#weeks go by and hopefully it’ll have been long enough for the coincidences to stop and to be forgotten. but like omggggg why was the one

[pepprs]

i don’t know what the fuck is going on or why its happening to me but every SINGLE day since saturday something has come up related to [data expunged]. and it is genuinely making me crazy. idk if the universe is trying to show me a sign or plunge me into misery but i would like everyone and everything everywhere to shut up about [data expunged] effective immediately because it has made things very uncomfortable very fast and i am NOT having a good time

[thedanoriddler]

Hi omg I love ur work🥺🥺 I was wondering if u could do Edward nashton meeting his old crush from the orphanage while he is riddler accidentally? Like they both wanna kill this guy and he realises who she is 🥺🥺💕💕 thank u

Oh my god, I love this idea! I’m afraid I got a little carried away and it ended up becoming a full on fic at this point but… hopefully you’ll enjoy!

Warnings for fluff, the first parts are literally the cutest thing I’ve written 💚 also for talk of death and murder but this is Eddie/Riddler we’re talking about so 😂 I apologise in advance for any OOC nonsense, it’s been a long few weeks for me 😭

Also, there aren’t any gender terms so I suppose this is a gender neutral reader but I’ll admit that while writing it, I was imagining myself (a woman) 😅 I imagine the reader later on in the story is a little like Selina Kyle because… well, you’ll see. Hopefully it’ll make sense in the story! But the reader doesn’t have a particular gender in this story so… yep! All genders can enjoy! ❤️

********

After the death of your parents, you were of course sent to the Gotham Orphanage. It was difficult enough losing both of your parents, let alone being forced to now live in what was quite possibly the most underfunded, dirty, cold orphanage in the world. To add, the adults in charge were unsympathetic, not caring that you were grieving your lost family, and the other kids were largely no better from what you could tell. You immediately hated it there, and you wished more than ever that you could go back to how things were before - you and your parents, happy and together.

There was soon one bright spot though.

You had seen the shy boy with glasses a few times around the orphanage, usually reading or working on some kind of puzzle; he didn’t appear to have any friends, and you’d even overheard some of the other kids make fun of him, but because they were older and bigger, you hadn’t been able to step in. He seemed so unlike the other children at the orphanage, you thought, and you wondered if it might be worth speaking to him - even if you only had one friend, it was bound to be less lonely than having none. It took a few weeks before you had the right opportunity to talk to him away from anyone else and also after settling into your new “home”, but eventually the right moment came.

It had been a chilly autumn day, and you saw him sitting outside under a tree away from the other children playing - you didn’t really want to play with any of the other kids, so you decided you’d speak to the shy boy, maybe ask what he was doing. You noticed that he looked surprised when you sat down opposite him, glancing around as if expecting you to be sitting with someone else, as if you were only sitting near him as a coincidence.

“Hi,” you greeted, somewhat awkwardly. “I’m (Y/N).”

The boy blinked and didn’t speak for a long moment, and you briefly wondered if he even could speak - perhaps he was mute or something. Just as you were debating apologising for disturbing him and leaving, you heard a quiet voice.

“I’m�� I’m Edward.”

“Edward.” You repeated it, determined to remember it. “Umm… What are you reading, Edward?”

He looked down at his book and back, still perplexed that you were talking to him - it was obvious he was mostly ignored. “Oh, I’m not reading… Well, I suppose I am, but… It’s a riddle book actually.”

“Riddles? Like… Like a problem you solve?”

He couldn’t stop himself from smiling slightly to himself. “Sort of. They can be misleading or puzzling, and you have to be smart to solve them - that’s why I like them.”

“Huh. Can you try one on me?” You ask, your interest piqued.

“Oh.” He looked surprised by your question but still flipped open his book and searched for one hurriedly. “These are super easy ones, but… The less of me you have, the more one is worth; treat me with care as I will you, and both of us will share our time on earth. What am I?”

You wrinkled your nose up as your thought, which made him smile even more to himself; it took nearly a whole minute to consider what he’d said before you figured it out. “Is it… a friend?”

“Yes!” His eyes lit up behind his glasses, and you realised absentmindedly that he had green eyes. “Yes, it is a friend! You’re the only person who’s figured it out when I’ve asked them!”

For the first time since your parents had died, you felt yourself smile, almost wryly. “So… Are you asking me to be your friend?”

His mouth opened and closed very quickly. “I… umm… I…” It was clear that he was worried he’d offended you somehow. “I didn’t mean to… I mean, if- if you don’t want to be then… then that’s okay…”

You looked at this shy but intelligent boy in front of you, at his huge glasses and the way his cheeks had gone pink, and knew immediately what your answer would be. “Yes.”

“Y- Yes?” His eyes were even wider than ever, voice no louder than a disbelieving whisper.

You smiled and moved closer to him. “Yes, I want to be friends.”

****

Edward Nashton was not only your friend - he was your best friend, and you were his.

The two of you spent most of your time together, usually finding an empty room or quiet area of the orphanage to be alone in away from the other children, and you were practically inseparable. You did a lot of puzzles - not just riddles but also jigsaws, word problems, sudoku, even card games - together, and when you weren’t playing those, you’d sit and talk for hours. You’d never had a friend like Eddie, not even when your parents had been alive, and being around him made dealing with their loss so much easier.

It didn’t take long for you to trust Eddie or feel at ease with him, and you told him everything; you told him about your parents, about where you used to live, your old school, about how they died. He listened intently to everything, and you knew that he never forgot anything you told him - he was so smart, much smarter than a lot of the other kids in the city, and you knew he could memorise things easily, especially when it came to you.

You learnt that Eddie had lived at the orphanage ever since he could remember, that he could barely remember his own parents - and the small scraps that he did remember about his parents weren’t nearly as wonderful as what you knew about yours. You were understanding yet horrified when he recounted that he could remember his father hurting him and calling him “stupid”, and you told Edward that he was the smartest person you’d ever met - and it was the truth.

Neither of you were particularly liked by the other kids at the orphanage - mostly Edward was targeted by your peers, although you found that you also got teased and made fun of for standing up for him, for hanging around with him. You wouldn’t have had it any other way - Edward was your best friend, and that was that. You mostly ignored the others, knowing they weren’t worth your time.

But Edward got it much worse than you; he’d been there longer, and his intense love of puzzles and riddles singled him out. You saw the bruises on your friend from being pushed over, the way the frames of his glasses repeatedly got snapped, and even on one occasion you’d been the one who found him after the others had forced his head down a toilet. It made you so angry, so full of rage, that people could treat him like this - and that the orphanage staff did nothing to stop this. In fact, the staff didn’t even attempt to hide their dislike of Edward, ignoring the bullying even when it happened in front of them and even encouraging it at times.

You wanted nothing more than to hurt the people who hurt your best friend.

“They’re just jealous,” you told him firmly as you finished taping his glasses frame back together - thankfully, the lenses were intact still. “They’re all jealous because they know you’re ten times smarter than they ever will be, Eddie. You’re going to go on to do great things, you’re going to change this city, and they’re afraid of that - afraid of how powerful you’ll be.”

He sniffed, putting his glasses back on his face before looking at you with a hopeful stare. “You think so?”

You nodded emphatically. “I know so.”

He smiled weakly, allowing you to smooth down the collar of his shirt and help fix his hair; after a moment, he looked at you in an almost bashful way. “You… You called me Eddie.”

“Huh. I guess I did.” You met his eyes. “Is that okay? Can I call you that?”

“Absolutely,” Eddie breathed, and the way he looked at you made you feel somewhat funny inside. “I… I like you calling me that.”

“Good.” You beamed at him happily before taking his arm. “Come on, we’ve got time until the dinner bell - enough time for you to help me finish that crossword.”

****

It was official: Eddie had a crush on you, his best friend.

As you both hit adolescence, he started to realise it more and more; he had always liked you, obviously, as you were his best friend - but this was different. For a while, he’d passed off the intensity of it as just really caring about you because of your friendship, because neither of you had anyone else - you were the only good thing in his life. But as you both started to grow out of childhood, it became more and more obvious that what he was feeling wasn’t platonic at all.

It wasn’t platonic to feel a warm tingle whenever you touched his arm, he realized, nor that he had thoughts of wanting to embrace you, of holding your hand as you walked everywhere together. He noticed more and more that he was staring at your mouth and wondering what it would be like to kiss you, what you’d taste like, and even how you might react if he just kissed you randomly. Oh, and it definitely was not platonic to have dreams about you, especially not dreams that left his heart pounding and body tense.

Eddie had it bad for you, but he was scared of you finding out - scared not only that you’d reject him, but also that it would ruin your friendship completely and he’d then have no one anymore. He imagined scenarios of your possible reactions to finding out he had a crush on you, but he knew you’d never like him back, not like that - of course you wouldn’t, he thought miserably, because you were so amazing, so incredible, that why would you like him in that way?

He tucked away memories of certain moments in his mind, knowing that reliving them in his thoughts was the closest he’d ever get to actually being in a relationship with you; your beautiful eyes lighting up at the sight of him, a hand on his arm or shoulder, your laugh, the way you called him ‘Eddie’ so affectionately, how you stood up to those who bullied the two of you. It kept him going on even the worst days, and despite knowing he couldn’t tell you of his feelings, that it would most likely never happen, he was still so happy to just spend every day with you.

And then you were gone.

One day some distant relatives of yours came; they’d been overseas for the last several years and hadn’t realised your parents had died, that you’d been living in this rundown orphanage that no one in the city cared enough about to fix. You were overjoyed, not really to see them as you’d not really met them before but more so because it meant you’d get to leave this awful place, and once the staff of the orphanage were able to establish that they were indeed your relatives, you were going home with them.

It all happened very quickly; you were hurriedly made to pack your bag with the few belongings you had and rushed onwards without a backwards glance. As you approached the main door of the orphanage, however, you realised something.

“I need to say goodbye to Eddie,” You said, but when you attempted to turn around, one of the staff grabbed you by the arm and marched you forwards. “Wait, no, please, just let me say goodbye to him-!”

But none of them would listen, not even your relatives; you begged them for just five minutes so you could find your best friend, so you could give him a phone number or even an address to write to, but they refused - they wanted to get out of Gotham as soon as possible.

“He’s my best friend,” You pleaded desperately, on the verge of tears. “Please, I can’t leave without saying goodbye!”

But they merely told you that you’d make other friends in your new home, that soon enough you wouldn’t even remember this old friend of yours, and he’d probably forget you too. You cried hard as you were driven away, vowing to yourself that you’d find Eddie someday, you’d find a way to let him know where you were, that you’d see each other again one day.

Eddie had watched you disappear from the window of the boys’ room, and he’d cried; he cried because the staff hadn’t allowed him to come and say goodbye, because they’d locked him in this room so he couldn’t get out, but mostly because his heart was broken. His only friend - his best friend - was gone without so much as a goodbye, and he had no idea where you’d gone.

Why didn’t you say goodbye?, he thought, hurt by this fact: he cared so much about you, and he had hoped that you cared about him too, even if it was only as a friend. It was like you didn’t care about him, that it was all a lie - and it was like a knife to the gut.

As the days turned to weeks, and then to months and years, he waited for any sign that you cared about him, for a letter or some kind of communication. But nothing ever came. It was like you’d forgotten all about him.

He never forgot you though - never.

****

After your relatives died many years later, you used the money they had left you to return to Gotham; it was even more awful than you remembered due to the crime rate skyrocketing, and it was clear that the streets were run by criminals - and no one did a thing about it.

You went back to the orphanage, hoping to find some information on your old best friend - to find out what happened to him, to track him down - but it was abandoned save for a few dropheads hiding out there. There were no records left, no hints as to your old friend’s current whereabouts, and you found yourself crying when you got back to your new apartment in Gotham because you had no idea how you’d find him, no idea if he was even still in the city or where he might have gone.

Gotham was a big city - even if he was still there, your chances at finding him were slim. He had no social media that you could find, no records… you wondered if he was even alive anymore. You remembered how every winter, at least one of the babies had died in the orphanage, and the older kids soon became dropheads… what if that had happened to your Eddie? You couldn’t bear the thought of it.

You were so angry - so ridiculously, undeniably angry - at what that place had done to you and Eddie, what might have happened to him after you had been taken away. And as you spent longer and longer back in Gotham, this anger began to rise: you were realizing more than ever that the people who ran this city were corrupt, that they were in fact the same people responsible for the miserable childhood you and your best friend had endured. Just as during your childhood, no one did anything to help in this city - everyone just let it happen. The closest anyone had to justice was a damn masked vigilante running around dressed like a bat, and that wasn’t really helping much in terms of changing the overall corruption of the city.

Someone needed to do something - and if that had to be you, then so be it.

****

No one knew who the Riddler was - exactly how he wanted it.

Edward Nashton had built this persona carefully, had spent months plotting and planning things before they were put into motion. He had made sure everything was perfect: the coat one of his favourite shades of dark green, the mask hid everything but his eyes, it was comfortable and not too loose whilst allowing him to wear his glasses. There was no chance of leaving any of his DNA behind; his gloves were thick but didn’t leave fibres behind, he knew how to meticulously wrap his head in clingwrap before donning his mask so that there was no chance of hairs being left behind. Every inch of him was covered, even his mouth, and it would be impossible for the GCPD or anyone else to link The Riddler back to Edward Nashton, a forensic accountant. No one would suspect him, no one would know until he chose to reveal it.

But for now he had things that needed doing; the first step of his great plan was to murder the mayor, Don Mitchell Jr, on Halloween night. The death of the city mayor would change everything, and he almost couldn’t wait - but he had to, for he had something he needed to do first.

The director of the old Gotham Orphanage where he’d grown up was in his late fifties now, living comfortably on the outskirts of the city. Edward had done his research: the man had no family and lived alone - he was almost too easy a target. He was not a high profile figure, not like the mayor or the others who would form a part of his plan to bring to truth to the light - it was a personal matter, something he had to do for himself.

The director had been the one who punished him, who never stopped the bullying and abuse inflicted by the other children and staff - but worst of all, he was the one who had signed the documents that took his best friend away, the one who sneered as he refused to give any information or allow him to write a letter.

Perhaps it was selfish - he was doing this purely for himself and not for the city - but he didn’t care. No one could blame him for wanting to kill this man, and no one would miss him.

It was easy to sneak into the old director’s small apartment on the outside of the city; the man had left a window open before going out for dinner, and Edward had to try not to smirk under his mask as he used the fire escape to climb up and slip inside. Now all he had to do was wait.

The plan was simple: he would wait for the ex-director to return, hidden away behind the bedroom door, and then strike when the moment was right. He knew where exactly to strike the skull, how to stage it to look like he’d just fallen and never gotten up. No one would investigate further than what was immediately obvious - the GCPD weren’t clever enough for that, and wouldn’t want to put the work in for someone so meaningless.

As he entered the bedroom to wait, however, it became immediately clear that he wasn’t alone.

He deflected the blow that came his way easily despite his surprise, reaching for the bludgeon he had on his belt; the figure who had attacked him was reeling back, planning their next attack, and he noticed that they were smaller, their face covered by a balaclava, dressed completely in black. He hadn’t planned for an additional person - this was certainly not his target, and the fact they were masked made it obvious that they, like him, certainly weren’t supposed to be there either.

The figure launched again, and Edward grabbed them by the arm; they were either sloppy in their fighting or taken just as aback as he was by his appearance. He hadn’t been planning on killing a second person tonight, but if he had to then he would - it would be sloppy not to. The stranger huffed, trying to break free, and he pulled them closer so that he could manoeuvre them with both of his hands. The eyes behind the mask flashed and-

And he felt his breath catch. He knew those eyes: he’d thought about them every day and night since he was a child.

It couldn’t be.

He let go, and the stranger moved away, panting harshly. “Jesus Christ, what the fuck, dude???”

The voice was familiar - not quite the same, it was slightly older but he recognised the tone, the accent, the way this person spoke. He had never forgotten your voice - he had never forgotten anything about you, even years later.

“Listen, I’m here for someone in particular, I don’t want to hurt anyone else, so if you could just-”

“(Y/N)?” His voice was soft and muffled by the mask.

You stopped speaking, surprised that this person knew your name; you hadn’t really met anyone upon returning to Gotham, keeping to yourself, and even so, you’d thought your mask would provide you anonymity. “Do I know you?”

Now that you weren’t actively fighting this person, you got a good look at them; it was a man, judging by the stature and voice, and he was dressed in a green trench coat with a white question mark painted on the left side. The mask covered their whole face, but you realised now that they were wearing a pair of glasses.

With a jolt, you remembered that Eddie had worn glasses like that. But it couldn’t be him, it couldn’t possibly…

You hesitated for a moment before reaching up and removing your mask; the eyes behind the glasses widened in recognition, and you realised those eyes were green - just like his, the exact same shade.

“Eddie?” You murmured, heart pounding.

For a moment, the masked figure didn’t say anything - and then, slowly, he removed his glasses before reaching up and pulling his mask off.

He had grown up, just as you had, but you knew: this was Eddie, your Eddie. Even though he’d wrapped his head in something, even though his face was older than that of the teenage boy you’d loved, even though it had been years, you knew it was him.

“I…” You felt your throat close up. “Eddie.”

“(Y/N)…” He looked thunderstruck at the sight of you as he replaced the glasses onto his face. “I… Hi.”

Before you could stop yourself, you were throwing your arms around him whilst trying to hold your tears back. “Fuck, Eddie, I’ve been trying to find you! I thought…” You sniffed. “I missed you.”

He was surprised by this, but you felt a tentative hand on your back as he relaxed slightly. “I missed you too.”

You pulled away to look at him, a flurry of emotions running through you; you couldn’t believe it, that after all this time, after all the pain and heart ache of being separated from him, you’d found him when you weren’t even expecting it. Now you were looking at him properly, you could see that this was without a doubt your best friend - there was no mistaking it.

“What are you doing here?” You questioned, head still spinning. “And… why are you dressed like that?”

Eddie opened his mouth and closed it again, not certain on how to answer. “Oh. I’m… well… this is what I do,” He said carefully. “I was… waiting for someone.”

“Oh.”

“And why are you here? And dressed like that?” He asked, rather perplexed.

You hesitated for the second time that evening, not sure of how much to tell him - you didn’t think he would go to the police or turn you in, but you were completely sure of how he’d react to the truth. But then, you thought as you looked at how he was dressed, perhaps he understood more than you thought. “For the same reason as you, I think; I’m here for him.”

You could tell by the way his eyes lit up with understanding that you were right. “We’re both after the same person - to make him pay.”

There were a lot of things the two of you needed to discuss - you hadn’t seen each other for roughly a decade and a half, after all - but you were both aware of where you were, and that you didn’t have time to have that conversation here. Instead, you toyed with your mask before sending the man in front of you a meaningful look.

“How about,” You began slowly. “We work together and take care of this guy, and then maybe we can catch up later?”

Eddie considered this for a moment before slowly nodding and preparing to put his own mask back on. “I think that’s a good plan.”

As it turned out, it was so much easier to do with two.

****

Crap ending be crap lol

May write a follow up to this where they talk and he confesses his feelings, who knows? 😉

[im-frickin-trying-okay]

Hey there, i have maybe an odd fic request for you, or just headcanon if it doesn't grab you that much.

Y/N is a witch/wiccan and offers too help shoto with his hand crusher curse, but after an intimate little ritual he thinks they/she accidentally cast a love spell on him or maybe the spell backfired. Turns out he just has a crush and is being a big dork about it.

Sorry this took so long! It might not be the most accurate, but hopefully it turned out okay. Also, I sorta mixed it with a coffee shop au but that's more as a tool than a plot point lol

Hand Crusher's Crush

I hope I did this justice :) I feel like I'm a bit better at descriptions than dialogue. Also, I did a bunch of research, but if anything's super inaccurate, please let me know!

A knock on your door caught your attention. You didn't tend to get visitors, as sometimes the world felt too 'peopley' for your taste. It's not like you weren't open to them, you just didn't have a lot of friends. Opening the door, you found yourself face-to-face with a striking young man. His hair fell slightly over his eyes, with red and white split down the middle.

"Um, hello," you said, not sure about this curious stranger. He cleared his throat quietly.

"Hello. I'm Shoto from UA," he said. He seemed quite serious, but it came across as a bit awkward. "Shoto Todoroki," he added. "I heard you have a special kind of healing quirk."

"Well, technically no, but I like to think I do," you reply simply. Your quirk is called Vibes. You can visualize, manipulate, and use certain energies. Once you got control of it, and did a little research on how to collect the intentions and energies, you changed your lifestyle. "Are you hurt or sick?"

"Well, no, it's not that I'm hurt. It's that I... I hurt people," he said, remorse bleeding into his voice. He glanced down at his hands, before looking back up at you. "I don't want to hurt people anymore."

For a split second, you wondered if there was some sort of killer at your doorstep, but instead of turning him away, you gave him the benefit of the doubt. "Hurt people, how?"

"Whenever I'm around, people hurt their hands," he said, completely serious, and a bit regretful. "It's like I'm the hand crusher or something." You blinked at him. Hand crusher? Well, at least he's not a serial killer. "I think I'm cursed, and I heard that maybe you could help with that."

"Ohh, a curse, huh? Well, I suppose I could try," you said, opening the door a bit wider.

He walked in, and was immediately hit with the scent of lemons. Looking around your living room, he noticed some things that he wasn't quite familiar with. He narrowly avoided the small black tourmaline towers on either side of the door, and felt his gaze land on the shadowy shelf on which there were three different jars of water. His eyes were drawn in all different directions by all the different things. Crystals on the shelves, tiny jars by the windows, and enough candles to set the house on fire.

"So," you said, gesturing around. "Uh, welcome, I guess. Come on over here." You gestured over to a small table with a few chairs around it. He sat down across from you, not seeming sure of what to do. "Let's start off easy. Who's hands have you been crushing?"

He sighed at the question. "A couple of my classmates', at least. I'm not sure if I've hurt anyone else." He took a bit to explain the situations, and how as far as he could tell, he was the only thing that tied the events together. It sounded a little bit like a coincidence, but then again, it was probably possible, right? And he would know better than you about what happened.

"Well, okay. I can probably help you," you said, still pondering over the stories he'd just told. "How good are you at cracking eggs?"

After an egg test, you found that he wasn't cursed per say, but there was definitely a lot of negativity surrounding him, and it was definitely weighing on him.

"Well... I'm not sure if it has to do with the crushing-of-hands, but there's some stuff I can help with," you said simply. He nodded, fully trusting.

You walked across the room and grabbed a few things. Selenite, rosemary... You counted off the things you needed in your head, before going back to your seat. You explained your plan to him. Cleanse and banish negative energy, and you'd be giving him a selenite crystal. It wasn't a problem, since you already had a lot.

"Will the crystal help stop me from hurting people?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"It's possible," you said simply. "If someone decided to punch a wall while you were in the room, their hand would be crushed, but it's not your fault."

"But wouldn't I have-?"

"Hey, hey, listen," you said gently, putting your hand over his. You could feel his doubt, but you wanted to reassure him. "It wouldn't be your fault. If it still feels that way, maybe try not to identify as The Hand-Crusher. That might be part of why these things occur so often." He frowned slightly, before nodding. He came to you for help, so it wouldn't be right of him to turn it down. "The crystal will basically just help keep your energy clear."

"My... Energy," he repeated, trying to remember if the first hand-crushing incident happened before or after Kaminari convinced him to try a Monster. "Is it bad?" he asked nervously.

"It's not bad, it's more of the things crowding around and onto it." After attempting to explain it, and getting a confirmation of his understanding, you began.

Rosemary smoke began to fill the room, but because of your quirk, it didn't look like smoke. Instead, a soft white light flowed through the space. Shoto watched in what seemed like awe as the room began to glow. Placing the rosemary bundle in a bowl, you continued on.

You clapped your hands, and golden sparks shimmered around them. Shooting your hands up, the sparks flew, before landing in a circle around you, like a dome of glitter. Shoto couldn't seem to pick where he wanted to look. The room seemed completely different now.

What would've normally been a smoky room and a bunch of stones turned into a beautiful light show, a light filled world with the two of you at its core. Something about the way his eyes sparkled made you feel a vague satisfaction. It made you glad to know that he wasn't bored or anything of that sort. He didn't seem to be a very smiley person, but he was clearly enjoying this.

Once all was said and done, and the lights began to fade, his eyes remained trained on you. "How was that?" You asked. "How're you feeling?"

He blinked out of his reverie. "Actually, much better," he said, seemingly surprised. "Thank you," he added.

"Happy to help," you replied, completely genuine.

"How could I repay you?" He asked, already reaching for whatever was in his pocket. It didn't take a genius to figure out he intended to use money, and really, you were financially comfortable. Your YouTube channel was decent, and considering that working at a coffee shop meant constantly being around coffee and tea, you didn't mind it. Besides, you didn't feel like you did as much as you probably did.

"Oh, no no," you said. "It's okay. You can repay me by trying to tune out negative people in your life," you said matter-of-factly. "It'll probably help delay any bad-vibes buildup." He hummed, nodding, but it wasn't hard to tell that he already had his mind on a specific someone.

"I know who I need to keep away from."

• • •

Over the next few weeks, Shoto was aware of the way that his mood had been lifted. He hadn't realized that he was feeling bad until he started feeling better. He was also vaguely aware that Midoriya hadn't broken his arms recently. It really worked! He felt glad that the curse was gone, as long as whatever else may have been wrong.

Then it began. He would occasionally think of you, think of what happened, and look back with a feeling of gratitude. When he held the selenite and felt his mood and thoughts balance out, he thought back to when you gave it to him. He couldn't help but think that you truly were magic.

After a while though, he noticed something changing. He'd look back on the same events, but instead of gratitude, he felt nothing but longing. He wanted to see the way the room lit up, he wanted to see your face, he wanted to hear your voice, he wanted you to hold his hand again... These new thoughts were more frequent, and you were always on his mind now! You were stuck in his head, and now he found himself missing this perfect stranger, always wishing to be in your presence. At first he couldn't identify these feelings, but then... Oh no.

You must've accidentally hit him with a love spell or something! He'd only seen you once, so that had to be the explanation, right? He'd have to go to you so you could fix it! Or was that the spell talking? Could it just be that he wanted to see you again? Maybe he just wanted to hear your explanations, to see the way you smiled if he said something that sounded like a joke but really wasn't, to see the way that your eyes lit up when you used your quirk, and oh, those eyes- No, bad Shoto, focus.

Things were complicated to say the least. It actually made him happy to think about you, and considering that the crystal didn't do anything to take away the feelings, he wasn't overly worried about the love spell's effects. However, over time, he realized how problematic it could be. Spacing out in the middle of an English lesson just to think of you was probably the most common reoccurrence. It wasn't like he didn't know the topic, but it was confusing to be asked a question and not even know what was being discussed.

He wasn't used to losing focus like this. Occasionally it would happen, but everyone's mind wanders. This felt different. You'd populate his mind, even narrate his thoughts, and he wasn't sure how to prevent it.

He had to put a stop to this. He tucked the selenite into his jacket pocket, and went to go get some tea. Yes, tea. Contrary to popular belief, he could still enjoy the stuff. Right now, he just wanted to pick some up before going to see you. Hopefully it would help get his thoughts in order, and calm him down. He walked into the shop and stared at the ceiling for a good thirty seconds before getting in line. He pondered if he should go talk to you directly about the love spell. Should he imply it? Did he want to fix it? It was hard to tell. He didn't dislike it, but the things that it caused weren't the best. He thought this over until he got to the front of the line.

"Hello, welcome to- Shoto?" came a familiar voice. His gaze snapped up to meet yours, and his heart jumped into his throat. The incessant fluttering in his stomach and chest made it hard to string words into a sentence. "Wow! Didn't expect to see you here," you said, pleasantly surprised.

"Hello," he blurted out, a mix of embarrassment and confusion swirling around in his head. He tried to come up with something more articulate, but was suddenly drawing a sudden blank. "Spell worked," he said, before immediately feeling like that was an understatement.

"Oh, well that's good," you said with a smile. You glanced up at the clock. "I'm off in like, 20 minutes if you wanna talk, but for now, how can I help you?" you asked. He blinked, before firing off the order he only remembered because he'd said several times before.

A bit later, he sat at his own table, a small one in the corner, and thought. He thought about how his mind was clouded with everything about you. He thought about how he finally got to see you after so long. He thought about how he'd only seen you once before. He thought about this love spell, and how he didn't exactly dislike it. He thought about how you might react when he told you. He thought about how it would be better to go into this slowly, and how- "Shoto!"

He popped his head up, before running over to grab his drink. He forced an awkward smile, which kinda looked like a grimace, before heading back to his seat, lost in thought once again. He didn't want to scare you off, of course, but did he even know you well enough to bring up this topic? He could say that he loved you right then and there, but he didn't even know your birthday! He barely noticed the time passing until you sat in the chair across from him.

