#which. should be entertaining considering how the waffle went

[peachcitt]

new Olen song!!! have you heard it? what did you think?

OF COURSE IVE HEARD THE NEW OLEN SONG. HAVE YOU HEARD THE NEW OLEN SONG ? IT’S CALLED WAFFLES, BY OLEN. IT’S A NEW SONG FROM OLEN. IT’S CALLED WAFFLES

i am being so for real when i say that waffles is genuinely one of my favorite songs right now ever. like it’s just so chill and quiet with an interesting beat and such well constructed lyrics and that is soooo everything to me.

also, he announced in a live last night that waffles is part of a year long project called “i made you a mixtape” in which he will release a song a month. im vibrating with joy as i type this

thanks for listening to my favorite guy, definitely keep a look out for him for the rest of the year!!!!

[tangleweave]

Crimson Tide (Drabble / RP)

[ @illbringthechaosmagic ]

An anonymous person has been taunting Stephen that a loved one has been taken captive...

Stephen Strange was not a patient man. He didn't like it when things came slowly, but he had learned how to deal with slow processes, as long as he could be assured of rewards down the line. Even less than slow progress did he like things that threw him off his rhythm. To be interrupted in his work was to invite his wrath, and by the Fates, could he be creative with his wrath.

That had been long before the car accident and the Sorcerer Supreme thing.

But now, the odd woman who had come to him to explain to him, in interestingly explicit terminology, that Wanda was being held prisoner... not only was she an interruption, she was an active irritant. An antagonist? No... not for him. To qualify as an antagonist, there were several things that needed to happen, not the least of which being a need to demonstrate a direct threat. So far she had shown him no evidence that she posed any harm whatsoever, and certainly not within the welcoming room for Kamar-Taj, where two other sorcerers stood at polite but firm attention in the corners.

She was seated in the wooden chair dead center of the room, legs crossed, hands folded in her lap. Her dusky skin and wavy black hair shone in the sunlight that filtered through the ceiling slats. Her accent indicated she wasn't Nepalese, though she could easily be from India or some other adjacent region. She seemed curiously calm for someone in his presence who knew the things he was capable of.

Fine. If she wanted to play mind games, he could play them too. He moved to a cabinet and withdrew a pair of long yellow leather gloves, the cuffs of which were adorned with delicate sigils of black and gold. He had his back slightly turned as he began to don them.

"What now?" he heard her taunt. "Does the great Doctor Strange mean to get blood on his hands?"

He glanced towards her with eyebrow arched as he slid the second glove on. "Obviously not," he said, "otherwise I wouldn't be gloving up."

She thrust her chin out towards him. "You don't frighten me."

"Of course I do. I'm a doctor. Being attended by one is inherently frightening. It means there's something wrong with you. And there must be something deeply wrong with you, in particular, if you thought you were just going to waltz in here, declare that you're holding a friend and ally prisoner, and then not make any demands in exchange for her release." He held up his hands, palms towards himself. "Hadn't you heard? This is Kamar-Taj, where I had my operation to restore function to my hands. These are examination gloves. We don't have the kind of funds needed for single-use non-latex, so we go for longevity instead. After we're done with a particularly... messy... procedure, we use a sodium hydroxide solution to rinse off the pairs we do have. But don't worry, it shouldn't burn your skin too badly, long as I don't touch you for more than a couple seconds."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "You are a doctor. Your job is to not harm others."

"Oh, I see." He frowned and tilted his head at her. "Remind me again, what year is it? 2024? That means my medical license lapsed, uh... six years ago. Y'know, shortly after that niggling little part where half the world vanished. And saving all the people that were left over, that was an all-hands-on-deck situation. Things got ugly, if you'll recall. Besides, what do you call it when a surgeon cuts someone open with a scalpel? Surely you would think that was causing harm... but in the pursuit of reducing greater harm, when removing a tumor." He laced his fingers together tightly, securing the gloves about his hands. "Wonder how many you've got." He began slowly stepping towards her.

"There is nothing wrong with me!" she protested, and her legs uncrossed. "I wished to ensure I had your attention before making demands."

"Don't worry, you have it," Stephen assured her. "And you were right about one thing, this doctor doesn't make house calls. So glad to be hosting you today. You're my first patient in months. The last one still hasn't healed up quite right."

"I am no patient!" she said indignantly, shifting in her chair as he continued to advance.

"Then we have something in common, since I'm exactly the opposite of patient," he returned, and he cupped his hands toward each other. A crackling cat's cradle of golden dimensional energy appeared, and when he pulled his hands more broadly apart, it stretched with them. Orange sparks snapped from the strands. Stephen frowned. "Well, what do you know, there's still a little hydroxide solution on the gloves after all." He shrugged. "That's fine, it should all burn off pretty quickly."

She got to her feet. "Your Cauldron of the Cosmos!" she blurted. "It is a relic stolen from the pyramids of Giza--"

Stephen whipped one hand out; the strands of energy wrapped about the woman and sizzled as they touched her, eliciting a shriek. He closed to within inches from her face. "It's an artifact forged by Agamotto the All-Seeing approximately eight thousand years ago. I'd say try again but I don't think your clothes have that kind of time. Where's the submarine?"

A crease formed between the woman's thick eyebrows at the absurd question, but the heat and crackling from the energy whips surrounding her were beginning to convince her of the threat he posed. "I... I don't..."

"Sure, sure, you don't know." He dismissed the whips, then noted the burn scarring on her clothing. "Mmm. That'll be hard to get out. I might know a tailor or two." He gestured at the chair. "Take a seat or that pantsuit's going to look like it went through a king-size waffle iron. And I don't even want to think about what it'll do to your hair."

She glowered at him but did as directed. "What do you mean 'submarine'?" she asked.

"Well, if you don't know where it is, there's not a whole lot of reason for me to explain it to you, is there?" he responded. "Sure makes you look like a schlub, though. Obviously you're not in charge, you're just following directions from whoever it is giving them to you. Whoever they are, they need to up your clothing allowance, and update their K&R policies. It's in my favor, though, they couldn't send an actual professional to negotiate for the Cauldron. I could have given the all-American line... 'I don't negotiate with terrorists.' Definitely what a Sorcerer Supreme dreams of saying to someone." He waved a dismissive hand. "That's fine, though. I've got another movie line I can hand you. 'I've got ways of making you talk.' Impressed?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I am no amateur. I have been immunized to truth serums and measures intended to force me to speak truth against my will. Even you cannot coerce me."

He scoffed and gave her a mirthless smile. "Truth? Who said anything about that? I want you to lie your ass off."

She frowned. "What...?"

He brought both hands up, fingers twiddling unsteadily in odd snaking motions, and gleaming neon-blue energy appeared in the air between them. His hands didn't meet -- one wrist hovered above the fingers of the other -- but the energy they conjured twisted unevenly in a warbling circle that settled about the chair. The thick strands of plasma braided around one another, and once the circle was fully enclosed, the space within was consumed with fierce blue light.

"A sorcerer of Kamar-Taj would refer to this as a Ring of Raggadorr. But a Dungeons & Dragons player would call it a Zone of Truth... with a Strange twist to it. While you're within it, you can't refrain from answering my questions, but instead of wasting my time trying to figure out whether you can actually resist a Zone of Truth, I've sealed you within a Zone of Lies. You're completely incapable of uttering the truth. And when I ask you questions, whatever the truthful answer is, you'll be giving me precisely the opposite one, or as close to the opposite as you're able." He flourished with one hand. "So, test question, do you know my name?"

"...no." The woman looked flummoxed at the answer coming from her own mouth.

Stephen smirked. "All right then, progress. Now, you're in charge of this operation, aren't you?"

"...yes."

"Where on the ladder are you?"

"The top."

Stephen chuckled. "Oh, honey. They really don't pay you enough for this gig, do they?"

"I am paid extremely generously."

"Yeah, that much is obvious."

She stood up from her chair and tried to take a step forward. The blue light surrounding her crackled much in the manner of a Star Trek forcefield, and she jumped back as if having been shocked. She cast a look at Stephen. "I wish to remain in this space eternally!"

Now Stephen had to raise a gloved hand to hide his widening smirk. "I'm considering it," he quipped. "This is a lot more fun than I imagined."

"I am also enjoying it immensely!" she shouted.

He poked a finger at her. "Try saying it with a sarcastic bend to it, if you can, I wanna see how deep this spell goes. Does it affect just your words? You're yelling so I can tell you're agitated, at least."

"I am not agitated! I am free to walk out of this enclosure at any time and I do not fear your powers!" She crossed her arms under her chest and glowered at the floor.

"Well, if this isn't a reflection of parenthood, I don't know what is," Stephen remarked. "But while this is entertaining, I have some actual work to do. So let's talk submarines. Your bosses work out of one, don't they?"

"...no."

"I see. And if I looked all over the world for it, there's only one place I would never find it. Where is that place?"

"...the Laurentian Abyss."

He arched an eyebrow at her. "Are you telling me that I can find the submarine in the Laurentian Abyss?"

"No, that is not what I am telling you."

Stephen had to try very hard not to crack a smile. "How very Red October of you. I think the Cauldron of the Cosmos can probably help me along from here... though I'm curious why you would even want it at all. Is there anybody among your employers and co-workers in this little venture that could even use it?"

"To the best of my knowledge, everyone there could. The Cauldron is of no particular fascination or consequence to my employers. They are not at all fascinated by its purported abilities. They would prefer to have Wanda, as a person is far more stable a commodity than an inanimate object. Should you refuse to surrender the Cauldron, my employers are not prepared to brainwash her for their purposes."

He scoffed. "Thought so. You know, you actually make it a lot more convincing now that you can't even say it properly. Should've tried it like this before, you'd have gotten my attention even sooner. Tell you what, you can hang out here while I get this problem sorted out." He turned toward the east hall, which would eventually lead him to the portal door that connected to the New York Sanctum.

"Wait!"

He turned back to her with his eyebrow up again. "Yes, what?"

"I do not wish to know how you knew of the submarine."

This time both eyebrows went up and he rubbed his temple. "Vishanti help me, I'm actually starting to get used to this," he muttered. Then he looked at her more directly. "It's not what you lied about, it's what you told me truthfully. You said straitjacket and shock collar. That's how Wanda was kept secured when she was a prisoner aboard the Raft. The only people who would know that was a successful method are people who saw it in action. But the Raft is stationary. Eventually someone would come knocking. The only way to keep a prisoner like her off the radar is to keep her moving. And aboard an underwater craft, even if she breaks loose, where would she go? Especially as far down as the Laurentian Abyss. So... submarine made the most sense."

The crease in her brow only deepened further. "I understand completely how you were able to make such deductions."

"Yeah, sometimes I even amaze myself." He glanced to the other two sorcerers in the room, then gestured at the woman. "Make her comfortable while she's waiting. But you're welcome to have a little fun with that spell while it's still active."

Without another word, he stalked his way up the hall and found the entrance to the New York Sanctum. A variety of obstacles to the matter at hand pervaded his thought process. If the submarine was indeed in the Laurentian Abyss, it meant that it was so deep, opening a direct portal to its interior would be a death sentence to anyone aboard; the bends would see to that. It needed to be forced to surface, and its own crew made to decompress the interior. He chewed his lower lip in thought. How would he get them to do that?

He was five steps away from the Cauldron when he stopped in place and rolled his eyes. Duh. He'd seen the damn movie. Simulate a radiation leak. It's not as if he was a Master of the Mystic Arts and claimed control over a vast breadth of energies.

"Thank you, Tom Clancy," he murmured as he approached the artifact.

[fiddlepickdouglas]

Viva Las Vegas, Pt. 12 - Willie Alone

Summary: Sunset Curve AU, Willex, will he make it?, 5.2k

@trevor-wilson-covington is the bestie who makes these lovely edits, we stan supportive friends

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11

Day one down with no Caleb. Purple began to border the horizon. Hours of skating broken up with brief rests had Willie pretty tired. Sheldon seemed to be holding up pretty alright, even if he was stuck in the funny makeshift carrier Willie had made from a t-shirt to wrap around himself. Whatever town he’d stopped in was a little ways from the interstate, but it was nice being in a smaller place than a city for once. He actually couldn’t remember if he’d ever been to one.

Willie skated up to a cafe that doubled as an ice cream parlor and let Sheldon down on the ground. He hooked a leash to the cat’s collar but let it drag along the ground, knowing he would be followed. Entering the cafe, he sat at a table and leaned on its surface in exhaustion.

The night before already felt like so long ago. He’d spent all day debating whether it was smart to skate along the highway because it was an easier route to follow, or if he should take some back roads because they had less traffic and likely no cops. Seeing that shed light up was unforgettable. Willie hadn’t watched too many movies since he’d lost his memories, but it was a moment that had definitely felt like he was in one. Did he count as a fugitive now? He sort of liked the flavor of mystery and adventure that came with it.

Sheldon was up on his hind legs, pawing at Willie’s knees to let him climb up. Sitting back so his cat could leap into his lap, Willie cradled him with one arm. He thought about getting some ice cream and realized that he already missed the chamoy candy from Escobar’s bodega. It would’ve been nice to have a few more snacks on him. He’d get something in a little bit - standing up was going to make him feel sore.

He wondered how Alex was doing. He’d chosen to go to L.A. in the hopes of at least finding him and the rest of his friends. That sense of closeness and familiarity that Willie had felt when they were at the Pearl had become everything to him. Even Julie and Flynn would be great to meet again - in fact, he wished he could give them something in return for allowing him the second chance he’d needed to find Alex. Then he could figure out where to go from there.

Finally getting up from his seat, he approached the counter for some ice cream, leaving Sheldon held down by putting a chair leg through the leash handle. A girl who looked too young to be working there came to serve him.

“Hi, what can I get for you?” she said politely.

Willie looked down at all the flavors underneath the glass. What he wanted to do was climb inside and get the cool-off he really needed.

“Uhhh...how about the - ” his eyes narrowed to be sure he was getting it right. “ - the swass?” As far as he could see it claimed to be a white chocolate flavor with cayenne pepper in it. He’d never heard of a spicy ice cream before.

The girl giggled behind the glass.

“How many scoops?” she asked, barely containing laughter.

“Two scoops, in a waffle cone,” he said, watching as she got it prepared. “What’s so funny?”

They traded hands as she gave him the cone and he gave her cash.

“Swass is short for sweaty ass. It’s a summer special.”

Willie snorted and laughed along with her.

“Nice!” he said, pointing a finger to accentuate the word. She held a handful of coins out to him. “Don’t worry about it, keep the change.”

Mood now lifted by his ‘swass’ ice cream (which was surprisingly delicious once he began licking it), he went back to the table. Sheldon kept watching him, eyes hungry for the unfamiliar substance. Willie watched in mild entertainment for a moment as he continued eating. Then he got the idea to move the ice cream around, seeing Sheldon’s eyes follow wherever it went. It made him giggle.

Holding the cone within reach of Sheldon’s face, he let the cat sniff at it for a moment before daring to take a lick. After a few more licks, Sheldon sat back with his mouth wide open in shock, and Willie felt bad for laughing.

“Did you get a brain freeze, buddy?”

Sheldon looked betrayed, and crawled underneath the chair and began cleaning his face. Some noise caught Willie’s attention and he looked up to see a small TV set up in a corner of the cafe. The news was on, and while he couldn’t clearly make out what was being said, he saw footage of a building in flames while a fire department was trying to put it out. Fear clenched in his chest as he recognized it. Lifting Sheldon’s leash, he immediately got up from his chair and headed out the door.

So avoiding public places was going to be the plan from now on. He didn’t know what was being told on that news story but considering that was definitely the shed from behind Caleb’s place...arson had awful consequences, and Willie didn’t like his odds. It certainly put a wedge in his plan to find shelter, but he could get creative.

Grabbing his board, Willie skated through the streets and checked out his best options while finishing his ice cream. It was getting late, and businesses were closing quickly. He didn’t fancy staying anywhere outside, mostly for the safety of his cat. After getting a good look around the town (or most of it at least), Willie had to pick between the movie theater or the laundromat.

He thought of trying the theater. The seats would be perfect to sleep in, and the dark stillness of an empty theater at night sounded so relaxing. But there was the question of getting in without having to buy a ticket or being kicked out after a movie was finished. That was likely to cause enough fuss with the employees for them to identify him. Scratch that off the list.

Willie made his way to the laundromat, albeit unwillingly. It was the only place open for twenty-four hours with no one to bother him about why he was there. As he went inside with Sheldon, he peered up at the yellow lights. There had to be a dark corner somewhere. A handful of loads were going, and they were all spread out so that the noise would bother him no matter what. However, a door toward the back caught his attention and he checked to see if it was locked.

To his surprise, it opened to reveal an empty office. He flipped on the light to get a better look. There was only a desk, chair, and empty bookshelves, as if whatever it was used for had been decommissioned or moved elsewhere. Dragging a finger over the desk, a layer of dust came off. The room didn’t look like anyone would check for a person in there, so Willie decided it was where he’d make camp.

Luckily enough, there was a lost and found area with the laundry of people who’d somehow forgotten to pick up their loads. Finding a blanket in the pile, Willie made sure Sheldon was inside the office with him before turning the light out and shutting the door. It blocked out the noise of the machines well enough. Using his backpack as a pillow, he laid down and pulled the blanket over him as best he could and sighed.

Thinking back to earlier when he’d celebrated being a fugitive...well, it certainly had its cons. As Sheldon nestled on top of his legs, Willie chuckled softly and tried to focus on falling asleep. The backwards dream was bound to happen again, and he wondered if anything about it would change now that he knew what it was really about. Aside from his memories of Alex and his dad, it was the best motivator he had now. He closed his eyes and let the sound of purring lull him to sleep.

Day three without Caleb. Note to self: never underestimate the amount of sunscreen, food and water needed on a trip, and bring a map. Packing light was a mistake. Willie was avoiding the highway now, but had taken a wrong turn somewhere after passing through that small town and thought he’d found somewhere to get back on track, but only ended up more turned around than ever. Now he was skating for miles on some back road with no cars or civilization in sight and was getting worried. He was rationing the water between him and Sheldon, and now that it was high afternoon and the July sun was beating down, he was worried. The food he had packed for himself was already gone, and he was pretty sunburnt.

He’d originally decided not to hitchhike because he didn’t want to be recognized and turned in, but now he was considering it was safer than wherever he was right then. If the laundromat had been rough, rest stops were much less desirable to sleep in.

Slowing his board down, he moved to the side of the road for a minute and set Sheldon down on the ground so they could both stretch their legs. These past few days had been hard, but he was determined to never go back to Caleb. He felt more like himself and a new person all at once, more than he had ever felt since he’d lost his memories. Even with desperation creeping under his skin, he didn’t regret it one bit. Sheldon rubbed against his legs and Willie opened his backpack and dug for some food.

“Here you go, buddy,” he murmured, laying the food down and massaging the back of the cat’s neck. “You sure are handling this better than me.”

All he got in response was content purring. Willie was grateful he wasn’t entirely alone. It wasn’t a usual thing for cats to travel, right? He wondered what made Sheldon so special.

Pulling out his water bottle, Willie saw that it was down to a mere gulp. As if to punctuate his disappointment, his stomach growled loudly. This was beginning to feel like more than a low point. The pain and fatigue started increasing as he sat in the dust, the notion of how lost he was settling in uncomfortably. Shaking the water bottle, Sheldon perked up and watched him pour some into his hand before licking it up.

Finishing the last of it, Willie was hardly satisfied. It was better than nothing. The heat was getting unbearable, though, and with how tired he felt it was a hard debate whether he should take a nap or keep trying to find shelter.

Stubbornly trying not to imagine the worst, Willie reminded himself of his goal. Find Alex, find somewhere to stay, and play it by ear from there. He even teased the thought of finding out if he still had a family. That didn’t sound likely, especially with the amnesia factored in, but this was the first time he could dare to dream bigger than the small life he’d had back in Vegas. If he did make it, it was all worth the strain he was feeling right now.

If - such a laconic, dooming word.

His legs felt too much like jelly to attempt riding again, though, and he pulled Sheldon into his lap. The cat made a few funny chirping noises at him.

“Sorry, buddy, I’m too tired,” he apologized. All the rubs against his shirt couldn’t renew his strength fast enough. Willie felt tears well up in his eyes and he couldn’t tell if they were from fear or exhaustion. Only a couple fell and immediately dried on his face.

He tried summoning the memory of Alex’s eyes, letting the ocean waves bring hope in a dire attempt to fight everything else. Their rhythm and focus remained preserved so well in his mind. If the world was made of hard, painful, unbearable things, Alex was the softness of respite. From bandaging his hand to running his fingers through his hair in comfort, there was a gentleness that made Willie believe in something greater than one day in Sin City. The waves grew and he dreamed of being washed clean and refreshed and like he could leave his soul at the shore forever and never be hurt.

They crashed over him again and again, like a lullaby. The sensation dulled the pain until he was numb. Nothing remained but the beautiful sea of green before him.

Willie didn’t know when he passed out or for how long, but he was jolted awake by feeling his body hitch up and down, like he’d gone over a bump. He heard the running of an engine and opened his eyes. A window beside him was down, and he looked directly into his own reflection in the rearview mirror of a truck. Turning to his left, he saw a person at the steering wheel through bleary eyes.

“Dad?” he muttered thoughtlessly.

“Sorry,” the voice of an older woman spoke. “Not your dad.”

Willie only blinked as he tried to orient himself. The woman had salt and pepper hair styled in a mullet and looked coarse from years of hard work.

“Pardon me for being blunt, but what the hell were you doing out there?” she rebuked. “With a cat!”

He immediately sat up in alarm, looking for Sheldon.

“He’s fine,” she assured. Willie nodded as he saw the cat sitting on top of a blanket in the back seat next to his skateboard.

“It’s a complicated story,” he told her.

“I bet it’s complicated,” she muttered in slight consternation.

There was a few minutes of silence as Willie’s mind tried to understand where he was.

