#we only got a glimpse of her but i latched onto it and refuse to let go

[olliepurples]

as a kaleidoscope of death reader, spirealm lin qiushi's reaction to li dongyuan pulling out a pic of ruan baijie is so interesting to me. he clearly knows who she is, but doesn't react with surprise at all; he's seen her before. however, thus far, ruan nanzhu has only ever presented male onscreen. therefore, lin qiushi must have met ruan baijie offscreen.

my hc scenario for this is that lin qiushi was just chilling at the obsidian house one time and ruan baijie walked out of a door and collapsed on the couch sighing. after a solid minute of thinking "who is that??? have they broken in??? do i need to tell someone???" cheng qianli walks in asks how ruan-jie is doing. cue several minutes of strained eavesdropping where lin qiushi tries to confirm if he heard right, before ruan baijie calls out to him to stop eavesdropping and make her a drink. this is the thing that confirms to lin qiushi that they are the same person.

[north-park]

Setting your inbox on fire in exchange for a hot take: 🔥

Ok so you didn't specified on which topic so i'm going to go on CSM because it's CSM Tuesday:

Most Reze fans don't get Reze, they believe she is the fake persona she made up to lure out Denji, all the trust-worthy parts of her personalities were carefully constructed to make him trust so she can later backstab him

The real Reze, is the cold individual we saw during the beach scene, the one that breaks Denji's neck for being a stupid dumbass that never learns, we get glimpse of her real battle-minded self during the fight scenes, not during the part she takes Denji's lil flower, when she gets rejected by him and even receives a pretty good reason she is just a petty incel and just decides to make him suffer a little more because....... i guess Denji is a bastard for wanting to stay with his family? Not that Reze fans even remember what the kiss scene actually went like and only take in consideration the "good parts", the fact this is the characters hundred of thousands of people latched onto as "Denji's love interest" is frankly embarassing and extremely reductive of her role in the story, she is NOT a love interest in any possible way regardless if she might got feeelings for him or not, she is a villain first and menace to him second

Ok jokes aside here my hot sp takes that i assume you actually want to hear:

I don't agree when people say the problem with this show is that "it refuses to take a stance", it actually takes stances most of the times, the problem is that it simply goes pretty soft with what it wants to say and often it's not even a thing the show should say, due ignorance or lack of real information

The problem is not that "the takes are centrist and say both sides are bad" no the problem is..... the takes are just flat out bad and don't eveb try to resolve the problem at hand, it's a "cowardly show" as much it's a "go girl give us nothing show" where it's actually better to just listen the commentaries where Trey Parker does a better job explaining his points and what he means than he does within the episodes themself

[swan-of-sunrise]

Specs and the Flyboy (Chapter Nineteen-Part Three)

Summary: (Y/N), Jack and their friends finally face off against Leviathan and the Secret Empire.

Pairing: Jack Thompson X Reader

Word Count: 4.1k

Warnings/Disclaimers:  None

A/N: Ya girl wrote this while dealing with sleep deprivation, cramps and the after effects of the vaccine, so I hope it’s good ‘cause at this point I can’t even tell lol Thank you all so much for reading! I hope that you enjoy!

Chapter Nineteen (Part III) Leviathan’s Weapons Facility, Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic (Previous Chapter)

While the two of them were ushered down the staircase that led into the crate-filled warehouse by Michael and Dottie, (Y/N)’s mind raced as she struggled to think of a way out of their current conundrum. I’ve been in plenty of tough scrapes before but even I’ll admit that this one’s the toughest one yet, she thought to herself, her eyes rapidly scanning the large room; there were large, frost-covered windows towards the ceiling, several boarded-up skylights and the two metal doors she spotted were both guarded by Leviathan soldiers. By the time they reached the base of the stairs, (Y/N) had counted a total of twenty armed enemy operatives – seventeen Leviathan guards, Attwell, Underwood and Michael Carter – and from the brief glimpse she’d gotten of their friends hidden behind a stack of crates, it looked as though both Pinkerton and Sawyer were badly injured and the others were trying to bandage their blood-soaked wounds. So, we’re out-gunned and out-numbered, she concluded with a sinking feeling as she bit her lip in worry.

“So, Chief Thompson did survive his daring escape!” Attwell grinned, walking out into the empty space amidst the crates and standing before the two of them. “Truth be told, I was hoping that we’d meet again; I detest leaving loose ends, and killing the SSR’s golden boy once and for all would’ve been a genuine pleasure.”

Beside (Y/N), Jack’s shoulders tensed but he tilted his head to the side in mock contemplation. “What, you couldn’t do it without your Leviathan goons backing you up? What a real tough guy.”

Attwell’s fist quickly connected with Jack’s stomach and when he doubled over in pain, the man struck him across the face and sent him sprawling to the ground. “Stop it!” (Y/N) started towards her partner but the sudden feeling of a pistol barrel against the back of her neck stopped her cold; tearing her eyes away from Jack, she met Attwell’s gaze and struggled to keep her voice steady as she spoke, “He’s not the one who’s screwing up your deal with Leviathan, I am.”

“Of course, of course, the infamous codebreaker.” Attwell stepped closer but she held her ground, raising her chin in defiance and refusing to look away despite how uncomfortable his stare made her feel. After a tension-filled moment, his face broke out into a stomach-churning smirk. “It’s a shame that such promising talent’s being squandered by the SSR, by those who dismiss and condescend you at every turn. I was very much like you before joining Hydra; I was overshadowed at Cambridge by my perfect older brother and his two brilliant flatmates; while William, Michael and Adam flourished in their respective fields of study, I floundered and was subsequently expelled but as luck would have it, I was approached by Hydra and offered a chance to unlock my true potential; and here I stand before you, Agent (Y/L/N), to offer you that very-same chance. With the new Leviathan, your immeasurable skills would not only be recognized but they’d also be celebrated. You and Michael could work side-by-side in our efforts to break through as the world’s leading superpower and once we achieve our goal of fully weaponizing Zodiac, Agent (Y/L/N), you’ll have everything you’ve ever truly desired.”

Out of the corner of her eye, (Y/N) noticed Jack’s hand resting on his waist and while Attwell talked, her partner’s index finger had tapped away. It only took her seconds to realize he was sending out a message in Morse Code on the walkie-talkie still clipped onto his belt and once she did, she knew exactly what she needed to do.

“You know, it’s a good thing you’re decent at codebreaking, Specs, ‘cause you’d make a pretty shit spy. You fidget too much.”

If Jack can think up an off-the-cuff plan to get us out of this mess then I can buy us all a little time by being a good spy, she thought with resolve just as Attwell finished up his speech. Taking a page out of her partner’s book, (Y/N) raised an incredulous brow at the man as the corner of her mouth curled into a humorless smile. “There was a time when I would’ve given just about anything for people to recognize me and my skills, to appreciate just how hard I’ve worked to get where I am today. But then I grew up and realized that the only person whose appreciation I needed was my own. Mr. Attwell, I don’t need to be celebrated or appreciated by anyone, but especially not by a pathetic imitation of the Red Skull.”

The man’s expression instantly grew cold at the comparison. “Then it would seem that you’re of no use to us.” His gaze shifted to look at whoever was holding her at gunpoint and he nodded. “Shoot her, Michael.”

“Stop!” All of them looked over just as Peggy jumped out from behind their makeshift barricade with her rifle pointed directly at Attwell. “I’ll give you the key.”

“Peggy, no!” The barrel of the pistol pressed harder into (Y/N)’s neck and she winced in pain. However, her horror was quickly replaced with dawning comprehension when Peggy flashed her a pointed look before briefly glancing in Jack’s direction. She knows about whatever Jack’s planning, she silently realized, playing along with her old friend’s ruse by rearranging her features into a look of righteous indignation.

Moving to stand beside Attwell, Dottie raised the hand that wasn’t holding her rifle and gave the younger woman a small wave. “Hiya, Peggy. You know, you really should’ve listened to me back in New York; I told you there were currencies in the world stronger than money. I practically spelled all of this out for you! But the great Peggy Carter couldn’t figure it all out on her own, so she needed the help of…” Dottie turned to (Y/N) with a frown. “What’re those revolting nicknames you call each-? Oh, never mind, I don’t want to know.” Turning back to Peggy, the spy shrugged. “Well, I suppose not everyone’s perfect, are they?”

“No, they’re certainly not.” Attwell agreed, gesturing with his head for Peggy to lower her weapon and holding out his hand once she’d set it on the ground. “No tricks, Agent Carter. The key, and you and your friends are free to go; it appears that at least one of them is in need of medical attention, so I’d be quick about it if I were you.” When Peggy’s eyes flicked over to where Michael was standing behind (Y/N), Attwell chuckled darkly and shook his head. “No, I don’t think dear old Michael’s going anywhere but by all means, Agent, go ahead and ask him if you don’t believe me.”

For the first time since they were ushered into the warehouse, Peggy looked directly at her older brother. Her hardened expression slipped and for the briefest of moments, (Y/N) recognized the vulnerable young woman she’d known all those years ago at Bletchley Park who mourned her beloved brother’s death. While her lower lip trembled, Peggy finally addressed Michael. “Not too long ago, I had a dream about you and you told me that you’d be right alongside me if you could. I didn’t believe it was possible, even when (Y/N) and Jack told me it was, but now we have a second chance at being a family again. Michael, you can finally come home.” She blinked away her tears and gave him the ghost of an encouraging smile. “Please, Michael, come home with me.”

(Y/N) could feel the pressure on her neck ease up but just as she was beginning to think that Peggy had succeeded in getting through to him, Michael coolly replied, “This is my family, Agent, the only family I have in this world.”

Peggy’s face crumpled as Attwell laughed in amusement. “I told you so! Now, the key for your friends.”

God, I hope that whatever Jack’s planning happens sooner rather than later, (Y/N) silently prayed, sucking in a breath while the younger woman approached Attwell. Once Peggy reached into her pocket and withdrew the familiar Arena Club pin, the man looked over at Dottie and gave her a nod; the spy slung the strap of her rifle over her shoulder and made her way over to one of the many wooden crates near them, kicking the lid off of it and lifting a small metal box out of the loose excelsior. The box looked innocent enough but as Dottie walked it over to Attwell, (Y/N)’s blood ran cold and she knew that the moment Peggy handed over that key, Leviathan would possess one of the world’s deadliest weapons and they’ll have lost.

“Get up, Chief Thompson,” Michael barked and while Jack got to his feet, (Y/N) was roughly pushed towards him. “And you, stand over there with him.”

(Y/N) did as he said, standing beside Jack and keeping her eyes on the scene unfolding before them as she murmured, “You okay?”

“Yeah, you?”

“Peachy-keen.” She watched Dottie hand the metal box over to Attwell, her anxiety steadily building within her while he examined the box’s intricate lock. “Are you going to fill me in on the plan or what?”

The corner of Jack’s mouth curled upwards and he quietly replied, “Patience is a virtue, Specs, just be ready for it.”

“Be ready for wha-?”

Just then as Peggy’s hand stretched out to give Attwell the Arena Club pin, the warehouse wall opposite them exploded. Rubble and splintered pieces of crates flew through the air but before (Y/N) could fully react, gunfire broke out all around them. Amidst the chaos, Jack latched onto (Y/N)’s hand and ran, yanking her behind the nearest tower of crates as bullets whizzed past their heads; both of them crouched on the ground and peeked around the wooden crates, and her eyes widened in amazement at what she saw. The explosion that had knocked down part of the warehouse wall hadn’t been an explosion at all but rather one of the Howlies’ trucks and as (Y/N) watched, Daniel and Henry used the truck’s doors as barriers while they exchanged fire with the Leviathan guards. Moments later, she spotted Peggy dart out from one of the aisles to join her boyfriend behind the open truck door.

“Wa-Hoo!”

Dugan’s deafening war cry from across the warehouse was punctuated by a fresh barrage of gunfire, and (Y/N) couldn’t help but revel at the familiarity of it all; her eyes were suddenly drawn to two men sprinting down the aisle towards her and Jack, and it took her a tense moment to recognize them through all the chaos.

“There you guys are!” Howard exclaimed before ducking down beside them, followed closely by an anxious-looking Edwin Jarvis. Reaching into the satchel that was slung over his shoulders, the inventor withdrew two handguns and offered the weapons to them. “You know, you two’ve got a real habit of gettin’ into trouble…”

Jack rolled his eyes in exasperation. “Says the man who was mind-controlled into almost gassing all of New York last year.” Springing up, he fired off several shots before ducking back down. “How’re we looking, Jarvis?”

“Well, Chief Sousa’s dramatic entrance provided enough of a distraction for Mr. Fieldman to escort Mr. Pinkerton and Mr. Sawyer out the front; their wounds aren’t life-threatening, but Mr. Fieldman promised he’d help treat them once they reach the clearing.” The butler set another satchel on the ground in front of them. “And we’ve brought more guns and ammunition, as per your request.”

“You know, Thompson, you said in your message that you needed a big diversion, but that whole entrance was my idea; I actually took it from one of my studio’s newest scripts, where a gangster steals-”

“Of course, Mr. Stark, your genius knows no bounds.” Edwin hurriedly interrupted the inventor’s rambling, glancing over at (Y/N) with his brow furrowed in worry. “And have you broken Mr. Carter out of his brainwashing? Where is he?”

Looking around the edge of the crate, (Y/N)’s heart dropped when noticed that several important people were missing from the gunfight. “Where the hell did they go, Jack?”

Jack craned his neck to see what she was looking at and swore loudly. “Shit, I-wait, they’re on the stairs!” By the time (Y/N) spotted them, Attwell, Dottie and Michael had reached the top of the stairs and had disappeared around the corner. “Jarvis, stay here with Stark and cover us, then go help the others.” Edwin nodded and her partner turned towards her, his blue eyes scanning her face for any signs of trepidation as he asked, “Are you ready, Specs?”

“As I’ll ever be,” (Y/N) pulled an extra ammunition magazine out of the satchel and tucked it into her pocket before giving Jack a determined nod. “Let’s finish this once and for all, Flyboy.”

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

Compared to the chaotic warehouse they’d come from, the rest of the facility was eerily silent and it wasn’t at-all difficult to follow the footsteps of the fleeing trio through the deserted hallways.

“You know that this is probably a trap, right?”

“Naturally.”

“Good. Just wanted to make sure that we’re both on the same page.”

Before (Y/N) could get another word in, a figure she soon recognized as Dottie dropped down from above them and began attacking; the spy kicked the guns out of their hands, ramming her knee into (Y/N)’s stomach and knocking the wind out of her before spinning and using her leg to slam Jack into the wall beside them. (Y/N) took advantage of Dottie’s momentary distraction and aimed a side-kick at her thigh, but the spy merely turned her sharp fall into a somersault; she stood and threw a punch that (Y/N) was quick to duck, and then she grabbed the spy’s extended arm with the intent of wrenching it behind her back. Dottie predicted the move, yanking her arm free only to wrap her hand around her throat and roughly shove her back against the wall.

The back of (Y/N)’s head erupted into a sharp pain while Dottie flashed her a condescending smile. “I already told you, you’re too easy! It’s almost pathetic to see you try so hard to be as good as Peggy.”

“Don’t need to be as good as Peggy,” (Y/N) choked out as the fingers around her throat tightened. “Just…just good enough to keep you distracted.”

Dottie frowned in confusion and that’s when Jack slammed the butt of his gun against the back of her head. The spy tumbled to the ground in an unconscious heap and (Y/N) doubled over, her hands firmly clutching her knees as she coughed and gasped for air. “(Y/N), you okay?” She nodded and allowed Jack to take hold of her shoulders, his soothing encouragements helping her finally regain her breath; once he was sure that she was fine, her partner handed over her dropped gun and rested his hand against the small of her back to urge her forward. “C’mon, let’s go…”

They left the motionless spy behind and continued down the hallway, turning the corner and finding themselves at the entrance of a dimly-lit boiler room. Beside (Y/N), Jack shuddered and she recalled the story he’d told her of the mission he and Peggy had conducted to investigate one of Leviathan’s training facilities; she nudged him with her elbow and gave him a brief smile, wishing that she could offer him more comfort but not wanting to distract them both from their mission. Jack nodded as if to say he was fine, but his shoulders remained tense while he silently gestured for her to go left into the room while he went right.

(Y/N) crept behind the various boilers and pipes, careful not to slip on the slick ground as she did. If I end up surviving all this, I think I’m going to sleep for a week straight, she thought to herself, her heart rate steadily increasing with each step she took. While she edged herself around another heavy piece of industrial furnacing, she found herself trying to think of how to break Michael out of his mind-control long enough to save him; Jack insisted that cognitive re-calibration was the only way but after being present for Peggy and Michael’s reunion, she wondered if reminding him of his past or even recent actions would also do the trick. But a sharp skid noise right behind her made her forget her train of thought and turn, dodging the knife just in time.

“You really should’ve taken my offer, Agent (Y/L/N),” Attwell spat out, slashing at her with the knife again and forcing her to stumble back into the center aisle of the boiler room; the blade sliced against her forearm and she stifled her cry of pain, dropping her gun and leaping out of the way as he aimed for her again. “Soon, you and your foolish friends will be dead and Leviathan will have more power than you could possibly imagine!”

“Don’t you ever get tired of hearing your own damn voice?” (Y/N) retorted, her hand shooting out and twisting the red-colored knob beside them; a pipe next to Attwell spewed out pressurized steam and he let out a shriek of pain as the steam enveloped the right side of his face. Not wanting to stick around, she turned and sprinted further into the vast room, a part of her hoping that she’d bought herself enough time to save Michael. Skidding around a corner, she was immediately met with the sight of Jack and Michael engaged in a vicious fight on the floor; her partner was trying to wrestle something out of the other man’s closed fist, but he was so preoccupied with his task that he didn’t see Michael’s other hand brush the handle of a nearby gun. (Y/N) kicked the gun away from him, pinning his shoulder to the ground with her knee and spoke the first thing that came to mind. “Visions, light, cheered, night, dream!”

As she finished reciting the five words he’d used to encode his final message to Peggy, something shifted in Michael’s dark eyes and his clenched fist relaxed, allowing Jack to snatch the Arena Club pin from him. Before any of them could say or do anything more, a fiery ache erupted along her shoulder blade and she cried out in pain as she pitched forward. “(Y/N)!” Jack looped his arms underneath hers and dragged her over to half-lean against a pipe; her vision was partially clouded by the pain, but she could still make out the bloody knife he’d just pulled out of her upper back and tossed onto the ground beside them. “No, no, don’t look at that, just keep your eyes on me!” He pressed his trembling hand tight against the wound and when she nearly whimpered, he held the side of her face with the other and frantically nodded, his blue eyes steadily filling with panic that he struggled to control. “I-I know it hurts, baby, but I have to keep pressure on it; it’s not very deep, but I can’t have you fainting right now so keep your eyes on me, c’mon-”

“How touching,” Both of them looked up to see Attwell and Michael standing before them, the former with a self-satisfied smirk on his half-seared face and the latter staring stonily down at them. “Let’s make a new deal, Chief Thompson: Give me the key, and I won’t let Agent (Y/L/N) slowly bleed out on the floor of this boiler room.”

“Bastard.” Jack spat back, but his hand left (Y/N)’s face long enough to retrieve the Arena Club pin from his pocket and throw it into Attwell’s waiting hand. “You better start lookin’ over your shoulder now, Attwell, ‘cause I won’t rest until I kill you myself.”

Attwell shrugged and ran his fingers over the pin, twisting it sharply to convert it into a key. “Such fiery attitude in the face of doom was precisely why I was looking forward to killing you. But then I realized, forcing a man like you to live with your mistakes is a far worse punishment than death; and to make this victory sweeter, I plan on unlocking Zodiac in front of you both, so you can see just how spectacularly you failed yourselves, your agency and your country.” He turned to Michael with his brow raised in expectation. “Are you ready to make history, old chap?”

Michael nodded. “Of course…” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the metal box containing Zodiac; (Y/N) tried getting up, unwilling to sit back and let Leviathan win, but Jack’s strong arms held her in place against him. When she met his gaze, he gave her a barely-discernible head shake and with her jaw clenched tight, she watched Attwell push the key into the lock and turn it clockwise; the lid popped open and the man breathed a sigh of relief, reaching into the slightly-smoking box and holding an electric-blue colored vial with strange etchings carved into the glass.

“Beautiful, isn’t it? So much potential for war and destruction, and it fits within the palm of my hand.” Attwell looked up at Michael and continued, “My brother never appreciated such things, you know. He never truly appreciated you, either; once you were found out to be a deep-cover spy for the SOE, I saw an opportunity to mold you into the person you were always meant to be. Do you remember the first thing I told you after you came out of Hydra’s operating room?”

Michael’s hardened expression faltered, almost as if he was struggling to control his actions, and in an instant, he drew his gun and shot Attwell directly in the chest. There were tears in his eyes as he finally replied, “‘Michael, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.’”

The box and the vial slipped out of the dying man’s hands and as he began to sway dangerously on his feet, (Y/N) lunged forward and caught both in her hands before they could hit the ground. While Attwell’s lifeless body collapsed to the ground in a heap, she and Jack hurriedly placed the deadly Zodiac back into the box and slammed the lid closed; she let out a shaky breath, unable to grasp everything that had just happened. Michael dropped to his knees, tossing his gun to the side and rubbing his head with one hand; still mindful of her now-oozing wound, Jack held her a little closer as they both warily watched the unsteady man turn away from Attwell’s body to look at them. “I-It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Agent (Y/L/N). I’m Michael Carter, SOE.”

A smile slowly stretched across (Y/N)’s face and a sense of relief was beginning to wash over her as a familiar voice called throughout the boiler room. “(Y/N)? Jack?”

“We’re back here, (Y/N) needs some medical attention but we’re okay!” Jack called back, meeting (Y/N)’s gaze and flashing her a lopsided grin. “You’re gonna be fine, Specs, you hear me?” With a relieved chuckle, Jack leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her sweat-covered brow before resting his cheek on the top of her head. “We’re all gonna be fine.”

“Hey!” The first person who rounded the corner was Daniel, whose gun was already at the ready when he pointed it at Michael. “Hey, get the hell away from them!”

Jack held out a placating hand to the chief. “Easy, Danny Boy, he’s good right now; he’s the one who killed Attwell.”

Lowering his gun, Daniel limped over to where they sat against the pipe and knelt down as best he could to examine her knife wound. “Looks like the knife missed everything important, thank goodness. What the hell happened down here?”

Jack detailed everything they’d dealt with after hurrying out of the warehouse as their friends joined them; Edwin began treating her various wounds with Henry’s assistance, Howard carefully stowed the box containing Zodiac and its key into a satchel and Dugan worked on locating a weak point in the wall to blow a quick exit for them. There was a flurry of voices and activity surrounding (Y/N), but all her attention was on Peggy and Michael; they were talking to each other in low tones, Michael looking heartbreakingly unsure and Peggy trying her hardest not to cry, until they both surged forward and hugged one another. For the second time that day, (Y/N) was reminded of Freddie but while she watched the Carter siblings finally reunite, she didn’t feel sadness or envy, but rather pride. She was proud of herself, for having helped stop Leviathan’s plans and for having made-do on her promise to reunite her oldest and dearest friend with her beloved brother. If anyone deserves a second chance at happiness it’s those two, she thought to herself, taking a deep breath and resting her head against Jack’s strong shoulder.

They did it.

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

A/N: Only one more chapter left!! Like I said, idk how I feel about this chapter as a whole so I’m sorry if there’s mistakes/it’s bad, but next week’s is gonna be great! Thank you guys so much for reading! If you haven’t checked it out yet, I created a Spotify playlist for this series and it’s linked down below!

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/21pWY7OiMFj8LaYpxhtVtW

Chapter Twenty

“Specs and the Flyboy” Masterlist

Tagging: @nnon-it-up @fluffymadamina @remmyswritings @ourstarsailor @darkusangelus @josis-teacup @marvel-jackt-loki-buck @yeetyeetchickenmeat @sameoldbaby @theserenityspace @seeing-but-not-observing @supervoldejaygent​ @momc95​ @brooke0297​ @kinda-c0nfused​ @outoftheregular

[jadelotusflower]

Robin Hood Rewatch - 3x08 The King is Dead, Long Live the King...

An episode with a waxwork of King Richard, and not one Madame Tussauds-related joke is made. Not a one!

Other than when Prince John is onscreen, there is a serious dearth of camp this season.

We open in a London workshop, where a gentlemen in a bad wig finishes the aforementioned waxwork (although we don’t know that yet), and is promptly offed by PJ henchman Lord Sheridan, played by Robert Pugh who you might recognise from any number of things (including - accordingly to imdb - the Russell Crowe Robin Hood as Baron Baldwin) but most probably Craster from Game of Thrones.

Back in Sherwood, Much and Robin are sparring, which seems somewhat odd to me, being the only two (other than Tuck I suppose) who have been actual soldiers and you’d think the others would need the training more. The purpose seems to be dealing with outside distractions, as Allan and Kate holds mirrors to shine light into their eyes, which unfortunately causes Much to run headfirst into a tree - clearly a situation Much would be unfamiliar with, the Holy Land being notably cloudy and all.

To her credit, Kate actually does show genuine concern for him, while John and Tuck arrive to announce the arrival of visitors to Nottingham bearing the King’s insignia.

It’s Sheridan, who we learn trained Robin, leading a casket. PJ arrives to prostrate himself upon it, and Sheridan announces that King Richard is dead.

Robin refuses to believe, because he would “feel it” if it were true. Robin in big cope mode, and to his credit, John shows kindness by validates this rather than calling it out for utter stupidity.

The Archbishop of Canterbury views the body and seems suss, but has no other choice but to go along with things.

PJ wants to make Nottingham the new capital of England and have his coronation asap. The former isn’t as  weird as it sounds - up until the Norman conquest the capital was actually Winchester, so there is a certain method to PJ’s madness in wanting to shift everything North rather than rule Richard’s supporters in London - knowing of course that Richard is not dead, if/when he returns it will make it much harder for him to oust John if he’s built a northern power base.

Robin, Much, and Kate break into to view the body. Before he pulls back the shroud, Robin takes a moment and looks skyward - to God?

I’m still wondering about that tattoo, because there is only the barest of subtext to latch onto about it.

The body actually does kind of look like Steven Waddington, so there is at least some effort at continuity this season. I hope he got paid likeness rights for this episode.

Kate somehow notices what Robin and Much do not - that dead body is in fact wax, and Robin gets to feel validated that he knew Richard wasn’t dead.

PJ is wearing a very nice silk shirt and having fun with his sycophants.

Isabella tries on the double entendres, and when that doesn’t work makes a direct play to be Sheriff. However PJ wants to appoint Sheridan, who creeps on Isabella in a way that seems extremely triggering for her.

PJ emotes all over the waxwork, and we get a bit more a glimpse into his pathology:

“At least this one doesn’t lie and double deal, and steal his brother’s place on his father‘s throne, or in his mother’s heart.”

A Mother Always Did Like Richard Best reference! Well, enough of one for me.