"Hey," you said, smiling. "So, how've you been?" you asked. His mind went completely blank and he had no memory of what language it was that he spoke. His heart pounded in his ears. I can't do this, not yet- Idiot, that's what you're here for! Well, that and tea. Dammit- Say something! Once he wrangled his thoughts together, he tried his best to respond.

"I-I've been good. Well? Well. Grammar. Um, how about you?" he managed, the tips of his ears already bright red. He was embarrassed by the lack of his usual composure.

"I've been decent," you replied shrugging. "Thinking about you," you added. He choked on his drink, his face turning bright red.

"What?" he asked, trying not to seem flustered. This spell was getting troublesome.

"Y'know, just how you've been doing and stuff. So, you said that the stuff we did worked?" you asked. He nodded. "That's great!"

"Y-yeah," he said, frowning slightly. "Question. Er, is it possible for me to lo- No, is it possible to accidentally cast a love spell?" His heart was pounding.

"What? Not that I'm aware of, no. Why, did something happen?" you asked, slightly confused. Those things have to be intentional, don't they?

"Ah. Can they be a result of a spell backfiring?" Shoto asked, trying to think of what else could've caused it.

"I mean, I guess that would probably depend on the spell, but even then, I don't think so," you said, now a bit concerned. "Are you alright?"

"Me?" he asked incredulously. "Of course I'm alright," he said. If a spell didn't cause this, then what did? He tried to run through the possibilities. Should he tell?

"Hey, look at me," you said. He did as you said, meeting your eyes. "If you think something happened, you can tell me."

"Oh, no," he said, shaking his head. "I'm fine." The warm and fluttery feeling didn't give him time to think before he said his next words. "I just thought it might be a spell, since I'm falling in love as we speak."

About five seconds of complete silence followed. In those five seconds, a lot happened. Shoto could've sworn his heart stopped, but the blood rushing to his face proved otherwise. You seemed to be in a state of shock, not able to respond. Your heart thudded in a he's cute, yeah, but how did this even happen kind of way.

"I'm sorry," he blurted out.

"Are you for real?" you asked at the same time. Your head was spinning. What's happening right now?!

"What? I'm right in front of you," he said. When you laughed, he took a moment to reconsider. "Ah, right. Well, yes, I am, but I didn't mean to say it like that." The nervous buzzing in his head was one of the strongest emotions he'd felt in the past who-knows-how-long. "I thought it might be a spell or side-effect, since I don't know you all that well."

Holy shit, he's completely serious.

The situation would've been concerning if it weren't so funny. You found yourself laughing, and trying desperately not to in order to not hurt his feelings, but oh my gods, he really thought this was a spell?! He seemed bewildered, and that just made it funnier.

"I'm- I'm sorry," you said, gasping for air, "You thought I cast a love spell?"

"Unintentionally," he added, as if that made it better. "I don't think you would have done that without telling me first." His face was still red, but he seemed calmer.

"Well- You're- you're right about that part," you managed through the laughter. "I can confirm for you that I didn't cast a love spell," you said, just barely able to sound calm.

"I see," he said, not meeting your eyes. The second-hand embarrassment was a lot. He stayed quiet, not sure what to say.

"Shoto?" you called, once you managed to calm down.

"Hm?" came his wordless reply, his mind clearly somewhere else.

"That was adorable," you said, simply stating your thoughts out loud. He's so painfully genuine all the time that it's hard to not to think so.

"Wh-what?" he said, as light embers flew from his red hair. Or rather, the red part of his hair.

"I mean, it was!" you said, before suddenly backtracking. "Not in a weird way, it just is, y'know?"

After stumbling through awkward conversation for three minutes or so, Shoto asked a question. The question almost killed you.

"If I'm not under a love spell, then what is this?" he asked. You choked, really not understanding how you'd have to explain this.

"You... Is it possible that the, er, feelings developed naturally?" You asked, trying to phrase it as professionally as possible.

"Don't you have to know someone for a long time for that?" he asked in response.

"N-not necessarily," you said, trying to decipher if he was still being serious. "One interaction can be enough, and as of now, we've had two," you added. He seemed thoughtful for a moment.

"Alright, then I suppose that makes sense," he said, nodding. After a beat of silence, you laughed.

"Well. Uh. If your concern was too few interactions, we could always just talk more, if you want," you offered, head still swirling with the awkwardness of all this.

"I'd like that," he replied, the blush never leaving.

• • •

It had been five months now, and Shoto could now say for absolute sure that there was no love spell involved. The two of you were much closer, and he liked getting to call himself your boyfriend. He enjoyed getting to know you, and was surprised at how much better he knew himself. He was still a dork, and still a bit fast to jump to conclusions, but that's just who he is. However, you did help him change, and it was in the best way possible. You showed him how to change his definition of love into something healthy, and he couldn't be more grateful.

From the day you met, you lit up his life in more ways than one.

Could anyone blame him for loving you?

[liberty-barnes]

Letters To A Stranger

Peter Parker x Female!Reader

Summary: The story of a girl who loved a boy, but couldn't talk, so she wrote.

Warnings: fluff for a bit, but then massive angst, and i mean massive, STOP READING HERE IF YOU DON'T WANT ANY SPOILERS BUT I WOULDN'T FEEL OKAY WITHOUT LISTING ALL THE ANGST FACTORS 

(mentions of ED, mentions of self-harm, implied character death, mentions of social anxiety)

Word Count: 1.3k words

Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes

A/N: did you miss me?

Masterlist 

February 21st, 2024

Dear Cute Boy On The Subway, 

Are you new? Or was I simply too oblivious to your presence until now? I've never seen you before, you're really pretty.

 I don't think I've ever used the word "pretty" to describe a man before. Well, boy, but my point stands.

But you really are. With your caramel eyes, and artistically tousled hair. You're cute. Kind of like a puppy. Not that I'm attracted to dogs, of course, but there's really no better way to describe you. Your face lights up when you talk on the phone, like an excited golden retriever who'd just been told he was going for a walk. I wonder who you're talking to. Is it your partner? Please, say you're single.

You get off after me apparently, so I guess I'll just keep my pining to my letters and hope to see you again tomorrow.

Kinda wishing I was yours,

Your secret admirer.

February 22nd, 2024

Dear Cute Boy On The Subway, 

You're back! Is this a simple coincidence or are you a regular? 

From the backpack on your shoulder, I'd say maybe you're a student. I don't go to school. You make me wish I did if only to see your face every day for more than the short ten minutes of our joint ride.

I wonder how old you are. You look old enough to be in high school, but which year are you? I know I'm only nineteen, but I'd feel a little bummed about crushing on a fourteen-year-old.

You're smiling again today. I'm glad. I don't see a lot of smiles at the diner. Mostly glares, impatient huffs, and tired, distant expressions. It's a nice change.

I have to go now but thank you for making my day.

Hoping to see you again tomorrow, 

Your secret admirer.

February 23rd, 2024

Dear Cute Boy On The Subway, 

I'm starting to think that smile is permanent. It's the third day in a row that I've gotten on the train and was immediately greeted with your beaming smile as you watched some video on your phone. It made me smile too.

Your sweatshirt's pretty. It says "Midtown Tech" on it. Is that a school? Is it your school? 

I may have to do some digging later.

Please don't think I'm a stalker.

Your totally not-stalker secret admirer.

March 1st, 2024

Dear Cute Boy On The Subway, 

I was late this morning so I didn't get to see you. My boss was not happy about it, I felt like I was walking on very thin ice.

And then this guy grabbed my ass while I was taking his order. I acted on instinct, tried to remember everything they taught me at my self-defense class. I ended up accidentally punching him in the face. 

So yeah, I lost my job today. Which is why I'm here so early. I might stay on the subway just to see which stop you get off on. 

Yeah, maybe not, that'd be weird and I should start job hunting as soon as possible.

Thank you for making me smile on a bad day.

Thank you for being you,

Your secret admirer.

March 17th, 2024

Dear Cute Boy On The Subway, 

I got a new job! I'm working at this coffee shop/bookstore and it's honestly the greatest thing in the world. I get to be around books AND get free hot chocolate, how much better can life be?

You looked a little down today, I wonder if you're okay? Is everything well at home? Maybe school's the problem? Maybe you got a bad grade, but you look really smart so I don't know.

I hope you're feeling better tomorrow,

Your secret admirer.

March 19th, 2024

Dear Cute Boy On The Subway, 

I wish I knew your name, that way I'd know who to address this to. But I guess Cute Boy On The Subway will have to do. 

You were smiling again today, that's nice. I haven't seen you smile in a while, I was starting to get worried. The sweater you were wearing looked a little too big to be yours, the collar slipped down a little when you moved. It looks like there's a massive bruise on your upper chest. Does it hurt? Are you okay?

I wish I was brave enough to ask you in person.

Get better soon, 

Your secret admirer.

March 25th, 2024

Dear Cute Boy On The Subway, 

You're back to not smiling today. I don't like to see you frown. Not at all. I want you to tell me what's wrong. I want to help you get better, see you smile again.

I want to talk to you.

I'll do it tomorrow, 

Your secret admirer.

March 26th, 2024

Dear Cute Boy On The Subway, 

You were sad again today. But that's okay, cause I said I'd talk to you. 

Except I didn't.

My stomach started doing uncomfortable flips and I had to get off the train earlier than usual so I could throw up. It was not fun. 

Maybe I just have the flu?

Hopefully, I'll be better tomorrow,

Your secret admirer.

March 30th, 2024

Dear Cute Boy On The Subway, 

I've tried talking to you for three days, every time I had to get off and empty my stomach's content. I started to see a pattern so after a half week of that vicious cycle, I went to see my doctor.

Turns out I have social anxiety tendencies and you simply trigger them a bit. So, basically, my body won't let me talk to you.

I'm a little sad but also kind of relieved. At least I know I'm not voluntarily letting you slip through my fingers.

Not that I ever plan on doing that, you've become too important.

I hope you smile tomorrow,

Your secret admirer.

April 7th, 2024

Dear Cute Boy On The Subway, 

I'm worried about you. Your sleeve rose a little when you held onto the pole. There are scars there, familiar ones, ones that I recognize as scars left by one's own hand. Physical marks of a person's suffering.

Why are you doing that? It hurts to know that you feel down enough to resort to that. I want to help, but I can't bring myself to talk to you.

Please stop this,

Your secret admirer.

April 12th, 2024

Dear Cute Boy On The Subway, 

Your eyes were red today. You've been crying. There are dark circles under your eyes, how long has it been since you've last slept?

A lady asked you if you were alright. You said you were just a little tired. I've never heard a more obvious lie.

I wish I could talk to you,

Your secret admirer.

April 16th, 2024

Dear Cute Boy On The Subway, 

The dark circles haven't gone away, if anything they've gotten darker. But now there's a bruise on your cheek. You seem to be getting thinner too.

What's going on?

Your secret admirer.

April 28th, 2024

Dear Cute Boy On The Subway, 

How much weight have you lost? Your cheekbones are more prominent, and your arms are getting thinner by the second. Why don't you eat? 

The bruises are more frequent now. Cheek, eyebrow, lip... 

Who's hitting you?

Who's making you suffer?

Your secret admirer.

May 6th, 2024

Dear Cute Boy On The Subway, 

I haven't seen you in a few days. I wonder where you are.

Are you okay?

I'm sorry, that's a stupid question, you probably aren't.

I've decided that next time I see you I'm gonna talk to you. Ask you what's wrong. Force you to tell me if that's what it takes.

I hope you're safe.

Your secret admirer.

May 27th, 2024

Dear Peter Parker, 

I'm sorry I wasn't brave enough to talk to you when I had the chance.

I hope you're in a better place now.

I'm sorry you were alone when you did it.

I'm sorry you had to do it.

With love,

(Y/n).

yes, i'm one of those authors that post something an then disappears for two months, i'm sorry. i've been super busy with school and i haven't really had the motivation to write lately but i got this idea and i just needed to get it out.

also, i may be getting a new computer in like 1 or 2 weeks, so that's cool! it'll be better to write and stuff cause this one's getting kinda slow and sometimes it's hard to post stuff cause it won't load lmao.

anyway, i hope you liked it and if you did don’t forget to reblog/comment/like

love you all!

-Miah

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────» 

Taglists: (if your name is striked through it means for some reason tumblr wouldn’t let me tag you) 

PERMA TAG 

@jeezkiddo​ @officiallyunofficialperson​  @beananacake​ @theunderlier @harrysleftchelseaboot​ @averyfosterthoughts​ @onebigolemess​ @samoney69​ @agirlwithpointlessideas​ @ddaawwssoonn​ @inhumanwithpowers​ @imagineshere-forall​ @stiles-banshees​ @orowit​ @spideynut​ @deathofmissjackson​ @parkersbliss​ @ephemeral-limerences​ @write-from-the-heart​ @cardboard-ben​ @my-alignment-is-bisexual @mendes-marvel​ @timotayswriter​ @inthecornerchair​ @lovelynerdytraveler​ @niallssweetheart22​ @incorrect-things​ @lost-in-the-stars03​ @harishaanne​ @ellamw04 @bisexual-disappointment​ @onelovesr​ @ellyseveronica​ @sovereignparker​ @notsosmexy​ @theamazingtomholland​ @lozzypoz321​ @peterspideyy​

PETER PARKER TAG 

@dreaming-lia @markleehee​ @juliebean247​ @quechulitaaa​ @bubblegumbarnes​ @sofiaconlaz​ @bellaaa321-blog​ @parkerpetertingle​ @emily-louise-hynes @clara-licht​ @ekelly2015​ @inlovewithmobtom​ @quaksonhehe​ @danicarosaline​ @tutuabby28​ @sovereignparker​ @spn67-sister​ @t-monosapiens-h @kayleypaige2233​ @galaxystern08​ @highlydisfunctional1​ @jillanaholland​ @zeusmyster​ @sirtommyholland​ @a-singleboat​ @allthisfortommy​ @middevil456 @kdotcxz​ @drishtisikarwar 

MARVEL TAG 

@dreaming-lia @emily-louise-hynes @arts-ismything​ @peachyafshawn​ @cathwritestragediesnotsins​ @spn67-sister​ @t-monosapiens-h @galaxystern08​ @highlydisfunctional1​ @jillanaholland​ @hyluas @ravenagrimes @captainbuckyy​ @kaylig02​ @crazyassbitch-things-blog @sharenaloveyouX @tacobacoyeet​ @andycanbeemotional​ @angelicromanoff 

[tl-notes]

Kobayashi’s Maid Dragon S2 Episode 5 Notes

Better late than never! Hopefully I’ll catch up with these before next week’s episode hits.

私は、種族全体の目的よりも自分がやりたいことをやっているエルマに、興味がありました。

当時の私、そんな感じでしたし。

What Tohru is saying in these shots is a little different in the Japanese:

“I had an interest in Elma, who was doing what she wanted to do instead of advancing the goals of the species [her faction]. Since that’s how I was at the time, too.”

That is, for the first sentence, Tohru is saying Elma wasn’t interested in the broader dragon goals, not Tohru herself.

Then in the second sentence, instead of a wishy washy “I think that’s how it was?” Tohru says that she was like that too, hence her interest.

So it goes from like:

 “I was interested more in Elma than in faction goals, because she was acting freely. I think, anyway.” 

to more of a:

“I was interested in Elma because she was acting freely, not bound by faction goals. That’s what I was like too, after all.”

Not sure if it really counts as a translation note, but since I had some questions about it, here’s a few words on the Tohru/Elma disagreement scene.

Tohru thought Elma was like herself: acting not according to what dragon (or human) society asked of them, but according to their own personal set of values. Elma, by allowing herself to be placed in the position of “god” by the humans, had changed that; she locked herself into permanently being a (large, important) cog in the human society. From Tohru’s perspective, she’d lost the one person she felt kindred with, her fellow “free actor.” She doesn’t particularly care what happens to the humans, hence the 私が言いたいことはそういう話ではない (“That’s not what I’m trying to talk about”) when Elma says she’ll just stop the wars from happening: that’s all well and good, but it doesn’t solve Tohru’s issue.

Hence Kobayashi’s response: both grand (involved the fate of nations), and petty (Elma got “trapped” by food, and Tohru’s initiation of the fight was for personal reasons).

喧嘩するほど仲がいい kenka suru hodo, naka ga ii

This is one of those sayings that is often a giant pain in the butt to translate, because it’s not an odd concept in English, but for whatever reason* there is no common pithy saying for it like there is in Japanese, so it’ll almost come off less smoothly. 

The idea is that, in order to “have a fight” with someone, you have to already have an established relationship that’s at a certain level of closeness.

Two strangers? Why would you even have a reason to fight, who cares. Two acquaintances? Why deal with it, just smile and nod and go on with your day. Two close friends though? You probably care enough to want to convince them of whatever it is, and/or you don’t want to have to hide your real thoughts/feelings around them like you might around, say, just random coworkers or something—meaning more chances for friction.

*My theory on this is that it comes from the same place as the “wow Japanese people are so polite” stereotype and stuff like honne/tatemae as discussed in a previous episode’s notes: in a situation where two strangers/acquaintances might get into a shouting match in the US, in Japan there’s a comparatively higher chance they just tatemae it up to prevent direct conflict and end the situation early—hence less likely to “have a fight” per se. As always this stuff is just on a continuum though.

What do you call these “clouds” left by planes as they fly? In Japanese, they’re called 飛行機雲 hikoukigumo, lit. “airplane clouds.” And they’re not a season word! 

Officially, anyway. 

However, they are heavily associated with summer, to the point where you if you google around to find out if they are a haiku season word, there are a whole bunch of sites to tell you no, they’re not, stop asking. That doesn’t mean they’re not a great way to tell the audience it’s summer anyway, though! 

If you’re curious as to why the summer association: how long vapor trails like this remain visible depends heavily on how humid the air is. More humidity, longer trails. And Japan has very humid summers (and very dry winters!).

If you’ve heard the song Tori no Uta, the OP to Air (also animated by Kyoani), hikoukigumo is the very second word in the lyrics—no coincidence given the heavy summer theming! If you haven’t heard it, I suggest giving it a try.

“Candy shop” here is 駄菓子屋 dagashi-ya, which is a kind of store that specializes in very cheap varieties of “candy” (maybe more accurately snack foods?): dagashi. If you’re seen/read any of the series Dagashi Kashi, you’re familiar with this variety of snack. 

Dagashi is so called because, back in the Edo period, quality white sugar was super expensive and not something commoners could typically eat. Cheaper brown sugar was, though, so you ended up with different terms for stuff made from each: the expensive 上菓子 jougashi and the cheap 駄菓子 dagashi. 

Later, in the Showa period after WW2 when the average person was able to afford a bit more, the term stuck around but more generalized, referring to a wide variety of cheap snacks. These snacks are not necessarily always sugary, and they often have some sort of gimmick so it wasn’t “just” a piece of candy—toys attached, or games/puzzles, or requiring some interesting way to eat/drink them. If you grew up with Dunkaroos: that kinda thing.

Similar to “penny candy,” dagashi was/is cheap enough for children to afford several different varieties of with just a bit of change from their parents, and small stores specializing in them—dagashi-ya—sprung up all over the country, quickly becoming a popular spot for kids… and, not too long after, a symbol of childhood nostalgia. 

They’ve been on a big downtrend in the last few decades however. The spread of convenience stores as a competitor for snack buying is often cited as one reason, while a greater variety of ways for kids to spend their playtime now (video games etc.) is another.

You’re probably aware, but of the many reasons to bow in Japan, to show humility when making a request is a big one. 

Of note here is that Tohru doesn’t push Ilulu’s head down, which other characters in other shows might have done here, but just lightly reminds her: yeah okay you’re a dragon talking to a human, but you’re the one asking—act like it. She does, and her sincerity is rewarded.

The word here is ぱねぇ panee, which is a heavily abbreviated form of 半端(では/じゃ)ない hanpa nai, ~lit. “not halfway/half-done/half-assed.” 

hanpa ja nai→hanpa nai→hanpa nee→panee

It’s used probably how you’d expect: describing something intense af.

(I’m mostly just bringing it up because I love super-shortened slang like this!)

The phrase for “like” here is 気に入った ki ni itta, which is basically to have an interest in something/someone, to take a liking to, to say something is a favorite, etc. When said of another person, there’s typically an air of the speaker considering themselves in a higher position. It generally isn’t “like” in a romantic sense.

Take’s “hey that’s my line,” comes from the fact he’s (in his mind) in the position of power and was judging her on whether he’d try to kick her out of the job. You can tell he was thinking of it as “I like the cut of your jib. I guess you can stay.” kind of thing.

Normally a new employee would not say this about their new boss/job, even if they did like it, though a boss/senpai could of a new employee, hence the “what?”

Notably, Ilulu used “like” earlier in the episode to refer to Tohru as well. In that case it was 好き suki, which is a more literal “like,” with the various implications that may or may not have. Personally, it strikes me as a little odd to translate them both as “like” in the same episode.

And that’s it for episode five! I’m

[nite-shay]

His Hero Part 4 (Kirishima Eijirou x Reader)

A/N: I don’t know if I’m completely happy about this chapter. I’m trying to get better with witting panic/anxiety/non-humor, so hopefully, next time, it’ll be a little better. Also, sorry for the long time off and just sporadic posting. Works been hell, but now that we’ll hopefully *grain of salt* were getting more people hired, I’ll have more motivation and time to write 

Warnings: Panic/anxiety , references to sex and/or sexual acts (nothing descriptive but suggestive) so I guess 18+? IDK how this works :/ If yer too young, offended by sex , sexual acts, sexual reference or don’t know where babies come from, please don’t read.

Word count: 3K 

Other then that, please enjoy! :D  

Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3 , Part 4

*****

Kirishima didn’t protest when Fat sent him home for the day. 

‘Go home. Clear your head. Call me if you need anything.’ 

Honestly, he barely heard his mentor’s words. He just sat there staring at the screen. Watching, pausing, rewinding, and watching again. Over and over again. It wasn’t until Fat picked him up and carried him to the door, did he finally get the memo.

Yeah... he didn’t need to be here right now...

The trip home was nothing but a blur, and honestly, he remembered nothing about it. His body was on autopilot as his mind tried to wrap the possibility that he might have a kid. 

A kid… A son… Your son… His son? But… How? Err… Wait! 

Ok, he knows the ‘how’ of how kids are made. 

Better phrasing, how could this have happened!? He was always careful with anyone he was with! Err, not that was a really long list or anything. Typically, he was only intimate with someone he’s known for a while, and when he was, he’d use a condom, or they were on the pill. 

Oh fuck. How could he have let this happen!?!?

Calm down. Calm down. 

Maybe he was just overthinking everything? It could just be a coincidence. Sure, he and the kid have some similarity, but hey, there’s like, billions of people on the planet! So some are bound to look alike! That doesn’t necessarily mean they’re related, right? Total chance! That’s it! It’s that stuff we learned in school. Static? No, that’s not right; that was in science. The other thing was in math...Statistics! Yeah, that’s it!

So what if the kid has red eyes? His best bud Katsuki does too! 

The sharp teeth? Look no further than his gym bro Tetsu! Hell, depending on the quirk, it can be a super common trait!

The quirk being exactly like his... well, ok, that was… odd. And yeah, he hasn’t run into any with his quirk specifically, but, big but, it doesn’t mean there isn’t someone out there with his quirk! 

Or maybe it’s not his quirk! Maybe its a similar one! Really, really, reeeealllly similar.

Total coincidence! Anyone can have those traits!

He just… happens to have all of them… just like the kid… whose mother he just happened to have slept with… around six years ago… 

Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck!

The room suddenly felt like it was closing in on him. The air got thinner, making it harder for him to breathe. He jumped off the couch and started pacing. He’s had issues with anxiety for years, and one thing he did learn, when he got like this, he needed to move.

Breath and walk. Breath and walk. Breath and….wait! The kid can’t be more than five! He slept with you six years ago! Ha! The time doesn’t match up! So he can’t be his kid!

His legs felt like jello as the waves of panic finally came to a halt, and took a deep, much-needed deep breath.

He wasn’t a father.

This was a good thing. A great thing!

He doesn’t have a kid. The time frame didn’t add up. He was in the clear.

He should feel happy. Relief. Ecstatic!

So why did he feel like he just got punched in the gut? 

He sighed as he made his way to his fridge in search of something to calm his nerves. Beer isn’t his typical drink of choice, but he was glad he kept a few on hand in moments like this. Since he was single and didn’t have a roommate, his place was the place of choice for ‘bro’s night.’ 

Though sometimes, there was nothing like a cold one to just chill after a long hard day.

He grabbed one of the glass bottles by the neck, activated his quirk, and flicked the lid off with his thumb. Cool little party trick he learned a few years back. 

As he tilted the drink back, he took a long hard swallow and let his mind wander. The beer of choice today was one Katsuki preferred. It was good, smooth going down, and less alcohol content. Which was fine. Ochaco, even after giving birth, still couldn’t stand the smell of alcohol. Pregnancy wasn’t a subject Kirishima knew a lot about, but he knew enough to respect it. 

He’d seen her hauling ass many adays to the toilet of the slightest whiff of something she didn’t like.

Then the cravings came along, which prompted a few late-night trips to the store by Katsuki or himself if his bro was at work. 

He chuckled as he thought about the few times Katsuki had said something to piss her off and sent him over to the redhead’s place for the night. Only to call him back a little while later in tears because of mood swings. 

Towards the end was rough, though. She’d been put on bed rest and was in a lot of pain. Katsuki took fewer shifts during that time to stay home and help ease her in any way he could. 

Damn, she went through all that for, what almost a year? Maybe not quite a year, but it had to be close. 

Was it nine or maybe ten months?

His brain came to a screeching halt, mid-swallow as he started calculating.

Beer spewed out of his mouth and nose as he tried to breathe and swallow at the same time. 

The nine months adds almost a year! *Cough* Meaning the kid’s age would make sense! *Cough Cough*

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck! It can’t be true, can it? He… He’d used protection… hadn’t he?

His mind raced as he thought back to that night six years ago.

It was Izuku’s birthday and his girlfriend, future wife Melissa, rented out a small private Terence at a hotel to celebrate. It was small, maybe fifteen people max: just some friends, family, and a few colleges of the green-haired hero.

He was having a few drinks while chatting with Denki and Hanta when he first saw you. That was when he first saw you… You were chatting with your Melissa and Izuku, and damn… he couldn’t stop staring at you. You were so beautiful, and the way you tried to hide your angelic smile every time you laughed made his heart skip a beat. 

Eventually, his two friends figured out just what or who had caught his attention. Which brought on a relentless amount of teasing. It took about twenty minutes, a few beers, and an angry blonde for him to finally make his way over to you.

Katsuki, at some point, approached his childhood friend, then proceeded to yell at him for some reason or another. Even on his birthday, the guy couldn’t catch a break. Now that he thought about it, it was over something All Might related. Something about a suit and which version was from what era? You were looking rather uncomfortable (Melissa was used to this) at the aggressive (mainly Katsuki) debate. That’s where he came in. With the help of Ochaco and Melissa, he finally got the two distracted enough to send them to opposite corners of the party. 

And then, he was left all alone with you.

He was so nervous that he even stumbled through his own name. Luckily, he played off his nervousness by making light of his two friends. To his surprise, you took his jokes in stride and even had a few comebacks of your own. 

The two of you must have talked for over an hour! Just one conversation after another. He’d never met anyone like you before. You were just so loving, kind, and just… wow!

Then things start to get a little fuzzy.

He remembered talking, drinking, joking, more talking, and more drinking. 

A weird memory of a drunk Denki yelling, “I swear to drunk I’m not God!” before face planting into the punch bowl. 

Then while everyone’s attention was on Denki, the two of you snuck away and back to his room. 

A makeout session on the elevator leads to the two of you missing his floor and shocking an elderly housekeeping lady. That was embarrassing but didn’t seem to stop the two of you.

Then things get really, really blurry, but somehow the two of you made it back to his room without any other incidents. 

While the rest of his memories were bits and pieces, but he… did remember the most of the ‘activates,’ and it’d been consensual, and yeah… he’d definitely used protection! That much he remembered!

The next thing he knew, it was the next morning, where he woke up alone, with a hangover, and felt better than he had in awhile. 

Too bad that feeling didn’t get to last. His phone rang not long after he woke up. It’d been work, a villain was causing trouble, and they needed him asap. 

He showered, dressed, grabbed his stuff, and left. 

Then… he’d gotten hurt… bad…

Ended up in the hospital for nearly a week. 

After he got out, he, well, had an interesting voicemail and charge on his credit card.

He blushed hard as he remembered the hotel’s message regarding the ‘damages’ done to the room. In particular, the ones done to the sheets and headboard. They even sent him pictures!

Damn, he couldn’t believe he lost control of his quirk like that. He hadn’t done that since… well, since his ‘first time.’ That was so embarrassing. Thankfully, he didn’t think he’d hurt you in the process. Of all the pictures and list of damages, blood-stained sheets weren’t listed. Maybe that’s why he never worked up the courage to reach out to you. Even if he didn’t hurt you, he might have scared you...

Wait….