“Don’t try to thank me,” the woman began speaking again. “It was only so easy to put you up in my truck after I saw you had no water, no food, nothing but a few changes of clothes and a wad of cash.”

“Thank you,” Willie said, embarrassed he hadn’t said it quicker.

“I said don’t thank me; I could’ve taken all your cash.”

He looked at her anxiously until her lip curled.

“Don’t worry, you’ve still got all of it.”

This lady was abrasive, but at least she was kind.

“I’m Bessie,” she said. “And if the name is right in your wallet, you’re William. Bet you go by Willie though.”

“How did you guess?”

“You don’t look like a William kind a’ kid.”

It was amazing how she could hold his attention so well without taking her eyes away from the road. Her intelligence was effective. It kind of made him smile.

“You hungry?” she asked. Her head nodded in the direction of a bag sitting between them. He smelled chicken and he hesitated for a moment, eyes darting between the food and her. “Go on, you can have some. I can eat more when we get to Roy’s.”

“Who’s Roy?” Willie asked, carefully pulling out a chicken wing and biting into it.

“It’s a motel. Me and my husband own it. And it looks like you’ll be our only guest tonight.”

“Oh,” he said through a mouthful of food.

“I apologize, but you need a shower,” she told him, wrinkling her nose. Willie only continued to chew in silence and bowed his head. He’d forgotten about that while he’d been focused on skating his way to freedom.

“So where is this motel at?” he asked after a few moments.

“It’s in Amboy. We’re a little ghost town out here. There’s only five of us, the rest are tourists. Sometimes we get Harrison Ford coming through.”

Willie raised his eyebrows, guessing it was impressive trivia. There were numerous names people used that he seemed to be expected to know, but unfortunately most of them he couldn’t keep track of. He silently ate his chicken, relishing in the taste.

“We’re almost there, so just sit tight and keep eating,” Bessie said.

He noticed she hadn’t mentioned anything about recent news, and while it was possible she knew about it, Willie didn’t think she would hold back her commentary if she did. He decided not to bring it up.

Not even ten minutes later they pulled up to the retro motel. Movement was agony, every bit of his exposed skin on fire. Sheldon lifted his head and meowed in curiosity as Willie opened the back door to get his things. Pulling his backpack over his shoulder, he scooped up Sheldon with one arm and grabbed his board with the other. He felt nervous claws immediately dig into his shoulder and he tried to soothe his cat the best he could.

“Shhh, buddy, it’s okay,” he whispered. It was a good thing he had a leash on.

“I have never seen a cat travelling with a skater before,” Bessie said as he followed her into Roy’s. “The things you get in this little town.”

She took him up to the main desk and pulled out a reservation book, licking her finger to turn the pages.

“Alright, let’s get you a room,” she murmured.

“I can pay to stay here,” Willie said shakily. She’d practically saved his life, and he hadn’t exactly counted how much he took from Caleb, but added onto his own money it was quite a stash. Bessie looked at him thoughtfully.

“If you insist,” she surrendered without argument.

Sheldon was sniffing everything and peering around, obviously wanting to explore.

“You can put him down for a minute, I’ll keep an eye on him,” Bessie told Willie, handing him a key and a bottled substance after he let Sheldon go. “You get yourself washed up and put this aloe on. I suggest you stay for a few days at least so those burns don’t get worse.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Willie heard himself say. Too late, he reconsidered the use of ‘ma’am’ but Bessie only smirked and shook her head. He wondered how often she picked up strangers and set them up at her motel, because she was so well prepared. Glancing at his cat, who was content to swat at some flies that had made their way inside, he went toward the room that matched the number on the key.

Showering hurt, even with cold water, but Willie tried to bear it as best he could. At least applying the aloe wasn’t too bad. He was glad he hadn’t skated with his shirt off because it wouldn’t have been any fun to try reaching certain parts of his back. Looking out the window of his room as he got dressed, the sunset was in its late stages. For a while, he simply sat on his bed and hugged his knees to his chest, watching it go down.

Now that he had time to slow down, Willie felt a huge weight finally lift off of his shoulders. He hadn’t been allowing himself to think about it as much since he was so focused on being on the move and trying to stay safe while he had Sheldon with him. Actually, he didn’t even remember when he’d crossed state lines. But he felt a little safer now. Caleb didn’t care enough to come after him all the way out here, he didn’t think. Burning down the shed had been a little dramatic, he admitted, but once people forgot the news it was probably miniscule in Caleb’s eyes compared to everything Willie had lost.

For a minute, a ball of anger grew inside his chest and Willie closed his eyes and breathed deeply in an attempt to cool it down. It was probably a good idea to take Bessie’s advice and stay a while since he was being given the opportunity. He got up and went back out to see how Sheldon was.

The cafe was quiet except for Bessie speaking on the phone with someone. Sheldon was near the cafe counter where someone had set out a bowl of water and a can of tuna. Willie went over to him and knelt down to pet him. Any motion was still a pain, but he made himself ignore it. Footsteps sounded from behind the counter and Willie looked up to see a large man with a mustache peering down at them. He appeared to be from somewhere in the Pacific Islands.

“You’ve got a nice cat,” the man said.

“Thanks,” Willie replied with a small smile as he continued running his hand from head to tail.

“Can I get you some water?”

“Oh...uh, yeah, thanks.” It was going to take a while to get used to people being kind. As the man left briefly and returned with a glass, Willie graciously took it and sat at a table. Like that, the man had disappeared and he almost questioned whether he’d actually been there.

He saw the napkins on the table and pulled one out of the dispenser. The only thing he’d actually learned how to make with origami was those little frogs, and he never seemed to use a proper piece of paper when he got the urge. Now, he didn’t have anyone to gift it to if he did make one. He sure wasn’t going to hand one to Bessie.

Just as he thought that, she came over to sit across from him.

“So what’s the plan, kid?” she asked, folding her hands casually.

Willie looked at her for a moment, unsure what to explain.

“Come on, something’s gotta motivate you to be going cross country on a skateboard,” she pointed out.

“Well,” he sighed. “I’m trying to get to Los Angeles.”

“And the bus just didn’t do it for you?”

Willie sat back, dumbfounded. Part of him knew that there were bus routes across the states, but he just hadn’t remembered that.

“Yeah, so fun fact about me: I only have a year and a half of memory, and I forgot about busses.”

Bessie raised her eyebrows, and then furrowed them.

“I’ve seen some things, I’ve seen some things, and I have seen some things. You are not something I have seen yet. I won’t ask for what your whole story is, but I can only imagine the convoluted circumstances that got you in your position.”

Willie bowed his head, unsure how he should respond. It was clear that she truly wasn’t aware of the news, though.

“Do you even know what you’ll do when you get to LA?” she asked.

“Not much,” he said, shaking his head. “But I have a start.”

“Please tell me you don’t plan to skate the rest of your way out of here.”

“Well, do I have any other way to get there?”

Bessie pursed her lips as she considered his words.

“I’d have my husband drive you out, but he just went out of town to do some business. We’re actually trying to sell the town, so once he finishes up his deal this place will be out of our hands. I can’t keep you here for long.”

The news made Willie realize just how inconvenient it was for her to have pulled him from the side of the road, and more guilt rose in his chest. He couldn’t keep getting in everyone’s way just by showing up.

“How soon is he supposed to be back?”

“A couple days. And then we’ll spend the rest of this week cleaning up and heading out.”

Feeling something touch his leg, Willie saw Sheldon had finished his can of tuna and come over to him. Picking the cat up and holding him in his lap, he looked at Bessie.

“You’ve been really generous,” he said. “You practically saved my life. I don’t know how to thank you.”

She shrugged.

“Ain’t much you can do but say it, and that’s okay. And maybe just rest enough so you’re in good shape before you get back on the road. Can you do that?”

“Yeah.” Willie nodded emphatically.

“Alright. Well, I’m going to turn in, but you hang in here as late as you like, although I don’t know what you would do.”

Willie only smiled as she got up from the table. He did the same, carrying Sheldon with him to the room. It was going to be nice having a bed and not being on the move from the second he woke up. Even with his skin continually on fire, he was able to fall asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

The next day he woke up and it was already noon. Sheldon was meowing to be let out the door, intermittently coming up to Willie and nudging him with his head.

“Yeah, I get the hint,” Willie laughed.

He quickly got himself together before hooking the leash to Sheldon and heading into the cafe. There were two men he hadn’t seen the day before eating lunch. It was probably a good idea to eat, considering he had slept through breakfast. The large man with the mustache was at the cafe counter, and Willie was silently relieved he hadn’t hallucinated him. It appeared he had set out the bowls of water and food already for Sheldon, who immediately went to it.

“Hello, little man,” he said as Willie came toward him. “What can Big Bo get for you?”

“Are you Big Bo?” Willie immediately loved the name.

“Absolutely.”

“Well, I could eat anything, what do you recommend?”

Big Bo thought for a minute. And then he smiled.

“I’m gonna make you a nice burrito.”

Nodding and smiling, Willie watched him leave as he went to a table and immediately began folding napkins into frogs. After a while his face got itchy, and he realized his skin had begun peeling from the burns. That was going to be fun to handle. Big Bo brought his burrito over and then tried getting attention from Sheldon.

Most of the rest of the day was pretty boring. Willie rotated between doodling on napkins, playing card games with the deck Bessie pulled out from the motel office, and walking around with Sheldon. He was reminded to consistently use the aloe vera he’d been given. Boredom rose to the point where he helped Big Bo deep clean various appliances behind the counter in the cafe. By the time they had finished, it was just time to eat a late dinner and Willie was tired out from all the cleaning.

He took a shower and tried to lightly scrub off all of the dead skin. Sheldon curiously poked his head in and got a faceful of water, causing him to make a surprised noise and run off. Willie couldn’t help but laugh with a twinge of pity as he peeked out and saw his cat glaring at him from the bed. Honestly, he wouldn’t have managed to get this far without Sheldon. It felt good not to be alone, but also feel free to just be himself and still be followed out of sheer loyalty.

The bed was already so comfortable and inviting it made Willie sad that he couldn’t stay longer. Maybe in the future he could recreate something like this place - small and friendly, where he was always prepared to help poor strangers find shelter. There wasn’t much to do here, but he could play around with ideas for his own thing. He’d definitely add a skate park, though. A strange thought occurred where he remembered Caleb’s hotel being called the Desert Oasis - the irony of it all couldn’t have been more obvious.

For the first time in weeks, Willie had a peaceful sleep.

A couple days later, Bessie’s husband still wasn’t back in town. She didn’t seem too worried about it, but Willie could feel tensions building up for himself. He was slowly running out of ways to entertain himself while his burns were finally toning down into tan lines, and he was afraid he would wear out his welcome while she was waiting for the town to be sold. His backpack was already packed and ready to go, but it was mid-morning and he still felt unsure about when was a good time to leave. For now, he simply doodled over the top of the comics in the newspaper.

The door of the cafe opened. Willie didn’t bother looking up but he overheard the conversation.

“Well, I am surprised to see you here again,” Bessie was saying.

“Hello, Bess, how’s it been?” A man’s voice was heard speaking. Willie couldn’t tell where he recognized it from.

“Slow. Buster’s been out of town. I guess we oughta tell you we’re leasing the place so you’re not in for a surprise next time you want to fly out here.”

“Leasing the town? Well, that’s a shame.”

“Any day now.”

“Any day now? If I’d known this would be the last stop I make here, I would’ve planned better. I was just gonna go out to the salt flats for a bit and then hightail it back to LA.”

Willie peeked over his shoulder. He still couldn’t see the man’s face, but he felt his heart rate go up at the mention of Los Angeles. Not wanting to appear rude, though, he continued with his doodling and tried to tune out what they were talking about. Eventually the man left the cafe and it was difficult to tell if he was going to come back or not. If it took until later that evening, he was willing to wait to find out.

In the meantime, he let Big Bo teach him how to make his special dinner rolls. The man was very quiet but he clearly loved making food and it made the process more fun. Also, Willie enjoyed the way he got called “little man” because it came out sounding so laid back and welcoming. While they waited for the dough to set, Big Bo showed him some tattoos he had and explained the symbolism of each one.

“This represents Nāmaka, the Hawaiian goddess,” he said, pointing to a woman’s face surrounded by ocean waves on his bicep. “But to me she really represents the course of life. The tide goes in, and the tide goes out, and the good things and bad things do the same. What you and me do is just ride that wave wherever it takes us in life.”

Listening intently, Willie thought back to Alex’s eyes and the countless times he used the visual of ocean waves to bring him calm amid the turbulence. Big Bo had spoken a simple concept, but it was something more powerful than anything Caleb had ever said. Something in Willie’s heart felt like he could finally find a purpose outside of all of this chaos.

After they had finished making the rolls, Willie sat eating one while petting Sheldon when he heard the door to the cafe open again. Footsteps approached and suddenly, a man Willie recognized had put his leg up on the chair across from Willie and was leaning on his knee casually. Surprise seemed to slap him over the face when he realized who he was. Indiana Jones, Han Solo, the Fugitive himself looked down at him in a bomber jacket and jeans.

“So my friend Bessie tells me you’re in a rough spot, kid,” Harrison Ford said. Willie looked back in shock. “I’ve got my own plane out there right now. You want a ride?”

[starr-fall-knight-rise]

Humans are Space Orcs, “Family Drama.”

I did not sleep in today, and have written you a story.

Warning: there are a few mentions of drugs and addiction, but not a ton

He had never felt so defeated.

As the Taxi door opened, and he stepped out onto the quiet residential street he had to hold back his shame and kept his head high. What would his family think? Should he even tell them? Well of course he should, that wasn’t an option anymore. If he wanted to make them proud he was going to have to make himself ashamed for a little while. 

Waffles whimpered at his heels.

He looked down at her with a small smile, “Alright, alright, you’re right, I’ll shut up.”

He rubbed her ears and walked up the concrete stepping forward onto the grass as a group of kids whirred past on hover-skates. They turned upon seeing them, voices suddenly raised pointing and waving at him as they rolled past.

He raised a hand to wave back, but quickly turned to the front door.

There was no way he was ready to interact with people that weren’t his close family.

He walked up the step and held out his implant to the door, it would open when it knew it was him.

The lock clicked, and he reached forward ready to finally relax and let off some steam.

The door clicked open, and he was immediately assaulted by a wave of sound.

“ADDIE!” He was grabbed around the shoulders and pulled into a massive crushing hug. It took his brain way longer than it should have to figure out what was one person, but then again, there was only one person he knew who called him Addie…. Like a fucking dog.

“Uncle Ben?” he grunted 

The man set him down on the floor and slapped his back. Below him Waffle growled nervously, but she was ignored, “It's been YEARS. We had no idea you were coming.”

The sound of kids screaming reached his ears and a t least five of them came rushing into the hallway.

“Hey that’s not fair, I wanted to be a pony too!”

“But I was one first, you can pick something else.”

Uncle Ben turned, “Hey everyone! Guess whose back!” His legs swiveled uselessly under himself as he was dragged through the hallway and into the living room, where the entire extended family seemed to be crammed. 

He blinked as the group turned into an uproar upon seeing him.

“What is that on his face?”

“Did you really lose a leg?”

“It’s been so long?”

Aunt Marry got up, “Lost all your baby fat finally.” He winced as she grabbed him and pinched his cheek, which wasn’t really for pinching anymore, or honestly had never been, but when he had more of a baby face she had always done that.

“Tell us about space!”

He was shoved onto the couch with Jeremy on one side and Grandma Vir on the other.

Jeremy gave him a look.

He grimaced back as Waffles crawled under his feet resting her head on Jeremy’s shoe.

“Where is dad?” he muttered to Jeremy, and his older brother leaned in to whisper, “where do you think. Hiding in the garage while mom entertains.”

“Coward.” Adam replied with some amusement.

That was just like their dad to avoid all extended family, even his own.

“Wait, wait, everyone calm down, our little Addie is Commander of the UNSC. You all remember when he was just a little guy who used to believe in flying saucers.”

Adam crossed his arms over his chest. Uncle Ben had always made fun of him as a kid.

His grandma looked at him from across the room, “What is that on your face?” She repeated.

He sighed, “An eyepatch grandma.”

“Why are you wearing an eyepatch.”

“Because I lost my eye.” He sighed.

She put a hand to her chest just as his mother came walking into the room, a Trey in one hand an apron tied around her waist and her hair pulled back in a messy bun. She looked more than a little frazzled.

“Martha, why didn’t you tell us he lost an eye!” She sighed, “Because I didn’t want to worry you mom.”

“How is the army still allowing you to command a ship with a missing eye?” Uncle Andy wondered 

“He flipped up the eyepatch and the mechanical tech hopped to life nearly freaking out as it tried to track all the faces in one place all at once.

Gasps, “IS that a mechanical eye!”

“Yes.”

His other grandma put a hand over her face, “and he used to have such pretty green eyes. Now look at them, he looks like one of those cyborgs! Did you know some of those people intentionally cut off their limbs to look more like that.”

Martha sighed, “That’s not how it works mom.”

His Mother’s sister waved at him from across the room. He smiled back, he had always liked her, “I love your eyepatch, it looks cool.”

Her husband grinned, “Space pirate.” he nodded sagely.”

Adam tilted his head across the room where he found  David and Jordan squished against one wall sitting on the floor Jordan mostly sitting in David’s lap as they tried not to take up any space.

His brother grimaced at him, he grimaced back.

His mother's father leaned forward his steel grey hair and serious face set, “So tell me Adam, what are exactly your duties in the UNSC.”

The entire family rolled their eyes at once, some not even discreetly. He only got involved in conversation if he considered it “useful” and that meant all of the thing other people didn’t want to talk about, money, religion, politics, family history…… 

“Er, well Uh.”

“After commanding an entire fleet of ships you would think he’d be better at public speaking.” Uncle Trevor announced from where he was hidden behind the piano.

Adam frowned and cleared his throat, “I am fleet commander of fifteen UNSC deep space vessels for both exploration and military combat, but my primary directive is to foster good will with alien races , and save others from destruction, subjugation and slavery while expanding our knowledge of the universe through prolongued deep-space exploration.”

“Ohhhh his directive!” The rest of the family oooooed as well, but it was mostly sarcastic in nature.

His niece, Kimver walked into the room and crawled up to sit with him and Jeremy leaning against both of their arms as she played on her handheld. Kimber’s new obsession seemed to have shifted into vintage gaming. Glancing over her shoulder he could see her throwing tiny white and red balls and strange looking animals and a very pixelated screen.

“Have you met any sexy alien ladies.” Ben butted in

The rest of the family raised their eyes to the sky. Grandma looked almost offended.

“Ben would you stop with that.” His wife muttered from where she sat on a chair in the corner.

“What the whole LFIL thing is legal now, so he totally could have met some sexy alien babes.:

“It’s not a joke Ben, those people had a rough time of it the past few years.” David piped up from the other side of the room.

“Why the GA decided to legalize that behavior is a mystery to me. The world really is getting more wicked.” Grandpa muttered,

Adam clenched his fists, “Actually, Grandpa, I convinced them to lift the ban.”

The room went very quiet very suddenly.

Adam wished he had just shut his mouth.

“You what!”

“Look I spent a lot of time around LFIL members when I was securing the GA hall from protestors. I met a lot of them, and they are just good people who want to be left alone to do what they want. So yes, because of my position I was able to walk into the GA council chambers and convinced them to lift the ban.”

They stared at him.

“But what they are doing is wrong, it’s like bestiality.”

He felt his fists clench, “Grandpa if you ever met an alien you wouldn’t say that. They are sentient being that can consent, and if they can do that than it isn’t bestiality, and also stop calling my friends animals. My ship is staffed by some of the best alien crewmembers I know, and I wont have you comparing them to cattle or dogs or whatever else you want.”

The room went quiet.

Grandpa stepped out in a huff.

HE sighed and leaned his head back against the wall with an audible thud.

His mother walked over and handed him a stack of cookies with a smile on her face that said: Sorry about that.

He took the cookies greatfully shoving one completly into his mouth to avoid saying something else stupid. 

“So, does this mean you DID find a sexy alien girl.” Ben wondered and was immediately elbowed in the ribs from two sides  producing a grunt of surprise.

“So Jeremy, how long have you two been dating.” Adam looked over Jeremy’s bulk towards where a petite red haired woman with grey eyes and a sprinkling of freckles across her face was squished into the other side of the couch.” 

Sensing him looking, she waved a hand with a bright smile, and he waved back.

“Almost a year now.” Jeremy beamed putting his arm around her.

“Should we be expecting an announcement from you two soon?’ 

Everyone groaned, “Grandma!”

Jeremy’s girlfriend took it like a champ and continued to smile unaffected.

“Speaking of relationships.”

Dear god please descend from heaven and rapture him straight to hell, not that, that's how it worked but anywhere but here would have been great

“Adam, when are you finally going to settle down, how old are you now 25?”

He wondered if he prayed to satan hard enough he could summon a demon to swallow his soul whole.

“I know have you ever even dated anyone”

“Kissed anyone?” “Kissing is fun, you should definitely try it sometime.”

“You're grandmother definitely needs more grandkids.”

Oh the irony, the thought bitterly to himself.

At his feet the dog whimpered.

“You know there is this really pretty girl who works down at the corner store, I think she might do really good for you, a very down to earth girl. You could get promoted into a better paying desk job at the UNSC work 9-5 it would be a dream.”

Jeremy placed a hand on his shoulder, “Actually, Adam is more of an action guy, right Adam/”

Adam gave a weak smile, “Yeah.”

“Oh, he’ll grow out of that, besides you wouldn’t want to put a family under that kind of stress. It’s like you’re never home.”

“Space is my home.” He grumbled 

“Don’t be silly, humans weren’t meant for that sort of thing, besides your obsession was cute as a kid, but now that you’re older, you really need to start thinking about the future and having kids before you’re too old.”

He wanted to scream and bash his head against the wall.

“You know what though, how about that cute younger guy that works at the DMV, he looks about your age Adam.”

“I’m not interested in having a family right now!”

