#yeah apparently the schools failed either way

[lovelookspretty]

not so bad

college!rafe cameron x reader au

— in which rafe and y/n absolutely despise each other in public but crush in secret. rafe is failing his humanities class & is assigned y/n as his tutor . . . maybe all it took for this relationship to form was just a bit of forced proximity and some time.

warning(s): just swearing, jealousy, rafe being a bitch again

authors note: making this into a whole series so we get that progression !! let me know if u wanna be tagged for every chapter i make <3

one | two | three | four | five | six | seven | eight | nine

you knock on the door and wait for an answer. you don’t really know where rafe hangs out on campus, if he even hangs out on campus. you already checked the library, which was a rafe no-show, and then you took every possible long route to get to his dorm just in case he would be walking around.

after his dorm, you don’t know what else you’re going to check if he’s not here.

the door opens, revealing an olive-skinned boy that must’ve been his roommate. you recognize him as a student you’ve seen around campus before. lorenzo, his name, was it?

he smiles as soon as he sees you, and he looks around to see if it’s only you there.

“yeah?”

“is rafe here?” you ask, fiddling with your fingers as you peek through the crack between lorenzo and the doorframe to see if rafe’s on his bed or anything.

“no he’s not, but he usually comes back around this time. you can come in and wait if you wanna,” he offers, and you nod, whispering a ‘thank you’ as you step past him. “is he in trouble?” he asks, going to shut the door. “are you a hookup? cause i think you should know . . . rafe doesn’t get particularly attached to one-nighters. sorry. if he said something mid-nut it’s just a guy thing. well just a him thing.”

you shake your head. “ew, god no i’m not a one night stand of his,” you tell him. “do girls actually come here to talk about it?”

lorenzo shrugs and nods. “usually. it always apparently ends in round two though!” he says like it’s a joke since he’s laughing. like actually laughing. but when he sees that you’re not doing the same, he falters awkwardly and claps his hands. “sorry i don’t mean to . . . i’m just gonna . . .”

you watch as he goes to his desk in silence, and it almost makes you laugh aloud. you only smile as you look down at your feet.

“i’m y/n by the way,” you inform him. “i live down the hall.”

“oh that’s cool. i’m lorenzo.”

you nod, pursing your lips as you look around.

“you’re a lacrosse player?” you ask after a bit of silence and just a lot of keyboard clicking. lorenzo continues typing from his computer and just hums in response. you admire the singular trophy on his shelf, as well as the crosse stick in the corner of the room. you must’ve either missed that before or lorenzo must’ve been at practice when you were tutoring rafe, cause that wasn’t there at all last time. “i like the trophy.”

“that was just for my senior year but my mom insisted i bring it, make a collection for all the ones i’ll win here too, if any,” he says, and you can hear the smile as he talks. it makes you smile too. “she’s my biggest fan.”

“your mom is sweet, and she’s a good thinker,” you say. “i hear the school’s lacrosse team has been doing really good this year. maybe that shelf is gonna be accompanied by another trophy sometime.”

“you’re into sports?”

“not necessarily,” you hesitate, finding yourself laughing with him. “i’m just . . . i do journalism here so i just keep up with everything. my friends cover the sports column. they talk a lot of good about you guys.”

lorenzo spins around in his chair to look at you. “i’ll give it a read sometime,” he tells you, and you smile and nod at him. “so what are you here to see rafe for?“ he asks, setting his hands on his thighs.

it’s like you wake up from reality and remember that you’re there for a reason. “oh right. i’m just here to talk about his grades,” you say, and lorenzo’s face slightly lights up as he lets out an ‘ohh’. “yeah he did really good on his exam the other day so i just wanted to tell him good job.”

“good friend you are,” he mumbles, standing up to check something on rafe’s desk. he grabs an edge of the calendar above the desk, reading it to himself and then flipping the page up and down just to see. “yeah he should only have his doctors appointment planned today but thats in like a few hours. he’s usually done with class by now.”

“i can just text him maybe,” you say, even though you know you don’t have his number. “i live down the hall but if it’s okay—”

“you can wait here, y/n,” lorenzo insists.

you smile and nod again, mumbling out a small ‘thank you’ to him for letting you in his space while he’s clearly been in the middle of schoolwork.

lorenzo is reading through rafe’s calendar when he snorts. “‘tortilla chip day’ on the 24th apparently,” lorenzo reads off. “‘grilled cheese day’ in august. was he fucking hungry when writing these? he has these pre-written.”

you can’t help but laugh and take a peek at what else rafe’s put on his calendar.

the door opens, alerting both you and lorenzo. at first the person is surprised to find both a girl and his roommate, laughing together about something probably stupid. only it’s not just some girl. it’s you. and it’s not just a person. you see it’s rafe.

he recognizes you immediately from behind lorenzo. he can pick you from a crowd. he stands at the door with his hand on his backpack strap, staring at the two of you. “y/n,” he says, under his breath. “what’s so funny?”

“there you are,” you say, your arms crossed as you look at him. “i’ve been trying to find you for the past fucking hour.”

“i’ve been with my professor to talk about my grades, thanks,” he hisses as he walks inside to toss his bag on his bed, looking at you, “are you done hitting on my roommate now? you found me.”

you grimace at him, “what?”

“gee,” lorenzo mutter awkwardly as he hesitates to take his laptop with him and just go outside in the floors lounging area to give to you two some space. “it was nice meeting you, y/n,” he says, and you nod before he steps outside and closes the door behind him.

you look at rafe.

he shakes his head and waves his hand once, telling you not to worry about it. “whatever, just . . . get out?” he says, motioning over to the door. “i have to study for this friday’s exam too.”

you forget how much of a complete ass he is. god, it’s like he hasn’t changed since you were last in here. “‘kay,” you say dryly, and go to leave. “came here for nothing then. look, just remember who got you that ‘A’ and saved you from failing humanities in the first place.”

he pauses when he realizes you knew his score already. “what?” he says.

“that’s why i was trying to find you, asshole,” you tell him, opening his door and looking back. “i asked your professor what you got and he told me you almost would’ve gotten full points if you didn’t fuck up at the end. i was gonna congratulate you anyway.”

rafe stares at you in silence.

“and get a new tutor next time.”

he’s silent as he watches you go, and he blinks when the door is slammed behind you. he looks down at his backpack, then at his desk where he remembered he had to sit at for-fucking-ever to study and prepare for the exam with you.

“fuck,” he whispers, contemplating whether or not he should chase after you to apologize or just yell it down the hallway. but he knows you two aren’t close enough for him to show that kind of behavior, especially not after already embarrassing himself last week with the socks and water bottle donations.

but then again, you put everything aside, rivalry and all just to tell him good job because you know he’s been failing. this whole frenemies thing is the worst.

when you walk down the hall and reach your dorm, you can spot lorenzo seated at one of the chairs in the lounge. you consider going over to apologize that he had to see that, but a voice stops you in your tracks.

“y/n.” it’s rafe.

you quickly try to unlock your door and go inside, but he catches you before you can.

“stop,” he says.

“you stop. go study or something,” you tell him, struggling to unlock your door.

“you’re acting like a kid.”

you look up at him like he’s insane. “you can’t tell me i’m acting like a kid when you were just doing your big one a second ago,” you tell him, and you feel the lock become undone. “unfortunately that’s not how it works. excuse me.”

you let yourself into your dorm and close the door on him, leaving him standing there in silence. rafe looks over to the end of the hallway where the lounge is, spotting lorenzo who’s peeking around the side of the chair he’s on. rafe shakes his head.

it’s been another week since you last spoke with rafe, a few days since you’ve spoken to him. or since he tried speaking to you really. you were on your way back to your dorm again when he caught you, then tried to apologize. you ignored him until you went inside your room.

it all just feels pretty pointless to you. you and him have been going at each other for years. it doesn’t help that you guys get to see each other every day because you committed to the same university, or that your dorms are just doors away from the others. if anything it makes it all worse.

and just recently you helped each other for a day, making it feel like there’s been progression in this whole thing, but you were wrong. and instead of arguing, you just feel like it would be better if you guys don’t talk at all.

a straw is between your teeth as you carry your book under your armpit while trying to grab one of those cardboard things that hold your drink in case the cup itself is too hot and cold. you’re a journalism major but fuck, you have no idea what they’re called.

as you look up, you grab some napkins and head for the door. you’re in immediately alert mode when you can see rafe and his friends getting out of their car in the parking lot. here we go again.

you make your way over to your car that’s parked right outside the coffee shop to make it easier for you, and you unlock the door before getting in.

hearing the laughs from rafe and his friends don’t make you panic. you just set your coffee down in a cup holder after putting the straw in and taking a few sips of your drink, appreciating the flavor.

you lowkey stay in your car to watch what rafe and his friends are up to. they pass your car and reach the shop, letting themselves in before approaching the front counter. one friend is in the front to order, assuming for everyone, while the rest just surround him and check out the treats of the day.

you watch closely when rafe starts stretching. he’s mid conversation with one of them, just grinning as his friend talks his ear off about something apparently really funny. after the one ordering for them is done, he turns to the rest of the group and points to the tables behind them.

rafe looks around the shop for where to sit down, but his gaze land on all the cars out front while the boys decide on where to wait for their drinks. he finally looks at you. here it comes.

but for some reason . . . it doesn’t.

there’s not even a hint of emotion in his face when he sees you’re there. not even to question if you’d been watching him that whole time, or how long you’ve been sitting in your car. he just falls silent and follows his friends over to a table, sitting down and engaging in conversation like normal.

you feel a little upset when it’s the opposite treatment, but you know that’s unfair. you started this whole silent treatment a week ago and you’ve stuck by it. it’s only fair if rafe decides he’s going to do the same.

you put the car in reverse to leave the lot, but you can’t stop thinking about how rafe reacted when he saw you. or rather, how he didn’t react.

but whatever. you decide to push it aside. if you find out that rafe has a new tutor too then you won’t be surprised. if anything you’ll feel relieved because that means you won’t have to spend any more time with him. that the only reason why you’ll ever step foot back in that dorm will be because of lorenzo, not rafe. because that’s what you want. that’s what you want.

. . . right?

@svnsetcrve @sublimepenguinpeach-blog

(okay wtf its not letting me tag someone else)

[of-many-aus]

Why Jake calls you ‘Angel’

Summary: there’s always an origin story to a nickname, this one is yours

Warnings: none

A/N: let me know what you think of this series so far :)

Take Me Out to the Ball Game Masterlist

･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.

This was stupid. You had no idea why you had even let Natasha talk you into this, she knew this wasn’t your thing.

The noise was deafening with everyone screaming at the top of their lungs. Cheers and boos for this team or that.

Bodies rammed into one another as they jumped up and down, supporting their respective teams that were made up of either a sky blue, or a crimson red.

“You have to get to know him,” Nat chatted your ear off above all the yells, keeping your arms linked tightly as you wove back and forth in the crowd, “He’s your roommate, and you hardly know a thing about him.”

“Yeah,” You snapped back, shooting her a small glare, “Maybe he’s a serial killer. How does that feel, Nat? You could very well be the person who pressured me into accepting a living situation with a murderer.”

She rolled her eyes, long since used to your dramatic antics, “A cute murderer.” Your best friend flashed you a grin.

You rolled your eyes sarcastically, “Well, what he lacks in personality, I suppose he makes up for in looks.”

“Exactly!” She cheered, finally pushing through a clearing and towards seemingly the only two empty seats in the whole stadium, not giving you the chance to open your mouth and snap back about being sarcastic. She knew very well that you were.

It had been about two weeks since you and the star of your college's baseball team, Jake Seresin, had made a temporary arrangement of moving into an apartment together. And the two of you had been walking on eggshells around each other, which Natasha Trace never failed to throw in your face.

Honestly, you were more than fine keeping it that way. The less you were forced to talk to the cocky, ego driven athlete, the better.

Your best friend, on the other hand, seemed to think that it was fate that the two of you were thrown into the same living establishment. And apparently, it was an opportunity not to be passed up. Now, you had been dragged to his team's second game of the season. Evidently, missing his first one was some sort of crime in Natasha’s eyes and you now had to make up for it.

What did it matter anyway? He didn’t even know that you were here, and honestly, you hoped that it stayed that way. You didn’t need him thinking something other than the simple fact that you were dragged here, fighting tooth and nail to get away. But it was useless, Nat was impossible to stop when she put her mind to something.