While obviously unhinged, PJ is starting to make a bit more sense - he never spent much of his childhood with Eleanor but probably craved her approval and was jealous of her obvious preference for Richard, he was fetted and favoured as a boy by Henry II when his brothers Henry the Young King, Richard, and Geoffrey rebelled, and therefore feels entitled to the throne and feels it was denied to him. The only person who loved John - his father - is gone, and those who remain love Richard, hence John’s obsession with “do you love me?”

Speaking of unhinged, PJ then wildly punches the waxwork, which seems to disturb Sheridan greatly.

Isabella complains about Sheridan to her maid and wipes her cheek where he kissed it. Guy appears, and Isabella tries to stab him - he pulls her hair and holds her by the throat, and the continued physical violence against Isabella is just so disturbing?

Guy has the audacity to say Isabella “betrayed” him, and she successfully convinces him that she can get PJ to forgive and forget in order to save her own life, since Guy seems absolutely ready to kill her in that moment.

Two guards are overseeing the burning of the waxwork, while the gang pull a Dread Pirate Roberts to scare them away but it’s too late. Tuck suggests they assassinate PJ, and Robin is surprisingly not for this, claiming they “risk invasion” and civil war.

Trying to parse this since it’s not clear - I assume Robin means invasion by the French on behalf of Arthur of Brittany, Richard and John’s nephew, who was actually appointed Richard’s heir presumptive in 1190 over John. The Archbishop really should have mentioned this when John was banging on about being the “legal heir” at this time. He wasn’t!

But you know, Richard can just...come back? Perhaps at this point Robin realises he can no longer put his faith in Richard’s return.

Robin’s plan is to steal the crown to prevent PJ from being anointed with it. Okay.

Both of Isabella’s gowns this episode have been dark in colour, and it’s an interesting change.

Isabella wants Guy to apologise for marrying her off to that horrible man, and Guy refuses - this conversation is extremely telling, because Guy’s reasoning is that they’d still be living poor in France if he didn’t, not even willing to acknowledge that for HIM that was a good deal, in that it allowed him to pull himself up, but that Isabella would far prefer poverty to the abuse she’s suffered. That Guy is not willing to even consider what she has been through, and that all he has achieved was at her expense, is infuriating. 

“It’s not my fault that you failed to make the best of your chance.” I just...flames. FLAMES. On the side of my face...

And Guy says this when he is completely in Isabella’s power to uplift or condemn! I realise this is also big cope mode for Guy, that after all the terrible things he did in the end it brought him nothing, and he simply cannot allow himself to see or accept his own failures. So he blunders on as he has always done, and that is his downfall.

Isabella has drugged him and plans to hand him over to PJ, and I am completely on her side. I do note her maid is in the background, and honestly that should have been Meg rather than bring her in next episode.

We’re back at the Tip to Jerusalem Inn, where Robin is waiting for Sheridan. I do wonder what the point is of these two characters having a history when nothing significant is done with it - nothing that shed’s light on Robin’s character, or Sheridan’s, or even Richard’s.

Kate is posing as a bar wench, and distracts Sheridan so Allan can swipe his keys.

Robin and Tuck go for the crown, which is in the dungeons in a chest with a tripwires and an arrow-shooting booby trap, and is this season really so dedicated to recycling so many ideas from the past two, but worse?

We do get to see Robin do his best Catherine-Zeta Jones though.

Or perhaps the stunt double.

Sheridan is mildly lecherous with Kate, and Allan overreacts and blows their cover.

Robin has to put his hand into a box of scorpions (????) but gets the crown, and the Archbishop is only too pleased to call off the coronation.

Isabella’s maid gets curious about Guy, and he grabs her by the throat (a lot of thing going around) and escapes. Okay, maybe Meg wouldn’t have worked in this role.

Kate is briefly imperiled yet again, and Much refuses to leave her.

Sheridan finds Robin and they fight.

“I gave the King the best years of my life, and you know what he gave me in return? Retirement.” I fail to see the issue here - dude gets a cushy, prestige role looking after a crown rather than being dragged off to war, and is angry about this?

Sheridan does make the very good point that if Richard cared about England he’d return, and with everything that happened at the end of last season this episode would have been the perfect opportunity to reassess Robin’s love for Richard. Perhaps Sheridan could have struck a nerve, forcing Robin to concede that he has become somewhat disillusioned with Richard who will not return to save his own kingdom, but still choose to be loyal to him as an alternative to John.

But no, it seems Robin is still in deep denial and slavishly devoted to Richard as ever.

Robin wins the fight, but Sheridan’s guards arrive. He orders them to take Robin to Hull and put him on a boat.

Sheridan then returns the crown to PJ and creeps on Isabella again, whom PJ has arrested for collaborating with Guy.

Allan and Much argue over who cares more about Kate, and remember at the beginning of the season I was so pleased these two were getting along? Well, it was nice while it lasted. 

I mean if they realised it wasn’t about Kate at all and just kissed, this whole plot would make a lot more sense.

Robin escapes and makes it back to camp. He has a plan - and it’s Chekhov’s mirror.

PJ arrives at Kirklees Abbey to cheers and the throwing of rose petals. The gang burst in with their shields to literally shed light on the proceedings.

Guy has somehow snatched the crown and threatens to kill PJ - Robin says not to, again because of the fear of civil war. This would have made for a more compelling argument if Richard was in fact already being held for random, and PJ knew about it which was why he decided to pull off the waxwork plot. If Robin knew Richard was prevented from returning, it would give more credence to his fear of conflict in the power vaccum if PJ were killed.

Isabella steps in between Guy and PJ, banking that he can either shoot her or PJ before Robin shoots him - a risky move but a clever one. I honestly don’t think she really cares if he does shoot her - that would be preferable to doing nothing and being left to Sheridan or some other man’s whims.

LOL, Toby Stephens never misses.

Isabella is back in colour - but notably she was forced to attend by Sheridan and will return to navy/black in the next scene.

Guy shoots at PJ, Isabella jumps in front of it, Robin shoots Guy. There’s a brawl and Kate grabs the crown.

PJ heads back to London with Sheridan trussed up, leaving Guy in a cage and Isabella in charge - her gamble paid off as she proved her loyalty, and was rewarded by his favour.

The gang give the crown to the Archbishop, ready for Richard the undeserving to reclaim it in his own sweet time I suppose.

Again, this would have all made a lot more sense if the reveal was that Richard was alive but imprisoned - therefore keeping the crown safe for a king that wants to return, and is not just cooling his heels invading another country rather than looking after his own.

[pink-flame]

For the Trope ask, 14 and 27 with Juke, then 19 and 72 with a ship of your choice

I’ll get to the second half of this soon. But for now part 2 of Bodyguard AU Juke! 

Read part one here. 

Bodyguard AU + Sick/Injured fic

Julie Molina was not sick.

Ok, maybe she had been dragging for days and her brain had gone slightly fuzzy and she was pretty sure she had a temperature.

But she wasn’t sick. She couldn’t be. Not when her first ever national tour started in less than a month and her second album had just been released. She had radio appearances and tv interviews and stage rehearsals and a million other things she had to do that week.

So she couldn’t be sick.

Unfortunately her body didn’t seem to get that memo.

“Hey, are you ok?”

Julie turned her head sluggishly toward Luke who was frowning over at her from the back of the car they were being driven towards her next interview in.

She shook her head then realized that was the opposite of what she meant to do. She stopped mid-shake and switched over to a nod.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” She told him, the slight croak to her voice doing little to help her credibility.

Luke’s frown deepened and his eyes narrowed as he examined her from across the car.

Alex turned to look back from the front seat.

“You are looking kind of like a ghost, Jules,” He observed. “You’re paler than me.”

“I said I’m fine,” Julie insisted even as she shivered involuntarily. “Can we just go over the schedule for today again?”

“Oh look at that,” Alex said, typing furiously on his phone. “It just cleared up.”

“Alex…” Julie whined.

“You should listen to him, Julie,” Luke broke in. “You’re not helping anyone by passing out on live tv.”

Julie crossed her arms and let out an indignant huff. She could feel her lips pursing like an annoyed toddler. She couldn’t help it. Being sick always reverted her back to her younger days and left her feeling pouty and clingy.

Not that she was sick.

Only her head was killing her and her nose was kind of stuffy and she was so tired.

“Maybe…” Her voice cracked and she studiously ignored the look Alex and Luke exchanged at the sound. “Maybe I could take one day off.”

“I’m glad you’ve seen reason,” Alex said. “Not that you had a choice but still.”

Julie sighed, deciding she didn’t have the energy to engage with her best friend at that moment. She sank back into the leather of the seat, closing her eyes and trying to ignore the throbbing in her head. She would just rest her eyes and by the time they got back to her place maybe she would feel up to doing some work remotely. She could tweak the lyrics for that Spotify exclusive she had promised for next week and maybe even call into a couple of radio shows she had been booked on. She would convince Alex that was a good idea. She just needed to rest for a few minutes first.

At least that had been the plan.

Instead she found herself being shaken awake to the sight of Luke’s face hovering over hers.

“Jules? We’re here.”

Had he ever used that nickname for her before? She didn’t think so. She decided to blame her apparent illness for the sudden fluttering in her chest at the sound of the word tumbling casually from her bodyguard’s lips.

“Alex,” She mumbled, still half out of it. “Maybe I can do a couple of my interviews on the phone…”

“Go to bed,” He interrupted. “Seriously. I’ve got this.”

Julie wanted to protest but her brain was moving a little too slow and Luke was already pulling her out of the car, those absurdly defined muscles being put to work, and she lost her train of thought.

“I can walk,” She grumbled as he led her into her building and over to the elevator, one arm wrapped firmly around her waist.

“I know,” He said in an annoyingly agreeable voice. “So can I and right now we’re walking together.”

Julie rolled her eyes but let herself be hustled into the elevator. Luke scanned his key card to authorize it to take them to the top floor.

“Who gave you a key to my building?” Julie asked as she leaned against the wall and let her tired eyes slide shut.

“That would be you,” Luke answered, his amusement clear even though she didn’t open her eyes to check his expression.

“What an idiot,” She mumbled.

Her head was now not only throbbing but had suddenly started to feel too heavy to keep upright.

She felt Luke lean against the wall next to her and gave into the urge to lean over and rest her head on his shoulder. Or she would have if he hadn’t been quite a bit taller than her. As it was her head landed awkwardly somewhere towards the middle of his arm.

She sighed and decided it was too much trouble to try again.

He didn’t comment on her behavior, only leaned a little closer to her so she had less of a stretch.

It felt like only a second later that she heard the familiar ding that let her know they had reached her floor.

“Come on,” Luke said, raising her gently off of his arm so he could wrap it around her waist again and steer her towards her front door. He swiped his key again and pushed the door open, half dragging her inside and straight to her bedroom. She briefly had the wherewithal to wonder if she had left anything embarrassing out in plain sight but quickly gave up as she sank onto the edge of her bed.

“Thanks,” She mumbled. “I’m good now.”

He ignored her statement which was clearly intended to dismiss him. He crouched down in front of her and reached up to place the back of his hand against her forehead. Julie shivered, unsure if it was her fever or his proximity that caused her reaction.

She decided the fuzzy feeling in her head was excuse enough to let herself examine his face up close. She hadn’t been this close to him since they were pressed up against each other while hiding in her closet. It wasn’t a good memory exactly, she remembered how scared she had been in the moment, how violated she had felt later when she let it sink in that someone had invaded her home. But she also remembered his hand clutched in hers, soft palms and calloused fingertips confirming her suspicion that he was a musician in his spare time. She remembered his eyes, impossibly big as they searched hers for signs of panic. She remembered his messy hair and how badly she had wanted to run her fingers through it even during a terrifying situation.

And she remembered how he had refused to leave her that night, insisting that he sleep on her couch, just in case. She had gotten up that night, telling herself she needed a glass of water but knowing deep down she just wanted a glimpse of his sleeping face.

It was a good face.

His lips quirked up slightly.

“Thanks,” He said as he dropped his hand from her forehead.

“For what?”

She scrunched up her face in confusion.

“You just said I had a good face.”

Julie would have reacted more to that if she had the energy. As it was all she could do was groan slightly at the knowledge that she managed to say something she didn’t mean to in front of him again.

“Don’t worry, I know you don’t know what you’re saying,” He assured her. “You’re burning up, Boss.”

“I think I’d better lie down,” She mumbled.

He nodded and stood.

“Do you have some...where can I get you something to sleep in?” He asked.

“You don’t have to,” She tried to dismiss but he just stared at her expectantly. “Middle drawer.”

He crossed the room quickly and opened the door in question, grabbing an old baggy shirt and a pair of sleep shorts, bringing them back to her quickly.

“Thanks,” She said again.

“I’ll just…” He jerked his thumb towards the doorway indicating he would leave the room so she could change.

She nodded and started pulling her top off without hesitation. His eyes widened and he spun to leave the room quickly. Ok, she knew there were perfectly good reasons why she should have made sure he was turned around before she did that but she couldn’t latch on to them at that moment. She just wanted to be horizontal as soon as humanly possible. She had just managed to change and slide under her comforter when she heard the door to her condo click shut.

She tried to ignore the sinking in her chest at the sound.

Of course there was no reason for him to stay. He was her bodyguard not her babysitter and certainly not her boyfriend. Sure, she could admit to herself that she had been nursing a little crush on him for months and there had been times she was sure he was flirting with her. But then she reminded herself that was just how he was, chemistry with literally everyone. It didn’t mean anything to him.

So it couldn’t mean anything to her.

Julie sighed and sank deeper into her pillow. She wasn’t sure if she actually slept or if she just drifted in and out of feverish confusion but the next thing she was fully aware of was Luke once again crouching in front of her.

She wasn’t sure if he was real or not and somehow in her fever addled mind that seemed like a good reason to reach out and touch his face.

His eyes softened affectionately when her fingers brushed his cheek and she wasn’t sure if that was evidence that he was real or a fantasy.

“Hey, Boss,” He said softly.

“Hey,” She whispered. “You came back.”

He smiled and held up a plastic bag.

“Of course. I got Tylenol and tissues and some soup I can make you later.”

She felt a surge of treacherous joy at his words even as she struggled to hold on to enough logic and propriety to let him off the hook.

“You don’t have to stay,” She told him, pulling her hand back to her side. “This isn’t part of your job description.”

He chuckled and she wanted to demand he tell her what was so funny but she was distracted by the way he reached out to run his hand over the top of her head.

“Go to sleep, Jules.”

Her brain seemed to take his words as a command, her eyes fluttering shut. Unfortunately only a few seconds passed before a shrill ringing was causing them to shoot open again.

“Don’t answer it,” Luke tried even as she was reaching for her phone which sat on her nightstand.

“Hello?” She muttered, holding it up to her ear weakly.

“Julie? Are you ok?”

She frowned as the familiar voice of her big brother washed over her.

“Reggie? How did you even know I was sick?” She asked.

“Alex called me,” He said as though it should be obvious. “Look, I’m getting in the car right now. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“What? No. That’s like a 6 hour drive,” She croaked out. “There’s no reason for you to come all the way from San Francisco.”

“The flu isn’t something to mess around with, Julie,” He insisted. “You shouldn’t be alone and Alex is working.”

Julie’s head was spinning and even the weight of her phone seemed to be too much for her in her current weakened state.

“I’m not alone,” She mumbled.

“What? Who’s there?” Reggie demanded.

“Just talk to Luke,” She instructed.

She just had time to hear Reggie ask semi-frantically who exactly Luke was before she was shoving the phone into her bodyguard’s hands. He looked slightly panicked but to his credit he took the phone and raised it to his ear.

Julie had intended to eavesdrop on their conversation but in the end she sank into a fitful slumber before she could hear a thing.

The next time she woke up she didn’t feel any better. If anything she felt even worse. Luke was there though. He brought her more pain medicine and walked her to the bathroom to make sure she didn’t fall. He made her soup and hot tea. And when she started to droop again he tucked her back into bed.

“Goodnight, Boss.”

He was still there when she woke up the next day.

She had a text message from Alex saying he had rescheduled her commitments for that day too and she still felt too miserable to fight him on it. Apparently Luke had gone back to his place at some point while she slept because he was wearing fresh clothes when she emerged from her room.

She felt slightly better by lunch, managing to sit up and join Luke on the couch to watch some tv. She discovered he loved the trashy reality shows that drove her crazy and she adored the cooking shows he called criminally boring. They both loved 90’s sitcoms though. At one point he grabbed her acoustic guitar and started playing her a song she had never heard before.

Dreaming like we’ll live forever

But living like it’s now or never

Julie managed a tired smirk.

“Is this your way of telling me I’m dying?” She asked teasingly.

“Not on my watch,” He said firmly before shooting her one of those troublesome grins she would always associate with him. “And that is part of my job description.”

Right. Because he was her employee. Only...surely employees didn’t just hang around for two days to keep their boss company while she was sick...did they?

The next day Julie was starting to feel more human. She insisted that Luke go home. It had taken some convincing but finally he had agreed, insisting that she call him if she needed anything.

Julie spent two more days recovering alone in her apartment, most of her symptoms having abated but a deep sense of exhaustion taking a little longer to leave her. She called Reggie back and ignored his pointed questions about why a bodyguard was so dedicated to her well-being when it wasn’t life threatening and was she sure there wasn’t something she wanted to tell him?

Brothers.

Alex wasn’t much better, texting her every five minutes not with work updates but asking if she had spoken to Luke. Of course she hadn’t. He was her bodyguard not her boyfriend and if some small part of her was disappointed that he hadn’t called to check on her she wasn’t about to say that out loud.

She was feeling back to herself and prepared to return to her hectic life the next day when she got one more message from Alex that had her nearly dropping her phone.

Just a heads up, I found out why lover boy hasn’t called. He caught your flu.

Julie felt a lot of things as she read Alex’s text.

She felt guilty.

She felt worried.

She felt an overwhelming urge to make sure he was ok.

She knew she could accomplish that by shooting off a quick text. If she really wanted to go the extra mile as a boss she could call. That would be normal. That would be appropriate.

But hadn’t they passed that a long time ago?

So that’s how she found herself outside of his apartment, knocking nervously on his door.

At first no one answered but just as she was debating knocking again the door swung open to reveal a pale Luke, his slightly sweaty face scrunching up adorably in confusion.

“Julie? What are you doing here?” He asked, his voice a familiar croak.

“You caught my flu,” She said simply as though that should explain everything.

He managed a smile even if it was slightly pained.

“So you what...came to apologize?”

“No, I…” She held up the bag she gripped in her hand. “I brought Tylenol and tissues and some soup I could make later. If you want.”

His eyebrows raised sluggishly in surprise.

“You’re going to take care of me?” He asked, that soft look back in his eyes.

“I can’t have you dying on me,” She shrugged with a small smile. “Who else would protect me from the over zealous tweens on tour?”

He chuckled before cutting himself off with a cough.

“That’s sweetly pragmatic of you,” He said. “How did you even know where I live?”

“Um, I had Alex pull your personal file,” She admitted.

“Wow, pretty sure that’s an HR violation,” He joked.

“Uh, yeah. Sorry about that. So...can I come in?” She asked only slightly nervously.

In the end she shouldn’t have worried.

He only grinned tiredly and stepped aside to let her pass.

“Come on in, Boss.”

And so she stepped over the threshold thinking about how if this was a song she was writing that would be a metaphor for the start of something.

But that was a song to write another day.

Tag request: @only-trust-fictional-characters

[actress4him]

Overexposure - New Ideas

(Prompt #17 for Summer of Whump)

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Warnings: lady whumpee with male whumper, creepy/intimate whumper, captivity, referenced beating, noncon touching (non-sexual), forced stripping (non-sexual), restraints, stress position

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It’s only a few days after the exhibit, a few days after the brutal beating Ellery received for trying to ask for help, when the door to her room flies open and he’s standing there with that smile on his face. The smile she hates more than anything. The smile that says she’s about to suffer even more.

“Good morning, Princess.” Lucas strolls into the room - the cell, really, just a tiny corner of the basement built expressly for the purpose of keeping her inside. “In the midst of the fallout from your misguided attempt the other night, I failed to mention how much of a success the exhibit was. Everyone adored you.”

Her skin crawls at the thought, but she knows better than to respond by now. Instead she pulls her knees up to her chest, hugging them to herself as if she can keep him away.

“I’m getting plenty of sales, too. So many people who want to have our beautiful artwork all for themselves.”

She knows better than to respond, but she can’t help it. The image of those photos hanging on someone’s walls, or being hidden away to look at secretly… “Guess they’re just as sick as you are.”

All of her muscles tense up as soon as she says it, expecting him to lash out. But he must be in an awfully good mood, because he simply ignores the outburst, pacing toward the tiny table with his hands clasped behind his back.

“I’ve been getting requests, too. Some from patrons at the last exhibit, others from people who have seen my previous work.” He turns, leaning up against the table, eyes roving over her body in the way he does when she knows he’s imagining ways to torture it. “Seems like there’s a whole collection of people out there who love...well, I keep hearing the word ‘whump’, but...basically, they draw all kinds of inspiration from what we’re doing. And now they’d like to see something...a little less refined, a little more...hm, how do I say it? A little more...raw. Primitive.”

The smile creeps back onto his face. “It’s something I’ve never done before, but I’m certainly up to the challenge. I’ve got ideas already. And I have a feeling once I get started I’ll be quite inspired to keep going.”

No wonder he’s in a good mood. He’s in his creative zone, which means a nightmare of a day for her. And it’s so soon, she’s still healing, her body isn’t ready.

He won’t care about any of that, though.

“Alright, come on, chop chop! Up to makeup we go.”

It’s one of the few instances when she’s allowed out of the basement, so she tries to enjoy it. If she cranes her neck as they come to the top of the stairs, she can catch a glimpse of green and sunlight through a sliver of window, and overall the rooms upstairs are much brighter. It’s a refreshing change.

Lucas’ assistant, whose name she’s never bothered to learn, is ready and waiting in the usual spot with her makeup and hair tools. It’s the one thing that he doesn’t do himself. Ellery expects the same treatment for the bruise around her eye - now turned a sickly yellow - as it got for the exhibit, but it’s ignored. Instead the assistant focuses on eyeliner, mascara, and a little bit of lip color. The basics, meant to make her features pop in the photos, nothing fancy. Maybe that’s what he meant by ‘raw and primitive’. She can certainly hope that it’s nothing worse, though hope has done her a fat lot of good so far.

“You want her hair pulled back at all?” the assistant asks.

Lucas, who has been lurking the whole time, watching the process, steps forward and runs thick fingers through her long black hair. She doesn’t bother to suppress a shudder and a look of disgust, but doesn’t try to pull away, either.

“Yeah. Go ahead and put it up, something simple, though. Simple and messy. I might take it down partway through, we’ll see.”

It’s brushed back into a ponytail with lots of strands hanging down around her face, and the top is fussed over until it’s perfectly, believably messy. The assistant looks up to Lucas for approval.

“Yeah. Yeah, that’s good. I like it. Okay, moving on.”

This is the point where her starting wardrobe is usually chosen. She stands, waiting while he scrutinizes her current outfit of a baggy white t-shirt and black cotton shorts.

“Take that off, remind me what you have on under it.”

Ellery’s face flushes scarlet. She hates this, hates obeying and hates demeaning herself for him, but last time she refused to take off the clothes herself he just did it for her, and that was so much worse. And it’s not like he’s actually interested in her, not in that way. She was so incredibly afraid of that for a long time. But no, to him she’s not a person for him to want. She’s a piece of art, a canvas, a sculpture. A thing. All he’s thinking of is how he can best use her to create the ‘masterpiece’ he has in mind.

So she slips the t-shirt off over her head. Stands in just her sports bra and shorts with her cheeks burning and wishes that she could melt into the floor and cease to exist.

The expression that comes over his face is nothing short of delight. “Ooh, this is so much better than I was expecting.” He practically trots over to her, eyes on her bare stomach, and reaches out to brush his fingers along the tender, aching skin. She flinches, instinctively pulls back, but he only latches onto her waist, digging his fingers into a myriad of bruises. “This is fantastic. Just what we need for today. So glad I gave you these already.”

Gave her. Like the beating was a gift. She doesn’t need to look down to know that her torso is pretty much one giant bruise, she can feel it just fine.

“Yep. That’ll be perfect. Leave it just like that. No sense in covering up any of this beauty.” He strokes his fingers across her stomach one more time before stepping back to admire the whole thing. “Alright, thank you, Jordan. Let’s get back to the studio.”

The studio - aka the basement. Back down to the cold concrete walls and the artificial lights. She can’t help but slow, just a little, as they pass the room with the window, trying to get one more little peek of the outdoors. She pays for it with his hand coming to land on the back of her neck, squeezing tightly, promising much more pain if she doesn’t keep walking.

The area of the basement that Lucas uses to take her photos isn’t much to speak of, especially today when the white backdrop is rolled up at the ceiling. It’s just an expanse of grey, but it haunts her nightmares.

“Alright.” Lucas is practically giddy with excitement. “I’ve got so many ideas I don’t know where to start. No, scratch that. I do know where I want to start.” He turns to his shelf of props and rummages through a box, pulling out several pieces of metal with chains draping in between.

The dread that had been swirling in Ellery’s stomach all morning suddenly solidifies into something heavy, a stone that simultaneously pulls her down into the floor and threatens to make her sick. She can’t do this again. She can’t. The pain of being stretched into positions her body was never meant to be in, the humiliation of being photographed in the most vulnerable state possible...and now it’s even worse, because she’s already in pain from being beaten.

Lucas is at the far wall, tinkering with his contraption, using existing bolts and screws from previous sessions to attach things to both the wall and floor. “Come here,” he says after a few minutes, and it’s the last straw.

Something inside of her crumples.

“Please…” It comes out as no more than a trembling whisper, but it catches his attention anyway. “Please don’t, I can’t, I can’t, please…”

Sighing heavily, he walks toward her, boots clomping out her doom on the concrete floor. “I thought we were past this, Princess. You’d been doing so well.”

She opens her mouth, to say what, she doesn’t know, it’s all pointless anyway, but before a sound makes it past her lips his fist is connecting with her temple. Her world is reduced to black and pain and falling. When her vision returns, the room whirls around her, Lucas’ face up above hers dipping and bobbing in a way that makes her stomach churn, and her head throbs. She can tell she’s being dragged, though, by the ankle over to where he wanted her.

Rough hands grab her by the arms and heft her to her feet, and the room goes spinning again. Her back is pressed up against the wall, concrete blocks cold on her bare skin, and Lucas wraps an arm around her waist to lift her slightly. She gasps as he puts pressure on the ribs she’s pretty sure are broken.

A second later, something thin and cool falls across her throat, and after he fiddles with something just under her ear for a moment, Lucas steps back and leaves her to settle down onto her bare toes. They just barely touch the floor enough for her to rest her weight on, the metal across her neck digging slightly into her skin and threatening to cut off her air. She tries not to notice him watching her as she struggles to adjust her feet to push herself a little higher.

“Nice. I love it already. Actually, hang on, I’m also loving the disoriented look you’ve got going on right now. I need a shot of that.”

He grabs his camera and gets right up in her face. Ellery automatically squeezes her eyes shut, hating that lens, hating the thought of anyone else seeing her like this, but all she gets for it is his finger poking her in the ribs. Her eyes fly open as she cries out, and the camera clicks. Once, twice, three times.

