#umbrella pine

[blogbirdfeather]

Umbrella pine - Pinheiro-manso (Pinus pinea)

Carnaxide/Portugal (3/03/2024)

[Nikon Coolpix P900; 50mm; 1/125s; F7,1; 100 ISO]

[bwthornton]

Dennis Chinaworks Umbrella Pine 7" Spill Vase Sally Tuffin

https://www.bwthornton.co.uk/dennis-chinaworks.php

Dennis Chinaworks Umbrella Pine 7" Spill Vase Sally Tuffin

[lochrannn]

Okay, my top 5 fave as in funniest in my opinion line deliveries of s3 were:

5. Luther: “Tunde was not a prince, he was a king and he was unjustly deposed!”

4. Diego is tied with himself for “Guy in a carpet” and “AND YOU WERE GONNA DISSOLVE THE BODY?!”

3. Lila to Five: “Miss you!”

Five:

Five: 

Five: “That’s weird.”

2. Luther: “It’s like... Here you go. It’s your ass.”

1. Reggie: “And why should I want to befriend my own children? That’s for hippies and people with low self-esteem.”

[hihomeghere]

Tesoro | Five Hargeeves / Reader

Rating : Teen Word Count : 3k Summary : While working at the commission as a field agent you are assigned a new partner, Number Five. Warnings : Gore, description of bodily harm, mentions of kidnapping (this is the start of a sort of series. I watched TUA and now I cant stop writing about Five)

Pins and needles, it was as though your very essence was being torn apart and put back together again. Atoms, Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen. Your bones snap, your skin tears apart. A scream rips its way through your throat as everything is strung back together. The pain is almost worse than when your very existence was being torn apart, it was as though you were held together with only staples and duct tape. That familiar taste of copper fills your mouth. The crackle of static came over the speakers. Your head pounded, the lights nearly blinding you. The ringing in your ears was constant. 

“Experiment #371, unsuccessful.” The cold voice says, sweat covering your body. Then the words you dreaded most left his mouth, “Begin experiment #372.” He said with a sigh.

-

You sat up with a gasp. Your hair was stuck to your forehead with sweat. You take in your surroundings, trying to take deep breaths. In for 4, hold for 7, out for 8. In for 4, hold for 7, out for 8. Your hands gripped your wood desk, you were back in your office. Your office at the commission. You were safe, no longer trapped in that lab. Instead of white walls these are cream, with framed pictures of wooded landscapes.

“Y/n?” Herb knocked on your door, you jumped your hand coming to your chest. You shook your head chuckling slightly.

“Yes? Sorry, you spooked me.” You said, giving him a smile.

“Oh,” he chuckled as well, “I just wanted to pop by and give you your next assignment.” He shrugged, taking a breath before handing you a yellow folder. He stopped in front of you looking at your hair, he chuckled before pointing to his own head. You pulled a strand down only to find in your shocked state you must have accidentally changed. The hair you were holding was now purple instead of your normal color. You smiled sheepishly, changing it back. “Thank you Herb.” You took the file from his hands, he nodded before walking out of your office. You opened up the folder flipping through the file. 

There was the normal amount of mission jargon as always, except where your partner was introduced.

Partner? 

Number Five, written in bold ink stared back at your very confused expression.

You had never had a partner before, but if the commission requested it they obviously knew something you didn’t. 

You sighed, couldn’t put it off any longer you thought, pushing yourself up and out of your chair. The man you were going to see was of course a legend, but hey, so were you.

You were Y/n l/n, there was no other shapeshifting killing machine like you. 152 confirmed kills, 129 timeline saving missions. You were specially trained by scientists, dead set on turning you into a weapon for mass destruction. Lucky for you, escaping was easy when you could be anyone you wanted. A quick glance at someone and you could recreate their being as your own. It didn’t take long for the commission to pick you up after you escaped.