The room looked at him quietly, “You asexual or something?” Uncle Ben piped up awkwardly.

Adam felt his face go red, what kind of question was that? No, no uncle Ben I am not horny, or yes, yes uncle Ben I would love to find some hot person to plow just not right now.

And in front of the entire family?

Because he really wanted to have an extended discussion about his sex life with his entire extended family.

Waffles whimpered at his feet.

And then like an angel she descended from the sky to save him, either that or a billowing superhero cape like the saint she was. He couldn’t decide, angel or superhero, but decided on both.

Supermom, and part of her costume is angel wings and a halo.

“Adam why don’t you take waffles outside, she sounds a little nervous. Maybe take her out through the garage?”

He nodded and bolted to his feet like there were rockets firing from his ass, and hurried towards the door with the dog trailing at his heels.

Voices faded behind him, and he quickly hurried through the door and into the garage, where he found his dad sitting with Thomas on a set of lawn chairs drinking cold sodas and watching the clouds pass overhead.

They turned as they heard the door open.

“Adam! We didn’t know you were coming, pull up a chair.” 

He did so and unfolded it between the other two men sitting down as Thomas handed him a drink.

“They drive you off too?” Thomas grumbled 

Adam looked at his brother. Thomas was looking a little better than usual. His hair was only a little bit scruffy and his scraggly beard was at least trimmed. The tract marks in his arms had faded to pale scars on his arms.

“Yeah, uncle Ben asked about my love life in front of god and all his creatures. You?”

“Rehab. “

“I thought you were out of rehab.”

“I am, which is why I would rather not talk about it.”

“You doing good?”

“Yeah, got a stable job now, so that’s nice, go to meetings twice a week. One more month and I'll be six months sober.”

“Awesome, congrats.” He paused, “You know what, bet I could get you a job as a stuntman if you wanted.”

Thomas laughed, “Maybe I'll take you up on that. Once this job bores me to tears, which it will.”

“Did grandpa bring up LFIL.” Dad asked turning to look up at him

“You know he did.”

“He’s been meaning to ask you. He’s worried that spending so much time up in space has confused you.”

Adam snorted, “Don’t stargaze to long dad, the stars will make you extrial.”

“So that’s what dark matter is.” Thomas muttered and the three of them laughed. Waffles had climbed up on the chair with him and curled up on his legs to fall asleep.

“So what are you doing back here?” Dad wondered, “I thought you had just taken time off.”

He sighed, “Yeah… but things got complicated….” He paused, “Ever feel like no  matter what you try to do you keep failing at it.”

Thomas raised a hand “You mean my life.”

More laughter.

Then he got serious again, “Been so stressed lately that I can barely function as a person, has the UNSC questioning whether they should ground me or not. My friends set up an intervention, and it turns out that I am a raging control freak.”

“Could have told you that.”

“You got that from your mother.”

He glanced over at thomas, “What do you mean, could have guessed that?”

He shrugged, “Come on Adam, did you ever do anything you weren't sure you could do properly. Like riding a bike, or swimming, or how you threw a fit if we moved literally anything in your room, or how you had to have everything arranged on your plate before you ate it, or….”

“Yeah yeah ok. But I’m a fighter pilot, that's kind of not-”

“Yeah that is the most control freak job ever. You have to be in so much control that traveling at more than three times the speed of sound won’t kill you. Imagine the amount of control you need to fly in formation without killing everyone.”

“Alright I get it.” He grumbled.

“So what, you try to do everything yourself?” dad grunted 

He turned to look at the older man, “how did you know?”

“Every school project you ever worked on in a group, but you just ended up doing the entire thing.”

“I thought that’s just because the other kids were lazy and weren’t going to do their jobs.”

“Or because you wouldn’t let them and they just gave up on trying.” Dad responded 

Adam sighed and sunk back against his chair, “I had no idea.”

“Welcome to personal growth, how may we kick you in the balls.”

He sighed, ‘I just, how can I be a leader without losing my identity and becoming boring and stuffy. How can I still… I don’t know, be happy and have fun when I have a job like this…. Or am I just not meant for it.”

Dad waved a hand, “You were born for it, but you need to remember that while, most of the time, you can be friends with the people you work with sometimes you need to stop being their friend and be their commander, which entails doing some things that aren’t so friendly. At the end of the day it is a ship, so you have to make them and allow them to do their jobs, fun comes later.”

“How am I supposed to reduce the stress?”

He glanced at thomas who shook his head, “If I knew the answer to that, I wouldn’t be a recovering heroin addict.” 

“You just have to find something you love doing, and then take a little time every day to do that thing which you love. Don’t worry, you’ll figure it out.” 

He sighed and looked out at the deepening sky.

He really hoped so 

[blushing-starker]

hiii darling!! saw you were a bit desperate for smth sweet and good so!!💗💗

i’ve sent this prompt to jae before, but i still adore the idea of little peter being in daycare and developing a fever! and daddy tony brings him to daddy stephens practice where he works as a family doctor. and so lil peter gets examined by his own daddy and cries in the cutest and most heart aching way when dada gives him an injection to bring down his fever🥺🌡

but tony comforts him of course!

“dada had to do that so you’ll feel better, baby.”

“i’ll see you later today at home, petey. i’ll bring you something yummy from the store, okay? now, go along with papa and cuddle loads with him till i get back home. that’s doctor dada’s orders.” - raf🐇

here you go! The first part while I crank out the second part. I know you read it already but I wanted to at least post it. Thanks for sending me the ask dear! I really appreciate it! 💓

It starts on Monday in the sandbox during recess. Peter doesn't really hang out in the small park right next to the classroom, prefers the cool temperature of the library where Miss Maria often turns a blind eye to his antics involving a screwdriver and the dismantling of any electronic device he and Ned can get their hands on. MJ, just a year older, is halfway sure the librarian purposely leaves old toys on the lowest shelf, but she isn't a snitch and it's, don't tell anyone though, fun to spend time watching the two boys figure out a way to pry open clocks.

His daddies are overjoyed their boy is like them, enamoured by how things work and how they could improve such things with the minimum of resources. In fact, Tony cried while talking over the phone with his mother, eager to tell Maria how her grandson replaced the wheel of a car the daycare was about to throw out in a few days. Peter, ever vigilant, had run to his daddy, afraid he was hurt or sad. He'd thrust the car into Tony's hand to make him feel better and Stephen's absolutely ridiculous husband sobbed harder while nearly suffocating their child in a hug. Maria sent Tony's old engineering kit from when he was a child and their Kleenex ran out the minute Peter wandered over to poke at it.

Stephen shouldn't tease Tony too much. After all, the doctor spent more time bragging about his little boy's intelligence than he did discussing his patients’ conditions. And maybe, just maybe, he sobbed in the bathroom when Ned came for a sleepover and loudly proclaimed his best friend had comforted another classmate when they fell and hurt their knee. Apparently, Peter had sent Ned to warn Miss Wanda while he calmly explained that all they had to do was elevate the area, clean with soap, wrap a Hello Kitty bandaid on the wound, get ice on it and be attentive to any signs of fever.

The whole thing was exactly, word for word, what Stephen had told Peter when his boy tripped on the sidewalk and roughed up a knee. Tony found him sniffling while cleaning out old anatomy books that suspiciously appeared in Pete's bedroom the next day.

They don't talk about it. But now the whole family has a bet on what the young boy's profession will be.

Yes, his daddies are happy he's shown an interest in their fields of study. Yes, they want him to explore and learn and have fun with different subjects. Thing is, they also know how important it is for a child to go outside and play with others. An intake of vitamin D was very good for a growing boy.

(That's bull, they would have gladly given ten thousand toys to Maria Hill for her to leave around the library so the trio could dismantle them. But then Miss Wanda cornered them in the hall and told them that no, Peter also needs a bit of sun and some interactions with people besides Ned, MJ and Shuri, a girl from another group who also liked the library. They begrudgingly agreed.)

So Monday morning after waffles drenched with too much syrup Stephen chooses to ignore are devoured by two sets of grabby hands, Peter’s daddies gently suggest he spend a few minutes playing outside with the others.

Peter pauses, screwdriver in midair and toy car set down on the table with careful movements. There's a little furrow between his brows, so identical to Stephen's that Tony wants to kiss both his boys for being the cutest people in the world. He refrains from doing so because ‘Peter needs to know when we're being serious, Tony, and that means no kisses during serious conversations’.

“Have,” oh no, their boy is chewing his lip, abort mission, abort, “have I been bad, dadas?”

Tony accidentally rams his elbow into his husband's ribs when pouncing on Peter and Stephen is very close to considering divorce. “No! No, baby, you've been good all month. Promise. Daddy and dada just want you to get a bit of sun, play around with the others for a few minutes and then sneak off into the library.”

“ Tony, that isn't what we agreed, oh Christ. “ This elbow jab was on purpose. Stephen stumbles out his chair, muffles the curse words against the kitchen counter while his horrible partner cradles Pete's face and presses kisses all over the boy desperately trying not to stab his daddy with the screwdriver.

“Don't listen to dada, you can spend five minutes out and then visit Miss Hill.”

“ Who? “ That scrunch is back and Tony loves Peter more than anything in the world. Well. No, he loves kissing Peter more than anything in the world. The boy giggles, reciprocates as much as he can until Tony cheats and tickles soft skin under a cotton sweater.

“Miss Maria, Tony. They call her by her first name instead of the last name. I'm getting some ice. Jesus, do you sharpen that thing?”

------

He can be a good boy. He's a good boy. Five minutes outside. Peter can be outside while Ned’s in the bathroom and MJ heats up her lunch for the day.

(Ned and Pete had the daycare mac and cheese; their bestie preferred homemade pizza.)

It's not that he dislikes the park; it's a cool park! There are slides and hiding spots and swings and trees for shade and the wheel that they're only allowed to be on if the teacher's controlling the speed. But the library is always slightly cold and full of adventure.

Sometimes they read a Star Wars book series laid on the floor in a circle with blankets and pillows Miss Maria brings them. If the trio feels tired, Shuri invites them over to the movie area her friends have set up with Disney films queued up. When their spirits are higher, electronics prepare to be dismantled.

Still. He can be good. And, besides Flash who doesn't really get along with him, all of Peter's classmates are nice and fun. The only problem is where to spend, Loki!

Peter runs to the sandbox, jumps over the bridge to a slightly odd looking Loki that's waving his hands in a general ‘no, don't run at me, slow down’ motion. He's too excited to not tackle the teenager that helps Miss Wanda during recess by entertaining twenty kids with wild tales full of magic and wonder.

Hands that never warm up that much immediately curl around a small body and there's a weakened chuckle buried in Peter's fluffy hair. “Hello, little puppy. Odd seeing you without your two companions. Odd seeing you at all, really, since that cute nose of yours is always buried in a toy or book.”

Pete smashes his face into a soft shirt, loves how safe Loki makes him feel with his hugs and hair ruffling. He likes Thor, too, although he prefers the younger brother a lot more. Which Stephen says is a bit unfair since the only reason Thor can't hang out with him as much as Loki does is because the blonde trains during recess with Sif and the others in the wrestling team.

Loki can change his voice a lot; a gift very few have, Peter's grandma once mentioned, and even fewer people use it well. Miss Wanda tries to take them to all the school plays so they can cheer on the others and break routine, but the first graders are very adamant on which theatre kid they love most. Thor's brother could paint the air and make even the most boring speech exciting to hear. Peter was obsessed, dragged his daddies to every play Loki was in and pleaded for a picture afterward. Not that he had to ask for long; the youngest of three would often take multiple shots with Peter before anyone else could even come close to him.

You could say Pete was Loki's number one fan. Which meant he knew how to distinguish between Loki's voices. After the face smashing ritual, he peeled away to squint at cheeks too pale and eyes too red. Relatively tiny fists curled around black cloth.

“Are you hurt, Loki?”

“Not at all, sweet puppy. I'm just sick. Thor and I went back home on Saturday and we seem to have caught a cold. Which is why it's probably better you don't stand so close, wouldn't want you getting sick. My parents decided we should stay home, but I left one of my books here, the one about Viking stories, remember, last Friday and came to pick it up. “

He remembers the book, a heavy thing with a leather cover and wolves drawn on pale paper every few pages. The story about Thor dressing up and tricking the giants is Peter's favorite. Imagining his Thor wear a bride's veil tends to make him giggle.

“So I can't have a kiss?” He pouts, peers at Loki through dark eyelashes, even wobbles a pink lip when it looks like he won't get what he wants. It works as soon as tears cloud his eyes. Like daddy, like son.

The teen sighs, leans down to plant a single kiss on Peter's forehead when a classmate nearby falls into the pit, sand goes up Loki's nose and the dark haired boy sneezes all over Peter.

-------

It takes an hour for him to start sniffling and complain about cotton in his head. Thirty minutes after that, Ned catches him wiping a runny nose with a sleeve. Said sleeve is completely drenched in less than a class’ duration. Miss Wanda calls Tony in to pick his boy up during a midday meeting he couldn't care less about as soon as the teacher says ‘it looks like a cold and he shows symptoms of a fever’.

He probably breaks ten driving laws in the span of fifteen minutes, but that's insignificant when you're friends with Mayor Rogers and your husband fixes up the arm of one Mr Rogers-Buchanan. Tony crashes into the principal's office, deflates with relief when he sees principal Fury teaching Peter how to unscrew a cabinet infamous for being creaky.

“And now I spray a little oil so it doesn't make the weird noises?”

“ That's right, now we take the can, spray just a tiny bit, like I showed you, that's good. Remember to always have a paper towel nearby in case it drips. Those are some very nice pants you have on and I'd hate to see them stained. “ Peter sticks his tongue out, carefully dabs under the oiled up hinge, motions a fond looking Fury to hand him the screwdriver, and gets to work.

Tony leans against the doorway, shushes his friend and Peter's godmother, Nat, when she comes in with coffee for Fury. They stay there, take it all in and realize Pete's growing up. They also realize they might win the bet.

“Ow! Gosh darn it, pinched my finger while getting the cabinet adjusted.” Fury sucks his finger, is probably running through much darker curse words in his head when Peter gently plucks his finger out and presses it against the cold side of a water bottle Miss Wanda most likely gave him to help the fever.

“Ice helps the inflammation, principal Fury. If it doesn't go down, and I don't think it will cuz this is just cold and doesn't have any ice in it, you should eat a snack and take some medicine. “ Tony swears he's never seen Fury more proud or pleased than in that moment.

“Your daddy tell you that, Peter?’

“ Oh no, sir. Daddy can't really, uh, his mind is too busy thinking about building robot bodies to think about human bodies. Don't tell anyone, but grandma says she saw him put butter on his elbow after he knocked it on the door. “

“Really? How old was he? Maybe he was small and didn't know any better.”

“ That was last week, principal Fury. Dada's the one that taught me all about the human body. Daddy couldn't figure out our medicine cabinet with an instructions manual and a Youtube tutorial. “

Tony clears his throat while Fury’s busy howling against the carpeted floor and Natasha cackles on her way to the infirmary.

“Hey, baby. Daddy's here to take you to dada’s.”

[awesomesusiebstuff]

Time Together Changes Everything

This was written for @idreamofplaid Thanks For The Memories Challenge.  It was inspired by scenes form Supernatural Season 13 episodes Patience and The Big Empty and by my love for the relationship between Sam and Jack.

Characters:  Sam Winchester, Jack Kline, Dean Winchester

Words: 2,113

Warnings:  None that I could think of.  Pure fluff.

A/N Thanks to @fangirlxwritesx67 for reading and encouraging and to @thoughtslikeaminefield for beta read and suggestions for improvement.

Summary: Dean is angry.  Jack is afraid of Dean and of his own powers.  Sam is trying to keep himself and everyone else together.  Someone has to be the adult in the bunker. Who knew trying to raise a Nephilim would be so difficult?

With Cas dead and Mary gone, life in the bunker was very uncomfortable.  Truth be told, uncomfortable was too small a word to describe the atmosphere.  Charged, hostile, despairing. Those were more accurate descriptions. Everyone who remained had been sent reeling.  The world had spun off its axis and no one had time to adjust to the new trajectory.  

 Dean was mourning his best friend, and his mother, and was caught up in blaming the bunker’s newest resident for his loss. Jack was feeling alone and frightened.  Everything was new and terrifying to him, including his own powers. And Sam, Sam was just trying to keep it together.  

He had lost his friend and mother -- and, God, it hurt!  But he was convinced that Jack was not a monster and knew that someone had to look after him. So, in one of the greatest ironies of all time,  Sam chose to step up and protect the son of Lucifer, which included helping Jack learn how to control his powers and use them for good.

Training was not going well. Jack had been trying his hardest to please Sam by making a pencil levitate.  Sam had been trying his best to be patient and not pressure Jack. He knew Jack was scared. Sam was frustrated though, and felt he was doing everything wrong.  He had no real experience with kids. And, even though Sam knew he did the best he could, his own father was not exactly a role model. Sam was worried he would not be an adequate parent for any child, let alone for a Nephilim. Just the thought of it was overwhelming.

Sam wished he could get Dean on board for some much needed help, but Dean was convinced Jack was evil and would turn on them as soon as he had the opportunity.  Dean had gone so far as to tell Jack he would be the one to kill him if he went dark side. Sam understood that his brother’s first response to any strong, uncomfortable emotion was anger. He knew this was part of Dean’s grieving process, but his brooding and glaring at Jack was not helping the situation. 

The day everything changed was the day Jack blew up at Sam and fled to his room.  Sam found him sitting in the corner in tears. Sam knew what it was to feel like a disappointment. He was mortified to be the cause of Jack’s tears. 

Sam sat next to Jack on the floor and bumped his shoulder to get the boy’s attention. In the gentlest voice possible, Sam said “I’m sorry for pushing so hard, Jack.  I forget that you’re just a kid. I want you to know that whether you get a handle on your powers or not, you are not a disappointment. Your mom believed in you. Cas believed in you.  And I believe in you.”  

By this time, Jack had turned so he could look at Sam, his face so open and hopeful that Sam found himself close to tears. “OK,” Jack said.” I’m ready to try again.”  “Great!” Sam replied. “But let’s have a little fun first, take a break.”

Sam wasn’t really sure what would be fun for a Nephilim. Truth be told, he wasn’t certain what would be fun for a child. Sam thought about things he had liked to do as a child. He remembered that most of his favorite things involved fantasy of some kind.  He didn’t think he should resort to playing Batman and Robin or soldiers with Jack. He decided to start introducing Jack to the world of Star Wars, figuring that would at least be interesting for him.   

He left Jack in his room with a laptop and Clone Wars. When he checked back a few hours later, he saw that Jack had not moved off his bed and was still working his way through the episodes.  Sam asked, ”Hey, how’s it going?” Jack looked up and replied, “Good. I’m enjoying it. I’m not too fond of Anakin, though.”  Sam laughed when he heard this. He was taking this as an indication that Jack was not going to go all Darth Vader on the world.  At Jack’s questioning look, Sam smiled and said, “I’ll explain it to you another time.” Jack just nodded and went back to his viewing.

Sam left to make Jack something to eat and ran into Dean in the kitchen. He was still smiling when he said, “So get this. Jack doesn’t like Anakin Skywalker. Dude, that’s a good thing, right?”  Dean didn’t really answer but he actually smiled. Sam chose to see this as another good sign. Maybe the ice around Dean was starting to thaw and he would begin to warm up to Jack. 

Jack really seemed to enjoy the animated series so Sam downloaded the movies for him, starting, of course, with the original one featuring Luke Skywalker and Han Solo.  While Jack watched, Sam returned to the library to do more research on Nephilim.

Thinking about Star Wars and his own childhood had triggered some not so great memories, like how much he disliked being left alone to entertain himself when Dean and his father went on hunts.  Those memories made him realize he was doing the same thing to Jack. Sam might not know the best way to teach Jack to use his powers, but he could spend time with him and show Jack what it was like to be human.

From that day on, Sam made a point of spending time with Jack and introducing him to what he called “the human experience.” He listed what he considered essentials and set himself the goal of checking at least one thing off the list every day. 

Sam was aware that Jack was too small to wear any of Dean’s clothes.  And his own clothes certainly would not fit him. So clothes shopping moved to the top of the list.

Sam never paid much attention to clothes but he found that he actually enjoyed helping Jack find things to wear that he would like and that would feel comfortable. One of their most successful shopping excursions netted Jack a new “favorite” hoodie and a pair of sneakers with Velcro, both of which quickly became part of his daily wardrobe.  

Grocery shopping was not quite as successful.  Jack discovered he liked candy, sugary cereal, and just about anything sweet.  Sam tried to introduce him to all sorts of fruits and vegetables. Jack would try everything but nothing beat nougat and Sam would always catch him trying to sneak sweets into the grocery cart. 

Sam was aware that Jack’s grocery preferences contributed to Dean’s warming up to him.  Dean would never take Jack shopping, but whenever Dean went on a supply run, Sam saw that a handful of candy bars and a couple boxes of sugary cereal mysteriously made it into the bunker. 

Dean couldn’t help noticing that Jack looked up to Sam and that Sam looked happier when he was doing things with Jack. One day he commented, “Dude, I’m glad to see you looking like less of a sad sack.”  Sam gave Dean the patented eye roll and said, “Yeah, I think things are getting better.” Sam knew better than to push Dean so he just smiled to himself and let it drop.  

Hunting was the family business, so, of course, Sam taught Jack about monsters and the lore.  He took Jack out to walk around a cemetery and explained how EMF worked. He let Jack read his hunting journal and some of the notes he kept about monsters he and Dean had encountered. 

Sam stayed away from the topic of Lucifer as much as possible.  He knew Jack had questions. Jack finally came out and asked, “Is my father a monster?” Sam answered honestly, ”Yes, Jack, he is. And someday I’ll tell you more about him and why I know he is evil.  But Jack, that does not mean you will be evil. You have a choice and I believe you will make the right one.”