“Ooh, I don’t know which one of these I like best.” He studies the screen with a grin, flipping back and forth through the shots. “The hazy, disoriented look I was going for, or the gasping in pain. And the restraint around the neck really sets it off. Fantastic. Okay, moving on.”

Bending down, he picks up the rest of the metal pieces, the ones with the chains attached. While she wasn’t paying attention it seems he had hooked one end of the chains to the floor, several feet out in front of her, and now he brings the other end to her. She only finds out what it is for sure when he yanks her hands away from the wall where she had been attempting to help support herself and clamps it around her wrists. The shackles pull her arms out in front of her, naturally making her body want to lean forward, too. But if she gives into the pull, or if her feet get tired and try to lower, she’ll choke.

Lucas stands back to admire his work. “Yes. Just as good as I had hoped. And you’re already starting to get that wild look in your eyes, too. I think if I leave you here for, oh -” he checks his phone -“around thirty or forty-five minutes, I’ll really get the desperation I’m looking for. Maybe an hour. We’ll see.”

With that, he turns and heads for the stairs. As the echo of his footsteps dies out, Ellery finally lets the tears start to pour down her cheeks. She can’t spare the focus to stop them anymore, anyway. All of her concentration until he decides she’s done is going to have to be on staying balanced so she doesn’t die.

.

.

Disclaimer: I don’t think people who like whump are “sick”. Obviously, I am one of them. Now, if there were actually people like Lucas out there who hurt real people for whump’s sake, then yeah. They would be considered “sick”. But of course, Lucas’ patrons don’t know what he’s really doing...or do they...?

[squidlyskeet]

Joy Ride -.002

Pairing: StreetRacer!Bakugou x Fem!reader

Genre: TokyoDrift!au, Noquirks!au

Status: Ongoing

TW: violence, blood, firearms, eventual nsfw, 18+, mentions of anxiety and OCD disorders, grand theft auto, gang activity.

Summary:

It started with a simple question, “what do you say Y/n? You coming?”

After the sudden death of her mother, Y/n is sent to live with her estranged aunt halfway across the world in Tokyo, Japan. Weary of what this new adventure might hold for her, she decides to let loose the first night she was there, but how was Y/n supposed to know it would lead to a car chase? A car chase in the the passenger seat of a very angry, very hot, street racer’s super car?

A/n: yall im still so frickin bad at summaries😭😭😭 word. ✌🏻-squidlyskeet.

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   I have no idea what I was expecting when we finally made it to where we were headed for the ‘meet’. Whatever it was though, It absolutely was not this. When we finally made it to the huge parking garage about an hour out of Tokyo it was difficult for Mirio to move his whole squad through the crowd. He pointed out that every side of the huge square space was where the designated side riders were parked. Naturally we pulled up and backed into the space next to the east wall. Mirio’s car parked in the middle and the rest of the squad parked on either side of him.

Right now I was standing next to Noel, while she patiently waited for Mirio’s attention. He was greeting his friends, or squad, as he called them while we were pulling in. Maybe coming here wasn’t such a good idea after all. 

    There were so many people of every kind, predominantly Japanese but others as well. Men and women parked in the middle of the garage lined up with their hoods open and showing off their engines. Young girls maybe even the same age as me, wearing tiny little outfits and throwing themselves on drivers. Music low and thumping pumped into the open night air. 

  I did notice that not all sides were here yet, but the ones that were were just as impressive as Mirio’s squad. In fact the only squad that hasn’t shown yet was the west side, as no cars lined the walls on the other side of the building. 

  My mood was tense, the light atmosphere of having fun leaving me almost instantly when I got out of the car. I could Noel was picking up on it too.

  “Come on, lemme introduce you to the squad.” She grabbed my arm again, dragging a circle of people standing in front of their cars.

“Hey guys! This is Y/n, she’s my niece and she just moved here from the US. She doesn’t know Japanese, so try to be easy on her okay?” Her mischievous smile playing at a self introduction as she turned to me.

 “Uh- Hi,” I waved awkwardly, “I’m Y/n.” 

 I didn’t know what to say, and I was mentally beating myself up for being so weird. Especially now that I was getting a good look at everyone and realized that Mirio wasn’t the only walking god.

 These people were obnoxiously gorgeous.

  “Well, well, well, what do we have here, Hmm?” A deep raspy voice cut my focus to a tall lanky man with bright red hair and the bluest eyes I've ever seen. “You seem to be a little lost princess, I could show you around if you’d like.” 

  I instantly recoiled at the blatant insinuation, heat spreading across my neck. Another voice interjected before I had a chance to reply.

  “Dabi for fucks sake, leave the kid alone. Hi Y/n,” This man was short, comically short compared to the six something beanpole standing next to him. “I’m Keigo Takami, and this asshat is Touya Todoroki, Dabi for short.” He ran his hands through his wavy blonde hair, before bowing low and rising with a wink in my direction.

  The heat in my neck spread to my face, and I avoided eye contact. The wall seemed extremely interesting.

  “Don’t listen to either of them Y/n, this is a tactic they use to pick up women.” A woman with powder blue hair stood off the side checking her nails with a fist on her hip. “Nejire.” Was all she said in any way of introduction. 

  Her nonchalant attitude put me off even further, but I was quickly distracted when I felt another presence slink up beside me.

  “They don’t know how to interact correctly. Sorry about that. Amajiki. It’s nice to meet you.” He pushed his hand forward in a jerky movement, offering a handshake, eyes directed at the wall.

   I placed his face as the man who was riding most of the way with us and I could feel the excitement bubble back up when I remembered how skilled he was at driving. I felt my anxious shell break before I could get it under wraps. 

  “Oh my god, Amajiki, you were so cool out there. I couldn’t believe how well you handled your car. When we were drifting onto the highway you were so close. I’ve never done anything like that before, and you just made it look so easy-” I didn’t notice until then how red his face was getting, and instantly felt bad. He dropped his unshook hand and backed up a few paces before turning to face the wall.

What..?

“T-t-thanks Y-y/n,” He said.

  “Hey now, don’t get worked up over something like that Jiki, she thinks you're good!” Mirio yelled over to the nervous boy facing the wall. He walked over to me and wrapped an arm around my shoulder, Noel’s hand latched in his other.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you nervous Amaj-”

“Please, I j-just need a m-m-minute.” He stuttered before I could finish my apology.

    Mirio giggled, and the sound shocked me, to watch a full grown titan giggle was wild. At least he wasn’t in a bad mood anymore.

  “Anyways, Y/n we’ll make this quick cause I want a drink. That crusty weirdo over there is Tenko Shimura, Shiggy for short, and his little sister Toga. Over there is Kamui, he’s a good friend even if he has the emotional maturity of a wet sock. Over there,” Mirio pointed toward the north wall, “Is the North Side Riders. A guy named Monoma leads them and honestly, they really aren’t much of a threat. On and off the pavement.

      Down there, is the South Side Riders. Ten out of ten do not recommend. Just like avoid the south wall at all costs please. In case we lose you. And oh yeah, over ther- Hmm? Where are those westies? I think out of all them you’d get along with them the best. Bakug-” He started saying a name but stopped when he leaned backwards to look at the entrance of the parking deck.

    The noise in the giant concrete balcony quieted to a low murmur. Music was shut off, and surprisingly people were getting out of the way. Trying to squeeze next to the walls as far as they could get. Well every wall with the exception of the west wall. 

    Mirios squad all migrated to the spaces in between their cars, but Mirio looked as if he refused to budge from the spot leaning against his front bumper with Noel still tucked into his side. 

   I looked back at his squad and then back to where my aunt stood with her boyfriend. I wanted a front row seat to whatever was about to happen too and, with as much confidence as I could muster, I walked up and stood next to Noel. I looked around nervously, trying to figure out what was going on.

“Tch. Westies. Always on some dramatic entrance bullshit.” The beanpole muttered from beside what I presumed was his car. A black hatchback, with blue flame decals.

   The silence on the roof of the parking garage was deafening now, and a ripple of anticipation rolled through the crowd.

   Just when I thought I couldn’t wait any longer, sounds I was quickly becoming familiar with sounded off in the distance. Motors, wide open and bouncing of rev limiters causing a chatter of turbo whistles. Screeching tires, and the low thump of a deep bass blaring out of a subwoofer system. 

      I could make out that they’ve made it to the garage and started their accent up the spiral entrance, the sounds mixing together and sending a thrill through my body as the anticipation of seeing the display. 

     The sound of the music was becoming more clear and as it got closer, I was shocked to find out that again it was english, and that I knew it. Was that..?

  Here comes the Boom? By Nelly?

   Whatever system they were using was loud enough to compete with a concert, cause it drowned out the sounds of the cars drifting to the top of the building. I tried to guess when one of the cars would pop up over the small bump at the top but I was wrong with every timing. 

  I looked at Noel in confusion, but she was paying attention to the entrance intently too. 

 The music cut off, until-

BOOM.

   The first car practically launched itself over the bump. It hit the ground front bumper first, creating a light show of sparks. When the tail end hit the ground, the driver didn’t waste any time, they hit the Ebrake and swung the rear bumper sideways before stomping on it and accelerating again. I noticed the cars color, a deep burnt orange. It was sleek, made for speed and the driver -as far as I could tell- knew exactly how to handle it. The windows in the car were down but I couldn’t get a good look at the driver while they were gliding their car through the makeshift aisles of cars.

BOOM.

   The second car launched itself over the bump, this car smaller and red but just as nice. They took the first cars movements, synchronizing perfectly, and mimicking the maneuvers with accuracy. More cars came out of the bump and played follow the leader but my eyes were glued to the orange car in the front. 

          When the car finally rounded the corner Closest to our designated wall, they revved the engine and shot forward, gaining speed and everyone’s attention. Somehow, I feel like they did that on purpose.

        Halfway through they changed tactics again, stomping on the brakes and threw the car into a full one eighty, never stopping. They accelerated backwards with their driver side window facing us speakers blaring.

   For me, it was like time stopped all together as the driver finally came into view. 

     A spiked mess of pale blonde hair came into focus first, and broad shoulders holding up a thick muscled neck. The next glimpse I got was of his face. A chill shot through me, when I made eye contact and noticed he was staring directly back at me. 

    Ruby red eyes narrowed in obvious disdain, and a sneer twisting his face, he never broke the hold. It felt like he was burning holes into my head with his clearly disapproving expression. And while it was only a few seconds, it felt like I was standing there, under the scrutiny of his glare for a lifetime. 

    When he was finally too far away to keep the eye contact, I dropped my line of vision to the concrete under my feet. How could someone just outright glare at another person they didn’t even know? Did he hate me? No that’s probably not right. He doesn’t even know me, for all he knows I’m just another inconsequential girl here. 

   I argued with myself in my head, debating on whether I should just give up on this night entirely and call a taxi or wait and see if tonight gets any better. It was so fun on the way here, the laughing and the drifting lifting my mood to a height it hadn’t been at for months. I was peeved to find out that all it took to deflate my mood was one insignificant glare from a boy I didn’t know. All I wanted to do was retreat back to the safety of Mirios car, where I had fun and could breathe easily. 

  “Y/n you okay?” Noel broke me from the spell I was under, and placed a hand on my arm. “Hey, don’t let Bakugou bother you. He is like that with everyone.” She said as she smiled at me. 

  “Bakugou?” Finally lifting my gaze from the ground to let her know I appreciated her attempt at comfort.

  “That’s his name, the guy in the orange car. He’s the squad leader of the Westies and he by far is the biggest dick I’ve ever met.” She answered, gently rubbing circles on my arm. 

  “Did something happen Y/n? I swear I’ll go drag his bulky ass out of that car right now.” Mirio popped his head into our comfort bubble and smiled. I couldn’t tell if he was joking or not, so I just shook my head and kept my answer vague.

  “Nothing that constitutes a fight, hah thanks though Mirio.” I replied, hoping to evade him getting into ‘one of his moods’ as Noel described it.

  “Good good. Well if we are done standing around, I’m gonna go get a drink before the races start,” He pulled his phone from his pocket to check the time, and turned his attention to Noel. “Ten minutes to go baby, make sure you’re strapped in and ready to beat these amateurs, we’re in the first round.”  He leaned down to give her a kiss, and turned to go find something to drink, looking at the cars on display on the way.

  I turned to look back at Noel, that soft look on her face again as her eyes followed his retreating figure.

   “You really love him don’t you?” The words fell out of my mouth before I could stop them, and I felt my cheeks flush at my directness.

 “I do, I want to spend the rest of my life with him,” She sighed happily before shaking her head and clearing her throat. “Anyways though, not all of the East boys are going to be racing the first round, so try to stay with them, okay? I think only Keigo and Dabi will be sitting it out. Make sure you tell me if they give you any trouble.”

  “Wait, you're going to race with Mirio?” I asked, shocked.

  Isn’t that dangerous?

 “Well of course honey, I’m his navigator duh? Look,” She turned around to point at the passenger seat inside his car. 

    My eyebrows lifted in surprise to see that there on the bucket seat headrest, in fancy swirled English letters, was Noel’s name.

   “What’s a navigator?” I was curious now, and I wanted to get the question out before my brain told me to shut up and that nobody cared.

  Her eyes lit up when she heard my question, her hands clapped together and she grabbed me by the arm once again dragging me further into the mess of cars and people. I tried to relax my limbs, but I could only feel them tense. She was pulling me further away from our wall and further away from the comfort of Mirios car. I knew that, rationally, I had no right to feel like Mirio’s car was a comfort. I couldn’t help myself from latching onto things that brought me out of my anxious shell. It was a habit I knew was bad for me, because everything leaves eventually, but I’d still like to squeeze as much of the feeling out of anything I could. 

   It made me wonder if it was Mirios car specifically or if it was any car that could be handled like his. The last thing I needed was for Noel to get mad at me, thinking I was trying to make a move on her man, when in reality it was just his car. Or more accurately, the escape it could provide me.

    Noel stopped me in front of a car that looked a little out of place around all these over the top machines surrounding it. I actually recognized this make and model as it was from the US. A Ford Taurus. A two thousand and one if I’m right. It was tan and had a few dents, but still looked drivable. 

    The trunk was open and inside it lay a few piles of different things. One pile were maps, all folded the same way with handwriting on them. The next item was a scanner of some sort, I put two and two together to realize this probably wasn’t the most legal of events, and if Japan was anything like the US then those were most likely police scanners. The third item, were stacks of boxes, all of them had an image of a plastic gun on them.

  I watched as Noel took one of each. 

  “What the hell? A gun?” It seemed the shock value was a never ending escalation for me tonight.

  “Let me start by explaining that a Navigator is exactly what it sounds like. I ride shotgun for Mirio while he races. I have the map to tell him where to go, and potentially make last second changes to our route. The police scanner is for knowing where they are before we are on top of them, and the gun. Well the gun for when you cross the finish line,” She held up the box, as if that would make it clearer as to why she needed it. “You put your driver's color in it, and the Navigator shoots it off when they cross the finish line. We won’t be able to see anything, but the spectators will be keeping track from on top of the parking deck. That’s how they tell who won.” 

 “That sounds like a really important job. Do you do it often?” I felt like I was finally starting to get a read on this. This was street racing.

  We lingered around the Navigator car, talking quietly. I occasionally glanced at the people coming and going from the trunk, noticing mostly women but some men.

  “Normally a Navigators job is really important. When they actually do their job. A lot of these girls have romanticized it to the point of competing to see who gets the coveted passenger seat of one of the better drivers. Most don’t even grab the stuff they need. They just flail around, and take credit.” She rolled her eyes, scoffing. “I don’t think some of these brats realize, the reason some of the drivers win as much as they do is because they have good Navigators.” 

  “I’m sure you’re great at it, I’ll be watching for you guys when it’s time to-“ My voice cut off and I jumped when I heard a loud gong. 

 “Ladies and scumbags, five minutes to first line up!” A voice blasted through a set of speakers, and the crowd began dispersing.

 “Oh shit, that’s my cue. Gotta go get strapped in. Don’t take drinks from anyone, and don’t wander too close to the south wall. Be safe, and cheer for us!” Her voice drifted as she ran back to Mirios bright yellow car. 

   I felt my body tense again at being by myself, I tried to make my body move but working up the courage to walk anywhere and have people notice me kept my feet planted in place. I knew that the thought was stupid and redundant because standing here by myself while the cars needed to get out down the ramp would bring way more attention to me than anything else.

  Alright deep breaths, one, two, thre-

  “Hey, are you okay?” A sweet feminine voice said from behind me. 

 “U-uh sorry, I don’t understand Japanese.” I shot back without turning around. 

 A genuine laugh sounded off from behind me, and without forcing myself I felt my muscles relax at the gesture. 

 Before I could think too much about it, I held my breath and turned around. 

 “Hello, I’m Ochako Uraraka. And you look like maybe you need a bottle of water.” The tiny girl waved at me with a friendly smile. 

 Oh my god she’s adorable. 

   She couldn’t be any more than five feet tall and her angular brunette bob complimented her round baby face. Her outfit is similar to mine, with a cropped t-shirt and high rise shorts. 

  “Sorry, about just standing here like an idiot. I’m a little l-lost.” I decided feigning like I didn’t know where to go was better than admitting I was frozen in anxiety. 

 “That’s okay, who are you here with? I can help you try to find them. I know almost everyone here, and I’m sure my boyfriend wouldn’t mind me helping, we don’t race until the second round anyways.” 

  I debated on telling her. What if she was like some kind of bait to be kidnapped. I quickly decided against it, she seemed too sweet. Besides, she's already offered me a bottle of water, and to help me look for Mirios' squad. I knew in which general direction they were and could probably find them myself but I didn’t want to be alone. 

  “I’m with the East boys.” I said, hoping she’d keep the conversation going.

  “Oh Mirios squad?” Her voice rose an octave with her revelation. “Oh my gosh, I’ve never seen you with them before. Are you new? Who did you come with? Please don’t tell me it was that toaster oven Touya…”

  She rambled on while I tried to hold in a laugh at her quip. Toaster oven Touya? Looks like beanpole has a new name. 

 “No I’m with Noel and Mirio, I’m her niece.Y/n L/n. I just moved to Japan.” I replied, hoping that would cover her rapid fire questions about where I’m from.

 “You’re a part of the squad? Do you want to meet mine? Sometimes we team up on jobs from the south side and it might be helpful to know we finally have another girl,” She leaned into me and whispered like someone would overhear us. “We are outnumbered by like, a lot.” She was laughing as she leaned back and  turned to grab things out of the Navigator car. 

    I noted her comment about jobs from the south side, and filed that away too. Man, Noel list of questions is adding up quickly. 

   So she’s a navigator too, probably a half decent one since she was actually using the equipment provided. 

   When she finished she motioned for me to follow her, and like the lost puppy I was, I did exactly that. I realized we were headed in the opposite direction of my designated wall, and felt my stomach clench. Isn’t this the way that angry guy parked? I really hope she’s just making a detour and she isn’t a part of the west side. 

    When she didn’t stop walking though, that fantasy went directly out the window. My last option was to hope he wasn’t here or was distracted by something. 

 “Hey guys! This is y/n, I found her over by the Nav beater. The East side Riders have a new member, can you believe that?” She jumped into her explanation, catching the attention of a group of people leaning against their cars. 

   “A new member?” Said a red head with hair spiked to the gods looking up from his phone. They looked sharp, but upon further inspection not nearly as sharp as the man's teeth. He was leaning on the hood of a red and black car, and his non threatening position put me at ease a little. 

   He was built like a brick shithouse. Towering over everyone else in the group, and If it weren’t for his gentle voice, I’d probably be running for the hills. 

  “That’s Ejiirou Kirishima. Complete himbo and about as smart as a bag of hammers, but he has a heart of gold.” The man waved from his place, perched atop his car, and a heartwarming smile on his face. 

 “Call me Kiri.” Was all he said before he returned to his screen. 

  “Sweetheart why are you speaking English, you know I don’t catch on to it that easy.” A deep Japanese voice called out from under a green hatchback. 

  “Because Deku, y/n doesn’t speak Japanese.” Ochako said from beside me. 

 “What?” A tuft of fluffy green hair popped up from behind the car, standing probably a foot and a half taller than it. I jumped backwards at the height even though he was on the other side of the car.

  “Sorry about that, I didn’t mean to be rude. I’m Izuku Midoryia, but you can just call me Deku.” He said before looking at Ochako, his face squished up, and looking for approval.

   She nodded at him with a sweet smile on her face.

  “That’s my boyfriend, don’t take him too seriously. He just doesn’t know what’s going on most of the time.” She leaned over to tell me the second part, and then pointed behind two cars parked obnoxiously close to one another. 

   A laugh burst out of my mouth as my eyes followed what she was pointing at. Behind the cars, laid two lawn chairs. One huge umbrella hanging over top of them and two men sitting in each one. Both looked like they were sucking down a yellow slushie. 

  “That’s Denki and Shinsou. They are best friends and are doing their pre race routine of getting mildly shitfaced. Denki is a Shinsous Navigator and they claim it helps them get in the game. Uhg. You’d think they’d learn but they never do.” She paused to go to the passenger door of Deku’s hunter green hatchback and pull something out from the dash. 

   As she leaned down, through the windshield, I could see another example of a stitching in the headrest. But this one was in Japanese. I assumed it had something to do with Ochako but didn’t want to press and look stupid for asking questions. 

    When she walked to stand back next to me she handed me a water bottle and I thanked her with a small voice.

  “Shoto, Jirou, and Sero are getting ready to race the first round,and they have Mina with them so they aren’t here right now or else I’d introduce them as well, and I’m not really sure where Bakug-.”

  “Oi. What the hell is this.” A deep gravelly voice gritted out from behind us.

   For some reason I felt like-

   Oh shit.

___________________________________________________

-.002 💥MASTERLIST💥 -.003

A/n: Keep in minds, this is U N E D I T E D. Word✌🏻 -squidlyskeet

[peaches-of-1]

Peachtober | Day 12: Haybale

Settlement | Reader x Ranch Hand!Namjoon

A/N: I did my best not to add pronouns/gender specifics refering to the reader, so lemme know if I did by accident or missed any.

"So, we'll split up new volunteers with the regulars." The chubby older man in a blue plaid shirt said and read the list on his clipboard through thick glasses.

You were bummed that your best friend Rosé had been put with a different leader than you, but at least the cowboy you had been assigned to was cute.

His thighs seemed to fight against the faded blue denim of his jeans which led to a well crafted torso. And his smile charmed you in a millisecond, a flash of canyon like dimples and dazzling teeth.

Namjoon was his name, and he gave you a firm handshake as a greeting, along with a kind, "Thanks for coming to help out, Y/N."

"No problem."

Because a lot of people hadn't shown up, and the work was too much for just 2 people, Yoongi's group joined as well making for a total of five. It was September 25, and so the local farm was starting to set up it's annual Autumn Festival. Rosé was the one who had suggested it, and you had nothing better to do.

"Our jobs are pretty easy. It'll take a while, though. We have to take all the hay bales from the barn and make it into a maze for kids. The maze is already planned, but it includes a lot of lifting. Not too hard, right, Namjoon?" The dark haired man asked the honey haired leader. "Namjoon-ah?"

As your head turned to face the usual volunteer, you caught a glimpse of dark brown eyes looking downwards...at you? No, but who else could he have been looking at?

"Huh? Oh. Yeah, it's enough cardio for a week." He smiled as you felt heat rush into your cheeks. "Let's all drive over to the barn, and go from there."

The two other newbie volunteers hopped into the back, and you were about to join them when Yoongi called your name.

"Ride in the front with Joon. I'll explain to my crew." He held the door open.

"Ah, ok." Came your quiet reply.

The idea seemed sudden and kind of startled  you, but you were glad not to be sat in the rough bed of the truck. As the engine growled to life, Namjoon reminded you to put on your seat belt. Then the wheels began to turn as you were driven forward.

"So, uh, how long have you been doing this?"

He smiled, grateful that you spoke first it seemed, "I actually work in the city, but one of my young friends, him and his family run the farm. They needed some extra help, so I started helping about 7 years now." Regret tinged his ears a red shade as he said, "Sorry. I tend to ramble."

"It's ok. I don't think you rambled too much." You gave him a genuine smile.

"Eyes on the road, Joon!" Yoongi called.

Once the first stack of hay bales were secured onto the truck, the darker haired man left with the other two. Namjoon and you were left alone to get the next stack ready for their return. His muscles rippled with every yank of heavy straw that you pushed towards him. No trace of the goofy and shy man you had rode with 15 minutes before.

"What made you join this year?" He drank a bottle of water he must've left here. "I recognized Rosé from last year. She looks good with pink hair."

You nodded and refused the bottle as you weren't thirsty...for water at least, "Yeah, I just wanted to do some work outside of my house and she signed me up for this."

"What's your usual job?"

"Oh, it's--OW" You pulled your leg back and saw a black spotted cat paw leading to your attacker.

"Wasabi! That's not how you treat guests!" He scolded the cat who now purred around his ankles. "She just had babies, so she's a bit protective. Sit."

You automatically dropped to sit on the block of hay you had let go. Namjoon went to a box on the wall with a red cross on it to get a small bag from it. He knelt in front of you.

"May I?"

You nodded and replied, "Mmhmm."

He lifted your foot to rest on his thigh and dabbed at the scratch with a wipe. You gave a sharp inhale, and he giggled.

"It's not even that deep."

"Still hurts." You pouted.

With a gentle rub, the too big bandaid covered the injury.

"I could sue you for this." You teased.

"If I kiss you, could we call it a proper settlement?" The question came out so smoothly you couldn't tell if he was serious.

Your eyes got wide. The sound of an approaching car pulled both of your attentions towards it. You quickly stepped back and Namjoon grinned at the ground.

"Sorry." He said before moving towards the door.

With a swift movement, he took up the straw you had dropped at Wasabi's scratch and you looked at the mama cat who meowed. It was if she was teasing you for not taking the chance. Yoongi came in to give her pets and asked where her babies were. She leapt down and took us to an old closet with a pile of discarded clothes inside on the floor.

"Awww, so cute! I want one~" The short red haired girl who was a part of Yoongi's group said, wanting to approach, but you put your arm in front of her as the mother hissed.

"We'll see." Yoongi replied and then spoke to Namjoon. "Just keep clear of them for now. We can make due with a few less bales."

"Gotcha. See you in a few."

The two quiet boys and the tiny red head left again.

"So, what do we do?"

"We'll kinda fence them in. Make sure no one else gets too close." He began to push a bale towards the area.

Following suit, a small barrier now separated Wasabi and crew from the rest of the barn. Looking around, most of the hay was on the second floor.

"You want me to go up there and toss 'em down?" You asked, spotting a ladder.

"Yeah. That's better than you catching 'em." He held the ladder sturdy, "Just be careful."

"If not, I'll just have to ask for more kisses." And up the ladder you went, not thinking too much of how cute his shocked expression was.

Several tons later, it was time for lunch. Namjoon helped you down off the ladder, letting his hands linger around your waist before blushing, "We should hurry before the corn gets cold."

Even though you had the option of leaving after the meal, you convinced your ride to stay until you were done with the maze. You went back to the barn, but volunteers had to leave at sunset. Namjoon didn't say much during the meal to you, but it was ok since you weren't a socialite anyways. Also, seeing how familiar he had been with the other regulars, the Farm family's son Tae, and his dog which now joined you, was nice.