You stood up, clutching the folder to your chest. Your heels clicked on the tile floor as you passed the familiar offices. Many well manicured fingers tapping away on typewriters, your eyes falling on your old desk. You did miss the camaraderie, the shared lunches, meeting after work for a drink or two. 

Sometimes you wished you could go back to your desk job. More than anything you wished you could wash the blood off your hands. That stain would always remain, no matter how hard scrubbed. Even if you didn’t show it, you remembered every single kill. Maybe it made you soft. You’d rather be soft than a machine. 

“Excuse me?” A rather annoyed masculine voice said. You realized quickly that you were standing at the doorway of Number Five’s office. 

“Oh.” You said collecting yourself, a shy smile on your face. He was different than you’d have imagined. Instead of the rugged, scarred man you’d envisioned. He was thin, dark hair in a neat side part, his body seemed well defined but not bulging with muscles. Possibly 35?He raised an eyebrow at you, you blinked coming back to earth.“If you wouldn’t mind sweetheart, I really need to get back to this.” He said, sighing, clasping his hands as he leaned forward at his desk. Your face flushed, sweetheart?

You scoffed walking into the office and sitting across from him. He sighed leaning back in his chair and muttered something under his breath. “Is this the normal act you pull with people?” You asked, crossing your arms. It was his turn to scoff. 

“This isn’t an act, now are you going to hand me that folder or…” he trailed off, his hand stretched out expectantly.

You tilted your head, this man really had no idea who you were. You shook your head, throwing the file onto the desk . You plopped yourself down in the chair across from him, crossing your arms. He eyed you warily before opening the folder. The only noise in the office was the turning of pages, he stopped, his eyes flicked up to meet yours.

“Well sweetheart, looks like I’m your new partner.” You said squinting your eyes as you smiled smugly, your nose wrinkling. He set the folder down on the desk, he mirrored you, his arms crossed. 

“And why would they pair me with someone like you?” He grumbled. Was it because of your age? You scoffed looking off to the side, breaking eye contact. 

You’d play if that’s what he wanted, but you never lost. Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen. You watched as the smile slowly fell off his face, you felt your muscles tighten slightly and your hands stretch along with your legs. Soon Five was staring at a carbon copy of himself, only there was no paradox psychosis. Since after all he had just witnessed you turn into himself. You studied him for only a second before mirroring his stance, his body language was easy to pick up on. 

“How did you?” He asked, tilting his head slightly.

“How did I what?” You asked furrowing your-his- brows. 

He eyed you warily, leaning back in his chair. You smiled before putting yourself back together again. You smoothed your hair down, running your fingers through it. Your head throbbed slightly, a side effect of your ‘power’.

“Five Hargreeves,” he said, reaching out his hand. You took it.

“Y/n L/n.”

-

That’s how it was, you and Five against the world. Sure, he was sarcastic, egotistical, a bit of a know it all. But he was your partner, it wasn't like you were faultless.  Slowly you began to peel back his layers, how he took his coffee, when he started to work at the commission, little things like that.

You were an open book anyone could flip through at any time. You wore your heart on your sleeve, which wasn’t always a great quality in your line of work. 

“Theresa!” You called waving to one of the ‘desk worms’ as Five so ‘lovingly’ called them. She was one of your first friends after joining the commission. She stopped, gripping the files she was carrying tighter ever so slightly. Something only Five seemed to pick up on.

“Y/n…” she smiled slightly, her eyes darting to any exit she could find, “How lovely it is to see you again.” 

“You too!” You said grinning, “How have you been?” You asked walking up to her, your hand touching her forearm. She winced slightly looking down at your hand. Five walked up behind you two, staring down at Theresa. She met his gaze only for a second before looking back at you.

“Fine. Just fine.” She forced a smile again, Five crossed his arms watching the interaction. She pulled away ‘readjusting’ the files in her arms. Your smile faltered.

“Oh, well I’ll catch you around! Maybe we could get lunch together? The old gang.” You nudged her arm. She looked down at where you had touched her, before she met your eyes again.