He lost control of his quirk.

Oh… OH SHIT! Realization dawned on him.

Even if he had put a condom on, his quirk might have damaged it!

Then that means… there is a chance he's the father of your son!

FFFFFUCCCCKK!!!!

But wait.

If he really was your son… why haven’t you contacted him?

His footsteps slowed until he came to a standstill.

You would have told him if he was, wouldn’t you?

Granted, the two of you never exchanged numbers, and we’ll it’s not like he did much to reach out to you either, but… You would have known he’s friends with Izuku, so you knew a way to contact him. 

Two-way street, buddy. He internally lashed himself.

Between racking his brain and scolding himself, he didn’t hear the knock on his door until the visitor started pounding. 

“Oi! Shifty hair! Answer the damn door!” A loud, brash voice that could only belong to one person yelled through the abused door.

Katsuki? Why was he here?

Kirishima hurried over to the door before the blonde got too impatient and blew it down… again. He took a deep breath and put on his brightest and cheerful grin before opening the door to greet his grumpy best friend. 

“Oh hey, Bakubro, what’s up?” 

“Don’t bro me! Why the hell am I getting called from your boss to check up on you?” He growled.

“Fat called you?” That was a surprise. 

“Yeah, he did. Had to switch my patrol around and everything.” He brushed past the redhead, letting himself in. Kirishima sighed as he shut the door behind them. 

“I’m really sorry about that. Not sure wh-”

“Don’t start that bullshit with me.” Those fierce red eyes locked on to him. “And drop that fake ass smile. Always hated when you did that shit.” He mutters.

Damn, Fat just had to go and call him of all people. 

If it’d been anyone else, anyone at all, he could play this off. A bright grin, crack a joke or two, maybe a few reassuring words, and he could send them on their way. 

But not him.  No, not Katsuki. Most people wouldn’t in a million years think the aggressive blonde could show anything other than anger. And yeah, the guy was rough around the edges, and he wasn’t the best with words. But nonetheless, here he was. 

And sometimes, that’s all that mattered.

Fuck. 

“So why am I here?” Katsuki wasn’t backing down, so Kirishima took a deep breath.

“What did Fat tell you?” While his smile didn’t waver, he felt his stomach belly flop to the floor. 

“Bastard would spill it, just said you’d need me right and to get over here. Now what the fuck is going on?” While he still sounded angry, there was an underline concern in his tone that most people tend to miss. 

Who would have known that would be the thing to make him crack? Well, obviously, Fatgum knew, hence why he sent the blonde over. The great explosive hero was one of the few people that could blow a hole right through his hardened armor. 

Both figuratively and literally.

With tears in his eyes, he dropped his bright grin and let the damn of emotion bust. He explained everything that had happened. The robbery, the hospital, you, your son, the night he first met you, the security footage, everything! Hell, he was sure he went into a little too much detail when he described you and that night.

The blonde just stood there shell shocked as he tried to absorb the word vomit hurled at him. 

“S-so, yeah… I might… have a…” he couldn’t finish. He just let the silence hang between them. 

“You… dumbass.” He sighed quietly, running his hand through his hair before looking him right in the eyes. While his best friend was known far and wide to have a temper, when shit got real, it was eerie how calm and focused he was. “Are you sure he’s your?”

“I-I don’t know. I mean-”

“Have you talked to the mother?”

“N-No!” 

“Have you talked to anyone about this?” He pressed. “Does anyone else think you’re the father?”

“No! Well, Fat might, but that’s cause he was with me when I put the piece together. But I haven’t told or asked anyone else about this. Honestly, other than the mother, I don’t even know who else to go-” The redhead piped up. Something flashed in his friend’s eyes, and for a moment, he looked like he was ready to commit murder. Fuck was he made? He hadn’t come to him about this yet!? Of course, he was! He was finding this out because his boss called him, not because he had called him! Some friend he is... “I was totally going to call you about this! I swear! You’re my best friend. This just happened so suddenly!”

“I know you would, Ei. Chill.” The blonde’s features soften for a second, soothing the redhead some. But he could tell Katsuki was trying to keep his temper in check. “I’m not mad at you but, I’ll ask again. Does anyone else know about this?”

“Honestly, I have no idea. I only found out about this today, and I haven’t had any contact with (Y/N) since the other day and well at Izuku’s birthday party.”

“Ok. Stay here for a bit. You need to calm down. We need more information first. If he isn’t your kid, you’re losing your shit for nothing. And if he is... well,” He paused, “Cross that bridge when you come to it.” He pushed the hero towards the couch and made him sit down. “I need to make a phone call.” 

Kirishima blinked as his best friend made his way towards his front door. “NOW SIT THERE. SHUT UP AND CALM DOWN!”

*SLAM*

This was a new level of anger for the blonde. He couldn’t stand seeing the redhead like this. He felt even worse, leaving him alone like this. The damn guy lived off socialization with others, so for him to be facing this alone. 

Yeah... it really pissed him off.

The blonde stomped his way back to his apartment, which was just a few doors down. He did need to make a phone call; he hadn’t been lying. But it was a call, that big, dense red rock didn’t need to hear. 

Fuck. He couldn’t believe this. Did shitty hair really have a kid? 

Katsuki made his way inside his home. The home he shared with not only his wife but his newborn daughter. 

Fuck. He has a kid… and he never even knew. 

As he made his way through the foyer and into the living room, something caught his eye. Something black, orange, green, and tiny laid on top of a basket of unfolded laundry. It was the custom design onesie Momo had gotten for their daughter as a baby shower gift. The custom design was made to look like his hero costume. While he scoffed at the thing initially, he made sure that she wore home from the hospital. 

Well, tried. About halfway through the hospital parking lot, she decided now was the best time to need a diaper and outfit change. 

Little brat. He smirked.

If you’d ask him a few years ago what he thought of kids, he would have brushed it off, not really caring about it. His hero career was his focus. He needed no had to be number one. 

But now that he has a little one of his own, he realized there was more to life than being number one. Was he still going to do it? You bet your ass, but now that he has his wife and his child that climb to the top well, he couldn’t dream of making it there without them. 

He couldn’t imagine a world without her. Let alone a world where he didn’t realize she existed.

He whipped out his phone and thumbed through his contacts.

Especially if someone knew about them. 

He took a deep breath and hit send.  

Someone close to not only the kid but himself. 

And still not tell him.

He knows. There’s no way in hell that precipitative little shit doesn’t know!

One ring. Two rings. Three rings.

“K-Kacchan. This is a surprise. You never call. Is everything-” Katsuki cut him off. 

“We need to talk. Now.” 

****

Links: Part 1,  Part 2 ,  Part 3, Part 4

Thanks for the read! If you want see the other stuff I’ve done, click the link bellow!

MasterList

Tags: @hot-pocket01 ,  @simpforeveryone , @remember-happy-things 

[mercurysnitch]

Mother Mercury Part 4: So Take A Chance With Me, Let Me Romance With You

Summary: Important steps are taken in multiple relationships. More of Eve and Mel’s family life is revealed.

A/N: Yes, this fic is still alive! (Just...) After a very long hiatus during which I got a job, lived through one lockdown only to be plunged into a second one which still isn’t over nearly four months later, and utterly lost all inspiration for a while, I’ve finally finished this part (and persuaded myself to stop editing it). Yet again I’ve had to extend the part count, this part was supposed to run to the end of filming but I realised it was getting quite long enough as it was, so I split it into two. The next part’s maybe halfway done, so lord knows when that’ll be published, but hopefully soonish.

I’m not entirely sure about a couple of sections of this, but if I don’t publish it now I never will, and I really want to get to writing part 6 as soon as possible, so here you go. I’m also quite excited about finally sharing a couple of bits of Eve’s backstory that I haven’t been able to talk about yet because they were spoilers for this chapter.

A quick reminder if you’ve forgotten since the last chapter: this fic is based on the idea of Freddie having had a biological daughter via accidentally knocking up a woman while under the influence at a party. (If you’re just joining us, it’s mostly explained in part 3). If you don’t like that idea, move along now. Also, shoutout to @i-lay-my-life-before-queen, whose various Freddie fics were a big inspiration for this story.

Warnings: Discussion of age gap relationships, kids, Eve and her fam are meant to have cats but I forgot to write them in so they might have other pets next part, I have no idea what the word count is but it ain’t short

*******************************************************************************************The secret knowledge that there was a Mercury grandchild in their midst seemed to give the Bo Rhap cast a lift over the following weeks. This proved surprisingly useful, as those weeks were marked by a deterioration in working conditions on the set. The director, who'd seemed frequently out of sorts almost from the start of shooting, kept disappearing for longer and longer stretches, and when he was around the atmosphere was increasingly tense. Everyone tried to get on with their jobs, but the tension was utterly pervasive. 

Mel had even noticed a growing nervousness in the relative isolation of the costume department. Her boss Barbara tried to reassure her, but even she was worried. "We can't keep on like this, the ADs can't do it all themselves. Apparently Singer says he's been taking care of his mother, but I don't think anyone believes him." "Surely he has to be sacked?" Mel suggested. "I hope so" Barbara agreed. "Hopefully the producers can make the studio see sense and replace him before too long. I don't think anyone can take much more of this."

Privately Mel wondered whether Roger and Brian might be able to help. They were executive producers after all. Then again, would the studio listen if they raised concerns about the director? Mel suspected not, in normal circumstances. But she got the feeling plenty of people on the set would be voicing similar complaints before long. Perhaps Roger and Brian leading the charge would be enough to convince the studio take action. Mel only hoped something would be done sooner rather than later.

In the meantime, Mel and Ben could at least take comfort in each other. They’d quickly reached the point of spending nearly every night together, and now, after only a little over a month, Ben was wondering whether it was too soon for the ‘relationship’ conversation. He didn’t think it was, really, and he very much wanted to take the next step with Mel, small though it might be, but he was still plagued by nagging doubt about the age gap between them.

Ben tried very hard to keep his mind on work while he was on set, but the combination of a light day and an impending date that would be a very good opportunity for that important conversation had left him very preoccupied. He managed to get through the few takes he had to shoot without incident, but he knew the rest of the band could tell something was up even before he took the first possible opportunity to escape to his trailer during the break. He was hoping to be able to brood in peace, but that idea went out the window when he bumped into Roger en route. Normally this would have been a welcome coincidence, but today Ben was not in the mood. Not that Roger noticed.

“Ben! Just the man I was looking for. Just wanted to see how you’re going with the preparation for that next performance scene coming up. It’s a pretty straightforward song, but there’s a couple of…” The older man trailed off when he noticed his portrayer wasn’t listening. “Earth to Ben? You still here?” Ben started at the sound of his name. ‘Wha-? Oh, sorry, spaced out for a minute there.” Roger chuckled. “Yeah, just a bit.” There was silence as Ben realised they’d arrived at his trailer. “D’you wanna come in, chat in the warmth?” he offered. “Thanks” Roger replied, following through the door. The second Ben closed it Roger rounded on him.

“Right, what’s going on?” “What?” Ben was confused. “Something’s bothering you” Roger explained. Suddenly he softened slightly. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, but talking about it might help.” Ben hesitated. He did want to spill his guts about his dilemma, but he wasn’t sure Roger was the best choice of confidant. So he stalled. “How can you tell?” “That you’re worrying? You were obviously miles away before, you weren’t actually hiding it” Roger explained. Ben was suddenly ashamed. “Sorry.” “It’s fine” Roger assured him. “So, what’s on your mind? Is it that prick of a director? I can talk to-” “No, no, it’s not work” Ben said unthinkingly. His eyes widened when he realised what he’d just said. “Oh shit.” He’d really done it now: Roger suddenly looked very interested, and perhaps a touch… was that really concern in his eyes?

“Not work…” Roger echoed wonderingly. “Love life then?” He smiled as he saw a flicker of alarm cross Ben’s face. “Ah, definitely love life.” “If… if I tell you will you keep it secret?” Ben asked nervously, eyes wide with worry. “Of course” Roger assured him. “Now, spill. It’ll help, truly.” Ben sighed. “Well, alright then.”

“The thing is, well, me and Mel are… going out, I suppose” he explained. Roger smiled triumphantly. “I knew it, I knew there was something-”“It’s been a month now” Ben went on, ignoring Roger’s crowing. “And I want to be official, but I just… I’m not sure.” Roger was puzzled. “Why not?” “Because of the age gap” Ben clarified. “I’m worried it’s too much. She’s only 21, and I’m… nearly 27 really, and I just… I don’t know.”

Roger stared at him. “That’s not actually much of a gap, you know.” “Well it feels like one” Ben countered grumpily. “I’m sure it does” Roger soothed. “But why does it bother you so much?” Ben looked at Roger as if he was mystified at the older man’s lack of understanding.“An older man with a younger woman’s supposed to be bad, isn’t it?” “You’re asking the wrong bloke, mate” Roger chuckled. Ben suddenly looked horrified. “Oh lord, I forgot, I didn’t mean-” “It’s fine, I know what you meant” Roger assured him. “I used to hear it a lot, when I started seeing Debbie. She was only 25, you know, and I was nearly 40.” “That… 21 and 27 seems like nothing next to that” Ben mused. “It’s not nothing” Roger assured him. “But it seems like more of a gap because she’s so young.” “More of a gap?” Ben questioned. Roger nodded. “Look, if you heard about a 27-year-old woman and her 33-year-old boyfriend the age difference would hardly register, would it?” “I s’pose not” Ben agreed.

“But you know why people get worked up about young women and older men? They worry the men are taking advantage of their younger immature partners who won't fight them because they don't know any better.” Suddenly Roger peered seriously at Ben. “Now, does Mel seem like a girl who’s easily led into doing things?” “No” Ben declared. “I’m not sure anyone could ever force her to do something if she didn’t want to do it.” Roger grinned. “Thought so.” “I’d never try to, either” Ben added defiantly. “Of course not” Roger agreed. “So, you know there’s no… unhealthy power dynamic, shall we say, and she's not overly immature, is she?” Ben grinned. “Definitely not. She’s a lot more mature than I was at 21. Maybe even more than I am now…” “Women mature earlier” Roger replied, nodding sagely. “Anyway, there’s clearly nothing wrong there, so why not take things further?” “But people might say-” Ben protested. “Oh, bugger that” Roger interrupted. “People say a lot of things, most of them absolute rubbish, there’s no point listening to any of them.” Ben knew, in his heart, Roger spoke the truth.

“Look Ben, you’re not wrong to think about these things, but I know you’re not the sort of man to try and push a woman around” Roger pointed out. “And I’ve seen you and Mel together, you…” Suddenly his voice softened, and he looked at Ben fondly. “You’ve got something special there. I think. If I were you, I wouldn't want to give that up so easily” Ben smiled, significantly reassured. “Thanks Roger.”

That very evening Ben and Mel had dinner at his flat, and a very important conversation. Mel was absolutely thrilled to officially be Ben’s girlfriend, and shared almost none of his concerns about the age gap. Much to Ben’s relief, she was happy to take things slowly from hereon in, though she was a little surprised at his request.

“It’s not you” he assured her. “I just… my last relationship I was with her for nine years, and we only broke up at the start of this year, I wasn’t looking for this to happen again so soon. But…” “I know” Mel said softly. “Neither was I.” There was a slightly awkward pause as they reflected on the unexpected events of the last few months. 

“Can I- Can I ask what happened?” Mel asked hesitantly. “I mean, nine years…” “It’s ok” Ben reassured her. “We were teenagers when we got together” he explained. “Kids really. It was good for a while, but we just sort of… grew in different directions. Too different, in the end.” 

“Well that’s…” Mel wasn’t quite sure what to say. She almost felt bad for even asking, but Ben assured her it was only human to be curious about these things. Even so, a distinct awkwardness had settled in the air, but fortunately Mel was soon able to change the subject.

“As we’re… official… now, how would you feel about meeting my family?” Ben was surprised. “Isn’t it a bit soon for that?” “Maybe,” Mel shrugged. “But we’ve got the Thanksgiving break coming up, and we always have a big family supper then, it’d be nice if you were there.” Ben was still uncertain. “As long as you think I won’t be intruding, or anything…” “You won’t” Mel assured him. “Besides, you’ve already met my mum, it’s not like you’re a total stranger.” “I s’pose not” Ben agreed, grinning.

He paused, suddenly thoughtful. “Why do you mark Thanksgiving, though? It’s not a British holiday.” “No” Mel agreed. “Have you heard of a guy called Joe Fanelli?” she asked. Ben nodded. “He was one of the ones who lived with Freddie, wasn’t he? The… chef, or something.” “Well, he was American” Mel explained. “He introduced the others to the tradition, and then Jim and my mum sort of kept it up.” Mel’s expression rapidly grew sad. “Joe died of AIDS too, only months after Freddie” she said softly. “The first year they decided to do a dinner to commemorate him… it was around Freddie’s anniversary too, it was always a time they wanted to be together.”

“I’d forgotten about that anniversary” Ben commented. “It’s Gwil’s birthday too, we might be busy that day…” “Poor Gwil” Mel joked. “Mum should be alright though, Vi’ll make sure she’s with her.” “Vi?” Ben echoed. “Mum’s wife” Mel explained. Ben looked shocked. “Wife?” Mel smiled mischievously. “Did you really expect Freddie Mercury to produce a straight child?” she quipped. Ben couldn’t help grinning; she had a point. His smile vanished when he noticed how Mel was looking at him, almost pleading with her eyes.

“Will you come then?” she asked softly. “To Thanksgiving supper?” “Of course” Ben told her, smiling reassuringly. Suddenly his expression shifted to a look of near-panic. Mel was instantly concerned. “What’s wrong?” “You’re not expecting to meet my family any time soon, are you?” he questioned. Mel shrugged. “Not if you don’t want me to. I mean, of course I want to, but I’m happy to wait if you’re not ready.” Ben exhaled in relief. “Oh good.” Mel suddenly glared at him. “I do want to introduce you to them at some point” he hurriedly clarified. “But I'm not ready to just yet, and I don't think they are either." "You don't think they're ready to meet me yet?" Mel questioned. "Why?" Ben sighed.

“It’s just… my ex, I was with her for so long, they all thought I was gonna marry her” he explained. “They really wanted me to marry her, actually. My parents absolutely loved her, I think they're still getting over the fact that she's not going to be their daughter-in-law.” “So you think they might not be entirely ready to hear you’ve found someone new” Mel suggested. Ben nodded. “I actually haven’t even told them about you yet.”

Mel grinned. "Should I be worried?" Ben shook his head. "No, no, they'll be fine" he assured her. "I just… this is still pretty new, y'know, I don't want my mum getting overexcited about us too early." Mel nodded. "That's understandable. I mean, I hope this lasts, but it has only been a month. And I know you've just agreed to meet my family, but I think Mum's planning to get you all round for tea at some point, so you'd be meeting them sooner or later anyway.” "I suppose.” Ben agreed. Suddenly he smiled softly. “By the way, I hope this lasts too."

Later, having finished dinner with much less serious chatter, Ben and Mel agreed that, happy though they were, it would be best to continue keeping their relationship quiet for the time being. This was exactly the kind of news that would travel extremely fast on the set, and Mel had absolutely no desire to find out what her bosses would say if they knew she was in a relationship with one of the stars of the movie. Ben was almost certain it wouldn't actually be an issue, but he knew if word did get out he wouldn't be the one bearing the brunt of any consequences. And he wouldn't put it past Singer to be an asshole about normally inconsequential things like on-set relationships.

Both Ben and Mel wondered whether their buoyant moods and satisfied smiles would give them away at work the next day. Fortunately, the attention of the rest of the band was diverted by the twin distractions of yet more unpleasantness from the director, and another set visitor.

Rami had assured Eve she would be welcome to stop by any time, but since her first fateful visit a month ago she simply hadn’t been able to find the time for another, until now. Naturally, Rami was thrilled to see her. “Eve! You made it!” She could see his grin from a mile away as she approached the wardrobe van. She trotted over eagerly, but when she got close enough to see his outfit she stopped in her tracks.

Rami was wearing the moustache today, and a short wig. For a moment, Eve thought she was seeing things. She’d known there was a resemblance, of course, but this was like looking into a time warp. “Are you alright?” Rami’s concerned voice cut through her reverie, breaking the spell. Eve suddenly realised she was getting teary. “I’m fine, I just… I never realised how much you look like him, with the moustache and all” she said, rather awed. Rami was confused. “But… you’ve seen me in costume before?” he questioned. “The glam rock days were before my time though” Eve explained. “But the 80s look… that’s the Papa I knew.” Understanding suddenly dawned on Rami’s face. “Oh of course. I, uh… Sorry?” “Don’t be” Eve assured him. “You’re doing nothing wrong.” Rami’s expression suddenly grew more thoughtful. “I just hope I can do him proud.” Eve smiled. “Oh, you will.”

Eve was quickly sent back to Rami’s trailer to see the rest of the band. She wasn’t terribly surprised to see her daughter there too, sitting apparently very comfortably on Ben’s lap. Mel was of course pleased to see her mother, though she couldn’t quite shake the feeling she and Ben were on the brink of being revealed to the rest of the band. Perhaps she shouldn’t have sat in his lap, but then nobody else had batted an eyelid at their apparent cosiness. At any rate her mother had shot her a wry glance when she noticed where her daughter was sitting, but said nothing. Maybe we'll get away with it this time, Mel thought to herself.

The band all greeted Eve warmly when she arrived, and they were soon chatting happily about all the happenings she’d missed on-set, good and bad. Mel wasn’t surprised to see her mother grow incensed at the way the director had been behaving in recent weeks. “All that and they still haven’t sacked him?” she exclaimed. “He’s on thin ice now” Rami assured her. “One more disappearance’ll probably get him fired.” “We live in hope” Joe quipped. “This is a good movie, but boy am I glad it’s nearly Thanksgiving, I am so ready for a break.” Eve smiled. “Looking forward to the holiday, then?” Joe nodded. "So much."

Still smiling, she turned to her daughter. “The little ones are so excited about the big dinner this weekend, they’ve been missing their big sister.” “I’ve been missing them too” Mel told her. “I’ve just been so busy lately… it’s been too long since I’ve been home.” Suddenly Mel noticed the rest of the group eyeing her curiously, apparently unsure whether to speak. Eventually, Ben cleared his throat, breaking the sudden silence.  

“Ah, the little ones?” he asked casually, not wanting to sound too interested in Mel’s personal life in front of the others. “My other kids” Eve explained. “They’re a lot younger than her, so she’s always been the big one and they’re the little ones.” There was a sudden outbreak of nods of understanding, before Rami spoke up. “So, how old are they?” “Well, my son just turned eight and my other daughter is three” Eve told him, her face alight with affection.

“That is little” Gwilym commented sympathetically. “Yeah, but she’s very sweet” Mel assured him. “Most of the time” Eve quipped. Meanwhile, Joe was smiling slightly. “Eight’s a cool age though, I bet your son’s getting into sports and stuff now” he said, half-questioningly. “Yeah, he’s becoming a big football fan lately” Eve agreed, grinning though she sounded almost regretful. "I’ve never been that interested in it, actually, but my wife’s football-mad, so she’s pretty happy."

A slight ripple of shock went through the group at Eve’s reference to a wife, apart from Ben, who desperately hoped his lack of surprise at this revelation wasn’t too conspicuous. Eve herself was simply amused at the effect of her words. “You know, I honestly forgot that you lot didn’t know about Vi” she commented. “It’s fine” Gwilym assured her. “We just weren’t expecting it is all.” Eve grinned. “Given who my father was it shouldn’t have been that surprising” she quipped, to general murmurs of agreement. “But never mind that now.”

She paused, turning towards Rami. “I’m guessing all the Americans are going home for Thanksgiving?” Rami nodded. “Yeah, why?” Eve smiled. “I was going to say that if anyone was feeling lonely over the break, they’d be most welcome to spend it with us” she said kindly. “But I suppose everyone’s accounted for already.” “Pretty much” Rami confirmed. “Ah well, I’ll have to have you all round for tea some other time” Eve declared ruefully. Mel surreptitiously flashed Ben a look that quite clearly said 'I told you so.' The others merely smiled. “That’s very kind of you” Gwilym commented. “Perhaps we could make it a celebration, when the film wraps.” The others nodded, murmuring enthusiastically. “Good idea” Eve agreed.

“In the meantime, if any of you have any questions or anything, do feel free to ask” she added. “I have one” Joe said, rather uncertainly. “Do you know John Deacon at all?” 

Both Eve and Mel instantly cracked near-identical knowing grins. Joe stared at them suspiciously. “What?” “We know him very well” Mel told him calmly, evidently enjoying Joe’s confusion. 

“He and Veronica are practically my other parents” Eve explained. “When Papa died he sort of entrusted me to them. Well, to John, mostly.” “Entrusted?” Joe questioned. “He knew I needed a father figure, and he gave John the job” Eve clarified. “John and Veronica raised me just as much as Mum and Papa.”

Suddenly Eve smiled mischievously. “And then I repaid them by having a baby at 16 who they also practically raised.”

Joe grinned as understanding finally dawned. “That’s how Luke knows you, isn’t it?” he asked Mel, who smiled fondly. “Yeah, I sort of grew up with him and Cameron” she explained. Joe nodded as he turned back to Eve, uncharacteristically nervous.“Could I… could we, I mean…?” “Talk about Uncle John?” Eve suggested. “Of course. Let’s have lunch some time so we can chat properly, it could be a very long conversation.” Joe grinned with relief he hadn’t been shot down. “Thank you” he said simply, before his jaw suddenly dropped as the full details of Eve's response finally registered. 

“Wait, ‘Uncle John’?” “I told you, we’re very close” Eve explained, with a slight laugh at Joe’s surprised expression. “Now, does anyone else have any other questions while I’m here?”

There was a pause while the rest of the cast considered the offer, before Lucy cautiously spoke up. “D’you have anything to do with Mary Austin, ever?” “Not anymore” Eve said darkly. 

“So you did once?” Lucy questioned. “She used to visit a lot, when I was a kid” Eve clarified. “Looking back I think Papa probably wanted us to be close, but I’m not sure she ever did.” Lucy was surprised. "She wasn't… did you get on with her, at least?" "Oh, she was perfectly nice to me when Papa was around" Eve said airily. "And, I mean, I was a child, I took everything at face value then. But after Papa died, and I got a bit older, I started to realise a bit more about what she'd been up to, even back then." 

"What she'd been up to?" Lucy echoed. "I think she always sort of resented me" Eve explained. "Obviously she knew none of this was my fault, but I think I still reminded her of all the things she would never have with Papa, …everything she'd thought they'd have together, before he realised the truth."

Lucy was taken aback. “That’s… actually quite sad, really” she said thoughtfully. “I just wonder, you know, I’ve heard such different things… some people say she was just very devoted to Freddie, but then often she’s painted as quite selfish, happily using the connection to her own advantage.” 

Eve nodded. “Oh yes, she’s definitely not the devoted angel some people seem to portray her as.” Lucy merely nodded, but Rami was honestly a bit shocked. “She’s not?” he questioned. “But I always thought they loved each other very deeply?” “Oh they did, very much” Eve confirmed. “But that doesn’t mean she wasn’t capable of getting nasty to other people.” 

“Can I ask how nasty?” Lucy said gently. “I’m sorry if that’s a bit forward of me, it’s just I’ve heard a few rumours about things she did after Freddie died, but no-one seems to know exactly what went on…” “It’s fine dear, I don’t mind” Eve reassured her. “Don’t share this around, but she tried very hard to challenge Papa’s will.” 

The others were baffled. “Why would she do that, though?” Gwilym asked. “Because Papa left a lot of his estate to me” Eve said simply. “And she felt she was owed a bigger share than she was given.” “Owed?” Lucy echoed. “For everything she’d lived through with him” Eve clarified. “This is just my opinion, of course, but in hindsight I think some part of her always blamed Papa for things not working out between them. Even so, she was happy enough being the most important woman in his life, until I came along and knocked her down a spot. So in her view he owed it to her to give her something to make up for her suffering.” Eve’s voice was laced with contempt. 

Lucy’s curiosity, meanwhile, was thoroughly piqued. “When you say she felt owed something…was she after something in particular?” she asked Eve. “She wanted the house” Eve revealed. “I was only eleven, so I couldn’t actually own it for several years, but Papa and Miami had set up a trust to hold everything until I came of age. At any rate Papa’s wishes were very clear, but Mary claimed that Papa had told her she would get the house and I would get the money, or something.” 

Eve suddenly smirked. “Needless to say, Miami knew it was utter rubbish” she explained. “So then she tried to say he’d wanted her to live in the house until I inherited it, because she had a 'proper family' or something but that didn’t work either.” Suddenly Eve sighed. “Eventually she started threatening to challenge the will in court” she said sadly. “My mum never liked Mary much, actually, but I don't think I fully understood why until she did that.” 

“So what happened?” Lucy asked, utterly intrigued. “It never went to court” Eve revealed. “Mary had absolutely no proof of anything being wrong with the will, no lawyer would touch it." "And the house?" Rami asked. Eve grinned. "Is mine to this day."