After that, Sam was always very careful to make sure Jack knew he and Dean did not see him as a monster. He believed that Jack trusted that Sam saw him as a real person and not just some “cosmic entity” with potentially useful powers.  He knew Jack was still unsure about Dean, especially after Dean’s “cosmic can opener” crack. Sometimes Jack had bad dreams and he would go to find Sam. He would always ask, “Is Dean going to kill me?’ And Sam always replied, “No. I won’t let that happen.”

Jack’s nightmares became less frequent.  One morning he came to Sam and said ”I don’t think Dean plans to kill me anytime soon.” Sam recognized this as real progress and decided to plan a Lord of The Rings movie marathon to celebrate. However, before the marathon could begin, Sam decided Jack needed one more lesson.  Sam wanted to show Jack the failsafe weapon to be deployed when trying to get Dean to do anything. Sam left Jack practicing his puppy dog eyes in the mirror and went to find Dean. Sam used his own puppy dog eyes on his brother and Dean agreed to join them in watching the first movie. 

Midway through the movie, Jack asked ,“Aren’t people supposed to have snacks when they’re watching a movie?” and Sam watched Jack unleash his version of the pleading eyes on Dean.  Sam smirked as he watched Dean jump up to go to the kitchen, saying “I’m on it. Popcorn and nachos coming right up. Anybody need another drink?” By the time the credits rolled on the last film, all three were devouring a Dean made “hobbit second breakfast” of waffles, bacon, and a veggie omelet for Sam.

The next day, Jack proudly announced, “I found a case for you.”   Dean surprised Sam by inviting Jack to come with them on the hunt.  It turned out to be a simple salt-and-burn and didn’t require any use of special powers.  Jack showed he was able to listen and followed Sam’s every direction. And Sam knew Jack’s willingness to do the grave digging won him points with Dean.

Jack’s full acceptance into the Winchester family became apparent to Sam the day after they returned  to the bunker. Sam noticed that Dean had begun calling Jack “kid” and he immediately recognized what that meant.  Any lingering doubt Sam may have had disappeared when Dean began teasing Jack about his hair.

 Dean said “Hey, kid.  You’re getting a little shaggy.  Which is ok if you want Wookie hair but…” and then gave Sam a pointed look. 

Jack looked at Sam for guidance, unsure of how to respond.  Sam just laughed and directed a “jerk” at Dean.  

Sam said, “Jack, it’s your hair and you decide how you want it to look.”  

After giving it some thought, Jack said, “I guess I don’t want to look like a Wookie.  Can I get a haircut?”  

Dean volunteered to cut Jack’s hair but Sam just chuckled and shook his head.  Sam decided he would make an appointment with the girl who cut his own hair and take Jack into town for his haircut. 

The next day, Sam and Jack drove into town.  Sandra, Sam’s usual stylist, greeted them with a smile and innocently asked Sam, “And who is this?” referring to Jack.  

Giving one of his awkward waves, Jack shyly said, “I’m Jack.” 

Sam was taken aback because he hadn’t thoroughly thought this thing through. Of course, Sandra knew Sam and would be curious about Jack.  By that time, Jack was nervously staring at the floor. And Sam was hit by the realization that that this was Jack’s first haircut and it was a big deal for him. 

Not giving himself time to think, Sam blurted out, “He’s my son.”  When he saw the biggest smile he had ever seen on Jack’s face, he knew it was the right thing to say.  More than that, he knew it was the truth.  

He felt himself smiling just as big when Jack answered, “Yes, that’s my Dad.”  

He might not have been prepared to be a parent. But at that moment, if anyone had asked Sam Winchester if he was happy to be a father, his answer would be a resounding “Yes!”

 Tagging Interested Parties:  @idreamofplaid @fangirlxwritesx67 @thoughtslikeaminefield @kickingitwithkirk @klaatu51 @aeo10fan

[peeterparkr]

hi lovely nancy!! 🧚🏻‍♀️ how about a blurb of #40 with tom please? ily ✨

“I wasn’t lying when I said that I loved you.” 

 Helloooo! Ooof yess!! Ily 💕

Idk why I wrote this so long i’m sorry 

warnings: angsty, fluffy, 2.5k 

When the truth speaks loudly there is nothing that can be undone. And you had learned it the bad way.It started out in a bar when you had barely paid any attention to him. In fact, you had both been stuck with each other for lame reasons, your respective friends were about to hook up and you both had the role to entertain the remaining friend.

He didn’t know, but your friend had dared you to get the one and only Tom Holland to ask you out. You were good at getting dates so you accepted the dare. You’d ask her to get rid off his friend, whom luckily she was attracted to, so you could be with him. You had told your friend exactly what she’d do. And Tom had noticed how you had guided your friend into getting with his friend. Your advice was on point, telling her the buttons she had to push to get the man to her. 

And she had. So you had your own game to play. 

“Want me to buy you a drink?” Tom asked, watching his friend leave. 

“Sure, martini, dry,” you said. 

“You were good,” Tom said. “I had never seen Haz ask someone to dance right away.” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” you chuckled. 

But he had flirted, just a bit, saying how lame both your friends had been at flirting, but how amazing your advice had been for your friend to get Haz to the dancefloor. But you both knew what exactly was coming, you’d probably have to tag along with your friends and let them be while they had all the fun. While you and Tom had to lie that you were having fun. 

“You knew this was happening,” Tom said. “You were conscious you’d have to stay with me, but of course you’re not complaining because you got the lottery didn’t you? Tom freaking Holland,” he laughed. 

“Ah, sure,” you rolled your eyes. “I’m sorry but no, I’m afraid the only sole role I’m playing tonight is the one who has to stay with the friend so she over there can have a good time.” 

Tom grinned. “Are you? Or is she really the one to be playing that role?” He pushed. 

You smirked. “I’m sorry, sweetheart, but I have no interest in you. I’m only happy she might get some.” 

“So, they’re getting laid and that’s it, what’s special about it?” Tom chuckled. 

“She’s not,” You grinned. “You see, my advice will lead to a date, not a one night stand.” 

“Is it?” Tom chuckled. 

“Yes, I’m good with that,” she chuckled. “You’re boring me, so here, please take care of this, I’m going to dance.” 

And you gave him your purse with a sole purpose, so he could see it and you knew that he’d probably get out your phone, which had no password and he’d call himself to get your number and save his own.  

He did as expected. 

And eventually, he called you. As you had expected, two days later. So he insisted, just as you had expected him to, that you guys should hang out as well, because well, you’d both be alone for the next few weeks considering that you had been right and that your friends hadn’t slept together but they had agreed on going on a date. 

And that’s how it started, first with bowling double dates, then with you going to his parties, then you’d end up at his house helping him with whatever it had occurred to him, barbecues and late-night movie dates. But then, you weren’t with Monica and Harrison. Suddenly both you and Tom were hanging out together without them.

“I got a date,” you had said to your friend. “Give me my fifty bucks.” 

“I’ll give you a hundred if you get into a relationship with him.” 

So it had been. And it was just going to be slightly awkward at the beginning, that’s what you expected. Going to the movies, and going out for dinner. The usual getting to know each other and slightly boring date, that’s what you had expected. But he hadn’t taken you to a fancy restaurant or to the movies, he had decided to do something more fun, so he took you to a boxing match. And that was fun. You both yelled and laughed and had fun. And you had screwed it up because you had kissed him on the first date. 

But so it started. Dates on cafés, bars and picnics under the stars.. Late nights under the white sheets that meant only a melody to you. Breakfasts the next morning with burnt eggs and burnt waffles. Ending up ordering something. 

Visit museums, fancy restaurants and not so fancy ones. Midnight snacks and moonlight secrets.  Cuddles and snuggles and inventing new ways to kiss. Hand holding. You know, cute little dates that would insist on him coming up with a new theory of a new movie. You sharing your favourite books with him and him practising lines with you. Learning about movies that had made you cried and movies that hadn’t, like both of you had cried with Toy Story but neither had cried with A Walk To Remember. Weird pet peeves, like the fact that he despised ketchup or the fact that you hate when people crack their knuckles. 

Background stories with sad memories and childhood stories that were too adorable to forget, like his first Spider-Man comic or your favourite Barbie. 

Then it was public…just slightly, so you’d be seeing your pictures on the internet, and some major gossip on an article you’d avoid reading. 

You had still applied your dating strategies until you weren’t anymore. Suddenly you had broken your number one rule, you were in love with him. And you had taken him to meet your parents and he had taken you to meet his family. 

And before you could back away, the words had slipped by. “I love you.” 

It had been nice, easy, and so not planned. 

You were watching Stranger Things together and you had promised each other that you wouldn’t cheat on each other by skipping ahead. Tom had this horrible habit of spoiling every single series or movie to you. But he had promised he’d wait on this one. 

“I’ve been ignoring all social media,” he said. “I don’t want any spoilers.” 

You bit your lip. “I haven’t been ignoring it,” you confessed. 

“Oh my god, you know what happens, don’t you?” 

You wrinkled your nose. “I might have seen something, but I’m not entirely sure, I closed the app before I could see anything.” 

“Oh, so then I can feel okay about saying this,” he said relieved. “I might have skipped ahead…” 

“You…what?” You frowned. 

“Oh my god, I’m sorry!” He said. “But I couldn’t sleep! I needed to know, if I didn’t… Okay, you see these dark circles? Those were because I couldn’t sleep without knowing, oh my god, I’m sorry, I’ll make it up to you, what do you want me to do? I’ll…I’ll do anything, want me to eat a spoonful of ketchup?” 

“Oh my god, Tom,” you laughed. “What?” 

“I’ll go get the ketchup, I’m so sorry,” he said and you went over to the fridge and took out a spoon. 

“No, no, oh my god, no Tom, no,” you laughed. “Gosh, no it’s okay, don’t do it.” 

But he had already done it. 

“You’re so stupid, I love you!” And you had said it. 

“What.” 

“What?” You chuckled, clearing his throat. 

“I… You love me?” He asked you. 

“I…uh, didn’t say anything,” you screamed. 

And he had dropped the spoon and ran to you to kiss you. “I love you, too.” 

So, you were screwed. Because you did. And without knowing it, you were in a relationship. And it wouldn’t have been that big of a deal. Because you had completely forgotten your bet. 

Everything had been screwed, until one morning when your friend and roommate came to your room, unbeknownst to her, Tom was in your restroom, washing his face. 

“Here’s your 100 bucks,” Monica said. “You did it, congrats.” 

“What?” You asked. 

“You have a relationship,” she said. “Remember? The bet we had? That if you got him in a relationship I’d give you a hundred bucks, well there you go.” 

And he had listened. And you couldn’t even explain it to him. 

“No, Tom, Tom, Tom, I’m sorry, she didn’t mean-” 

“No, no, I get it, it was a lie! That’s alright, you won the lottery didn’t you honey?” He yelled as he was storming out of your house. “It’s okay, y/n, I’m good. You have a hundred bucks, hope they serve you well.” 

“Tom!” But it had been useless. 

Your days became pathetic. You listened to sad music to make you sadder, and you saw outside with melancholy from the car window when it rained as if you were the star of a video from the 2000’s. All this while you took advantage of the rainy nights to go out and drive to listen to songs that your mom probably used to listen to, but that now they became too special because the fool you were decided to internally dedicate them to him.

So you became a slave to silly things. Pathetic things. Like when you ate chocolate ice cream while watching the Netflix screen over and over again to end up watching Friends for the twelfth time. Turning around in bed and not being able to sleep, just like you were right now. Everything was tasteless and colourless as you soon were realizing that you had to let Tom go. You’d cry over silly things, over Stranger Things and over ketchup. 

You had tried to call him, but he’d never answer. 

When the truth speaks loudly there is nothing that can be undone. And you had learned it the bad way. 

You had mailed him a box, that included two things. An issue of the first Spider-Man comic he’d ever read and a dvd you had found of A Walk To Remember. 

It had a note. 

“Tom,

I never thought I would be in love with you if we are honest. I never thought I would ever even get the chance to meet you. There were days in which I couldn’t believe it, but then I realized that you had been there to teach me a lesson. You know, like it was simple like it was meant to be.

It wasn’t something that happened by chance, you know? Nor was it planned, if it had been it would have been sudden and easy to forget. How things should be, with a specific schedule and a goal. Too bad we were looking elsewhere.

I wonder, did I know? Did you know that I was going to hurt you?  Had I known, I would’ve never approached you, why would it be necessary to cause so much pain and guilt in someone who just wanted to give a little life to you?. I understand you don’t want to see me anymore. 

I would say that I am already clean, if I were. I would say that it doesn’t hurt anymore, if it were true.

After devoting enough thoughts I have but one explanation, I’m stupid, I realized how we spend time, infidelities to the heart and deception to the mind. Games that only enclose in dungeons from which you can not find a way out. Dark places from which the low light we find is a reflection of illusion.

I think I went through too many things with my foolishness of not wanting to tell you when I could, not wanting to look for an alternative and not wanting to stop protecting myself. Yes, it began as a bet. It was my fault, I suppose, to believe that I wouldn’t face someone like you. Had it been anybody else, it would’ve been easier, still wrong, but easier. But you never know, I used to say that my heart was indomitable and if now I found myself writing a letter. I forgot it was a bet. Because you made it easy to forget. 

Which reminds me of things that aren’t easy to forget, Tom. Like any silly girl who has a fondness for the seasonal doll, or a guy who can’t forget the first issue of the first comic of the superhero he gets to play now. 

I was never a fan of flowers and less of the conversations at midnight. Being honest, I like to fall asleep early. I was never someone who cried at stupid romantic movies, but then I realized that when the person you love the most is gone, you find yourself crying over those stupid romantic movies. 

Which brings me to my second gift, I hope you watch it and maybe just like the first issue of that comic, you never forget me.

I don’t expect you to ever forgive me, because I know I don’t deserve forgiveness. I just need you to know that for me it was never a lie, what started out as a stupid way to win a hundred bucks ended up as the best adventure I’ve ever lived. To be the best story yet to be told, and to the series, I might want to skip ahead to see if we ever cross paths again. I know you were a fan of spoilers, so, mind giving me one, now? Do they end up together again? 

Sounds pathetic, but it’s pretty. All I have to say is, I’m sorry. And I need you to know this: “I wasn’t lying when I said that I loved you.”

And he hadn’t answered. But you didn’t expect him to. But Monica had tried to cheer you up, and she had taken you to the bar. 

“Now you will do exactly as I say, okay?” And she had left to the dance floor to bring someone over. And said someone had sat beside you and you hadn’t looked up. 

“Hi,” it was Haz. 

“Hey,” you said, looking at him. “You guys want me to leave you alone?” 

Haz chuckled. “I’m afraid the only sole role I’m playing tonight is the one who has to stay with the friend so him over there can have a good time,” Haz whispered. And you turned around to see him. 

You walked over to him. “Tom, I’m so sorry…” You said. “I’ll let you crack your knuckles, I’ll crack my knuckles.” 

“Sh,” he shook his head, watching you as you tried to crack your knuckles. “Oh, gosh don’t ever do that again. Now I see why you hate it.” 

And you were crying in a bar. “I’m so sorry.” 

“Spoiler alert,” Tom said, leaning over to kiss you. “She wins him back”

fic based on this blurb

[okaybutlikeimagine]