Of course, the only seats available had to be in the very front row, just to the right of home plate.

The game had already started by the time you two sat down, and Jake's team was getting absolutely demolished.

No wonder all the other spectators were getting rowdy so quickly. Your school was trying to urge the team into coming back, and the other school was trying to keep their team up. The score was 1-6 and it was only the second inning.

Jakes team was up at bat, more specifically, a man you recognized to be Reuben Fitch, who was in your science class, at the plate, bat up and at the ready. According to the scoreboard, there was already one out, two pitches thrown, and nobody on the bases.

The pitcher from the other team glared against the sun as he wound his arm back, ready to release the ball. And when he so, it hooked in such a way that poor Reuben didn’t stand a chance of hitting it.

You felt a pang of pity in your heart for him, he had always been friendly to you, and watching his lips move in the shape of a curse and shaking his head in disappointment at himself made you sad to see. He made his way back to the dug out with a head hung low, not even reacting when Pete Mitchell, the coach, clapped him on the back in reassurance when he shuffled past him.

A frown pulled at your lips, “This is just sad,” You commented, “You picked the absolute worst day to force me to come and see a game.”

Natasha rolled her eyes, opening her mouth to rebuttal, only to snap it shut when her eyes locked onto something behind you. A smirk slowly made its way onto her face, “Or maybe not.”

With furrowed eyebrows, you turned in your seat to see what she was looking at, only to lock eyes on a jersey you had grown accustomed to seeing thrown lazily around your apartment- along with other pieces of gear he never bothered to pick up- making it’s way towards you.

Jake was up at bat.

There was a determined aura about him, you could tell from the way his eyes stayed trained on the pitchers mound and from the way his jaw was set and shoulders were in a ridged square.

High pitched squeals erupted from behind you in a way that made you cringe at the sudden noise.

“It’s Jake!”

“He looks so hot.”

“He was totally checking me out earlier.”

You rolled your eyes at the group of girls behind you, babbling like a bunch of teenagers at the mall, and crossed your arms over your chest.

Natasha was looking over at you with a smirk that had morphed into a knowing one.

“What?” You snapped.

Her grin only widened, “Nothing, nothing.” She murmured, turning her attention back to the game.

After allowing your eyes to linger suspiciously on her for another moment, you tore them away from her and too looked to where Jake was now winding up to bat.

The pitcher threw the next one faster than he had moments ago, and it headed straight for the blond man.

Your heart jumped to your throat and your arms unconsciously loosened, falling to your sides as you leaned forward.

Jake jumped backwards out of the way just in time, the ball narrowly missing his stomach in the process.

Shouts of protest came from all over the stadium, cursing out the pitcher for trying to take out the star player.

A breath slipped through your lips and you felt the muscles in your shoulders loosen. Why they were even tense in the first place, you didn’t know.

Seresin let out a huff, taking a step back from the plate to give himself a moment to collect himself, and his gaze unconsciously swept over the crowd.

Bright green eyes locked onto yours before you could even think about looking away and trying to hide yourself.

Jake stilled.

All of the sounds seemed to drown out around you. Neither of you let up your stares, no matter how much as you knew you should.

Then, the corner of his lips quirked up the tiniest bit, and he threw a wink in your direction before turning back to the plate and stepping up once more.

One of the girls squealed from behind you, “Did you see that? Did you? Did you? He winked at me!”

You barely even heard her, eyes still yet to leave Jakes tall form.

“What was that all about?” You could hear the grin in her voice as Natasha whispered to you.

Not an answer came out of you though. You were too transfixed in the game.

When the ball came at him again, he was ready, and he hit it out of the park. Literally.

Again, it seemed like almost every person in the stadium began screaming at the top of their lungs. Whether it was from anger or pure joy at the home run the man had just hit.

Somehow, you had joined in with them, clapping as loudly as you could and cheering.

Jake threw one glance to you over his shoulder before taking a jog around the bases, a grin of victory playing on his lips.

It only went uphill from there.

Somehow, when put in the outfield, every single ball went Jake's way, and he caught each and every one of them. Then each time he came up to bat, he would get at least one other person home.

There was a reason he was the star player.

By the end, the score was 12-6, and your throat was raw from all the screaming you had done, as well as most likely every other person in the audience.

“Well?” You finally tore your eyes away from the field at your best friend's voice, “Worth coming?”

You hid a grin and tried to shrug nonchalantly, “I suppose.”

She laughed loudly, linking your arms together and beginning to lead you into the slowly dispersing crowd.

The two of you chatted all the way back to the row of cars, when a voice calling out your name made you both stop and turn.

Jake jogged after the two of you, baseball gear bag slung over one shoulder.

The group of girls that had been obnoxious behind you for the entire game now stood a few yards away with dropped jaws that soon turned into sneers.

Your roommate paid them no mind though, as he came to a stop in front of you, slightly breathless as if he had run all the way from the dugout to catch up with you.

“Hi,” You breathed out in surprise, eyebrows raised.

He grinned that blinding, award winning smile of his, “You came to my game.”

“Oh yeah,” Natasha piped up, nodding excitedly from beside you, “She practically dragged me here.”

Your head snapped into her direction and your eyes widened for a brief second before you began glaring daggers at her, “I did not-“

“I’m glad you came.”

The gentleness of his tone made your mouth snap shut and your attention turn to him once more.

“We were losing, bad, but then you showed up, and we suddenly won again.” He was yet to drop his grin.

You shook your head, “That wasn’t me-“

“Sure it was,” He laughed lightly, “You’re like my own guardian angel.”

You rolled your eyes, “Don’t call me that.”

If it was even possible, his grin seemed to widen, “Why not? I think it’s fitting.”

A scoff left your lips, and whatever weird haze you had been in during the game finally shook off, “Don’t you dare.” You warned.

“Hangman!” Bradley Bradshaw called from a couple paces away, waving the man down, “Come on! The boys are going out to celebrate!”

“Be right there!” The blond called back before winking at you once more, “See you at home, Angel.”

With that, he jogged off, leaving you in a speechless state that was so unlike you.

Nat moved to stand in front of you, wiggling her eyebrows.

You hesitated before softly shoving her, “Shut up.” You mumbled, turning to make your way to the car.

Taglist: none yet

[ecto42]

I think in D&D terms the typical assumption would be that a character with a chronic illness and/or chronic pain would have a low constitution score. The reality is a lot of people like myself would probably have constitution as our biggest stat because not only are we constantly staying up while fighting our bodies, we’re generally expected to ignore our own physical needs and wellbeing in exchange for being able to get things done. For example, I have been fully in the middle of a POTS episode and had to cook myself dinner, carry multiple loads of laundry up and down the stairs, etc. Like there’s such a real thing to Ashton Greymoore having chronic pain and yet their highest stat being Constitution.

I think something people are really good at acknowledging for Ashton as well as being apparent with Taliesin is that chronic illness generally means you’re stronger than people would assume, but you also blow through your resources faster and they can be just as counterproductive as they are helpful. It’s important to note that Taliesin struggles with chronic issues like hand tremors and has other chronically disabled friends like Dani Carr.

Like personally as an AMAB person with a condition that primarily hits AFAB people particularly hard, I’ve had cardiologists tell me “If anything your heart is overly muscular.” Which like, thanks dude yeah that’s decades of anxiety and years of POTS hitting and me having to stay standing up. Like I was in marching band in high school and I was the kid basically double-time marching in giant steps every show because I was the easiest to place since I’m so tall. Then when I worked fast food I had to either maneuver through hoardes of people to get back to my station or just push through them completely. In 90+ degree weather in the summer in Alabama with an anxiety disorder and a “heart condition” that’s actually just another neurological condition. Like I spent years doing manual labor and unloading trucks and pallets while exhausted on like 3 hours of sleep. You have to develop that kind of resilience when the capitalist system reinforces a world where no matter what if you want to survive as a person straddling the poverty line you have to work your ass off.

This doesn’t even get into the kind of resiliency you have to develop as an undiagnosed neurodivergent person who’s being told by absolutely everyone for most of your life that you’re doing everything wrong. Like Adaine from Dimension 20 is such a good example of that. This is also why I love the portrayal of Ayda Aguefort so much, because she really is like me having to learn everything from books because no one else in her life can explain things the same way that a book can. That is one of those things that as a late diagnosed autistic & ADHDer it’s really hard to explain personally without getting really like tragic or depressing in conversation because it sometimes is just a matter of “I’ve effectively been abused my entire life purely because the system wasn’t built for me and I had a lot of expectations I failed to live up to.”

All of this as a way to say that neurodiversity and disability are much more interesting and heroic feeling when they are portrayed by actually neurodiverse and disabled people, as well as those who love those people enough to tell stories that include them. I think TRRPGs and RPGs in general are a great way to explore this. Often times when we see disabled people in shows or movies that revolve around their disability there is a lack of agency, whereas often times with TTRPGs you have to create your own agency in the first place.

[extremelyblackandwhite]

pairing: dad!bucky barnes x au pair!reader

warnings: age gap (reader is 10 years younger than bucky), smut (18+, dni if under 18)

author’s note: sorry this one is a bit short. i am worrying myself silly until tomorrow.

masterlist

and wouldn't you love to love her?

Bucky didn't know if Y/N wouldn't be back. He had decided to give her space, allow her the time off since she never had any but explaining it to Sadie was, to say the least, complicated. The two year old had decided to live up to the terrible two cliche and between refusing to go to school and kicking any time he tried to bathe her. Whenever she asked when Y/N would be back all Bucky could say was that he did not know and, honestly, that was the truth. The more the days passed by and her viva examination got closer, he was starting to believe more and more that maybe she just wasn't coming back at all. I like you just the way you are, what ever happened to Hey Y/N, would you like to go for some coffee? No, he just had to be upfront about it.

As if Sadie living up to her prophecy wasn't enough, Christopher was equally on him blabbing and wondering about Y/N. He could only tlel him so much before Chris charted a jet to Ohio and he was certain Y/N would hate that more than what he told her.

Bucky was in the middle of dealing with Sadie screaming bloody murder about the pancakes not having chocolate chips when he heard the front door close. At this point, if someone came to shoot him in the head he wouldn't mind. However, it turned out to be a much pleasant sight dressed in a professional black dress.

      - Why is she crying? - Y/N drapped her coat over the chair.

      - There's no chocolate chips. - Bucky sighed both of relief that Y/N was here and of tiredness.

      - Sadie Barnes, you either eat your pancakes or there will be no TV, no tablet, no toys, no Etch-a-Sketch and definitely no Bluey, Disney + or any other streaming service your dad may be paying for. Your choice.

The redhead stared at Y/N before starting to eat her pancakes. That's it, Y/N was a witch. She had to be a witch. That's it. She was a witch, a very pretty witch who looked way too polished to have come out of an Ohio farm, but a witch.

      - How were the cows?

      - Pardon?

      - Your parents. You went to see your parents right? They live in a farm in Ohio?

      - Yeah. They were ok. Apparently mum has named them Rose, Sophia, Dorothy, and Blanche much to dad's dismay.

      - Like the Golden Girls. - he chuckled. - So, your viva is today.

      - Don't remind me. It's like walking into a slaughter house and then being denied being called a doctor. They should decapitate me, put my head on a spike, and parade me around Columbia as the massive disappointment.

      - What's decapitate? - Sadie asked.

      - It's the capital. - Bucky said not wanting to traumatise his two year old with the scenario Y/N had just described. - Go wash your hands and get your backpack, bug.

Sadie nodded but not before going over to hug Y/N's leg. Y/N ruffled her head before sending her along to wash her hands. Bucky got to making Y/N a plate, patting the chair next to him. She smiled at him before taking a seat and cutting a bit of the pancake. She stopped chewing, looking at him with a forced smile.

      - Good?

      - Buck, why are they salty? - she put a napkin in front of her mouth to spit out the pancake.

      - They're not salty. - Bucky took a forkful from her plate to try it himself.

      - We've had this discussion, Buck. Salt is in the black pot and sugar in the white one.

      - I'm gonna be a mess when you quit. - he pushed the plate away from her. - Speaking of which, I would like if you interviewed your future replacement. I trust you to pick the right person.

      - Most likely you won't need a replacement because I'm failing my viva today.

      - You are not. - Bucky put his hand on her shoulder. - You are smart, Baudelaire.

      - Baudelaire?