"You really have been helping out for 7 years." The words left your lips before you could even think.

"Yeah. I know everyone pretty well. Enough to know that Tae's got a little crush on you." Namjoon wiped his forehead with the hem of his shirt, allowing you to see his glistening abs in the afternoon sun.

You couldn't help but bite your lip, "Is that so?"

"Yep." He met your gaze. "You interested?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you interested in being with the farmer's son?" The way he asked sounded like it was more than one question.

How many in total? You didn't know, but you did what you did best. Told the truth.

With a firm shake of your head, you sat on the edge of the loft, "No. I'm not interested in him. He's sweet and all, but I don't have eyes for him."

"...I see. Any hay left up there?"

You looked behind yourself, "None that's like all together. Hey, what's this?"

"What's what?" He looked up to see your ass filling out the overall shorts you had worn today.

"Come up here and take a look." You replied.

So Namjoon climbed up the ladder to come see what had caught your attention and was pulled forward to be on top of your own nervous but eager form.

"Now that we're here, are you gonna kiss me or not?"

"You're the one who got us here. Can't ya kiss me first?"

"I wanna make sure it's mutual. Anyways, I can only be so bold, Namjoon."

A cheeky chuckle left his lips as he settled on top of you, looking into your eyes as they closed and waited for the heat of his lips made contact with yours. There was no way either of you could stop now as you grabbed onto each other as if you'd disappear if you let go for even the slightest moment. His left hand was on your hip while his right snaked up to the latch of your overalls.

"Is it ok? Can I--"

"Go ahead." You replied breathlessly.

As shaking hands fumbled with each, you couldn't help but laugh and help him out. A grateful grin was given before making out ensued once more. Namjoon wanted this to last forever, but knew this time would have to be quick. Before Yoongi and the two volunteers came back. Still, he'd be remiss if he did not properly prepare you, so he slid two fingers inside of you. Without realizing, your hips rolled into his hand and a string of moans left your mouth. The grip you had on his forearm flexed.

He watched you through all of it, noticing your blushy reaction of looking away. However, Namjoon kissed your neck as the sweetest punishment. You squealed and bucked your hips as fingers spread your needy hole.

"Hurry." Came past your lips in a whine as the last thing you wanted was to be caught by the others in such a situation.

"Wait." Namjoon took his fingers out of you and reached into a spot in the corner.

There seemed to be a box that he looked through as you ground your hips onto nothing. Yet you needed to move just for any slight sensation. He mumbled to himself.

You pouted and called out his name, "Namjoooon~ Hurryyyyy~"

The large man turned around and revealed an unmistakable box of condoms and a small bottle of lube.

He smiled and then bit his lip at the sight of your disheveled form, "They're not expired."

"Then fuck me already!"

Namjoon's dick jumped at the desperate plea and quickly obliged, lubing you up and rolling the rubber on. You wanted it inside you so badly, but he waited.

"You look so pretty." Honest words reached your ears.

Your cheeks warmed even more at the compliment and you couldn't look at him, all the bravery from earlier all but gone.

Then he leaned over you, hands on either side of your head as he growled into your ear.

"You'd be prettier with my cock inside you, though." And thrust into you.

The scream of pleasure which came out of your throat surprised even you. And though you tried to cover your mouth, Namjoon pinned your hands down.

Between grunts, he uttered, "Don't. Don't hide from me. I wanna hear it all. Oh fuck. Please. Let me hear how badly you want this."

As his own moans trickled out, you looked at his furrowed brows and the new layer of sweat forming on both of you. You groaned and moaned out his name and loving words of support.

"You're so great, Namjoon. Oh, oh, oh my God. You're doing so well. Ahhhhh, more!"

"Yes! Yes! Oh Y/N. Oh fuck!" His curses were a whisper, contrasting how he screamed your name like a prayer.

"Namjoon, yes. Harder. Fuck, yes!" You felt him twitch inside of you and moved your hips upwards to meet his.

He whimpered and began to suck on your nipples, giving them tiny nibbles here and there. Namjoon's breathing became thick as he made love with you. He looked up at you, brown eyes dark and glittering in the golden hour of the world.

"Y/N, I can't--I'm gonna."

You held his face in your hands, "Cum for me."

He released as soon as the door opened, and you had to kiss him to muffle his scream of ecstasy.

"Namjoon? Y/N? Is this the last of it?" Yoongi asked.

Namjoon replied, "Yeah. If you can take it all on one go, that'd be great." in a voice that was clear for someone finishing up an orgasm and was still bucking inside of you.

You couldn't help but twitch, making him look down at you with your own hands muffling your own moans and eyes filled with tears. Right on the edge. You were right there, but you couldn't get there with the other man so close to catching on. The seconds passed by in the form of endless hours as Yoongi was quiet for no reason.

"So, you gonna go?" The thick chested man asked.

"Yeah. Alright, we'll start loading the truck. Wanna help out, Joonie?"

The man on top of you whispered, "Fuck." Before clearing his throat, "Nah. Kinda busy."

Yoongi's voice held a smile in it, "Oh, I see. I'll tell V you wanted to give the volunteer a tour." He then left.

You hid your face into Namjoon's shoulder. You wanted to cum so badly. The barn door closed and Namjoon began to pound into you after a sigh of relief. He was hard again. Did he like the idea of getting caught that much? It was a fleeting thought as the sound of a truck driving off allowed you to moan again. Your body convulsed as the ranch hand abused your g spot now that he found it. You gripped his arm, wrist, whatever you could hold onto as your orgasm finally reached its peak.

Heavy pants as Namjoon pulled out and lay next to you. He kissed your lips once more and you curled up into his side.

"That’s such a great settlement." You let an airy chuckle out.

Joon looked over at you, only able to laugh at your comment. The two of you decided to hurry and get dressed, and he walked you to the bus taking the last bit of city folk back. He called out your name before you went on, picking a piece of straw out of your hair and sticking it into his mouth.

“Come back soon.” He smiled so large that his dimples became a cavern.

[sillyfeathers]

Overtime (Jim & Pam x Reader)

Overtime Prompt: I was just wondering if you could write for the show more, maybe doing a part 2 for making copies? / Do you think you could write a platonic ler Jim Halpert x reader fic? I think I would die of happiness. Maybe a continuation of the Pam fic? Characters: Pam Beesly, Jim Halpert, reader (all platonic) with a mention of Michael and Erin. Summary: Working late as an intern for a paper company was definitely not the way you wanted to spend your Friday night, but lucky for you, your friends are just as bored. Warnings: fluff, slight profanity Words: 1402

A/N: The prompts above were both from anons, so I hope this finds you! I finished rewatching The Office the other night and inspiration definitely struck, so I hope you enjoy <3

You probably should have accounted for Jim, though.

That was the last thought that flashed through your head before you felt a poke to your side, and you didn’t think, you just ran.

You knew, logically, you couldn’t outrun tall, lanky, Jim, but you might as well try, right?

“Whoa, is she okay?” You heard Kelly’s voice from behind you, and you dared to turn around, drawing to a halt. 

Instead of seeing an ever-advancing Jim Halpert, you instead saw him and Pam grinning ear to ear, not having moved a muscle since you took off.

You glanced around the parking lot, seeing that everyone was now watching you with bewildered expressions.

“Yeah, um, I – I just remembered, I have an assignment due tonight.”

“In the middle of summer –?”

“Yes, Jim, in the middle of summer.” You shot him the most annoyed look you could muster, and refused to look back at any of them as you left in a hurry.

Turns out, you were going to wish he’d got it over and done with. The next two weeks of your life looked like they were going to be living hell – as if spending your summer working at a paper company with an incompetent boss and a really annoying desk-mate wasn’t enough, you were now looking over your shoulder every minute.

In all honesty, and this was never something you would’ve admitted to anyone in a million years...by the end you began to realise it wasn’t so bad.

While the past couple of weeks had been mildly terrifying, Pam and Jim had taken a genuine liking to you. They’d taken time to get to know you: hanging out in the break room, saving you a seat in the conference room – Jim had even got you in on a prank he was pulling on Dwight (it was hilarious, and definitely worth the 4 hours of work you had to catch up on). 

And so, a mere fortnight after the perilous parking lot incident, you found yourself not hating the fact that you had to stay late on a Friday with Jim, Pam, Michael and Erin.

It was just some inventory stuff, and the accounting department had basically begged you to take on their part. All in the name of ‘invaluable experience’, which you knew was bullshit, but you didn’t have anything better to do...so there you were.

“Hey, Y/N, come here a second?” Pam called you from the break room, and you happily abandoned the work, sauntering over.

She invited you to sit down, and you noticed Jim by the vending machine. You tilted your head, a little confused.

“Y/N, I would say we’ve bonded rather well over the past two weeks, wouldn’t you?” Jim sat down across from you, a pensive expression on his face. “One would even dare say we’ve become friends?”

“I mean, yeah, I guess,” you stammered, unsure of what direction this was heading. Were they going to berate you? Fire you? Invite you to a dinner party? “We just wanted to make sure you’re okay with that. Us...being your friends,” Pam chimed in. 

“Of course – is there a reason I shouldn’t be?” you asked.

“No, we just wanted to really, really, make sure,” Jim replied, and as he spoke, he rose from his seat and started to walk nonchalantly towards you, Pam following behind.

As if he’d hit a switch, the memories of two weeks ago came rushing back. You jumped to your feet, blanching.

“Wahahait,” you giggled, curling in on yourself. “Don’t even think about it.”

It was two against one, and you all knew that if they decided to attack, you would have no way of escaping. All the same, you didn’t make a run for it.

“We know it gets boring around here some...well, all of the time,” Jim said. “We thought we could make it a little more interesting.”

Right when you thought you were done for, they both stopped, looking expectantly at you. You bit your lip. I mean, it was mind-numbingly boring...and they were your friends...so maybe they had a point.

Before you could change your mind, you narrowed your eyes and nodded. “Okay.”

You didn’t get a second to think before they pounced, trapping you in a corner almost immediately.

Jim’s fingers latched onto your sides, scribbling up and down, while Pam curled hers around your neck, making your shoulders scrunch up.

“Noho!” you squealed, giggles pouring from your lips. Jim’s squeezing and poking combined with Pam’s light, feathery touches had you a squirming mess in a matter of seconds, and you could tell they were taking pride in that.

“No? We’ve hardly started!” Jim teased, and you managed to squeeze in a sarcastic groan between your giggles – which was quickly silenced by a pinch to your knee.

You slid down the wall, batting at their hands, your skin, every bit of you that was alive with ticklish electricity. Jim crawled his fingers up your sides, venturing dangerously close to your underarms.

“Should I do it, hun?” he asked Pam, who had made herself busy with seeing which part of your knee made you jerk the most.

“Might as well do it now, I don’t think she can take much more,” Pam teased, smiling affectionately as your face heated up.

“Stohohop,” you giggled breathlessly, your half-hearted tugging against his grip having no real impact. Jim raised an eyebrow, and you held your breath in anticipation, still squirming from Pam’s nails scratching at your knee.

But then, he pulled away, as did Pam, leaving you to sink into a heap on the floor.

“Alright.”

You tilted your head up at Jim, your chest heaving. “Huh?”

He and Pam exchanged a look. “We don’t wanna make you uncomfortable or anything, so, get back out there,” Pam said, offering you her hand. You couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed – as embarrassing as it may be, it was the most fun you’d had in ages. You bit your lip, but got to your feet, grinning sheepishly at the two as you headed back to the office.

“Unless, of course, you’d rather not.” Jim piped up from behind you, and you turned around slowly.

“I mean, we won’t judge.”

You eyed the door to the annex behind them. “Only if you can catch me.”

Before they had time to pounce, you ducked under Jim’s arm and bolted for the door. You heard two pairs of footsteps in close pursuit, and preemptive giggles spluttered out as you looked for a place to run to. 

Try as you might, it was literally just an office, and you soon found yourself cornered between walls and desks.

Pam’s face split into a huge grin when she saw you, wasting no time in running forward and scribbling her hands up your sides. You shrieked, caught off guard, and you were very glad there was a break room separating you from Michael and Erin.

Jim was not far behind, and you hardly had time to cry out a “WAIT!” before you were once again pinned into a corner, Pam gently holding your hands back while Jim crawled his fingers up under your arms – and that was the last straw. You exploded into squirmy, loud laughter, practically melting into the floor, your eyes squeezed shut and your mouth split into a huge smile.

Pam let your hands go soon after, and you recoiled, slapping at Jim and sinking into breathless giggles. The two smiled affectionately between themselves, and then at you, as you got to your feet, grinning sheepishly.

“We never speak of this,” you mumbled. Jim raised his eyebrow. “Well -”

He was cut off by Pam gently hitting him on the shoulder. “We won’t, Y/N, don’t worry.”

You caught a glimpse of movement in your peripheral vision, and your heart dropped.

“Shit -” you pointed at a cameraman who was hiding quite well behind a plant.

“I thought there weren’t supposed to be any here tonight!” Despite having enjoyed yourself, you were now beginning to regret it - this was meant to have been completely private. 

The two sensed your concern, and without hesitation, Pam squeezed your hand as Jim started over towards the offending plant (or rather the person cowering behind it).

Pam pulled you into a hug, and you relaxed.

“We’ll take care of it.”

[halothenthehorns]

THE FIREBOLT

Sirius was still staring vacantly down at the book in his hands as if fearing it was going to leap up and rip his face off any second, so taking pity on him Harry got to his feet and offered his hand out for the book. When he still didn't respond to that, Harry leaned over and gently tugged the book out of his slack grip, but before he could head back to his spot to read James voiced, "It's getting pretty late into the night. How about we take a break for food?"

Lily nodded in agreement and Harry was happy to follow her into the kitchen and help again, leaving the three stunned boys in place.

Finding out James was dead was one of the most heart-wrenching things his friends had ever considered. Of course they weren't naïve, they recognized they would all die eventually, but the manner in which it was to come, and so soon, had terrified them from the very beginning. Now here they were, yet again, to find another of theirs lost too soon for this life, and for what?

Because Peter had panicked and tried to confront Sirius, only for the matter to be blown into historical proportions? Where was the justice in that? The bloodlust it ensued in the friends to find out who'd done this to their friend was hardly contained even now as they sat in a stewing silence.

In the kitchen, Harry was having a more pleasant chat with his mother. "I didn't know Sirius was my Godfather. How come you guys haven't mentioned it?"

Lily thought back for a moment to realize they hadn't outright told him this before nodding and saying, "guess it just hadn't crossed our mind to tell you dear. There are plenty of little things like that, just passing comments we hardly realize you wouldn't get. Sorry love, but now you know."

Harry chuckled for a moment, passing her the pepper and inspecting this bubbling warmth that this seemed to cause him. He had a Godfather? He obviously knew now why Sirius hadn't been there for him through the years, but something about realizing this made him smile. Of course his thirteen-year-old self had been devastated at the news, but right now all he could think of was, what if Sirius' name really did get cleared? His family seemed very sure this was going to happen, and he had no reasons to doubt them. If that did happen, then that could very possibly mean he would leave the Dursleys? He may actually regain memories of a home life he was only getting a glimpse of now?

His gut wanted to argue the point, there was no settling feeling saying his thoughts now had any concrete to them, but the mood of this book had been so low for so long now, he refused to let himself ruin this fantasy and would cling to it for as long as possible.

Dinner was mostly a silent affair, the shock still weighing heavily on all of them as Harry went to pick the book back up. Now that he at least partially knew what had been bothering him about that trip into Hogsmeade Harry's mind had settled down some, though that lingering prickle that he was still missing something left him with an anxious feeling as he began to read.

Harry had no memory of traveling back to the common room, just that it happened a lot faster then when he came down.

Sirius winced at his remembered light joke of before, hating how this book seemed to continue twisting and mocking his very being.

He was too busy analyzing every word of that conversation, one thing in particular standing out, why hadn't anybody ever told him?

'Because the one who should have wasn't around' Remus bitterly thought, wanting to curse himself nearly as much as anyone else the more this dragged on.

Fudge, Hagrid, Dumbledore, Mr. Weasley,

"Arthur might not have known," Lily said fairly, "I'm sure he doesn't even know you two, and as Fudge did say, this didn't really seem that widely known."

Harry nodded in understanding, knowing he hadn't held this against the Weasley's, though feeling rather certain he had wanted to demand this from someone.

any number of people should have told Harry that his parents were murdered because of their supposed best friend's knife in the back.

Both James and Remus gave Sirius a very careful look, noticing at once how his hands twisted up in his lap at the implication, but he seemed to have taken Remus' words to heart at least somewhat. Sirius just had to know he'd never do anything like this, accidentally or not, so Harry didn't let that horrid question linger.

They got back to the common room to find the twins had let off some dungbombs to let out some steam.

Lily crinkled up her nose in disgust, not really understanding how stinking up the common room would make them feel better, but knowing this behavior all too well from her own boys. If given half the chance, the present Marauders would cause mayhem in the school right now to get rid of some built up tension; but they weren't in school anymore, and they were having to learn to cope with this in other ways.

Harry didn't want them to get the chance to ask how his trip had gone,

All three boys gave a horrible jerk at that, disgusted that something like Harry's first trip into Hogsmeade, and the use of the map at all, would be ruined by this. It just didn't seem fair they couldn't stay happy for one whole chapter anymore.

and went up to his room instead and dug out something Hagrid had given him at the end of his first year, a photo album filled with pictures of his parents.

This happy little reminder did spike up the mood at least a bit. Of course none of them had forgotten this treasured gift, and it was warming beyond belief to know Harry clearly valued it so much.

He curled up in his bed and began flipping until he came across their wedding photo.

"Ah," Sirius murmured, nodding in understanding now. Harry had once mentioned he thought he knew him back when Hagrid had given him this book, at the time Harry had simply settled on the idea he must have seen a picture of him. Now they understood it was wrong, but it was still interesting to know which picture Harry had latched onto.

His mother and father were easily picked out and usually Harry's sole attention, but now he glanced at his father's right hand side, where the best man stood, whom he'd never thought about before.

Sirius wanted to mock pout at that, but just couldn't raise up the energy at yet another reminder of how little Harry knew about him, and the manner that he continued learning about him hurt like a scalding knife tearing chunks out of his soul.

If he hadn't known now, he wouldn't believe it was the same person. The Black in the photo was young and carefree, clearly laughing along, when compared to the more recent photo he'd seen of the skull like villain.

James and Remus couldn't even imagine it. Sirius so unrecognizable to his boisterous nature as to not be recognized like this! It was something they refused to linger on any longer than was possible.

He wondered if Black was already on the other side in this captured moment,

Harry wanted to stop and give him a sorry look for ever thinking that, in his defense he hadn't actually known him at the time, but he knew it was only going to get worse so forced himself to keep going. The words would have jammed up in his throat anyways, because of that terrible spot he couldn't fix. He was convinced now more than ever Sirius had a reason for being at school, a murderous reason. It couldn't really be Harry though...right? The fact that he couldn't answer himself gave him chills as much as anything he'd been hearing.

if he felt anything for the other people in this photo, if he had any idea he was fixing to spend years in Azkaban and come out looking like a different man.

"I sincerely doubt he actually knew that," Lily muttered sarcastically under her breath, grimacing right along with everyone else at these implausible questions.

Then Harry remembered that dementors had no effect on him,

"Maybe not while I'm a dog," Sirius sighed, still vacantly wondering why he had acted so normal around Fudge. 

and Black didn't have to hear Lily screaming and pleading against her son's death. Harry slammed the book shut and put it away,

Sirius winced anew that his face had at any time caused such a horrible reaction to Harry, but the boy sounded so miserable in that moment he didn't want to say anything for fear of making it worse.

and rolled over to feign sleep just as Ron came in, so Harry didn't react.

'Can't hardly blame him' Remus thought sadly, 'everyone wants to be alone sometimes.'

Ron left, and Harry was left with a building hatred pounding through him.

"I'm sorry Sirius," Harry couldn't stop himself this time, his wide green eyes looking the opposite of hatred in that moment. He clearly felt guilt ridden about ever thinking something like this when now he instinctively knew just how wrong he was. He was forcefully ignoring that other part of him, Sirius must have a reason for this, no man who looked as guilt stricken upon hearing of all this could really have done these things.

"S'alright Harry," Sirius sighed, trying to put some feeling into his voice even as he rubbed at his face, trying to force this stiff almost frozen expression of a scowl away. "Not like I can really do anything to fix it, least you're not thinking it for the rest of your life, that's all that really matters."

James couldn't help but give Sirius a reassuring pat on the shoulder all the same, like he was trying to reward him for the attempt even if it did come out a little hollow anyways.

He was picturing the whole thing in his head like a video, Black from that wedding photo blowing up Peter Pettigrew,

All three of them made a horrible choking noise at that sentence, like it wasn't bad enough hearing it the first time, but now realizing Harry was going to sit around and think about it nearly as much as thinking about his Mother gave each of them a deep desire to blast their own memories of this particular pain. Maybe if Harry didn't feel so wretched for what he was currently putting Sirius through he would have focused a little more on how odd and just plain wrong that sentence was for him to say, his gut giving an absent nudge of pain going unnoticed.

who looked like Neville,

"Not a bad comparison really," James said a little too loudly, looking for anything to take his mind off of this topic. "Wish you could get to know Neville a little better all the same."

Harry nodded in agreement, having a fairly good feeling his friendship with his fellow Gryffindor only gets stronger through the years.

and Black's voice, though he had no real idea what it could be,

Sirius had a fairly good idea that type of reminder would never not feel like a stab to the heart.

whispering to his master that he was handing over the Potters. Then he once again remembered the screaming...

Dialogue jumped in by telling Harry how bad he looked.

"Oh thank you, because I'm sure that made him feel so much better," Remus rolled his eyes.

Since Harry hadn't actually fallen asleep during the night, this made sense.

Lily had to bite at her lip to stop herself from voicing the opinion if this continued he really should go and visit Madam Pomfrey for some sort of dreamless potion to help with this restlessness. The only thing restraining her was the reminder of how rarely Harry actually sought out help, and she doubted this time would really be different.

He'd fallen into a fitful doze sometime around daybreak, woken up to an empty room, and come downstairs to find Ron eating a Peppermint Toad and rubbing at his stomach,

"Probably had one to many of those," James muttered randomly.

while Hermione was doing homework on three separate tables.

Sirius was more than happily distracted by letting out a low whistle and admitting, "almost forgot how many classes she was in, Merlin it's a bloody miracle she even takes the chance to go to Hogsmeade. You'd think she'd have to be doing homework twenty-four seven to keep up."

Harry asked why the place was deserted, and Ron reminded it was Christmas break, most everyone went home.

"Can't rightly blame them," Lily said with some forced cheerfulness, more than happy Harry's friends were at least looking out for him, or trying to, with staying behind.

Harry collapsed in a chair without comment, and Hermione repeated how bad Harry looked.

"I'm sure that made him feel just as swell the second time," Remus snorted in real amusement.

Harry brushed it off, and Hermione threw a quick look at Ron before beginning to tell him that what they'd heard the other day, shouldn't make him go doing anything stupid.

"Stupid like what?" James demanded in disbelief. "What exactly do they think you're going to do with this new information, except to rightly sulk a bit."

Harry just shrugged, he remembered that poisonous hatred hadn't exactly worn off, but he'd no real idea what or how he was supposed to channel it at that time, so what Hermione actually thought he was going to do he didn't know.

Harry asked what she was talking about, and Ron snapped that he shouldn't be going after Black.

"That would be a sight," Remus rolled his eyes at that mental image.

"I still insist Harry might really win that fight," Sirius joked lightly, half wishing Harry would do this anyways. It was high time someone gave Harry some real facts, which he was sure he could deliver, rather than all of this tosh he kept getting.

It was clear from the way they were acting they'd already talked about this before Harry woke up, but he didn't respond.

"You're friends never cease to amuse me," Lily chuckled. "Who rehearses this type of conversation?" Privately she was warmed that Harry had such caring friends they were so worried about Harry like this, despite how misguided it was, as Harry really should be allowed to be as angry as he wanted about this mess.

Instead he asked if they knew what he heard whenever he was around a dementor.

'Guess it's a good thing he tells someone' James mentally sighed, bracing himself to hear this living nightmare all over again.

They obviously didn't, so he told them all the gritty details.

'I probably will be a real murderer when Harry really does get that name' Sirius mentally snarled, but kept that one to himself for fear of the retribution his friends would give him.

While shocked at the horrible news, Hermione insisted it still didn't change that Black should be caught by the proper people, put back in Azkaban, which is what he deserved.

'Gotta love Hermione' Remus frowned without any real heat, knowing Hermione was speaking without all the facts, but detesting anyone saying this about his friend.

Harry just scoffed, as Fudge had said that place had no effect on him, it wasn't even a real punishment. Ron looked scared now as he asked what Harry did want, Black dead?

"Can't even say that's harsh, I'm thinking something similar about the person who did do this," James scowled.

Hermione looked very freaked out now as she said of course Harry didn't want anyone dead!

Harry didn't offer an opinion now anymore than he did then. At the time he really couldn't claim he would have batted an eye if that did happen, now the very thought of it caused a horrible twist inside of him. He lacked commenting this though, because he didn't think Sirius would appreciate the first answer anymore then his memory would appreciate him poking at an echo of pain he didn't know how to dwell on.

Harry didn't answer, he was just positive that the fact Black was out was eating away at him.

"I'm honestly curious what you really will do," Sirius couldn't help but chuckle, knowing Harry was doing it for all the wrong reasons, but willing to encourage anything that would get the two of them in the same room alone.

Then he pointed out that Malfoy knew.

"What's this?" Remus asked curiously, trying to cast his mind around for the last time Harry had spoken to Malfoy.

That day in Potions, he'd mocked Harry that he should have gone and killed Black already, for revenge.

"Oh," they all muttered, frowning all over again. None of them really wanted to consider Malfoy a credible source for anything, but the fact that a Death Eater would know about this instance really struck a nerve. It even crossed James' mind that, what if it had been a Death Eater to orchestrate this whole thing? He found this the most likely scenario yet, but he wanted to think on it a while more before he offered it to the others.

Ron was insulted as he told Harry he was taking Malfoy's words over them.

"Harry's hardly 'taking his advice', he's just noting something from before," Remus frowned, rather as annoyed by this as Ron that Malfoy would have any involvement.

Then he continued by telling Harry something he'd heard, that Order of Merlin, First Class, Pettigrew had received was sent to his mother with only a finger in a box, because that was the largest part of him they found.

"Ew," Lily muttered, trying to force that mental image out of her mind rather than bursting into tears that this was a fate of someone she considered a friend. Her reaction was mild compared to Peter's friends, who had gone a pasty color and looked more likely to vomit the longer this was talked about.

Harry was blinking spastically down at the page, like his Mum trying his very hardest to push something away, in his case a feeling of significance. Something about this, a single finger, then a headache began forming again and he forced himself to keep reading.

Ron was insisting that Black was too unstable to go near, but Harry ignored Ron, saying Malfoy's dad would know all about this.

"Half wish you'd actually ignored all of what he'd said," Sirius muttered, thinking he'd have been more than happy if they'd never learned that bit of trivia.