The band, Allen, and Lucy exchanged amazed looks. Meanwhile, Mel cracked a Cheshire Cat grin, knowing what they were all thinking. “So that means… you're the mysterious 'Lady of Garden Lodge' Rami marvelled. 

Eve looked so baffled at this he immediately felt the need to explain. "I read a bunch of articles for research, some of the more recent ones talk about the situation with the house now, the bits they've heard at least." Eve nodded in understanding. "I know dear, I'm just surprised you'd heard any of that stuff." 

Rami shrugged. “Oh, you know, I wanted to read all I could, it’s all useful.” Eve snorted. “I doubt the bits from the tabloids were terribly helpful.” “Not so much” Rami conceded. “But it’s still… I don’t know, I found it interesting seeing how they tended to present him, how it changed over the years.” At that Eve smiled mischievously. “Yes, I know. What fascinates me is the fact none of them have ever quite managed to put all the pieces together and guess who I actually am.”

“Surely that’s a good thing though, if you can stay anonymous and live a normal life” Gwilym pointed out. “It is” Eve agreed. “But it means I’m always wondering whether today’s the day someone gets a photo of me, or sees something, and works it all out. And any time I see Papa in the tabloids again I have to look, just to see if they’ve finally got the real story this time.” The others were rather taken aback at this. They’d never really considered what it would be like to live with a secret like Eve’s.

“I hate to say this,” Rami said, sounding distinctly uncomfortable, “but if this movie does as well as they’re hoping, it might mean…” He trailed off, unsure how to word what he wanted to say. “It might mean what?” Eve asked urgently. “It might mean more interest in Freddie, from the public” Rami explained. “Which would also mean-” “More interest from the tabloids” Eve completed. “I realise that’s a possibility” she assured him. “And I’ve got contingency plans set up if need be. If the secret does get out, I’ll be alright.”

Rami was reassured, but he also realised he’d never really considered the broader implications of making a movie to put Queen back in the public consciousness. Of course, the movie could still flop, it wasn’t even finished shooting yet, but deep down he really did think it could do well once it was completed. And he was beginning to wonder, if it was a hit, just how much it would affect everyone’s lives.

The next day marked the final day of shooting before the break. That evening, Ben stayed over at Mel’s to celebrate. But she had some slightly unexpected news. 

“Mum told me to tell you Luke and Cameron Deacon are coming to supper tomorrow” she announced over dinner. “Okay” Ben replied uncertainly. “Should I be worried?” he joked. “No, no, they just want to get to know you” Mel assured him. Ben smiled gratefully before growing thoughtful. 

“So it’s just your family and them tomorrow, no other guests I should know about?” Mel nodded. “Yeah, just them. All the Deacons have a standing invitation, but the rest of the kids are all busy, and Uncle John’s never in a social mood in late November…” Ben hoped he didn’t look too relieved at this news. “Oh, of course not.” Suddenly Mel smiled knowingly. “You will get to meet him eventually” she told Ben. “But I don’t think we’re at that point just yet.” “There’s no rush” Ben assured her.

The following day was largely spent relaxing at Mel's place, both Ben and Mel luxuriating in not needing to be anywhere for a change. Ben rather liked Mel’s house. He always enjoyed coming downstairs of a morning, padding into the kitchen, and being able to look out into the garden over his first coffee of the day, and that morning was no exception. 

He'd gotten as far as sitting at the dining table with his cereal, looking over the living room and trying to ignore the fluffy white cat staring at him from the next chair, when Mel joined him. She smiled when she spotted the cat.

"I see you've got company already." "I think Mab'd rather I wasn't here, honestly" Ben commented. "No, no, she likes you a lot" Mel assured him. "She's just… trying to work you out." Ben smiled slightly. "Does she like me as much as her human does?" he joked. Mel grinned. "Almost" she quipped. "But I think her human likes you juuust a bit more."

Their banter was suddenly interrupted by loud purring emanating from beneath the table. Strangely, Mab hadn't moved from her prime perch. Mel, totally unphased, reached under the table to pat the sleek black cat rubbing himself on her legs. "Morning Jupiter" she said cheerfully. But Jupiter withdrew from her hand almost immediately, leaping onto the chair at the end of the table, directly opposite Ben. "Not in a parting mood today" Mel commented. Ben smiled. "Ah well, at least he's happy to look at me now." "He's come a long way" Mel agreed.

Jupiter had taken a while to warm up to Ben. The first time the blond stayed over he'd taken one look at the strange new person and fled upstairs, remaining in his bed in the study on the top floor of the house until Ben finally left the next morning. It had taken another two visits before he would finally choose to stay in the lounge room while Ben and Mel were watching the telly together. Even now he tended to keep his distance, though he would happily greet the couple if they arrived home together.

After breakfast the day wandered on in a lazy, unhurried sort of way. However, as the afternoon drew on Ben was increasingly aware of the time, keen to make a good impression by not being late to supper. Mel, though, wasn't phased. "We don't have far to go, it's only round the corner" she reassured Ben. “I know” he told her. “I’m just being nervous and paranoid, I’ll be fine.” 

As he started to busy himself getting ready for the evening a thought occurred to him. "Say, why are you so close to your mum's? Is that just coincidence or-?" "It's not coincidence" Mel told him. "This used to be my gran's house, she left it to me when she died." "Your gran’s house?” Ben echoed. 

Mel nodded. “She and Mum lived with Freddie for a few years, but after he got sick and the paparazzi started hanging around, they had to move out” she explained. “But Freddie wanted them close by so it would be easy for him to see Mum as much as possible in the time he had left, so he bought this place for them.” Ben’s jaw dropped. 

“I knew he was generous, but a house?” he marvelled. Mel grinned. “Yeah. But he and Miami arranged it so it was his money, but the house was in Gran’s name.” Ben looked baffled. “Less conspicuous that way” Mel added hurriedly. “Wouldn’t raise as many awkward questions if people found out.” Ben nodded, considering the recent revelations.

“She renovated it a bit, later on” Mel reminisced. Ben nodded. “I noticed.” The first time he visited he'd realised the open plan kitchen and living room must have been the product of a later redesign of the old row house.

“I think once Mum took over the big house, after I came along, she realised she wanted her own space, set up the way she wanted” Mel mused. “She was always happy to have me round though.” She smiled. “I just about moved in when I did my A-levels. Lavender was born that year, I was a bit desperate for some peace and quiet.” "So the spare room used to be yours, then?" Ben asked. "No, I had the room up the top" Mel explained. "So I could stay separate from the other goings-on in the house while I was studying."

By the time they were ready to go Ben had managed to calm most of his nerves. But as they began the short walk to Eve’s house a worrying thought occurred to him. “Hey love, I’m about to meet your family but you’ve said nothing about your dad all week” he pointed out, trying to sound casual. Mel looked him over curiously. “My father,” she said pointedly, "won’t be there tonight, if that’s what you’re wondering." 

Ben was slightly surprised at this. Though he'd never asked, he got the impression Eve had split up with Mel's father many years ago. However, he knew so little about Mel's family that he wasn't at all clear on the kind of relationship she and Eve might have with her father.

“He won’t?” he asked curiously. “He’s not in our lives any more” Mel clarified. “He left Mum when I was only a baby which could've been fine, but then he fucked off to New York when I was eight and I’ve hardly seen him since.” “That’s really shit” Ben sympathised. Mel shrugged. “True, but he was barely around even before he left, I mean, he left for uni when I was only a year old” she explained. “It didn’t make much difference to me, really.” 

Ben was still considering the implications of this when Mel’s irritated voice cut through his thoughts. “Look, can we talk about something else, I really don't want to think about my father tonight." Ben smiled apologetically. "Of course. I'm sorry I brought him up now." Mel smiled reassuringly. "It's okay" she told Ben. "You couldn't have known what you were wading into." 

At this point Ben was mildly surprised to find they were almost at the threshold of Garden Lodge. “It’ll be fine, you’ll be a hit” Mel said encouragingly, spotting his nervous expression. Ben wasn’t so sure, but there was nothing to be done about that now. He took a deep breath and rang the doorbell.

Eve beamed when she let the happy couple in. “Welcome to the manor” she joked. Mel immediately started asking about her younger siblings, but Ben stared around, trying not to be too overawed by the period splendour surrounding him. It was… well, it was definitely fancy, but still stylish, rather than ostentatious. 

He was shaken from his reverie by a nudge from his smirking girlfriend. “Nice, isn’t it?” “Yeah, it’s… I was expecting it to be a bit, you know… but it’s very, um, elegant” he agreed. Eve smiled. “Thank you, dear.”

She led the guests through the house to the main sitting room, where the rest of the family was waiting. Ben had barely registered the three figures standing by an antique sofa when a little girl with long sandy hair came barrelling towards Mel. 

“Mellie!” she cried happily, only to stop short when she noticed Ben. “Who’s dat?” she asked, suddenly uncertain. Mel immediately swooped down to pick her up. “Lavvie, darling, it’s alright, this is my friend Ben” she explained, settling the child against her chest. “This is Lavender” she added quietly to Ben. “She’s a bit shy with new people.” “Hello Lavender” Ben said gently. Lavender smiled shyly at him, but quickly turned away, burying her head in Mel’s shoulder.

Meanwhile Ben’s attention was quickly drawn by Eve clearing her throat. He looked up to find her standing next to a tallish woman with a friendly face and fine golden-brown hair cropped short, who was accompanied by a dark-haired boy who was evidently at the awkward in-between 'older kid' stage, not quite on the threshold of adolescence just yet, but clearly no longer a little kid either.

“This is my wife, Violet, and our son, Jamie” Eve introduced. Ben smiled as he shook Violet’s hand. “Pleasure.” “It’s lovely to finally meet you” Violet said warmly. “I’ve heard plenty about you.” “All good things” Mel assured him, noting his worried expression. “I’m glad” Ben joked, moving over to shake Jamie's hand. 

Jamie shook politely while regarding Ben with curiosity. "D'you like football?" he asked. "I do" Ben told him. Jamie smiled. "Who's your team, then?" "West Ham" Ben replied. "Oh, they're rubbish" Jamie declared, clearly dissatisfied with Ben's answer. Mel smiled apologetically at her boyfriend, who merely gave her hand a quick squeeze to assure her he was fine as he continued the conversation. 

He did feel slightly out of place, not having much experience with kids, but Jamie was quite chatty, and clearly enjoying the attention. At any rate the time passed very quickly, and it wasn't long before the doorbell rang again and Eve was leading the two youngest Deacon children into the sitting room.

Ben was slightly nervous when they were introduced, knowing Mel considered them both her big brothers. He'd already met Luke, of course, albeit briefly, and he wasn't sure he'd made a particularly good first impression that day. Luke, though, greeted him warmly, and it was soon clear that Cameron was just as friendly and welcoming. Nonetheless, Ben couldn't quite shake the impression they were here in large part to scrutinise the new boyfriend, though they were evidently quite happy to socialise with the rest of the family too.

It wasn't long before Violet ducked off to check on the food, which was Eve's cue to start leading everyone to the dining room. Luke took the opportunity to chat to Ben alone while the others were preoccupied. 

"You know, I was a bit surprised when I heard you'd be here" he said casually. "You were?" Ben questioned. "Didn't think you two were that serious" Luke clarified. "I asked Joe about you and Mel, actually, that day I saw him, and he didn't even think you were a thing… yet." Ben raised an eyebrow. "Yet?" 

"Joe's words, not mine" Luke told him, shrugging. "Well, he wasn't wrong" Ben commented. "We went on our first date the night before you visited." Luke grinned. "Did Joe know about that?" Ben shook his head. "No, and he still doesn't, actually." "Well don't worry, I wouldn't dream of exposing you both like that" Luke assured him.

Luke took a breath. "Look, I'm not here to do the whole overprotective big brother bit, you know." "You're not?" Ben echoed, surprised. "No" Luke confirmed. "Mel's a big girl, she can handle herself. And you must know she's quite capable of destroying you all by herself if you are stupid enough to hurt her." "I… suppose I do know that" Ben said thoughtfully. 

Luke smiled slightly. "I think you're smarter than that, though" he said. "So I just wanted to say, it seems like Mel sees a proper future with you, a-" "So do I" Ben admitted, cutting Luke off. "We haven't been together long, I know, but I can already see it." Luke's smile grew at Ben's confession. "Good. I hope it works out, truly."  

Ben was relieved that Luke seemed to like him, but he didn't have time to dwell on their conversation as he was soon finding his place at the enormous mahogany dining table. Naturally he went to sit next to Mel, which meant he found himself down one end, next to Violet at the head of the table. Luke was sitting opposite, a move Ben was quite sure wasn't a coincidence, with Cameron next to him. Ben felt slightly awkward sitting opposite the Deacons, but fortunately the conversation flowed easily.

Cameron was very curious about film-making in general, and Ben’s career in particular. “So, what else’ve you done? Anything I might have seen?” he asked cheerfully. “You do look a bit familiar, actually.” Ben suppressed a groan at the inevitable appearance of his least favourite question, knowing Cameron meant no harm. 

“Um, I was in X-men Apocalypse?” he suggested. Cameron shook his head. “Haven’t got around to watching it yet” he explained. Ben smiled reassuringly. “Well, I’ve been in a few things, but that was the biggest, so if you haven’t seen it…” “There’s one thing he probably has seen” Mel piped up, smiling mischievously. Ben wasn’t quite following. “Yeah?” 

“He was on EastEnders for a while” she told Cameron and Luke. “Omigod, really?” Cameron gabbled exicitedly. Ben let out a defeated sigh. “Yeah, I was… I played Peter Beale.” Cameron was very excited at this revelation, which served only to make Ben feel even more disappointed. 

Mel patted his hand reassuringly. “He means well, darling” she murmured. “I know” Ben sighed. “I just wish that bloody soap wasn’t the only thing people knew me from, it just makes them think of me as 'the hot one'.” “Everyone who matters knows you're much more than that, darling" Mel assured him. "Besides, with a bit of luck they’ll all know you as Roger soon."

Fortunately the others soon started chatting about their own work, and the rest of the dinner passed quite enjoyably. The grownups were all very welcoming to Ben, and Jamie chattered away about football, school and all his other current interests, clearly enjoying having a few big boys around for a change. Lavender too had warmed up in the presence of more familiar adults, gabbling happily to whoever would listen.

In seemingly almost no time at all, the dessert dishes were being cleared away and the adults were apparently gearing up to leave the table. "What's going on?" Ben whispered to Mel. "Next tradition" she explained. "The littlies need to get to bed soon, but they want to join in with this first." Ben suddenly realised everyone else was leaving the room. "Where are we-?" "The music room" Mel told him. "Just… follow my lead, yeah?"

Ben nodded his assent as she led him away from the dining room to one of the smaller rooms towards the back of the house. Its' main feature was a gleaming, full-sized grand piano. "Was that… his?" Ben asked, in an undertone. "Yep, it was Papa's" Mel confirmed cheerfully. "He taught Mum on it, and then she taught me, when I was little." “Wow” Ben marvelled. His reverie was soon interrupted by Eve coming to stand by the piano stool, just as Mel led him to sit on cushions on the floor, next to Luke.

Eve smiled at the assembled company. “Alright Jamie, Lavender, it’s nearly bedtime, but you’ve got time for one song each. Which ones do you want today?” “One, doo, free, four!” Lavender cried, clapping her hands with glee. Eve agreed easily, but Ben was utterly baffled at what was going on until Mel retrieved a guitar from a corner behind the piano, and handed it to Luke, who tuned it up and began picking out the cords to ‘All Together Now’ from Yellow Submarine. And then Mel started to sing, and Ben was utterly amazed.

She sounded a fair bit like Freddie, undoubtedly, but she clearly had her own sound too. Ben couldn’t remember the last time he’d heard a better singer. She looked at him once she finished, and he absolutely beamed at her.

“We started her on the Beatles recently” Mel explained quietly. “She’s been obsessed with that song ever since.” “You didn’t tell me you could sing!” Ben marvelled. Mel smiled. “You never asked, darling.” Mel started to explain that singing together was something she’d always done with her mum, and it was their little tradition to sing together at Thanksgiving in Freddie’s memory, but she was called up to the piano before she could finish.

Jamie had asked for something called ‘Leeroy Brown’, a title Ben thought sounded vaguely familiar, though he didn’t think he knew the song. Violet got up too, to sit with Eve at the piano, and when Eve started to play Ben was shocked to hear the couple harmonising in the choruses behind Mel’s wonderful voice. He didn’t recognise the song, as it turned out, but it was a fun honky-tonk sort of song, and he picked up the singalong chorus quickly enough. Though he did feel slightly embarrassed at his lack of prowess in the midst of so many excellent musicians. 

When the song finished he had to resist the impulse to applaud. But all too soon all eyes were on him. “Ben, you’re the newbie” Eve said kindly. “Any requests, before the junior choir has to retire for the evening?” Ben blushed slightly. 

“Uhh… could you play something by Queen?” “Most of the back catalogue, actually” Eve quipped, smiling. “But let’s see, what sounds good with just the piano… ooh, I know. You ready?” she asked Mel. “When you are” Mel confirmed. “Alright. Ben, I think you might know this one actually” Eve told him.

There was a slight pause before she started plunking out a very familiar repeating note. Ben smiled in recognition just as Mel came in with “She keeps her Moet et Chandon,…” Again, Eve and Violet harmonised on backing vocals when appropriate. Ben found himself fighting the urge to bounce his leg in time with the beat, one he’d been playing quite a lot recently. And he couldn't quite stop himself singing along with the chorus.

When he wasn't joining in, he was watching Mel intently, and very much enjoying himself. She seemed very comfortable in front of an audience, and Ben was struck by how much her stage manner, as it were, reminded him of the videos he'd been watching of Freddie performing in the early glam rock days. Not in a deliberate way, there was just something about the way she moved, the cheeky faces she made while singing, that very distinctly resembled Freddie's particular brand of showmanship. 

All too soon, the song was over. Mel returned to a grinning Ben as Violet declared it was bedtime for the children. Jamie immediately protested that he should be allowed to stay awake longer as he was so much older than Lavender.

"That was amazing!" Ben gushed. Mel smiled bashfully."Oh, thanks darling." "No, really, you're amazing" Ben insisted. "And your whole family is… Well, your mum I sort of expected I suppose, but Violet can sing too?" He was deeply impressed, but Mel seemed unfazed. "That's actually how they met" she said quietly. "Mum joined a choir, and when she went to rehearsal Violet was there, and, well… you know." "That's quite cute, actually" Ben commented. "So d'you perform ever? Outside the music room, I mean."

"I want to be in musical theatre" Mel revealed. "But I haven't gotten any of the auditions I've had since I finished drama school." Ben's jaw dropped. "Drama school? I thought you did costume design." Mel grinned. "Oh, I did a couple of electives, that was enough for the assistant job, apparently."

"Clearly" Ben quipped. "But anyway, that's really awesome you've been to drama school, why didn't I know that?" "We've never really talked about school and stuff" Mel pointed out, shrugging. "No, I s'pose we haven't" Ben agreed.

Their conversation was interrupted by Violet's announcement that Lavender was going to bed, Jamie's protest having successfully won him one more hour with the grown-ups. Mel soon ducked off to help tuck in her little sister while the others drifted back to the dining room for hot drinks and biscuits. Ben felt rather uncertain without Mel next to him, but the Deacons and Jamie kept him chatting until she reappeared, grinning.

"I think Lavender likes you" she told him. "She asked when we'd be coming round again, if it'd be soon." Ben smiled. "Well, that's two down" he joked. "Oh, I think you're pretty popular with the brother" Luke observed. "He loves having the big boys around, I think he feels a little bit outnumbered as the only boy sometimes" Mel explained. "And you like football, so you're definitely alright in his book." Ben grinned. "Perhaps we'd better come back soon, then."

"We might not have time for the next few weeks, there's some big shooting days coming up" Mel mused. "And a big night, don't forget you'll need time for that" Luke chimed in. Ben was utterly confused, but Mel just smiled. 

"Oh yeah, the Christmas party." Luke nodded. "Yeah, you're both 'very welcome' apparently, which means Mum's definitely expecting you to turn up." He rolled his eyes, though he was smiling slightly. "I think Dad's actually hoping to meet you, too" he told Ben, who was rather taken aback. "John Deacon wants to meet me?"

Luke nodded. "Yeah. He was always a little bit curious about all of you blokes playing Queen, actually, but he's especially interested now that he knows his beloved Mel's been shagging the one playing Roger." He smirked at Mel, who rolled her eyes good-naturedly. 

"Very delicately put, Luke, if you're not careful you'll get the guest blushing." Indeed, Ben was now stood next to Mel looking extremely sheepish. Luke simply grinned. "Me? Indelicate? Never" he teased. "You're never living that one down, you know." 

Turning to Ben, he let his teasing expression drop. "Seriously though, we'd love to have you to the party, if you're not busy" he said kindly. "I'll do my best" Ben assured him.

The rest of the evening passed very pleasantly, and by the time the guests started to leave, having seen Jamie to bed and toasted Freddie several times, Ben felt as though he'd been very much welcomed into the fold. At the very least he'd made a good first impression with all the ones he hadn't met before. Later on, snuggled up in Mel's bed, he reflected on the events of the night. "Well, I think that went quite well" he declared. "They loved you" Mel assured him. Ben smiled. "I liked them too, you know." "I thought you would" Mel told him happily.

"One thing though, love" Ben said, content but still slightly curious. "What's this Christmas party we're invited to?" "Oh, it's just the Deacon family party" Mel explained. "Auntie Veronica and Uncle John have all the kids round for drinks and finger food a couple of weekends before Christmas, and we're always invited too." 

Ben was confused. "Why do they get together before Christmas though? Don't they all go home for Christmas dinner?" "Not every year" Mel explained. "I mean, Luke and Cam do, but the rest have partners and kids. In-laws to visit and all that. Having the party means they can all get together and see each other every Christmas even if fitting in a visit home on Christmas Day turns out to be too much of a faff." "Makes sense" Ben mused.

"So, should I go to this party with you?" Mel nodded enthusiastically. "Definitely, dear. John and Veronica are lovely, they'll be so pleased to meet you." Ben smiled. "I'll put it in my calendar then."

That night, Ben had a few things on his mind. The Queen movie wasn't even finished and it was already changing his life. It had brought him to his wonderful, amazingly talented girlfriend, and his equally awesome new friends. And now he was going to meet John Deacon. John Deacon actually wanted to meet him, who'd have thought that would ever happen?

Sure, he sometimes had to remind himself not to think about the fact that he was shagging Freddie Mercury's granddaughter, but at the very least he was pretty sure he hadn't incurred Freddie's wrath, so far. In fact, he was starting to wonder if he might in some small way have gotten Freddie's blessing.

*******************************************************************************************

A/N 2: Just in case anyone’s confused, the middle song that Mel sang is Bad, Bad Leroy Brown, by Jim Croce. Which was of course (part of) the inspiration for Bring Back That Leroy Brown (written after Jim Croce died in a plane crash, iirc). Also, yes, John Deacon will be appearing in the next part.

[shrinkthisviolet]

Author Interview Tag!

Tagged by @maipreciation, thanks for thinking of me! This looks really fun :D

(Note: I’m keeping this as a running list, so if you’re ever wondering what fics im working on/brainstorming, make sure to check here! Last update was on 12/12/2020)

Name: Lavi! As of 12/5, I’m no longer going by my real name (see this post)

Fandoms: so many 😂 check my bio, I think I have them all listed. I’ve posted fic for Hamilton and ATLA, and then there was a huge Inktober compilation I posted last year with a whole host of fandoms. Currently, my major fandom is ATLA, and probably Kipo as I’m starting to move through S1

Where you post: I have an AO3 (lavi0123)! I used to have an FFN and a Wattpad, but I don’t use either of those anymore :/ tbh, I’m embarrassed of anything I still have up there 😂

Most popular one-shot: Most definitely we’ll give the world to you (and you’ll blow us all away), one of my contributions to Maiko Week! I’m not surprised it’s an ATLA fic, but I find it interesting that a fic with Izumi in it blew up so quickly. But hey, if y’all want more Izumi content, you won’t be disappointed 😉

Most popular multi-chapter fic: ...I’m really embarrassed to say because I don’t think I’ll ever finish it...but En Hamilton Heights is the only multichap fic I’ve published so it’s gotta be that one 😂 hopefully soon I’ll have another fic to add to that, since I’m working on one (sorry EHH fans but it’s been too long and tbh I don’t remember where I was going with it :/ I’m thinking I might orphan it)

Favorite story you’ve written so far: you think this world is a dream come true (but you’re wrong) for sure! It’s super niche but it’s something I wrote out of love for a movie I discovered this Halloween and absolutely love. Though all you’ve got to do is want something (and then let yourself have it) is a close second. Basically, anything I write that sounds absolutely bonkers as a concept is one that I love 😂 (and it’s no coincidence that both fics are Mai-centric! I love all my Mai-centric fics nearly equally)

Fic you were nervous to post: Is there an “all of the above” option? 😂 I’m always nervous to post. But in particular, I was nervous for if you ran away (come back home), because it was Mai-centric and longer than any one-shot I’d written thus far, and also you think this world is a dream come true (but you’re wrong), because it’s Mai-centric and a Coraline AU, which makes it BONKERS as an idea

Why was I nervous to post Mai-centric fics, you ask? Two reasons: 1) Mai is very different from who I am as a person (I vibe a lot more with Aang and Ty Lee, sometimes Katara and Sokka), so I didn’t want to upset the Mai stans by writing her incorrectly. 2) Mai is generally not well-liked in the fandom at large, so I especially didn’t want to attract antis who would accuse me of writing Mai as too emotional and loving (which is why I tried to justify that in my tags). Luckily, my comments have all been lovely, and I’m far less afraid to post fics about her now that I’ve written three fics with her as the focus! And the shoutout from @nonbinary-crafter-aang praising my portrayal of her?? I was touched 🥺 still am

How you choose your titles: Song lyrics or movie/book lines that speak to me, occasionally a pun. Remember that post I rb’d about how authors title their works? My tags pretty much say it all 😂

Do you outline: Ehh...define outlining 😂 for my one-shots, nope. But for my upcoming multichap works (see below) and Nanowrimo work (original fiction, so I won’t talk about it on here, but send an ask if you’re curious), YES ABSOLUTELY!

For my Nanowrimo work and one of my upcoming AUs (a Soulmate AU), the worldbuilding is so complex that it’s an absolute necessity. For the other upcoming AU (a time travel AU), there are just too many things that need to happen at certain times so as not to interfere with canon events, and things I want to change from canon and things I want to keep...I think you get the idea 😂

Complete: Basically my entire maiko halloweek series! Check it out if you want some fics about the most underrated canon ATLA couple :)

In-progress: ...En Hamilton Heights again...but not for long, sadly. Still trying to decide between a quick conclusion and just flat-out orphaning it. Still haven’t made up my mind, but either way, it won’t be what I originally planned, unfortunately.

I’m also counting my ATLA Soulmate AU on the basis of forever in my mind (only you), which has the worldbuilding and fits into the AU without much problem (the AU is going to be a series of one-shots, not a multichap fic, because there won’t be enough deviations from canon imo to justify multiple chapters. And one-shots are just less pressure for me 😂)

[EDIT 12/12/2020: added another fic because I’m an idiot and forgot about this too 🤦‍♀️😂 it’s a year-old idea that I started writing but I’m picking it back up thanks to the Heist banter in MatPat’s St Jude stream!]

-A fic series combining Escape the Night and Who Killed Markiplier (Heist and Date are part of it too, but only tangentially at the moment. Depends on how involved I want DA Y/N to be). Tentatively titled A Heavy Cost, and definitely won’t happen in any of Mark’s projects, but in a way that’s actually for the best 😂 the canonicity for me stops at ETN S3 (with some S4), then it’s canon divergence

Coming soon/not yet started: OOOH YESSS HERE WE GO

Okay okay sooo we’ve got two main things:

–An ATLA Soulmate AU, featuring platonic and romantic soulmates! I know I called it in-progress, and I stand by that even though I haven’t actually set up the series on AO3 yet, but this AU is about to be SO MUCH MORE than just a few Maiko moments. Because...drum roll...it’s gonna be entirely Aang-centric (with maybe one or two exceptions)! Like Mai, Aang is a character that doesn’t get as many -centric fics as he should (and being an Aang stan also isn’t unanimous for some reason??), so I’m gonna fix that. Plus I want to dive further into his mind, and I think I’m more equipped to do that than I was with Mai, since Aang and I are very similar in attitude.