      - Do the scary thing first. Get scared latter.

(...)

Bucky drove Y/N down to Columbia, ensuring she got there safe and ready for her VIVA before driving down to take Sadie to school. Y/N swallowed in empty, merely staring at the hallowed halls of a building which had many notable alumni and she was now hoping she would be one. The VIVA was intense to say less and as she came out of the room, she was sweating buckets and wanting to be as far away from the building as possible.

      - Y/N! - shit. Shit, shit, shit, she'd forgotten he existed. What ever happened to men taking a hint?

      - Chris. - she turned around with a fake smile. - What are you doing here?

      - Anderson told me it was your VIVA today, I wanted to come see you. I haven't seen you in a while and Barnes said you were on holiday.

      - I thought after our last chat you wouldn't want to talk to me, Christopher.

      - It was a hurdle, Y/N. - he got closer to her. - Listen, I understand it was rough of me to attack your job like that but you have to understand it's because I care for you and that job is beneath you.

      - No job is beneath anyone, Christopher. You think that silver spoon mouthed talk is gonna make me forget you basically insulted me, my boss and the child I look after?

      - You have a Bachelors and a Masters, Y/N. You should be working internships, assistant positions to help you build your curriculum, not being a silver spoon mouthed man's child's babysitter.

      - That's all fine when you can afford to work a non paid position, Christopher.

      - I care about you, Y/N.

      - But I don't love you.

      - I don't expect you to love me yet, we haven't been seeing each other for too long and if we ...

      - Christopher. - she interrupted him. - I love someone else. It's not gonna stop.

(...)

Y/N dragged herself home. It was now a week, a week long of worrying wether she passed or not. She guessed it was better than having to do it again, heck she hoped she wouldn't have to do it again. She opened the door and heard mumbling with all the lights being off. She moved to turn the lights on, coming face to face with a home made sign and Sadie yelling surprise.

      - What is this? - she smiled, leaning down to pick Sadie up.

      - You're done, it's a party. - Bucky chuckled, pointing to the sign. - We have reservations in about 3 hours. Bought an ice cream cake and Sadie made you a card.

      - You shouldn't have done this.

      - What? After 3 years and a half of you moaning and whining over psychology, you need a nice night out.

      - You do know she'll start crying at around 10.

      - That's why we have dinner reservations at 6.30 and once she's in bed, I will allow you full control of the television. How does that sound?

      - I may not pass.

      - You got this far. You deserve a celebration just for you.

taglist: @talesofadragon @themermaidscales82 @winters1917 @vladsgirlxx @stinkerbelle007 @maybefoxysouls @blackwood-bodecker-housewife @chipilerendi @kandis-mom @belennasif @abitofblues @buckybarnessimpp

[youmarin]

I Don't Like You | Hanamaki Takahiro x Reader!

Word count: 5,462

Relationships: Hanamaki Takahiro x reader (enemies to...) Oikawa Tooru x reader, Iwaizumi Hajime x reader and Matsukawa Issei x reader (all platonic)

Another day, another class, another occasion for Hanamaki Takahiro to disrupt it with the ruckus he and his best friend Matsukawa had going on at the back of the classroom. You rolled your eyes. 

You’ve known the strawberry blonde ever since middle school. He was slightly popular with being on the volleyball team and everyone saw some sort of charisma in him that you failed to appreciate. To you, he was just a class clown who liked attention. An insufferable, dumb jock. 

Then you were first year highschoolers. You almost cried while you read the lists of your assigned homerooms when you stumbled upon his name. One thing was just bearing with him in the hallways, but now he was your classmate? 

“Sorry, my bad. Dude, stop fucking pushing me.” He absentmindedly apologized to you as his dark haired friend nudged him to make way to the front line before the bulletin board. 

“How?” You heard Iwaizumi exclaim. 

“Did you two bribe the principal or something?” Oikawa chuckled. “How is it that you ended up in the advanced courses?”

“What? What are you talking about? We wouldn’t be so dumb to do that.” 

“Well, apparently you aren’t as dumb as to not make it into first class.” 

“No wonder we couldn’t find ourselves anywhere else.” 

“I heard the advanced English teacher is hell.” some other student said, and they picked it up. 

“Oi, is that true?” Matsukawa asked warily.

“A lot of people have said that. They said a lot of upperclassmen used to complain about her.”

“But-But these are optional right? You can change to regular classes if you don’t like where they placed you.” Hanamaki asked not so confident.

“Sure. But you can validate these as college courses. If you plan to go.” Hajime explained. “You should give it a try either way.” 

“If by midterms you’re failing you could switch up. Or find a tutor.” Oikawa advised. 

“How is it that you’ve been in advanced courses all this time? Honestly, I never saw you as the smart type outside of a volleyball court.” Oikawa was triggered and offended, to say the least. 

“FYI, I’m very smart. Also I work hard and that pays off.” He adjusted his glasses.

“And y/n has saved his ass countless times.” Added Iwaizumi knowingly. 

“Y/n?” Hanamaki asked curiously, “That name rings a bell. Is it that nerdy girl with glasses who makes out everyone else is stupid and thinks she’s hot shit?” 

“No. How dare you confuse my sweet y/n with that meanie. She’s bitter because y/n always beats her and is first in our class. Wait, there she is. Y/n-chan!” Oikawa called out to you and Hanamaki followed his gaze ‘til he met a girl: average height, long, wavy black hair, cinnamon kissed skin, full lips, small nose and dark eyes. You smiled at Oikawa and at Iwaizumi who was by his side. But when your eyes landed on him and Mattsun you became serious. 

“Huh. Smart, pretty too. But, ” Matsukawa said, looking at you as you made your way over to them. “she looks quite scary.” 

“She can be.” Iwaizumi agreed, “but she’s good.” 

“How is a shrimp scary?” Hanamaki snorted, making fun of his friends.

“Who are you calling shrimp, My Melody?” you bit back. 

“Oh.”  Yeah, Mattsun still found you scary.

“Just so you know, that’s a compliment.” He smirked at you. “Bad bitches look good in pink.” 

“Okaaay off to a rough start I see.” Oikawa made a survey of the situation. “Y/n, you’re making me look bad.” 

“Huh, I thought that was just how you looked.” Iwaizumi pondered, making you laugh. Okay, she laughs, Makki thought.

Oikawa glared at his spiky haired best friend “Whatever.” He plastered a smile on his face addressing you, “I wanted to officially present to you some new classmates.” He gestured towards the duo, “Meet-“

“Hanamaki Takahiro.” He cut Oikawa off. 

“Matsukawa Issei.” followed the tall, black haired boy, throwing an arm over the former’s shoulders. 

“Oh I know you two.” 

“Keeping tabs about us?” 

“Rather staying clear of you.” 

“Tōru, I think your friend chose to be sour today.” 

“I… Hope we can get along. Someday.” Matsukawa said awkwardly. 

Back to the present, you were now in your last semester as second years and to your surprise he’d managed to stay in the group - barely making it yet somehow- and you still thought the same way about him. 

“Is there something you two want to share with the class, Mr. Hanamaki and Mr. Matsukawa?” 

“Uh, not really, sir. You see, this is a private conversation.” Takahiro answered, gesturing between Mattsun and himself.

“Then why don’t you take your private conversation to somewhere more private, like the principal’s office?” The teacher said.

“I wouldn’t want to bother the principal, sir.” You noticed how the rest of the class held back their smiles. Your teacher sighed, asking for patience from the heavens to deal with a brat. 

“Alright. I'll humor you too. In fact, class, thanks to Hanamaki you’re all to hand over the exercises from pages 67 to 72 in their entirety. They’ll be part of your grade for a surprise test.” If anyone had a trace of a smile on their face it had vanished now, and the entire class erupted in complaints, some throwing nasty looks at the culprit, remarkably his other two friends. Iwaizumi and Oikawa turned on their seats and muttered something to him. 

“Nice job, dumbass.” 

You gathered your things when the teacher dismissed the class. In fact, you just had to review your notes and the material from your textbook. You had already done the exercises from the workbook in advance, given that March was approaching and with it your finals. You had tons of homework assigned already, and you didn’t like to pile them up. 

“Y/n-chan.” You heard his singsong voice. Almost everyone had left the room besides the four volleyball team players and you. The teacher had held Makki and Matssun back to reprimand them. 

“Let me guess. You want the answers to the exercises.” You told Oikawa knowingly. 

“I don’t think the answers will be enough.”  Oikawa grimaced. “I would like to understand what he’s talking about if he’s going to make us pass a test.” 

You smiled a bit amused, “So, study session?” 

“Of course! Have I told you you’re an angel? 

“Yes, you have. Every time you use flattery to make up for what you asked.” Iwaizumi looked at him disgustingly. 

“I don’t know, she seems more like a demon to me.”  Hanamaki shared as he walked over to the rest of you, Matsukawa following him. 

You glared at him before dismissing his comment and addressing Iwaizumi, “You’re joining?” 

“Uh- Sure. I could use a little help too.” He gave you a small smile, feeling a little embarrassed. 

“Oh you’re making a study group?” Mattsun asked, interested. Makki wished he could take back his latest comment. While Oikawa saw the opportunity and grasped it. Hajime saw his intentions clear in the brunette’s eyes. 

‘Oh, yes! It’s perfect. Why don’t we all study together?” He suggested. It was a great plan where you could sort things out with both class and Hanamaki. It was hard for him that his friends didn’t get along -for whatever the reason was- when you spent most of your days together during class and rather often outside. He could try to make Makki be a little gentler with you and if he managed to convince Hajime to do the same with you he was sure it’ll work out. 

“Uh I don’t know…” you looked over indiscreetly at Hanamaki. 

Makki was about to respond “Wait. Me? With you?” He made a face. As much as he could use your help he’d rather die on the spot than asking you. But Tooru kicked him slightly, making him yelp in surprise, stopping him from finishing whatever he planned to say. “Okay, okay. If you don’t mind.” He muttered throwing foul looks at Oikawa. 

It was Monday, the volleyball club’s day of rest, so the group walked together straight to your house when school was over. You walked ahead with Iwaizumi, the air still cold in the mid February twilight. Your cheeks were turning slightly rosy, and you could see your breath when you exhaled. You wished you had brought your scarf. 

As you all agreed to stop at a coffee shop, Oikawa threw a look at Makki and gestured something before he left with Hajime to order. He didn’t understand what the former wanted, “What?” he mouthed.

Tooru almost groaned. This is why girls say chivalry is dead. 

Matsukawa picked up the message instead. “Here.” He said, getting your attention. Taking off his black scarf, he didn’t lose time to gently place it around your neck, not giving you any time to protest nor reject his gesture. 

“Thanks.” You welcomed in the warmth the soft fabric brought, and Mattsun took that as a win. Sure, he’d felt that during the past months you had at least become acquaintances and had been polite to each other. Things between you weren’t as hostile as when it came to Hanamaki, who finally rolled his eyes as he understood what the brunette meant. He’d lost the opportunity. Mattsun gave him a sorry look, but soon Makki brushed it off. Why did he have to be nice to you when you were the one who acted like you had a stick up your ass every time you were around him? He never did anything to you. 

“We’’ll go to my room so as not to disrupt my parents.”  

“Is your mom home? I'd like to greet her.” Your mom had already met Oikawa by the countless times he’d been over. She loved him and needless to say she would plan your wedding if you so much as told her you liked him. But to her dismay you were just friends. Your dad didn’t like him though. He said pretty boys like him must be looking to break your heart. Also Tooru was scared of him. 

“She’ll be here later.” You told him as you guided them through the hallway and to your room. 

“Would like to know where she gets her attitude from.” Makki said under his breath. 

“Oikawa would say from his dad because he doesn’t like him.” Hajime confided and they snickered, making fun of the brunette. 

Tooru sneezed, then turned to both of them at the same time you did, “What are you two going on about?” 

“Nothing.” 

You had gone out of the room for a moment, telling the boys to make themselves comfortable, feeling a little mortified to let into your house and into your room a boy you supposedly hated his guts. 

Oikawa jumped in your bed while Iwaizumi got your desk chair, and Mattsun sat on a bean bag chair on the floor. Hanamaki inspected your room, seeing several posters of your favorite musicians, a CD player laying on your bed that Oikawaa had grabbed, bookshelves, drawings on top of your desk, pictures - Mostly of landscapes but there were also family pictures . He recognized you with Iwaizumi and Tooru on a couple -, some paintings on the wall and some on the floor waiting to be hanged. 