Remembering that Malfoy Senior was in Voldemort's top ranks, and Ron tried to cut Harry off and told him to say You-Know-Who.

"And that still hasn't gotten old," Remus muttered for his own amusement, at this point fairly certain Harry never was going to start doing that and the reactions from others would continue. Which mostly caused pride in him, finding Harry's resistance against this a very good parallel to his father.

Harry was still talking, saying Malfoy would have known Black as well, then Ron cut in again that those Malfoys would be just as happy if Harry wound up like Pettigrew.

"I want to curse Ron into a million pieces," Lily snarled, somehow managing to find Ron's crude humor in even more poor a taste then Sirius' of late.

Then Ron told Harry Malfoy had just said all of that to distract him from the coming Quidditch game.

"Harry can beat him with one arm behind his back," James chirped, causing bursts of still dulled amusement from all of them. The mantra of 'they could fix this' was pretty much the only thing sustaining them at this point, as the fate of their friend now seemed as hot a topic as Sirius, and they all wanted to vomit or murder someone for the continuing reminder. It seemed to hurt all the worse because Peter wasn't here now, they couldn't just glance over at their friend whenever they needed the reminder. Now they really wished they'd convinced Peter to stick around.

Hermione looked likely to cry any second as she begged Harry to listen, that going after Black wouldn't do them any good because it's what Black wants.

"Going to have to agree with Hermione on that one, under a different context anyways," Sirius huffed.

Surely Harry's parents didn't want Harry to get hurt, and wouldn't want him to do that.

Lily said, "no" at the same time as James said, "yes."

The parents gave each other the stank eye for a moment before James cracked and smiled over at her, responding, "I think we technically answered a different half of her question."

Lily couldn't help but return the smile and laughed at the exchange.

Harry shot back he had no idea what they'd ever want, because Black had them killed!

"Merlin, can't have one decent moment anymore can they," Remus sighed low enough only Sirius heard him as James and Lily turned away from each other, faces dropping and biting at their lips at such a reminder, while Harry's smile dropped right out as well.

Crookshanks interrupted by jumping on the table, and Ron's pocket gave a shiver.

"Inquisitive little thing," Sirius grumbled, really not looking forward to another fight breaking out right now and hoping that cat would stay put.

Ron tried for something new, instead saying they should go and visit Hagrid, they hadn't in awhile.

"Not without good reason," Harry sighed in reminder, since the moment he'd read that he had an inkling of a feeling what Ron's words were fixing to cause in him then, and it wasn't good.

Hermione tried to protest Harry still wasn't allowed out of school,

Maybe it was all the pent up frustration at this particular book, but the room gave a collective groan and grumble of annoyance for Hermione still trying to enforce that rule.

but Harry was all for it, wanting to have a go at Hagrid for never mentioning any of this before.

James sucked in air backwards through his teeth, creating a sound effect that made it obvious he very dearly didn't want to sit in on this conversation.

That was not what Ron had meant at all,

"Curse irony," Sirius scowled, still not really over the fact that he normally loved the full attention being on him, and the way it kept getting thrown in his face like this. Remus gave him a gentle nudge in pity, having a pretty good idea what Sirius' little comment meant and both agreeing with him and unable to think of anything to make him feel better.

and tried for something new like a game, but Harry wouldn't hear of it and marched out of the common room. They had to go past the usual standard of ye old insults.

Lily had to do a double take before reminding herself of the current portrait, then frowned when she realized why hadn't the Fat Lady come back yet? Exactly how badly had Sirius hurt her painting? The boys looked so miserable over there though, she wondered if they even registered this, and she wasn't going to be the one to bring it up.

When they reached Hagrid's though, they knocked without an answer. Hermione wondered if Hagrid had stepped out,

"Wouldn't put it past him," Remus shrugged, "I'm sure the holidays leave him rather busy with both of his jobs."

but Ron pressed his ear to the door and heard some odd thrumming inside, like someone sobbing.

"Is-is that Fang crying?" Sirius frowned, thinking that wasn't really how a dog would be described to cry, but really unsure as to why it would be Hagrid.

James thumped Sirius on the ear for what he considered a stupid comment.

Harry began knocking on the door even louder, calling out who it was, and Hagrid answered this time with red swollen eyes.

"Oh no," Lily cooed at once, wanting to wrap Hagrid in a hug even if her arms wouldn't reach all the way around. They'd all felt some pretty mild annoyance at Hagrid's part in the story in the last chapter, but they could hardly sit there and blame him more than anyone else when it was clear McGonagall and every other person in the world believed Sirius had done all of that as well. So their first reaction to hearing Hagrid was upset was an equal amount of concern as Harry, all of them deciding they really couldn't hold a grudge against someone who had done so much for Harry.

He took one look at Harry, realized he'd heard, and wrapped Harry up in a hug.

"Heard what?" Remus muttered, getting jittery at once for what other possible bad thing could happen.

Hagrid being so much larger, this wasn't very easy. Harry felt like his spin was about to snap in half, when Ron and Hermione saved him by taking one of Hagrid's arms each and leading him back inside.

It was a good thing Hagrid still seemed to have some sense of himself, as they were all sure Ron and Hermione's combined strength really couldn't have done this if he hadn't wanted to.

Hagrid didn't protest as he stumbled back to a chair, tears still leaking down into his beard.

"The poor dear," Lily began fretting, her first instinct to get to her feet and make him a nice hot cup of tea so that he could tell her what the problem was. She only hoped Hermione or one of the boys would think to do something like this as well.

Hermione asked what was wrong, and Hagrid waved at a letter on the table. With permission, Harry picked it up and began to read, the first sentence stating this was about that hippogriff attack.

"Oh crap," they all muttered, having nearly forgotten the whole incident. It hadn't happened that long ago, but considering the things they learned since then it may as well have been a lifetime. The whole thing had pretty much lost its impact, but clearly there had been further repercussions then what they'd been expecting.

It explained that Dumbledore made it clear Hagrid had no part to blame in the student attack,

"Well there's that," Lily let out a breath of relief.

"So what's wrong with Hagrid?" James frowned, leaning forward in concern.

but the hippogriff in question still needed to be addressed, after the complaint Mr. Lucius Malfoy filled.

Sirius proceeded to call Mr. Malfoy quite a few colorful terms, and Lily felt so upset on Hagrid's part she couldn't even find it in her to scold him for it.

A date was set for Hagrid and the hippogriff in question to appear in front of the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures.

"They want him to take a hippogriff into London?" Harry reread his mind scattering around for something that didn't make him squirm in displeasure. This was very clearly what had Hagrid so upset, and the thought of one of his friends in this state truly did cause him to want to pursue action. The random question was just to give him time to think, though at the time he'd been more shell shocked at the events and knew he hadn't said anything.

"It's not impossible," James answered with a heavy sigh. "I'm sure someone will cast a spell on him, disguise him as a regular horse until he gets inside or something."

"Why do they want Buckbeak to be there at all? They can hardly ask him what happened," Sirius added on his own question.

This wasn't Lily's particular department, but she took a swing anyways and offered, "most likely they might try and gauge his attitude, try and see for themselves how dangerous he truly is. Test him a bit before they give a proper ruling."

Harry found the subject rather fascinating, but knew better than to try and linger on the subject when he really wanted his answers from the book on what was going to happen.

Ron offered comfort that once they met Buckbeak, they'd realize nothing was wrong with him, and this problem should go away at last.

"They really should," Remus agreed, rubbing the back of his neck in thought. "Honestly the whole instance was Malfoy's fault, so if Lucius didn't have so much 'influence' it might not have even gotten this far."

"This is actually pretty similar to what happens when a muggles dog bites someone," Lily shrugged, "so I might disagree with you on that, but I've never dealt with anything like this personally so I don't know all the details."

Hagrid didn't agree, saying that this Committee was known to have it out for interesting creatures.

"I want to call a biased opinion on that," James muttered, "but in this case, Hagrid's right. Buckbeak really wasn't at full fault."

"Actually I'm in full agreement with Hagrid," Sirius shrugged, "that Committee really is too analytical when it comes to a very broad topic. They think they can make rules to cover every instance, and it's just not possible when dealing with live animals."

Harry watched curiously when it looked like Remus was about to jump in, and the boys looked like they were going to start a whole debate on the matter, but then Lily cleared her throat with a warm smile and said, "we can pick this up later boys, I'd like to get this chapter done before midnight."

They all rolled their eyes but backed down all the same.

Then they heard an odd sound, and turned to find said hippogriff in front of the fireplace, eating something bloody.

"Lovely," Remus crinkled up his nose at the thought, but couldn't really blame Hagrid for this either.

Hagrid explained he couldn't bring himself to leave Buckbeak out in the snow, not during Christmas.

"Aw," Lily smiled brightly, she thought this was adorable and wouldn't put it past herself to think the same of her own pet.

The trio hadn't always seen eye to eye with Hagrid and his pets, but in this case Harry was on Hagrid's side. By all previous records, Buckbeak was by far the best.

"I'll give Harry full points for that spot on comparison," James nodded with amusement.

Hermione was still talking about the case, saying they'd just have to build him up a good strong go and he'd have to win. Hagrid wasn't convinced, saying Malfoy would just pay them all off to see his way.

Sirius scowled and muttered a few things about how the system worked, which no one really argued him on at this point.

Harry asked if Dumbledore would help,

"Not really sure Dumbledore could do anything in this instance," Remus frowned thoughtfully, "he wasn't there. Sure he could vouch for Hagrid's opinion on the matter; maybe his presence would hold as much weight as Malfoy's."

"Let's hope then," Lily nodded in agreement.

but Hagrid said Dumbledore had done as much as he could, and he was so busy dealing with Black running around.

"Well now I just feel awful, taking time away from a very important matter," Sirius said sincerely. James and Remus couldn't tell how sarcastic he was being, but at least he hadn't flinched when his name was mentioned this time, so that was progress.

Hermione and Ron gave a wary look at Harry, clearly worried that Hagrid had brought up the reminder Harry wanted to yell at Hagrid for not sharing certain things,

"Oh yeah," they muttered, that having been the original reason for this visit, and really hoping Harry wouldn't turn this back. While the case of Buckbeak wasn't a happy topic, it was still loads better then what Harry wanted.

but Harry couldn't bring himself to do it when he saw the state Hagrid was in.

"You are such a sweet boy," Lily smiled at her son, taking a moment to brush her hand through his hair at this bout of thoughtfulness.

Harry couldn't help but blush, and couldn't deny that he did appreciate the affection all the same.

Instead he said Hagrid could call them as witnesses, and they'd say what really happened. Hermione agreed that she could read up on previous such cases, and find out how they'd won their trials.

"Why am I not surprised Hermione has read a book on this," Remus chuckled.

"I think her life's goal is to read every book in the world," Sirius smirked.

Ron floundered, then offered to make some tea.

"Thank you Ron," Lily beamed.

The boys were too busy laughing at such a random input.

Harry just stared at him, and Ron blushed it was what his mum did to comfort people.

"Must be a girl thing," Sirius snickered, ignoring the haughty look from said woman.

After many more reassurances, Hagrid got himself together,

"Turns out to be a rather good thing you came down there," James beamed. "I'd feel wretched if Hagrid had been down there by himself like this all through the holidays."

"Good things can come from the most unexpected places," Remus smirked.

"Enough fortune cookies from you," Sirius rolled his eyes at him.

saying he'd been wallowing too much about Buckbeak, and no one liking his classes,

"Can you blame us," Harry sighed, then he added on, "course I can't hardly blame Hagrid, it's not actually his fault."

but Hermione was quick to correct and lied they loved them! Ron adding on the same, while crossing his fingers under the table.

The boys couldn't help but snicker at this, finding Ron's reaction adorable to the many lies they'd pulled off by this time in their life.

Then he asked how those flobberworms were doing, and Hagrid admitted they'd all died from lettuce overdose. Ron couldn't keep the happiness out of his voice as he said how sad that was.

"How on earth will the class live with themselves?" Sirius smirked, not bothering one bit to pretend like that was a real question.

Then Hagrid shivered and admitted being around those dementors wasn't helping, gave him nightmares of back when he'd had his stint in Azkaban.

Sirius blinked spastically, for the first time coming back to that random connection. While he'd yet to ever go to Azkaban himself, and here's praying he never would, he was pretty sure it was a big place and the odds he'd been around Hagrid during that time were slim. Mostly it reminded him of Lily's snippy little threat from back during the beginning of the second book, and how not funny that was anymore.

Hermione couldn't seem to help herself as she asked how bad it was there.

"Just can't stay off this topic for more than five minutes lately," James scowled, wanting to block Sirius' ears from having to continually hear about this. He figured that would only result in a wrestling match that neither of them would win, which would only annoy Lily, so he restrained himself.

Hagrid said he couldn't even properly describe it, just a swirl of every bad feeling he'd ever had, like the day he was expelled, his dad dying, Norbert being taken away.

"That's one of his worst memories?" Remus couldn't help but blurt out.

"Wow, think we underestimated how much he liked that dragon," Sirius shuddered in renewed disgust. As if mentioning all of this wasn't bad enough, now he had that dragon reminder to deal with on top of everything.

He tried to explain it was like losing yourself, your mind being eaten away and only the worst things left in place, and when he'd finally been let out it was like being reborn. Of course the dementors weren't happy to see him go.

Sirius was leaning so far into the couch he seemed to be trying to merge with it, his vacant hands kept patting his knees or twisting in his lap as he continued trying very forcibly to not think about himself in this situation, plenty of his worst memories already coming to mind, more clearly to come.

James and Remus exchanged heart wrenched looks, but what could they really say? There were only so many times they could help him and try to convince him they weren't going to let this happen to him, but it was disturbing them far more than anything to see how much this affected him. Sirius wasn't known for letting things get to him, so the severe reaction he continued to have to this, something he must know they refused to allow, was scaring them more than anything.

Hermione protested that Hagrid had been innocent, and Hagrid just snorted as he told that they didn't care. They were soulless creatures who just wanted another body to feed off of. He had been considering letting Buckbeak go, just getting the hippogriff to fly away and escape,

"That could work," Sirius said loudly, anything to keep the conversation away from that prison. "Just say he got loose and flew away, they really couldn't say otherwise."

"I suppose it depends on how loyal Buckbeak is to Hagrid," Remus shrugged, more than happy to play along for as long as possible. "Because if Buckbeak ever decided to come back, and Malfoy noticed, it would cause more harm than good."

but he was afraid that would get him sent back to Azkaban.

Lily's heart broke into tiny little pieces upon hearing that. It was bad enough watching Sirius being forced to listen to this ordeal, now Hagrid was having just as many issues and she couldn't help either of them. It made her feel helpless, not a feeling Lily Potter ever enjoyed. There must be some way to fix all of this, make it so that such a place as Azkaban couldn't even be an option. While she'd heard of some gruesome stories of people who she had considered did deserve that place, now that she'd heard of two separate instances of people wrongly being in there, she was beginning to question the place as a whole.

While their trip to Hagrid's hadn't exactly been a cheerful one, it far from erased Harry's feelings on Black, but it gave him something new to focus on.

"There's the bright side," James rolled his eyes with forced laughter, happy for any brief change in the mood.

They kept their promise and tramped back to the castle to start doing research for Hagrid's case.

"You three have got to be the only students who use the library so frequently," Remus chuckled. "All three years now, and you lot have had a reason to go in and grab seemingly random books. Most students just use it for homework."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Harry chuckled.

They spent hours discussing anything that looked likely, Hermione coming across one case where the hippogriff had been convicted, then voicing how disgusting it was what they'd done to it.

"I do not want to know," Lily frowned, more than happy when Harry continued on without the added comment of what did happen.

Ron found one where a manticore got off, but that was because everyone was to scared to go near it.

"That's a great idea," Sirius snorted, "let's make Buckbeak so scary no one wants to go near him, I'm sure he'll live a long and happy life."

"The worst part is, I still can't tell if you're kidding," Remus frowned at him, which Sirius ignored.

The rest of the castle was enjoying the break much more, putting up the usual holiday cheer even for the few students around.

"They'd put those up if no students stayed," James shrugged, "I think the teachers enjoy doing it for themselves honestly."

The halls were soon filled with the good smells of a holiday feast, even Scabbers could be seen poking his nose out of Ron's pocket curiously.

"Poor little thing," James snickered.

"Hope Ron slips him something nice," Remus agreed.

Harry was woken up Christmas day by Ron chucking a pillow in his face.

"Well that was pleasant," Lily snickered.

"Sincerely doubt Harry would mind," Sirius pointed out.

Ron was already digging into his own presents, voicing his annoyance that he'd gotten another maroon sweater.

"Please tell me he actually thanks his mother for that, no matter the color," Lily rolled her eyes.

"I'm getting the sense of no," Remus smirked.

Harry had received one as well, Mrs. Weasley had sent him a scarlet colored one with the Gryffindor lion knitted in,

"Now see, why couldn't she have just done that for Ron, I'm sure he would have found that much cooler," Sirius rolled his eyes.

"I wouldn't mind matching with him," Harry agreed with a laugh, as he'd never had anyone to do that with.

plus some sweets.

Lily relished this gift while it lasted, trying to brace herself as much as possible for the horrid gift she was now expecting from the Dursleys.

Then Harry noticed a particularly large package, and he opened it to find a broomstick.

"A broomstick?" James repeated so loudly, Sirius started to rub his ear in annoyance before his eyes lit up like Christmas as well.

"What kind?" Sirius demanded at once nearly as loud as James just had.

"Who sent it?" Remus demanded, nearly bouncing in place in excitement.

Lily had started by giggling, she couldn't help it at their childlike delight of something like this, though even her son looked nearly as deliriously happy at this prospect, but at Remus' question it gave them all a brief pause to turn that over.

"Must have been me," Sirius shrugged, "I really can't think up anyone else."

"I'll buy that," James nodded eagerly. "No think about it," he persisted when Lily didn't look convinced, "Remus most likely told Sirius that Harry had lost his broom after Sirius had left, and do you really think Sirius wouldn't buy Harry anything less than another broomstick?"

"How would he pay for it though," Lily countered, this being the only thing she was really stuck on. "I doubt he's carrying around that kind of gold on him."

"There are ways to access your account without withdrawing in person," Remus reminded. "Personally I agree, I can see Sirius doing this easily."

Harry was laughing with giddy excitement, feeling very sure indeed they were right on the spot with this one. He decided to risk it and told them as much aloud, causing the brightest smile in hours to appear on all of them, more than making up for the sharp spike of pain Harry received for that memory returning early. He didn't care though, he'd do it again in a heartbeat his family looked so happy for something like this to have happened to him.

Ron nearly fell off his bed in shock when he saw it was a Firebolt.

James and Sirius nearly passed out from overloaded excitement. Harry had just gotten an international broomstick! The very one they'd been drooling over during his summer holidays! It was too good to be true.

Then Remus burst out laughing watching Sirius, and only continuing when he demanded to know what was so funny. "You-" he finally choked out in between chuckles "-you would catch up on the latest model of brooms. I'm just sitting here imagining you grabbing hold of the nearest paper and checking all the Quidditch League Status' and-" he trailed off again, causing everyone else to laugh along. Sirius wasn't even going to try and deny he was obsessed enough with his sport he would have gone out of his way to update himself like this as soon as possible. Merlin, he wouldn't have put it past himself to go and buy two of those things, one for Harry and one for himself.

It was indeed, a replica of that same broom he'd been thinking on all summer.

James and Sirius were shivering in place, looking like at any second they were going to get to their feet and run to the nearest Quidditch store to get their own. Lily was still giggling from before, doubling up now at how enthusiastic they were being. Remus restrained himself from reminding them this hadn't actually come out yet.

Ron was barely able to ask who had sent it, but then they realized there was no card attached. Ron still wouldn't let it go, asking who would spend so much money on Harry.

"The best Godfather in the world," James hooted, clutching Sirius up and hugging him tightly. Sirius made no point of denying it, he was still laughing to hard.

Harry's first response was to say it certainly wasn't the Dursleys.

Harry couldn't help but laugh at his own joke now, pleased to see that even the mention of them hadn't brought his family's mood back down.

Ron guessed it was Dumbledore,

"I don't see that happening," Lily disagreed, "or any of the teachers, like McGonagall; otherwise they would have done it not long after you lost your broom. Sirius would have waited until now, less publicly so there's not as much scrutiny of it."

he had sent Harry his Invisibility Cloak without a note.

"That's not the same thing," James shook his head, "that was yours by birthright."

Harry disagreed, saying that was originally his dad's and different. Dumbledore wouldn't spend all that money on him, it would be unfair to the other students.

"There's that too," Remus nodded, "can't be showing favoritism like this."

Ron said that's why he didn't leave a note, so kids like Malfoy couldn't say it was favoritism.

All four boys lost it again, laughing raucously at the thought of such a prat like Malfoy, and the way he'd acted last year about having a superior broom, and now Harry was going to outstrip him by a mile. He hadn't even done anything like ask for it!

Then Ron lit up all over again, laughing like a maniac as he pictured Malfoy's face when he saw Harry's new broom.

Lily very dearly wanted to make a comment about how Sirius was spoiling Harry just a bit, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. One, she was still giggling too much to sound too intelligibly. The foul mood from before being gone like this now left them all slightly in hysterics. Two, she honestly believed Harry did deserve it, if for no other reason than she thought this may have been Sirius' way of trying to give back a lot of missed presents on his part.

Then Ron snapped his fingers, and said Lupin might have.

"I wouldn't put it past you to give me the idea," Sirius reminded him, still snickering away like a fool. "So I think that means it technically came from both of us." Remus was in far to good a mood to deny it.

Harry laughed that off, saying if their teacher could afford this, he'd go buy himself some new clothes.

"Can't deny that," Remus muttered, refusing to let the good mood be dampened again by this kind of comment, so saying that with as much good humor as he could muster.

Ron disagreed that he did like Harry, and he must have gotten it while he was out sick.

"I doubt he would have been doing much traveling at the time, but I like what Ron was trying," James shrugged.

Harry asked what he meant, and Ron said that he certainly hadn't been in the school when he was ill, because Snape had him clean the bedpans in the hospital wing, and Lupin hadn't been in there.

'Yet another thing to hate Snape for' Sirius finally started to frown again, more than annoyed at that pompous git. It seemed to him like he was just trying to set Harry in particular to figure this out, which made him want to punch that greasy git in the face.

Harry still insisted Lupin couldn't afford this thing.

Remus couldn't help but smile, glad to see Harry hadn't read into that too closely, unlike his father. Whenever he'd used the excuse that he really had felt sick, and James had gone and seen he wasn't in the hospital wing, well that had taken some explaining to do. While Harry had reacted just fine now to him, he still couldn't help the mounting fear of what Harry may have thought of him at some point.

Hermione came in, Crookshanks tucked under one arm and looking quite grumpy about a bit of tinsel she'd tied around his neck.

"Makes any pet grumpy," Sirius snickered.

Ron reacted at once by scooping Scabbers off of his bed, but Hermione hardly noticed, putting Crookshanks down on Seamus' bed,

"And what if Seamus doesn't appreciate that?" James randomly commented.

while looking at Harry's new broom. She asked who'd sent it, and Harry admitted they had been trying to figure that out. To their surprise, she frowned.

"I swear, she is the most pessimistic kid," Remus rolled his eyes. "Who wouldn't be bouncing around in sheer joy at finding out something like this?"

"Be nice," Lily sighed without any real heat.

Voicing how odd it was for Harry to get such a good broom,

"Quite good indeed," Sirius wiggled in pleasure, finding that the understatement of Hermione's life.

and how expensive it was, and Ron agreed it cost more then all of the Slytherins' brooms put together.

"Fair comparison," James nodded in agreement.

Then she asked why someone would do that without saying who.

"If I didn't know otherwise, I'd rightly be as suspicious as Hermione in this instance," Lily defended her when it looked like one of the boys were going to say something again.

Ron just laughed it off, saying it didn't matter, and asked Harry for a ride on it.

"Harry will be the worst kind of person in the world if you say no," Sirius told him with a straight face.

Harry pretended like he was deliberating for a moment, but it didn't last when James snorted and said, "please, we're talking about the same kid who bought a cart load of candy and split it with Ron before he knew him. Have you ever actually seen him be selfish, about anything?"

Sirius hadn't really meant it anyways, but he was still snickering in amusement all the same.

Hermione sounded outraged as she said nobody should be getting on that.

"Well not in the dorms obviously," Remus rolled his eyes, knowing what Hermione had meant, and beginning to feel a pit forming when he realized this might start going in a bad direction.

Ron told her she was being mental, what else would he do, clean with it?

"I'd have heart failure," James shuddered in disgust at the very thought.

Hermione didn't get a chance to answer, when Crookshanks sprang up and lunged at Ron's pocket over his chest.

"Uh-oh," the room muttered as one, knowing this couldn't be a good thing.

Ron screamed in outrage as the cats claws sank into his pajamas, determinedly going after the rat, who tried to make a run for it.

Sirius continued reading in a rather harassed tone, very concerned indeed this may not play out as well as last time.

Ron tried to kick Crookshanks away while desperately holding onto his pet, but missed and instead kicked Harry's trunk, now hopping around in all kinds of pain.

James sighed, knowing he probably would have found that rather amusing under any other circumstances.

Crookshanks was all fur on ends as he began glaring at Harry's Sneakoscope instead, which had fallen out at Ron's doing and was now spinning around the room.

"Wait, what?" Remus demanded in confusion.

"Why would that be going off now?" Sirius pondered, casting his mind around for anything that could answer it.

"How long of a range has it got?" James prodded. "Did it say the twins had stayed over the holidays? Perhaps there up to something in their dorm?"

The others shrugged, they really had no further explanation.

Harry said he'd forgotten he even had that, since he never used those old socks he kept it in.

"Stinks that it goes off so easily," Lily smiled sadly, "Ron's gift doesn't seem to be doing much good."

The other two weren't paying much attention, Ron still telling Hermione off for bringing her cat in here. Hermione grabbed up her feline and bolted out of the room, Crookshanks glaring over her shoulder.

They all grave a breath of relief, more than pleased no one had gotten further hurt by this, though it still didn't answer the lingering question of how many more times this could happen before something irreversible did occur.

Harry put his Sneakoscope away, but then he caught sight of Scabbers for the first time in months, and saw he wasn't looking good. The once plump, gray rat had lost a lot of weight, and now had bald patches all over, giving him a very sickly look.

"Poor little guy," Sirius muttered in sympathy, feeling rather awful that at this rate, Scabbers might not even make it to Easter break.

Harry voiced how bad he looked, and Ron blamed it all on Crookshanks, saying it was stress.

James winced, having a suspicious feeling that it was more likely old age then anything and Ron was just looking for any excuse to put that aside.

Harry remembered though that Scabbers had been feeling off since Ron's return from Egypt, even before they'd met Crookshanks, and Harry had the feeling it really might just be old age on the rodent.

"Well at least you realize that Harry," Remus sighed, "might make it an easier transition for Ron if his friend tries to make him understand that to."

