I’m sure you’ll be just as impressed as I am!

“The stars are out tonight!”

Despite this proclamation, if one were to look up at the sky, they would not spot a single shining star. The lights that kept the city alight past sunset maintained disappointment for anyone with enough optimism to have a glimpse. Even if stars were visible in the city, they were a touch far from nighttime; the sun was barely past the horizon.

Nao, however, showed no signs of her spirit being dampened. On the contrary, she seemed invigorated, arms spread wide as if she was about to welcome falling stars into them.

He couldn’t see anything in the sky himself but if Nao saw something more up there, Sota sure as hell believed that they were really there.

Even as she stumbled slightly, stretched too far on her tiptoes, with Sota moving in to catch her by her shoulders, he was sure of this.

“You manage to catch one?”

“Like, I tried. But no.”

“I’m gonna get you one.”

She giggled - wondering aloud if they could really catch one.

“We will, promise.”

After all, they had all the time in the world to chase stars.

Didn’t they?

Chapter 01  - Urban Nebula

Ramen.

Just a while ago, Neku would have carried on eating this dish without a second thought. It was something that he could find anywhere, something he would consume unceremoniously. Yet here he was, finding himself genuinely appreciating how good this bowl of ramen was.

Nothing can beat a warm bowl of Shoyu.

“Yo, you’re trippin’. Tonkotsu’s where it’s at.” Beat said this in between messy slurps of his own.

Neku didn’t realise he said that out loud.

“I’m more of a Miso person myself,” said Shiki.

He also didn’t expect this to be where their conversation went.

“I actually prefer Miso too,” Rhyme piped up.

The volume in the small ramen shop increased twofold as Beat noisily argued why exactly Tonkotsu was the best of the best when it came to ramen. Shiki countered with reasonings of her very own, while Rhyme added her thoughts every few pauses.

It all seemed so trivial. So normal.

As if it hadn’t been a week since he had last seen them.

Though, he supposed Beat did tear up when Neku met him and Rhyme by Hachiko a few hours ago. So it wasn’t like he was the only one still reeling from the Game. Still, Beat bounced back pretty quick and once Shiki arrived, they were all just happy to be reunited.

Honestly, he welcomed this normalcy but at the same time, it was a new kind of normal for him.

Before this, he hadn’t had any friends to actually just sit down and eat together with. Not for a long time. During the Game, once he figured out that eating actually affected his performance in fighting against the Noise, he became pretty careful with what he picked and he was still a lot more…prickly than he was now. He was sure that during his first few days with Shiki, they spent the majority of their time while eating in silence. Well, she did make an attempt to make conversation though he admittedly brushed her off. With Joshua, as Shiki’s life was on the line, Neku didn’t want to waste his time with too much small talk. Beat inhaled his food, just as he was doing now, so they didn’t really stop to chat during meals either.

Now, however, they didn’t have to rush off anywhere. No timer burnt upon their skin to urge them onto their feet. They were just four friends eating ramen Shibuya. Who would’ve thought?

“Neku, I know your fave is Shoyu but give it to us straight - Miso or Tonkotsu?” Shiki nudged his arm to get his attention. She must have realised that he was spacing out.

“I think that - ” Uh oh, this looks serious. Both Shiki and Beat’s expressions said that victory hinged on his answer. Rhyme was looking between the two with concern, hand against her mouth as if to prevent herself from intervening. “I think that they’re both ‘okay’. Shoyu’s the best.”

Beat groaned while Shiki let out a cheer. “Rhyme agrees with me, so that makes the score for Miso, Tonkatsu and Shoyu to 2-1-1. I win!”

“What exactly do you win?” asked Neku.

“Hmm.” Shiki tapped her finger against her lips as she pondered the question. “Aha, I know! You guys can pay for my lunch.”

“‘That ain’t gonna work Shiki, I’m broke.”

Shiki peered at his sister instead, who begun to smile sheepishly.

“Neku?” Shiki looked at him expectantly.

“What? Hey, don’t look at me! Why should I get dragged into this?”

At that moment, the owner of the shop leaned over the counter and slid across his receipt. It had both his and Shiki’s orders on them. Wha - he can’t do that! Can he do that?

He opened his mouth to object when he spotted that Beat and Rhyme had their receipt, cash already on top of it and passing it back to the owner. When did that happen? Neku suspected the ramen owner had been listening to their conversation and had picked a side.

“Okay, okay, I get it Mr. Doi, I’ll pay.” He sighed, forking over his cash.

“Oho? So you’ve heard of me, young man?” He crossed his arms and nodded triumphantly. “As I thought, I’ve still got it in me to reach young folks like you too. Always appreciate getting new customers who follow the news of good ramen. You kids enjoy the rest of those bowls! Don’t take too long, though!” He gave a hearty laugh before rushing off to serve another customer.