“Oh, well we had an early lunch today so… Maybe next time.” She forced a smile before all but running away from the two of you. You stood like a statue watching her run off. Your smile dropped from your face, Five clenched his jaw. 

“Well,” Five said, breaking the silence, your head whipped back to look at him, “She’s a piece of work isn’t she?” He huffed, stuffing his hands in his pocket.

“Huh?” You asked furrowing your brows, “No! No, they just had an early lunch, that's all.” You said nodding to yourself, trying to make yourself believe your words.

Five looked at your face, the slight pout in your lip, your face was flushed. He internally fought with himself over his next choice of words. He would suffer through any awkward moments to see you smile again.

“How about you have lunch with me today, tesoro?” He asked, bumping his shoulder against yours. Your face broke out into a grin, a real one.

“Really?” You asked, the twinkle returning to your eyes. He nodded, the corner of his lips pulling upwards. “Absolutely!” You cheered, linking your arm through his. Normally he would have blinked away from anyone who dared touch him. But the feeling of your arm in his felt… right.

-

“So do you have any brothers or sisters?” You asked as you took a bite of your sandwich.

“Next question.” He looked back up at you. You sighed, lifting yourself up onto a desk. You swung your legs, picking up a chip and throwing it into your mouth.

“I don’t even know if I have any siblings.” You said as he picked up his own sandwich, he stopped eyeing you warily. 

“What do you mean?” He asked, setting his sandwich down and crossing his arms.

“Well from what I know my parents sold me to those so-called scientists. I only know their names from the information on my birth certificate.” You shrugged meeting his gaze. His brows furrowed as he returned his attention back to his lunch. You sat in silence for a moment. The only sound in the room was your chewing. Five cleared his throat, you perked up looking at him. He seemed lost in thought, like he was picking his next words carefully. 

“I have six siblings.” He said finally, his eyes on his desk. 

“Six? Jeez your parents must have been going at it nonstop.” You giggled, but he only shook his head.

“Adopted siblings, we were all adopted.” He said, picking up his own sandwich, “our father knew we were special somehow.” He shook his head slightly. “Much like your parents.” He added gesturing to you. You furrowed your brows.

“I wasn’t special before they tore me apart and put me back together again.” You said picking at the skin on your hands, he got up and walked over to you. You looked at his oxfords, perfectly shined, reflecting the led lights. He grabbed one of your hands. You looked up, surprised by his actions. He had touched you before, but not like this.

“Everyone is special.” He said matter of factly, “You don’t have to have powers to change the fate of the universe.” He said his expression soft, his green eyes peering into yours. “Hell, my sister Vanya doesn’t have any powers, and she’s the best of us.” He chuckled, running his thumb over your knuckles before pulling away. Your heart sped up, drumming in your ears. He returned to his desk, bringing his coffee cup to his lips. That was the moment you fell for him.

-

It was hard to pinpoint the moment he fell for you. Everything about you enticed him, he couldn’t exactly put his finger on it. The way you laughed, deep and hearty, throwing your head back. 

The way you took the time to truly understand him, even if he didn’t deserve it.

He could finally understand Klaus, he became addicted to you. He lived for the next hit. Nothing could touch you, alcohol didn’t come close. 

You were all encompassing.

He didn’t think he could love again after Delores. He didn’t think he wanted to. At first it felt like a betrayal as you stole his heart, like a thief in the night.

It infuriated him. You infuriated him. He tried being cold to you, but every time your smile fell he would find himself apologizing. He didn’t fall in love with you in an instant, his love took time. Like the way he started meaning it when he called you ‘tesoro’ instead of it being a tease. 

“What does that mean?” You asked one day, walking down the halls of the commission. He stopped, you walked past him turning to lean on the wall in front of him. You crossed one foot in front of the other in that certain way you always did.

“What does what mean?” He asked, feigning ignorance. 

“Tesoro, you always call me tesoro. I want to make sure you’re not calling me a bitch or something.” You giggled, shaking your head as you looked down at your shoes. It was like someone had poured a bucket of ice water on him. He felt caught, like when his father had caught him in his study. 