Harry nodded, but he wasn't really listening. Why was it the longer Scabbers was mentioned, the more ill will he had for him? When he'd initially thought this, he'd always wondered whether Scabbers had bit him at some point and he'd just resented it, but now he wasn't so sure. There was yet another something he was missing, a piece to a huge missing puzzle that would continue to drive him crazy until he had a full answer. He tried testing his feelings on it, but all he got was a comparable feeling he'd had for Sirius at his age of thirteen. This made no sense what so ever, he must be confusing the two.

Despite how often Ron complained that his pet never did anything, Harry knew how upset his friend would be if Scabbers did die.

"I'm sure you're right indeed," Lily sighed in trepidation for the moment that was sure to come about.

Christmas for the Gryffindors was a very sore affair the rest of the day. Hermione was furious with Ron for trying to hurt her cat,

"Really Hermione, really?" James ground out. "What on earth made her think it was even a good idea to bring him up there, when she knew full well what that cat would try."

while Ron resented her just as much for Crookshanks deeds. Harry wasn't going to try fixing it, as he was too busy looking over his new broom,

"A worthy use of time," Sirius nodded in agreement, looking for any excuse to get the good mood back in swing. One chapter, that's all he wanted, one chapter where he could actually enjoy the whole thing.

which Hermione took just as much offense with.

"Everything annoys Hermione this year," James scoffed.

"Homework overload," Sirius offered in his wise old voice, causing at least Harry and Remus to chuckle.

She didn't say it aloud, but she kept shooting nasty looks at it like it had hit her cat as well.

"Now that'd be a nifty trick," Remus smirked.

While Lily agreed Hermione may have been going about her actions the wrong way this year, she still didn't really appreciate her boys' attitude towards her any better. Yet she couldn't come up with a way to tell them off for it that would actually make a difference.

When lunch came around, they went down to find the Great Hall had changed up a bit, and there were now only twelve chairs around one table.

James let out a low, throaty whistle in surprise as he said, "not even that many people left Hogwarts last year."

"Castle used to be this deserted some years for us," Remus shrugged in remembrance, "we personally found it entertaining." He finished with a gesture at Sirius who nodded enthusiastically.

All of the teachers were there dressed to their best, even Filch having donned an old coat that looked like it was growing mold.

"Urgh," Sirius muttered, "rather he just go casual then."

The only other students in attendance were two first years and a Slytherin fifth year.

Remus randomly noted that it couldn't have been the twins who had made the Sneakoscope go off then, if the twins weren't there and apparently Harry, Ron and Hermione were the only ones in range, but then what on earth would cause the thing to go off now? It couldn't be set off by an animal could it, had it been set off by Crookshanks' untrustworthy attempts to eat Scabbers? No one else really seemed to notice this, and he wasn't even sure if this was what really was going on, so he decided against saying anything and might have really put it down to a faulty one.

Dumbledore greeted them, saying how silly it would be to use the house tables with so few in attendance,

"I think it would have been more of a sight," Remus shrugged, "get to stretch out a bit more."

as they took seats and Dumbledore offered Snape some crackers, who pulled without enthusiasm.

"Oh boy," James whispered, brows shooting up in excitement as all kinds of possibilities for that scenario played out in his mind.

There was a bang, and when the smoke cleared away, a stuffed vulture hat was left in place.

The five of them lost it all over again, the abrupt reminder causing quite the laughing fit for a moment before Harry gained his breath back and kept reading with a wide stupid grin still in place.

Harry had to avoid Ron's eye to stop himself from outright laughing at the reminder,

"You lot have much more control than us," Sirius gasped, still massaging at his now abused ribs.

but Snape wasn't pleased when Dumbledore took up the hat and put it on himself.

Sirius refused to let his sour mood be ruined then, but he couldn't help but grumble when he realized he once would have loved Dumbledore's random reaction to this, but couldn't shake the reminder that Dumbledore hadn't trusted him! He doubted that smarting would go away anytime soon.

Food had appeared on the table then, and they began helping themselves to the feast, when the doors opened again.

Sirius and James perked up, having noticed one teacher in particular being absent, and more than pleased if it said Remus would take a seat near Harry.

It was Trelawney,

"Rats," James sat back with a pout, this not having been the teacher he'd had in mind.

who looked more flamboyant than usual in a patterned green dress, giving her the abnormal appearance of a dragonfly.

Sirius didn't bother to smother his amused chuckling at the description one bit.

Dumbledore greeted her warmly, and she returned the gesture by explaining that she'd been crystal gazing and had seen herself coming down for this meal.

"She saw herself, doing something she would decide to do?" Remus demanded, rather puzzled by the whole thing.

"I don't question her to deeply," Lily rolled her eyes.

Dumbledore didn't mind one bit, standing to literally draw her a chair in midair,*

"Wow," Harry blinked in mild surprise at such an advanced level of magic to him.

which landed between McGonagall and Snape.

James released a surprised snort of laughter at all of the hilarity this could cause. Then again, it was a wonder those two were sitting beside each other in the first place.

Trelawny didn't move though, she'd been eyeing the table, and suddenly let out a soft scream.

"How do you softly scream?" Lily snickered.

"I'm sure it's just as dramatic as it sounds," James smirked right back.

She claimed that she couldn't eat with them, because if she did that would make thirteen people eating together, and the first to rise from that kind of meal dies!

"I've never heard that," Remus said with mild interest.

"I have," Sirius said with amusement, "it's a superstition I heard years ago, don't know how real to take it."

"About as real as her whole subject," James rolled his eyes.

McGonagall took no notice, saying they'd take the risk if they could eat. Trelawny didn't argue the point further, but she sank down into her chair as if at any moment they'd all burst into flames.

Lily's shoulders started shaking with suppressed laughter, as James spoke out loud with just as much amusement, "don't know what she's so worried about. If she's that freaked, her solution is just to not rise first. I'm sure she can manage that."

Then McGonagall offered Trelawny some tripe.

Lily couldn't help but wrinkle her nose up at the thought of that particular food item, but couldn't deny she was intrigued by who at the table was eating it.

Trelawney ignored her,

"Rude," Remus sniffed lightly.

and instead asked where dear Lupin was?

"Aw Remus, are you her dear now?" Sirius demanded at once with unsuppressed glee at this new opportunity.

"Oh please," he scoffed with a roll of his eyes, "she called Neville that too, don't be thick."

"Hush you two, I want to hear this," James snapped at the pair.

Dumbledore explained he'd been feeling under the weather again,

All five of their faces fell, pity welling up in them for Remus for this to happen to him on the holidays, while Remus was simply wishing no one had mentioned it at all.

and what a pity to happen on Christmas.

"I'll say," Sirius frowned, though personally thinking that at least he was probably around him for company now.

McGonagall cut in that surely Trelawny had known that before she'd asked.

"Oh wow," James spluttered, going wide eyed at this prospect. He'd recognized McGonagall's opinion of Trelawny back during that first class of this year, and now watching them beside each other should only get better.

Trelawny went cold then, losing a bit of her mystic tone as she told that while she had known, she commonly acted like she didn't to not make others feel so bad.

"I'm so sure that's it," Lily muttered, brushing her hand across her mouth to try and hide her twitching lips.

McGonagall agreed that explained a lot.

Sirius didn't bother one bit and even released another snort of amusement for his old teachers wit.

Then Trelawny cut in by saying she had a very personal knowledge on the subject that Lupin wouldn't be here long anyways, he'd all but run from her when she'd offered to do some crystal gazing for him, which she sounded rather tart about.

"Looks like we know how to push her buttons," James chirped.

"Looks like Remus cares about it as much then as he does now," Sirius countered as Remus rolled his eyes at the very thought.

McGonagall said she couldn't imagine that, her tone implying the opposite.

Lily couldn't hide it anymore and outright laughed with the others at this continued verbal exchange.

Dumbledore cut in then, saying Lupin was just fine, then asked if Snape had made that potion again?

"Oh here we go again," James immediately switched from joyed amusement, to a scowl at this still unexplained phenomenon.

"Relax James," Remus said, leaning forward eagerly, "since Dumbledore's the one who brought it up, maybe they'll explain more properly this time."

Snape agreed he had,

"Still thank my lucky stars he's not poisoning it in the meantime," Sirius grumbled.

and Dumbledore said that made the matter closed, before turning to one of the first years and offering chipolatas.

"And that explained, nothing," Remus scowled, leaning right back into his seat in agitation again.

James and Sirius however couldn't help but exchange a hopeful look all over again. What on earth were the odds that this mysterious potion was being given to Remus two times in a row when it was obvious to them these were the times of his full moon. Maybe they'd been a little too quick to dismiss their original theory, maybe it did have something to do with his lycanthropy? Still neither of them spoke this to anyone, far too anxious they really might get their friends hopes up for nothing.

The spooked first year, not used to being addressed directly by the headmaster, took the sausages with shaking hands.

"Poor kid," Lily nodded in sympathy, knowing that could be quite intimidating.

Trelawny acted normal again until the end of the meal, when Harry and Ron took to their feet, and she screeched like a bird.

"Oh boy," Sirius grinned lightly.

"As if she wasn't convinced enough you were going to die," James rolled his eyes in disdain that Harry had so happened to be the one to make this come up again.

She demanded to know which of them had risen first, and Ron said he wasn't sure while eyeing Harry warily.

"A double murder it is then, unless them doing this undermines the terms of her prediction," Sirius rolled his eyes good naturedly.

McGonagall wasn't impressed, saying unless there was a mad axe-men waiting at the doors for them, they should be fine.

"Never thought I'd see the day, but I miss her," James cackled at her continued commentary of this.

Even Ron laughed at that, while Trelawney looked offended.

"Can't rightly blame her, that was a little rude," Lily shrugged, still smiling along.

When Hermione didn't get up with them, Harry asked her about it, and she said she wanted to stay behind and talk to McGonagall for a moment.

"Now what's she up to?" Remus asked curiously.

"Probably looking for a way to keep Crookshanks somewhere else, or I should hope," Lily rolled her eyes, hoping someone would step up and put better measures in place so that scene before wouldn't keep happening.

Ron laughed she was probably looking to take more classes,

Which gave them all a little snicker of amusement all over again, only hoping Ron was just joking.

as they went into the entrance hall, which was all clear of mad axe-men.

"Well thank Merlin for that," Lily nodded seriously, "that really was giving me a fright."

They made their way back up to their tower, and gave the password Scurvy cur,

"Well at least no one's going to be guessing that," Remus grinned.

before going inside. Harry dragged his Firebolt down into the common room along with the Servicing Kit Hermione had gotten him for his birthday, but he couldn't find anything to fix. The broom still looked brand new, without a twig out of shape,

"Well I should hope so, you haven't even ridden it yet," Sirius beamed.

"Why not take it straight down to the pitch and try it out?" James demanded as if he found it ludicrous Harry hadn't already thought of this.

"We'd just eaten a full meal," Harry reminded, "we were going to head down there after the food had settled a bit." He trailed off with a bit of a frown in place, wondering why on earth he was getting a bad feeling about this, like he hadn't gotten the chance to do it?

the polish in his hand feeling useless the broom was already so shiny.

"Someone needs to give that advice to Percy," Remus muttered in Sirius' ear, causing him to snort with laughter all over again.

Ron and him just sat there and stared at it,

"I'm going to turn green here soon, I'm so jealous," James sighed, already trying to count down the minutes when he could get his own hands on such a beautiful object.

when the door opened and Hermione came through, with McGonagall.

"Wait what?" Remus yelped in shock.

"Why?" Sirius agreed with a frown already in place.

Harry was getting a very bad feeling about this, so he didn't let them theorize much before reading loudly.

This set the boys on edge at once, since their head of house had only come in once before, and that hadn't been good news.

"That's usually the only time she comes up there," James said with a sudden spike of concern. She couldn't possibly be up there to tell him that Sirius had been caught, had she? That would be newsworthy enough, but it would probably make him faint from terror.

This thought clearly hadn't crossed anyone else's mind, Harry was still reading on more in curiosity and a touch of confusion then outright fear.

Hermione scurried past them without looking at her friends, going over to the nearest book, and pretended to read it.

"Oh no," Lily frowned in confusion.

"What did she do?" Sirius suddenly growled, narrowing his eyes in fury.

Remus licked his lips and looked ready to say something, but Harry forced himself to keep reading loudly over them to get a real answer.

McGonagall told that Hermione explained to her that Harry had been sent a new broom.

"She did!" Remus groaned, placing his face in his hands.

"Don't." Lily cut in when it looked like James and Sirius were going to get truly upset at what this could imply. "Don't you lot sit around badgering on about this. Hermione did what she thought was right, s'not her fault she doesn't know any better. She did what anybody afraid for their friends life would do, and I'm sure McGonagall won't chuck it in the fireplace."

Sirius still muttered something under his breath, but James did marginally relax. Compared to what he'd thought was fixing to happen, this almost seemed mild in comparison.

The boys looked at her, who didn't look up from the book she was holding upside down.

"Must be a very interesting read I'm sure," Remus rolled his eyes.

McGonagall asked to see it, before snatching it up anyways.

"Under any other circumstances, I would have laughed at that," Sirius sighed, knowing how much of a Quidditch nut their old teacher could be, but knowing what this could imply, he'd rather hide that out of her sight for the rest of his life.

She looked hard at it as she confirmed there had been no message at all attached.

"If there had, you'd only freak out all the more," James rolled his eyes.

"Not sure what kind of note that would have been anyway," Sirius huffed in annoyance. "Merry Christmas from your long lost Godfather, here's a kind of apology for missing every other one of your holidays."

"You know I hate it when you do that," Remus snapped at him for the horrible joke, causing Sirius to at least sort of back down.

Harry agreed there hadn't, which made McGonagall decide she'd have to confiscate this.

All five of them sighed in horrible disappointment, not at all pleased they'd been right. Yet with any hope, McGonagall wouldn't really do anything but test the broom to make sure Sirius hadn't done anything, surely she wasn't going to actually destroy the broom...right?

Harry jumped to his feet in fear, demanding to know why, and McGonagall said she wanted to test it to make sure it wasn't jinxed.

"Thank Merlin," Sirius sighed in relief.

"You'll have that thing back to you by the end of break," Remus smiled, "and they'll be all sorts of humiliated."

James laughed eagerly at that conversation, still more annoyed than anything Harry hadn't gotten to enjoy his gift long enough to even ride it, but so long as he got it back he'd forgive in the end.

Hooch and Flitwick would want to have a look at it as well while they stripped it down, and Ron repeated the term back at her like she'd lost her marbles.

"Oh it's not that bad," James reassured when Harry seemed to be getting a growing look of horror at what that could mean. "They don't do anything to the broom physically, they simply put it through a series of rigorous tests to make sure nothing more was done to it then the manufacturer's intended. They do it all the time to professionals to make sure they didn't try and enhance their brooms."

Harry let out a long sigh of relief, having been picturing something far more medieval and irreparable being done to his new treasured gift.

McGonagall said it would only take a few weeks, just to make sure it wasn't cursed. Harry tried to protest he was sure it wasn't,

"Wish she would actually believe that," Sirius rolled his eyes.

but McGonagall said there was no way to be sure until they checked, then she left with it. Ron turned on Hermione as soon as she was gone,

"Uh-oh," Lily muttered, thinking that these two already had more than enough to fight about, this wasn't going to make it any better.

demanding to know why she'd started this. Hermione put her book to the side and stood up as well, rather flushed but matching Ron's eyes.

"Well I can say this for her," Remus grinned, "she stands by what she does."

Telling them that she'd feared, as did McGonagall, that the broom had been sent by Sirius Black.

"Oh the horror," James rolled his eyes.

"Never bleeding crossed our minds," Lily smirked.

"Chapter's over by the way," Harry shrugged, tossing the book back over to Remus, who fumbled a bit and accidentally had it crash into Sirius' head.

"Ouch," Sirius grumbled jerking the book away, "jeez, you klutz, can you even see straight to read."

"Yes," Remus snapped right back, snatching the book back and flipping to his chapter.

HPHPHP

*It's never explicitly stated that Ron still has Scabbers in his pocket at this time, but assuming he did, that would actually put thirteen in attendance before Trelawny joined. Dumbledore was the first to rise from that then group of thirteen, and guess who died first at this table. It's not something that'll ever be brought up in fic, but it was fascinating to have that pointed out to me.

[love-fireflysong]

mayhaps... 40 in ur outlast/until dawn au :] interpret that however u will (mainly askin this cause i wanna read More about it)

(Wait. You, you want to read more about my shitty ass au that’s just like 3 different au’s in a trenchcoat?????? Yeah, yeah, um, okay. I think I can do that! Maybe. Possibly.)

You can pick and choose your own kiss prompt to send in here!

Five months, three weeks, and six days. Five months. Three weeks. And six days. The three of them had last been in the same room together five months, three weeks, and six days ago. One hundred and seventy-six total days, and they had learned to savour every second-long glance they managed in narrow hallways and spotted across courtyards through windows ever since.

Four months, one week, and two days ago marked the day that Josh had heard Ashley’s voice for the first time since they had been forcefully separated. It had been weak—an echo so faint that he was convinced at first that he had just imagined it—but after going nearly forty-eight days unable to talk when they used to never go more then two, the two of them had latched onto it all the same.

Thirteen days later, Chris’s confused and hopeful voice finally joined the two of theirs. Ashley had been so overcome with their combined relief and the overwhelming realization that they could finally at least talk to each other again, that her sobbing had almost gotten them caught right away. Three months, three weeks, and three days ago they were allowed to be together at least like this.

Two months since the day Josh had discovered Chris’s face looking back at him in the reflection of the bathroom mirror, discovering that they could see what the others did as well. The amount of time they all spent staring into mirrors with that revelation probably wasn’t the first hint that the Morphogenic Engine had finally birthed something in them, but it was likely the most damning. They had hoped that the doctors would just assume this to be nothing more then a case of exceptional narcissism, but luck was not on their side (not that it had ever been in this place). It didn’t matter. They were so desperate to even just look at each others faces—tired, worn down, and abused as they all were—that they would accept any consequences that would come from this.

And consequences there were. 

One month and three days ago, after the tests and ‘therapy’ sessions had only become longer and more frequent, the next pathological birthing revealed itself. It seemed that not only were they of one mind and eyes, but now their bodies were connected as well. A wound delivered to one of them would be felt just as terribly by the others with no mark to mar their skin.

The last month had been spent with even more work put into making sure they were kept apart, housing each of them in different areas of the asylum so they would never be allowed catch a glimpse of the others again. Believing that this separation would only exacerbate the trauma of not being allowed to contact each other except through the use of their new ‘gifts’. Well, it certainly exacerbated the discovery that this new connection of theirs meant that they were now connected in more ways then one. The further the distances between them, the less of themselves they became. 

Josh felt unable to speak, his tongue fat and useless in a mouth full of cotton. Chris swearing that he had been submerged and forced to move in a room of syrup, and his hands too shaky to hold onto anything larger then a penny. And Ashley’s poor brain filled with fog and running on novocaine all at once, unable to string words or thoughts together that she had loved oh so much.

Up until two days ago, there had been discussions had between doctors and scientists that more tests might reveal more connections; taste, smell, and true hearing being added to the sensations they all now shared—until they were molded into not three individuals, but a single being that had been slowly stripped away and finally ripped apart into three bloody pieces of the same heart. But decisions were made, and it was agreed upon that the three of them were to be prepped and connected to the Morphogenic Engine together. The three of them had become so intertwined after all, that maybe having all three of them hooked to the Engine at once would cause them not only to share the same lucid dreaming state, but enter the same lateral ascension needed to become host to the Walrider.

The first time the three of them would be together in the same room in five months, three weeks, and six days. And they wouldn’t even be awake for it. 

And a day ago—informed that they should be honoured to have finally reached this important milestone in Project Walrider—all three of them had requested, begged, pleaded that they be allowed to spend even ten minutes together again beforehand. Each of the doctors sent to talk to them had rolled their eyes and simply stated that they were under no positions to be making demands. But, seeing as they had been such good and educational guinea pigs, they would maybe consider it.

They would never know what the final answer would be, because a little over two hours ago good old Billy had reached lateral ascension and everything went to shit.

And now, they had all managed to escape the rooms that had been holding them apart from each other—Ash and Chris from their respective rooms in the Female and Male Wards and Josh from his cell in the Prison Block—and were in the process navigating the maze that Mount Massive Asylum was quickly becoming. And with blood caked between their toes, screams of the dying—patients and staff alike—echoing down every hall and in every room, and the taste of freedom becoming stronger with every step closer they got to each other, they didn’t have time to be doing this. 

They shouldn’t be doing this. Both of them knew that they shouldn’t be doing this. Hell, technically all three of them knew that they shouldn’t be doing this. But well, it had been five months, three weeks, and six days since the three of them had been in the same room. So as Josh had shoved Chris up against the wall in one of the little alcoves in the Male Ward’s basement to make up for all one hundred and seventy-six days apart, everybody else could fuck right off because they needed this.

They could claim this as an personal experiment later, not that Ashley would believe them then, cause she certainly didn’t now. The two of them could sense her exasperation and unsurprised acceptance amid her own want just as clearly as she and Josh could feel the red-hot throbbing of Chris’s still bleeding arm, the long and deep gash burin hot and painful where Trager had caught him with the edge of his bone shears. His hands had been too shaky to firmly grasp the door knob, and his reflexes too slow to try and fully evade the blades in time.

Not that anyone would be able to guess that now. Thankfully, it had seemed that the closer the two of them had gotten, the more their own personal afflictions had faded. Chris couldn’t remember the last time his grip had been so firm as he held Josh as close as he was able, and Josh was dimly amused that the first thing he was doing with his now more mobile tongue was shoving it as far into Chris’s mouth as he could.

The two of them felt like they could have stayed in that alcove for ages, hiding from other Variants who had become so lost and absorbed by the Engine’s touch that they would have been killed without a thought. Slowly becoming reacquainted with a body that had once been as familiar to them as their own, that they had only been allowed to touch and remember in dreams, but they needed to move on.

Need. Move. Please. Miss you. Please.

That was all that was needed. As closer to completion that Chris and Josh were feeling, Ashley was still out there. Alone. And as fogged as ever. From her eyes, they could see the dark shapes of doorways and tossed bedframes as she scrambled through wreckage so frantically and desperately that they could feel the phantom stones and glass digging into the soles of their bare feet. The two of them reluctantly separated, and there was no denying the fact that despite having Josh next to him, Chris’s hands still shook as though going through withdrawals. Not that it would be far from the truth of course, not having Josh or Ashley in his life had definitely been akin to stopping an addiction cold turkey.

“Well, let’s get a move on, hey Cochise?” Despite the ease of the lopsided smile on his face, the voice that came out was raw with disuse and the words felt fat and wrong on his tongue. “Don’t wanna run in to Big Debbie now do we?”

If Chris Walker wanted to kill them like he had everyone else so far—heads ripped off their bodies as easily as popping the top of a dandelion from it’s stem—then he could goddamn wait until they met back up with Ash.

They had been apart for five months, three weeks, and six days. They refused to add on even one more day.

They refused to make it six months.

[thetaleofsirthopas]

The Long Wait

Summary: Stan's eyes were cloudy with pain. He looked small, which was wrong. Grunkle Stan was larger than life. Mabel sat in the chair and waited. Characters: Stan Pines, Mabel Pines, Ford Pines, Dipper Pines, Soos Ramirez, Melody Tags: Major Character Death, Death by Old Age, Grief/Mourning AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27137243

Mabel had been lying in bed, flipping through her art history textbook and debating whether she should go ahead and start on her term paper or toss the book in favor of a night in with popcorn and cheesy vampire movies when she got the call.

Mabel scrounged around for her phone as it vibrated sonewhere underneath the blankets. "Hey, Dipping Sauce," she chirped when she finally found it.

"How soon can you come home?" Dipper asked without so much as a 'hello.' He was using his 'this is very serious and I am an adult' voice. "Can you ask your professors for a leave of absence?"

"Uhh..." Mabel jerked upright and she saw her roommate give her a concerned look from their desk. "Yeah, I don't think that'll be a problem. What's up? Is something wrong?"

"I think you better get to Gravity Falls. Sooner than later. Stan isn't doing too good. I think--" Dipper's voice hitched. "It might be time."

Mabel hadn't bothered to wait for permission from her professors, only barely remembering to send them an email from the airport. She didn't care if they failed her; her Grunkle needed her.

She was a wreck all during the flight. Three hours was such a long time. Anything could happen. Nothing was going to happen, she harshly reminded herself. Grunkle Stan had punched a pterodactyl in the face! He was going to laugh himself silly when he saw how worked up everyone was getting. Mabel sucked in a breath and let it out slowly between her teeth. She closed her eyes and felt the way his arms had wrapped around her when she was a child, safe and protected. Not as they felt now, when she was too tall and his waist and arms too thin.

Dad was waiting for her at the airport. "How are you holding up, sweetie?" He asked as they climbed into Soos's jeep. Mabel shrugged and refused to look up from the last text Dipper had sent: no change. That was good, wasn't it? At least, she didn't think it was bad.

It was still another hour before they reached Gravity Falls.

The mid-March sun was beating on the lingering hints of snow, turning the ground into a gray slush. Dad drove slowly, to keep from spinning out. The minutes added on. Mabel sucked in a breath when they finally pulled around the bend in the forest and there was the Mystery Shack. Dad drove around to the back, parking in front of the house Soos had built with Melody.

Mabel jumped out of the car and was racing up the stairs before Dad had even put the jeep in park. Mom was with Melody in the kitchen, sipping coffee and talking in low voices. "I just talked to Sherman. He's devastated that he can't come up, but he just had that surgery, and oh-- Mabel, honey, they're all in Stan's room. Go on in. Mason's been asking when you'll arrive."

Mabel nodded and looked past the staircase, down the hall that had been a guest room until Grunkle Stan moved in permanently. His memory had never been quite the same after Weirdmageddon. He knew Mabel and Dipper, could recall each and every moment he had spent with them and Mabel had felt a vicious and possessive sort of pride at that. He had loved her so much that even when everything else was gone she remained. His years as a drifter were spotty, his high school days hazy, Filbrick was almost non-existent. But not her, not Dipper.

Grunkle Ford said his recovery had "plateaued." Mabel could remember when her Grunkles had come to California for a visit. He had shuffled into the kitchen from the guest bedroom, where Mabel had been eating a bowl of Fruit Loops. "You want a glass of orange juice, pumpkin?" Stan asked as he grabbed the carton from the fridge and poured himself one.

"No thanks, I'm good!"

Stan nodded, drank his OJ, put the glass in the sink and sat at the table. After a few minutes, he got up, pulled the carton back out and got himself a new glass. "You want a glass of orange juice, pumpkin?"

"Uhh... no, still... still good."

Stan didn't answer. He just stared at the already dirty glass in the sink like he had no idea how it got there. Grunkle Ford decided they would stop sailing soon after that.

Mabel stared at the yellow door, took a deep breath, and pushed it open. It took her a moment to find her Grunkle. He looked so small in the bed. She could see a sliver of his dark eyes peeking through the half-closed lids, but they didn't move when she came in. Didn't recognize her. His breaths were wispy and rattled with each intake. He didn't move, didn't react. Just breathed. That was enough for Mabel. Ford sat by his head, his hands clutching Stan's. "It's alright," he whispered near his temple. "You can let go now. We're going to be alright."