You Don’t Mess Around With Jim

(where Billy has been living w/ Jim and El for a lil over a year bc he’s been adopted and he never died and he just knows Hopper is a pushover and knows how to use that to his and El’s advantage)

~~~~

It’s a calm and balmy night and the roads in Hawkins, Indiana are decently quiet. Billy likes it this way. Back before Hopper took him in, this was one of the few things that he felt made this town worth it: the quiet roads late at night.

The quiet can be suffocating. Billy’s thoughts thrive on the silence; they scream in its presence. Which is why quiet nights on quiet roads make for the perfect canvas for loud as fuck music and races with bad memories. It’s also why Billy got picked up by the local police department twice in his first week in Hawkins. But that’s why Billy met Jim. So he’s not about to lament that.

Billy was usually out later than this, considering it’s only 8pm, but even so, the streets are still quiet enough to be pleasant, especially for a nice summer night like this one. He has his arm out the open window, letting the humid air wrap around it softly as it cuts through the night. When he’s feeling playful, he likes to encourage El to follow his lead in sticking his head out the window as they drive.

But tonight is calm and warm and a little too humid to do something like that, so Billy settles for the softness of the air on his arm. He lets it touch him gently. He closes his eyes and breathes. The less than favorable thoughts of a home he no longer lives in flash through his brain in a second, and they’re gone just as fast. The night is nice.

He briefly thinks of Joyce and her boys and what a weird family they’re going to make when Jim finally realizes what a fool he’s being in not asking her to marry him right now. She’s gentle and nurturing to her children and she gives that same stuff to Billy and El, even though they’re in no way related and she absolutely doesn’t have to. And when Billy thinks about it, he isn’t too surprised about her showering El with affection, seeing as she may gain a daughter (or will adopt her whether Jim gets off his ass to pop the question or not). Plus, everyone loves El and decides to shower her with affection pretty much the moment they meet her. But giving all that gentle nurturing to another boy? To Billy?

It confuses him to say the least.

Anyway.

She’s constantly inviting them over for dinner. She lets them stay over sometimes when it gets late and El gets tired. She’s inviting and strong as all hell and is hard on Jim when he needs it. She puts up with Jim, even though Billy recently found out that they grew up in this damn town together. So that means she’s known Jim for decades and still puts up with him and if that isn’t a miracle in itself, Billy is going to eat his shirt.

But it’s not his job to babysit lovesick adults. He might make it his job if they get completely hopeless, but for right now, he’ll just appreciate the non-TV dinners and the soft, music-filled drives back and forth from the Byers home. Plus, Billy has a bet going with Jonathan about when Jim and Joyce get together and he needs to wait it out a bit longer if he’s gonna collect the reward.

Billy notices the sound of Jim’s fingers thumping against the wheel of the car as the next song begins to play.

~Uptown got its hustlers…~

Jim is mumbling along to the words, very clearly not sure of them, but when the chorus starts, he’s singing. Loudly. Not necessarily excited or anything, just loud.

“They all call big Jim boss… and they say you don’t tug on Superman’s cape. Y’don’t spit into the wind. Y’don’t pull the mask off that old lone ranger and you don’t mess around with Jim.”

He -would- like this song.

El is giggling in the back of the car and Billy eyes her before he looks back to the smile cracking Jim’s face.

“That’s pretty cocky.” Billy says, eyeing the man next to him and being an overall brat about it. He scoffs a bit when Jim turns humorously disbelieving eyes onto him.

Jim laughs as loud as he sings.

“That’s real rich coming from you.”

Billy laughs back at that. He knows it’s true, he’s not one to deny that he’s a cocky son of a bitch, but he shakes his head all the same. He wonders how he got here, listening to old music from the 70’s with the Chief of Police and a girl-raised-lab-rat in the back seat.

Jim looks over at Billy again and just asks: “What, do you think the song is wrong?”

There’s a challenge in his voice and Billy sees a matching challenge in his eyes.

Oh alright, old man. Game on.

Billy doesn’t know what’s running through his blood, but Billy has felt it boil up through the year he’s been living with Jim. He tried to push it down out of anxiety, but when he realized the safety of his new situation, it was a little hard to cool it off. Because getting under the skin of others is a borderline hobby for him. Will has his drawing, Jonathan has his photography, and Billy has his being an overall public menace. Some may say it’s not as “constructive”, but it’s a hell of a lot of fun. People are always telling kids to have fun while they’re young.

A shit eating grin splits Billy’s face and he looks out at his hand sticking out of the window and slicing the air. He hums to himself, alongside Jim as the song continues to play in the background.

“You know what I could use?” He asks, loud enough to make sure El can definitely hear him. “Some ice cream.”

He hears sudden and excited shuffling from the backseat and smiles even wider as he waves his hand around out the window.

“Ice cream?”

“No.” Comes Jim’s voice, firm and sharp. Billy looks in the car’s side mirror and sees El deflate in the back of the seat.

“Seriously, think about it.” Billy continues. “Ice cream on top of some Eggos?” El perks up again, her tongue licking her lips quickly in excitement. “Some of that good vanilla ice cream too, with the little black specks in it?”

He looks over to Jim, who is gripping the steering wheel tighter, knuckles turning white.

“I already said no.” He grumbles.

“Y’know, we didn’t get any ice cream the last time we went shopping.” Billy can hear the smirk in his own voice. He chuckles when Jim turns down the wrong road, closer to the store.

“Or the store trip before.” El pipes up from the back. Billy points to her and gives her a thumbs up.

“Good point. Plus we have some of those cherries at home that we can put on top.”

Billy can picture them on the center shelf of their cabinet: those maraschino ones in the little jars. El had pleaded for them the last time they went shopping, because they’re sweet and sticky and she likes to put them on top of waffles and inside her glasses of water sometimes when Jim isn’t home. Billy had helped her get them, reasoning that they were practically fruit, even though Billy knew that was bullshit. They’re a semblance of fruit, sure, but as much fruit as something bathing in the most unnatural looking syrup can be. Even so, Jim had folded pretty easily.

“Ooh, cherries!”

Jim shakes his head. He’s not humming anymore.

But now El is hitting Jim’s shoulder, her little hand rapping furiously on it as she goes in for the kill: “Please, Dad?”

Billy can’t help the chuckle that bubbles up in his chest as he hears it. He joins in.

“Yeah Dad, please?”

And every time Billy’s mouth forms around that word, it feels less and less like alcohol-infused cotton on his mouth. Sometimes Billy says it without thinking, like when Jim is trying to make them dinner and Billy asks if he needs help, or when Jim’s on the couch helping El read and Billy needs to know where something is in the cabinets, or that one time he needed Jim to hold something for him as he fixed his Camaro. It always catches both of them off guard when it comes out naturally like that. But Jim never makes a big deal out of it, he just lets it float away through the air between them as he responds to whatever Billy has asked him.

But sometimes… he uses it to his advantage. And it works like a charm.

Because Billy isn’t imagining it when the breath leaves Jim’s chest quickly and his knuckles get whiter.

“Fine.” He says under his breath as they take another wrong turn away from their house and towards the store.

El cheers a bit and sits back, pleased. Billy is just as pleased, leaning back and tuning in once again to the song as it ends.

You don’t mess around with Slim…

And this time, Billy is the one humming along to the end of the chorus. His grin doesn’t fade.

~~*~~

Jim Hopper can grumble as much as he wants, but Vanilla Bean ice cream on top of 2 warm Eggos with Maraschino cherries on top was a marvelous idea and Billy thinks he should be rewarded. And he knows Jim is happy because he’s smiling every now and then inbetween bites.

After Billy helps wash the dishes, he looks to Jim with a smirk on his face. 

“Can’t mess around with Jim?” Billy asks.

But Jim just isn’t having it, tossing the towel he used to dry the dishes over to Billy.

“Go to bed, kid.”

“Yeah, yeah. Night, Dad.”

Billy doesn’t think as he says it, but his heart stops the second that it’s out there. He turns away as quick as he can, before he can see Jim’s face. His own face is burning and his heart is running as he walks to his room and shuts the door quickly.

~~*~~

“Hop!”

The sound of an irritated Joyce reaches Billy’s ears from his spot on the couch, sitting in between Hopper and Steve.

Joyce stopped by on her way to the store to ask them if they needed anything, and then to check their kitchen when they ultimately said no. Billy has noticed that she likes to do this. It’s completely unnecessary and most definitely just an excuse to come see Hopper, but it makes Hopper smile and provides Billy some entertainment as the two adults trip over each other, so he chuckles through it. Little does she know they just went to the store a night ago.

Steve is over because Billy really wanted to suck his dick.

And the nerds are also meeting at the Wheeler’s house and Steve was already planning on coming to pick El up because Billy doesn’t want to spend more money on gas. But after they drop them off, Billy and Steve are going down to the quarry so they can listen to music and Billy can suck Steve’s dick to the rhythm of a Springsteen song.

But for right now, they’re waiting for El to get ready and Joyce must have just found the 3 ice cream cartons they just recently bought.

Hopper looks over to her like a deer in headlights. There’s a laugh threatening Billy’s chest but he can’t let Joyce see it, so he turns his head to Steve and chuckles into his neck. Steve immediately starts to push Billy away while squirming and whining about being ticklish.

“Hop, can you come here?” Joyce’s voice is all business. She’s clearly not happy.

Billy is pretty sure she set a deal with Hop once they started getting serious to stop keeping so much junk food around. She knows Jim doesn’t make fresh food for them hardly ever. It’s always frozen dinners or fast food. It was probably just fine for the Chief when he was a mess living alone, but now he’s a mess living with two minors, so… frozen dinners every night don’t necessarily cut it. When Billy started living here, he quickly realized he’d have to be the one to make something for the 3 of them that wasn’t freezer burned peas on a tray, if not for him and Hop, then at least for El. No matter how content she seems, Billy still thinks she deserves more than only TV dinners and freezer waffles.

So since Joyce can’t be here every night (except she could if they’d get married), she cut some deal with Jim to limit the junk food in the house so she would know they’re not just living off sugar. They can’t die of some weird sugar overdose if there’s no sugar in the house.

Except...

“Why are there 3 cartons of ice cream in your freezer?” Joyce hisses at Jim. Billy can just hear it from his spot pressed against Steve. He fights hard not to snort, so he bites Steve’s shoulder instead.

“Hey!” Steve yelps, wriggling and trying to brush Billy off.

Billy shifts his eyes over to Hopper when he doesn’t hear the man say anything and notices the man flailing, mouth gaping like a fish as he struggles to bite out some words that might explain himself. It’s then that El walks into the room, a skip in her step and a bright smile on her face, showing she’s ready to go.

Billy gets up along with Steve to meet her at the door when he hears Jim reason with Joyce on a loud whisper.

“They called me dad.” He hisses.

The two kids glance at the adults, who are now looking back at them with wide eyes of shock.

Billy looks to El, sharing a glance of knowing mischief with her, before they give sweet, twin smiles to the adults in response.

A flustered blush begins to color both of the adults’ faces.

Billy gives El a victorious high five.

“Ready to go, kiddo?” Steve asks from behind Billy.

El nods, and waves to Hopper.

“Catch ya later, dad.”

As soon as the words are out in the air, Billy is frozen. Because those words didn’t come from El, who is currently opening the door and skipping out to Steve’s car.

“Hey, babe,” Steve starts, arm out to hold the door open for Billy. “When did you start calling Hop ‘dad’?”

Billy’s going to have a heart attack. He looks over to Jim, who looks like his face is seizing from trying so hard to force down his smile.

Goddamnit. Billy’s chest is too warm.

“Just get in the car, Harrington.” Billy mumbles under his breath, pushing his stupid boyfriend out the door and letting the air cool down his burning face.

(catch it on AO3 here!)

[keelywolfe]

FIC: Beneath an Aurora Sky ch. 13

Summary: The South Pole Station is equipped for research and Edge has always made sure things run smoothly for the inhabitants. His charges are meant to follow his rules and regulations, and in turn, he makes sure they survive in the arctic temperatures. It takes plenty of hard work and determination and Edge, along with his crew, can handle both.

He wasn’t counting on one of the newest researchers. He wasn’t expecting Rus.

Tags: Spicyhoney, First Time, Arctic AU, Hurt/Comfort

Notes: This chapter includes lemon goodness!

~~*~~

Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four

Chapter Five | Chapter Six | Chapter Seven | Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine | Chapter Ten | Chapter Eleven | Chapter Twelve

~~*~~

Read Chapter 13 on AO3

or

Read it here!

~~*~~

~~*~~

The crackle of the radio woke him. “boss? you reading me? over.”

Edge leaned up on an elbow, squinting through the dimmed emergency lights. The windows were dark, they were months away from any daylight. Next to him, Rus slept on and Edge slid out of bed, hissing at the cool floor on his bare feet as he crossed the short distance to the radio. He picked up the receiver and clicked the transmit button, “Still alive and kicking, what’s the situation, over.”

A long moment of crackling static, then his brother’s voice came again. “finally! been trying to raise you all morning.” Beneath his voice was the sound of a motor, growling along. “snow stopped at about 0400, i’ve been plowing ever since. we’re about halfway to you and the fashion victim now, give us a couple more hours and we’ll have you out of there, over.”

“Copy that, out.”

Edge flipped on the outside lights, peering out the porthole window. Snow was piled high, overtop the snowmobile but it hadn’t gone even halfway up the shelter. Not too terrible a storm anyway, the clouds must have thrown only thrown a short tantrum and moved on.

“they’re coming to get us?” From behind him and Edge turned to find Rus blinking at him sleepily. He pushed up on one elbow and the blanket slid down, giving Edge a lovely view before he hissed at the chill and yanked it back into place.

“Yes. We should have enough time to clean up and get dressed before they get here.” The shelter would need a little restocking, but he wasn’t about to leave a mess for Undyne to deal with on her next supply run. In the meantime, he dug into the supplies to find the packets of instant coffee. It was foul, but it would have to do until they were back home to Bonnie’s powerful brew. He set the kettle to heat on the camp stove. “Would you like some coffee?”

“yeah, sure.” That was oddly subdued, and Edge glanced at Rus. Who seemed downcast, the second pillow scrunched up in his arms like one might hold another...ah.

Perhaps he’d been hoping to wake in Edge’s arms. Or maybe he’d been hoping for a little more time on their own to explore this...well, whatever this relationship was. The thought warmed him better than coffee would and Edge flicked off the burner, ignoring Rus’s confusion as he moved to sit on the side of the bed, hooking a finger under Rus’s chin to take a soft kiss.

He drew back, looking into those wide, startled sockets and murmured, “Good morning.”

“i...good morning,” Rus said dumbly.

“Did you sleep well?” Edge asked solicitously, only to get a rather blank nod in return. He looked as if one kiss had sent all his brilliant thoughts winging out into the snow, Edge thought with no little amusement. Another kiss finally woke him from his daze, Rus pulling him back into the bed and Edge went willingly.

They had a few more minutes to spare.

~~*~~

The cold oversized wet wipes in the kit were not a suitable replacement for a shower, but it was the best they had, and while Undyne might not have a nose, his brother’s was exceptionally keen.

Edge dressed quickly and busied himself with bundling up all the trash to take with them, making sure everything in the small shelter was left in order. He could hear the rumble of the plow in the distance. They should be here soon.

“almost here, huh.” Rus dressed almost as quickly after a shivering wipe down; the room was warm enough but it was far from toasty. He was sitting on the stripped bed watching Edge, the bed linens bundled up next to him.

“Yes.” Edge set the small trash bag by the door. “Soon you’ll be able to get back to work.”

“yeah, i have a lot of data to process from the last trip, even if i didn’t get finished.” Rus played with the strings on his hoodie, chewing on the end of one and his eye lights cast were towards the floor. He seemed almost strangely shy considering the intimacies between them not a half hour before.

But there wasn’t time to question him. The plow pulled up and in the glaring floodlights, Edge could see Undyne hopping out, dragging an oversized shovel with her. He pulled on his gear quickly as she approached. Her grunts as she cleared a path to the shelter were loud enough to be heard through the walls and were louder still when the snow was cleared away enough for Edge to force open the door.

“Heya, boss,” Undyne said cheerily, the steam of her breath clouding around her. She propped the shovel on a snowbank and leaned on the handle. “Lose any fingers or toes?”

“No, I still have the full complement, unlike you,” Edge said dryly. He closed the door against the chill when Rus squawked a protest, leaving him to scramble into his own gear. “How are things back at the station?”

“Good, everyone is taking an internal work day for now.” Undyne jerked her head at the plow. “Brought along a restock for the shelter.”

“Good.” There were still plenty of supplies left, but Edge didn’t like to take any chances.

Red hopped out of the driver’s side and came wandering up along the dugout path. His coat was zipped up high; the cold could be achingly deep for him. “if you two want to handle that, i’ll take the fashion victim back on the snowmobile. then you can head out and find the cat.”

It was tempting to take Rus back himself, but Red had been up for hours and he was likely tired, especially after a recent healing session. Edge at least had a full night’s sleep in him. He nodded curtly and the three of them began cleaning off the snowmobile. With a little effort, it roared to life, just as Rus came out of the shelter, properly bundled up against the freezing cold.

“Rus,” Edge called to him over the noise, “you’ll be heading back with Red while Undyne and I get the Cat.” When Rus opened his mouth to protest and Edge added, “We’ll be careful with your equipment, I promise.”

“okay.” The reluctance was audible even through the din of the running engine. With Red and Undyne both watching avidly, Rus waffled uncertainly in front of Edge before turning towards the snowmobile.

To hell with it. Edge caught him by the shoulder and turned him around, leaning up to give him a light kiss that he melted into instantly.

It was a fair sign that they needed to talk back at the station and Edge found he was fine with that. Whatever Rus wanted to make of this, if it were only once or if they kept up until it was time for him to leave, Edge was braced to deal with it.

Reluctantly, he drew away and Rus gave him a little smile as he hopped on the snowmobile.

Red was slower, climbing on in front of him. His brother’s expression was unreadable, mostly hidden behind oversized goggles and his hood. Their size difference was incongruous; Rus had to hunch over to wrap his arms around Red, almost covering his visor, and Edge was forced to keep his face schooled to seriousness as he silently showed Rus the hand grips on the sides of the snowmobile to use instead.

Undyne was not nearly as diplomatic and her raucous laughter followed them as they roared away. Before they were even out of sight, that wide grin turned in Edge’s direction. He ignored it, turning towards the plow.

“Didn’t show him the handholds when you picked him up, huh?” She jogged up next to him and jostled him hard enough with an elbow to make him misstep.

He shoved her back. “You’ll excuse me for not following every minor safety protocol in an emergency.”

“Uh huh, oh, yeah, you’re never a stickler for protocol!”

Restocking the shelter became a blatant exercise in turning a deaf ear, especially as she came into the shelter with him and took in the bundled up bed linens.

“I’ll take those,” Edge gave her a rude push and grabbed them up. He wasn’t ashamed of anything they’d done, but he’d be damned if he’d stand here while Undyne checked them over for incriminating stains.

Luckily, she seemed satisfied with that. “All yours, boss, you know I hate laundry.”

She checked over the supply bin, adding packets from her carryall. “Sorry to interrupt your romantic getaway, you should’ve said something.”

“Don’t be, I was nearly ready to burrow through the snow for a shower.”

“Uh huh,” she paused in her counting. “Sooooo, past bustin’ your chops, I’m kinda at a loss for words.”

“That’s a first,” Edge waited as she signed off on the clipboard. He took a deep breath and said, “I’m taking your advice.”

“Yeah, kinda got that idea with the smacker you laid on him outside,” she said dryly. “You guys never opened the playing cards so I guess you found something else to keep you entertained.”

“Something like that.” She followed him out of the shelter towards the plow. He wasn’t about to feed her any lascivious details. Even if he’d wanted to share them, which he didn’t, giving Undyne that sort of information was a poor idea. If you give another person ammo, then you should never be surprised when you get shot.

“I should mark this on my calendar. Big ol’ letters.” She raised her voice and let it carry out over the snowy planes, “The Boss listened to me for once!”

“I always listen to you,” Edge said easily. “The problem is that you so rarely give good advice.”

He didn’t even complain when she pushed him into the snow bank.

The trip to the Sno-Cat was a short one. The plow cut through the fresh, loose snow, scraping it down to the hard packed road beneath it. It took longer to clean off the Cat, clearing the windows and the treads.

Undyne opened the door to check inside and found Rus’s equipment still on the passenger side. She poked curiously at the bags. “What kind of shit is he lugging around?”

“I have no idea, but I do know it’s fragile, so leave it alone.”

“Yeah, yeah, I wasn’t gonna break his toys.” She frowned and gave the large tube a last nudge. “This shit isn’t light, is it, not to a scrawny boy like the fashion victim.”

“It’s not,” Edge agreed. He remembered being startled at the weight the last time he’d helped Rus carry it.

“Huh,” Undyne said speculatively.

He shouldn’t ask, he shouldn’t, he really shouldn’t. “What?”

She shrugged. “Just thinking. He carried all this crap plus a lot more from the ship all on his own.”

“He did.” There was a core of strength hidden in Rus, that much was certain. “And?”

Her smirk was proof he should’ve buried his curiosity in the mental graveyard where it belonged, “Must have pretty good stamina for being bony. Heh, bony for boning, right?”

“Leave the puns to my brother,” Edge sighed. “I’ll see you back at the station.”

The trip back was slower than usual, the plow wasn’t a high speed vehicle. Soon enough they were parking within the garage and signing them back in, the Cat being tagged as out-of-commission until Red was able to give it a once-over.

Undyne helped him gather Rus’s equipment and the two of them went into the station.

His gear was only half-off, the suspenders of his snow pants hanging down as Edge padded over in his stocking feet to the larger storage lockers. His plan to lock up Rus’s equipment until he could come for it was thwarted as he realized he didn’t have his locker keys back yet. He’d given them Rus when he’d helped out with Red and forgotten to reclaim them.

He sighed and hung his head. This was retribution for his sins.

“Undyne, can I use your keys? Rus has mine.” She looked up from the boots she was untying, her eyebrows climbed her forehead like a ladder.

“You let him borrow your keys?” she asked gleefully. “You?”

“For the storage lockers, yes,” Edge said defensively. “I didn’t give him a full access pass.”

“Uh huh,” Undyne gave him an uncommonly shrewd look. “Better be careful, boss, you might be in a little deeper than you thought.”

“Yes, thank you, I’ll keep an eye on the depth meter, can I borrow your keys,” Edge said impatiently.

“I dunno, seems if I do that, you might owe me a little something something,” she waggled her eyebrows lewdly. “That’s what the fashion victim did.”

“And if you don’t, you’ll get extra duty this week.”

The keys jangled as she tossed them over, muttering out a good-natured, “Spoilsport.”

But her cheer at Edge and Rus consummating their affair seemed endless. She followed him back to his own living quarters despite him pointedly ignoring her, and gave him a firm slap on the back that nearly sent him into the door. “Alphys said you can use up two tokens in the shower. Guess Red told her something about you needing to clean off the sauce.”

“Thank you,” Edge muttered and didn’t dignify any of the rest with a response, shutting the door in her face.

He didn’t waste any time hopping in the shower, groaning at the heat of the water sluicing down on him. Despite Alphys’s generosity, he soaped up quickly, scrubbing his bones clean though not of the lascivious juices that his erstwhile loyal companions seemed to believe he was coated with. All the little aches that came from sleeping on a thin, unfamiliar mattress eased and by the time he got out and into fresh clothing, he was feeling more himself.

He flicked on the coffee pot, not Bonnie’s brew but certainly better than instant, and then his computer. The day was still early and there was plenty to be done. Before he could even settle into his chair with his cup, there was a knock at his door.

Edge sighed. He was gone for one evening, and already it was beginning.