“It doesn’t mean bitch.” He wrinkled his nose trying to walk past you. Get away from the conversation and hope you forgot you asked.

You stopped him, your warm hand pushing him back.

“You aren’t getting out of this that easily.” You teased, he gulped peering down the hall. You were alone.

“Sweetheart.” He mumbled straightening his jacket.

“Huh?” You asked, cocking your head.

“Tesoro means sweetheart-“

“No, no I heard that.” You clarified a grin working its way onto your lips.

“Oh I hate that smile.” He loved that smile.

“You actually like me Number Five.” You grinned, that mischievous glint in your eye.

“I tolerate you, let’s put it that way.” He said stalking away from you. You had to run to catch up to him. 

“Fine, fine. Whatever you say.” You put your hands up in surrender matching his stride. That damned smile beaming up at him. 

-

The moment neither of you could deny your feelings anymore was an entirely different situation. This was months after the incident you had shared in a rather small hotel room with only one bed. Sure he had been fighting his feelings since that fateful night. Partners could fuck every once and awhile without developing feelings right? Now you were running down an alley, chasing a nasty fellow named Oliver Nicholson. This man, if you could even call him that, had been holding human fight clubs, but unfortunately for the fighters it wasn’t voluntary. Kidnapping people off the streets for these illegal rounds. If he were to continue his so-called ‘cock fights’ he could alter the timeline permanently. So here you were, running full speed ahead, briefcase in one hand and a revolver in another. Unfortunately, Oliver turned sharply down a corner, which put him in a bit of a blind spot. Five blinked after him, disappearing from your line of sight. You sighed picking up your pace, sometimes you hated your partner's power. The danger he put himself in with no means of back up drove you crazy. Just as you predicted he didn’t know that he was jumping into a fight he wasn’t prepared for. He was immediately tackled by some hired men, they punched him in the face. Hot liquid started to run from his nose, not liquid he reminded himself, it was blood. His vision was fuzzy and the ringing in his ears was all encompassing.

“Five!” You yelled he turned his head slightly to see you, the look of pure rage on your face still gives him chills to this day. You made quick work of ending those SOB’s lives. You shot the one on top of Five. The man slumped against him, his blood spattering onto his face. Five pushed him off jumping back into the fray.

Once all the men were either knocked unconscious or dead, you rushed over to him. You took his face in your hands, tsking at his bloody face.

“What happened to staying together?” You asked, pulling a handkerchief out of your pocket, wiping away any blood, “Hold this.” You ordered, he held the handkerchief to his bleeding nose. You stepped back crossing your arms, “You scared me half to death.” You huffed, biting your lip, avoiding his gaze. The damp pavement was the perfect backdrop for the lights to reflect onto your face. Your beautiful face. He tried blaming the pounding in his chest on the adrenaline running through his veins. You wiped away at a tear and his heart seized in his chest. 

It was like his body was moving without his knowledge, he stuffed the handkerchief in his pocket, his hands reaching out to you. One wrapped around your waist while the other came up the back of your neck. He crashed his lips against yours, you let out a small squeak. You were frozen, your brain short circuiting. He pulled away looking at you for permission, or for any sign of rejection. You grabbed at him, pulling his face back to yours. It was messy, his blood now on both of your faces, teeth clashing, both of you taking each other in like oxygen. It was perfect. Kissing Five was like taking a hit and he was entirely too addictive. 

“Was that ok?” He pulled away out of breath, his hard exterior came crashing down around you both. He rested his forehead against yours, his hands held your waist. You smiled looking into his eyes, his expression reminded you of that fateful night in the hotel room.

“More than ok.” You giggled, your hand coming up to rest on his neck. He chuckled grinning, he studied your face. Taking in every freckle, line and blemish. You were the most amazing piece of art he had ever seen. “Come on mister, let’s get out of here.” You took his hand, opening the briefcase.