Just like that the steam that wafted throughout the restaurant suddenly seemed to contain more heat, the smell becoming sharper to Neku’s senses. He pulled at his collar, feeling the stuffiness start to overwhelm him.

“He doesn’t remember us, huh?” Shiki said quietly, voicing what all of them were probably thinking.

Guess we’re going to talk about it, after all. It would be stranger not to.

“During my second week, we helped him out,” Neku murmured. “He should remember us.”

“Yo, I just wanna ask so that I know I’m not goin’ crazy. The Game did happen, didn’t it?” Beat whipped out his phone. “So how come Day 1 is supposed to be…tomorrow.”

Beat was right - which was a weird thing in of itself - the date shown on his phone was the date that they had their first day in the Game.

Neku had woken up in the middle of Scramble Crossing last week and he knew that wasn’t where he died. When he had rushed home then, though, there was no sign of him having been gone for more than the few hours from when he went out that day. He was left even more confused as to when he checked his phone and saw the date, it was a little over a week before he was to start his first Game. Not only was Shibuya not Erased but he had been brought back to life as if nothing had ever happened. Unlike the first time he woke up on the streets, all his memories, even of the Game, seemed to be intact. Some of which, he thought he could do without.

“It was the same for me,” Shiki said after Neku described what happened for him. “I remember everything but…my parents don’t remember me…dying.”

“Our folks don’t remember that either.” Beat grit his teeth, “but they do remember me an’ Rhyme runnin’ outta the house.” A familiar look flashed across Beat’s face. It was the one that he had every time he talked about Rhyme during their third week.

Before Neku could find any words of comfort, Rhyme said, “I think it makes sense that they don’t remember. Otherwise, I don’t think the Reapers having double lives would work.”

“Really?” asked Shiki.

“I think so. I heard about Def Märch before the Game because they were getting more famous. But wouldn’t there be a problem if someone who knew 777 when he was alive saw him? Since he should be dead?”

Neku was sure he didn’t find out about Reapers being able to appear and disappear whenever they wanted until Joshua told him, but Rhyme was observant so he wasn’t surprised that she caught onto that. She did have a point about that; if you become a Reaper, something probably needed to be done to the memories of people around you. “The Reapers, or at least the Conductor and the Composer, definitely have the power to change memories. I learned that the hard way.”

“Right, so if they do if they change up memories of people for Reapers it would make sense that they do it for Players that go back to the RG too,” Rhyme reasoned.

It did make sense…but was something about it bothered Neku. “How come we’ve got back a few weeks, though?” If they could just change memories, why were they also back before the start?

“Mr. H told me and Neku that the Shibuya we saw wasn’t real, so maybe it’s kind of a reset for us?” Shiki suggested though she didn’t sound so sure.

“He did say that. But Joshua, was saying the opposite,” Neku recalled.

“I dunno man, how’re we sure he wasn’ lyin’?”

He couldn’t answer Beat. He wasn’t sure exactly how many of the things Joshua had said to him during their week together were lies but he definitely knew that there was a lot.

Seeming to notice Neku’s change of disposition, Shiki carried on, “So let’s say we were reset. Does that mean everything was reset? You guys went on for another two weeks after we won our game, right? Does that mean that everyone who played those games have come back to life?”

“I’m back and I got Erased in the first week.” Neku wondered how Rhyme could say that in such a matter-of-fact way. “Maybe that means the other Players that got Erased were also brought back. There weren’t any other Players in the third week but Beat and I saw some in the second.”

Other Players in the second week…- wait!

“There were…there were two Players that I made met - that I made friends with - during the second week.” It was the couple, the ones who reached out when he felt himself slipping back to his old self. They were kind and wanted to help other Players, even if it might have put their own reincarnation at risk.  “They were Erased when I was Partners with Joshua and I couldn’t do anything to help them.”

The memory of it, of the Taboo noise attacking the two, of Neku arriving too little too late, flooded through him. What made it worse, though, was that he hadn’t thought of them again until now.

A tentative hand rested on his shoulder. He looked at Shiki, to find her eyes searching his. Although it was the first time he had seen this on her real self, her worry was something he recognised.

While Shiki seemed to try and be a calming presence, Beat was anything but.

“Phones, I don’t wanna freak you out but,” Beat hesitated and Neku had the feeling he would end up freaking out, “when I was a Reapers I was talkin’ to Shades.”

“The Conductor?”

“Yeah, that dude. I asked him a bunch of questions about tryin’ to get Rhyme back and how comin’ back to life works an’ he gave me half-assed answers for most of ‘em but I swear he said that if a Player came back it wouldn’t bring back anyone who’s supposed to die with ‘em.”

“Right…which is why you wanted to become Composer to change the rules,” Neku recalled.