–Bumizumi time travel AU, which can be read as platonic until the last couple chapters (it’ll be multichap) but definitely has a romantic agenda throughout. So just. Be warned if you don’t ship them. It’s gonna be chock full of comedy and antics! Also A LOT of platonic affection between Izumi and teen Zuko (and just between Izumi, Bumi, and the Gaang in general), because platonic affection is underrated and also I can :D I’m also probably gonna make fun of how some elements of affection have become solely romantic territory, because...um, no, hugging and holding hands and cuddling can be done between friends, thanks! (Maybe it’s the ace in me talking. But regardless)

There are also vague concepts I’m spitballing, like:

-Zukaang telepathy AU (Platonic Zukaang, the only romance I’ll ever write in ATLA is for the canon ships, prompted by a dream because apparently ATLA lives in my head rent-free forever now 😂)

-Evil Zuko AU (Azula doesn’t exist, mostly prompted after watching Aang make fun of Zhao and realizing that if Zuko had been in any position of power during the War...the Gaang would have stood no chance at all)

-Bumizumi Arranged Marriage AU (Bumi and Izumi both think the other is hotheaded/reckless (Izumi @ Bumi) or uptight (Bumi @ Izumi). So Kataang and Maiko (along with Sukka, Ty Lee, and Toph because...duh) set them up in an arranged marriage, with the presented reasoning being that they already know each other’s families, it’ll be a great symbol of unity, and this way Izumi doesn’t have to worry about suitors. They both agree to it (it’s arranged, not forced), and over time, they warm up to each other...and maybe even...fall in love?? Prompted because we need more arranged marriage fics! On that note, I’m gonna plug shadows and steel by @dearestpartnerofgreatness because arranged marriage needs more rep and this fic does it and with Maiko to boot!)

-Zukaang as Brothers AU (I saw a fic about this, but it wasn’t complete. If it’s not done by the time I get to this concept, I’m gonna write it, because just...imagine the possibilities! Zuko and Aang are already basically brothers in canon anyway, this is just making them brothers in blood as well as in their hearts. This is especially vague because I have no concept of how this is gonna work 🤷‍♀️ I’ll get to it eventually)

(Can you tell I’m obsessed with Zuko and Aang’s friendship? Because I am!)

[EDIT 11/25/2020: I’m adding two more because I forgot these have been swirling around in my head too 😂]

-A fix-it fic based on May You Always Be Satisfied, a backstory fic for Who Killed Markiplier by @blackaquokat! I recently reread it and remembered that I was gonna write a fix-it for that fic. Not because the fic sucks, it’s actually amazing! I’m just a sucker for the main (requited unrequited) pairing, and there’s at least five ways to make that pairing canon and avoid the mess of Who Killed Markiplier. And THEY ALL DESERVE TO BE HAPPY OKAY

-A Finnrey fix-it for the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy (this one is especially vague, and I probably won’t write it since a bunch of these already exist, but it’s fun to think about. Maybe if I ever run out of WIPs 🤷‍♀️)

Upcoming story that you’re most excited to write: I’m equally excited for the Soulmate AU and the Bumizumi Time Travel AU! I’m also excited for my Nanowrimo work to be finished, but that’s more so in-progress than upcoming

Tagging:

@nonbinary-crafter-aang @dearestpartnerofgreatness @ohsalamanders @blackaquokat (no pressure ofc, only if you want to! But please tag me if you do, I’d love to see it!)

[awhitehead17]

Whumptober 2020: Day 15 - Into the unknown

Prompt: Possession 

Summary: When Kon comes to the Tower for the weekend, they instantly know something isn’t right with him. After checking up on him, they soon find that the situation is worse than they imagined 

A/N: As a warning there is a bit of violence in this story. This consists of strangulation and head bashing, nothing too graphic however, I just want to warn people in case!

Enjoy! :D

By some coincidence they had all gathered into the media room over the course of the afternoon. It was only the start of the weekend but not everyone had actually arrived at the Tower yet.

Tim had been the first one to arrive from Gotham, while he could have easily spent time in his room he choose to chill in the media room instead and did some work on his laptop to pass the time. 

Cassie had joined him an hour later, followed by Bart not long after. Tim had continued on with his work while the other two watched a film. It wasn’t until Kon comes strolling into the room that he finally breaks away from his computer.

The half Kryptonian enters the room with his face scrunched up in pain and a hand on his head. He walks over and flops down onto the opposite end of the couch with a groan.

“What’s up Kon?” Bart asks eyeing him up with a frown.

Kon groans again. “My heads killing me, has been all day. No matter what pain killers I take the headache won’t shift.”

Tim shares a concerned look with the other two. He glances at Kon, “Have you had enough sleep recently? Enough food and water? Been up against any freaky crop plants in Smallville this week?”

Kon shakes his head in denial. “I’ve been fine all week until this morning. School was hell to get through today.”

“Well dinner is soon, once you’ve eaten perhaps call it an early night. You might feel better tomorrow morning after some rest.”

The Kryptonian sighs and shrugs, “Perhaps, yeah? We’ll see.”

Dinner comes by half an hour later and they all migrate to the kitchen to eat. Despite how lovely the food was, Kon had barely made a dent in his food which results in everyone giving him concerned looks.

Once the meal was over, Kon retires to his room while Tim, Cassie and Bart clear up.

“Something’s not right with him.” Cassie stats putting the plates away.

“Do you think he’s been attacked in the week and isn’t telling us?” Bart guesses as he dries off the pans.

Tim hums from his position at the sink. “I have no idea. Once we’re done here I’ll go and check on him, he may talk when it’s just one of us with him.”

As Tim said he would, he goes to Kon’s bedroom after finishing up in the kitchen. He taps on the door lightly and lets himself inside the room.

“Hey Kon, I’ve come to check on you….” Tim’s sentence trails off when he stumbles onto a scene he hadn’t been expecting.

Kon was in his room, on the floor curled up with his hands clenched in his hair. His whole posture was shaking and he was muttering something underneath his breath.

“Kon?” Tim whispers with uncertainty. While he desperately wanted to go comfort his best friend something else felt off which stopped Tim rushing to his side. “Conner?”

In that moment he’s glad he hadn’t gone ahead rushed to Kon’s side because the moment the meta looked up, it was clear that nothing was right. Kon’s head snaps up to look at him and Tim instantly sees the bright red glow of his eyes.

Tim barely gets an “oh shit” out before he was being body slammed by his best friend. The force carries him backwards and out into the hallway, Tim’s back slams against the far wall and he crumples to the ground hissing in pain. He had no armour on, meaning there was nothing to help soften the impact of the concrete wall when he slammed into it.

He didn’t have time to recover however because Kon’s suddenly standing before him and clamping a hand around his neck, lifting him up off the ground. Tim scrambles at the hold, trying to push it off him because it was hard to breathe, he knows if Kon applies anymore pressure then his windpipe will break.

“Kon… please… snap… snap out of it…” he wheezes out. His best friend wasn’t there though, only whatever was now possessing him. His eyes were still burning bright red and Tim wonders if Kon (not-Kon) will kill him by heat vision.

Black spots were now dancing in his vision and Tim was seriously struggling to breathe. He weakly pushes at Kon’s unrelenting grip, trying to get free.

“Conner!”

The scream startles him and then suddenly Kon’s hand disappeared from his neck. Tim falls to the ground and sucks in precious air through his abused neck. He wildly looks around to find Cassie and Kon engaged in some kind of spar. The two meta’s and their super-strength going against one another in the tiny alcove of the corridor. They bounce off the walls, the floor and even the ceiling when their flight abilities kick in.

While Cassie handles Kon he scrambles up to his feet and starts rushing down the corridor. Kryptonite. He has Kryptonite stored in his bedroom. While he loathes the idea of using it on Kon, it’s the only thing that’ll weaken him enough for them to get the upper hand so they could work out what’s going on.

“Tim watch out!”

He barely gets a second to comprehend the warning before something collides with his back. He falls to the ground with a grunt and cries out when a heavy pressure lands on his back. Tim knows without looking that it’s Kon. He tries to buck the meta off but fails miserably as he couldn’t barely move an inch with Kon on his back.

A fist full of his hair was grabbed and his head is yanked up. He hisses with the movement and then screams when his face is smacked into the ground. Pain explodes throughout his head it becomes difficult to think. As his head is lifted up again Tim’s able to form some words that he desperately needed to share before he couldn’t.

“My room!” He shouts, hoping one of his teammates are listening. “My desk draw! In there is krypton-“

He’s cut off when his face is slammed against the floor a second time. Pain once again explodes through his head and he cries out. He’s mildly aware of a random harsh breeze of air rushing by him as his head is lifted up yet again.

It happens a third time and Tim knows he won’t be awake for much longer. The next one will either knock him unconscious, leave him extremely concussed or it’ll simply kill him.

When Kon goes to smash his head against the floor for a fourth time, Tim barely notices the room beginning to glow green. Before he could make sense of what was happening, his head collides against the ground and everything goes dark.

-----

As Tim comes to, the brightness of the room hurts his eyes, he has an extremely bad headache and his throat is sore to hell. It takes a lot longer than what it should have but he soon realises that he’s in the medical bay in the Tower.

He also eventually notices Cassie’s frowning face above him. Tim closes his eyes and groans, “What happened?”  

Tim winces when he hears himself speak and the way his throat itches. That’s some damage done to his neck alright. Before Cassie could answer, Tim remembers everything and bolts straight up into a sitting position. He looks at her frantically. “Where’s Kon? What happened to him? Did you guys work it out?”

Cassie instantly pushes him back down onto the bed and keeps her hand on his shoulder. She gives him a stern look. “Don’t talk. You’re only going to hurt yourself.” Her gaze softens then. “He’s fine Tim, or will be fine at least.”

Doing the best he could to ignore the throbbing going on in his head, Tim stares at her, encouraging her to elaborate on what had happened once he was unconscious.

Cassie sighs and glances to the side, Tim follows her gaze and sees an unconscious Kon laid upon another bed. Bart was there too, he was currently looking at something on a tablet in his hands.

“Bart managed to get the kryptonite from your room and together we were able to knock Kon out. We’re still analysing things but we’re pretty sure it’s Luthor. Luthor had somehow mind controlled and possessed Kon into attacking us and considering it’s happened before it’s not a shock.” She tells him sullenly.

Tim frowns staring at his best friend’s unconscious body. Kon’s going to hate himself after this, he’s going to feel so guilty and they’re going to have to do a lot of convincing to stop Kon from isolating himself again like he did the first time.

Tim glances at Cassie with a raised eyebrow, hopefully she gets what he’s trying to convey without talking.

Finally letting him go, she runs a hand through her hair. “It’s getting looked into, various of league members are aware of what happened and the plan is keeping Kon sedated until some results appear because its unpredictable on how he’ll wake up. It’s not the best solution but it’s all we’ve got for now. He’ll be okay Tim and then we’ll be there to help him through it.”

Tim smiles sadly and reaches out to take her hand, giving it a squeeze in support. They’ll make sure Kon is okay no matter what.

[ibijau]

Worst engagement AU // on AO3

It is Lan Xichen’s turn to get a visitor, giving the chance to clarify a misunderstanding

When Nie Huaisang’s first letter arrives to the Cloud Recesses, Lan Xichen is so giddy he can't stop smiling all day. The letter, to other eyes, would be painfully banal: some gossip from Qinghe, complaints against Nie Mingjue’s expectations, and mentions of the ways Nie Huaisang has occupied his free time lately. Still Lan Xichen finds himself rereading it so many times that he knows it almost by heart. 

Problems arise when Lan Xichen tries to write an answer. His first few attempts are, for lack of a better term, sentimental. He can't allow that, of course. Although things have improved with Nie Huaisang, faster and to a degree Lan Xichen would not have expected, he's not foolish enough to consider romancing his fiancé, certain to be rejected. And yet, it's hard to contain his emotions when he has his brush in hand. The urge to tell Nie Huaisang how much he loves and misses him is nearly uncontrollable. In the end he has to pretend he is writing to Nie Mingjue to come up with a letter that, hopefully, won't make his fiancé uncomfortable.

It's possible that in trying to be reasonable, Lan Xichen went too far. Nie Huaisang’s next letter teases him mercilessly about sounding like a Night Hunt report, and jokes about falling asleep while reading. 

In his response, Lan Xichen makes efforts to be a little warmer. It is a fine line to walk between too much and too little, but he tries his best. After explaining that Lan Qiren seems a little bored this year with the much calmer guest disciples they have welcomes Lan Xichen boldly allows himself to mention that he too finds the Cloud Recesses too quiet, and that he misses Nie Huaisang. He goes so far as to say that though they did not always go well, he enjoyed their meetings and hopes they have other chances to chat soon. 

He shows that letter to his brother before sending it, so he can get a second opinion and ensure it isn't too much. Lan Wangji rolls his eyes at him. 

"Brother worries too much," he says, the only comment Lan Xichen can get out of him on that matter. 

Perhaps Lan Wangji is right. When Nie Huaisang answers, he mentions that he is going to Lotus Piers for a couple of weeks, and that he'd love to drop by the Cloud Recesses on his way home. He asks that the answer be sent to Yunmeng, since he will be long gone from the Unclean Realm when his letter reaches Lan Xichen, and is quite insistent that he will be very disappointed if he should be denied this small request. 

Lan Xichen, of course, readily agrees. He would never pass a chance for some time with his fiancé. 

It feels like ages pass before, one day, Lan Xichen gets word that Nie Huaisang is finally on his way to the Cloud Recesses. By a cruel coincidence, his fiancé is set to arrive on a day when Lan Xichen is busy helping his uncle deal with the leaders of some nearby small clans. Not wanting to appear avoidant, Lan Xichen convinces his brother to greet Nie Huaisang for him and to explain the situation. Lan Wangji is only too happy to help, glad as well to have a little time with his friend.

Even like this, Lan Xichen finds himself anxious all morning. He can barely focus on the conversations at hand, and has to ask for certain details to be repeated multiple times. When the lunch they take in his uncle's office is over, Lan Qiren orders him to see that tea be brought to them, then tells him he's free for the afternoon. 

"Go meet that damn Nie boy," he orders. "But you'd better be back to normal tomorrow, you hear me?" 

"Of course, uncle," Lan Xichen replies, ready to promise almost anything. "I'll see you later." 

He does not run home, because running is forbidden and unbecoming, but this is the fastest Lan Xichen has ever walked in his life. He only slows down once he reaches the door, taking a moment to compose himself and make sure he doesn't look like someone who nearly ran across the Cloud Recesses. 

When Lan Xichen enters the house, he finds Nie Huaisang and Lan Wangji sitting together. They look rather more serious than two friends should after a long separation, and though they are silent when he comes in, Lan Xichen can't shake the impression that they must have been talking about something before the door opened. Nie Huaisang’s expression in particular is oddly dark, though he quickly brightens and jumps to his feet to greet his fiancé. 

"Lan gongzi, at last! I can't believe I came all this way for you, and you made me wait. Are you perhaps playing hard to get?" 

The idea is so ridiculous that Lan Xichen can only laugh. 

"It would be a dangerous game to play when Nie gongzi finds me hard to want," he retorts, which makes Nie Huaisang laugh as well. "I'm sure Wangji explained what happened?" 

Lan Wangji, who also stood up, nods at his brother while Nie Huaisang rolls his eyes.

“He did tell me. How boring… but I suppose all of this is to train you for your future role, right? Da-ge is awful about that these days, always saying I need to be more active in the sect… I can’t tell you how glad I was to get a break from that. It was so nice to spend time with Jiang Cheng again… and Wei Wuxian too, of course.”

Instantly Lan Wangji stiffens and frowns, as if simply hearing the name of the other boy were painful to him. Lan Xichen has to refrain from smiling. It’s been over a year since his brother last saw Wei Wuxian, and yet his crush seems to be going as strong as ever. When Lan Wangji makes his excuses and quickly leaves the house, Lan Xichen and Nie Huaisang exchange a glance and they both grin.

“Some things don’t change,” Lan Xichen says, even when he knows he should have a little more sympathy than that for his brother’s poor heart.

“I guess so. What else is going to be the same as before?” Nie Huaisang asks, tilting his head as his grin widens. “Lan gongzi, are you going to make me tea and light an incense stick to make sure I don’t bother you too long?”

“Nie gongzi knows I enjoy his conversation. But if you’d rather limit your time with me to a minimum, I’ll do as you please of course.”

Nie Huaisang laughs, his cheeks colouring slightly, but he seems very pleased with that answer. When he moves to sit down again, Lan Xichen stops him with a gesture.

“Actually, I have something to show you outside,” Lan Xichen says, smiling to hide his nerves. “It'll be quick, I just don't want to forget, and you might give me your input on it while you're here. If you would follow me?" 

Nie Huaisang nods, looking intrigued, but he doesn’t say a word as they leave the house and walk to a nearby tree which Lan Xichen carefully selected for his purposes. It had to be a little surdy, and well visible from the porch and from inside the house. After choosing this one Lan Xichen made the necessary preparations, namely a bowl filled with seeds which securely hangs from a branch facing the house. 

"That’s what you wanted to show me?” Nie Huaisang asks, puzzled but clearly trying his best to remain polite. 

“I thought it might please you,” Lan Xichen explains. “A compromise of sorts." 

His fiancé’s puzzlement only grows. He narrows his eyes, clearly trying to figure out what the bowl is supposed to be. Lan Xichen is about to explain when Nie Huaisang gasps. 

"A bird feeder? Really?" 

His tone is so disbelieving that Lan Xichen feels seized by a cold anxiety even as he nods. It’s not enough. Of course it’s not enough, but it’s the best he can do without breaking rules and he doesn't have yet the authority to attempt that. 

"I thought it would be unfair that I found a way for Wangji to keep his rabbits but you’d lose your birds,” he quickly explains. “It’s not a permanent solution, I am trying to find a way to let you have tame birds as well, but until then…" 

He trails off, unwilling to make promises he might not be able to keep. His uncle denied him when he asked for an exception to be made. There will be no caged birds in their immediate future, and Lan Xichen doesn’t know any other way to keep birds. But Nie Huaisang might, and Lan Xichen will do his best to help with that. 

Nie Huaisang who looks at the bowl with great attention, his lips pinched. 

"Is it unsatisfactory?” Lan Xichen asks at last, ready to hear he failed again to do the right thing. 

“No, it’s great,” Nie Huaisang replies, barely a whisper, bringing a hand to the bowl and brushing his fingers against it as if it were the most precious thing in the world. “It's… thank you. Even the types of seeds are well chosen. Did you research this?" 

"I asked around. I was hoping some birds might already get into the habit of eating here so that they are accustomed to it by the time we…" 

Lan Xichen doesn’t dare finish, still unsure how Nie Huaisang might react at the reminder of what’s to come. Last time, in Qinghe, Nie Huaisang made it clear that the idea of their marriage is still distressing to him, even if they get along a little better now. It worries Lan Xichen more than he would admit to anyone. There is no set date yet, but Lan Qiren has said that he’ll probably start preparations after that conference in Nightless City. 

"Thank you, Xichen,” Nie Huaisang quietly says, staring at the bird feeder. “This is… I can’t explain how much it means to me.”

“It’s the least I can do. I know how much you love your birds, so of course…" 

"I don’t mean just this,” Nie Huaisang interrupts, turning his eyes to his fiancé. “Thank you for… for thinking about that sort of things. For trying to make this more comfortable for me. Thank you for trying to make this feel like I could call it home." 

"I hope you might someday,” Lan Xichen replies, too earnest even to his own ears. 

He expects a frown or pinched lips, some kind of negative reaction in answer to the emotions he can never seem to restrain as well as he should. But Nie Huaisang only smiles, his expression softer than Lan Xichen has ever seen on him. 

“I hope as well,” Nie Huaisang says. “Home… Yes, I think I will get used to that." 

The way he says it, so calm and certain, makes Lan Xichen hopeful as well. This will be a marriage between friends and nothing else, but if he can make Nie Huaisang happy at his side, he won't ask for more. 

With Lan Xichen's surprise revealed, the two of them return inside. Ever the perfect host, Lan Xichen prepares some tea, and brings some biscuits. Not the usual ones that are normally served to guests, but some that he went to buy in Gusu when Nie Huaisang wrote that he would be coming. His fiancé notices the difference and grins. 

"Should we play Go?" Lan Xichen asks, unable to resist what now feels like a joke between them. 

Nie Huaisang picks a biscuit and shakes his head. 

"Let's chat instead," he suggests, his expression suddenly turning serious and nibbles on the treat. "Lan Wangji was telling me about something when you arrived, but he admitted he didn't have all the elements. You do, though, and I want to hear it from you." 

Without thinking, Lan Xichen smiles while frantically trying to guess what his brother might have said. He wonders if this is about the rabbits painting, if Lan Wangji decided to share his brother's initial reaction to it. It was petty and stupid of him to have turned around the instant he'd heard the painting was from Nie Huaisang, but hopefully at this point he has more than proved his sincere admiration for his fiancé's skill, and… and he'll apologise of course, but surely Nie Huaisang won't be upset, surely… 

"Wangji says you were punished for kissing someone at the end of last year." 

Hearing this, Lan Xichen wishes it had been about the painting after all. He feels his entire body go rigid just from these few words, terrified that Nie Huaisang might make wrongful assumptions. 

When his fiancé stays silent too long, Nie Huaisang frowns and resumes speaking. "I know you're too honourable to have kissed someone else," he states, which does ease some of Lan Xichen’s tension. "So I'm guessing this is about… about what happened between us?" 

His hands tightening around his cup of tea, Lan Xichen looks down in shame and nods once, forcing his smile away. 

"Lan gongzi, that's… I thought kissing was fine," Nie Huaisang says hesitantly. "if it's in private, anyway. I've copied the rules of Gusu Lan many, many times at this point, I don't remember seeing anywhere that kissing is forbidden." 

"But assault is,” Lan Xichen whispers, closing his eyes.

Nie Huaisang gasps.

“Lan gongzi, that’s… that’s not at all what happened!” he exclaims, putting one hand above Lan Xichen’s in a comforting gesture. “You didn’t force me!”

Lan Xichen’s eyes snap open and he stares at Nie Huaisang who looks distressed, as if he were the one to have done something wrong.

“That time, you said…” Lan Xichen starts, only to stop when Nie Huaisang pulls on his hand to force it from the tea cup and holds it in both of his, a serious look on his face.

“Lan gongzi, that time I said a lot of awful things to you,” Nie Huaisang sighs, keeping his eyes on their hands. “Some of it was true, because I was so angry at you for the way you used to be. But other things… Lan gongzi, even if you made the first move for it, in the end, wasn't I the one to actually kiss you?”

"What?"

Nie Huaisang frowns as his face turns a deep shade of red, his eyes still avoiding Lan Xichen's. 

"Well, that's how I remember it anyway," he mutters with a forced laugh. "I was so annoyed at myself for it, too. At that time, I really wanted to hate you, but you were looking at me like that, and I really do like kissing. And then you made it worse because you were actually very nice to kiss!" 

"I'm sorry?" Lan Xichen mumbles, feeling rather confused. 

Of course, for him the kiss had been extremely nice, at least before it was abruptly ended. But with the way Nie Huaisang reacted to it, he had assumed that for his fiancé it must have been deeply unpleasant, repulsing even. So he has tried not to dwell too much on how good it felt to feel Nie Huaisang’s lips on his, warm and soft, tasting slightly of tea. That kiss is on a list of memories Lan Xichen wants to forget, along with that vision of Nie Huaisang in wet, translucent robes by the river, or the way he looked in Qinghe after changing so hastily that his robes hung too loosely and revealed more skin than they should have, or… 

Nie Huaisang's hands tighten around his. 

"Lan gongzi, I'm very happy you've started apologising for those time you treated me badly," he says. "But just because you've done me wrong for certain things doesn't mean everything was your fault. I carry my share of blame as well, and I can't let you feel guilty over that."

"You didn't realise…" 

"I did. I wanted to hurt you," Nie Huaisang admits. "That's why I started kissing other people, and why I first thought I'd try to sleep with someone. I knew even if you didn't care at all about me, it would surely hurt you to be married to someone who had done things like that." 

"Oh." 

Suddenly feeling like he cannot breathe well, Lan Xichen lets his eyes fall on his cup of tea, if only to give them something to rest on. It had never occurred to him that Nie Huaisang’s dalliances might be more than his fiancé seeking a little fun, the way he's seen even other Lan boys do when they can get away with it.

It had hurt to realise that Nie Huaisang would rather go to other people than to him for these things. It now hurts even more to hear it was a deliberate choice, intended to cause him exactly the sort of pain he's now feeling. He doesn't think it will ever stop hurting, the degree to which Nie Huaisang grew to hate him. 

"I'm really sorry," Nie Huaisang says. "I shouldn't have acted like this. Being angry doesn't excuse my behaviour."

Taking a deep breath, Lan Xichen smiles again. 

"I understand. It's fine, you were…." 

"Please, don't do that!" Nie Huaisang urgently begs. "If you're angry at me, say it. You have every right to be angry, and promised you'd be more open, so do it for this as well. It's not fair if I'm the only one who gets to be upset."

"I'm not angry," Lan Xichen sighs, forcing the words out. "I'm just… sad. Do you really hate me this much?" 

"Not anymore," Nie Huaisang gently replies, squeezing his hand. 

Meaning he used to. But of course, Lan Xichen already knows that. 

"I wouldn't do that anymore," Nie Huaisang babbles on. "Even back then, I knew it was bad. It could have ruined things with Jin Zixuan too, how stupid! I really want to slap myself for that. I can't believe I just went and…" 

"It's fine with me if you do it again," Lan Xichen cuts him, spitting out the words as if they were made of acid. 

Nie Huaisang’s grip on his hand tightens to the point of being painful. 

"What do you mean?" 

"You did not choose this," Lan Xichen whispers, words that he's prepared hundreds of times in his mind, yet can barely bring himself to utter out loud. "This engagement, this marriage... I won't make demands of you. If you find a person you like… as long as you are discreet… If It makes you happy, I won't stop you." 

"But that would hurt you."

Lan Xichen scoffs at that understatement. 

"It's irrelevant." 

"It's not!" Nie Huaisang protests, sounding distressed. "Lan gongzi, Xichen, I… no matter how things were before, this is now, and everything is different. I wouldn't do that again, I mean it. The thought of hurting you like that again, it's unbearable."

Lan Xichen looks up for his cup of tea, their eyes meeting for the first time since they started on that subject. Nie Huaisang does look upset, his eyes shining as if the very thought of hurting Lan Xichen might make him cry. 

"I won't do that to you," Nie Huaisang repeats fiercely. "Not even with your permission." 

"Thank you," Lan Xichen whispers, moving his hand so he can properly hold one of Nie Huaisang's. 

He is fearful, at first, that he is taking more than his fiancé is willing to offer, but Nie Huaisang doesn't move his hand away. On the contrary he smiles and brushes his thumb against the back of Lan Xichen's hand. It is nice to be like this, quiet in a different way from when they fell silent during their meetings last year. Lan Xichen wouldn't mind spending the rest of the afternoon like this, though when before long Nie Huaisang starts chatting again, he doesn't mind that either. 

"I'm thinking of something," Nie Huaisang announces. "That time… was it really your first kiss?" 

"It was." 

"And I've ruined it," Nie Huaisang pouts, his expression exaggerated but his tone earnest. "I'm sorry for that. You deserve a nicer first kiss than that."

Lan Xichen looks away, his cheeks burning as he wonders how to explain that, even if things went so bad, he doesn't regret that kiss at all. Not now that he knows Nie Huaisang was willing. 

"How will I ever make it up to you?" Nie Huaisang sighs, his voice turning playful. "Ah! I know!" he announces with a devilish smile. "There's going to be an archery contest for junior disciples at that conference the Wens are hosting, right?" 

A little worried as to where this is going, Lan Xichen nods. 

"Well, here's my offer: if you win first place, I'll give you a real first kiss, to replace that other one." 

Lan Xichen's eyes go wide with surprise, while his cheeks turn redder than cherries at this bold proposition. To be so casually offered such a thing is… 

"If it's to compensate for what happened, shouldn't you just kiss me without condition?" Lan Xichen hears himself say, without any input from his brain. 

Nie Huaisang, blushing heavily as well, snickers at that comment and smirks at him. 

"I can't make things too easy for you!" he protests. "Besides, aren't I worth the effort? And you're such a strong archer, I'm sure it will be quite easy for you." 

"There will be other strong competitors," Lan Xichen protests, a little ashamed to be taking this joke so seriously but unable to stop himself when Nie Huaisang is pretending to offer him exactly the thing he most wants. "Wangji is probably even better than me, and Wei Wuxian is serious competition as well." 

"Already looking for excuses?" Nie Huaisang teases, squeezing his hand. "Lan gongzi, just say you don't want to kiss me." 

"I did not say that," Lan Xichen protests too quickly, which makes his fiancé burst out laughing. Lan Xichen can't decide if he's embarrassed or glad that this is apparently something they can joke about, now that they've clarified things between them. 

"Lan gongzi, you're so easy to tease these days!" Nie Huaisang chuckles. "I like it, it's more fun than when you tried to be serious." 

"I'm glad I can entertain Nie gongzi." 

"I wish everyone took it as well as you do. Jiang Cheng kept complaining about how awful I am, when I was in Lotus Piers. He said I was worse than Wei Wuxian, can you believe that?" 