[feralnumberfive]

[fran-oewm9]

I finally have 10 couples in Tomodachi Life!! So here they are :D

5 of them are married, three have children and the other 5 are just dating. Once I get another 10 couples I will show them :D

[misrepresentedmorallygrey]

PROPAGANDA

Mabel Propaganda

"[insert "i am 12 years old" comic]"

"You probably already know about this but back when the series was airing people were really pissed at Mabel because she was supposedly selfish. Yeah ok guys asking for a fucking megaphone to help a merman find his family was TOTALLY unreasonable. Dipper giving up one (1) "date" with a girl way older than him to save Mabel's pet was SO not worth it. (This is sarcasm btw. Side note a lot of these have to do with Dipper's crush on Wendy which is a whole other discussion.) And then there's the big one. Mabel causing Weirdmageddon. What people fail to realize with this is that 1) she was extremely stressed when she handed Bill the rift 2) she was tricked by Bill, a being that is A MASTER AT TRICKING PEOPLE, into thinking that she was being handed a magic solution to what felt like the end of the world to her, and 3) she was TWELVE. Not to pull out the "she is literally neurodivergent and a minor" card but do you really expect a 12 year old who's just been told that she's gonna have to face a big and difficult transition WITHOUT her brother who's been there for her all her life to make a rational decision? Y'all seriously fell for Bill's empty words in Sock Opera. Absolute bufoons. You would not survive Weirdmageddon."

"Oh wow, a preteen girl under extreme distress acts like a preteen girl under extreme distress. Whoda thunk?"

Allison Propaganda

Receives classio fandom misogynoir. She did eventually go down a dark path and do some fucked up things in season 3 (which I have a lot of problems with) but it was met by reactions of "see I knew she was evil all along!" people saying she never changed and was always selfish and terrible: (at the start of her character arc in season 1, she's struggling with the consequences of her actions and trying to be a better person. Among other things, she used her powers of compulsion to force her daughter to behave, which is BAD but it's not inhumanly evil. Can you imagine being an exhausted mom dealing with a misbehaving child and knowing that you have the ability to make them be quiet and do what you want? You really wouldn't be tempted? Anyway, she REGRETS IT.) It was painful near the end of season 1 where her sibling (Viktor, but season 1 was before his transition) was being manipulated by his evil boyfriend into unleashing his powers (sealed because they were dangerous) and turning against his family. Allison tried to warn him and take him back with her. When talking didn't work, Allison felt her only option was to compell him (which works by her saying "I heard a rumor" and then whatever she wants the person to do), and when she tried that Viktor slit her throat. He felt guilty for it but his evil boyfriend led him away and Allison was left there bleeding. People watching BLAMED ALLISON FOR THIS. She was DESPERATE to get her sibling back & away from an evil guy that was leading him down a really destructive path (he caused the end of the world! because of it!) and only tried to use her power after asking didn't work. She did not deserve to be hurt like that. Allison unfortunately was a bad person in season 3. But she sure as hell wasn't always a bad person and I hated seeing so many people say she was, I stopped looking at fandom spaces because of it. She was trying her best and did a lot of good before that."

[astersplace]

five x reader - looks

Even after running for his life several times, he had never felt his heart beat as fast as it did when she stepped out of the elevator. She looked at Sloane, continuing her duties as her maid of honor as she made one final adjustment to the bride’s dress. He looked at her.

Her eyes shone with a certain joy; one that was rare to see mere hours before the end of the world. Maybe it was the way her dress hung softly on her hips and shoulders, or the way her hair looked shiny and soft. Maybe it was how the light reflected off of her face, accentuating her beautifully done makeup.

Maybe it was just her.

When she stepped out, she walked to Five. Their hearts thumped so loud, they were silently hoping the other person couldn’t hear it.

“You look… great.”

“So do you, did you try something new with your hair?”

“Yeah, Klaus insisted on styling it. He said it made me look like a ‘sexy little grade school boy.’”