“It’s a nice bedroom.” he commented, and everything was going fine, until he opened his mouth again, “I remember this girl that took me over to her place and she had this collection of creepy porcelain dolls on one big shelf that covered the wall opposite her bed. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to get i-”

“Okay,” you came back in time to cut him off, carrying another bean bag chair in for him, “Thanks for the compliment on my room but I don’t need to hear that.” 

“Right. Sorry. Forgot you probably have never gotten laid, or either kissed someone.” 

“Ugh, Makki, please shut the fuck up.” Oikawa shook his head and Hajime brushed a hand down his face. He was unbelievable. 

“Not that is any of your business, but I do have kissed someone.” You said calmly as you took your notebooks out of your bag and sat next to Oikawa. 

“That’s a shocker. Who?” He said, plopping down on the chair as he finished his tea. 

“Why do you care?” You raised a brow and Oikawa smiled down at his hands. In any other moment he would be harassing you about the subject in question to know but he was being real quiet. 

“I don’t but since you’re dropping information like that you could just share the whole thing.” He shrugged. “Does he go to Seijoh too?” 

“Yes.” 

“And?” 

“And what?” 

He smirked, as if realizing something, “Nah, wait. Bet it was some weird ugly ass kid and that’s why you don’t want to tell.” 

Now if he wasn’t able to speak, you four would’ve witnessed a miracle that evening, “Excuse you?! Who the hell you dare call ugly. If I may say I’m the prettiest male in the room.” Oikawa came clean and you smacked him right in his chest so hard he lost his breath for a moment. 

“Oh great.” you muttered, a hand covering your face. 

“No fucking way.” Makki started with a chuckle, staring at Oikawa incredulously.

“You didn’t know?!” Mattsun asked Iwaizumi given his expression.

 Hajime shook his head, “No wonder you weren’t curious.” 

“Really? This guy?” Matsukawa continued. 

“What does that mean?” Oikawa whined. 

“Fine. We were in middle school and were what? 15?” 

“Yeah I had just turned 15. And you were still 13.” Oikawa smiled as he recalled. 

“So you dated?” 

“Not really. We’ve always been good friends. It just happened, everyone was doing it and we wanted to know what it was like.” 

“We just figured at that moment that if we wanted to have our first kiss there wasn’t anyone better than us.” You chuckled, flustered. It was a little embarrassing, and you basically had forgotten what led you to this conversation. 

“Wait, so,” Hanamaki kept in interrogation mode, “you haven’t kissed anyone else since him?” 

“No.” you shook your head, “What are we doing? What am I doing? Grab your notes and let’s start studying.”

*

Spring brought new beginnings, a gentler breeze, slowly beginning to bid farewell to winter with soft sunny days and much livelier nights. 

Your eyes captured the pretty pink veil made out of cherry blossom trees, which flowers rained down as their branches danced with the gusts of wind. It was very romantic walking under the pink snow. 

Hanamaki was walking to school that morning when he saw you as he turned in the curve and got to the main road. He didn’t live far from your house, so sometimes - when he wasn’t late- he saw you. The couple of times you’d noticed him, you’d just nodded in acknowledgment and continued your way, walking with him just a few steps back. He wondered if he should greet you. Thinking about that time at your house it wasn’t that bad between you two. Hopefully you might think the same. 

He debated with himself and at the end chose to go for it, words dying in his mouth when he saw you stop to take pictures. Makki wondered how many cherry blossoms were in your camera roll by now. He waited as to not interrupt you, and that’s when it happened. He saw you slip as you were about to resume walking, and before he knew it he was running to catch you, under the risk of slipping on the blossoms himself and breaking something. 

You had screamed and closed your eyes tightly, accepting your fate, but the fall didn’t come. Instead, you felt a pair of arms engulfing you in a secure grip. You opened one of your eyes and were met with a worried Hanamaki looking down on you. “You okay?”  Having not recovered your speech yet, you nodded hastily. Then, grinning, “Falling for me?” 

“Shut up.” There it was. “Going to help me stand up?” you shrieked as he made it to let go of you while he laughed. 

“You really thought I would drop you after all?” Some of the flowers had gotten on his hair. He did as you said when you just remained silent looking up at him and his smile, and got you back on both feet safely. 

 “You could’ve hurt yourself.” You said, avoiding looking at him. 

“So you mean to say I was supposed to let you fall?”  you shrugged and he scoffed. Makki took a look at you: your hair had gotten a bit messier, hands buried in the pockets of your jacket, expression serious and rosy cheeks. He wouldn’t lie, he thought you looked cute. “Or by any chance you’re worrying about me?” 

“I’m not.” you quickly protested, frowning. “But I don’t want to be the reason you miss volleyball club.” 

“Of course. It’s just that.” He raised a brow, amused as you nodded along. You still weren’t looking at him. “A “thank you” would’ve been enough for me.” 

“Thanks.” 

“You’re very welcome.” he smiled, pleased, but it quickly vanished as you turned to keep walking. “Wait, hey- Wait up!” He hurried to fall into step with you, careful not to slip, “We can walk to school together since we’re here.” 

“No, thanks.” you spoke back to him.

“I thought we just had a moment back there.” he gave you a side look. “And back at your house you had to admit it wasn’t so bad.” 

“Yeah, after I cut you off before you could talk about sex.” 

“Jealous?” 

“Ugh, this is what I’m talking about.” you stopped and turned to him, irritation clear on your voice and in your features. “You’re so unserious. “I’ll be surprised if you actually cared about something.” 

A look crossed his eyes you couldn’t quite grasp. Did it actually hurt him what you said? No, whatever you said couldn’t possibly matter to him. You continued walking, thinking he wouldn’t say anything but then he spoke up, “Okay, you can think whatever you want. Even if you barely know me.” 

When you reached the school gates, he spoke up again, “Honestly, I think you could be nice. Maybe if you weren’t so worried about everything and guarded all the time… I don’t know. I think you could use some unseriousness.” Then he went ahead, leaving you to take a deep breath to get your cool back and reflect on what he had just said. 

Maybe… Maybe you’ve gone a little too far. 

*

 It was the day of the opening ceremony and you were about to begin your last year of high school. 

“Oi! Sour Patch kid.” You heard him call you by that nickname he’d picked for you. Makki was waiting for you at the entrance of the hall. Ever since that conversation you had, your behaviour around him had improved. He wondered if it had something to do with whatever he might’ve said - he’d forgotten most of it by now-. But he wasn’t complaining, and neither were the rest of the boys. At least now you could stand in a room without throwing comments at each other. It was a sort of silent truce. 

“Where are the others?” You asked, looking around for them. Still, it felt awkward to be left alone with him.  

“Oikawa was held back somewhere by a bunch of girls and Hajime went to the rescue. Mattsun is saving our seats.” You nodded.

“They let you inside like that?” You signaled. 

“Oh. That. We avoid the principal and the teachers.” He shrugged. He gave a step back and threw his hands up as you stepped over to him. “Woah, what the hell are you doing?” 

“You could at least button up your shirt.” You started to fix it up for him under his nervous gaze. “And where is your tie?” 

“I didn’t- I didn’t bring one.” He stuttered an answer and you shook your head. 

You fixed his collar without it. “There. Looks much better now at least.” You smiled, satisfied with your work, until you looked up at him. He was staring at you intently. You hadn’t removed your hands from his shoulders. 

“Sorry for being late!” Oikawa shouted and sighed as if he had been running for miles, breaking whatever spell you had fallen under and startling you both, “What were you two doing?” 

“Waiting for you. What else?” You crossed your arms defensively.

“Did our homeroom teacher see you?” Iwaizumi said to Makki and snorted. “You look like a model student for once.” 

When you three walked inside, Mattsun waved you over. “Makki, you look… pink. And I’m not talking about your hair.” He spoke to his best friend who was blushing furiously. 

*

One of your new teachers had thought that by moving Makki to another seat far from Mattsun or the other boys she was doing something. What she didn’t know was that the strawberry blonde was capable of making conversation with almost anyone. 

“From now on you’ll sit next to y/n.”  Your eyes widened and you gave her a pleading look. She glanced at you understandingly yet you could see her asking for your cooperation. Mattsun looked dramatically devastated as Hanamaki grabbed his stuff and switched places with the boy beside you. Iwaizumi and Tooru looked at each other. Things were either very convenient or about to go to hell. 

“Hello, partner.” He smiled at you while you merely gave him a look before turning your attention back to the lecture as the teacher took over where she had left. Hanamaki then attempted to start a conversation with the guys sitting behind you, yet they seemed a little apathetic. Turning to his side, his intentions were quickly discarded. No way in hell he was speaking to that Yui girl. So he propped his head in his hand as he tried to keep his attention on what the teacher was saying. 

After she gave the instructions for the day’s class work, you started to complete it diligently. By your side, Makki looked over at the board, then back to his notebook, turning his pencil on his hand and back again. To be honest, he had no clue about what he was supposed to do, yet he gave it a go. You threw glances now and then to your right, and seeing him erase something for nearly like the tenth time, you spoke, “Do you need help?” Iwaizumi perked up at the sound of your voice and nudged Oikawa, pointing towards you two. 

“Me? No. I’’m doing great. Easy.”  Oikawa smacked himself on the face. 

“Are you sure?” 

“Yeah, just… Peachy.” 

“Okay.” You went back to your notebook. Glancing around as lost as he was, he looked back again: notebook, board, you. 

He sighed, “Okay, I lied.” he admitted, “ I could use a little help.”  

You did the rest of the work together while you explained it to him. Makki swore no one had ever explained to him something as easy as you made it seem. Every day during that class you two worked seamlessly together, and needless to say everyone was surprised, and each time Hanamaki caught himself staring at you more. Noticing your small smiles, the small frown etched on your face as you focused, how you pushed your hair back from falling over your notebook until you gave up and tied it up in a messy bun instead, how you explained the things he didn’t understand. 

One day during practice, Mattsun caught him staring at you while you chatted with Oikawa sitting on the benches. The setter had sprained his ankle and was out until he recovered. They had a practice match soon, so his mood wasn’t the best, but you keeping him company kept his thoughts from spiraling. He laughed at something you said, making you smile. 

“You think Oikawa might like y/n?” Makki found himself asking as they practiced underhand passes. 

Hajime, who had paired with Kyōtani and was beside them, snorted, “He’s simping over his girlfriend so that’s out of the question.” 

“Didn’t they break up?” Mattsun asked. 

“Almost. They’ve been arguing a lot lately.” Iwaizumi clarified, then turned to Makki, “Why do you ask anyway?” 

“Unbelievable.” Matsukawa let the ball drop, “You like her.” 

“Doesn’t she hate him?” Kyōtani brought up and the trio stared at him. 

“Of course I don’t. That's ridiculous.” He brushed Matsukawa’s statement off as if it was the most absurd thing he’d ever heard. “And you,” he pointed at Kentarō, “are wrong. We hate each other.” 

“Oi! I’m still here and watching you all. Why are you stopping? Quit gossiping and get back to practice!” The captain yelled at them. “We have to crush Karasuno with or without me. But hopefully with me.”  You shook your head as he smiled, pleased with simply the idea. 

“Hate each other my ass.” Matsukawa called him out, “You’re always searching for her.” 

“That’s not true.” 

“So you fell for her but she hates you?” 

“Shut the fuck up, Kyōtani.” 

“What if I don’t?” 

“Well things have gotten better between you two but I can’t say from her part.” Iwaizumi thought. 

“Y/n/n,” Oikawa started, his demeanor changing all of a sudden, “Do you think I’m a shitty person?” 

“What? Of course not!” you laughed, yet you were confused, “What made you even think that?” 

“I don’t know.” He was looking down, fidgeting with his hands. Suddenly he resembled a little boy being lectured, “The way I act sometimes…” 

“That doesn’t make you a shitty person, Tōru. It just makes you a human being.” you smiled at him even though he wasn’t looking at you, “And I don’t think you really hate Tobio or Ushijima. You two just have this rivalry and it’s because you care so much for what you do. Well that’s how I see it. You’re great, don’t let anyone make you believe you aren’t.”

He nodded, finally turning to look at you with a smile. “Do you know I love you?”