"I can imagine him saying that, certainly. How are they both doing?" Lan Xichen asks, eager to move to a less dangerous topic.

That is all the prompting Nie Huaisang needs to start chatting about his stay in Yunmeng, and what great fun he had there. Now that he is not distressed by other subjects, Lan Xichen is free to observe his fiancé and finds him to be in a much better state than he was in Qinghe. Loneliness does not suit Nie Huaisang, and Lan Xichen is glad Nie Mingjue listened when he suggested to let his brother travel to see his friends. He will still offer to play music for Nie Huaisang later, but the need for it seems less urgent than last time. 

They continue talking as the afternoon pass (or rather Nie Huaisang chatters while Lan Xichen makes comments here and there), never noticing the time. They are only brought back to the world around them when, as the shadows start growing longer, Lan Qiren briefly comes into the house.

"I forgot some documents I was working on," he grumbles, striding past them without bothering to greet his nephew's guest. "I'll only be a moment, so…" 

Lan Qiren trails off, stopping on his tracks and suddenly staring at them as if they've both grown a second head. An ugly one at that, judging by his expression. It's rare to see him so disconcerted and Lan Xichen wonders what could be upsetting him. Following his uncle's gaze, he realises that this entire time, Nie Huaisang and him never let go of each other's hand. 

For a moment, Lan Xichen fears that Nie Huaisang will realises and move away. That fear is assuaged when instead, his fiancé gently squeezes his fingers and resumes his anecdote about one of Wei Wuxian's bouts of mischief, as if Lan Qiren weren't there. In turn Lan Qiren seems to recover from his shock. Without another word he goes to pick up his documents and leaves as quickly as he had arrived, his expression unreadable. Lan Xichen can't help staring at the door a moment, wondering what his uncle must think of this, until Nie Huaisang tugs at his hand, demanding his attention. 

"Lan gongzi, am I boring you?" he asks with a pout. 

"You never could," Lan Xichen replies. "So what did he do after stealing that boat?" 

Nie Huaisang grins. "Well, first of all, he got yelled at by Jiang Wanyin of course! And then he grabbed me and forced me to jump in, and…" 

Lan Xichen smiles, and listens with amused horror to a wild story that ends with all three boys falling in the water and punished by Madam Yu.

It took too long and caused so much pain to both of them, but it is nice to finally be friend with Nie Huaisang.

[cloverhighfivewritestoo]

Quarantine Roomies

👉 Read it on Ao3

This is @misha-moose-dean-burger-lover​’s fault. She wrote Be Mine, this Quarantine (1.6k) and I continued it (hence the part 2). So if you want context, go read the other fic where Dean tries to sum up the courage to ask Cas to quarantine together. (also, I continued the fic, so there’s details from her fic that went into mine too)

But if you just want to start where Dean gets to Cas’ place, here we go.

college!AU, buddies to not-buddies, fluff, 2k

And so Dean had moved in with Cas for the quarantine. Cas had a second room with a futon, which he had made into a bed for Dean. “So here’s the room I have for you,” said Cas. “It’s not much, but…” Dean was just trying to breathe. He was here. In Cas’ apartment. He was going to sleep in the room right next to Cas’. “Do you think it’ll do?”, asked Cas. The bed could have been nailed to the wall vertically, Dean wouldn’t have cared. “It’s perfect, Cas. Thanks.” “OK then. Um, I cleared two drawers in the chest of drawers there – don’t try to open the other drawers, they’re gonna explode – and, um, the closet is pretty empty except some boxes.” “OK. Cool.” Dean and Cas looked at the room in silence. “Oh,” said Cas, “do you think you need a nightstand?” “What?” Cas didn’t wait for Dean to actually answer. He rummaged in the closet and produced a box that was high enough and big enough to serve as a nightstand. He turned to Dean and smiled. “All set!” Fuck. That smile. Dean was fucked. Cas shuffled on his feet, inching towards the door. “So, um, I’ll let you unpack your stuff.” “Oh, you can stay.” Cas sat on the futon with a smile. “Did you bring a lot?” Dean just wanted to sit next to Cas and hug him and kiss him, but he had to keep face. “Just what I need. You have a washing machine?” “In the basement.” “Alright.” Dean unpacked his bags and felt Cas’ eyes on him the whole time. Cas would even comment on the shirts Dean brought, pointing out that this or that shirt was a favourite of Dean’s or himself. For some reason, it made Dean happy. And Cas seemed happy too. It was a bit weird how he felt happy just unpacking and talking. Dean tried not to read too much into it.

After, they’d gone grocery shopping, because Cas said Dean was the better cook so he should be there to choose what to buy. Cas declared he had quite the sweet tooth, and Dean promptly added a few cake box mixes to the cart. “That’s gonna be a lot of cakes though, Dean.” Dean winked. “Did you know you can make cookies out of cake mixes?” Cas’ eyes widened. “Funfetti cookies?” Dean smirked. “Any mix.” Dean smiled fondly as he watched Cas carefully choose three more boxes, two of which were funfetti. Dean added some multicolor nonpareils to the cart. “More fun for the funfetti.” Cas smiled wide. Dean wondered if he was completely red now. Dinner was frozen pizza, since Dean declared that coming back from groceries nobody wants to cook. But he baked a batch of funfetti cookies nonetheless, which they ate on the couch, watching a Mission: Impossible movie. Actually, Dean had two cookies, and Cas just kept on eating them slowly. At one point, Dean had to tell Cas to slow down. “Come on, buddy. You’ll be sick.” Cas had looked sadly at the cookies plate. “They’re just so good.” He’d taken another cookie very slowly, his eyes on Dean, as if he was worried he’d stop him. Dean just shook his head. “Hey, don’t come crying to me when you get a tummy ache.” “OK,” Cas said, shoving the cookie in his mouth. Fuck. Dean was so fucked. How will he last a whole quarantine with this adorable fucker without completely losing his mind? Cas got up. “I’m getting milk. Want milk?” “Nah I’m good.” He watched Cas go to the kitchen – hgnnn that ass – and then heard him shout back “Hey I’m not sleepy at all.” Dean shouted, “No shit.” “We could watch another movie.” “Alright.” Cas came back, took a big gulp standing in front of the couch, licked his lips – yeah, Dean was soooo fucked – set his glass on the coffee table, and flopped down next to Dean. And, Dean noticed, he was… quite closer this time. But Cas looked like nothing special was going on. So Dean started another movie. When the movie was done, Dean looked at Cas. “You still seem wide awake. That was a lot of cookies.” “No, it’s just my weird sleeping schedule.” “If you say so. I think I’m gonna head to bed though.” “Yeah me too. I’m gonna read a bit.” Dean knew he couldn’t sleep though. He was thinking about the afternoon, unpacking his things with Cas sitting on the bed and chatting him up, and going grocery shopping, how fun it was – how can it be fun? But it was. And then talking about their teachers over dinner, and then Cas’ face lighting up when the cookies were done and how he almost burnt his mouth trying to eat one right away… His head was dizzy with Cas smiling, and all the faces he made, and how painfully adorable he always was, on top of being goddamn hot, on top of being so easy to be with. Dean had left his door slightly open, closed enough so it looks like he has his privacy, but open enough so he can see if Cas walks around in the night, hopefully in his underwear. OH GOD. Why had Dean have to think about that? And so Dean was fixating a bit too much on the soft light reflecting in the hallway from Cas’ room – who, it seems, had left his door slightly open too – and his ears were picking up the sound of ruffling sheets as Cas changed positions to read, the page sliding against the other page as he turned it, the occasional hm or sigh in reaction to what he was reading. Dean felt a bit of air blow on his nose. It took him a few moments to realize it was morning and that he had dozed off to sleep – at what hour he had no idea, but he hadn’t seen Cas’ light turned off.  He felt a bit of cool air again. He took a deep breath. He heard purr. Dean’s eyes shot open. The cat! He’d forgotten the cat! The cat was purring louder. “Hey buddy,” Dean whispered. The cat yawned and blinked. It purred some more. Dean realized his nose wasn’t itching. His eyes weren’t on fire. What? He was allergic to cats, he’d even brought medicine for an army – and forgotten to take any. “How come I’m not allergic to you?” Purr, purr. Dean took his time to wake up, even petted the cat on his head, which granted him more purring, which almost put Dean back to sleep. Eventually, he got up and just pulled on a pair of jeans, walking in the kitchen barefoot, no shirt on. He started to prepare some coffee. Dean heard Cas in his room make waking grunts as he stretched. He heard Cas say “Hey Jack, you sleep well?” Damn, Dean could hear the cat purr from the kitchen. He heard Cas again, “Come on, let’s see if Dean is up.” Suddenly, Dean regretted not putting on a shirt. He felt very self-conscious. He didn’t have time to dwell on that for long: there was a loud clang behind him and a “OUCH SHIT”. He turned to see Cas wincing, holding a foot. A chair was on the floor. “You alright?” Cas breathed in sharply. “Yeah, yeah. Just banged into the chair.” “How did you do that?”, Dean said, and he saw Cas’ eyes glance over his chest and look away. “I dunno, clumsy I guess,” Cas said, as he picked up the chair and sat on it, rubbing his shin and his foot, looking pointedly down. Dean was in shock. Did Cas just check him out? He suddenly felt very naked. But going to put a shirt on now would seem too weird. Better play it cool. “I got coffee going.” “Thanks.” Dean walked around the table to Cas. “You’ll be alright?” Cas showed his leg. “Yeah. My ego’s probably more bruised.” “Alright.” Dean sat on the chair on the side, turning it slightly to face Cas. They both looked at Cas’ leg, while Cas was moving his foot to check what hurt and what was OK. The coffee was dripping in the background. “Cas, by the way… and this is weird… I think I’m not allergic to your cat.” “Jack? He’s hypoallergenic.” “But he’s got hair. He’s even quite fluffy.” “Still hypoallergenic.” “Uh. Nice. I don’t have to take meds then. Cool. Talk about a coincidence, you having an allergy-free cat.” Cas seemed to think about something. “I knew you were allergic.” “What?” Cas looked down. “When I got Jack. I knew. That’s why I went for this type of cat.” “What? Wait. You already had a cat when I met you. You got a new cat?” “No, it's the same cat.” Cas bit on his lip. “Actually, I got him two weeks after I saw you.” Dean’s heart was racing, but mostly he was confused. What was Cas saying? “I don’t follow. This cat is clearly older than we’ve been friends.” Cas looked at his hands. “I saw you before you saw me.” “What? When?” “Last year. You were arguing with someone about their cat. And I’d just moved in, and I wanted a cat. I thought if one day I’m lucky, maybe this guy will come to my place, you know, be my friend, and I don’t want to kill him, so, I got a hypoallergenic cat.” “Last year.” “Yeah.” Dean thought he was dreaming or something. Did Cas just tell him he had a crush on him since last year? No. He said ‘friend’. He couldn’t help but repeat what Cas had said. “You got that cat because of me, last year.” “Yeah.” Dean was stunned. He didn’t know what to say. Could it be… ? No. But… ? Cas glanced at Dean, who wasn’t moving, or, seemingly, even breathing. “I shouldn’t have said anything. I’m sorry.” Cas got up and went to his room. He closed the door. Dean listened to the coffee as it finished dripping, his gaze focused on Cas’ bedroom door. He tried to wrap his head around… all of it. The cat. The easy friendship. Cas texting him good morning every day. Him sending Cas stupid pics of his breakfast like it’s important. The long nights chatting. Cas asking him to come spend quarantine with him. And Cas so happy every time he got to stick around with him. Oh. Dean got up. He knocked lightly on Cas’ door. “Cas.” Cas’ voice came muffled. “No Dean it’s fine. I’m sorry I brought it up.” Dean insisted. “Cas, can I come in? Come on.” It took a moment before he heard a feeble “OK”. Dean opened the door. Cas was sitting on his bed, his arms around his legs, his head between his knees. Dean sat by Cas on the side of the bed. “Hey. I’m glad you told me.” Cas didn’t move. “Why? It’s all gonna be awkward, now.” Dean sat closer. “Cas, look at me.” Cas lifted his head. There were tears on his cheeks. Dean felt his heart sink and his breath catch in his throat. “Cas, oh my god, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Cas’ big, blue eyes were perplex. “Why?” “Because I’m stupid.” And as he said that, Dean took Cas’ face gently in his hands, and kissed him softly. Cas said, “Are you sure?” “Yes,” Dean said, as he kissed him again. Cas let go of his legs and passed his arms around Dean. The feel of Cas’ hands on his bare skin sent electricity through Dean. He kissed Cas harder, who kissed him back with impatience. Moments later, they came for air. Dean started laughing, Cas started laughing too. Dean said, “I’m glad we cleared that up on the first day. This is gonna make the quarantine so much better.” Cas looked at Dean with the biggest smile and kissed him. “So much.” In Stanford, Sam almost walked into a pole when he got a pic from his brother: Dean was all smiles, an arm around Cas, who was laughing, nudged in Dean’s neck. Of course, there was no text.

     I’d love to hear from you!

     Back to the Masterlist

[celestelavie]

Campus Tours || Athena & Celeste

TIMING: About a week ago PARTIES: @athenaquinn & @celestelavie SUMMARY: Since they’re staying in town long term, Celeste decides to go to UMWC to get information on their nursing program. Athena shows a lost Celeste around

After a particularly grueling shift at the diner, Celeste had decided she needed a step in the right direction. College had never made much sense, being on the run all the time, but if they were going to be making roots here, now was a good time as any to start. It felt like a huge step to be taking with the threat of her parents still looming, but she had to believe even that would be under wraps soon enough. She could at least hope as much anyway. She figured she could visit the Admissions office as the very least and get an idea of what her next steps needed to be. However, she found the campus to be a little overwhelming to navigate. She stared down at the map on her phone, trying to figure out what part of it corresponded with the building. She’d been grumbling at her phone when she noticed a figure in front of her just in time to prevent herself from a collision. “Sorry,” she started, “Oh! You’re Athena, right? Ariana’s friend?”

School was out for the summer, but that didn’t mean that Athena wasn’t still on campus. She liked going swimming in the pool and she had friends taking summer courses. It was also a place in town that she knew her parents were fine with her spending time at. They had to be, even though they didn’t wish for her to live on campus. Today she was simply going for a walk around campus, enjoying the nice weather. She wondered where her brother was - he had still not yet come home, and part of her worried for him, no matter how angry she was at him for leaving in the first place. Caught up briefly in her own thoughts she didn’t see the woman who was about to run into her, but luckily the woman stopped before the two of them collided, and Athena briefly side stepped, ready to wave and be on her way when the woman began talking to her. “Oh! Yes, I am! You must be Celeste.” She grinned, turning to face the woman. “How are you? It is such a wonderful sort of coincidence to run into you.”

Of all the people to nearly run into, Celeste had to be grateful that it was a friend of Ariana’s. Using the map on her cell phone to navigate the campus had proven to be more difficult than she would have liked. Plus, it was good to actually meet Athena. By all indications, she was a good influence and had gotten Ariana in with that summer soccer camp she was so excited for. She extended her hand forward to shake Athena’s, “It’s good to meet you in person. I’ve heard great things about you and your cookies were quite delicious.” She stuffed the phone back into the pocket of her jeans and answered, “Oh, I’m doing well. I was just looking for the Admissions office, actually. The map was a little confusing… hence, the near collision.”

She’d been wondering if she was ever going to get to meet Celeste. Athena was always curious about other siblings - and the fact that Celeste was a good deal older than Ariana just added another layer of fascination into the whole thing. They also seemed to get along well. Better than her and Orion, certainly, though Athena was self-aware enough to know that though she and her brother might have appeared like ideal siblings, they had not been that for years. Namely due to his refusal to believe in his destiny - or at least that was what she told herself. “It is good to meet you in person too.” She took Celeste’s hand in her own and gave it a quick, solid shake. “I am glad you have heard good things - and oh, I’m so glad! Baking and sharing what I bake is just the best.” She tossed a bit of her hair over her shoulder. “Well, you know, I might be able to help you with that. You were headed sort of in the right direction. What do you say? We can walk and chat along the way? If you don’t mind the company, that is.”

Celeste welcomed the idea of someone helping her find her way to the Admissions Office, especially a friend of Ariana’s. It was becoming more and more apparent that the younger woman really was a perfectionist. Celeste couldn’t even remember the last time she baked something though she was sure it was probably chocolate chip cookies. “Well, I can’t complain since I get to eat some of the baked goods. I’ve never been much of a baker myself.” She shifted her purse on her shoulder and exclaimed, “I’ll gladly take the help. I was beginning to feel a bit silly not being able to find it. Chatting would also be nice.” She smiled as she followed Athena’s lead, thankful she ran into someone she sort of knew to help her find her way. “How’s everything been with you? I know Ariana mentioned you two would be volunteering at a soccer camp together this summer.”

“Well, if you ever want some recipes to try out, I’ve got some good starter ones to try.” Athena grinned. “I won’t go all out and send you complicated ones, don’t worry.” She gave a small shrug. “Just let me know.” She grinned as Celeste accepted her offer of help. Good - this would give her a specific task for the day. Not to mention, she was curious to get to know Celeste more. She liked Ariana, and it was good to get to know the family members of those you were friends with, wasn’t it? “Please, this campus is a mess of planning, sometimes. You’d think an admissions office would be the easiest thing to find and yet it is far from it.” Adjusting her pace so that she was in line with Celeste, Athena grinned. “Chatting would be nice. Things with me are good. College is out for the summer, which is nice, though I do like school so part of me is also sad - but I think I did very well in all my classes this semester so I am pleased. Ariana and I will be doing that! Starts the end of June, and I’m super excited. Ariana’s such a great soccer player, and it’ll be nice to have her around. How about you? How are the repairs on your home going? I hope well, though I know these things can sometimes take forever.”

“I may take you up on that one of these days,” Celeste responded with a smile, “Thank goodness, I remember my mom tried to have me make a meringue once without any previous guidance on it and it… well, it turned out disastrous.”  She welcomed the chance to get to know one of Ariana’s friends. One of these days, when they were able to have a place of their own again, they’d have to have her over. As they walked through the campus, Celeste laughed. “Yes, they definitely didn’t make it easy. I was hoping to get some information on what I’d need to do to get myself enrolled in the nursing program.” She kept pace with the younger girl and listened as she talked about her summer. It was rare to see someone who liked school, but she supposed she understood. She seemed like a very ambitious young woman. “Well, I’m glad to hear your grades are doing well. What brings you to campus if you’re out of class for the summer? I know she’s really excited for the camp, too. She’s always loved soccer.” At the mention of their home, she shifted her glance a bit. It wasn’t like she could explain it anyway, so she shrugged, “It’s coming along. Hopefully we can be home soon.”

“Absolutely, just let me know.” Athena grinned. “Meringues are incredibly tricky to get right, so I will be certain to not give you any of those recipes. Admittedly, even I do not love working with meringue, so I do not have many recipes that even use that.” She found Celeste surprisingly easy to talk to - though she supposed that she should not have been so very surprised, in the end. Athena liked to think of herself as someone who could win most anyone over. Certainly something she’d used to her advantage on more than one occasion. So far though, at least in this conversation, everything she had said was filled to the brim with honesty - or at least as much so as she ever properly used. “Oh, nursing! That’s so fantastic! One of the girls in my sorority is starting there in the fall, it’s supposed to be a wonderful program.” She glanced over to Celeste. “Thank you, and well - I like the campus, and it gives me a nice space to walk around and collect my thoughts. It’s nice to walk around here and not have to focus on thinking about an exam or paper or project that I’ll have to do.” She bit her lip. “I’ve loved soccer for years too. It seemed like a nice thing to mention to her, especially given how skilled she is.” She watched Celeste’s expression change for a moment at the mention of her home and for a moment (though only a fleeting one) Athena wondered if perhaps that was not the best sort of question to have asked. “I hope you can be as well.” She continued to make her way through the campus, past a few classroom buildings, as she pointed them out, “that’s where some of my favorite classes have been held. Introduction to Neuroscience, for one. The class that I came into excited for and left knowing that it’d have to be one of my majors.” She looked back over at the other woman. “Can I ask - what draws you to nursing?”

The talk of meringue brought Celeste to a not so pleasant flashback of a job she worked back in San Diego at a bakery. It had been short lived due to how many meringues she had messed up and she had no intention of putting herself through that kind of torture again. “That’s a relief. If it’s meringue-free, I’m sure I can make the recipe work and not have flashback nightmares to an awful job I had when we lived in San Diego.” Somehow the news that Athena was in a sorority hadn’t been surprising to her. Everything about her screamed Type A from her school ambitions and her involvement as a student athlete. Even down to the enjoying campus when she didn’t even have to be here. It was a nice enough campus, but she had to imagine a break was nice. She knew Ariana was always eager to leave school unless she had practice. “Maybe I’ll see her in classes then. I’m sure I have a ton of prerequisites to take. I haven’t taken any college classes.” Hell, she hadn’t even graduated high school though she had gotten her GED. Technically, she also had a very convincing counterfeit diploma and transcripts, too, but she was inclined to take the honest route. She walked along with Athena, bag swinging from her shoulder and mused, “I suppose I can understand that. The campus is nice and I’m sure has good spots for reading and the like.” Celeste smiled as she spoke of how she enjoyed soccer and how skilled Ariana was. It made her proud to see Ari excel at something, especially when it was something she enjoyed. She hoped the carpentry apprenticeship worked out well for her. “I’m sure you two will have a lovely time.” She shrugged calmly at Athena’s well wishes. The little house they’d been staying in wouldn’t be an option anymore. Finding a new place would be nice though. Ulfric’s was kind of cramped and as cordial as he was capable of being, it was fairly plain to see he wasn’t her biggest fan. She focused instead on the last part, “Well, I’ve always wanted to do something that helps people and I’m not at all squeamish.” She thought to her own stitches on her leg that she’d done herself, “Figured I have the personality to provide comfort and medical care, so may as well go for it now that Ariana is out in the working world. You mentioned going into the medical field as well, right?”

“You lived in California?” Athena’s eyes lit up for a moment. “I’d love to go there someday.” It was almost as though with everything Celeste said she felt all the more connected to her - or even if not connected - more intrigued. She’d lived such an interesting life - lived in so many different places, and Athena had only been in one. She knew that it was for an incredibly good reason, but it didn’t mean that she didn’t sometimes wish she could have traveled elsewhere. “You may! I’ll tell her to look out for you. You might need to do some prereqs, but like, I know they always want new students so that’s also something in your favor.” She gave a small shrug to the woman. “Besides, if you’re anything like your sister, you’re likely a quick learner. She told me she was struggling with math classes but then got up to nearly an A in almost no time!” It was genuine, her compliment - she knew that she wasn’t always genuine but she did enjoy talking to Ariana. So she figured that being honest was the best way to go about things in this case. “Exactly. Especially with the beautiful weather, it’s nicer to go here than in a library or coffee shop in order to read. Plus, I know this makes me sound like a giant nerd - not that there’s anything wrong with that - but sometimes I like to get my books for the fall in advance and read those, and doing it on campus seems even nicer.” Her grin matched Celeste’s. “I bet we will, it’s a great camp and she seems so excited.” Celeste didn’t seem to want to remark any more on Athena’s comment about the house - which was fine. She knew that they were still mostly strangers, and just because some people enjoyed talking about home repairs, others were more cautious. She only hoped that there hadn’t been a sort of terrible attack. “I feel much the same way - and yes, all of that makes sense. I am going into the medical field! Hopefully I’ll get into some good med schools come next year. I agree though, I truly just want to do whatever I can to help make the world a better place, and if medicine is one way to do that, then why not?”

“Yes,” Celeste answered with a small grin. It had been a very brief stint before her parents had gotten wind of their location, but she had enjoyed it. The state had a lot to offer in terms of different terrains and national parks. “It’s a beautiful state. I miss it sometimes, but White Crest has a homey feel to it.” The prospect of being a student again still had her nerves on edge, but having a connection could be nice. Make the whole thing easier. “I appreciate that. I’m sure any friend of yours is lovely.” As much was true. Athena seemed like a smart kid with a good head on her shoulders. She was definitely driven and friendly. It was nice to have someone showing her the way around campus. There was a certain excited energy that came with being here and it was nice to get some of it out. She walked alongside the girl and commented, “It has been beautiful as of late. It’s good that you enjoy where and what you study. I imagine it makes the whole keeping up with your coursework so much easier.” At least she had assumed as much. It’d been too many years since she had to study anything herself. A smile grew on her face at the mention of Ariana being excited for the soccer camp. It was nice she had something to look forward to, even in the midst of everything else. They were choosing somewhere to be home permanently which gave them both the freedom to pursue things they were passionate about. “She really is, which I love to see.” They walked through a part of campus that had a fair number of little picnic tables under trees. She could envision herself content under one just studying away. As much had always been something that felt so out of reach, but here she was. She studied the campus around her and listened as Athena spoke. “That’s an admirable goal. You seem to be very motivated, so I have no doubt you’ll reach it. I like the way you think though, helping people. The whole leaving the world a better place than you found it thing. I wish you the best of luck with applying and getting into med schools.”

“White Crest has a homey feel for me too,” Athena grinned. “Then again, it has been my home my whole life, so I suppose to some degree that’s to be expected. Though, if you don’t mind, I might ask you about California sometime.” She shrugged. “Oh, of course! She’s great, and plus, she knows the place well and so she’ll get you all in the know and everything. Which is something that counts, I think. Even if just to let you know all the shortcuts around campus.” Celeste seemed happy, and that made Athena stand up straighter and continue to lead the woman along, giving a small wave as she passed a boy who was in one of her lectures last semester. “It has been, and I am so glad for that. Though I love Maine, winters do get so dreary. Also true, that studying what I love does make everything a lot easier. More appealing, too.” Another nod. “I’m glad, I’m glad I could do this for her - but she really got in all on her own. Knowing me was an added bonus to her application, she’s incredible in her own merit.” She sighed. “Thank you, and same to you. Anyone who wants to further their education is bound to succeed in their own way.” She did believe that, to an extent. Certainly, this was a bit more forced than usual, but she wanted to make a good impression. “I agree. I have always been that way, for as long as I can remember. Just wanting to make the world as good a place as is possible. Thank you!” She looked up. “We’re almost to the admissions building. Not too hard after all, hm?” She winked.

“I didn’t live there too long, but I’d be happy to answer any California questions that I can,” Celeste stated easily with a smile. She did know the state was a popular tourist destination for a good number of reasons. Her initial thought when they had moved there was that it would be far enough away from the Aquilla Estate that her parents wouldn’t venture out there on a whim. She’d been wrong and now they were going to be here soon enough. She focused back on the nursing school things, noting each building they passed. “Thank you, Athena. I look forward to hopefully joining in the program and meeting her. This place is huge, shortcuts would be most helpful.” Potential study partners were also a plus. She’d always enjoyed making friends. Celeste smiled in the direction of the boy Athena waved at, not wanting to appear rude. She’d yet to experience a Maine winter so she wasn’t sure what she was in for. Whether it’d be better or worse than winter in other states. “I suppose I’ll see for myself soon enough,” she thought aloud with a laugh. It couldn’t be any worse than Minnesota. There was a surge of pride that went through her hearing Athena speak so highly of Ariana. Their life hadn’t been easy, but she’d always done her best to steer Ari in the right direction. “Thank you, I know she’s a bright kid. Passionate, too. I’m sure the kids will get that from both of you.” She scanned their surroundings, noting they were by the Financial Aid department. She made a mental note of that. She’d need to visit them shortly after Admissions. Not surprisingly, Athena mentioned they were close. “Oh good, I’ve been trying to keep an eye on landmarks to make it easier for next time. Thank you for taking the time to lead the way. Good deeds definitely help in making the world a better place.”

“Oh, I don’t expect you to be an expert, it’d just be more what it was like living there,” Athena offered an easy smile. “Of course - I hope you get into the program too, and shortcuts are for sure always handy to know.” Though the nursing program and medical school did not always work together so much, if Athena did end up at UMWC’s medical school (her parents might want that, she figured - even though Johns Hopkins or Harvard or Geffen were all higher up, she’d stay here if it was needed) then there was a chance that they’d run into one another, still. “I suppose you will, although hopefully not too soon! We had a time of complete darkness, and that was a bit difficult, but I do not wish for winter in the middle of summer.” This entire conversation was incredibly normal. She was used to it, but there was something about Celeste that felt more natural than some of the other conversations she’d had. Maybe it was that even though she was meeting her for the first time technically, they had already connected a bit online and Athena did already know her sister. The shared interest in the medical field didn’t hurt, nor did the fact that Celeste was certainly not fae. “I’m sure they will,” she said with a quick nod. “You have a good sense of awareness, it’ll serve you well here. The landmarks method is a good way to go about it, it allows you to figure out where places are from any point. Also, don’t even mention it, I’m more than happy to be able to help out and to finally meet you. Good deeds do indeed, and the world certainly needs more of that.”  