She chuckled at that. She took his arm and sat down next to him.

The ceremony was beautiful. He knew he should be paying more attention to his brother, but he kept sneaking glances at her. During the vows, the newlyweds were tearing up. She was too. He immediately noticed, and grabbed her hand to trace small, comforting shapes on the back of her hand. She put her other hand on top of his, turning her body into him. Resting her head on his shoulder, he was overjoyed.

He would never let her know that, though.

Well, at least when they were sober.

[apocalypse-boi]

Conclusion number the second: if your name is Stanley, I love you

[abisbookshelf]

so basically if your name is stanley/stan, i love you

[harpydrawsstuff]

Actually fuck it I’ll post these because I’ll probably take a while before I finish the last 4

[bwthornton]

Dennis Chinaworks Umbrella Pine 7" Spill Vase Sally Tuffin #DennisChinaworks #UmbrellaPine #ceramics #art #Stratford #Warwickshire

https://www.bwthornton.co.uk/dennis-chinaworks.php

Dennis Chinaworks Umbrella Pine 7" Spill Vase Sally Tuffin #DennisChinaworks #UmbrellaPine #ceramics #art #Stratford #Warwickshire

[artistic-arteries]

I hope this doesn't awaken something in me-

My other favorite characters:

[bigcats-birds-and-books]

....oh when i finish DRAGON i could watch sandman and knit, huh

[angst-fairygodmother]

Will you write more Lila? Please? With the protective prompt: “I love you. Of course I’m gonna defend you like that.” you're the beast Lila writer!

A/N: I wasn't planning on writing for Lila again, but this prompt just fit so well, that I managed to bang this out in a single sitting. So here you are, enjoy! (Also thank you for the compliment Nonny, you are too kind.) Word Count: 2162 Rating: T - canon-typical threats of violence, swearing, emotional abuse/manipulation

FIC CONTAINS NO SPOILERS FOR SEASON 3 OF THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY

The Temps Commission was all you knew. Not because you grew up there and were trained since childhood to be a master assassin or anything (that would never happen, right?) but because you had been there for so long, and time passed so unusually, that anyone you might have been before had long since faded into hazy memory, like a dream or a story that happened to someone else. 

The other analysts were nice enough. Weekly lunches with Dot and subtle but increasingly dangerous prank wars with Herb (his sweet, almost fatherly face hid a frighteningly devious mind) gave your life structure and stability. But it was one of the field agents, you had come to think of her as your field agent by the number of assignments you’d worked opposite ends of, that really served as your anchor, never letting you become adrift in the strands of time, or at least not alone. 

Lila Pitts was The Handler’s adopted daughter, and while officially the stance was that she wasn’t supposed to get special treatment based on that fact, unofficially there were betting pools and disgruntled grumbles alike over whether she was being groomed to take over her mother’s role, and when (some analysts didn’t think she should because she had never experienced your side of the work, but they had quickly learned not to express such opinions around you or face your wrath). And more important than who her mother was, she was bold and funny and stubborn and drove you crazy, in all of the best ways. She was easily the best friend you had ever had, or ever could.

“Hey sexy,” her voice was close to your ear and made you shiver as she kissed you on the cheek and boosted herself up to perch on the corner of your desk. 

“Lila, you’re not supposed to be in here,” you couldn’t help laughing while you scolded her, knowing she had never cared about that rule before and wouldn’t now. The room was empty of other analysts anyway, since you had been working overtime on a particularly weird assignment. 

“So? When has that ever stopped me before?” 

“It hasn’t. But someday you’re going to get one of us fired. And I’m not convinced the Commission doesn’t have a severance policy that would add the word ‘on’ to that.” 

She rolled her eyes at your concern. “Nah, it’ll be fine. My mother would never let that happen to me, and you’re my person, so I wouldn’t let them fire you either.”

“Your person?” you felt like your heart was in your throat, beating like a trapped bird and trying to escape. She might just mean it platonically, her friend, her favorite analyst, you made a good team. But you hoped beyond hope that it was more than that. 