“I love you too, stupid.” You laughed as he threw himself at you and kissed your cheek, “Be careful.” Then he laid his head on your lap and you brushed his hair as he looked up at you. “How’s stuff with Aoi?” His girlfriend that clearly disliked you.

He sighed, “We’re back talking but… She’s being distant.” He feared she might break up with him after all. “But let’s not talk about that.” 

“Then what?” you said expectantly. 

“How about you and Makki?” 

“What about him?” you looked over to the court and your eyes found him. 

“You don’t seem to hate him as much.” He chose his words carefully. 

“I don’t.” And that was what he called progress. “I still think he’s weird and a pain in the ass though.” But remember: don’t count your wins too soon.

“You’re not exactly the definition of normal.” you smacked him and he laughed. 

“Neither are you.”  

“Thanks.”  . . . “But do you find him attractive?” 

“What are you on now?” you said with a scandalous face that wasn’t not funny, but you were blushing. Oikawa took that as a yes.  

“Nothing. I was just asking.” 

“I don’t like him if that’s what you’re assuming. And I’m sure he doesn’t like me either.”  

“Want me to ask him?” 

“No. What for?”  

*

Next morning, you were a sight (not in a good way). Somehow, Hanamaki Takahiro had made his way into your dreams, startling you awake in the dead of the night. After that, you tossed and turned but weren’t able to go back to sleep. Finally, you had lost it, you thought. You blamed Oikawa’s absurd questions.

“Are you okay?” The brunette dared to ask when he saw you, “You look a little…” 

“You look terrible.” Hanamaki cut him off bluntly. You glared at both boys, and they backed off as you walked by over to your seat.  

Iwaizumi smacked both on the back of their heads, following you. “Way to go, idiots.” 

Needless to say, during class you were struggling to not doze off. After doing a pretty good job during morning periods, it was during your last class that you finally succumbed. Thankfully, since Iwaizumi was sitting in front of you, the teacher couldn’t notice from his spot in front of the class. 

Makki was sitting next to you too, and when he glanced your way he found you asleep. His gaze became softer seeing your relaxed features, your head lying on one of your arms folded on top of your desk. 

Later at home when you sat at your desk and took your things out of your bag to begin your study session, something slipped out from between your notebooks. Stranged, you picked it up, and saw the note stuck to the papers. “Notes from litt. class. Get some proper rest later. No use messing with someone who can’t talk back.” - Hanamaki 

You read the words over and over, and you couldn’t help but smile a bit. 

*

“It’s weird, y/n’s still not here.” Iwaizumi mentioned. The day of the practice match had come, and you were always there early to wish them good luck before you went to find a seat at the stands.

“There’s still a few minutes.” Mattsun allowed. “Makki’s not even here yet.” 

Aoi had come to see Oikawa and he’d gone out of the locker room for a moment to meet her before the match, otherwise he would be complaining about your unusual tardiness. He certainly would later. 

You were hurrying towards the gym at the same time the other team arrived and was about to go inside, getting the attention of some of them. “Look, it seems like Seijoh got a cute manager too since the last time we met.” 

You were wearing your PE tracksuit pants with the school t-shirt so thinking back you should’ve known that was what caused the misunderstanding. A dark haired boy you recognized as the libero stood in front of you. 

“Hey there, Miss manager.” He gave you a smile. 

“Hello,” you started politely yet the look in your eyes showed you were confused, “Manager? I’m sorry I’m not-” 

“What’s your name?” He barely let you get a word in. The captain was about to interfere, knowing where things were going but Sugawara stopped him. 

“I’m Y/n. But I’m not-” 

“Are you going out with someone?”  

You shook your head, “I-” 

“Sorry, man, she has a boyfriend.” your eyes went wide, as you heard none other than Makki - who was late- speak up. Standing now behind you, he leaned down to press a kiss to your cheek, leaving your cheeks burning, “You okay, love?”  Love?  Then he looked over at the boys seriously. 

Sugawara snorted. 

“Boyfriend?!” You two bursted into the locker room. “What the hell was that?!”

“Well, it worked. None of them will bother you now.” He seemed amused rather than bothered by what he just did unlike before when he saw that guy flirting with you, although he was blushing too now that you came into the room with some of the boys still inside shouting about what happened. Being a sweetheart, as always, he thought. 

“You do tell, please.” Matsukawa smirked, “What are you two lovers quarrelling about now?”  

“Your friend just told the whole Karasuno team we’re a couple.” 

“What the hell made you do that?” Iwaizumi asked before he started laughing. His friend was an idiot.

“Same thing I’m asking.” 

“Some guy was bothering her so I told them we’re together to get him and anyone else off her.”  which Mattsun translated as I was jealous in his head as he looked at him biting his tongue to not call him out on his bullshit. 

“They found out before me?!” Oikawa screamed by the door, entering the room. 

“It’s not true!” 

“Not yet.” Mattsun muttered to himself, “But you’ll have to play along, right? Otherwise they’ll think you’re both liars.” Speaking up as a proper best friend and wing man. 

“What?” you looked at him, then towards the strawberry blonde, “It’s not like they’ll be paying me much attention.” 

“But my girlfriend should cheer for me.” He shrugged his shirt off and you looked away, flustered,  while he put on his uniform. Then he grabbed the extra one he had and threw it your way.  His club shirt. With his name, and the number three stamped on both sides. 

“How are you so calm about this?” You stared at the piece of fabric, then nervously up at him. “Everyone at school will think we’re together. Are you really okay with that?” 

“I don’t care what they think. Do you?”

A/N: Another example of terrible fic names for you! First time writing for my Seijoh boys. Oh I love them so much and hope you like the interactions between them and with y/n. Was going through Makki brainrot again back in December but also had to show some love to my Oiks <3. Also this had like 5 extra pages on my docs. buuut I wasn't entirely sure with how it was going and I still don't get a good scene to end this story lol. Until next time! -Youmarin

Like, comment your thoughts on it or reblog if you liked it.

[boatem-probler]

These Aliens Have Been Watching Too Much Anime in... Tokyo Soul!

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / You Are Here!

It's been a while, huh? Yeah, I'm taking a summer class, and that started, so I've been a little busier than I was when I started doing this. This report is actually backlog, I wrote it up... I don't even know, like a month ago or something? So yeah, these are definitely gonna come out slower from now on.

In these episodes, the Chupacabra summons Cthulhu to find out the winning lottery numbers, Taurtis hits explosives with a gun, and the most useless aliens fail to invade Earth (not the aliens from last time, different ones).

This report contains mentions of: stalking, violence, guns, death, and splarging (i.e. sexual humor).

Previously on Tokyo Soul:

Sam: “You guys have problems, you know? I just wanna point that out. Everyone here, except for myself, clearly, has very serious mental problems.”

This Time...

Episode 33 – SHES BACK!

Dom and Jerry have gotten the house a new TV. It’s a motivational poster with a sign pointing to it that says “TV”.

Taurtis is still missing.

Jerry has one of the giant alien swords now, which he apparently got by strangling some random old guy.

Sam decides to wake Grian up by making out with him. Grian is distressed by this.

Sam and Grian open the front door to go to school and BAM! Taurtis with a giant gun!

It seems like Taurtis was captured by aliens, given a gun, and told that Sam and Grian had been replaced by aliens, or something like that. Correction from later: he stole the gun.

Regardless, they all head to school together. Grian and Taurtis share an umbrella.

Also, Sam got a letter in the mail from a “secret admirer” telling him they’ll be looking for him at school. Grian points out that Sam having admirers hasn’t tended to go well for him or the admirer.

Taurtis: “That’s why I don’t admire you. Too dangerous.”

Geode has stolen and is wearing Señor Loro’s Christmas sweater.

Invader is at school! She’s in town to see her uncle, who is apparently Dr. Nurse MD. He’s also “technically” not related to her.

Mr. Chupa has Igbar von Squid in a cage in the middle of the classroom. Mr. Chupa says he found some old books in a back room of the school and recreated a ritual from one of them.

Grian insists this is a very bad idea, while everyone pressures him to read out the ritual text.

Grian: “Are you not listening to me?” Taurtis: “We never listen to you.”

Grian reads out the ritual text. It’s basically a bunch of nonsense that’s obviously meant to sound more comedic than ominous.

Igbar starts moving around in the cage. His eyes are red now. Mr. Chupa picks a random student to go in the cage too. “Igbar” eats the student. Specifically “swallows him whole” according to Grian. Or “consumes his soul” according to Sam. Eyewitness accounts differ. Either way, Igbar is now Cthulhu.

Also, today I learned that Cthulhu is spelled with two H’s. Actually maybe I didn’t learn that, because it was autocorrect that told me to spell it that way and it’s been a bit unreliable. Whatever.

It turns out that Mr. Chupa summoned Cthulhu because he wants to know the winning lottery numbers.

Episode 34 – JERRY IS CRAZY!

Mr. Chupa allows the students to ask Cthulhu some questions. They’re pretty much entirely inconsequential. Taurtis wants to know Sam’s “true motives” for being friends with him and Grian, but Sam’s secrets, if there are any, are saved by the bell.

Dr. Nurse has started thinking about how valuable the elderly are after some “pranksters” killed a bunch of them at his hospital, so he has the class interview an old man who is very obviously an alien.

Sam, for some reason, has two of the “wire” textured head blocks from a few episodes ago in his locker, and they are in fact named “C4”. Grian is a bit horrified to learn that he recently had a bomb strapped to him.

Also, Mr. Chupa has been running around in the background for a while, as he has apparently lost Cthulhu.

I’m pretty sure whatever explosive these kids have isn’t C4, which means Taurtis definitely shouldn’t be smacking it with a gun. C4, as we all know, is a stable exp-

Grian gets shot in the leg again getting the bomb away from Taurtis.

Invader was apparently rummaging around in Sam’s closet, and found his old school uniform.

Geode is participating in gym class for some reason.

Jerry announces they will be playing Monster Tag, which is basically like sharks and minnows or zombie tag, and involves Jerry chasing everyone with his giant sword while wearing a monster mask.

Episode 35 – TERMINATOR!

Monster Tag turns out to be pretty mundane and not sinister, but we do get to hear Grian having a very good time being on the chasing team.

Geode and Dom are just playing Splatoon in Geode’s classroom. Also, the old guy from Dr. Nurse’s class is in the test tube in the back.

Geode tries to teach the class how to identify aliens, but he only knows one type of alien, so he can only conclude that the old man isn’t that type of alien.

As the bell rings, someone named Rowan Artifex types in the chat that they’re looking for Sam and Grian. Sam and Grian are confused and a little disturbed by this, because Rowan is dead.

Taurtis has been neutralized, Rowan says, which the boys figure is because the original, non-cloned Taurtis is in fact dead.

Also, Rowan is the Terminator now.

Also also, J the Star from the FUTURE is outside the school, he’s here to take the boys to the FUTURE in his FUTURE car. Unfortunately, he crashes the FUTURE car.

Also also also, there’s a giant spaceship hanging in the sky in the middle distance.

They run to the police station to get help from Okami.

The SWAT members try to hold Rowan off, but he is naturally unfazed by being riddled with bullets and just starts killing his way through.

FUTURE J the Star blows a hole in the police station wall with FUTURE TNT so they can all escape. FUTURE TNT looks a lot like a powder keg.

Okami drives them all away in the SWAT van.

ONE PUNCH MAN SPECIAL

Okami parks directly under the spaceship. This also happens to be right in front of the hospital, which Dr. Nurse is NOT happy about.

J the Star fucks off.

Okami explains that in order to defeat the Terminator, they’ll have to destroy the “source”, which is probably in the spaceship.

Grian: “I hate getting all SWATed up, I usually get shot.”

Taurtis has somehow changed into a One Punch Man cosplay instead of a SWAT uniform. He’s even shaved his head.

They head into the hospital to get up to the roof, now being chased by Rowan, but Sam decides to hang back and shoot at him for some reason, which means Rowan is able to shoot Grian a couple times.

They get in a helicopter on the roof and fly up to the spaceship. Okami tells them to destroy the “core”. Jerry stays on the helicopter, but he throws Taurtis his giant anime sword.

The insides of the ship are… Fleshy.

They come across some aliens standing around in front of a tube of lava labeled “Free Alien Repellant”. These aliens are not little green guys. They are Doraemon, the Pillsbury Doughboy, and someone named Jeice who I think is supposed to be from Dragon Ball Z. They are all wearing uniforms.