“Warmer, sunnier, more hip if that’s still what the kids are saying. Way less mimes,” Celeste answered with a laugh. Of all the things in White Crest, she found she hated the mimes most of all. With a wide smile, she said, “Thank you, Athena. I appreciate it.” The prospect of being able to settle in a place and beginning to build a real life both excited and terrified her. Still, it’d be nice to pursue something she was actually passionate about and never have to ask another person how they wanted their eggs. The mention of the complete darkness made her laugh lightly. “Yes, definitely don’t want winter too soon. I’d like to enjoy the summer weather.” Though she figured she’d opt from going swimming anywhere in White Crest. It seemed almost inevitable something would try to eat her and that wasn’t her idea of summer fun. She looked over the Admissions building, still slightly filled with nerves to get this journey started before turning back to Athena. “Thank you. I agree with you, landmarks and being aware of your surroundings truly help. I think I could actually find this building again. It truly was great meeting you. Once Ariana and I get settled back into our home, you’ll have to come by for dinner and games some night. Enjoy your day, Athena!” With a final wave, she made her way into the Admissions Building feeling more hopeful than she had in a long time.

[whatevshollandarchive]

Peach Scone (T.H. x Reader)

Pairing: College!Tom Holland x Reader

Words: 5.9k 

Warnings: Swearing, Cheating-esque events, Some angst, Mostly fluff

Summary: Tom finds himself falling for you the moment you begin as his co-worker, but then finds out about your relationship - and where it is heading - and has to try to keep his feelings out of the equation.

A/N: Hi, so I wrote this for @tominhoodies ‘ 900 challenge and I’m actually kinda proud of this. It took me a while to write it in a way that I wanted to but I was very inspired by the song prompt and the actual story behind the song. I didn’t follow the lyrics to a T, and I didn’t really set it up in a way that I’ve seen song prompt fics in, but hopefully, it’s enjoyable. I used lines from the song in two different parts, so if you know Peach Scone, you’ll probably catch those parts. Also, there are parts in here that I literally did not know how to write less confusingly so if you’re confused at certain parts, I probably was too lmao. P.S. There are so many italics in this and I have no idea why. I guess I was in an emphasizing mood.

Prompt: “Peach Scone” by Hobo Johnson

Masterlist

Summertime in Virginia was beautiful. It was always so warm and pretty around town, but instead of taking advantage of the nice weather and pleasant sites, Tom was spending his summer break in a pizza parlor. Not the ideal situation he thought he’d be in while out of college for the summer months. He wanted to go home and visit his family back in London, but rent spiked up again and he couldn’t afford to fly across the ocean, try to keep up with loans and tuition and pay rent every month. So, serving pizza was all he got.

It wasn’t terrible. He had time off and could do things. He didn’t always smell like pizza. but the part that made it the most sufferable for him was you, his favorite co-worker. You’d started working at the shop two weeks after summer started, and Tom, having been working there for two months at the time, was tasked with being your mentor of sorts. Which gave the two of you the same shifts all summer long, mostly just because the manager was lazy and didn’t want to change it around when it was already looking okay. So, because of that, the two of you became close. Too close. Lines became blurred for Tom after some time. He was immediately attracted to you, but he wasn’t sure where you stood with your feelings. It seemed like you liked him back and flirted with him, but Tom had come to find out that you were in a relationship. A very serious relationship, at that.

The sun was beginning to set as Tom drummed his fingers on his steering wheel as he drove to work for the evening. His thoughts were racing as he pulled into the parking lot and searched for a place to park. He noticed your Mini Cooper sitting in a lone area and saw your figure still inside, staring down at your phone. He sucked in a breath and boldly whipped into a spot next to yours. You’d glanced up and smiled when you saw that it was Tom, setting your phone on silent before getting out of your car.

By the time Tom had gotten out of his truck, You’d appeared on the other side of your Mini Cooper to greet and walk into the store with him to begin your shift. He smirked when he saw you.

“What a coincidence,” He said and you both fell into step beside each other as you crossed the parking lot. “Didn’t expect you to be here.”

You rolled your eyes and bumped his shoulder with yours before stepping up onto the sidewalk in front of the doors to the parlor.

“Very funny, Tom. You definitely take after your father, for sure.” Tom opened the glass door for you.

“I can hear the sarcasm in your voice and I think that it’s unnecessary, Y/N.”

You ignored him as the two of you walked behind the counter to drop your personal items into your designated cubbies. Three other workers who were just ending their shifts said hello to you and Tom, as they usually did, before explaining to you how things were going. Tom watched as another co-worker that shared the same shifts as him clocked in and then walked back into the kitchen to pick up where the previous cook left off.

It was a normal day so far, Tom reaching over your shoulder to clock in the second after you do so yourself. It would change though, as soon as Tom was given both the chance and confidence. He wanted to make things less ordinary and more “Hey, I like you a lot.” But he also knew about your boyfriend and didn’t wanna seem like he didn’t support you and your relationship. He just kinda wanted to let his feelings be known, so he didn’t have to hide behind the compliments that were seen as him being a good friend. He had a lot to think over before he actually said something, but he felt like tonight was the night.

It was empty this shift. No one wanted to have pizza, it seemed, but that was normal. This particular pizza shop did not have tons and tons of customers at this time of day, ever, which made it a breeze to work there. But there was generally someone out there who wanted pizza and came in. This day just wasn’t one of those days, you supposed, as you leaned forward on the counter, resting your head in your hands. Tom stood a few feet away, admiring how perfect you looked, with your hair spilling down your back and your painted nails tapping your cheek. 

Tom forced himself to look away before you caught him staring. He shook the thought of spilling the beans about his feelings away. You had a boyfriend, why would he wanna mess with that? And besides, he wasn’t sure if he actually liked you, or if he just felt lonely because all his friends were in relationships and he was single. He wasn’t sure if he loved the thought of specifically being with you or just the thought of not being alone. He still had to think it over.

You sighed from where you stood and looked over at Tom, who was seemingly interested in whatever it said on his uniform’s hat. You dropped your hands and stood up straight.

“This is so boring.” You broke the silence and Tom smiled, looking up at you. You melted at the sight but immediately cursed yourself (and maybe Tom a little bit too) because you could not see him in that way. You had Luke, and it was going...okay with him. You didn’t wanna mess it up just because you worked with an attractive guy from England. 

You watched as he placed his hat back on his head and nodded slightly.

“It’s a bit boring, yeah,” You tried to fight the smile growing on your face, but it didn’t work. “What do you think we should do?”

You glanced around at the empty tables, tapping your nails on the counter in front of you before shrugging.

“Just anything but this.” Tom looked back into the kitchen where the other person was napping. Then, he swiftly walked in and found the fresh batch of garlic knots that the previous workers said they’d made before they left. 

“Hungry?” He asked, eyebrows raised, as he walked back to where you were standing in confusion. You laughed, nodding, and he slid the basket across the counter to you. You took one and carefully pulled it apart, putting some of it in your mouth. “How’s it going with Lucas?”

You scrunched your nose when Tom mentioned your boyfriend, and Tom gave you a knowing look. Something must’ve happened before you came into work, he could tell. You swallowed and pushed yourself up onto the counter, swinging your legs back and forth.

“He’s being a lame-o,” You rolled your eyes, recalling the argument over text you’d been having before Tom pulled into the parking spot beside yours. “Just some stupid stuff.”

Tom watched as you shook your head and pulled another piece off the garlic knot you had in your hands.

“You wanna talk about it?” You smiled softly.

“He was just...you know when you just have all these pent up things that you’re frustrated about and then someone can just do one little thing and it’ll set you off?” Tom nodded when you met his eye. “It was like that. We both just were not having it with each other today and it showed that it was more than the fact that he didn’t do the laundry when I asked him to and that I was ‘expecting too much of him.’” 

“So, what do you think it is?” Tom leaned forward and took a garlic knot himself as you shrugged. 

“I dunno. Sometimes he just bugs me to the point where I’m just so irritated with him, you know? I hate feeling like that.” 

Tom didn’t know Luke well enough to have an actual opinion on him, but he could tell he wouldn’t really like him, just judging by the stories and conversations you talk about. Not all of them are ones where you’re hurt by your boyfriend, Tom’s heard general mishaps or funny situations and hated the approaches Luke took. But when you were hurt by him, it made Tom dislike the guy even more.

“Understandable. Did he apologize?” You gave Tom a look that said, ‘Seriously?’

“Of course not. We were still mid-argument when you pulled in beside me.”

“Have I ever told you how much I don’t like him?” He joked and you laughed.

“You just haven’t met him,” You explained, tossing the garlic knot back into the basket, not that hungry anymore. “Though, I’d suggest not doing so. He’s kind of addicting.”

You and Tom talked for hours until it was time to close up shop, having only one group come in during the night. Tom had been jumping back and forth between whether or not he should ask you to get coffee with him the next morning. But as you walked towards your cars, he figured he should just do it, and if you took it the wrong way, the weekend you two had off would shake off any awkwardness that would ensue. 

As the two of you walked, you were talking about how you and your brother became obsessed with trying all the different Pop-Tart flavors growing up, swinging your keys around on your fingers while Tom studied your profile, smiling to himself. You both came to a stop when you got to the cars and you leaned against the bumper of yours as a comfortable silence emerged between the two of you. Tom was beginning to panic, wondering how he should bring up coffee to you and mentally yelling at himself for not practicing what to say.

You looked through your notifications on your phone and saw the latest text from Luke, groaning. Tom looked up at you.

“I need to get out of ‘talking everything out’ with Luke tomorrow morning. Can you help?” Perfect timing, Luke, thanks for being annoying right now.

“I was just about to ask about coffee and scones tomorrow. Is that alright?” You grinned and pulled the Holland boy in for a hug.

“Thank you so much,” You said, pulling away. Your phone beeped in your hand and you looked down. “9?” 

You showed him the new notification on your lock screen of your boyfriend asking about 9 AM himself and Tom nodded.

“Sounds lovely.”

“Great. see ya then, Tommy.”

As Tom drove to his townhouse, he couldn’t help but smile. He’d done it, although you brought it up first and you were just using it as a way to get out of talking to your boyfriend, which, in retrospect, probably isn’t the best idea. But, Tom had asked you to get a cup of coffee with him and you’d said yes, and it was done and settled. It wasn’t a date, but beggars can’t be choosers. Tom would just have to suck it up and wish for the best. He looked back at nearly 10 minutes earlier and wondered why he was so nervous to just ask you to coffee in the first place. It’s not like he knew for sure that he liked you. He was still in the dark about if it was just that it seemed like everyone around him was in love while he was single, or if it was indeed how pretty and kind and clever you are.

After Tom walked into his rented home, he tossed his keys onto the counter and threw his hat down on the couch. His mind wandered off as he flung himself onto the couch next, thinking back on what you’d said about Luke. You had told him that Luke was “addicting.” Tom pursed his lips, remembering how the scene had played out. Maybe you didn’t want to be in that relationship anymore. Sometimes you certainly acted that way. He thought of you walking away from that fool, who had no clue that he was letting the best girl around slip right through his fingertips.

The next morning, Tom met you at a predetermined - more like frantically decided over text at 8:45 when you’d both remembered a specific place had not been said the night before - cafe, wearing a casual gray hoodie and some dark wash jeans with a gray baseball cap. You quickly pulled him in for a hug, thanking him once again for getting you out of having to be the first to apologize.

Tom chuckled, and said, “Anything for you, love” which had made your heart melt.

You had decided on the way to the coffee shop that this meetup for Saturday morning coffee was not cheating because guys and girls who are in relationships with other people can still go get some scones and some mochas and lattes and just talk. There was some flirtatious seeming banter between you and Tom often, you could admit that, but this was simply just a time to hang out with your co-worker outside of the usual greasy pizza place for once. Luke, if he were to ever find out, would understand, you were sure of it. For the most part, anyway. You were just sick and tired of listening to Luke’s shitty excuses and guilt-tripping. You were glad to be spending time with someone other than him outside of work. Luke was a handful sometimes and it got on your nerves.

The two of you got your coffee and scones and took a seat at one of the tables outside of the shop. You sighed after sitting down, leaning your head on one of your hands as you looked at him sitting across from you. he smiled before taking a sip of his coffee, he definitely wouldn’t mind if he got to see that across a table all the time. He set down his cup, and you both gave each other a look that everyone who was walking past would’ve described as lovingly. 

It was quiet between the two of you, but a good quiet. It was comfortable, and it felt like you were both there to be with each other, no need for comments and conversations. Tom’s heart picked up as you reached across the table and took a piece of his scone to try. It was slow motion, he watched as you tucked a strand of your hair behind your ear with your free hand, while moving to pop the part of his scone into your mouth. A smile fell onto his face as you leaned back in your seat, absolutely in love with the food that you just tasted.

“I love-” He didn’t even realize that the words were coming out of his mouth until he could stop himself. He started to panic before he pointed at the pastry in front of him. “...these scones.”

He nervously glanced up at you, and you were smiling, it going over your head that Tom had almost confessed his love for you while you were avoiding your boyfriend. You nodded in agreeance.

“Me too. I didn’t know they had them here.”

“The different flavors to choose from are amazing,” He went on, trying not to show his nervousness in his voice. “Blueberry is really good, and so’s the raspberry.”

“The peach one you got is delicious.” You giggled swiping another piece, but Tom didn’t mind.

“Did you see the pumpkin one? How do you even make a scone out of a pumpkin?” He laughed. “It’s basically a squash!” 

“Mind-blowing, Holland.” You quipped, raising your eyebrows. Tom rolled his eyes.

“So, what’s the newest installment with my man Lucas?” You nudged his foot with your own.

“Stop saying his name like that. He’s not that bad.” You told him, lifting your cup to your lips.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Y/N.” You shook your head, grinning.

“Anyway,” He raised an eyebrow. “He’s just...ugh, I don’t know it’s like he makes me mad because it’s funny or something. I’m getting sick of it.”

Tom bit his lip, nodding. He watched as you just stole his entire scone this time. 

“Maybe he’ll come around? Could be a phase.” A phase? He cursed himself for sounding like an old man. You shrugged, and Tom stood up straight in his seat.

“I think I’m gonna break up with him soon.” You sighed, staring at Tom’s scone.

“Really?” He tried not to sound too surprised or excited. You nodded.

“Yeah, if things don’t get better over the next few days,” He gave you an encouraging smile and you returned it, before leaning forward. “So, got any hot plans for tonight?” 

A sea of witty, flirtatious remarks flew through Tom’s mind. All of which included a way to invite you out or just to his place. But he settled for a less direct and more playful response, without actually checking his schedule first.

“For once in my life, no.” You watched as he smirked.

“That is unbelievable,” You replied, mockingly. “You? With no plans on a Saturday night?”

“Leaves me more time to hang out with you.” You snickered.

“Well, what’re we gonna do, then?” Tom’s face lit up like he was a child on Christmas morning opening the gift they’d wanted for so long.

“We could stay at mine and watch some movies?” 

“Fair enough,” you’d shrugged, smiling. Friends watched movies at other friends’ houses, right? What’s the harm in that? “Well, I gotta go deal with Luke. I don’t think I can hold off any longer without him breaking into my house or something. Text me your address?” 

Tom watched as you stood up, smiling at him as you pushed in the metal chair you’d been sitting in. He found himself nodding enthusiastically. 

“Yeah, yeah. Just come on over whenever.” He replied, picking up his coffee and taking a long sip as you took his scone in a napkin, lifting it up, silently asking if you could take the rest of it. He nodded, waving it off.

“Alrighty then,” You quickly leaned down and gave him a kiss on his cheek, surprising the both of you, before you whispered in his ear. “Thanks again.”

And then you walked off, leaving a blushing, brown-haired boy smiling widely to himself as he finishes his coffee.

You found yourself a few hours later, pulling up to a cute white townhouse. Things with Luke were not getting any better and you needed to get out of there before you pulled the plug on the relationship. Tom, of course, was there with open arms, allowing you to hide out at his place away from Luke. You smiled when you saw the front door open and Tom’s smiling face appeared as you got out of your Mini Cooper. 

“Hey, I brought cookie dough. I figured we could bake cookies or something.” You called out as you walked up to his front porch. He nodded, grinning, which made you grin back.

“That sounds great!” He said as you stepped inside of his clean home, kicking off your shoes. You looked around at the place that Tom called home, taking in the decorations and furnishings as he lead you into the kitchen.

“Wow, I love your place. How’d you get so lucky in the market?” You laughed. “My apartment sucks and it was all I could find.” Tom rubbed the back of his neck, sheepishly, as he looked around.

“My mom found it for me and my roommate when we were deciding on coming over here from London. She’s really good at finding deals and negotiating.” 

“That’s so cool. My parents just sent me off saying ‘It’s adulthood. Get used to it.’”

Tom’s face scrunched up as he caught the cookie dough package you tossed at him.

“That’s a bit harsh, isn’t it?” You smiled softly and shrugged, before pulling your hair up into a messy ponytail.

“It’s generally the attitude they’ve always had, you know? You get used to it before your turn 15 when it’s all that you grow up with.” He cast you a sympathetic look before reading the directions on the back of the cookie dough package, beginning to pull a cookie sheet from one of the cabinets.

“So,” Tom tore open the package, and you moved to his side, bumping his shoulder with yours as you both began to ball up pieces of the cookie dough. “How’d it go?”

You didn’t say anything for a moment as you carefully and strategically placed down your ball of cookie dough on the sheet, before grabbing another piece to roll into a ball.

“It was not going well,” You frowned, thinking back at the sharp words you and Luke had been saying to each other. “I think if I’d stayed any longer, it would’ve been over.” Tom nodded, glancing at you for a moment.

“Right, that’s understandable.”

You smiled softly at that, putting another piece on the cookie sheet.

“I think towards the end he knew it was gonna end with a breakup. Before I left to come here, he was trying to ‘fix’ things. But, it only made them worse.” You murmured the last part and fiddled with the cookie dough in your hands.

Tom looked back down at you, and his heart broke. You looked so sad, and lost, wondering how a seemingly fine relationship could be seen ending shortly. 

“Hey,” He called out and your gaze lifted to meet his. “Feel free to stay over whenever you want. And for however long.”

A smile, slow but sweet, grew on your face.

“Thank you.”

Almost as soon as Tom pulled the freshly baked cookies out of the oven, his front door swung open, with his twin brothers and his roommate standing in the threshold of the home. You looked over at Tom, startled, wondering who these people were and why they just barged into Tom’s place. 

“Hey, Tom! Did you miss us?” One of the boys said, with an English accent that matched Tom’s. He had about a million freckles dotted on his face. Tom’s face was scrunched up in confusion.

“Uh, yeah, I did,” Tom replied, sounding caught off-guard as he set the hot cookie sheet on some potholders you’d set out. “So, what are you guys doing here?” 

The blond one threw his keys onto the counter in front of you frowned at Tom. And the curly haired one gave a look of disbelief, glancing at the others he walked in with.

“Tom. We’ve been planning this visit for a month.” He also had a British accent, so you only assumed the blond one did too. The realization hit Tom and he groaned.

“Oh my god. I’m sorry, guys,” You stood there, very confused. Tom turned to you, gesturing to the three boys in front of you. “Uh, Y/N, these are my brothers and my roommate.” 

“I’m Sam!” The freckled one waved.

“Harry.” The curly-haired one said.

“And I’m Harrison. I’m the one who’s not related to these divs.”

You giggled and waved back.

“I’m Y/N. It’s nice to meet you all.” Tom bit his lip as you started a conversation with Harry and Sam. Harrison pulled him into the hallway out of your earshot.

“Uh, thanks for letting me know we’re having company,” Haz said, sarcastically. “I didn’t know coffee as “just friends” lasted seven hours.” Harrison knew all about Tom’s crush on you. It was practically all Tom talked about, going on and on about how he didn’t know his feelings about you, to which the blond always rolled his eyes. There definitely was feelings. And a lot of them.

Tom sighed and glanced around the corner to look at you. Harrison did the same. He had to admit, you were gorgeous. He could see why Tom liked you so much.

“I-well, she asked if I had plans and I told her no, and invited her over on impulse.”

Tom muttered, turning back to his best friend.

“Right. Well, what do you think is gonna happen when her boyfriend figures out she’s at your house?”

“They’re on the verge of breaking up. She even said so herself that she’s going to soon.”

“And?” Tom didn’t know what to say, and he figured it’d be best to not respond to Harrison, who continued after a moment. “You both thought baking cookies alone would be the best idea in the middle of her relationship ending?”

“Hey, it was her idea. I’m just trying to console her about all this.” Suddenly, the maroon wall in the darkness of the hallway was very interesting to Tom.

“Tom, this is going to be a mess.” Harrison told him.

“It’s all for her.” 

Harrison looked at the oldest Holland’s face a moment longer, before shaking his head with a small smile on his lips. He playfully smacked Tom’s shoulder before leading the way back to the kitchen, where he and Tom didn’t seem to be missed all that much, as the conversation that you and the twins were in was very engaging for the three of you.

Tom began to transfer the cookies on the sheet to the cooling rack, smiling at your laughter.

“That must’ve been so much fun.” You giggled. Tom finished moving the cookies and focused on you. He still had a smile on his face as he watched you talk and laugh at his brothers’ stories.

“So, are you two dating?” Sam asked, and Tom’s head snapped to look at his younger sibling. Sam and Harry were both completely in the dark about all of this drama - if you’d even call it drama - so it wasn’t like Sam was trying to make Tom flustered. But, there Tom was, a blushing mess.

“Um, no,” Tom cleared his throat. “No. Y/N is in a relationship with someone who is-uh-not...me.” Harry furrowed his brow, nodding slowly. You smiled, embarrassed.

“Tom’s actually helping me figure out how to end that relationship since it isn’t, um, doing...so...well.” You trailed off, and the twins between you and Tom, confused. Harrison just shook his head as he yanked open the refrigerator door.

“Okay, well, I wish you the best in all that.” Harry smiled, and his twin nodded.

“Right, well, she and I were just gonna hang out and watch some movies tonight and-”

“Oh, we’re going out to a bar or two, so we won’t be in the way or anything,” Harrison spoke up, and everyone’s eyes looked to him as he shut the fridge door, a water bottle in hand. “What?”

“That’s cool. Fine with me.” Tom said, looking down at the countertop, wishing they would just leave now so it wouldn’t be so awkward.

“Well, if you wanna go with them, Tommy, you can. I can go hom-”

“No, it’s fine, I invited over to hang out.”

“Are you sure? I mean, you don’t get to see your brothers that often, right?”

“It’s fine, they’ll be here all week.” You nodded.

“I’m sorry, but what’s the deal with this relationship? I need the juicy details.” You laughed at Sam and went into the whole story with Luke, and how Tom is always there when you need to vent to him at work, and all the stupid arguments.

“Good for you for dumping him. Or beginning to, anyway.” Harrison told you after you’d finished, glancing over at Tom for a moment, who just made brief eye contact. You smiled and let out a breath.

“He sounds awful. Kudos to you.” Sam added, and Harry held out his fist for a fist bump, which you cheerfully obliged to.

“Well, we should get going. We wanted to get something to eat before we left. You guys sure you don’t wanna join?” Harrison offered but you and Tom both shook your heads.

“We’re just gonna spend the night in.” And with that, the boys left the house, leaving you and Tom alone once again.

“Well, they’re pretty cool.” You giggled. You turned to Tom, a smile on your face.

“Yeah. a bit of a handful, but cool,” It became silent between the two of you before Tom started talking again. “Look, I’m sorry about this. It totally slipped my mind that they were coming by and-”

“It’s alright, Tom.”

“Okay,” he said. “What’s the movie for the night?”

Three and a half movies later, Harry, Sam, and Harrison walked into the house to find a movie paused on the screen and Tom emerging from the hallway, but you were not in sight.

“Did Y/N go home?” Harrison asked, hopeful Tom wouldn’t be getting himself into more trouble with this Luke guy, but Tom shook his head.

“She fell asleep, so I put her in my room.” Tom made his way to plop back down on the couch, turning off the tv, as his brothers and best friend sat down beside him.

“Where exactly will you be sleeping?” Harrison raised an eyebrow and Tom gestured to the couch.

“And what about us?” 

“Yeah, there’s only two couches.” Tom frowned.

“Right. Well, I guess I’m gonna have to share a bed with Y/N…”

“Or you could wake her up and tell her to go home.” Harrison offered.

“No, no, no,” Tom replied and Harry shared a glance with Harrison. “I told her she can stay whenever she wants and however long she needs.”

“Oh, so you like her?” Sam asked, grinning.

“Wha-”

“So, that’s why you’re helping her with her relationship troubles. Not just because you’re that good of a person.” Harry shook his head, pretending to be disappointed.

“I’ve been telling him to stay out of it, but here we are.”

“Look, I don’t know if it’s actual feelings or if it’s because I’m just-”

“Tom. It is not because you’re single. It’s so obvious that you like her.”

“I honestly thought you guys were dating because you looked at her like she was the most beautiful thing in the world. That’s why I asked.” Sam told his brother.

“Well, we’re not.”

It was silent for a moment before Tom pushed himself up off the couch and went to his room, trying to figure out how tonight was going to work with the two of you in the same bed. But, after a half an hour of lying awake on top of the covers next to your sleeping figure, Tom decided to just sleep on the floor. That didn’t help his inability to fall asleep, but he figured it was better since you were still in a relationship with someone else.

A few days later, you and Tom were back at work, and this time, people showed up, much to your surprise. 

Aside from the casual customers, there was a surprise visitor, and he was not there for pizza, despite entering a pizza parlor.

You were having a fine time, checking up on the few tables you had been serving. Things with Luke were still on halt since you’d been avoiding him like the plague since your coffee/movie night at Tom’s. Luke had indeed found out about you being there with him for the night. Or at least, he knew you were not home that night. Apparently, Luke had seen that you weren’t at home, because your car wasn’t at your usual parking space outside your apartment building, so he questioned you. But after that, you were ignoring him. You knew it would’ve been best to just end the relationship right then and there, but you were dumb and didn’t. So Tom was left to just telling you to do it because it would be best for you.

You asked your third and last table how things were going before heading back to the front counter where you were hoping you could ask Tom if he thought you could steal some lemonade without getting caught by your manager. But when you got there, you opened your mouth to talk, when something - or specifically, someone - over Tom’s shoulder caught your eye.

“What is it?” Tom asked, turning to find a tall, blond guy walking towards the shop and he looked back at you, confused.

“Oh no. Oh no.” You made a beeline for the kitchen, with Tom calling out behind you, not wanting to leave the counter since there would be a customer there soon.

“Y/N? What’s wrong?”

“That’s Luke.” You hissed as you whipped around to watch what he was gonna do. Tom’s jaw dropped and he nodded, as his heartbeat picked up. He was nervous now and wasn’t sure what was going to happen, but before he knew it, the glass door to the parlor was yanked open and Tom was faced with Luke, the guy he’d been trashing for the past few weeks. He figured he should pretend like he didn’t know him like he was just another person who wanted some pizza.

“Hey, welcome to-”

“I’m looking for Y/N L/N. Is she here?” Tom paused for a moment.

“Oh, she’s busy, uh, working right now. But I can take a message?”

“Look, uh, Tom,” Luke said, squinting at Tom’s name tag for a second. “I just need to talk to her for one second.”

“Wait, are you Luke? Her boyfriend?” Tom asked, feeling a bit bold, but immediately regretting it. He nodded, confused.

“Uh, yeah. Why?” 

“Well, Y/N has told me a lot about you. And you know, she’s like-she’s so nice. And she cares about me in a way that I don’t think anyone else has. I don’t think I’ve ever felt that before. She’s like..she’s like a peach...scone. A peach scone,” Luke gave Tom an impatient look, his arms crossed against his chest. “Yeah, and I love the thought of being with that girl. You are just so incredibly lucky to be with her and you’re throwing it all away by being so ridiculously stupid. And I really hope that she doesn’t get hurt because she’s way too good for you.”

“What are you trying to say?” Luke was upset now, even more so than before, and that’s when you appeared in the entryway to the kitchen. You heard everything that Tom had said and it made your heart melt, and it gave you butterflies in your stomach.

“He’s trying to say that I-I’m breaking up with you.” Tom looked at you over his shoulder, smiling softly.

“You’re kidding. You’re dumping me for this guy?”

“You know what? I am. Because I’d take him over you any day, Lucas.” Tom looked back at Luke, grinning.

“Will that be all today? Or do you need some ice to heal your beat-up ego? Because that would be 50 cents.”

With that, your ex-boyfriend hesitantly turned and left the shop, leaving you and Tom to celebrate your victory. You turned to the brunette after a moment.

“Did you really mean what you said?”

“‘Course, Y/N. I’ve felt that way for forever.”

A smile spread across your face as you turned to go hand a table their check.

“Wanna go for coffee tomorrow morning?” You called out and Tom nodded, chucking.

“As long as we get scones.”