“Duh. You’re like the best thing about this place,” she said casually, looking at the pen she was fiddling with rather than at you. “I wouldn’t want to be here without you.”

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that was a confession,” you teased, immediately regretting it when her face darkened and she started shifting uncomfortably. “Lila, I’m kidding.” 

“Would it bother you if it was?” 

“No, not at all. I just…didn’t expect it.” 

“Good to know,” she said, smiling mysteriously and hopping down to the floor. “I should let you back to work, but…I’ll see you around, yeah?”

“Of course. You’re the one who’s hard to pin down, not me.”

She smirked, and you felt your face growing hot at your accidental innuendo (or was it admission, you wondered, picturing all the scenarios where she might be pinning you and finding all of them set your blood rushing and head spinning). 

~

It wasn’t unusual not to see your friend for weeks on end sometimes, but after the conversation between you, it still stung. Despite knowing the nature of the work you did, and she did, you couldn’t help but wonder if she was avoiding you or if you had misinterpreted the signals she was giving you. 

And then one morning, while you were settling into the work you had admittedly been distracted from by your fretting, the shoe that you hadn’t even known was there dropped. You were being called before The Handler for “a quick chat,” and your stomach sank. 

“How long have you been with the Commission, Y/N?” she asked in what was far too conversational a tone to put you at ease. 

“I…can’t say, ma’am. It’s a bit of a blur to be honest,” you answered, fiddling with your hands in your lap. 

“It’s been a long time though, right?” 

“Yes, I suppose so.” 

“And do you enjoy working here?” Her elbows rested on the desk and her fingers steepled in front of her face as she studied you, like a bug under a microscope. 

“Of course. It’s always fascinating, and tests me to the furthest of my ability. I couldn’t ask for a better job.”

“No you couldn’t. A smart thing for you to remember.”

You frowned. “Have I done something wrong?”

“Have I done something wrong?” she echoed in a mocking tone before scoffing. “Don’t play dumb with me. We both know if you were that, you wouldn’t be here.” 

“Ma’am?”

“And you won’t be here for much longer if you keep toying with my daughter. Do I make myself clear?”

“Actually, no. You don’t. I have no idea what I could have done that would be considered toying with Lila. And I would never do anything to hurt her, not intentionally, so that puts me in an even more upsetting position if you’re saying to me that I have.” 

The Handler’s hands slammed down on her desk, making you jump, as she stood up to lean menacingly over you in your seat. 

“Lila is a very special girl. And she has a Great Destiny that I am going to help her fulfill. You are not special. Your only destiny is to fill a seat at a desk and push papers around, like all the other analysts.”

You swallowed nervously and shrank down in your seat to avoid her wrath.

“But my dear daughter has a bit of a romantic streak, and she fancies you. I can’t say I see why in the least. It doesn’t matter.”

You couldn’t help the giddy flip your stomach did at the possibility that Lila might return your feelings, even if the news was delivered in the most terrifying way possible, and wasn’t coming from Lila herself. 

“You don’t matter. And I won’t have you distracting her or getting her hopes up that you and her can take a briefcase and run off to the riviera or somewhere equally cliche and live happily ever after forever and ever.” The Handler’s voice had taken on a mocking sneer again. “You cannot have her. Do I make myself clear?”

You didn’t know what to say. You wanted to say something about how you returned the feeling, and how that hardly equated to toying with Lila, that if she asked you would do exactly that with her in a heartbeat. Another, more cowardly part of you that thought The Handler might slit your throat with a pencil without warning wanted to assure her that you had no intention of getting in Lila’s way, or that you would just be happy to be able to watch and help her on her path, to promise that you would never act against The Handler. Neither of them, nor the part that said to just get up and flee and hope you could get to the briefcase room and out of there before The Handler brought security down, nor any other of your warring instincts that were swirling around inside you and leaving you quite nauseous, got to act. 