They attempt to defeat the humans, but they accidentally end up killing two of their own number with an off-screen buzzsaw in the process, and the humans quickly dispatch the third.

Grian is pretty sure these guys have nothing to do with the Terminator. He’s still up for killing them though.

There’s another Doughboy. He says he’ll give them a “splarging” if they let him live. They come across two other aliens “splarging”, which apparently involves one of them hitting the other one with a stick.

Guys I don’t know what the hell’s going on anymore. I would say it was probably just because this is a special but I’ve watched bits and pieces of the episodes after this and it all just turns into mush, guys. I am in miseryyyyyyyyy-

Anyway the boys get Doughboy 2 to lure the splarging aliens into a hallway so they can kill them.

Wait oh my god is that Joel Smallishbeans’s old Shrek skin. It’s not exactly the same but like, there’s definitely a resemblance. It might just be that they’re both supposed to be Shrek though.

Anyway there’s a room with a bunch of aliens in it and Grian shoots one while the leader guy is doing an Anime Villain Speech. Leader Guy starts charging up, but all that does is kill all the other aliens in the room. Leader Guy dies in one hit.

They get a different alien to show them where the core is, but this turns out to be a trick, and they’ve just been led directly to the actual leader, Boros. Boros pretty much just wants to fight one of them. Apparently it was foretold by prophecy. Sam and Grian volunteer Taurtis.

Boros wants to know his “terms”.

Taurtis: “How about, the first person to kill Sam wins.” Grian: “Ooh, I like that one!”

They just end up fighting to the death like normal though.

Grian decides that he’s “the prize”. He jokes that he’ll give Taurtis “a good splurging” if he wins. Then he takes it back when Taurtis and Boros take a break and just start chatting.

Also they’re on top of the spaceship now, so Grian runs over to where Okami’s helicopter is.

Taurtis and Boros decide to fistfight instead of swordfight, and Taurtis kills him in not one, but two punches, which is still pretty impressive.

Grian: “I changed my mind, Taurtis, I’m gonna splarg you real good tonight.”

Taurtis wants to keep the ship, but Sam put the rest of the “C4” in the control room, so they helicopter out of there before it blows up.

Doughboy is still with them. Grian tries to assign him the basement dungeon room, but Doughboy decides he likes Grian’s room better, and says Grian should have the dungeon. Sam and Taurtis insist Grian should go in the dungeon as a “sign of trust”. Grian reacts very strongly and violently to all of this, and he mentions Sam locking him in the dungeon as a reason why he feels so strongly about it. They’re not backing down though, so Grian runs upstairs and locks himself in Sam’s room instead and starts going through all his stuff.

Grian Trauma Count!

Deaths Witnessed:

1 Student

An Indeterminate But Large Number of SWAT Team Members

10-ish Aliens

Injuries Sustained:

Shot a good few times (there is NO way this kid's legs are normal after all this)

Traumatic Events:

More harassment from Sam

Peer pressured into performing an eldritch ritual which gets someone killed

In the process of this, his friends straight up tell him they never listen to him

Also he finds out he had explosives strapped to his head yesterday

More guns and being shot at, yippee

Teacher from his old school is brought back to life specifically to kill him and his friends

Whatever the hell is going on with these aliens should count I think

The way he reacts to Sam and Taurtis trying to pressure him into giving up his room is telling I think

Next Time... Minions.

[blueraineshadows]

would you be willing to write a sweet fluffy fic about how Ominis met Seb and Anne in first year? Maybe about how everyone knew who Ominis' family was and either wanted to be his friend for his status, or avoided him because they assumed the worst of him, being a gaunt.

Enter protective sebby and anne <3

What a lovely fic idea 💚 thank you for sending it in. Sorry it took a while to get around to it.

A New Friend

Stars were just beginning to shine through the twilight sky as the group of new students huddled together in their black robes, jostling and chatting, waiting to be put into the boats. It was tradition for the new batch of first years to arrive at Hogwarts School by boat across the dark waters of the Black Lake.

Sebastian Sallow eyed the other students warily, trying to suss them out as he moved himself a little closer to his twin, Anne. He almost wanted to take hold of her hand, not because he was nervous himself, of course, no chance, but he was worried that she might be.

A student behind him began to mutter to their friend, and he caught a bit of their conversation, tilting his head to hear more as they sneered about a boy who stood a little way in front.

"Yeah, that's him, alright," the boy said. "My Father warned me there would be a Gaunt joining us this year. He's blind apparently, and got weird looking eyes."

The girl snickered and whispered back. "He's a Gaunt though, so it would probably be better to try and make friends with him. He might be useful to have around."

Sebastian frowned and had another look at the blonde boy who stood holding his wand out, the end of it blinking with a red light. Sebastian had heard of the Gaunt family, of course, and while it didn't bother him either way what his blood status was, Sebastian could understand why others might want to cosy up to him.

Anne turned around, her hands on her hips scowling fiercely at the gossiping pair. "He is blind, not deaf, you idiots," she snapped. "If I can hear you, then so can he."

Sebastian pressed his lips together in an attempt to suppress a smirk at his sister's temper, but he failed. The two gossiping students looked Anne up and down with disgust before sharing a look.

"Looks like someone is already trying to get in Gaunt's good books," the boy sneered.

Sebastian's smirk turned into a scowl. "I'm fairly certain that Mr Gaunt is perfectly capable of making his own decisions when it comes to friendships. Speak about my sister like that again and you'll know about it."

The girl huffed a laugh. "And what are you going to do about it?"

Sebastian's smirk was sly. "Try me and find out."

Anne clicked her tongue in annoyance and grabbed Sebastian by the arm. "Come on, Seb. Leave them be. They're not worth it."

Sebastian kept his glare on the two gossips as Anne moved him forward. Students were being put into boats, and Anne purposefully stood next to the pale, blonde boy. Sebastian gave Gaunt a closer inspection and noted that he did indeed have unusual eyes. They were pale blue, without pupils, and he stared vacantly off to the side as him and Anne had approached. He shifted nervously, adjusting his wand towards them.

"Hello," Anne greeted. "I'm Anne Sallow, and beside me is my brother, Sebastian. I hope those idiots didn't upset you."

"Hello," Gaunt said. He moved his wand slowly up and down over Anne and then Sebastian. His eyes moved but didn't focus on them. "I heard the exchange, but no, I am not upset. Neither am I surprised, but I appreciate your attempt at kindness."

Anne beamed. "Not at all," she said. She leaned a little closer to Gaunt. "You can sit with us in a boat if you would like. Sebastian can be pain, but I'm a delight."

"Hey!" Sebastian grumbled. "Don't listen to Anne. She is no picnic, either, the biggest prankster you'll ever meet."

Gaunt raised an eyebrow. "You are not exactly selling yourself as boat companions."

Anne nudged Sebastian with her elbow, shushing him. "Come on, move along. We're next for a boat."

As they moved forward along the dock, Sebastian quietly observed how Gaunt used his wand to navigate his way. "That's a rather clever trick you've got going on with your wand," he said, moving to walk beside him. "Is it a charm?"

"Yes," Gaunt said. "It shows me enough, outlines mostly, shadowy figures. I can see you beside me, but not your features or colours, for example."

Sebastian's curiosity was piqued, and he was impressed. "Fascinating," he said. "I have read about charms such as these, but I've never seen one in use before. You will have to tell me more."

Anne giggled and moved to the other side of Gaunt. Sebastian frowned a little at being separated from her, but not because he was nervous, merely because she was out of his reach if she needed him. However, Anne was too busy looking at Gaunt, a wide grin on her face.

"One thing you will learn about Sebastian is that he is an insufferable know it all and a complete nerd," she teased. "I've been winding him up for days that he will be sorted into Ravenclaw like our mother."

Gaunt almost smiled, his head turning towards Anne. "And what about you, Miss Sallow? What house do you hope to be in?"

"Slytherin," she said immediately. "Our father was a Slytherin, and like him, I know what I want, and I'm not afraid to go after it."

"You also care little about rules," Sebastian muttered.

"Pfft, says you!"

Gaunt frowned. "Do you two always bicker like this?"

Anne put her hand on his arm as they neared the dock edge, the water dark and choppy below the bobbing boats. "Careful, we are near the edge," she warned Gaunt. "Would you like me to help you in to the boat?"

"That's very kind, thank you," Gaunt said.

Anne helped Gaunt into the boat, and Sebastian settled into a seat beside Anne, Gaunt on the bench opposite. Sebastian noted how Gaunt gripped the side of the boat, his knuckles white and his face anxious as it rocked beneath them.

"We don't always bicker, do we, Anne?" Sebastian said. He figured if they kept Gaunt talking, he might not feel so nervous. "We like playing Gobstones. Anne is rather good, actually. Do you play?"

A tinge of redness coloured the pale boy's face. "I've never played," he said. "I don't really have any friends my own age, and my brother is much older than I am."

Anne gaped. "Well, that won't do! We can teach you," she said firmly.

"You will?"

"Of course, Mr Gaunt!" Anne said.

Gaunt's expression softened a little. "Please, call me Ominis."

The boat set off across the lake. Nobody was manning it, the creaking wood of the hull rocking gently as it made its own way across the lake. The other students in the boat all turned to look as the great castle loomed up before them against the darkening sky. The windows were all lit, the towers looming upwards impressively.

Sebastian had seen the castle many times before, but now, as he approached it as a student, he felt an immense awe and excitement bloom in his belly. He couldn't wait to get started. A hand found his and squeezed. He turned to meet his twin's eyes, and they shared a secret smile. He knew she was just as excited as he was.

Sebastian glanced around the boat, taking in the expressions on the other students' faces and pausing when his gaze fell on Gaunt. The boy wasn't looking up at the castle, merely sitting in graceful quietness. Not once had he complained or demanded a fuss be made. Sebastian felt a pang of sorrow for the boy. He could not see what they could see, the magnificent castle with its twinkling lights.

He let go of Anne's hand and shifted himself very carefully to sit beside Gaunt and leaned to speak quietly into his ear. He began to describe the scene before them, watching as the boy's lips began to curl upwards, his eyebrows lifting with interest. Why should he miss out on the magic just because he couldn't see?

....*....

The chatter and noise of the Great Hall were a little overwhelming as Ominis took his seat at the Slytherin table. It was no huge shock to find himself here. He was a descendant of Salazar Slytherin, after all. As he had made his way to his seat, hands had grabbed at him, wanting to shake his hand and make themselves known. It had happened on the train as well and he was growing rather tired of it.

The mutters and whispers had been plaguing his ears all day, along with the bending and scraping. His name drew interest, and he felt his stomach churn at the thought of having to deal with this on a daily basis. The only two students who had spoken to him normally were the bickering twins whom he had shared a boat with.

The girl, Anne, had sounded rather cheeky and mischievous, but her hands had been kind. The boy definitely seemed very sure of himself, but his kindness in the boat had shone through when he had described the scene as they approached the castle. Ominis would not forget it.

Sitting quietly, listening to the other first years getting sorted into their houses, his ears pricked up at the name Sallow. It was the girl, Anne, who had been called first, the one who wanted to be in Slytherin. Ominis found himself holding his breath as he waited, the hall falling quiet as the Sorting Hat decided.

When the hat cried out 'Slytherin', and the table around him erupted into applause, Ominis allowed himself a small smile. He heard the tap of quick feet and then a body climbing onto the bench beside him, a delicate waft of lavender teasing at his nose. He felt her shoulder lean against his, and he found he did not mind it.

"Hello, Ominis," she said cheerfully. "I told you I would be in Slytherin."

As her brother, Sebastian, was called to be sorted, he heard her little chuckle. "Let's see where smarty pants get placed. If Seb gets Ravenclaw, I shall gloat for the rest of his days."

"Would you mind being parted from your twin?" Ominis asked curiously.

Anne was quiet a moment. "Oh, bloody hell, you're right. If he isn't placed into Slytherin, I shall never forgive him."

Ominis chuckled and listened with Anne for Sebastian's house. At the cry of 'Slytherin', Anne was on her feet, clapping and cheering. Ominis heard the clatter of boots as Sebastian appeared, and then Anne squealed. Ominis lifted his charmed wand to see their shadowy outlines embracing, and Sebastian spinning his sister around with glee.