He opened the door, expecting Red or perhaps a flustered scientist, demanding to know when they’d be allowed back into the field.

Instead, he found Rus, his skull still dewy-damp from his own shower. His fingers clattered lightly against it as he swept a hand over his head, his chin lowered enough that his eye lights didn’t travel above the hem of Edge’s shirt. “um, hey.”

“Your equipment is locked up in the front lockers,” Edge told him, “You still have my keys, if you could give them back after?”

“what?” Rus finally jerked his head up and met Edge’s gaze with his own startled one. “um, yeah, but it’s not about that. i...sorry, i know we’ve been back like five minutes, but i…” Rus paused and took a deep breath, blew it back out in a rush, “look, this doesn't have to get weird, okay, it can be whatever you want it to be, i...i really like you and--”

“Rus,” Edge interrupted and he fell silent, swallowing hard. “Why don’t you come in?”

He nodded jerkily. “yeah, okay.”

The moment the door was closed, Edge pushed him back against it, crowded against him as he firmly kissed that startled mouth. It turned eager quickly enough, his tongue meeting Edge’s greedily.

His appreciative moans became a surprised yelp as Edge hooked his hands behind Rus’s knees and lifted him up, the better to push him against the door.

“woah!” Rus said as their mouths jarred apart and Edge paused. The delightful squirming of Rus’s slim body already had him breathing heavily.

“Is this all right?” Edge asked hoarsely.

“don’t you dare stop!” Rus gasped, his blunt fingertips digging into Edge’s scapulas as he scrambled to hang on.

He took Rus at his word, nuzzling and licking at his cervical vertebra. Rus tasted as sweet as his magic smelled and suddenly Edge was filled with the urge to verify the truth of that. He hefted Rus against him before he spun towards the bed, lowering him down, but Edge didn’t join him. Instead, he began working at the fastenings to Rus’s trousers, batting his hands aside when he tried to help.

Between the two of them, they wrangled his pants off along with the thermals underneath. Edge took a moment to hastily strip off his own clothing and tugging off Rus’s shirt didn’t give his fluttering hands a chance to shyly cover his softly glowing pelvis. He hadn’t had a chance to look back at the shelter and now Edge wanted to get his fill of the sight.

Rus’s magic was the expected honey orange, all delicate folds and petal-softness, already glistening wet with desire. His own magic flooded Edge’s mouth, eager to taste and he didn’t resist, ducking his head and dipping his tongue against that silky pseudo flesh.

Beneath him, Rus arched up with a startled wail, his fingers scrabbling at Edge’s skull, pinching as they dug into the bone. Edge didn’t stop, only reached up to settle their franticness, pressing those hands flat to his skull in silent permission.

Those first undulations were tentative, uncertain, but soon Rus was all but grinding against his face, whimpering softly as quivers rocked through him. He felt it as Rus peaked, sweetness flooding his mouth and Edge drew back, swiping that dampness away impatiently with the back of his hand even as he settled between Rus’s upraised knees.

“please,” Rus begged, still quivering, “oh, please, edge.”

Pressing inside this time was easy, generous slickness guiding the path. That morning they’d only indulged with their hands, and the feel of Rus clenching around him was just as overwhelming the second time.

He wasn’t going to last, Edge realized wildly, he couldn’t, not with Rus writhing beneath him, pleading and it was his own name tangled into his throaty cries.

Pushing up on one elbow, Edge reached between them a little desperately, his fingers seeking out the hard little nub that made Rus gasp, clenching even tighter around him as he came again.

That was too much to bear, and Edge slid an arm beneath Rus, crushing him against him as he thrust once, twice, and came in a flood of hot sweetness through his bones.

Barely he managed to catch his own weight, shuddering through the waves of pleasure lapping up his spine. Rus was no better, splayed out beneath him, and each breath he took ended in a faint whimper.

“Are you all right?” Edge asked roughly, cupping an orange-flushed cheekbone gently in one hand.

“if i’m not, i never want to be all right again,” Rus groaned, “fuck me, that was wild.”

“I thought I just did.” Rus managed a disbelieving chuckle that became a groan as Edge carefully withdrew, shifting to lie next to him. It took very little encouragement to get Rus snuggled up against him, the blankets tucked warmly around them.

His wide, comfortable bed was much more conducive to a cozy aftermath. Edge rolled up on his side, his head propped up on a hand as he gently explored the long, flat bones of Rus’s rib cage, admiring the ivory gloss.

“You know something about my past,” Edge mused. “Tell me about yours.”

Rus offered him half a shrug, on the side Edge wasn’t touching. “not much to tell.”

“Then I’ll be content with a short story.”

Rus slitted open a socket to look at him and huffed a laugh. “okay. um. well, i’m a graduate student at ebott university, you probably already know that, and, um, i came up here to write my thesis, despite my brothers’ very loud protests.”

“You have brothers?” He’d suspected as much from the pictures in Rus’s room, but it was good to have it confirmed.

“yeah, two of them, blue and dings,” Rus rolled over to face Edge, but his gaze was on his rib cage, petting with light, idle strokes. His bones were scarred and no amount of polish would make them gleam like Rus’s, but he seemed fascinated nonetheless. “dings is a lot older, he’s why i can speak in hands.”

“He’s deaf?”

“nah, it’s kinda complicated. anyway, i’m the youngest and both of them have spent their whole lives protecting me. neither of them wanted me to come here.” There was a certain careless defiance in his shrug, but Edge didn’t think he was mistaking the flash of anger beneath it. Having an overprotective brother of his own, he well understood that. “but i’m an adult and this is what i want. so i came.”

“It can be difficult to oppose your families wishes,” Edge offered, softly.

“yeah,” Rus said, unusually subdued. Then he shook himself visibly, “okay, it was super fun discussing my brothers while we’re naked in bed. wanna hear about my last pelvic exam, too?”

“That won’t be necessary,” Edge murmured. He caught Rus’s hand where it was roaming curiously over a roughly healed scar on his sternum, stilling the ticklish exploration before ducking his head to take a thorough kiss.

When he finally drew back, Rus’s eye lights were satisfyingly dazed. Before Edge could decide what to do about that, Rus blurted out, “can i stay the night?

“It’s the middle of the day.”

“i know. can i?”

“You’d better, because I was planning to come get you if you didn’t.” Edge nuzzled a last soft kiss against his cheek bone and sighed. “For now, I need to get up.”

“ugh, it’s cold,” Rus groaned, burrowing in deep as Edge slipped out from beneath the blankets. He wandered over to the window bare and lifted the shade. It was snowing again.

“Perhaps I could spare another hour,” Edge allowed and Rus’s smile was terribly warming.

A wild, impossible thought came to him then; that Rus should stay here, with him, all that sweet vibrancy of his lighting up their home through the darkest months. Undyne, Bonnie, and Alphys already adored him, and as reluctant as Red was, at least he appreciated Rus’s humor. Surely he’d adjust--

No. Someone like Rus shouldn’t be trapped here at the edge of the world. He should be out in it, sharing his brilliance.

Edge glanced out the window again, then turned back to Rus, decision made. Until he left, Edge wanted as much of him as he could. A memory to warm him on cold nights.

For now, he had a spare shower token, so they may as well get into a proper condition to use it.

~~*~~

TBC

[tamersmile888]

Wolf Pack: Chapter 15 Season Finale

Life is unpredictable. One minute you're having the best time expecting things to stay the same forever. The next day you wake up and everything's changed. You don't even see it coming.

The storm took us by surprise when we least expected it. No one had any idea that everything we knew would be turned upside down in an instant. Swept away in the path of a tempestuous thief. It took our homes, our memories...and our loved ones.

All gone. Like they were never there at all. We lost so much. Artwork, photographs, restaurants, the museum. The storm even washed away Arcadia Bay. It took our friends. Our family. Grandpa Stephen, Trevor...Karen.

There was so much sorrow and devastation. Words couldn't describe the pain and the burdens the storm put on us. But we still had so much to be grateful for. Our lives and the world around us may look different from this point on, but thank God for the ones who were saved. In times like this, we had to be brave and uplifting. We were stronger than the storm and we were determined to rebuild. We could never replace what we lost, but we could create a brighter future. One day at a time.

                                (Build by Starshine on the gallery)

It had been a tough time for all of us. We were all impacted in some way. For me and my friends, it was a lot to deal with. It was the end of senior year. We were about to graduate. Then the storm blew in and it took some of our classmates with it. We thought it would be good for us to get away, so we rented a cabin in the woods for a couple of days. Just to escape for awhile and take our minds off of everything.

We settled in, made food and juice drinks and just hung out on the patio. I kept an eye on Lyla to make sure she was in a good place. After Abraham lost his parents, he joined the army. He said he wanted to honor them in some way, to make up for all the ways he messed up. I don't think he could handle staying here knowing that they weren't around anymore. We ended up losing him too. Lyla was holding up pretty well, but she could dive into her moods sometimes. I wanted to be there for her if she needed me to be.

For the most part, everyone was in high spirits. Diaz and I talked about our plans after graduation. I was all set for art school, which hopefully led to a career as an artist. Diaz was still on the fence. He didn't really know what he wanted to do. I told him that was okay. He had time to figure it out. He could always be Oscar's busboy if nothing else worked out. He said if there was free food involved, he might consider it. All jokes aside, Diaz was smart and charismatic. Whatever he decided to do, I know he'd be great at it.

All through the night, we listened to Jag play some mellow tunes on his guitar and had a pretty chill time.

We laughed about old times like the day I was first introduced to the squad and how everyone was interrogating me. I didn't mind. I was just glad to make so many friends on my first day. Even though we're not as close with the others as before, I still miss them. It's always hilarious whenever the whole gang gets together. Thankfully, they're all okay too. 

We also reminisced about our parties at the drive-in. Thank God that was still around too. Diaz said he was going to tell his kids about it one day. Maybe it would become a tradition for all of us. Something to keep us together, like a family. Cheers to that.

Later on that night, we watched a movie together.

Girls choice. It was kind of hard to get into at first, but once it picked up it was surprisingly entertaining.

Immediately after it went off, me and Jag went to the work-out room. In desperate need for bro time.

June checked in with Lyla, making sure she was okay. Lyla said she was taking it moment by moment. She was managing. They talked for a while. I was glad she was opening up. That she didn't have to go through this alone.

We ended the night binge watching Game of Wolves. I had to keep explaining everything to June who was actually getting into it. And with all the jump scares, we did way more snuggling watching werewolves than we did watching royal couples sip chamomile.

Lyla, Diaz and I were the first ones up in the morning. The early birds. I made everyone breakfast and Diaz turned it into a competition to see how long it would take me. I'm sure it had nothing to do with him starving and this was his way of getting me to move faster. Since I finished in record timing, Lyla assigned Diaz on breakfast duty for tomorrow morning. He quickly reminded her that we would be on the way back home by then. She said she expected him at her house by 10 AM anyway and that she was a waffle girl.

While we ate, Diaz challenged everyone to a game of Truth or Dare. I was totally in.

Everyone else was a little hesitant to join in, but after Diaz promised we wouldn't get too crazy, they hopped on board.

We gathered back on the patio to start the game.

Diaz chose dare. Of course. I dared him to prank call Oscar. He was totally down. He disguised his voice and called Oscar using a phone app, putting it on speakerphone. He told him he found the “Roller Rink” money and if Oscar wanted his share he should meet him at Riverbank park in an hour. There was a long pause on the other line then Oscar hung up. It was kind of hilarious, but I really hoped no one got hurt because of it. Anything involving an angry Spooky could not end well.

Lyla chose dare and Diaz dared her to rummage through the garbage. That was not a challenge for Lyla. She actually enjoyed grossing everyone out. She really dug in there. Making certain all of this wasn't for nothing, she scavenged until she found something good.

Only Lyla would find a treasure map in a can full of garbage. She said she would do some hunting when she got home. Collectibles were easy money.

Because I couldn't resist making an idiot out of myself for the sake of laughs, I chose dare. Lyla dared me to let her give me a makeover and take a selfie, which I then had to post on my social media. I think I looked pretty good in guyliner. The 80′s wig I would have to get used to though.

It was June's turn, but she chickened out and went for truth. She said she had nothing to hide. So I asked her, “What's the craziest thing you've ever done?”

She said one time she, Asher and Shantiya were walking home from the mall. They were getting tired and they didn't have money for S-rider, so she went up to the road and stuck out her thumb like she'd seen in the movies. Some old hippie couple driving a rundown floral RV stopped by and asked if they needed a ride. They got in the back of the RV, sat on the shaggy rug, and the old couple told them stories about their college band while they drove them home. She made sure they were blocks away from her actually house, but they arrived safely. They never told anyone. Until now.  And I wished I hadn't asked.

Hitchhiking is dangerous. She could have gotten hurt. She said she'd never do again, but she enjoyed the  experience. She loved hearing other people's stories. It gave her a greater appreciation for life and strangers. 

Finally, it was Jag's turn. He also chose to reveal his deep (but hopefully less scary) secrets, so June asked if he had finally kissed Chandler. He signed that a gentlemen doesn't kiss and tell. It was pretty much obvious from the smile on his face. His face told it all.

Later on in the day, June and I snuck off on our own to get some alone time. I brought up the tragic issue that our friends were having trouble trying to find a couple's name for us. The majority was going for SJ, but we both agreed that was uninspired. She liked Jean. We both loved wearing jeans. Why not pick a name that perfectly described our relationship? My personally favorite was Juse. It rolled off the tongue quite nicely.

We got a kick out of trying to come up with the silliest combinations. Then we just embraced each other and sat in silence, enjoying each other's company. A few blissful moments later, June came up with the perfect name for us. “Sun. We shine brighter when we're together.”

We'd been through a lot over these past few months. More than anyone should ever have to go through. But having each other made it easier. I would do whatever it took to make sure I was that light for her because in the cloudiest days and the darkest nights, she was my star.

[uozlulu]

Doctor Who "Spyfall Part 1" reaction and spoilers

Already found out about the Master’s returned and I am psyched because I love the Master and always have. That said, it’d be nice to see the character evolve away from some of the psychosis we’ve seen in New Who.

I suppose since it’s series two for these companions we’ve got to set up the real world consequences so the cycle can continue.

Whoops there went the driver. Apparently that doesn’t matter because fire bomb car can drive itself.

I was like “C like the Circus,” you know like Tinker Tailor and then I was like “Oh right. Like M in Bond. Duh. ‘Spyfall.’”

lol Bond trumpets in the background music as the Doctor assigns roles.

Doctor reminds everyone to not trust everyone despite texting some IT guy. Foreshadowing.

If the Master is masquerading as O for whatever reason, he owes C a fruitbasket for naming him before he could name himself something like Maahir.

The real question is, if O is the Master currently, is this a big fat scheme of the Master’s or is he just caught up in the scheme of another lifeform because he was playing the long game with the Doctor for his own eventual scheme reveal? Well, if O is even the Master currently, which he admittedly might not be yet possibly. I keep waffling back and forth which it is.

Honestly thought this metallic melodic noise almost answering the Doctor when she’s asking glowing hat wearing alien questions was the alien talking, but alas, they talk normally.

I wonder if Ryan showing interesting Yaz’s sister means we’re going to get to see Yaz’s sister and Ryan interact properly later or not.

I wonder if the light hat aliens are going to possess Yaz or something or maybe she will slowly become one. Could also see it being that they’ll use Yaz to spy given that our theme is spies after all.

Graham asks O if he chose “to exile [himself] here,” and it’s like interesting choice of words there

If O is the Master currently I think it’s interesting that he’s offering Graham the chance to read up on the Doctor, to really see and explore what he’s gotten himself, Ryan, and Yaz into, and possibly find out the fates of other companions. I wonder if he’s trying to get the Doctor companionless or if he’s just looking for entertainment by watching Graham realize some options of leaving the Doctor’s service include abandonment, death, time displacement, memory erasure, etc…

If the aliens released Yaz because they are spying through her, maybe they’re spying through others in the same way since going around as light hat aliens would not blend in well. I mean if you think about it since our bodies run on kind of an electric system, certainly these creatures made of some kind of light and energy could easily inhabit us without exposing themselves, right? Or perhaps it’s how they make more of themselves kind of like Adipose. Although considering spy theme, I’m inclined to believe they’re spying not transforming.

O says he’s never been good at sprinting and the Doctor’s all “but your file says you’re a champion sprinter,” and it’s like oh, Master, you were doing so well.

”Got me. Well done.” So he WAS the Master this whole time, which is what I wanted, because a Master who can infiltrate and resist the impulse to basically “ohohoho” at the Doctor too quickly is going to be so fun. I wonder if we’re going to find out he’s working with the light hat aliens and it’s gotten out of control like Delgado’s Master’s plots tended to do.

Oh. Right. The house is probably his TARDIS since the chameleon circuit isn’t broken.

gdi Spy Master. How did I not hear that the first time?

I knew when I saw him on Tumblr I would love Dhawan!Master and I do love him. I can’t wait to see what nonsense he brings to the party.

He is right. It’s been a while since we’ve seen tissue compression.

”Stick with me, Yaz, because I control everything – even these guys.” The Master snaps his fingers and the light hat aliens appear, and I really do hope we’re heading for some Classic Master regrets his life choices in part two because that would be fun

”Everything you think you know is a lie!” could mean so many things.

Kind of makes you wonder how long the gang’s been trapped in the rope forest looking place. Lots of questions. Sunday should be fun.

[solange-lol]

More Than This

Summary: Five times Will and Nico acted like they weren’t flirting and one time they stopped pretending

Words: 4,409

Nico di Angelo Birthday Event  - Day 3/4

Read on Ao3

I. 

It was an argument with his father that had Nico approaching a breakfast place called Naomi’s at 8:30 on a Saturday morning.

The argument itself was irrelevant. Something about how Nico needed to get out more. Somehow he found himself a job, despite the fact that his father said “getting out” doesn’t mean “getting a job.” Anyway, it was better than texting Jason Grace for the first time in four months if he wanted to “hang out.”  

As soon as Nico stepped inside the restaurant, he realized he had no clue what he was doing. The overall atmosphere was fine, pretty homey and cozy. But the people. God, where did all of these people even come from? Their town wasn’t even that big. The noise level was so different from the echoing hallways of Nico’s too-big-and-too-empty house (mansion, really, but he never liked that word). It was a little overwhelming, to say the least.

“You can sit wherever,” a boy with the biggest blonde curls Nico has ever seen speed walked past him, two menus and a plate with half-eaten pancakes clutched in his hands.

Nico had no idea how to respond, and when he tried to the only thing that came out was “uhhhh.”

The boy turned back around, grimacing with annoyance for a split second until his eyes met Nico’s. The Italian couldn’t help but to deeply inhale for a second in an attempt to remain calm. Was it even possible for eyes to be that blue? Holy granola, this guy is beautiful. His thoughts were interrupted by the blonde shaking his head like he was trying to clear his mind.

“Oh god, I’m sorry Nico,” he said with a softer smile. How does this kid know his name? “I haven’t had coffee yet. I’m a little out of it. Follow me.”

They walked behind the counter together, passing different areas dedicated to different necessities. Coffee, water, other drinks, and refills for salt and sugar. All while the blonde kid was gesturing wildly, giving brief explanations on the do’s and don’ts and sipping his sock monkey mug of freshly-made coffee. Nico groaned internally, thinking about how he’ll have to learn all these new rules. God knew he had the memory of a packing peanut. It’s so much easier to bullshit your way through life than to spend hours learning all the new ways of the world, but he had a feeling that wasn’t exactly the way it worked in a restaurant.

They approached an older-looking woman who seemed even more exhausted than the blonde. However, her smile was warm and welcoming as they approached closer.

“You must be Nico,” she said, amber eyes twinkling. Nico immediately noted she was probably Naomi. “You came at the perfect time.” The woman glanced out at the crowd of people. “Though, I assume Will still has much to teach you, so don’t let me stop you.” The blonde nodded accordingly. Nico added another mental note that this guy must be Will.

Without another word, Will started walking, Nico on his heels. They walked past the stove area (“Always say excuse me walking past here if a chef is at work. You do not want to make the same mistake I did”), the toast area (“That’s usually my job, but make a good impression and you might get your shot”), and where to get the ice (“The scooper is made of metal, so never leave it in with the ice or you will definitely regret it). He went pretty quickly past the dishwashing area, and explained later that “the dishwasher only speaks Spanish, and she can drive you crazy pretty quickly.” (It took Nico a few minutes to figure out that Will was referring to the woman who washes dishes, not the actual appliance itself).

Will lead him through western-style double doors and walked over to a large wooden cabinet. “This is the bus station,” Will explained. “As long as none of the waitresses need you to get water, or someone needs you to dry silverware, you’ll be spending most of your time back here.” He opened a few drawers, pointing to silverware and napkins and how to arrange them. There were some buckets on the side, which Will explained was where they would put dirty dishes after scraping them. Once it was pretty full, you were supposed to bring it back to be washed. (It was all going in one ear and out the other this point, which was, admittedly, not ideal). Will then opened another drawer for personal belonging for bussers. Nico shrugged off his jacket and stuffed it in.

As Will led them to a door, he talked about some of the other bussers that worked there. Octavian, who wasn’t kind in the slightest; however, he was a pretty good employee when it came to doing his job. He was the one who Nico would probably be working with most often, which was a little scary. The other one was named Kayla, who was a friend of Will’s and secondhand adopted by Naomi. However, she only ever worked Sunday’s, so unless they really needed Nico there, it was unlike he was ever going to meet her.

The door brought them outside. Cold air hit Nico like a wall, and he immediately missed the comfort of his jacket. “Unfortunately this is the only way back here,” Will was visibly shivering as he led them to a back room off of the building. It was lined with shelves, which had boxes of pancake, waffle, and oatmeal, as well as other breakfast food and supplies. There was a refrigerator full of milk and other dairy products, and another for fruits and vegetables.

“Pretty self-explanatory. You’ll only have to go back here if one of the servers or my mother asks you for something.”

Nico cocked his head. “Your mother?”

“Yeah… this is my family’s restaurant,” Will gave him a weird look. “You must be the only kid in the entire junior year who doesn’t know that.”

Now it was Nico’s turn to give him a weird look. Do they…

“Are you telling me you didn’t know we go to the same school?” Nico panicked for a second internally, thinking he had offended Will until laughter bubbled out of him.

“Geez, di Angelo. I heard rumors about you being in English IV as a junior, so I never would have assumed you were so dense,” he said between chuckles.

“I- How did you know I’m in English IV?”

Will shrugged. “Remember when everyone found out Drew was in AP bio in freshman year?” (He did not). “That’s not really a good example since people were surprised Drew even had a brain, though she’s actually pretty cool. Anyway, word gets around, y’know?”

Nico nodded despite the fact that he had no idea what they were talking about anymore. He was pretty fixed the dusting of freckles across Will’s nose. Eventually, his eyes wandered back up to Will’s, who was promptly staring at him. Both boys blushed. Will switched his gaze to a box full of syrup bottles.

“We should probably go help out. I’m sure my mom will find her way back here if we don’t go back soon,” Will said, still not looking at Nico. Before Nico could curse silently at himself for making it awkward, he gave the Italian a smile. “C’mon, I’ll go teach you how to set a table.”