“And Rhyme’s only back ‘cause - ” He exchanged a look with Shiki, who seemed to understand what Beat was going to get at.

“‘Cause we were all there…at the end with The Composer.”

‘At the end’. It was a moment that had been playing in Neku’s mind more times than he could count in the last week.

“We couldn’t move Neku, we couldn’t stop him from…from shooting you.” Shiki’s voice started to tremble. “I was scared for you Neku. But he didn’t Erase you but you were out cold and he said he would bring us all back. And the next thing I knew I was in the middle of a road. It was a few moments before I died. Except I knew that it was so I didn’t get hit by the car in the end.”

“Us neither. Beat stopped running away so we didn’t get to the middle of the road,” said Rhyme. “So it wasn’t that our parents didn’t remember, it’s that we never did die.”

So, Joshua kept all of their memories intact then…For Beat, Rhyme and Shiki, he made it as though their deaths never occurred as they had the memories they needed to stop it from happening themselves. In Neku’s case, it seemed Joshua had to undo things completely since he was the one who killed him. If it was only the four of them that had their memories from the game, though…

“That could mean that…they - those two -  would still die and enter the Game.” Neku’s blood ran cold at the thought.

I don’t know for sure. It was entirely possible that he was simply taking leaps in logic. It wasn’t like any of them were certain that they were the only ones that were ‘brought back’.  Still, if there was even a small chance of it…They didn’t win the Game that Neku played that week - there was no way of knowing whether they would win if they were the play again. If he was remembering correctly though, he was sure he saw them earlier than the Tin Pin tournament.

“Shiki - remember when we were helping that Makoto guy give out the red pins? And he managed to give them out a couple? Both of them had blond hair.”

“Their outfits matched, yes I remember! That was them? That was our second last day…so then - “ Shiki realised it the same time as Neku.

“If time reset then they’re still alive now,” said Neku. ”And not because they were brought back but because they hadn’t died yet in the first place. “So we could - “

“We could stop them from playin’ the Game in the first place!” Beat punctuated those words with his hands slamming down on the counter and jumping off his seat.

“Hey, keep it down. Are you kids not done eating?” Ken Doi’s voice snapped Neku back to attention. He had completely forgotten that they were in such a public place.

It was a good thing Beat had shouted ‘stop them from dying’ because that would cause eyebrows to rise from the other customers, no matter how few of them there were. Neku had to admit that it sounded crazy. But it also sounded crazy enough to work, considering everything else he had gone through in his time in the Game.

“We done. C’mon les’ go.”

“Beat, hold up,” Neku said, trying to get his friend to slow down. “I don’t even know where to begin with this. We’re not sure if they’re actually still going to die. And if they are we don’t know if there’s any chance that we could stop it.”

“Yeah, so les’ just go ask.”

“Ask who?”

Beat grinned.

“The coffee man, who else?”

xxxxx

Neku had thought about it.

There was a small window of consciousness that Neku had, between getting shot and waking up at the crossing. He was sure that during those few seconds, he saw Mr. Hanekoma and Joshua standing side by side. They were both smiling down at him.

The Conductor didn’t seem to know who Mr. H was. Joshua had told Neku himself that he was the Composer, otherwise, he wouldn’t be here right now. So then, who was Mr. Hanekoma? He told Neku to think of him as a ‘guardian’ of the Game. Did he mean that he was there to oversee the Game that Neku was playing or the one that Joshua was playing with the Conductor? Was it his job to do both? Was that why he was there at the end?

Questions like these had plagued Neku’s mind since the day he got back. The reason that Neku started to let his guard down around Joshua was because Mr. H was helping him out. If Joshua’s goal was to cause Shibuya’s destruction then Neku could only conclude that Mr. H was helping Joshua do that. But that can’t be it. If Mr. H was really CAT, he couldn’t believe that. His art, his words, they didn’t call for the end of the city but the constant renewal and growth of it.

With his doubts on Mr. H it wasn’t as if taking a trip to WildKat hadn’t crossed his mind. If Mr. H was actually there…he didn’t know what he would do. He didn’t know if he was ready to hear the truth of it, if Mr. H was going to share it at all.

At least, he wasn’t ready to face it alone.

The Shibuya streets weren’t exactly appropriate to be running through, not when they couldn’t pass through people anymore. Nevertheless, Beat bulldozed his way through the urban crowds, parting them as people jumped aside to get out of his way. His sister tried to keep up with him, always several paces behind, offering a quick ‘sorry’ to anyone who might want to hear it. Shiki lagged behind slightly, stopping every now and then to catch her breath (“did I mention that I’m also not as athletic in the RG?”). Watching them run, for his sake, for the sake of putting his mind at ease - it made him feel ready.