Ominis wondered how it felt to share a bond with a sibling like that, a shadow slipping over his thoughts, and he shivered. Pushing the memories aside, he offered a smile to the latest Slytherins to join the table. The twins were already beginning to bicker playfully at each other. Ominis had not known them long but imagined that, bickering aside, the pair would not be able to stand being parted from each other for too long.

....*....

As they entered the Great Hall for the Halloween feast, Anne squeezed Ominis' arm in excitement. "Oh, Omi, it's brilliant!" She gasped. "The tables are covered with pumpkins and treats, and the ceiling is even better!"

"Tell me more," Ominis said.

They walked towards the Slytherin table chatting, Anne throwing a glance over her shoulder towards Sebastian, who was trailing behind, his nose stuck in a book. She scowled. "For goodness sake, Seb," she groaned. "Put that bloody book away before I march you right to Professor Weasley and demand you switch houses at once."

Sebastian offered her his best sulky glare and slapped the book shut before tucking it into his robes. "Carry on like that, and you might find Gobstone stench under your pillow tonight."

Ominis chuckled and gave Anne's arm an affectionate pat. "It sounds like someone is still sour that you beat him again," he teased.

Anne grinned and stuck her tongue out at her brother, loving their new friend even more for joining her in the teasing. Ominis was so witty and charming. She was glad she had taken the initiative to befriend him on their first night here.

As they settled down at the Slytherin table, Anne seated beside Ominis with Sebastian opposite, Anne snuck a sneaky glance at Ominis as Sebastian poured their drinks. She studied the little constellation of marks on his cheek, the delicate swirl of blue in his unusual eyes, and the cute tilt of his nose.

Anne knew other girls stared at Ominis, taking advantage of the fact that he could not tell, and it brought out a side of her usually reserved for her twin. Ominis had proved more than capable of holding his own with a sharp tongue and wicked temper, but that did not stop Anne from becoming feral on his behalf.

She flinched and squeaked as a foot gave a sharp kick to her shin. Sebastian was giving her a knowing look across the table, and she screwed her face up at him with one of her most ferocious looks. She did not have a crush on Ominis. He was their friend, and she would always stand for a friend. Sebastian could shove his teasing smirk where the sun doesn't shine.

"Have you figured out how to get inside the Restricted Section yet, brother dearest?" She asked innocently.

Sebastian hissed at her and glanced down the table. "Hush, Anne. Are you trying to get me into trouble?"

Ominis frowned. "You do a remarkable job of that on your own, Sebastian. And you shouldn't encourage him, Anne."

Sebastian snorted through his nose. "You seem to forget who's idea it was to put exploding snappers in Mr Moon's faculty mail box."

Anne smothered a giggle as she piled pumpkin pasties onto her plate and slipped one onto Ominis' plate, too. That had been a very funny prank indeed, although Ominis had scolded her something terrible for it. He was giving her a rather unamused frown right now.

"Oh, come now Ominis," she said. She put her hand on his shoulder and picked up the basket of muffins. "You have to admit, it was rather funny. Would you like a muffin?"

Ominis sighed and shook his head, his pale hand reaching up to pluck a muffin from the basket.

"I think I've cracked it this time," Sebastian said. "Old Scribner should be deep in her whiskey after the faculty Halloween party this evening. I'm thinking of hitting the library around 11pm. Are you coming along?"

Anne eyed Sebastian, not entirely sure how one could get so excited over the promise of forbidden books. However, the appeal of sneaking about the castle at night was very strong. She smirked. "Count me in," she agreed.

Ominis groaned beside her, his head in his hand. She leaned to grab his arm. "Come on, Omi," she whined. "We won't get caught, I promise. I'll make sure of it."

Ominis winced and sighed. "Oh, alright," he groaned. Anne clapped her hands with glee, her heart soaring. An adventure was always exciting, but even more so when undertaken with friends.

Anne grinned at Sebastian, the twinkle in his eyes almost a mirror of her own. She loved it here, at Hogwarts, and if the last two months had been a measure of life here, then she could not wait for the rest of the year or all the years to come after it.

[noellie-writes217]

Word Diary

Chapter one: Whelve

Summary: Tom comes back from a hectic year to find his ex from his teens in his parents’ house. She’s got big plans for herself and all of Tom’s brothers know, he’s a risk for her.

Series warnings: Smut, exes to lovers, pining, additional warnings per chapter

Tom came home for the holidays on December twentieth of 2020 but was not expecting to see what he saw in his childhood home on that day. His mother sits there indulging in conversation with a friend she’s had since Tom was born.

“Tom! Honey! Look who’s here!” She points to her friend who’s been playing with a puppy.

“Hello Holly. It’s good to see you.” But it’s still really awkward given the history… but then again, Holly doesn’t know the history.

“Tom honey, come see Rosalind’s new puppy! His name is Cerberus.” Tom’s brows raise a little more when he hears the name.

Instead of kneeling and playing with the puppy immediately, he stands there for a second wondering if this is real or not.

He hears laughing from the kitchen, and then his younger brother Sam walks out with Holly’s daughter, Rosalind and a few dishes for dinner.

Once he sees Rosalind, everything stops for him. She’s wearing that smile she used to wear around him when they were alone and no one knew. The one he hasn’t seen in years. The one he’s dreamt of. The one Harrison has made fun of him for fantasizing over. The one he’s had no luck finding in any other girl. The one he fell in love with right before he left for carpentry school. It still hasn’t changed.

She looks up for a moment at him and her smile fades so she quickly leaves with Sam as he tells another story.

Harry of course notices and texts the brothers group chat calling an emergency meeting.

BROTHERS GROUPCHAT

Harry:Meeting in Paddy’s room. ASAP

Sam:why?

Paddy:Yeah and why my room?

Harry:All will be explained. Just get there

Tom:I just got home. Can it wait?

NON FAMOUS HOLLANDS

Harry: Tom’s still in love with Roz. He’s either gonna be a dick or a loser if we don’t talk to him about it. That’s why we need a meeting.

Sam: Seriously? Still? He was such a dick last time they saw each other.

Paddy: Agreed

Sam: If he starts acting like that again she might not just leave for Paris for school, she could leave forever

Harry: Thus why something. Needs. To. Be. Done.

Paddy: Meeting in my room

All of the brothers get to Paddy’s room in a short few minutes. And Tom is told to sit on his bed while the twins get ready to interrogate him and paddy guards the door.

“I saw the way you looked at her Tom,” Harry starts.

Tom tries (and fails) to bullshit through this conversation, “what are you talking about?”

“We’re talking about you being awkward about Roz being here,” Sam chimes.

“Roz is like a sister to us, and we’ve seen you fuck it up with her to the point where she left the fucking country,” Harry says, “so whatever your thinking about her, stop. She’s too good for you and everyone knows it but you apparently.”

Tom gets angry at his younger brothers for trying to tell him what to do. He has since they were all little… well, little-er. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Rosalind left so she go to ballet school in Paris. That had nothing to do with me.”

Now it’s Paddy’s turn to speak up, “Oh yeah? When was the last time you talked to her?”

5 years almost. Right before he went to carpentry school.

“Exactly.” “We lost a sister because you were a fucking asshole.” Sam crosses his arms. “And she probably wouldn’t have come back if it wasn’t for that other dick.” His twin copies his gesture.

‘Does Roz have an ex?’ He wonders. She does not. The dick that Tom’s brothers are referring to is Rosalind’s father, who just got his mistress pregnant. Rosalind moved back to England to support her mother during the divorce.

“Look, mates,” Tom starts, “do you even know what happened between me and Roz?” It’s silent for a moment. “Exactly. So don’t assume that just because I used to like her, I’ll automatically still be in love with her. I’m not. Nor have I ever been!”

What Tom didn’t know was that Rosalind heard everything that just happened.

Instead of busting in on them, she just goes back downstairs and decides to text Sam that his dish was ready.

“Shit, my foods done,” he states, “let’s call this a wrap for now and follow up later.”

The lot of them sit at the table eating the food Sam made.

Most if the conversation is made up by Tom’s parents and Rosalind’s mother. She compliments Sam on the food.

“Thank you so much, Holly. Roz made desert too, and it looks absolutely delicious. What’d you say it was?” Sam asks the girl.

“Lavender vanilla bean beignets.” She informs.

“My mouth is already watering with anticipation! That sounds lovely.” Tom’s father comments.

Roz has always been bashful when someone compliments her. Tom has always found it adorable… which is why he would compliment her any chance he had when they were teenagers.

“My friend’s mother taught me the recipe. She said it was a family recipe and I’m not allowed to tell anyone… so please don’t ask.” She jokes.

“Damn. That sucks. I was gonna ask for it.” Sam says.

Rosalind smiles lightly.

“So, Rosalind,” Nikki calls for the girl’s attention, “do you have any plans for tomorrow?”

“Moving into my new flat, meeting up with some old friends, and then I have a date.”

Holly’s mother peeps up, “be careful, darling. Unless you’re lucky enough to marry a Holland, men tend to disappoint.”

Holly doesn’t know about Roz and Tom. That they used to see each other after the sun went down, sneaking out of each other’s windows to mess around.

Holly was a nurse who usually worked nights and Rosalind’s father was just an idiot who didn’t notice Tom taking the condoms.

“Trust me Mum. I know.” Rosalind’s eyes shift up to Tom for less than a second but it’s enough for the other boys to notice. Harry kicks his shin.

“Actually, I should probably get going now. There’s a lot of stuff I need to unpack. And Cerberus is getting sleepy. But I do hope you all enjoy desert.” She politely gets up from the table.

Nikki clicks her tongue, “Oh, darling! I was so hoping you could stay so we could discuss our plans for Christmas! And Tom just got back from filming. It’d be so lovely if you’d stay.”

“Love, if it’s just unpacking I’m sure one of the boys could help you tomorrow.” Dom says.

It’s true. All four boys would be more than willing. But it would be far too soon for Roz to be ok with it.

“No no. It’s ok. I also have to figure out some choreo for some clients.”

“Well let me help you with your stuff.” Sam offers.

“So what exactly is your new job?” He asks once they’re alone.

Rosalind clips Cerberus’s collar and leash, “I’m a new ballerina for the royal ballet company. And when there’s time, I choreograph for musicians.”

He nods and grabs an umbrella. “You might want this.”

She smiles at the nostalgia, “I can’t believe you’ve had this in your umbrella bin all this time! Thank you Sammy.”

“You know you’re still the only person who gets to call me that.” He laughs

“What? Not even your girlfriend?”

“That’s still pretty new.” He explains, “you would have met her tonight, but she had her own family thing.”

“Well I’d love to meet her.” Rosalind pulls the strap of her bag onto her shoulder before opening the door. “And thanks for setting me up on that date.” She calls out before patting her thigh for Cerberus to follow her. She waved one last time to the boy before leaving on her way.

Little did either of them know that Tom heard the entire conversation between them.

“What the hell, Sam!” He claps his brother on the back once Rosalind is out of eyesight and earshot.

Sam shrugs, “You know, for a guy who said he was never in love with her, you seem to care an awful lot. Maybe I should set you up with someone too.” With that, Sam walks back inside.

[drdemonprince]

I feel like you've answered a question on this before, so sorry if my search skillz failed me. how do you keep a playful attitude when trying new things? I started a book on wu-wei/'trying not to try' that has made me feel a bit hopeless so far, as I know that approaching things more casually/playfully will help it feel less painful (social situations, job search, dating, etc), but apparently you can't consciously try to be playful?!

Hmmmm this is a tricky question to answer, because it is far easier to describe what the end state feels like than to explain how I got there. But I will try!