-------

PSA: I do not own or claim to own anyone involved/written in this writing. It is purely fictional and I am purely writing fictional scenarios involving these people. I respect them and anyone who is associated with them, which includes family, friends, and partners - meaning I do not intend to ‘erase’ anyone in the parties mentioned previously or any others that aren’t included in said parties, and anyone’s privacy.

[mollydollyjournals]

Thinking about my lockdown goals still. I just weighed myself and I'm on track to be the same weight again tomorrow as I was today, or possibly a bit more. The only weight that counts in my charts etc is first thing in the morning, and I kind of take a moving average to account for fluctuations. This is just before bed so it doesn't count, but I can use it to estimate what I'll be in the morning. And I don't like it. I know weighing every day is bad but I can't handle not knowing, so I at least usually limit myself to once a day. I shouldn't have weighed myself. It might be because I just drank about 500ml so I'm more hydrated. I hope it's that. But it could also be the gain I was expecting yesterday that I was glad I didn't have, or maybe my body responded badly to what I ate today and I gained and have to eat less than I even thought, or who fuckin knows. I need to stop focusing on it and just make my plan and relax so I can go to sleep and then just see where I'm at in the morning. But my brain is a pos. So.

Anyway. Potential goals for lockdown 2, starting Thursday:

- Maybe a step goal? I would need to see where I'm at and then add more. I have no idea how many I do currently so I don't know what's realistic. So if I do this it might have to start later than the rest, if I get a step counter. I used to have a phone app but I don't know how accurate it is and I don't always have my phone on me. A wat h style one would be better...

- Drink celery juice every day first thing, at least 5x a week but preferably all 7. It's so much effort to make the juice and clean the juicer and all so I'll give myself leeway to not do it sometimes, but I should try to do it every day, no fewer than 5.

- Hydration: there's the 500ml celery juice, then I need to have 1l mineral water (I can't stand tap water), and in the evening I'll have 500ml sugar free squash or 2 cups of herbal tea. If I don't have the celery juice, I add another 500ml squash or tea. More is better but that has to be my baseline. I really struggle to drink enough that isn't alcohol or caffeine so this will still be a challenge.

- Fibre... I know this is a good thing to have and all but I don't really know where to get it from. Unless I do a bean diet. Which I can do but it's so boring and idk. Maybe I should try to eat at least one serving of beans a day and just eat as much as I can elsewhere. I'll think about this one tomorrow.

- Low impact cardio: do this for an hour when I get up, before making celery juice and other breakfast. I know this doesn't burn as many calories as high intensity stuff but with my health being so bad sometimes it's difficult to get up and do something proper without feeling like I'm gonna pass out. Sometimes I end up stuck in bed because my body crashes. So low impact is good, and I'd like to do at least half an hour assuming I'm able to, preferably an hour. I find this makes me feel better throughout the day because I haven't sat around doing nothing, and it does help me lose weight and my waist gets smaller. So this is one of the most important things. I need to try for every day, but will allow for one day off. Hopefully my health will allow that.

- Strength training I'm going to stagger. In wk1 maybe I'll just do a few sit-ups or whatever here and there. I need to focus on doing everything else and there's kinda no point me having muscle tone if it's covered in fat so it's not my top priority. Week 2 I want to do 2x butt and hip toning workouts, probably from Chloe Ting's hourglass program. In week 3 I'll make that 3x a week, and also add in 2x back workouts by BrittneBabe. In week 4 I'll do 3 of each. It'll be a lot so I don't think I can commit to doing it all from the get go, but I do want to get there eventually.

- Bike/spin: this will rely heavily on my being able to do it physically. I'm not sure how long I'll be able to do it for or how often but I'd like to aim for at least 20mins per session, up to an hour; at least 2x in wk1, 3x in wk2, 4x each in wk3 and wk4. This can make me super weak and also it always hurts my butt, so if I need to not do this that's okay, but then I should do something else instead like another low impact cardio or a walk or something, and for longer than I would have been on the bike. I haven't done this in a long time so it'll be difficult but it's the calorie burn I want.

- Flexibility: idk about this one maybe 4x a week? Im so much less flexible than I used to be and I want to get it back, especially if I'm doing other stuff that can make your muscles stiff. I need to find a decent program. Will think on this tomorrow.

- Calories: I'll make myself a schedule with varying intakes from 1200 to 1500 in a day. I've worked really hard to get my metabolism up so I can eat that kind of amount without gaining weight, and of course now I've gained weight anyway for other reasons, but I don't want my metabolism to fuck up again any more. I wanted to go 600-900 but that's where it fucks up. I should still be able to lose weight, given where I'm starting and the physical activity. I'll adjust later if I have to but I think I should at least try to stay around that level. Idk. I'll probably have to adjust this as I go to some extent. The exception will be cheat days which will be at least a week apart - they help me break through plateaus and stay motivated etc so I have to have those allowed, but if I don't feel like I need it then I won't do it and I'll just save it for another time. Just always at least a week apart.

- Alcohol: this one is the most difficult because if it was that easy I'd just not drink at all. And various stressors make it difficult to go without. Sometimes alcohol is the only thing that can take me away from a trauma response or make me not want to kill myself or not feel as horrible in my body or any number of things. Sometimes I really just can't cope without it. But I definitely need to get more alcohol free days in and I won't be able to do any of the other stuff without it. Exercise is near impossible, I'll get sick and exhausted, I'll crave heavy foods, I'll need them probably, and my liver will just stop burning any fat anyway. I have to cut it back. I got to once a week a few months ago so I want to try to get back there. Ideally I want a 2 week break. Well...ideally I want to go the whole time alcohol free but like I said...so yeah. Currently I'm going to let myself drink on Wednesday if I need to and then after that it'll be no more than once a week hopefully. But the main rule is only if I really really need to. I guess it can coincide with my cheat days. Idk. Gonna think more on this too, and it'll depend on whether I get through the next few days etc.

It feels like a lot...it's not that I haven't done it before or done similar, but my health is so bad it's so much more difficult now, and I think I'll get overwhelmed if I do too much at once. I don't want to set myself up to fail. I hate failure. It makes me feel like giving up. So I shouldn't set myself too much to do at first,which is why I've staggered some of it from week to week. I also want to come up with a more precise margin for error with some of it, so if I don't feel like I can do it I don't end up feeling too bad. I have to remember that anything is better than nothing. And at the end of this month, I can evaluate what I managed and what I didn't, and set myself new goals just a little bit more challenging than these, and go from there.

I really need to lose weight. And I really need to stop drinking so much. I need to do this. I need to go to sleep now and get up tomorrow and spend the day and the day after preparing for this 4-week lockdown, and in going to try as hard as I can for those 4 weeks and then regroup. It's temporary. It's not forever. I just have to do these 4 weeks.

[mwdders]

Tea bags

Summary: Who knew moving to America would mean drinking awful tea?

Warnings: None

Pairing: Tom Holland x reader

Word count: 1.7k

Enjoy!

—

“Hi can I order a hot chocolate and a tea please?” You ask the barista, “Sure. Take a seat and I’ll bring them over.” You nod at her and turn to your brother. “Go find a seat and I’ll be over in a minute.” He runs off and you watch as he sits by the door, having the perfect view of everyone coming in and out of the small cafe, he was such a people watcher. “Hi I just ordered a tea and hot chocolate can I add to my order please?” You add a pasta salad to your order and walk over to the table. “See anyone interesting?” You ask him and he shakes his head, picking up his rucksack and pulling out his toys.

The cafe was a small business on a busy street in L.A and it was the first place you came too after moving here from England, you’d be craving a coffee and happened to pass by on your way from the airport, finding it be only a 10 minute walk from your flat. “Hi here’s your food, your tea and hot chocolate.” The barista brings it over and your brothers eyes light up at the drink with whipped cream and marshmallows on top, “Thank you.” She smiles and then walks away. “Here.” You hand your sibling a napkin and tuck it in his top, not wanting him to spill anything down it.

“Be careful with the tea.” A voice sounds and you look to your left seeing a man reading a book, “Sorry?” He puts the book on the table and you instantly recognise him, “I said, be careful with the tea, it’s not quite PG Tips.” He comments with a chuckle, this makes you smile. “It can’t be that bad?” He points at the cup, “Try it yourself.” You do as he says and screw your face up as the hot liquid runs down your throat leaving a nasty after taste in your mouth, “Oh wow.” Your face causes him to laugh, “Told you. American tea isn’t as good as English.” You place the mug down and turn to him, “I’ll never be having tea again.” He smirks at you, “Well if you’d like I know a shop that sells all English groceries, I could show you? You can get PG Tips, Yorkshire tea, Twinnings and even Tetley!” You gasp, “I need it, I can’t go without tea,” You play along with his joke, “It’ll cost you.” You smirk, “Anything.” He laughs again, his eyes flickering over your face. “Your name.” You blush, “Y/N.” He leans back in his seat, “I’m Tom.” You look back at your cup as his stare makes your cheeks heat, “Nice to meet you.” You finally say looking back up at him.

“Y/N.” Your brother says quietly and your head snaps to him, for a moment you’d forgotten he was there, he’d finished his hot chocolate and was now playing with his toys, “Yes buddy?” You lean over the table slightly, “I dropped Iron Man, can you pick him up please? He’s under your seat.” You shuffle out of your seat and stand up, leaning down to get the toy that was lay on the floor. “Here.” You hand him the toy and he smiles before going to his game. “So where is this shop?” You ask catching Tom’s attention again, “Oh, well it’s top secret so I’d have to show you rather than just tell you.” You nod, “Lead the way.” He chuckles, “Now? You could at least buy me a drink first.” He jokes and you laugh, “Sorry, but tea is more important and as an Englishman you should have your priorities straight.” He laughs loudly throwing his head back which makes you giggle, “I guess you’re right.”

He stands up and signals to the door, “I’ll wait outside for you.” You nod, “Buddy put your toys away, we’re going to go now.” He pouts a little before putting his toys in his bag and putting it on his shoulders, grabbing your hand as you leave the cafe.

As you leave the cafe your brother looks around, his eyes lighting up as he takes in his surroundings, his gaze stops on Tom as he waits in the street for you. His chubby hand pulls on yours and you look down at him, “Y/N, that’s Spider-Man.” He pulls your arm down so he can whisper in your ear and you laugh, he must have only just noticed Tom. “I know.”

You whisper back as you reach where Tom was stood, “Ready?” He asks, you nod and watch as your brothers eyes go wide and you giggle at his reaction, “Tom this is Y/B/N by the way, my brother.” He stops and crouches down to be at his level, “Nice to meet you! I’m Tom.” Your brother shakes his outstretched hand, “I thought you were Peter Parker?” He asks curiously, Tom smiles, “I am but I have people call me Tom as well, it’s another way of hiding that I’m Spider-Man so don’t tell anyone, okay?” Your brother nods his head aggressively and you smile.

“So how long have you been in L.A for?” Tom questions as you follow him. “Just a week.” He nods, “How long you staying?” You stop at the traffic lights waiting to cross, noticing a few heads turning and looking in Tom’s direction doing double takes, “We live here now so a long time hopefully.” You cross the road as the green man appears, “Why’d you move?” You pull your brother a long slightly his short legs not being able to keep up with you, “My mum got a job opportunity she couldn’t turn down.” He looks back at you, realising you were slightly behind him and he slows down, walking at the same pace. “Sorry if I was walking too fast, forgot about little legs over here.” He chuckles as he rubs your brothers head, causing his hands to instantly fly up and fix the hair Tom messed up. “S’okay.” You carry on walking and soon see a shop, the logo reading ‘sainsdury’s’ causing you to laugh, “Very original.” Tom chuckles as he opens the door for you, “Thank you.” You skip every aisle and head straight for the tea one, your eyes lighting up as you pick up 4 boxes of PG Tips. “Blimey.” Tom laughs and you blush, “That desperate for tea? I’m glad I showed you where this shop is.” You look at him and notice for the first time how much hotter he is in person, realising the big screen did not do him any favours. “I’m glad too.” You head to the till and pay for the tea boxes, and leave the shop. “I have to ask, I’m a stranger, why bother to show me where this shop is?” You ask Tom as you absentmindedly walk back home.

He shrugs, “I’m not sure, a fellow Brit with a pretty smile, hard not to.” You blush and look down at your feet, “That’s sweet.” He walks beside you, as you walk in silence your hand tightly around your brothers, your other arm brushing Tom’s every now and then.

You spot your building and stop, “This is us.” Your brother automatically keeps walking and goes and sits on the stairs waiting for you, clearly tired after a long day of exploring, Tom looks up at the building, “You live here?” You nod, unsure as to why he’s asking that. “I live just around the corner.” He points in the direction of the building on the corner. “I don’t think that’s a coincidence.” He comments and you roll your eyes, “Maybe not.” You place the boxes of tea on one of the steps, “Thank you for showing me that shop, it is definitely going to be my go to supermarket now.” He looks down at his feet as a small blush appears on his cheeks, hoping you wouldn’t notice but you did, “You’re welcome, maybe we’ll bump into each other.” He looks hopeful as he stares into your eyes, you avert your gaze from his eyes, knowing you’d get lost in the gorgeous brown orbs. “Maybe,” you walk over and start up the stairs, “It was great to meet you Tom.” You go to pick up the boxes of tea but before you can he picks a box up and opens it, pulling a pen out of his pocket he writes something on one of the tea bags, “Here.” He puts it back in the box before you get the chance to look at and hands you the box, your hands brushing ever so lightly as he does causing you to blush but also feel sparks up your arm, “I’ll see you round?” He asks before he begins to walk away, “Sure.” He turns away and looks back when he’s half way down the road, a small smile tugging at his lips as he waves.

You shake away the warm feeling radiating over your body and walk up the steps, opening the door allowing your brother in. He slowly walks over to the elevator pressing your floor number, you step in as the doors open. The whirring sounds and soon the doors are opening again this time into your living room. “Mum we’re home and I bought tea!” You yell, you hear a faint reply as you enter the kitchen placing the boxes on the counter, you pull out the box Tom opened and fish around for the tea bag he wrote on, you find it and read the words written with also his phone number.

Call me sometime?

Maybe we can share a brew x

You blush and place the tea bag on the counter, pulling out your phone and copying the number into your phone and texting him.

You: Hi Tom, it’s Y/N. Just wanted to say thank you again for showing me the tea shop, honestly life saver. I’ve got enough tea to last me now. The kettles always on so you’ll have to come over for a thank you cuppa x

Tom: You’re welcome. Glad you found my little note. I’ll hold you to that brew x

You: Can’t wait x

Tom: How about tomorrow ?

You: So soon? You are eager! ; )

Tom: Only if it suits you.

You: Of course. 11am? If you’re lucky I’ll throw in a biscuit too.

Tom: You’re spoiling me now, tea, biscuits and a gorgeous girl to keep me company? I am lucky x

You: Haha, see you then x

Tom: Can’t wait x

You blush at your phone, already thinking of what tomorrow might hold.

—

If you think I should write a part 2 then comment please cause I’m not sure

[timelock97]

Game Changer

Chapter Two: A New Game, A New Discovery

Word Count: 3155 

Warnings:  Language

_________________________________________

The summer before the new semester was long, and I missed Leon a lot. Leon was busy in Galar, trying to figure out why I wasn't even able to come in the first place, as well as keeping himself in shape for the season. On the other hand, I spent the summer working my tail feathers off, and on the occasion spent some much needed time with friends.

My group of friends from high school had always stayed close, even though we went to different schools. We spent countless hours talking about new games and shows that were out, but also throwing in stories from the year: failed flirting attempts, horrible teachers, funny all-nighters, you name it. However, one of the hot topics we talked about, or at least three out of four talked about, were the new Pokemon games. Ginny, Aaron, and I had spent a majority of the summer speculating the new game and they attempted to fill me in on what I had missed from the past few games.

"Wait, how much have you actually missed," Aaron had asked as he steered the boat to head back to the house to pick up Max to continue our lazy wandering and conversing.

I stretch my arms over the back of my seat, Ginny giggling as I make a face in thought, "Uh, the last game I played I had Piplup as my starter-"

"So generation four." Ginny concludes, making Aaron laugh.

"I'm really behind." I giggle, leaning back against the seat, soaking in the sun.

"Oh yeah, definitely behind. I think a crash course is needed."

"I think you'll enjoy it more going in blind." Ginny giggles, moving to sit next to me. "Besides, it'll be fun either way to see what you think."

"The game cannot get here fast enough!" I cheer excitedly, ready to explore the newest region on my new console.

~

Leon sighs into the receiver. "Sorry it didn't work out for this summer, love."

I shift my phone between my ear and my shoulder as I gather my school supplies from the backseat, I had one more week before school started back up and I was already feeling restless. "Quit apologizing, Lee. It's not your fault there is some weird process for me to get approved to come to Galar. You wouldn't have known. Besides, they were happy I was able to come back and work for the summer." They being an old diner that can't seem to hold servers. I was used to the workload and the usual people that came in, which meant better tips. "How was your season?"

"Good as always, Raihan gave me a run for my money, but still ended up on top. Hop is just happy to have me home."

"Well they are probably even happier knowing you don't need to come back here." I walk over to the front door and shove my key in the lock and slip inside.

"Yeah, the Chairman has been having me running ragged; doing errands and practicing."

"Hopefully nothing too hard," I smile as I set my bag down on the floor.

"Nothing I can't handle." His voice is teasing, and it makes me miss him more. I don't say anything as I unpack my stuff, just hum into the phone. "Are you excited for school?"

I laugh, shaking my head, "More like already ready for break. You are coming for Thanksgiving, right?"

"Already have it on my calendar." He hums, making me smile. "You're going to do amazing this year, you know that? You always amaze me with how much you know."

A blush warms my cheeks, damn do I miss this boy. "And you are gonna do amazing things in Galar. Just remember to take some time for yourself too, okay?"

I hear his sigh as I sit on a kitchen chair. "I'll try my love. I will try." There is a long pause, and for a second I think he hung up until, "I really miss you."

"I miss you too, Lee. November, and then you will be here."

"Doesn't make the waiting any easier."

"I know, but keeping yourself busy will ease it a little." I turn toward my stuff before sighing. "As much as I want to stay on the phone with you, handsome, I really need to study for that test I have next week."

He chuckles, his voice soft. "I know, I'll call you tomorrow. That okay?"

"Sounds perfect." I smile, "I love you, Leon."

"I love you too, my love."

~

I practically throw my stuff onto the ground as I enter the house, new game already in hand. Aiden, my little brother, follows in behind me complaining about school and how some of his friends were being annoying. My mom lifts her head from what she is completing on her laptop, giving us a lopsided smile. "You look excited, and you look like you need to go take a nap."

Aiden groans again before placing his face into her shoulder to complain in muttered tones as I move about the room to get my things together.

"I am headed to Ginny's, I don't expect to be home until about nine or ten-"

"Don't forget you have a dog, (Y/N)-"

"I will be home by nine then, and no worries I know," I giggle, rubbing Buster's head, the little Australian Shepard pup is bouncing at my feet as I slip my shoes and coat back on. "Sorry, bud. Go ask Aid, he will probably love to take you outside to run."

Aiden happily agrees as I wave one last time to my mom before slipping back outside. The drive is quick thanks to Ginny only living outside the neighborhood. I pull into her driveway and park in my usual spot, practically running to the door.

I hear her dog bark as I make it onto the porch, "Are you excited?!" Ginny's voice calls from behind her front door. She opens it quickly, pushing her dog aside as I enter.

"You know it!" I call back, stepping inside, my hand falling onto her chocolate labs head to keep him from slipping out the door. "Afternoon, Theo." I coo as I scratch under his chin before turning toward my best friend and pulling her into a hug. "How far are you?"

"Not too far, I've just been exploring." Ginny smiles as she motions me to follow her. The two of us clamber down the stairs, talking quietly about school and her job. Once settled on the couch she grabs her switch from where it sits on the floor plugged in.

I finally get to take a break, no school, no classmates, no responsibilities besides playing the game.I pop out the game already inside the console and replace it with the new game. "Here we go, here we go, here we go!" I sing, making Ginny laugh.

I turned up the volume and let the game start. As it starts through the main intro I decided to read along aloud, simply to get a laugh out of my best friend, making comments all the way. Until I come across the name of the region,"Galar?"

"Yeah, that's the region this game." Ginny states nonchalantly, eyes never leaving her switch.

I nod, eyes reading along. I let out a squeal, "Look at the elephant!"

"I know! I don't know what it is, but I want it!" Ginny giggles back.

"My name is Rose, and it is a pleasure to be here."

"Rose?" I whisper, no it's just a coincidence on the name and place, it's not the place Leon had been describing the past four years

"Now turn your gaze to the Galar region's greatest Pokemon Trainer, your undefeated champion..."

"It's time for Champion Leon's exhibition match!"

My eyes watch as the screen lights up, as it brings the game's champion into view and my breath hitches, making Ginny look up at me.

"What's wrong?"

I shake my head and stare wordlessly as the battle begins, Charizard dynamaxes and the shield logo appears on the screen. It quickly switching over to the protagonist, showing off "Wooloo?"

"Isn't wooloo adorable?" Ginny smiles, but she can see the confusion on my face. "You good?"

"Yeah, yeah, I think." I mutter as I get into the game. As the game continues, my heart gets a little tighter. Hop arriving at the protagonist's house, telling her to meet him at his, taking the main character to meet his brother at the train station. "God, Hop is a little shit," I giggle, Ginny agreeing with me with a laugh. "Like how long have I been living next to him and I haven't met his brother once? Aren't we like the best of friends?" Finally I have to stop, saving after choosing Scorbunny and setting my switch down into my lap. "Ginny?"

"Yeah?" She doesn't even look up.

I go to the screen shots on my switch and pull up a picture of Lee, my Lee, on my phone. "Please tell me I'm imagining things."

Ginny sets down her switch before shifting closer to me. She takes the phone from my hand before looking back at my switch. I watch as her eyes widen before she shakes her head. "Okay, this just has to be a coincidence." She raises her head to look at me, "They just look really similar-"

"That's what I thought, except Lee's boss is Chairman Rose, he lives in Galar which is an island off of the United Kingdom, his little brother's name is Hop-"

"(Y/N)." Ginny lets out a nervous giggle, but I continue.

"Ginny, he has even described animals for me to draw and one of them I just saw on screen." I can feel a headache coming on, and my anxiety is starting to settle in. "He has described his whole home and hometown to me and my character just ran through it." I place my head in my hands, putting pressure on the places that are aching.

She looks between the photos, she knows exactly what I am talking about. She has heard all about what Lee has told me, and seen the pictures in my sketchbook. She takes a breath, "Look, you can't prove anything right now. If he knows that this is a huge coincidence, he would tell you."

"I don't know, Ginny..."

"You have to have faith in him, you know how he is. He will tell you-"

"If he even knows." I whisper, lifting my head.

She nods, "And if he doesn't, then you will just have to bring it up. Everything will work out." She nudges my side, "C'mon, let's turn on YouTube for a bit then we can try and get back to the game."

~

I sit in my room that evening, I didn't go much further in the game even though I wanted to. My eyes linger on my cell phone, text messages open to Leon's messages.

_________________________________________

Lee Lee

I'll be at work til late, but I just want to tell you goodnight and that I love you.

Hope your day was good, gorgeous

_________________________________________

He could just be someone who works for the games and didn't tell me? But then why did he need a business degree, especially here? I rub my forehead as my dog crawls over to me and places his head on my lap, a sign that I should really be headed to bed. But my mind is reeling, and sleep probably wasn't going to happen for another few hours. Tonight would be a night I would lose sleep over.

I wake the next morning by Buster pressing his cold nose into my cheek. I sigh as I rub a hand through his fur before sitting up in bed and seeing Leon had texted me.

_________________________________________

Lee Lee

Good morning, my love.

I hope you didn't stay up too late playing your game 😉

I'll call you later today after I see Hop back home

(He has been asking when you are coming to visit)

I love you!

_________________________________________

My fingers move across the screen in habit, telling him good morning as well, but adding that I had a lot of homework this weekend and would need to be working and that I'd call him later in the week. I slipped in to enjoy spending time with his family and to tell Hop that I was excited to meet him when I finally made it out there.

I rolled out of bed and followed the pup out into the kitchen before letting him out into the backyard to do his business. I sigh as I lean in the doorway, watching him prance about the backyard happily. I let out a low whistle, "Buster, c'mon baby it's cold."

Buster comes barreling over, happily bouncing about my feet as I walk back into the house. Time to get to studying.

After a few hours, my mom pops her head into the office to see me hard at work on a presentation that was due that Monday. "Hey, honey?"

I put up a hand to tell her one minute before I finish the sentence I was working on. I gently push away from the desk to look at her. "Sup?"

She shakes her head, laughing, "You good?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" I ask, standing to walk past her and get a drink from the fridge.

She's quiet as she follows me slightly. "You and Lee okay?" She sees me visibly stiffen, "Did you two have a fight?"

I sigh, setting the juice container on the counter, "No, we didn't have a fight; I think it's the long distance getting to me. I mean, he keeps in contact and we skype, but it's not the same as being in person you know?"

She nods, "I can understand that." She shifts to the side and watches me for a minute while I pour my juice. "Did he tell you when he was going to fly out?"

"No, he just said before Thanksgiving." I sigh, replacing the juice in the fridge and chugging down the amount in my glass. "I can text him and ask though."

My mom shakes her head, "No, it's okay. Ask him later, you don't have to do it now."

I look over at her, and a part of me tells me that she is hiding something, but I shake it off and rinse the glass out before returning to the office. Just have to finish this presentation.

Thanksgiving could not come any faster. Between practicals, exams, and paper presentations my classmates and I had finally hit our wall. My hands were basically hovering over the keyboard as I skimmed over the material. God, I needed a break.

The sound of the back door opening catches my attention, ears perking up over the music playing from my laptop. After a minute, I hear my mom talking to my dad making me nod as I go back to my typing. Buster barking excitedly doesn't fade as I make the last bullet point to my study guide before I jump back over what I needed to look at for the practical for Tuesday, and the chapters due for Monday.

The door opening causes me to pause my typing to rub my forehead. "What?" I ask, it comes out more harsh then I expect, but between school and Leon suddenly being MIA, my nerves are a little shot. Whomever walked in makes no sound, and before I can ask what they want again a pair of hands clasp around my shoulders and massage the muscles there. A soft groan of satisfaction leaves my lips as I tilt my head to the side, their hands moving with me to massage at the base of my neck.

"You know, if you laid on the bed I could reach a lot more." My head whips around to meet golden honey eyes. Leon laughs before cupping my cheek, "Don't turn too fast love, you'll get whiplash."

I manage to let out a soft "move" before I spin around and stand from the chair, throwing my arms around his neck just as he leans down to pull me in and lifting me so that I was just that much closer. Emotions erupt as a small sob leaves my lips, arms tightening around his neck as I bury my face into his neck.

"I got you, love, I got you." Leon coos, shushing me as he sits on the couch, his hand cupping the back of my head to keep me close.

The two of us sit silently, Lee rocking me softly until my sobs turn into sniffles. I eventually move so my face is away from his neck, forehead pressing against his while I catch my breath. "Sorry, the past two weeks have been shit."

"Should'a brought you a hot cocoa then huh?" He teases, making me laugh as I press a soft kiss to his lips, his curling into a smile as he attempts to hold me there, only to let out a small groan when I pull away.

"I don't think you want me kissing you until I have washed my face." I tease, motioning to my blotchy, snotty face as I untangle myself from him and stand. Lee doesn't let me get very far, following me into the bathroom so I can do just that. Once that is done, Lee doesn't waste time grabbing my face between his hands and kissing me deeply. I sigh against his mouth until someone clears their throat. We pull apart to see Aiden standing in the doorway.

"Can you not make out in the bathroom? Thanks." He groans before walking away.

Leon chuckles behind me, "You know, I think he and Hop would get along pretty well."

I nod before turning and kissing Leon's cheek again. He smiles at me, hand cupping my cheek again before he presses his forehead to mine, my body relaxing at the contact. But my mind goes back to that game, and Leon's face flickering and talking with the characters. "Hey, Lee?"

His eyes flicker up to mine, "Yes, baby?"

My mouth opens and closes again, words not wanting to come out. I have to talk to him about it.

"(Y/N), what's wrong?" He whispers bringing his other hand to my other cheek.

Later, we'll talk later. I shake my head, "Lost it, sorry. Brain's kinda fried." I force out a giggle.

I can tell he sees right through the excuse, but he nods anyways. "Okay," he whispers before kissing the tip of my nose making me laugh. "C'mon, let's not stand in the bathroom. I'll help you finish studying then we can relax, that work?"

I nod, "Sounds perfect." Lee pulls away and grabs my hand before walking out of the bathroom with me in tow. Just enjoy the quiet before the storm hits.

_________________________________________

A/N: Goooooood day! IDK what time it is for everyone but I’ve decided that Monday’s and Thursday’s I will be posting new chapters to this story! I am really excited for you all to see what is to come! Let me know if you wanna be tagged for the next installment of Game Changer! ~CG

Masterlist