(He already taught him that.) (It’s okay, Nico doesn’t mind learning again.)

II.

It was a few weeks after Nico’s first day. When he walked into Naomi’s that Saturday, it had been a clear morning. Almost warm, if mid-fifties was considered warm. Waitresses and customers were smiling and cheery, glad for the nice day in the midst of their December chill.

However, by the time 2:00 rolled around, the weather had changed drastically. The wind had seriously picked up, and the taps of rain were slowly drilling their way through Nico’s brain. Not to mention Octavian was getting on his nerves. He had an urge to lock him in one of the bathrooms.

Will was the only one keeping his sanity at bay. When Nico wasn’t clearing a table or Will wasn’t under too much toast-induced pressure, he usually found himself leaning against the counter. They tried to make up games to entertain each other without receiving a disapproving stare from Naomi. (Nico wasn’t really sure if she was capable of looking mean, but he trusted Will’s word. Mother-son relationships and all that). None of them lasted very long, but they were able to get a laugh out of it most of the time.

It was bizarre, actually, that this is the only time Nico can remember spending with Will. He doesn’t recall having any classes with him in the past (though the past two years were a blur of anxiety and hazy conversations). They never had colliding friend groups. It was sort of amazing how they were still able to meet through doing something Nico never would have considered doing, not to mention the fact it was prompted by an argument with his father.

Nico was putting up chairs while Will turned off the open signs when Naomi walked over to him with a stack of bills in her hand. “Thank you so much for your hard work today,” she said with that same warm smile. “I’m glad you and Will have been getting along.”

Nico nodded, smiling as well. “Thank you,” was all he said as he took the money. He felt bad taking it; he really didn’t need it. It was clear running a restaurant wasn’t easy, not to mention the other employees she had to pay. It was either have to hire and pay all these people or exhaust yourself trying to do it all. Even this minimum wage salary felt like he was taking a lot from her.

On his way out the door, Will stopped him. “Nico, it is 35 degrees and raining. Where is your jacket.”

Oh. He didn’t bring a jacket since the day started out so nicely. His work shirt was already long sleeve, so he didn’t think about it too much. He should be fine walking home. It wasn’t too far anyway. However, when he told him that, Will wasn’t settled.

“Do you have someone who can pick you up? I really don’t like the idea of you going out in the rain like that.” Nico could feel his cheeks heating up. He hoped he could blame it on the cold air that was seeping under the crack of the door. He’s only truly known Will for a few short weeks (though it’s felt like years), his little-but-growing crush on the teen seemed childish and honestly pathetic, at least to him. So he just shook his head at the question, not sure how to respond.

Will mumbled to himself about giving him a ride but still needing to mop the floors. He turned to Nico, caring eyes studying his face before he shrugged off his own jean jacket, then held it out.

Nico took it, staring confused at Will. “I just don’t watch you to catch a cold,” he said, tucking a curl behind his ear. “Can’t have my best employee dying of a disease.”

“I wouldn’t call getting a cold ‘dying of disease,’” Nico said, rolling his eyes before looking down at the jacket in his hands as he tried to ignore the skeletal butterflies in his stomach.  “But… thank you.”

“Don’t mention it,” Will said with a grin.

On the walk home, Nico noticed all the little pins on his jacket. Some of them were references he didn’t understand, and others were just cool designs he’s pretty sure he’s seen at Hot Topic. And ah, there was a piece of ribbon safety pinned next to them all that just so happened to be the bi flag. There's no way that can be an accident. They were being handed out in various flag colors at the activities fair at the beginning of the year for their school’s GSA club. (Nico made Hazel grab him an ace one). And now that he knew Will went to their school...

Good to know.

III.

On the first Saturday of December, Nico walked in late. About a half hour, which usually was early for him if this was some sort of social event. Unfortunately, work was work, and you were expected to show up on time no matter what. Which explained why everyone was lined up behind the counter, watching him as he walked through. (Even though there were only two people there because who in their right mind gets up early on a Saturday?)

It was probably a coincidence. It was where all the stoves were, and all the waitresses spent free time behind there gossiping anyway. It didn’t make it any less intimidating though. One of the waitresses eyed him warily while the other just gave a sympathetic shrug. Maybe they could see the exhaustion in his face. Or maybe they just pitied him. Probably both.

Naomi was giving off the most mixed emotions of them all. She kept her voice level and usually-warm face clear of emotion when she said hello, but her eyes read like she either wanted to lecture him or hug him.

He took his walk of shame all the way to the bussers station. Immediately, Will stepped through the kitchen’s double doors, travel cups of coffee in each hand. He shoved one of them in Nico’s hands, who gratefully took a sip.

“What kind of coffee is this?” he asked, trying to ignore the fact that he just burned his tongue. It was sweeter compared to Nico’s usual black-with-an-unhealthy-amount-of-sugar cup, however, very enjoyable. “And what’s with the glasses?”

“Vanilla cappuccino. Snatched the last cup out from under Octavian’s nose. And shut up,” Will’s face heated up, reaching up to adjust the frames that rested on the bridge of his nose, and Nico cursed internally. They were flatter on the top, though round at the bottom with the glass exposed. They made him look like a Pinterest model. He was beautiful. “I didn’t have time to put in my contacts this morning.”

Nico just snorted, relieved that he refused to step foot out of the house in the case he was forced to wear his own glasses. He had gotten enough taunting from Jason and Leo that they made him look like an anime character; no way he was going to get Will in on that as well.

“I made you coffee even though you’re late. I don’t deserve this bullying,” Will was still muttering to himself. “Why were you late anyway?” he asked Nico.

Nico sighed. “Argument with my dad. He’s worried about my future or something. Says studying liberal arts won’t get me anywhere in life, which is just typical coming from the businessman in his soul.”

“Let me guess: he wants you to go into business and management so you can take over his company one day?”

“How did you guess?”

Will sighed, leaning on the counter. “My mom is the exact same way. She wants me to inherit this restaurant and keep the family line-thing going, but I don’t have the passion she does. Plus William’s doesn't exactly have the same ring to it.”

“Is there something else you want to do?”

Will smiled bashfully at the question, rubbing the back of his neck.“It’s dumb and I probably won’t get to because medical school is, like, hell or something, but I want to be a pediatric doctor. Or maybe a trauma surgeon, I dunno. I think the only reason she’d let me go for it is because I gave a woman here CPR once.”

“Wait, really?” Nico regarded him with wide eyes.

Will looked surprised at Nico’s sudden interest. “I mean, yeah, it was no big deal. She lived,” he said, cheeks flushing.

“No big deal? That’s way cool. Will, you saved someone’s life. And-” Nico continued hesitantly. “I think that sounds awesome. You would make an amazing doctor.”

Will smiled. “Y’think?”

“I know.”

IV.

“You are doing a terrible job.”

“Well, I’m going faster than you are.”

“At least mine are actually dry. Isn’t that the objective here?”

“Well, you're avoiding my question!”

Will rolled his eyes. “Nico, I am not having an argument with you about what the best One Direction song is.” He finished drying the spoon in his hand, placing it in his side of the carrier. It was a slow Saturday, and Naomi had put the two of them in charge of washing and drying silverware. Every time they seemed to be close to finishing, she would throw more into the bucket.

“It’s not an argument. It’s just…. Friendly debate.” Nico shrugged as he picked up another knife.

“Can you please actually dry this one?”

(Will’s side was looking dryer than Nico’s, but what was the point? By the time they finished, all the silverware would basically be dry anyway).

“I will if you answer my question.”

Will huffed. “Fine. But I only know the first three albums.”

“Great. Those are the only good ones anyway. Plus you can tell me your favorite from each.”

Will stared at the ceiling in thought for a second. “God, let me think. Uh, Up All Night was the first album, right.” Nico nodded. “Well, then it’s gotta be One Thing.”

Nico wrinkled his nose. “Too mainstream. Gotta Be You is the way to go.”

“You do realize that is more mainstream that One Thing.”

“Yeah, well, it’s catchier.”

Will just shook his head in defeat. “Well, then you have to at least admit that Kiss You is the best from their second album.”

Again, Nico contraindicated. “Geez, fake fan. I can name at least three others that are better.”

“Oh really? Go ahead.”

Nico decided to ignore the fact that Will’s face was inching closer to his. He away. willed the heat in his cheeks. “Rock Me, Over Again, and Nobody Compares.”

“Those are all incredibly cheesy.” Their noses nearly brushed, and Nico’s mind was going haywire with Will towering over him like this. He really hoped Naomi didn’t have any more silverware for them, because he really wants to kiss Will right now. (Yes, the timing would be horrible. But Nico wasn’t thinking about that right now. Not with Will’s blue eyes glancing from Nico’s lips back up to his eyes like that.)

“And you’re saying Kiss You isn’t?” He could count Will’s freckles from here.

“I’m just saying-”

But Nico didn’t hear the end of that sentence, because his ears picked up an all-too-familiar voice from the dining area. Immediately, whatever mood was between them was forgotten.

“You have got to be kidding me,” Nico mumbled.

“No, I really-”

“Not you!” Nico waved Will off. His hurt expression made Nico’s heart sink, but he really needed to make sure it wasn’t who he thought it was. The Italian raced through the western-style doors. Immediately, he cringed at the sight.

His father, looking like Death himself, chatting lightly with Naomi at the front of the diner. His face was unreadable like usual; when he caught sight of Nico, he merely blinked. No wave, not even a nod. Typical.

By this point, Will had caught up to Nico; the blonde followed his gaze to the front. “Who-?”

“That,” Nico inhaled deeply. “-Is my father.”

Before Will could respond, Nico walked over to him, now seated by himself at a table meant for four right next to the fireplace. Nico winced at how expensive his father looked compared to the diner. It was sorta embarrassing, and Nico was praying neither of the Solace’s would notice.

“Dad,” Nico started, trying to keep his cool. “What are you doing here?”

His father regarded him with a blank stare. “Supporting local business, I believe. I’ve heard the corned beef hash is amazing here.”

(Nico knew for a fact that his father would never order corned beef hash.)

Before he could contradict, he noticed one of the waitresses walked towards them, and quickly headed back to the busser station

***

“Nico, you’re father left the biggest tip I have ever seen a person leave here,” Will announced, following the Italian through the back door. Naomi had asked him to go grab another box of oatmeal, and he gladly agreed before his father could do something embarrassing. Unfortunately for him, it’s inescapable.

Nico felt his face flush as Will continued. “I mean, it was bigger than his actual meal. That’s insane, and, honestly I don’t even know if that’s legal.”

Nico could feel his ears burning. “God, I’m sorry, he’s so embarrassing,” he said more to the box of oatmeal in his hands rather than Will.

“Sorry? I was going to say thank you!” Will stared at him in bewilderment. “No offense to my mom, obviously, but I don’t even think the food is that good. Like, there are better places-”

“Lets just not talk about it, okay?” Nico cut him off.

Will looked confused. “Uh, okay…. But I do have one other thing to say.”

Nico braced for impact. “What?”

“Now I see where all the ‘edginess’ came from,” Will teased, failing to hide the shit-eating grin that crossed his face.

“Oh, shut up!”

V. 

Nico was taking a much-needed, well-deserved, nice, long lunch break.

Will, however, was not.

Didn’t stop him.

The two sat at the counter. Once again it was a slow Saturday; only a few people sat scattered around the vicinity. After four long, agonizing hours, Nico decided to just suck it up and eat lunch already. (Even if it meant waiting ANOTHER three hours to go home. God, this shift was so long.)

Will, who had long since abandoned prepping coffee filters, rambled aimlessly next to him. Nico had stopped listening to him a while ago. Instead, he counted the freckles on Will’s face. Every time he lost count, he started over.

He felt weird, how much he wanted to be with Will. Like, they were coworkers. But they also saw each other at school. And they were friends? It was all too confusing.

He imagined kissing Will would be like eating a spoonful of sugar. Not saying he tasted like one (he probably did, honestly) but more in a metaphorical way. Amazing in the moment, but consequential later.

Part of him knew Will probably wanted to kiss him too. The way they talked to each other now, it was like they weren’t just coworkers, weren’t just schoolmates, weren’t just friends. And even though they barely knew each other, it felt like Will has been in his life forever, Hell, he wanted Will to be in his life forever, relationship or not.

Maybe that’s what he was afraid of. Losing Will.

“Y’know, have you ever thought about wearing something other than black jeans?” Will asked him, interrupting his thoughts.

Nico swallowed the fry he had been chewing.“What?”

“Like, I know you have the whole all-black ‘I’m emo’ thing going on, but have you ever considered, I dunno, blue jeans? Or khakis?”

Nico snorted. “Aren’t you supposed to be clearing tables.”

Will shrugged; he stole Nico’s Coke and took a sip. The smile he gave Nico melted his heart

***

“I heard somewhere that you aren't supposed to wear black with blue denim.”

Nico’s face flushed. “Shut up, Solace.”

“I mean it! Apparently, it makes you look like a bruise or something,” Will shrugged innocently from where he was filling his water cup.

Nico shoved the extra straws into the back pocket of his jeans. Blue jeans. “Don’t act like this wasn’t your doing,” he glared at Will.

Before he would turn away, he felt something slide out from his behind. When he turned around, Will had stolen one of the straws, which he had already plunged into his drink.

Nico could feel his entire face heat up. “You just killed a turtle,” he informed him, failing to let his voice stay level.

Will just shot him a wink; a light blush was already spilling across his freckled cheeks as he took a sip.

This boy was going to be the death of him.

+I

“This is exactly why I don’t tell people it’s my birthday.” Nico was going to kill Jason for telling Will.

“Technically it’s not your birthday yet. Now just take the gift.”

Will’s arm was still extended, holding out a tiny blue box. It was clearly already used for something, but Will just scribbled out whatever logo was there before and replaced it with “To: Nico” with a Sharpie-smiley face.

Nico huffed, snatching the box. He really did hate when people got him gifts. It was just more unnecessary money spent on him.

Underneath the lid was a simple pin; one of the ones that had noticed was on Will’s jean jacket when he had leant it to him. It was a simple skull surrounded by flowers.

“It was one of my favorites,” Will admitted. “But I think it’s more your style than it is mine.” Before Nico could thank him, he continued. “That actually wasn’t the gift I wanted to get you, though,” he said, immediately flushing.

Before Nico could speak, could move, could react in any way, Will was kissing him. It took him a minute to realize that Will had pulled him in by his shirt and was kissing him.

After that, he melted into it. His hands went up to Will’s hair, tangling his fingers deep into the blonde curls like he’s wanted to do for months. Will’s arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer until there was no space left between them.

Unfortunately, it ended as soon as it started. The door to the back room where they currently were residing was pulled open, and the two boys jumped apart as Naomi stepped in.

“Oh,” she said, glancing at both of their flushed faces. “I just came to get some milk, but I guess you two can bring it back for me.” Before she could close the door, she turned back around to face Nico. “Oh, and happy birthday Nico. I hope my son is treating you well.” She winked at him, and then she was gone.

Will, who had already made his way back over to Nico, started to giggle. “I’m gonna admit, I totally forgot we were at work.”

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[tessatechaitea]

New Titans #114

This is it! The last regular issue of this comic that I own!

I guess the changing of the guard leaving Arsenal in charge was the last straw for me. Or maybe the last straw was that Pantha's tail hole on her shorts never ripped so that I could see her butthole. One of those two reasons is definitely why I stopped buying this comic though. This issue is called "24 Hours" which makes me think of Gaiman's The Sandman which makes me think, "Why the fuck am I rereading this shit when I could be rereading that shit?!" Oh wait! I actually know the reason for this! It's because these Titans comic books were stored in a big old regular sized moving box that I wanted to get out of the way! Also I've reread The Sandman and I've never reread this. And since I'll be fifty in a little over two years, I should probably get all of the stupid time-wasting bullshit ideas out of my head now. Any writing projects I can't finish by the time I'm fifty, I'm abandoning. At that time, I'll just make up new ones that will only entertain me and a few other people. So if I've ever said anything in passing about something I was going to do, like finishing the Goggles Futures End story or my Fantastickal Fuck-Fighting Books, you'd better get your vote in now! The issue begins at midnight with Changeling getting his ass beat by a dark silhouette who claims Changeling promised to "end her living days." I don't know who that might be or why this is happening. With Zero Hour beginning right around this time, my comic books might become complete nonsense. I just have to hope the comic books involved in that non-crisis-labeled crisis will have "Zero Hour Tie-in" labels on the front. I probably don't understand what's going on in this one because Marv Wolfman is being artsy. And fuck if I know anything about art! I read comic books for a reason, people! At 1:10 AM, Starfire flies around wondering if Earth is really her home. Yes, it takes six panels for her to ask that question. But she's also being artsy in a poetic way! She uses phrases like "scarlet sea" and "delicious nectar" and "golden skies." It's almost as if somebody scoffed at Marv Wolfman when he mentioned he wrote comic books earlier in the week and he thought, "I'll show them!" Then he was all, "Hey! That issue by that new kid Gaiman was kind of artsy! It had those clocks that showed what time it is and the whole thing took place in only 24 hours and it was all filmed in real time although with all the cuts from one character to another, why did it even fucking matter? Oh wait, it's only 1994! I don't know who Jack Bauer is yet!" At 3:36 AM, Pantha breaks into somebody's apartment. Supposedly it's the person who changed her from a person into a cat or from a cat into a person. But it isn't so Pantha gets to scream in existential angst which is the only cathartic release available to those of us who know nothing has any meaning and all of our clothes need to be tailored so the tail can stick out of them. At 4:10 AM, Dick Grayson proves he's a master of disguise by first being unrecognizable and then being unrecognizable in a different way.

A true master of disguise! He's already showing hints of his ability to be Agent 37 of Spyral.

Notice how the panels are all wonky in the previous scan? I'm sure Marv Wolfman put a note in the script to the artist: "We're being artsy this issue! Art it up!" At 5:20 AM, we finally learn what happened to Deathwing. I don't mean we get an explanation of what Mirage did to him and why he doesn't have testicles anymore. We just see that he's making an appearance so that the audience can go, "Oh, that fuckbunny isn't dead? Great." The silhouette from earlier has dragged Changeling into Deathwing's bachelor pad. She's still just a dark profile but she mentions that Changeling is probably strong enough to accept her seed so it must be Raven. I guess being a demon from a dimension of empaths means you don't learn about the birds and the bugs. Unless this answers a question I'm sure I asked much earlier! Changeling can turn into a female version of any species! And Raven squirts semen because, well, she's Trigon's daughter. At 6:05 AM, Arsenal goes jogging with Bill Clinton. Clinton messes up Sergeant Steel's plans to manipulate the Titans into working for the government by telling Roy that he wants the Titans to be completely independent but he hopes that they'll work with the government. This plot point feels like Marv worked himself into a story arc that he didn't want to pursue any more. It's not like the DC Universe needed another team working on behalf of the U.S. government. At 6:15 AM, Garfield Logan finally gets laid.

Okay, maybe he doesn't get laid. But he definitely comes in his pants.

Do you think Marv Wolfman was in the shower when he thought, "Comic books have 24 pages. There are 24 hours in a day. Hey! I should steal an idea from Neal Gaiman!" At 7:43 AM, Nightwing crashes through a skylight. Just like Batman taught him! I can hear Bruce now: "Good job, Dick! Now they'll have to call Wayne Skylight and Window Repair! Another payday for the Batman!" At 9:00 AM (Eastern Time, Planet Earth, Sol System), Jarras Minion of some planet in the Alpha Centauri system watches his entire race disintegrate before his eyes. Probably a symptom of Zero Hour! At 10:05 AM, Nightwing declares, "I'm not a doctor! I just feel like a doctor!" It's his philosophical explanation for why he doesn't use lethal force. It totally makes sense because Nightwing still punches the shit out of people just like how doctor's love to give shots and cut people open. At 11:20 AM, Changeling begs to remain a virgin. He escapes but he has some missing time so he might also be pregnant. I guess I'll never know unless he starts showing in 24 hours! Or I'm curious enough to go buy some back issues. Ha ha! That was a joke! I have no curiosity. Page 12 is noon, of course! Nightwing has lunch with a detective because Dick Grayson had the fear of Alfred beaten into him about sitting down promptly at noon for the midday meal. Twenty-four hours for Dick Grayson went like this: 9 PM - 4 AM: Risk life with grown ass adult man in bat costume. 4 AM - 8 AM: Sleep. 8 AM - 9 AM: Waffles. 9 AM - 12 PM: Training. 12 PM - 1 PM: Cucumber sandwiches. 1 PM - 5 PM: Study time. 5 PM - 6 PM: Tea. 6 PM - 9 PM: Try to evade Bruce and Alfred as Dick finds a quiet spot to masturbate. At 1:30 PM, Roy has coffee with Steel. The government's final offer to the Titans: the government gives the Titans the Terraist's satellite, an Earthbound base, and money to pay off any lawsuits against the Titans and in return, the Titans promise to consider missions for the United States. What a terrible deal for the government! The Titans can just turn down every mission and the United States gets nothing for their investment. There must be a loophole. Steel reminds Roy, "You gotta decide fast!" As if it wasn't the easiest deal in the world to say yes to! At 2:25 PM (Eastern Time, Planet Earth, Sol System), Jarras roleplays Kal-el's early days. As his world is destroyed (along with some visiting Darkstars), Jarras escapes in a pod called the Omegadrone. It's both an escape pod and a weapon! I don't remember the character Minion at all. Probably because this was the last Titans comic I read for decades. At 3:55 PM, Wolfman reveals that Red Star has taken a job as a mall security cop. And I guess a babysitter as well since Baby Wildebeest is hanging out with him. At 4:10 PM, Roy Harper signs the contract with the government even though he knows it's going to blow up in his face. Fucking leftist comic book writers, portraying the United States government as underhanded, manipulative bastards who don't give a shit who they hurt to get what they want! At 5:20 PM, a bunch of Darkstars are killed by the rainbow spiral that destroyed Jarras's planet. The populace of the planet had been bred to be passive. So I guess the moral of this story is that hippie beatnik pacifists are only asking for trouble. Fucking right wing comic book writers! Well, at least Jarras has learned the lesson that peace is for dead people. The Omegadrone will teach him how to get revenge. At 6:03 PM, Roy thinks he's going to get Wally West to join his government Titans team but he's really going to get Impulse. I know that because I looked at the future roster of this team: Arsenal, Damage, Impulse, Mirage, and Terra. No wonder I stopped reading it! At 7:32 PM, Nightwing takes a shower. Naked! I know that's how most people take showers and I probably didn't need to emphasize it but he also jerks off so maybe I should have started with that.

DC canon: Dick Grayson jerks off thinking about puns.

And after he finishes.

At 8:54 PM, Dick Grayson turns in his resignation to Roy Harper. He's officially off the Titans! Good riddance, ya dumb jerk! If that even is you. Try looking more like Dick Grayson next issue, Dick Grayson! At 9:20 PM, Red Star, Pantha, and Baby quit the Titans as well. Then they go on a romantic road trip which DC apparently didn't publish. There's an advert in this issue for a Green Arrow story arc called "Cross Roads" that the copy compares to Knightfall and which nobody fucking remembers (probably!) but DC never published a Red Star/Pantha team-up?! No, they were right. Just as I was typing that, I was thinking, "Fuck, I would never have purchased that shit." At 10:10 PM, Changeling agrees to stick with the Titans. But he's full of Raven's disgusting seed, so he'll probably just turn on them immediately. At 11:05 PM, Dick and Kory break-up. But not in person! Dick waits for her to arrive to a dinner where he can dump her but Kory knows better and just flies into outer space. I don't remember what happens with her but it's probably super boring. I'm sure she goes home, fights with Blackfire, fights some Gordanians or whatever dumb race always enslaved the Tamaraneans, and then remembers why she moved to Earth in the first place. At midnight, Phantasm arrives to lead Harper and Logan into Damage #6. And then into Titans Zero Hour! Oh. So I guess I do have one more issue of this story arc to read: New Titans #0. I also have a Titans Elseworld Annual in the stack. Plus a Team Titans Elseworld Annual and one more Team Titans issue. And finally, before I can totally move on, Deathstork #0! New Titans #114 Rating: C. The one hour per page gimmick really helps Marv Wolfman clean up a bunch of loose ends to get the Titans ready for a big group change in Zero Hour. Plus he was able to shove in the Minion origin story (which was really just Superman's origin). And I usually give the art a pass even when it's not very good (and I often ignore it when it's great!) but holy Lobo's bulging crotch, it was fucking terrible this issue. It was so bad that I'm not even going to remember who the artist was so that I don't have to feel embarrassed for them.