The scene was torn from her, blocked by Soos's body. She felt his arms wrap around her and it reminded her so much of when she was little, with Stan holding her, that she sagged and let out a choked sob.

She finally pulled back and wiped at the wet stain she had left on Soos's shirt. Soos gave a little laugh. "It's okay," he whispered. "That's not the worst stain on here."

Mabel gave a soft chuckle and looked to see Dipper sitting in a corner, wringing his hands, pale and frightened. He jumped up from the chair and gestured her towards it. "Here, take a seat."

"You two should go outside, get some fresh air while you can," Ford spoke. He didn't take his eyes off of Stan. "It'll be a while yet."

Mabel's stomach did a weird little flip. "Are you sure?" Dipper asked.

"I'm sure." There was no hesitation in his voice. "I'll come get you if there's any change. Go on."

Dipper reached out and Mabel met him half-way, clasping his hand as Soos led them back out the bedroom. He gave them a sad smile and Mabel was suddenly struck with the fact that Ford hadn't asked Soos to leave. Surely he needed a breather too. But the door closed and Dipper was pulling her outside.

The sun was too bright, too warm. She blinked away the dots dancing in front of her vision and caught just a glimpse of something red darting through the trees. "Was that a gnome?" She asked, pointing to where it had disappeared. She was still holding Dipper's hand.

"Maybe we should turn on the sprinklers, scare them off before they can get into the garbage."

Mabel tugged him toward the tree line and they spent twenty minutes picking their way through the underbrush, searching for little gnomish footprints.

They heard the screen door open and Melody stood on the porch. She said something, her voice too small to be heard. She coughed and tried again. "Kids? Come inside."

Mabel ran up the steps, Dipper close at her heels. "How is he?"

Melody's hands fluttered, and she coughed again, running her hand underneath her nose. "It's happened. Stan's gone."

Mabel froze.

Dipper shook his head. "Great Uncle Ford would have called us."

"I'm so sorry--"

Dipper pushed past her and Mabel latched onto his hand again before he could leave her behind. He stormed into the living room, towards their Grunkle's door. Ford blocked them, closing it firmly behind him. "You don't need to go in there," he said. "Soos is arranging the body. Someone from the funeral home will be here in about thirty minutes."

Dipper glared at him, his voice accusing. "You were supposed to get us."

"I didn't want you to see."

Mabel tugged on Dipper's hand. She didn't want to fight about it. It wasn't right to do that after... Dipper let her pull him away. Their parents were sitting on the couch and Mabel buried herself between them. Her Mom ran her fingers through her hair and Mabel let her head droop onto her shoulder. "Are you going to be okay, sweetheart?" She asked.

Mabel nodded her head. Soos came out a few minutes later and they all sat around, talking, waiting, eating. Mabel opened her eyes at the crinkling sounds of tires over rocks as a car pulled up the dirt driveway. There was a knock at the door and Melody left the couch to answer it. There were low voices. Soos and Ford and her parents all wandered over to where the mortician was waiting. "We still remember what he did for us," the man was saying.

Mabel glanced at the door that led to Stan's bedroom. She looked at Dipper and he nodded. He already knew what she was thinking. What she needed. Dipper stayed on the couch, keeping watch as Mabel crept toward the bedroom and stepped inside. Stan's rattled breathing was gone. He was laid out on the bed, ready to be taken somewhere dark and lonely. Where Mabel would never get to see him again. She moved closer and peered at his face.

It wasn't her Stan.

It was some other old man, someone she didn't know. His skin was yellow and hung off of his face like dripping wax. They mistook Grunkle Stan for Wax Stanley, she thought. That was when the smell hit her. Mabel burst into tears, gasping for air that wouldn't reach her lungs. She couldn't breathe. Her Grunkle was gone.

A pair of large hands -- twelve fingers, six on each hand, hard and warm -- pulled her out of the room and wrapped her up in a fierce hug, hiding her face into his coat.

[secret-engima]

(Sobs) kid!Noctis is like—the shit. He is the cutest goddammit shit ever. And do you know what that makes me want??? What if—NOX came back younger than noctis??? hUH? WHAT ABOUT THAT? (slaps table) trauma on the double on teeny tiny Boi with his Uncle Disaster that carts him around the wild, or Tiny Boi scrambling onto Hammerhead, wrapped in bandages with a huge ass sword on his back, covered in scars and marks, scowling and flinching at evERYTHING. (SLAPS TABLE( GIVE ME ANGST. (I need help.)

oohhhhh oHHHHHHHHH

WHY WOULD YOU Do ThIS tO ME-

-Ardyn would be freaking out so hard okay. SO HARD. Not only is he not dead, but Nox is like- THREE (because if Imma do this imma do it FOR SERIOUS) and that means his body and mind physically CAN’T hold that much memory yet, so Nox’s memories are basically on dream-state lockdown and while he is WAYYY more mature than a three year old Nox is now mentally an ACTUAL KID.

-HOW DO YOU TAKE CARE OF AN ACTUAL KID.

-Also Nox told him that Regis never looked at another woman after marrying Aulea, including after she died, so HOW DOES HE EXPLAIN NOX’S EXISTENCE IF CAUGHT.

-Ends up going on a rampage through Niflheim, blowing up ALL the labs, killing Besithia, binding Titus to him, not out of any plan but out of sheer PANIC because the only thing he can think of is to pretend that Nox is a CLONE and that means he has to remove any evidence/witnesses to the fact that Niflheim never got their hands on enough genetic material to try cloning an LC.

-Also saves 8 yr old Noctis from the Marilith by total accident about a month after time-traveling, he was just wandering around freaking out over having a three year old nephew to care for (who trusts him implicitly, who needs food and water and shelter on a regular basis which means schedules which mean Ardyn has to relearn the concept of TIME PRONTO) when he heard the Marilith and saw the burning car and instinctively noped his way in.

-Regis arrives in time to feel BURNING magic coating the air in red crystalline shards as a stranger in a hat and with an odd harness of some kind tied to his back tears the Marilith with an armiger. Regis sputters, Ardyn whirls around and Regis catches a glimpse of burning gold eyes and a TODDLER in a makeshift harness on the man’s front before the man warps away, leaving Noctis scared but unharmed because Ardyn got there before the Marilith could touch him.

-Regis’s keeps his composure only because his son needs him desperately but internally he’s screaming W H A T.

-Ardyn the Disaster Uncle is actually ... probably not discovered by Cid? While a frantic search begins for the mystery LC (Ardyn), I’m actually picturing like- Axis finding him and his first instinct is STAB CHANCELLOR but then there’s ... there’s a tiny kid there. And there’s burning LC magic as Ardyn snarls protectively over the boy, threatening to bind Axis to him out of defense until little Nox goes “Uncle, NO!” and Axis’s brain kicks over into both gratitude that he wasn’t enslaved and sympathetic dad mode.

-Axis grudgingly helps Ardyn settle down somewhere hidden after Ardyn gives his cover story (illegitimate LC, discovered that Niflheim was CLONING HIS RELATIVES and has since defected with the only surviving clone kiddo), probably Hunter HQ, which means Porrima takes one (1) looks at this panicking, flailing disaster uncle and takes him under her wing.

-Ardyn could just about worship the ground Porrima walks on for that. GUIDANCE FOR THE REARING OF SMOL NEPHEW. BLESS.

-Ardyn ends up adopted into the Arra Clan because it’s impossible to hate this messed up disaster human who is trying SO HARD to take care of his tiny human. Nox ends up adopted too, obviously, and he gets along splendidly with Axis’s kids, who are actually all about his age.

-Side note- Nox doesn’t have Quiet Days in this AU, he has Sick Days. Days where his magic gets out of control and swells under his skin and Nox collapses into a feverish mess that Dreams of his past or the KoL’s memories and all Ardyn can do is sing lullabies and stand in an ice cold shower with Nox in his arms to help bring down the fever that comes from having Too Much Magic packed in a tiny body (Nox will eventually grow out of Sick Days and they’ll turn into Quiet Days as his memories click back into place and his body/brain can handle that much magic but for now...)

-The Glaives are told by Axis about his new adoption and they are an Awkward Panic because THIS IS THE GUY THE KING IS FRANTICALLY SEARCHING FOR. BUT HE’S ALSO GALAHDIAN FAM NOW. WE CAN’T TURN HIM IN. BUT WE HAVE TO. GFDHGFD.

-In the end they don’t have to, because Cor stops by Meldacio to check on one of his Hunter contacts and comes face to face with a teeny Nox, who is now like- 5 years old. Cor, who is Noctis’s Godfather, INTIMATELY KNOWS bby Noctis’s face mentally goes BBY LC and starts to reach out to touch him when a voice snarls “Don’t touch my Nephew.” And the air grows thick with angry magic.

-Cor looks up and sees 1. Chancellor of Niflheim who has been missing for two years. 2. Blood red armiger swirling around ex-Chancellor’s body like bristling fur on a mama cat. 3. every Galahdian in the HQ has gone deadly still and is watching Cor with Murder in their eyes. For the first time in possibly ever, Cor feels like he could die in the next .05 seconds if he does the wrong thing. Steps back and raises his hands placatingly, inwardly panics when Nox fearlessly ambles up to him and latches onto his pant leg with a soft word that sounds like it might be is name or might be “Coeurl”.

-After much tense standoff and agitation from Ardyn, Ardyn agrees, grudgingly, to come to the Citadel to meet with Regis on the condition that his nephew is not taken away from him.

-Cor takes them back to the Citadel, everyone picture Regis’s face when he gets word from a servant that Cor is waiting in a private sitting room with guests and Regis comes in and sees the red-haired man from that night two years ago, the one with magic simmering warningly under his skin (Ardyn sees no reason to hide it at this point after all).

-Then Regis hears a sniffle-sob and his eyes drop do the-

-Child.

-Black haired blue eyed child that looks like a thinner, not as well cared for Noctis at age 5.

-The child who reaches out with his magic and fearlessly tangles it with Regis’s in a way that knocks the wind out of him as the little boy tilts his head and hesitantly says, “...Dad?”

-Regis rocks back as if slapped and has to lean against Clarus. Cor looks apologetic at least as he explains that he ... well, he found Mors illegitimate child and .... another.

-And Regis- Regis KNOWS that he has no son other than Noctis. He has not touched a woman since Aulea died and Noctis is TEN and this boy is even younger so he can’t- that can’t be-

-But Nox knows his father, even if his memories are locked in a sort of protective dream state that lets him know things like “Ardyn is Safe Uncle” and “Cor is Friend” and so Nox REACHES for him, wiggles against Ardyn’s tight grip and bursts into tears because Dad-dad-that’s-dad-he-WANTS-HIS-DAD-

-And suddenly Regis is across the room, gingerly taking the child from a reluctant Ardyn’s arms and pressing his face into the child’s (his child’s HIS BOY HIS SON-) hair and murmuring soothing nothings as the boy sobs and sobs and sobs and his magic (so MUCH magic it inwardly staggers Regis) tangles around Regis’s in relief-grief-relief-joy-love-love-love that Regis cannot fathom the origin of.

-Regis looks up slowly, dazedly at the half-brother he only glimpsed that night the man saved Noctis from the Marilith, the man who is the missing Nif Chancellor and the man grimaces at the wild-eyed question he can see in Regis’s eyes.

-“I care not for myself or what they did to me,” Ardyn murmurs softly and all Regis’s red flags go up (a half-sibling caught by Niflheim, a man who wears layers of long sleeved clothes and who’s cheeks are still a bit too hollow despite Porrima’s best efforts), “but when I found him, I could not stay. I could not let them have him.”

-Regis presses a kiss instinctively on the child’s hair as the boy snuggles into his neck and hiccups softly, “How...? I haven’t... not since Aulea...”

-Ardyn shrugs and keeps his eyes on his nephew, looking like he’s itching to snatch the boy back, his magic brushing against Regis’s by accident as it coils protectively around the little princeling, “That has never stopped them. All they needed was an adequate blood sample.”

-And Regis-

-Regis thinks of the little blond baby Cor brought home ten years ago, Cor’s expression of disgust and horror as he spoke of tanks upon tanks of people, all infected with the Scourge and unsalvageable save this tiny baby. Regis thinks of medical science and artificial fertilization and DNA and how Niflheim would do ANYTHING to have Lucis Caelum blood in their grasp, especially if Ardyn either refused or was incapable of having children. He thinks of all those things and looks at Ardyn’s grim, haggard expression and he-

-He breathes very carefully as he clutches the little boy closer, towering RAGE warring with gut-wrenching horror, “They-. Are there-?”

-Ardyn shook his head and gently ran his hand through downy black hair, “He is the only one. I destroyed all the facilities I could before they had the chance to do more.”

-And Regis needs to sit down. He needs to sit down with this tiny child in his arms and a half-brother that eyes Regis like he might bite and Regis- Regis wants to CRY but he can’t afford it, not now, so instead he cautiously reaches out and brushes magic with Ardyn (feels the instinctive, visceral flinch it causes the other man and backs off) and rasps hoarsely, “What ... what is his name?”

-Ardyn’s lips twitch sheepishly, “Our thoughts were not much different when it came to naming little Lucis Caelums I’m afraid. His name is Nox.”

-Regis breathes the name like a prayer and looks down at the boy already dozing off in his arms, totally, completely trusting the STRANGER that is holding him, magic already nestled against Regis’s (so MUCH, an unhealthy amount, and what had Niflheim DONE to make this tiny boy already so powerful in magic?) and pulsing a steady heartbeat of love-contentment-relief-trust. He looks back up at the man who should be an enemy but was instead family, who had saved Noctis from the Marilith and had saved this second son Regis had not known existed from fates worse than death and he asks, “Will you... would you do me the honor of staying? The both of you? Please?”

-And Ardyn gives in, because he cannot bear to separate Nox from his father now, not when Nox is radiating such contentment and happiness.

-Much later, probably days actually, after guest suites are prepared (and a snarling overprotective Ardyn gets his way of having Nox share his suite) and medical exams are taken (and Regis RAGES his way across a training room when he sees the pictures and reports of both his newest son and his half-brother, of the newest son’s many scars and his half-brother’s even worse scars and BRAND), Noctis is informed of new relatives and insists on going to see them.

-Noctis stares down at little Nox, who tilts his head curiously as he hides behind Ardyn’s leg, and Noctis’s heart MELTS. Nox is the same age as Iris, and Noctis can feel magic cautiously poking his, and every switch in Noctis’s head goes MINE. MY LITTLE BROTHER NOW. And Ardyn could laugh himself sick if he wouldn’t have to explain why.

-Also everyone picture Ignis. Ignis who already has mothering instincts out the wazzoo. Ignis who loves Noctis to no end and now there’s a TINIER VERSION and that tiny version looks at him and goes “Iggy?” so hopefully and plaintively that Ignis is just- he’s gone. Goodbye.

-Iris gets to be Nox’s Shield. They are two of a kind as they grow up together and its great.

-Regis freaks out so hard the first Sick Day Nox has in the Citadel, and Ardyn looks so EXHAUSTED when he explains that this is normal and why it happens (too much magic in too small a body, he’ll grow out of it someday) and then Regis is so ANGRY over whoever made Nox too magical to be healthy.

-Ardyn and Regis brother bond over raising Nox.

-Gladio is just- “my brat bby brother now. MINE.”

-Prompto is still found early and adopted by Cor thanks to Ardyn, Prompto. ADORES. bby Nox. The Power of Cute compels you.

[margoshansons]

I Still Get Jealous: b. blake.

Bellamy Blake x Reader. Slight!Roan x Reader

Summary: Roan teaches Y/N how to fight per her request. Bellamy doesn’t like it.

Warnings: mentions of sexy times, violence, fluff, slight OOC Bellamy. Jealous!Bellamy.

Notes: I really don’t like how I wrote Bellamy in this chapter, but *shrugs shoulders* oh well. That’s what fanfic is for I guess. Takes place in season 4.

The sound of metal clashing against metal drew Y/N’s attention from the plants she had been observing toward the center of the throne room. Roan’s footsteps moved forward, pressing against Echo’s weakened defenses, slicing a vulnerable hole through her shield, bringing the point of her sword to her neck. She threw her arms up in surrender. 

Y/N felt her mouth drop open in awe. 

Echo picked up her sword once more, the familiar clanging resuming as Y/N closed her book to watch the spar, task forgotten. Bellamy had refused to teach her anything regarding traditional fighting, claiming that she only needed to know how to shoot a gun. 

“You’re a healer” He had said, tenderly stroking her cheek with his thumb, “Not a fighter.”

But she wanted to be. 

She eyed the Ice Nation King’s body, how fluid his motions were as he made Echo surrender once more, The two grasping hands in a peaceful gesture before tossing their swords on the ground forgotten. Roan shot a curious look her way as the two Ice Nation soldiers left the room, and Y/N forced herself to turn back to the plants she had been examining, unable to focus as her gaze continued to shift to the swords carelessly strewn about the floor. 

Abandoning her current task, she stood up and walked over to the center of the room, sending a careless look over her shoulder before picking up Echo’s weapon, her wrist weighed down by the traditional weapon.

She used what strength she had gathered to swing the metal back and forth, trying to imitate the moves she had seen the King use.

“You’re too stiff.” A deep voice called from behind her. She froze, dropping the sword to her side as she turned to face Roan, a blush creeping across her face.

“I’m so sorry--I was just--” 

Roan chuckled from his position on the wall, striding forward to tear the sword from her grasp, swinging it once, twice, before grabbing the other one from the floor, handing it back to her.

“If you’re going to learn how to fight, you should learn properly.” Roan jested, taking a stance across from her. Y/M swallowed her nerves and tried to copy his feet, relaxing her shoulders as she drew the weapon before her, ready to try her hand.

He lunged forward, and in a flash of self-preservation, she raised her blade upward, blocking the blow as it sent her stumbling backward. Roan wasted no time before slinking forward once again, his brute strength overpowering her own. She shuffled to the side and pressed forward, trying to push him back using the blunt edge of her blade. Instead, all she succeeded in doing was opening her defenses, letting Roan sweep his foot into her stomach, pain reverberating through her stomach as she collapsed to the ground, a cough escaping her. 

She flipped around to grasp the sword but found it gone from her hand. Roan stood over top of her, both swords in hand pointed directly at her throat.

Y/N swallowed and allowed the tense silence to fall over them, watching to see if Roan actually meant his promise to Skaikru when he took over for Lexa. He flipped the blade around and handed it back to her, offering his now free hand out for her to grab.

She was pulled back up, Roan growing closer to offer some more advice.

“You have spirit,” He complimented, eyes scanning her face, “But that’s not enough to win.”

Her breaths grew heavy as he walked toward the wall, placing the swords back in the armory. “Come back this time tomorrow” He instructed, a slight smile on his face, “We start training then.”

***

When she woke the next morning she could hardly contain her excitement. The bruise around her stomach still ached every time she moved, but right now it had faded into a dullness that allowed her to walk freely without straining herself. 

“Are you okay?” Bellamy asked, concern washing over his face as she joined the rest of them for lunch in the mess hall. 

“Yeah, I’m fine” Y/N nodded, sharing a frustrated look with the King of Azgeda before digging into her food, unaware that Bellamy had been watching the exchange. 

His hand latched onto hers, surprising her. “What’s this about?” She creased her eyebrows in confusion.

Bellamy shrugged nonchalantly, “Can’t I just hold hands with my girlfriend?”

A laugh escaped her. “You can,” She allowed, flickering her gaze toward his olive skin intertwined in her fingers, “It’s just--the last time we talked you said you wanted to keep this under wraps.” She tried the unfamiliar earth expression on her tongue, trying to recall what the roots of the slang were. 

Bellamy chuckled, and sent a loving gaze her way, biting his lip as he scanned her face. “I know,” He admitted, “I just-- I’m coming around to your idea.” He explained, his thumb tracing circles on the back of her hand. 

She smiled as he leaned over to press a kiss against her cheek, catching movement from the far side of the table as Roan left the mess hall, a knowing look sent her way. She coughed and excused herself, squeezing Bellamy’s hand as she followed the king into the throne room, a cocky smile dangling from his lips. 

It continued like that for several weeks.

Lunch in the mess, followed by excruciating practices and sparring sessions with Roan, who insisted on teasing her about Bellamy’s growing affections every time they met. 

“He’s like a barnacle,” Roan teased, trying to distract her during their sparring session, “Just clinging onto you for dear life.”

A laughe scaped her as she pushed forward, somersaulting out of the way of the arc of his blade. “He likes physical touch.” She explained, circling the king.

Although the more she thought about it, she recalled how Bellamy’s touches had increased over the past few days. Wrapping his arms around her waist any chance he got, pressing more kisses into her cheeks, tightening his grip whenever Roan was around. 

In fact, the more she thought about it, she was pretty sure he only got physical when Roan was around the couple.

Roan winked suggestively, “Oh I’m sure he does.”

“Shut up” She chuckled, biting her lip as she moved forward, swords clashing against each other before she slid through his legs and wrapped her blade around his throat. “I win.” She gloated, the King dropped his sword in surrender. 

“I let you win,” Roan announced, trying to regain some pride in the defeat. She shook her head, letting him go. “You told me a great warrior accepts his defeat graciously, I suppose you’re neither great nor gracious.”

He turned around at the quip, a smirk crossing his face as the space between them grew closer, his eyes scanning up and down her face. He held out his hand in a gesture of respect and she grasped it, a wide smile on her face. 

“Hey Roan have you seen--” Bellamy barrelled into the room, stopping as he caught sight of the scene unfolding before him. “--Y/N” He breathed, finishing his sentence with a scowl written on his face.

Y/N let go of Roan’s arm, dropping the sword at her side as she caught a glimpse of Bellamy’s clenched jaw, stiffened posture, and tapping foot. “I’m here, what do you need?” She gulped down her nerves, hoping he didn’t get the wrong idea. Of course she and Roan hadn’t been doing anything, but the way he had been acting did call into question what Bellamy thought about their friendship.

“Kane needs us to make a supply run.” Bellamy spoke curtly, sending a glare the King of Azgeda’s way, “Meet me outside when you’re done with...whatever this is.”

Y/N nodded, resisting the urge to run after him and tell him that it wasn’t what he thought it was. Roan interrupted her thoughts, holding out his hand, “Your boyfriend doesn’t like me much.” She handed him the sword and pulled on her jacket, following Bellamy through the halls.

“Bell, Wait!” She called, running to catch up to him, hoping to explain the situation, “Please, it wasn’t what it looked like.”

Bellamy chuckled mirthlessly, something dark flickering behind his eyes, “So that’s where you’ve been disappearing to every day?”

She nodded, ignoring the short tone in his voice as he clenched his jaw tighter. “Roan offered to teach me how to fight.” She explained, reaching over to grasp his hand in hers, “That’s all it was. I love you, you green-eyed nerd.”

A half-smile crept across his face before his lips crashed on hers, his strength pushing her against the wall in a moment of reclamation. The darkness returned to swirl around his pupils, his grip tightening around her wrists. Their bodies pressed against each other as they exchanged air, endorphins swirling as his hand pulled at her hair, eliciting a moan from the girl.

“You’re mine.” He growled, his eyes softening. “You hear me?”

She nodded, a devilish smirk on her face as she leaned in, and that night she learned just how into physical touch Bellamy Blake really was.

Please like, reblog, and comment!

[sworn-unbeliever]

12 - Tooth and Nail

wc: 1,371

Leviathan appeared from out of nowhere.

A simple ship ride between Kugane and Limsa Lominsa had gone all too swimmingly. Any road to a greater destiny had to have some bumps on the road. What better path to have the Itsubishi family’s supposedly improved financial success than to have the Lord of the Whorl himself test their resolve? While Useless Tia lived up to his name and vanished without a trace, everyone else donned their arms and prepared for battle. Aunt Jocelyn and her gunblade. Mother Yoshiko and her fists. Younger brother Jeremy with his chakrams. And elder brother Teremy with his knives. Punching. Cutting. Slashing. Fire. Water. Lightning. All remaining on deck defended against Leviathan and his minions with their lives.

But none so much as the moment Teremy looked back to see Leviathan dive down directly towards Jeremy. The serpent’s mouth opened, ready to swallow up the younger brother in one single gulp.

“Jer, watch out!” Teremy cried at the same time he dashed forward. His body moved purely on instinct and shoved Jeremy out of the way.

Then darkness. Leviathan’s jaws snapped shut, taking Teremy inside. Whole.

After that, Teremy had no idea what happened as his body reacted before his mind caught up to speed. The miqo’te felt Leviathan descend and found his body sliding away. His twin cinquedea stabbed the closest thing they could latch onto. Sharp metal sank through flesh and pierced what felt like bone. And from there, Teremy’s ears nearly shattered from a deafening roar that shoved him back into his knives.

His ears rang. The stench made him want to throw up. But he clenched his mouth shut and clung onto the handles of his short swords. He had no thought. He had no plan. Just clenched hands, clenched teeth, and a clenched will to survive.

Suddenly, the Lord of the Whorl shot straight up. Teremy felt himself slipping back down, but he tightened his grip. No way did he want to slide further down the serpent’s body. He never wanted to descend to that kind of hell. Another dive down and Leviathan opened his mouth again, not as an opportunity for his very unwelcome guest to leave, but to have water shoot inside. A tidal wave of water threatened to shove him down further. Teremy clamped his eyes and mouth shut. He felt his grip slipping. Again, the miqo’te held steady. Up again. Then down again. Another roar. But Teremy clung to the handles of his twin blades to the point he felt his hands begin to indent in the metal. He couldn’t die. He had to live. He had pushed his brother out of his way to live… so they could live together. Not trade one brother for the other.

Finally, one last rush upwards and Leviathan opened his mouth again. Teremy swung back and forth as the serpent shook its head. One last desperate toss and Teremy’s cinquedea finally loosened its hold on bone and flesh. Teremy went sailing into the air, still holding his short swords like his last lifeline.

‘I am but the hummingbird. I spread my tiny wings and fly away,’ he thought as he sailed up, then down. With no idea what laid underneath except water, he changed trajectory in midair to move his body into a vertical position before his body dove into the water.

Thank Aunt Jocelyn, who had the foresight to teach the brothers useful life tricks like swimming.

Once Teremy fell as deep as his momentum carried him, he swam back up as fast as he could. His head pushed above the water first. He took a deep breath, then exhaled.

He was alive. Somehow, still alive.

Gently kicking his feet to keep himself afloat, he wiped the water away from his eyes with a few extended fingers, and looked over in the distance. He still held his cinquedea at ready in case Leviathan wanted round too. To Teremy’s surprise, he saw the King of the Whorl’s distinct figure swim away in the distance. A shattered, abandoned rowboat became the last known proof of Leviathan’s existence.

Teremy put his cinquedea away and tried to swim after Leviathan, but the struggle to keep himself alive inside Leviathan’s jaws had taken away all the energy he had. Or his adrenaline fervor had subsided. Or both. His body refused to move and Teremy soon found himself lying on his back, his arms spread out, staring at a starry sky.

Bump.

A wooden plank gently knocked him on the head. He forced his body to turn around and take refuge on part of the wood. Somehow said wood acted as a life preserver, allowing him to lean his weight on it safely. Now the rest of his energy left him. And the only glimpse of said starry sky he had left was a shimmering reflection in the water. So much for impromptu sightseeing after a life or death chase. But at least he wouldn’t eventually sink into the water.