Their arrival at the cafe’s storefront highlighted their reset, as Shiki called it. It stood, as unassumingly simple as it did when Neku first saw it. That was to say, there was none of the damage that Minamimoto had inflicted on it during their last week.

“Mr. H owns this? Funny…I’ve never noticed this shop before,” Shiki said, squinting at it.

Maybe it was by design; if not a lot of people visited because it was a ‘simple’ shop in Shibuya’s plethora of unique offerings, then it gave Mr. H a lot of time to be doing…whatever that he was supposed to be doing in the Game.

Beat had stopped right in front of the door. He looked back at Neku. “Yo, you aight?”

Neku blinked at Beat, taken aback by the sudden question. “Yeah, I’m - ”

“We don’t have to go in yet,” Shiki said, “if you don’t want to.”

They noticed, huh?

“Thanks guys.” He really was touched. “But I’m okay, let’s go in.”

Even as Beat pushed the door open, however, Neku took in a deep breath. He could do this. He followed behind Shiki, feeling the weight of every step forward.

The shop was empty.

Not completely, there were still pastries in the display, ones that looked fairly fresh. There was no sign of anyone being around though. Neku couldn’t help but start to feel disappointed. For all his apprehension of coming here, Hanekoma wasn’t actually around. Being here when they wanted to see him would be too easy, wouldn’t it?

“Seems cosy,” said Shiki, if for nothing else but to fill the silence that had set between the four.

Neku pulled out a chair, sinking down into it. Might as well sit down, while he thought of what they could do next. If they were going to help Sota and Nao, they should probably go look for them. It might be possible if he could still scan people, but how was he supposed to find them in a sea of people that he couldn’t read? If they did need help, in the first place.

Lost in his thoughts, once again, he only registered that Beat was snooping around when he heard a tearing sound. He sat straight up, recalling that this was where Hanekoma had hidden the note for them, leading their way to the Shibuya River.

“Huh? The hell is this?” Turning to show the others, Beat had his fists clenched around two feathers, grip a tad rough for such delicate-looking items. They gave off a glow as if hinting that they would not be harmed no matter how Beat handled them. “Why’d Coffee Man leave these here?”

“Maybe he’s a bird keeper on top of a cafe owner and working as CAT,” Neku said, drily. “You sure you didn’t find anything else in there?”

“Nah, nothing else in there ‘cept dust,” Beat confirmed. He came back around the front of the counter, looking to hand the feathers to Neku.

Sighing, Neku got up and took them from Beat, making sure to be gentler with them than he was. While they looked like feathers, they weren’t exactly ‘normal’ looking feathers.

“Did those come from a Noise?” Shiki adjusted her glasses, taking a step close to inspect them properly. They did look like they could have come from one. “Maybe you actually got it Neku, maybe he’s some kind of birdkeeper…for those bird-looking Noise. Or just in charge of the Noise in general.”

“He did know how to make Noise,” said Rhyme, also taking a closer look. “That’s how he kept Beat and I in the game, after all.”

“Maybe.” That was one possibility. It was just a gut feeling but Neku didn’t think that was it. Though he didn’t think that Hanekoma was a Reaper either. Whoever he was, he must have been pretty important if he knew the Composer so well. Knew him a lot better than I did.

Bzzt.

The buzzing came from one of his pockets. It was his phone. He fished it out of his pocket and stared at it.

“What’s wrong, Phones?”

The only people who would message him were in this room. Except for the two people that he couldn’t seem to find.

Flipping open his phone he clicked on the message, sent from an unknown number.

–

I’m devastated that I couldn’t make it today. I have a few things to attend to.

You’re probably all at WildKat Cafe right now, aren’t you? Predictable.

I’d rather not come back and find you running around Shibuya aimlessly again so I’ll give you a little hint -

Sota Honjo and Nao Akahoshi.

Entered Shibuya’s UG on the 2nd of August.

6.48pm

I can’t provide you a timer in the RG but it’s safe to say your time limit is within seven days.

Have fun saving the tin pin champions.

–

Neku considered reading it out loud but he wasn’t confident in how his tone would come out right now. He passed his phone along, allowing the others to read through it. The message gave Neku so many more questions. Ones that he wouldn’t know how to voice properly, even if Joshua had been standing right here with them.

Yet that was as good as a confirmation that he was going to get that he had to do this. No, he didn’t have to - he wanted to.

“Look at the time,” Shiki said as she passed Neku back his phone.

6.48pm

“Seven days, exactly.”

And to think, only this morning Neku had been looking forward to spending time with his friends without having a time limit hanging above them.

This time, though, they were alive. Alive along with the rest of Shibuya, brimming with life day in and day out.

“You guys sure you’re alright with trying to do this?”

It was a question that didn’t need to be asked.

They were with him.