[zombiewerewolfqueen]

Debates

Warnings: Um fluff, cursing, arguing (?), stupid debate topics, annoying reader, shitty writing

Pairings: Loki x reader

A/N: For those of you wanting a part two to 'I Need Help' I am working on it. Please be patient with me. I hope you enjoy this in the meantime. Reminder I don't owe you fanfics. So don't make me feel guilty about taking a while to write.

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

Stupid debates. It was Y/N's thing. She lived for pissing people off with her little debates. Especially her boyfriend Loki. He was just so damn easy to irritate.

She smirked when she saw the Avengers including her boyfriend talking in the kitchen. She decided it was the perfect opportunity to stir up a stupid debate.

She walked up and kissed his cheek smiling at everyone. "Hey guys, quick question. Is a hot dog a sandwich?" She asked smiling innocently.

"Yes. It is eaten in between bread." Natasha said as if it were obvious.

"But you don't have to eat it with bread. A hot dog can be eaten sliced up with just ketchup and mustard." Loki reasoned.

Everyone ended up adding in their opinions and arguing over the stupid question making Y/N smile.

After a while Y/N plopped down on the couch where Steve, Tony, and Loki were sitting. Oh how she loved starting up these debates.

"Should waffle fries be considered a dessert?" She asked.

"What? Why in the HEL would waffle fries be considered a dessert? They are FRIES!" Loki exclaimed making her giggle.

"Reindeer games has a point kiddo." Tony agreed.

"Then why are they called WAFFLE fries? Huh?" She argued.

The debate went on and on until they finally agreed to disagree.

Not even a full minute later she asked a new question. It was just way to have fun. What could she say, it was cheap entertainment.

"Does Lightning McQueen have life insurance, or car insurance?"

"That one is easy. Car insurance he is a car." Steve said.

"But he is a car so he wouldn't need car insurance he would need life insurance." Tony countered.

Loki sighed. "Would it not be the same thing either way?"

Y/N shook her head. "It most certainly would not. Car insurance and life insurance are two drastically different things babe."

"He doesn't need car insurance because he doesn't OWN a car Y/N."

"So you are saying he doesn't own himself? We don't condone slavery Loki." She said crossing her arms.

More of the Avengers weighed in and it was decided that he would need life insurance.

The next day the Avengers ordered pizza. And Y/N saw a golden opportunity as she sat with Bucky and Loki.

"Does pineapple belong on pizza?"

"Y/N that's disgusting! Of course not." Loki said fake gagging.

Bucky shrugged. "I don't know. It isn't terrible. I think pineapples are a valid pizza topping."

Y/N shook her head. "That's Hawaiian pizza Bucky. Does this look like Hawaii to you?" She questioned gesturing to the kitchen.

A few minutes later she brought up a new topic. She couldn't help herself.

"If a fish is in water, does it know that it's wet?" She asked.

Bruce shook his head. "I don't think it does."

Y/N smiled. "But when you take them out of water they flop around."

Loki sighed and shook his head. "Because they need water to survive dumbass."

Y/N giggled. "So they need to be wet to Survive! So they know water makes them wet because they can tell when they aren't in it!" She argued her point.

Loki sighed and rubbed his temples. He was getting angry. Which was just icing on the cake for Y/N.

She opened her mouth to say something but Loki cut her off.

"I'm not getting into anymore stupid debates with you."

Y/N shrugged. "Water is not wet."

"HOW THE FUCK IS WATER NOT WET IT'S WATER!?" Loki shouted.

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

Tags:

@only-kneel-before-loki @siriusmaraudeers @siren-songx @loki-the-fox @marvel-fan-queen @toaster-strudel-witch @dark-night-sky-99 @iamthemaskhewears @coolzeez1128 @lovelynemesis @emyhonny @servamp-addict @kokogxddess @xmischief-ladyx @talinalani @amor67figment-love @i-also-love-eating-chalk @lokilvrr @hollandslut @drakesfiance

[bellatrixobsessed1]

Wan High Weeping (Part 50)

Sorry for the delay all. It’s been wild.  http://bellatrixobsessed1.tumblr.com/post/182721163856/boy-howdy-everyone On the plus side I used that time to type some chapters. I just didn’t have internet connection to post it with.

Zuko took a step back to appreciate his work. The forest green chip was fixed into the teacup next to one of a bright purple. It had been a pain to not only fit them all onto the tea cup but to get them to stay put. It was a feat that required him to heat each coin up until they were soft enough to bend. More than once he had earned himself a minor burn or two. By month ten, he had gotten pretty good at avoiding that. He set the teacup back on his shelf amid the other knick-knacks uncle had bought for him.

He hurried to dress himself. He could smell the sweet aroma of hot maple splashed with a touch of blueberry. He smiled to himself. She remembered.

Of course she remembered.

Blueberry waffles had been his favorite since he was a child.

It was a meal she had cooked for him on his first day of school until she left. “Good luck today.” His mother greeted as took his seat.

“You too.” He returned. Today was the day she’d be holding a signing for her second novel. “I’ll try to swing by if I have time after class.

“Don’t rush, dear.” Ursa replied. “I want you to earn your GED, if you miss my book signing you can always come to the movie premiere, like Azula is.”

“Azula can’t come to your signing either?”

“She has school until two, remember. The signing ends at three.”

“Right.” Zuko replied. “Well, my prep class ends at twelve so I should be able to make it. I’ll see you then, mom.”  

She gave him a quick hug and with a text from Azula, he was on his way.

.oOo.

“Is your brother dressed?” Michi called from down the hall.

“He was.” Mai grumbled. She’d left him for about five minutes and he already had his socks and shirt off once more.  “Tom, you’re a first grader now. First graders keep their clothes on.”

He looked up at her with big grey-brown eyes. “Not this first grader!”

“Yes, this first grader.” She forced the shirt back over his head. “You like this shirt, remember? It’s the one with the Brontosaurus.”

“It’s a Apatosaurus.” Tom-Tom corrected.

“Right. Apatosaurus.” Mai replied as she led him to the breakfast table. She poured him a bowl of cereal and a glass of milk. “Now, don’t spill it this time.”

“First graders don’t spill milk.” He said with Mai.

“Good.”

“I’m gonna get my whole sticker chart full soon.” Tom-Tom declared.

“I’m sure you will.” Mai replied as she fixed her own breakfast. She peered and Tom-Tom and quickly slipped up to her room to stuff the rest of her supplies into her backpack. “Azula is going to be here soon, mother.” She noted on her way back to the kitchen.

“Alright, let me know when she gets here.”

It was progress. Mai still felt as though she was doing most of the hard work when it came to Tom-Tom, but at least her mother was putting in some effort now. It would probably take a few more family sessions to make her understand why she needed to put some more effort into raising her son, but it was a start.

A text appeared on her phone and Mai called up to her mother. She turned to Tom-Tom. “Be good for mom, and maybe next time Azula, TyLee, and I go to the mall, I’ll get you a surprise.”

“Okie!” He exclaimed, throwing his hands up, nearly knocking his milk over in the process.

Mai sighed and headed outside. It was nice to see Azula’s car there again, there was a sense of comfort that came with it. A sense of normalcy. And a bigger sense of that in noticing TyLee in the passenger's seat.  “Really, TyLee? One of these days you’re going to have to let me ride shotgun again…” her front seat odds didn’t look so good, with she and Azula living together. “And let me chose some good music.” She added while she was at it.

“How can you, hate this?” TyLee asked as she cranked it even louder.

“I will jump out of this car and walk.” Mai replied with an eye roll.

They parted ways where the hall split. Azula had a locker on the opposite side of the school and TyLee had the misfortune of getting a second floor locker.  Her phone buzzed and she noticed a text from Zuko. She sighed to herself. One of these days she was going to have to talk to him.

She peered at her arm, the slashes on it were mostly healed, some turning to scars. She decided that it was time to let her relationship with Zuko do the same.

.oOo.

‘Tonight is going to be busy. Does the weekend sound good?’

Truth be told, he had plans with Hahn, but he figured that he could put those to the side. Hahn was pretty understanding about things like that.

He texted Mai back with a simple, ‘yes, it sounds great.’ And then he selects Azula’s number. He would tell Hahn about the change of plans in person. He types a small thing or two about how so far things were going pretty smoothly.

For the most part things had been going well for him. They had been since the week after the trial. The first week after the trial was hectic. They had been escorted to Ozai’s estate with a police entourage, so that Azula could gather the rest of her possessions that had been left there.  

The man had been oozing with cruel things to say to all three of them as they made their way in and out of the house. Mostly his words fell on deaf ears, it was the ranting and ravings of a bitter soul. The sort of thing that wasn’t worth paying attention to.

The man had broke the terms of his restraining order several times, contacting he and Azula both and Ursa as well. Even Iroh wasn’t spared a nasty word or two. Eventually the messages grew less frequent, and Zuko was left to assume that Ozai was running out of money to blow on fines. The trial was a rather public matter and the outing of how he had led his son to heroine and his daughter to bulimia did hefty damage to his company. One by one, headlines came about various companies breaking their partnership with Ozai’s.

Headline, by headline, Zuko felt more at ease.

The man was losing his power.

He had lost his power when Zuko had made his escape.

He stuffed the remains of his lunch back into his lunch bag and hurried to finish the final half of his first day of prep class.

.oOo.

The rest of her day was quite a drag, save for Moo-Chee making a scene about how he was the dark one and he would have respect. Over the summer, the boy had upped his poser game. Taking it from simply leeching off of the goth scene to pretending to worship the devil. The boy was a constant source of entertainment. He was mostly harmless these days, save for the constant threat of secondhand embarrassment.

Only after she found Azula’s car in the parking lot, did she remember that the girl was staying later for volleyball practice. She made her way back inside. She recalled that TyLee was going for the poms team again. That left her to figure out how she wanted to spend her time. She considered simply going to the gym and watching Azula.

Instead she found herself wandering down the hallway in search of another club. Poetry didn’t sound too awful and they only met on Mondays. It would give her a distraction if she needed one but it wouldn’t take up enough time for her mother to pitch a fit.

Naturally when she stepped into the room, she spotted Moo-Chee. Perhaps she could make the boy a side project. Help shape the boy into less of a poser.

The club members welcomed her warmly and the instructor motioned for her to take a seat. “I am Macmu-Ling, welcome to the Five-Seven-Five society. Right now we are working on introductory poems.” She paused. “Write a little something about yourself in the form of a hiku, and then we will read aloud, what we have come up with.”

Mai nodded. She wasn’t a hiku type of person, but she was willing to give it a try.

.oOo.

Zuko helped Ursa take down what remained of her signing set up.

“Thank you for joining me today, Zuko. How about I treat you and Iroh to some tea and coffee?”

It sounded perfectly charming. “I’d love that.” He replied as he packed the last of the books away. He would wait a little longer to text Azula, if he remembered right, she was probably still in the middle of practice. But he was curious as to when she planned on stopping by next.

“You think that this book store is hiring?” Zuko asked.

“GED first.” Ursa said sternly with a dip of her head.

Zuko lifted his hands. “Just asking.”

“That’s the last of the boxes.” Iroh spoke. “Let’s brew some tea!”

“Would you like to invite Hahn, dear?”

“He’s already on his way.” Zuko hoped that this invitation would make up for cancelling their weekend plans.

.oOo.

Azula had dropped her off at home only a few hours ago. Apparently she had something to take care of before the three of them went to the movies. If she didn’t hurry, they’d end up having to watch the midnight show. In which case, Mai was fully prepared to suggest that they see a horror movie instead. Suddenly, she wanted Azula to take her sweet time. She hadn’t seen a good horror movie since last year. Of course she would be avoiding the body horror sub-genre. She was in the mood for ghosts and demons, a little something to give her insult ammo. She was going to need it if she was going to pursue a friendship with Moo-Chee.

She received a text from Azula, stating that she was on her way.

“I’m going out, mother.” She called.

“Would you mind taking Tom-Tom with you? Your dad and I have an important meeting tonight.”

Mai sighed, horror movies might be out of the question. “I guess I can, but next time…”

“Next time, I will bring him along.” Michi promised.

“Alright, Tom, c’mon.” She picked him up. “Do you like secrets?”

“Mmmhmm.”

“If you keep a secret for me, I’ll let you see a scary movie with my friends and I.”

Tom-Tom gasped. “A scary movie!?”

“Shhh. Not so loud. If you’re too loud you won’t get to go to the big boy movie.”

“I wanna go to the big boy movie.” Tom-Tom whispered.

Mai smirked. “Great. When mommy asks you what movie you went to see, tell her you saw the one with the dinosaurs.”

“Kay, Mai.” He smiled as she fastened his seatbelt.

She strapped herself in. “Tell me all about your first day of school, Tom.” She smiled softly to herself as her new partner in crime told her all about first grade.

.oOo.

It was nightfall by the time they reached the cafe. Azula had finally answered his text, she was planning on dropping by either this weekend or the next, stating that she would carpool with Mai. From the sound of it, Mai was doing much better.

It weighed heavily on him to hear that she had contemplated suicide. To think that he might have had a hand in it, though she insisted that it wasn’t his fault. He still felt obligated to make it up to her somehow.

He didn’t yet have an idea of how to do so, he supposed that he would have to just let things fall into place. That’s what Iroh had told him; just let things happen. So far it was a working method. His sessions with Jeong Jeong had left him with similar advice. He had to accept things for what they were.

So he would. He would accept whatever happened with Mai over the weekend. Just like he was accepting that his heroine abuse had happened. He ran his fingers over the small pockmarks, he no longer had a desire to rid himself of them.

A self-respecting man wouldn’t try to hide such a large and important part of his life.

And Zuko had decided that he was going to be a self-respecting man.

The sort that would show Ozai that he had completely lost.

The sort that would earn a GED and make something of his life.

[dontshootmespence]

Christmas Magic Brings Everyone Together

A/N: Day 21 of the 25 Days of BAU Christmas! A JJ x Reader where they like each other and end up spending the holidays together. JJ’s boys and the reader’s kids try and set them up. Note: I have JJ as a single mom (never met Will.)

“So you have any plans for Christmas?” JJ asked. “Now that he’s gone?”

Y/N’s face lit up. “We don’t have to worry about him, which means that we can have a nice Christmas morning opening presents, most of which were bought by my parents, because I spent all my money on lawyers, and then after that I’ll probably just watch TV with them. It’s gonna be great.” 

JJ leaned in to her friend’s shoulder and sighed; she deserved the world and more. “That sounds great. You’ve been through enough.”

It had been a year since Y/N separated herself from her abusive asshole ex-husband. “Thanks, babe. What about you?”

“Well, we’ll be doing the same thing Christmas morning, and then probably just chilling around the house until we go to visit my parents for dinner.”

Y/N smiled as Henry, Michael, Noah and Cassie all played together in the park. “I think we’re pretty lucky.”

Meanwhile, the kids were having a secret powwow near one of the trees. “So what are we going to do?” Henry asked.

Both Henry and Noah, being the older of the four children, noticed their mothers’ attraction for each other. Henry had never known his father, and Noah had unfortunately known his. But their mothers were single and they could tell they liked each other. “Ice skating,” Cassie said. 

“What?”

“We should all go ice skating together. Then we can skate and we can stick them with each other.”

“Is it just me or does the 6-year-old kind of make sense?” Henry asked.

Noah patted his sister on the shoulder. “She kind of does. Maybe we can get them to agree to go ice skating on Christmas Day. We just need to keep pushing them together as much as possible and soon they’ll admit they like each other. I just know it.”

“Plus, it’s Christmastime. My aunt Penelope says people always admit their feelings during the holidays. Something about Christmas magic.”

All four children put their hands together in the center. “Let’s hope your Aunt is right, Henry.”

“Mom, what are we going to do in between opening presents and going to visit grandma and grandpa?” 

JJ hadn’t really thought about it. The boys normally just sat around playing with their new toys while she sipped on a glass of wine and watched some crappy Hallmark Christmas movies. It was practically tradition, but she could see by the look in her eldest son’s eyes that he had something else in mind. “I’m not really sure. Do you have something you want to do?”

“Actually, yea,” he said. “Do you think we could go ice skating at that place downtown?”

“Are they even open on Christmas?”

“Yea, I already checked online. Can we go?”

JJ hadn’t been ice skating in years. That was going to comical. “Does Michael want to go to? Or is this just for you?”

Michael enthusiastically ran into the room. Sure, JJ thought to herself. He can’t hear me when I tell him he needs to clean up his room, but this he hears. “I wanna go too, Mommy. Please?”

It’s not like they were doing anything else in between. “Sure, but you have to help me up if I fall.”

“Okay,” Henry laughed. 

As the boys turned away, pumping their fists in the air in victory, JJ wondered what on earth had made them want to go ice skating in the first place.

Y/N grunted as she felt a weight on top of her. “Mommy! Wake up!”

Five-year-old Cassie was sitting on top of her mother. 

“Sorry, Mom,” Noah said. “I tried to keep her out in the kitchen so you could sleep a little later, but she was too excited. She had an idea.”

The tired mom slipped out of bed and into her slippers as she smiled at her 13 year old. “You’re too sweet, my boy. Thank you for trying. But it’s okay. I should get up anyway.”

She would be woken up at all hours of the day and night. It didn’t matter. All that mattered now was that she was away from their father. They were all safe and he was legally barred from getting within 500 feet. Christmas was coming. All was good. “What’s the idea that made you want to jump on me, little missy?” Cassie jumped into her arms and started going on about how she wanted to try ice skating for the first time.

Honestly, it wasn’t something she’d thought about before, because her ex had been so controlling - it hadn’t even been a thought. But they were free now, and she wanted to give the kids any experience they’d been denied as long as she physically could. “Noah, you’re okay with this too?”

“Yea,” he said softly, smirking in a way that his mother wasn’t familiar with. “I think it could be cool. There’s this place that’s open on Christmas. Could we go then?”

“Sure. You both have to promise not to laugh at me when I fall though.”

Noah chuckled under his breath. “I don’t know if I can do that.”

Once school was dismissed for break, the two families were too busy with last minute Christmas plans to get together, so the boys could only text each other to say that they’d gotten their mothers to agree to go ice skating. “I hope this works,” Noah said to Cassie as he finished reading her a story on Christmas Eve night. Occasionally, she had trouble sleeping; she’d have nightmares about their father, so even after their mother went to sleep, she’d still be awake. Noah would read her another story to help her go back to sleep. 

“Me too,” Cassie replied, yawning as she pulled the blankets closer to her body. “I think Mommy should be happy.”

The next morning, all four children woke to presents under the tree, pancakes for JJ’s boys and waffles for Y/N’s babies, and the Walt Disney World Christmas parade playing softly in the background. “Mom!” Noah cried. “This is expensive. How did Santa afford this?” He asked, his eyes fluttering between his sister and his new iPod. He didn’t want to spoil that magical Christmas feeling for her just yet. 

“I’ve been saving since last year,” Y/N whispered to her son. “It’s all I could afford for you. Everything else is from Nanny and Poppy, but I wanted to get you this.”

“Thanks, Mom,” he whispered. 

Immediately after putting his new iPod on the charger, he came back to open a few extra gifts courtesy of his grandparents, while watching his sister explode with happiness at her own presents. 

After nearly two hours and bellies full of pancakes, Noah, Cassie and Y/N headed out toward the ice skating rink. “You both ready to watch Mom fall on her butt?” Y/N asked.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Noah replied.

Across the rink, he saw Henry, Michael and their mother. “Look!” He said as casually as he could.

“Oh my god, I can’t believe they decided to come here too. That’s so funny,” Y/N said. JJ and the boys walked over toward Y/N, Cassie and Noah. The kids broke off into a group and left their mothers to embrace. 

After saying how happy they were to see each other after a few days of craziness, Cassie came over. “Can you make sure my skates are tied?”

Y/N bent down and told her to wait for her to go on the ice. “I can take her, Mom,” Noah said. “I’ll make sure she doesn’t fall.” Cassie stood up and wobbled on her skates. “At least I’ll help her up when she does.”

“Okay,” Y/N laughed. “Just call to me if you need me?”

“I will.”

“Henry, you and Michael do the same!”

“Yes, Mom!”

The foursome made their way out onto the ice with much more grace than either mother had expected. JJ was nervous about skating, but seemed a natural once her blades hit the rink. However, Y/N was a little less gracious, nearly falling over the second she stepped into the circle. Thankfully, JJ was there to catch her. “I think you might have to help me,” Y/N laughed. “Considering my kids are too busy being pro-skaters.”

“I won’t let you fall,” she laughed. “And if you do, I promise to make sure you’re okay before giggling.”

“Fair deal,” Y/N replied with a smile. “So what brings you here on Christmas anyway?”

JJ maneuvered herself so that she was facing Y/N and skating backwards, slowly, but she was doing it. “It’s funny. Henry and Michael said they wanted to try. We’ve never gone before, so I figured why not. But it’s not what we normally do.”

“Same with Noah and Cassie,” Y/N said. “This wasn’t even a thought I could entertain when I was married. Obviously, it’s not my forte, but I want to give them whatever experiences I can. They’ve been denied enough.”

“Wait,” JJ said, turning around to see Henry and Noah snickering with each other. “Your kids asked you to come here? And my kids asked me to come here...”

“Do you think they did it on purpose?”

JJ smirked and turned back toward Y/N. “Yea, I do.”

Y/N blushed. Had her kids seen something in her she hadn’t voiced out loud? Over the course of the year, she’d started to develop some slight feelings for JJ, but she hadn’t thought to entertain them because she didn’t want to involve the kids in another relationship of hers so soon, but maybe...maybe they saw what she felt. “Why would they do that?” She asked. She should play it off. If JJ didn’t feel the same way at all, there was no reason in bringing things up.

“I...I think they are trying to push us together,” she said softly. 

“You do?”

“Yea, Henry’s actually told me that I should ask you out. He thinks I like you.”

“D-Do you?”

JJ nodded. “I didn’t want to say anything because you’ve been through so much these last couple of years. I didn’t want to complicate things.”

As they slowly glided across the ice, Y/N took a sharp breath inward. “I kind of like too...I actually like you. I-I just wasn’t sure if I should get into another relationship of any kind because of the kids, but I think they set this up.” She turned around to look at her kids and saw them high-fiving each other. But when Noah caught her eye, he looked away abruptly. They’d been caught. “They definitely set this up.”

For a few moments, they said nothing to each other. Y/N just leaned into JJ to keep from falling. “Should we...I mean do you want to try seeing where this goes?” JJ asked hesitatingly. There was a hopefulness in her voice that made Y/N’s heart flutter. “We can take it as slow as you need,” she continued. “I don’t want to pressure you or the kids.”

“I’d like that,” Y/N said softly. They skidded back into the wall and stopped; that’s when Y/N leaned in and gently pressed her lips to JJ’s. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Noah and Henry pumping their fists. “And apparently they would too.” She said, smiling at their meddlesome children. 

As the kids passed, JJ and Y/N embraced them. “You four are sneaky, especially you two,” JJ said. 

“What?” Henry exclaimed, shrugging as they continued down the rink. “It’s Christmas!”

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