Hopefully.

‘Where am I? … Shit, Levi ain’t coming back for round two, is he? My parents, my aunt, Jer, they’re still on there…!’

He saw no sign of Leviathan. But he saw no sign of the boat either.

‘People do good, they do a solid. Me, I did a liquid. Headline: I’m in it now. Hah.’ Teremy thought bitterly.

His eyelids felt heavy. Teremy closed them. Then opened them. No, he had to stay awake. No telling if he fell asleep, he would surely drown.

‘Did I do the right thing? Did I save Jer? Or did I make even more trouble for everyone…’

Nothing but gentle waves brushing against the wood plank answered him.

‘At least… should I die at sea, I’ll go out knowing that at least Jer’s alive.’

He closed his eyes.

Plish. Plash.

He opened his eyes again.

‘The sea is so vast. A hidden world underneath. But above the surface, all anyone can see is more of the same, hoping to find the something else that may not even be there. Do they ever look up to see the stars? Their wisdom? Their guidance? If you can hear me, guide my family to Limsa Lominsa safely.’

He closed his eyes.

* * *

“Stay with us, lad!” cried an unfamiliar voice.

Teremy felt a sense of danger and grabbed onto something. When he opened his eyes, he saw that he had latched onto the wrist of a rogedayn. He saw the sailor’s surprised expression and released his hold.

“Quite the grip you got there. Thought ye’d take my hand off fer a second there.” The roegadyn wrung his hand. “That any way to thank your rescuers?”

Teremy opened his mouth to speak but only unintelligible gargle spat out.

“Anyway, we happened t’find ye driftin’ out like all that other flotsam. Didn’t think ye’d wanna spend t’rest of yer life out at sea.”

Sputtering a few more times, Teremy finally found the words to speak. “Thank you,” he said slowly.

Talking had always been more of his brother’s forte. Teremy’s piano… in more ways than one. But right now, Teremy only had words. Thankfully the roegadyn’s face softened with said word.

Teremy sat up straight. He rubbed his eyes, noticing that he now wore some hempen-spun attire rather than his own wet robes. His previous garments fell on top of his head before he had a chance to ask. He looked around. The area looked unlike Kugane, but unlike anything he imagined Limsa Lominsa to look like, either. Instead, a scorching hot sun bared down heat upon brown and beige stone of building and ground alike.

“Where is this place?” Teremy asked.

“Ye from across the continent or somethin’? Ain’t often to hear a miqo’te speak with a Hingan accent.” the fisherman asked. “No matter. This place be Vesper Bay, part of the region of Thanalan.”

“Thanalan…” Teremy repeated.

Lady Luck had sent sailors to bail him out of his own stupidity. As thanks, rather than send him north, she sent him south for a laugh.

‘Thanks, Lady Luck. Not to sound ungrateful for saving my life or anything, but... what the fuck?’

[animeniacss]

6 Years - Hoseok x Reader - Chapter 9 - The Flu Hits Home

Synopsis: 6 years. That’s all it can take to take another look at someone and see that they have completely changed. You were once an eager 20-year-old, with your dreams all in view, and Jung Hoseok at your side to view them with you. However, after a break up the end of your junior year of college, everything seemed different. Now, you’re a recently divorced single mother of two, and your life is nowhere near what you thought it would be. However, after reuniting with Jung Hoseok, you may just be able to capture a little bit of that exciting youth you once knew so long ago.

Feat. BTS Members, Nayeon (TWICE), and Yuna (itzy)

Genre: Romance, SingleMother!AU, Past Relationship, Drama, Some Depictions of Violence/Domestic Abuse

Length: approx. 4.9k words

Chapter 9 - The Flu Hits Home

As you stood beside the counter, running a hand through your hair, you could faintly hear Hoseok reading to the girls. Hearing his high-pitched voice as he read the story, it really made you smile. You were so glad that Hoseok had no problem reading to them. Curiosity got the better of you after a few more minutes, you walked towards the bedroom. The door was opened slightly, allowing you to get a glimpse of Min Ja’s bed.

           Hoseok was sitting with his back against the wall, book in his hands. Min Ja was sitting beside him, snug under her pink covers. Grinning, she watched as he turned the pages. Hyo Bin was on the other side of him, her eyes mostly closed. She was probably very close to falling asleep as she rested on his chest. Hoseok was beaming as he read the story, Min Ja copying all his wild noises and voices.

           “And then, the little girl ran alllllll the way through the forest with the magic jewel.” Hoseok beamed, pointing to the little girl on one page. “See? Look…. weeeee.” He traced his finger along the trail, and Min Ja stuck her finger out to do the same, giggling as they both made the noise together, quiet enough to not wake Hyo Bin up. “Where’s she going?”

           “She’s going to the castle.” Min Ja pointed out. “But I can’t tell you why because you have to read it.”

           “Oh, okay.” Hoseok chuckled a bit, turning the page. Resting against the door frame, you watched Hoseok finish the story about a princess who saved the world. Min Ja was getting sleepier and sleepier with every turning page, rubbing her eyes and yawning as she rested against Hoseok to listen to him read it. When he noticed she was getting sleepier, his voices toned down just a bit. “Wow, that was good, huh?” He asked, closing the finished storybook.

           “Mhm…” Min Ja nodded, rubbing her eyes.

           “Are you tired now?”

           “No. You have to read another one.” You murmured. Hoseok chuckled.

           “Min Ja, it’s time to go to sleep. Mr. Hobi read you a story already…” You finally cut in, walking towards the bed. You took Hyo Bin into your arms, not waking her up as she curled into your touch.

           “Mr. Hobi?” Min Ja began, yawning as she watched Hoseok get up off the bed. “Can you read more stories soon?”

           “Of course, I can.” He said cheerfully, watching you set Hyo Bin into her bed and tucking her under the covers. “But it’s time to sleep now, alright?”

           “Kay…” she pouted, nuzzling under her covers. You walked over, fixing her blankets before planting a small kiss on her forehead. Min Ja’s big eyes closed after a few moments, and it wasn’t long before the room was filled with only the sounds of faint snoring. Turning to Hoseok, you motioned for him to quietly exit the room, closing the door behind you.

           “I appreciate that…” you said softly as the two of you returned to the living room.

           “It was fun.” He said happily. “But it’s been a long day, I’m exhausted.” He admitted, letting out an exhausted sighed. “Taking care of two girls for a whole day is crazy.”

           “Please, tell me more about it.” You teased sarcastically, crossing your arms. Hoseok grinned a bit as you led him to the door. He slid on his shoes, grabbed his belongings, and turned to you.

           “I hope you had a good time today.” He said sweetly.

           “I had a lot of fun. I appreciate you taking us out like this.”

           “Of course. Like I said, I wanted to help de-stress you guys. Did it work?”

           “Well, my back still hurts, I’m starting to see double, and I really want a drink. So, not much has changed.” You replied, a grin forming on your face. “But I did get that amazing video of you being terrified by that snake.”

           “Aaaaaaah…” Hoseok groaned. “I cannot believe you got that on video. You do realize how long that thing was, right?”

           “Yeah. That made it even funnier. I think it was trying to play with you.”

           “Well, I wasn’t interested.” Hoseok huffed. You laughed again as the memory flashed through your mind. As you stopped yourself from laughing, you glanced up at Hoseok again. You felt so calm, which was what Hoseok was trying to have happened. Sure, any day dragging around two children under five would leave any sane person exhausted, but internally, you felt so calm and so relieved that you got to spend a day just enjoying yourself instead of stressing out over the thought of Weong-Bin and his idiocy. When was the last time you felt that way? You had no idea. Without thinking, you took a step closer to Hoseok, and he blinked. “Hm?”

           “Hey…weird request…but can I have a hug?” Without hesitation, Hoseok grinned and opened up his arms.

           “Of course.” He said, practically beaming. Almost immediately, you latched yourself onto him, your hands wrapping around his torso. He was so warm, and you couldn’t help but nuzzle your head into his chest. You could hear him chuckle as his arms wrapped around you. “Not that I mind, but any particular reason?”

           “Your hugs always made me feel better, that’s all.”

           “So, I could have saved a whole days’ worth of won today if I had just given you a hug?” He teased. You both let out a small laugh, and you only hugged him tighter. “I’m kidding.”

           “I know.” You said. “Thank you for today.”

           “Ahh, don’t mention it.” He repeated again. “I like spending time with you.”

           “I hope we get to do more stuff like this.”

           “Just let me know when you’re free and we can work it out.” He said simply. You sighed, closing your eyes as you just allowed this tight hug to envelop your entire body. “…Is there anything else bothering you?” He asked curiously.

           “Other then the ex-husband stuff? No.” you admitted. “Everything that comes and goes in my mind kind of falls back onto that.”

“Ah…”

You were silent for a moment. There was a wave of emotions hitting you right now, some that were good, and others that you would rather go away and never come back. After that moment passed, you let out a deep, almost frustrated sigh. “Damn you’re so comfy.” You pouted. Hoseok chuckled a bit, resting his chin on top of your head.

           “Thank you.” He said softly. “I’ll wait here for a few more minutes until you’re ready to let go.” You nodded, your hands gripping onto the back of his shirt. At this moment, you felt that if you let him go now, you may never get him back. It felt silly to think such a thing, that much you knew, but still. Being in this moment made you feel safe and content, and you didn’t want that moment to leave you.

           “Okay…” you said softly, finally pulling back from the hug. “I’ll let you get going.” Hoseok nodded, stuffing his hands into his pockets, allowing only the thumbs to poke out. “Get home safe.”

           “I will.” He said happily. Nodding, you waved him off as he headed towards the elevator. Slowly closing and locking the door, you took a deep breath of air into your lungs, held it for a moment, and exhaled it out into the air. You always knew deep down, even when you were married, that the way you felt for Hoseok had never truly left you. It wasn’t something you ever spoke about, but you knew it was true. Maybe that was why Weong-Bin didn’t even like the guy. You knew him in college, and he was well aware of your relationship with Hoseok from beginning to end. Feeling your mind begin to race with different thoughts and feelings, you knew it was time to go to bed.

---

           Sunday was a good day too, another one that you had off. You spent the time with the girls in the apartment, giving the family a chance to sleep in before getting up and spending as much time as you could coloring, watching TV, or just playing some games. Time to just have a lazy day with the girls did not come around often, but you were so happy when it did. The three of you were sitting around the kitchen table, just after lunch, coloring. Min Ja was drawing pictures of the zoo to show to her daycare friends the next day, and Hyo Bin was scribbling. Well, sort of. She had woken up crankier than usual, but you assumed she was still lethargic from the day prior and needed more time to sleep. However, she was absolutely refusing to be put down for a nap. You were unsure why, you could see that she was tired, but every time you tried to put her into bed, she would kick and scream and cry, begging to be picked up again. It was odd, but you tried to push it off as a rough day, one that would balance itself out as the hours passed.

           It didn’t though. Instead, it only got worse. As Sunday turned to Monday, you found Hyo Bin only getting fussier and more difficult with every passing hour. It got to the point where she refused to eat. Anything that was put near her the mouth was quickly rejected and met with a fit of whimpers and sobs instead. You had no idea what to do. Trying to think of something quick, you gave her some children’s medicine, one that induced some drowsiness, and put her to bed early.

           “Mommy, what’s wrong with Hyo Bin?” Min Ja asked curiously as she watched you exit your daughter’s room. You sighed.

           “I don’t know. Maybe she’s getting sick.” You admitted.

           “Oh…” She nodded.

           “Yeah. So how about you sleep in my bed with me tonight? Just so we don’t get sick too.” Min Ja’s eyes sparkled, and she nodded eagerly.

           “Okay!” She said happily. You helped her get ready for bed, and the two of you spent the next little while snuggled under your covers with the TV on. Nothing much for kids was on at this hour, just a few different cartoons and game shows that kept Min Ja giggling at chatting for an extra hour. It wasn’t too much longer before the sound of the TV lulled Min Ja to sleep, and you turned it off. Hoping that whatever was bothering Hyo Bin would pass, you found yourself unable to sleep, anticipating the worst.

           Unfortunately for you, just as you were about to go to sleep, your mind trying to assure itself that Hyo Bin was most likely getting a little cold and would be fine, you heard a noise coming from the girl’s bedroom off the baby monitor. The sound of whimpering, the sound of sobbing, the sound of gagging. Quickly, you shot up in your bed, the sudden shift waking Min Ja up from her slumber as you got out of bed and hurried into the bedroom.

           “Hyo Bin?” you called out, turning the light on and hurrying over to the crib. Leaning in, you got a good look at your daughter. She was pale as a ghost, her eyes heavy as if she hasn’t slept since you put her into bed. You quickly scooped her up into your arms and pressed a hand to her forehead. “Oh my God, you’re burning up.” You gasped, rubbing her back. “Okay…okay…” Hyo Bin weakly gripped onto your nightshirt, sniffling as you tried to calm her down. She was coughing and wheezing as if she was struggling to catch her breath. “Ooooh baby, okay. Let’s go take your temperature.” Heading out of the room and towards the bathroom, you passed Min Ja, who was standing at the door watching.

           “Mommy?” she called out in curiosity. When she saw you enter the bathroom, she quickly followed. “Mommy, what’s wrong?” you could hear in her voice that she was starting to get scared.

           “Nothing, Min. Go back to Mommy’s bed. Hyo Bin just isn’t feeling well.”

           “Noo…” she whimpered, eyes watering as she hid behind the bathroom door. You sighed, deciding arguing would only make things worse. You sat on the toilet, Hyo Bin in your lap as you put the thermometer in her ear. She tried to squirm a bit, but you managed to get a temperature.

           “…Oh God, 103 degrees. You sighed, holding Hyo Bin close as she continued to cough. It was deep, and you could hear the phlegm in her chest as she coughed, making her whine. “Okay…” standing up, you headed into the kitchen and attempted to find an ice pack or cooling rag to use. When you did, you placed the cold rag around her neck and heard her let out a deep sigh. “There you go, better, huh?” you smiled softly, rubbing her back.

           “Mamaaaa…” she sobbed, sniffling. You tried to soothe her as you thought about how you needed to take off work for god knows how long, and somehow get Min Ja to go to daycare without causing too much of a fuss.

           “I know, sweetie. We’re going to go see Doctor Park tomorrow, yeah?” You hummed softly, kissing her forehead. You continued trying to soother her back to sleep, but there was no way it was going to happen. Checking the time, you saw it was 1 that next morning, and you needed to get Min Ja to sleep so she wouldn’t be tired the next day. “Come on, let’s go to bed.” You led the girls back inside, having Min Ja get into bed with the promise that you would stay in there with Hyo Bin. You made sure to keep your distance, grabbing a mask from the bathroom and using it to cover Hyo Bin’s mouth in case she coughed anymore. “Min Ja, you need to go to bed.” You said softly, watching your daughter toss and turn in her sleep.

           “I don’t wanna.” She pouted. “I wanna stay with you and Hyo Bin.”

           “If you don’t rest, you’ll get sick too.” You pleaded. “I promise, I’ll be right here.” Hyo Bin let out a few more coughs into her mask and you rubbed her back. “Please, Min….” Min Ja pouted, nuzzling her head into the pillow as she pulled the blanket over herself. You watched her eyes stare at you for what felt like forever, but the darkness of the room and the silence caused exhaustion to overcome her, and she was soon fast asleep. With that settled, you walked back out into the kitchen and sat on one of the chairs, Hyo Bin in your arms as you tried to get her to sleep next. She was much more of a challenge, sobbing and fussing the entire time. Every moment that she seemed she would be falling asleep; a deep cough would hit and startle her back awake. You knew that there was no way you were getting any sleep.

           The next morning, you woke up to the sound of your alarm blaring from your bedroom. You had fallen asleep on the couch with Hyo Bin on your chest only an hour ago, but it felt like five minutes. Groaning, you got up, carrying Hyo Bin in your arms. She was still sleeping soundly, and you took her to her room, placing her in her crib so that you could go get Min Ja ready.

           “I don’t wanna go to daycare, I wanna stay home!” Min Ja begged, trying to stop you from getting her dressed.

           “Sweetie, please.” You begged. “I need to take Hyo Bin to the doctor and if you’re to close, then you’ll get sick too. I can’t have two sick babies, now can I?” You asked. Min Ja felt her eyes start to water, and she quickly hugged you. “Min Ja…” you sighed softly, holding her close to you. “Hyo Bin will be okay.” You said. “I promise. I’ll pick you up early. I just need to take her to the doctor…”

           “Okay…” she sniffled.

           “Besides, don’t you want to tell the kids all about the zoo?” you asked curiously. Min Ja nodded. “I’ll send Miss Yun Yun the pictures while we wait for the doctor, I promise.” Min Ja sniffled, wiping her eyes dry. “Okay, good. Now, to call out of work.”

           When you called, you got Jungkook on the phone. Explaining the situation, he said that today looked like it was going to be slow, since not that many appointments were scheduled. It almost made him laugh when you asked to make an appointment for Hyo Bin as early as possible, and he managed to get you in first. Relief washed over you knowing that the staff insisted you take as much time as needed. With everything settled and prepared, you threw on a pair of stretch pants and a tee-shirt before whisking your kids out the door.

           After dropping Min Ja off at the daycare, and having another mini battle wither about going, you were on the next train to the doctor’s office. Hyo Bin had woken up by now and still had a deep cough, making you keep your distance from everyone else on the train. While you were glad that she began to show symptoms earlier rather than later, you knew that by the severity of the symptoms that you were going to be out of work for a few more days.

---

           “Alright, come on in.” Dr. Park called, smiling as you entered the waiting room. “Much different seeing you here without scrubs on.” He teased, making you chuckle.

           “I know, I’m sorry it was so last minute.”

           “Oh please, kid’s getting the flu is always last minute.” Once you got into the room, he began an examination of Hyo Bin. He knew all of her shots and records because he was the one to administer them to her since birth. Hyo Bin was squirming, not wanting to be touched, but being a professional, Dr. Park was able to complete the examination anyway. “Yeah, it definitely looks like the flu. She’ll be out of commission for a year the next four days.”

           “Christ, I don’t have anyone to babysit her.”

           “Don’t worry.” He assured. “You’ve racked up a lot of time off. Use it, stay with her.”

           “But who will you get?”

           “Actually, Seokjin was asking about taking a few hours here and there for some extra cash. I’ll call him and see if he can take over your shift at all.” You sighed in relief, though finding this out was new information. “I’ll go make that call and write her a prescription. You’ll be out of here in no time.”

           “Thanks.” You said softly, smiling as you watched him walk out. Moments later, there was a knock at the door again, and Jungkook stepped in.

           “Hey.” He smiled. “How is she?”

           “Flu.” You sighed. “I won’t be here for a while. Dr. Park said Seokjin might be able to take my hours for the next few days.” Jungkook grinned. He had always liked Seokjin, since Seokjin trained him when he first got hired. Jungkook saw Hyo Bin resting against your chest, hiding her face as she coughed into her little mask. When Dr. Park returned with the prescription and also confirming that Seokjin would be working those hours, you hummed and left with a thank you.

           On the train ride back home, you called in the prescription and then phoned Seokjin. It rang for a moment, but then he answered.

           “Heeeello~? World Wide Handsome speaking.” You heard him say. It’s been a while since you really got to speak to him.

           “Hey.” You hummed. “Dr. Park told me you’re taking hours again at the office. Is work not going well?”

           “Hm? Oh no. Work is going wonderful! But you would know if you came to see me.” He huffed playfully, and you chuckled. “But I only work four days a week at night. I need more money, so I called and asked if I could work a few hours here and there at the office in the mornings.” He explained. “And my first day back, I’m taking over for you? Lucky meeeee.” You chuckled a bit. You could hear him set you on speakerphone, most likely to get himself ready to hop on the next train to the office.

           “Well I’ll let you go get ready.” You hummed. “I’m going home to sleep, I’m exhausted.”

           “You sound it.” Seokjin teased, laughing a bit. “But I hope Hyo Bin gets better.”  

           “Thanks.” You said your goodbyes and hung up the phone. Hyo Bin was sound asleep the entire train ride home, thank god. You made sure to stop and pick up her medicine, along with a few home remedies from the local pharmacy, before taking Hyo Bin home. She slept soundly in her bed, the medicine coursing through her little body, and you collapsed on the couch not long after her. You were exhausted, only running on about 3 hours of sleep, if even that. It wasn’t long before sleep overtook you as well, and the apartment was silent.

           You slept for what felt like forever, but it was only for a few hours, before Hyo Bin stirred from her sleep and began coughing. Forcing yourself out of your seat, you headed into the bedroom. It had been almost 12 hours since your daughter had really eaten anything of substance, so that was the next thing to accomplish on your list.

           Hyo Bin was a lot easier to feed than she has been over the past few days. She took some scrambled eggs and juice without much fuss, and you could see how relaxed and calmer she looked now that she was eating. It calmed you down too, and though her coughing was still horribly deep, and she was still warm, you were glad she was eating again.

           “Feel better?” you hummed, smiling as Hyo Bin nodded. “Let’s go inside…” You found yourself sitting on the couch, your muscles relaxing as you turned on the TV. Hyo Bin lied on the couch, and you put a blanket over her before turning to her favorite channel. Time passed idly, the noise from the TV keeping Hyo Bin occupied as she drifted in and out of sleep. You took this newfound time to do some house cleaning. Dishes were finally removed from the dishwasher, you got to clean the counters, clean up the girl’s rooms, and do some laundry. It was exhausting, but if you didn’t do it now, it would never get done. You made sure to watch Hyo Bin closely, checking up on here every once in a while, as she slept on the couch. Once the bedroom was cleaned, you transferred your sleeping toddler into bed, turning on some soft music in hopes of keeping her to sleep with the gentle noise. It was just as you were heading inside to get some lunch for yourself when your phone began to ring. “Hm?”

           Pulling your phone from your back pocket, you saw that Hobi was calling you. You had changed his contact photo to a picture of him with the girls that you had taken at the zoo. He was sitting beside Min Ja with Hyo Bin on his lap, the selfie angled up to get all three of them in it. Min Ja was throwing up a peace sign with Hoseok, and Hyo Bin was holding her bag of popcorn in her hands. It was a cute picture. Smiling, you quickly answered.

           “Hey.” You said happily.

           “Hey.” He hummed happily. “I hope I’m not bothering you. Are you at work?”

           “No, not today.” You sighed. “Hyo Bin must have gotten sick at the zoo. She’s got a massive fever and hasn’t really been eating too much all day.” Hoseok let out a deep, sympathetic sigh.

           “Aww, man. That’s rough. I hope she gets better soon.”

           “Thank you. She’s sleeping now. Hopefully, the medicine will break the fever in a few days…” you let out a deep sigh. “Are you working today?”

           “Sort of. Jimin and I have started some auditions for the upcoming year. We start in about 20 minutes, so I thought I would just call and see how you were doing.” You couldn’t help but smile at the idea that you were first on Hoseok’s mind more and more with each passing day.

           “I hope that goes well.” You said. “Are you still just focusing on the studio's hip hop class?”

           “Yeah. Jimin said depending on who auditions, we might expand and add a few more classes for a few different ages.”

           “That’s wonderful.” You said happily. “I told you it would happen.” Hoseok chuckled. “Well, I’ll let you go. Let me know how auditions go, okay?”

           “I will.” He said. “And tell Hyo Bin to get better soon.”

           “Will do.”

           “Mostly because as soon as she’s better, I was hoping that you and I can get dinner again.” Hearing that made another smile grace your lips. “I know it’s something we’ve been talking about for a while.”

           “Yeah. That actually sounds really nice.” You said happily. “A friend of mine has been pestering me for months to come to see him at the restaurant he works at.” Hoseok chuckled a bit.

           “That sounds perfect. We’ll start making plans once Hyo Bin is feeling better again.”

           “Alright, sounds good.” You hummed. “I should get going, though.”

           “Absolutely. I’ll let you go.” Hoseok said. “Bye~.”

           “Bye.” You hung up and set your phone back in your pocket, biting your lip at the thought of going out to dinner with Hoseok again. It had been a while since both of you had alone time with one another, and it was something you were missing. So, you were hoping that Hyo Bin would get better as soon as possible, for both your sakes.

           Hyo Bin slept soundly until you had to go get Min Ja from daycare. You felt bad that you had promised to pick her up early, but after cleaning the house and trying to get things ready, you realized that more time had passed than you wanted to. Luckily, Min Ja didn’t really seem to notice. You had sent over the pictures of the zoo, and Min Ja spent the entire day talking about her experiences petting the alpacas, seeing the bears, and even tried to tell the story about the giant snake that terrified Hoseok and Hyo Bin. She even showed her red panda stuffed animal to her friends, which you brought with you upon picking her up.

           “Everyone said they liked my pictures, Mommy.” Min Ja beamed happily as you brought her back into the house.

           “That’s great, sweetie.” You said happily. “I told you everyone would enjoy it.”

           “Is Hyo Bin feeling better?” she asked curiously, looking up to see her sleeping sister in your arms.

           “She’s doing better.” You said happily. “But she needs to take medicine. Her shot didn’t work and she got the flu.”

           “Oh…” Min Ja said softly.

           Upon entering the house, you got Hyo Bin into bed and put the TV on for Min Ja before starting on dinner. Surprisingly, when you served the simple meal to your daughters, Hyo Bin was taking the food down without issue again. You were glad to see that she was eating, and hoping that it was a sign of her quick recovery.

           The girls went to bed early that night, you gave them a quick bath and managed to read one story before the girls were out like a light. With a kiss to their foreheads and a firm tuck into bed, you headed into your room and threw on a pair of freshly cleaned pajamas.

           “God, what a day…” you mumbled, curling up in bed and putting a pillow over your face. You tried to take solace in the idea that once Hyo Bin was feeling better, you would be getting yourself ready for another dinner date with Hoseok. That made you excited, and it made you motivated. Thoughts of that day helped you relax enough to fall asleep.

           You had slept for about 3 hours, before the sound of feet rushing into your room startled you awake. Sitting up, you saw Min Ja standing at the end of your bed. Turning on the light, you saw Min Ja looked frantic, eyes wide.

           “Min Ja? What’s wrong?!” You gasped.

           “Hyo Bin is coughing super loud, Mommy…I think she’s throwing up.” Min Ja said. Almost immediately, you jumped up and hurried into the bedroom, the sound of your daughter gagging, coughing and sobbing just as she was the previous night. Upon entering the room, you saw Hyo Bin standing up in her bed, face pale as she was covering her mouth.

           “Hyo Bin.” You hummed, scooping her up in your arms. She clung to you as you led her into the bathroom, giving her a toilet to continue any throwing up she had to do. You sighed, rubbing her back as you tried to calm her down. Min Ja was once again standing by the door, peeking her little head in as she watched her sister sob into your arms. “It’s okay, baby. It’s okay. Your tummy is just not ready to eat the food right now. It’s okay.” As Hyo Bin finally calmed down, her body shaking as she coughed, you let out a deep and frustrated groan.

           The flu was a bastard of an illness, and you just wished you could take the burden of this pain from her, and get rid of it faster.

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