Suddenly Lila burst into the office, and if looks could kill, The Handler might be a pile of ash on the opposite side of the desk from you. 

“Mother! What the hell are you doing?!” Lila snapped, rushing to your side, moving as if to shield you from her mother’s wrath. 

“Taking care of a little problem dear,” The Handler purred, voice turning sickly sweet. “It’s nothing for you to worry about.” 

“You’re threatening my best friend. I think that’s definitely something for me to worry about.”

“Lila it’s okay,” you whispered, placing a hand on her arm and wincing in surprise when she shrugged you off.

“No it’s not, Y/N. You mean the world to me, you’re my Focus Point. And I’m not going to let my mother, or anyone else, get in between us.”

“Oh Honey,” The Handler laughed dismissively. “I couldn’t get between you if I tried right now, you’re so close together. But people like Y/N come and go, you’re much too important to waste your time with them.”

“Stop it.”

“I know what I’ve asked of you hasn’t always been easy, darling, but I only did it because I believed in you. I knew what you were capable of. But maybe I didn’t take enough care to make sure you were strong enough.”

“I said stop.” Lila shook her head, eyes pinching shut, as if trying to block out The Handler’s voice.

“If you continue to waste your time on palling around with analysts, or chasing silly romances, you’re going to get soft. Emotions make you stupid, sweetie. And if you’re too weak to do what needs to be done, you’re going to get killed. You understand that don’t you? I’m only trying to look out for you.”

You watched Lila deflating before your eyes with every word out of The Handler’s mouth and felt a white-hot rage building up inside of you.

“Shut. Up,” you suddenly growled, standing to look The Handler in the eye. 

“Excuse me?!” she laughed as if she couldn’t believe what she’d just heard, and Lila’s head whipped around to stare at you in shock and horror.

“With all due respect, ma’am, you can’t be fucking serious. Lila is one of the best agents this place has ever turned out. Even better than Number Five. And it is because she hasn’t become a cold, emotionless robot. Her heart and her humanity are her best quality. And she has so many good, no, incredible, qualities that that’s saying something. You could never be half of what she is. And yes, that puts her so far out of my league that I’m not sure we’re even playing the same game, but I don’t care. Because the most important thing to me is to support her. Not play pretend at it, not change her. And if I get to be in her life in any way, let alone have a chance with her, than I can consider myself the luckiest person in the universe.”

Out of the corner of your eye, you thought you saw Lila tearing up, and you held out your hand to her, giving a comforting squeeze when she took it, but you kept your eyes locked on her mother.

“And if you don’t see that, you’re the stupid one.” 

The Handler rocked back as if she’d been hit, mouth agape, and then sat heavily in her chair. 

“I have to say, Y/N. I wasn’t expecting you to have a spine. I’m actually impressed, and I’ll be keeping my eye on you.”

“No you won’t Mother, leave Y/N alone.” Lila still sounded small, but more sure. “Please?”

Before The Handler could answer, you turned on your heel and left the office, pulling Lila behind you. When you had made it to the courtyard, you finally stopped and let your panic set in.

“Oh my god, I can’t believe I did that!” you shouted, beginning to pace. “What the hell was I thinking?! She’s going to fire me. Or kill me. Or both. I’m going to be used as target practice. Or a science experiment. I’m sorry Lila. I really meant it for the best, and I hope that whatever she does to me, she doesn’t also take my stupid big mouth and idiocy out on you too.” 

“Will you shut up?” Lila laughed, catching your face between her hands and making you stand still to look at her. “That was the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen. No one’s ever stood up to my mother before. Especially not for me. I can’t believe you did that!”

“I love you.  Of course I’m gonna defend you like that.” The words tumbled so naturally from your lips that you didn’t have time to regret them.

And then there were no words coming from either of you because her lips were on yours, and yours were on hers, and everything else melted away. 

“I love you too,” Lila laughed when you finally broke away to breathe, her hands still where they were cradling you. “For an analyst, I’m surprised you didn’t work that out sooner.”