I think if you're someone who tends to be quite skeptical and cynical about things, your first instinct during difficult situations might be to turn that skepticism toward yourself. You watch yourself trying to complete the new activity, or talk to the unfamiliar person, and all you can see is the flaws, and you tell yourself, "yeah, nice try bozo, you're never going to be good enough at this / it's never going to be worth it" and what do you know, you are crestfallen and unmotivated. And now that you're judging yourself and feeling shitty, it's even more difficult to complete the task.

but, in my experience in graduate school, developing as a creative writer, and just fumbling my way through social mores, there comes a time when you stop turning that skepticism on yourself all the time, and instead direct it outward, and begin to notice just how fucking confused and fucked up everybody else's attempts are. and if you're lucky, you might even notice other people's foibles and missteps with a sense of affection, rather than cruelty.

the more you step outside of yourself and observe others, the more you notice all the awkward things people say, the strange moments of crossed wires and missed signals, the jokes that fall flat, and just how much people really do not care about all of that so long as you keep engaged and keep your energy open and keep trying.

i have never seen a neurotypical socialize flawlessly. they say rude weird ass things and bump into other people all the fucking time! but they just keep going. often they don't even realize they've done anything wrong. and maybe they haven't even done anything wrong really. perfection isn't really what is expected. the energy is what matters more than the execution, and so if they move around with an open, receptive quality to themselves, and keep learning, they can get by being a little awkward or confused just fine.

and once you recognize how much people are fucking up all the time and that it doesnt really matter, and nobody really cares, for me it gets a lot easier to saunter around being my own level of messy and loose too. i used to judge how inept and oblivious everybody was -- at work, in school, during the hangout, on the train. and at some point i realized it was actually beautiful and something i could feel affectionate about.

it turns out you do not need to worry about everyone behind you in line at the grocery store hating you for taking too long putting your change away. AND you dont have to be mad at the guy in front of you who takes five minutes to put his change away either. because YOU are HIM and HE is YOU and we all suck and that's great.

it's fucking funny how silly and sloppy and dazed a lot of people really are. everybody fucks up constantly and is fucking weird. so who cares! i dont need to evacuate the space because i forgot myself and started picking my nose in public for a second. i can just rub my hand on my pant leg and move on. i dont need to give up going to the comic book club because me and one other guy there got into a small argument. i can come back the next month and make a joke about it with him. that's just normal messy human stuff.

the writer david cain talks about coping with social anxiety by imagining other human beings as kittens that have been dumped out from a basket into the room. they roam around, falling over themselves, exploring and sniffing and doing kitteny things, and none of them are a threat to you ever, and their actions dont mean all that much and certainly aren't all that menacing, they're just silly little animals fumbling around.

and i like to think of humans that way. we goof off, we devote an entire supposedly very serious work meeting to discussing something only tangentially relevant but far more emotionally compelling, we make up all kinds of games to play and weird rules for those games, and then we break the rules of those games and forget them. none of this shit is like, real. and the people who recognize what a goofy joke it is are often the most powerful.

not taking anything too seriously makes me feel powerful. im cynical and skeptical about everything that i get told is an airtight social or procedural rule, and i experiment around the boundaries of it, to see where it bends. but whereas i used to do that in a very bitter and entitled way, trying to find my way "out" of a system I had disdain for, now i can sometimes play with these boundaries and laugh at myself for tripping over them at times and just keep on moving, because that's what everybody does.

[lqvegranger]

✩ studying

hermione granger x reader | word count: 488

*ੈ✩‧₊˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚*ੈ✩‧₊

It had been apparent to Hermione for weeks now that you were nervous for your upcoming test in Arithmancy. From what you’d heard, it was supposed to be the hardest chapter all year. Arithmancy wasn’t necessarily your strong suit, and from what Hermione could tell, the studying wasn’t going well either.

She approached you in the library one evening, sliding into a seat to your right. You didn’t look up from your book, to which Hermione frowned. It wasn’t like you at all. 

“Y/N? Are you.. Feeling alright?” The girl asked, moving her hair over her left shoulder. 

“Oh! Mione, hey,” You looked up, smiling at the bushy haired girl next to you, “Yeah, yeah.. Just a bit nervous for this test.”

“Arithmancy, right?” Hermione took your hand and moved it off the book, sliding the book towards herself. 

Your cheeks flushed at the simple action, and you nodded silently. She stayed quiet for a good minute or two, looking over the content on the chapter.

You watched her, looking at the book every once in a while. She looked so thoughtful, the way that the library light was hitting her hair was beautiful.

“Mm, well I think I learned this in fourth year.. I should be able to help.” She spoke, smiling sweetly, putting the book between the two of you while scooting her chair closer. 

“Mione, you don’t have to.. I don’t want to put that pressure on you.” You started, pulling your eyes away from her, looking towards the book now.

She shook her head, “Y/N, it’s fine.. It’s not a big deal at all. I want to help.”

You sighed in defeat and pulled out some parchment along with a quill, ready to take notes. 

For the next hour and a half or so, the two of you studied for this dreaded Arithmancy test. Both of you looked over the notes you had written, and Hermione had even found some helpful books within the old shelves of the library. 

By 8:45, the girl looked at you. You were slumped back in your seat, nearly passed out from exhaustion. 

“Is it really that bad studying?” She teased, tapping you with book titled; “Arithmancy 101: Starting with Studying.” 

You sat up, taking the book from her and grinning. “Yes, yes Hermione. It is that bad.” 

She rolled her eyes, getting up and beginning to pack her school bag, “Well be grateful, because I’m convinced you’re ready to take this test.” 

You got up, eyeing her. Of course you’d never admit it, but Hermione made studying fun. She’d crack cheesy jokes, which never failed to make you laugh, and it just felt so much easier with her. 

“You think so?” You finished packing your satchel.

“Oh for sure.” Mione smiled and began to walk out of the empty library. 

You simply smiled, following her out after a moment. Suddenly you felt a lot more confident.

[wildpeachfarm]

also from what i've heard apparently he hasn't talked about being in law school for a while, and there's no way he graduated and didn't say anything so i think its safe to say he either failed or dropped out

yeah agreed

kinda funny to watch qsmp fans claim he knows all this shit about the law meanwhile we actually have a college dropout trying to ghost the french labor union like...yeah he sure knows what hes doing.../sarc

[thefriendlyferretwriter]

A new side of you: summer evening

Pairing: Eugene 'Flash' Thompson x Reader

Summary: Getting closer traveling around the evening city of New York.

Warning: 12k words!, fluff, tension, awkward, Ned third wheeling, non-canon stuff (Rhino has enhanced sense of smell when he doesn't in the comics)

A/N: Sorry again for taking a long time in-between chapters but hopefully you'll like it, enjoy!

Tags: @wheelerzluv @loxerclu8 @ray-of-sunrise @m00nkn1ghts

"It's actually not that cold."

We are distancing ourselves from the yacht the lights brightening our path toward the evening streets.

The music is getting distant and my ears are focusing on the sound of our feet padding on the ports' wooden planks and the water rippling through the wood poles.

Passing a certain area, Flash stops dead in his spot.

"Wait, where are we going?" he asks feet firmly planted on the ground, standing awkwardly.

"The bus stop is right there, why?" I answer with a frown, not knowing exactly what we are apparently doing wrong.

"But my car is right there," he notifies us to his car parked in front of the stone wall beside the staircase leading to the street.

"Yeah but you don't know where we're going," I argue.

"You could always tell me the way."

"Well, we only know the way through the bus, you know a particular stop and a distinct building, I can't really tell like that by street names."

He stays silent, probably judging.

"Anyways, better not bring your car around there at this hour, you never know how quickly you can lose your tires until it happens during a 2-minute errant," I say getting closer to him and sliding my arm around his, linking our arms and tugging him towards the stone stairs instead of his car.

I feel him tense up, standing straighter and looking ahead at the bus stop like it's a target.

We don't have to wait long as the bus can be seen approaching our stop from afar. When the doors open, Ned zooms in front of us and swipes his card sitting himself ahead of us.

"A ticket please," I say as I swipe my metro card and take a few coins out of my wallet.

The driver looks at me and my small puddle of change before sending a look in Flash's direction. Exchanging my money for a card.

"You don't have to pay I can just use my money," he interrupts as I hand him his card.

"You have change in your wallet?"

"I have my credit card."

"Pocket change goes faster to get yourself a ticket. Plus, you're the birthday boy you don't have to pay," I say with a smile and a cheeky wink.

Sitting down, I take in the sight of the boat's light under the darkness of the outside. Flash really went out there this year with the spotlight.

It aggressively contrasts with the dead of night, barely lighted up by the few street lamps. I feel the seat beside mine shift and turning my gaze from the window I see him shifting around and sending me a quick awkward smile before looking elsewhere.

The bus's engine rumble as the bus starts back up. I look at the port sliding out of my vision.

we reach a corner before turning into a street and a question pops up in my mind making me turn my head around toward him.

"Have you ever taken the bus before?" I ask a bit agitated.

We make eye contact before he frowns, "Why do you ask?"

"It's just. I always saw you getting to school in cars, either yours or someone else's."

A strange look passes his eyes, "Oh! um yeah Once. I was like what, thirteen? And I wanted to go to a convention but my dad wouldn't let me to go."

he messes with his jacket's pockets, "I failed some grades and I was grounded so when he sent me to my room I stole some cash from my mom's purse and left through my window."

It sounds like a touchy subject.

"How was it?" I try to switch his attention.

"How was what?"

"The convention."

His eyes lose the fog but still manage to be elsewhere a happier place.

"Oh that was cool," he says with a smile, "saw a lot of people, discovered a lot of games that were to come and I even met a group of guys, they were cosplaying the Avengers and they were missing one of their buddies so I got to cosplay Hawkeye."

"How cool," I say remembering that the Avengers were the number one cosplay the year they assembled for the first time to save New York.

"Sounds cool, did the costume fit you?"

At that, he chuckles awkwardly but still reaches out to his phone and turns it on. Scrolling through it, he turns it towards me and I get to see the picture of five guys posing as what people call today the OG six.

"Like a glove. It's a shame, I'm not a fan of Hawkeye."

I gasp, "Hawkeye is such a cool guy!"

Analyzing the picture's small details I notice he is silent and turns my head to him to catch him looking back at me in silence.

"What?" I ask losing my smile in fear of having messed up.

"Nothing, just, I always forget that you mingle with the Avengers that's all."

I don't know what to say, should I be offended? He always made a mockery out of my 'internship' that would only be fair to let my sarcasm take over. But again, it feels like we are moving on to a clean slate since we interacted back at the wedding; my sarcasm could potentially put us back on hostile ground.

I decide to stay silent. Nowadays I don't know if his words are compliments or jabs anymore so with the fact that I am trying to spend a nice evening in his company I'd rather believe it is a compliment.

With the bus' incessant shake I take the initiative and catch his wrist in my hand stabilizing his arm and taking a closer look at the picture.

His hand grips his phone harder probably securing the device in his hand to make sure it does not fall.

"They are missing a black widow," I say smiling.

He hesitates, "Yeah? well, next time I'll keep you in mind if they're missing someone."

"It'll be an honor."

Taking my focus away from him I sense him smiling to himself and making eye contact with a laughing Ned who turns his phone to me showing me a video.

That's how the bus ride continues, in a comfortable silence rocked by the bus and chatting from time to time.

A nudge on my knee takes my attention away from the window and brings me to look at Ned who then stands up letting me figure out we are getting to our stop.

"Come on," I say catching Flash's arm in my hand and dragging him out of the bus.

The wind attacks us as we jump out of the vehicle, the summer evening getting a bit chilly.

"Okay, so where are we going now?" He asks watching Ned walking ahead of us.

"It's just up that corner."

"What is it exactly?"

"Delmar's is …well it's Delmar's," I chuckle, "But it's just our first stop of the evening, to get a bit of food."

"We could've eaten back on the boat before leaving," he inform.

"Yeah but then you would have never tasted the Queen's best sandwiches."

"Sandwiches, huh? You're spoiling me, Parker," he says with a smirk.

I burst out laughing finding it impossible to keep it to myself.

"Okay, be smug but check it out first and then you'll see, you'll thank me," I say confidently.

Turning the corner I almost walk into the door that closes up right in front of me. I open it and see the culprit running to the back of the shop where the shelves create a small maze of different delicacies.

"Little Miss Parker! What are you doing here at this hour?! The streets are dangerous around this time," he says full of delight even at this late hour, "And who is this? You're bringing me new customers now? You're too good to me," he shouts hands on his heart.

"Hello Mr.Delmar," I shout laughing, "No we are just stopping by to get some food, where's Dominic?"

"At home, he has a daughter you know? Can't spend all his time in here."

"Oh so you're the one behind both counters tonight?"

"Yes, and I see you need some quality food so what can I get you ladies and gentlemen?"

Turning back to him I see that he is scrutinizing the menu above Mr.Delmar.

"Huh, I'll take a number five," I jump in leaving a bit more time for Flash to decide.

"And Leed will take a number three with tomatoes and pickles?" He asks with a smile already knowing our command by heart.

I smile and nod back without needing a response.

"Would your friend like some recommendations?" He asks Flash directly.

He looks back at Mr.Delmar before realizing the man is waiting for his order to start preparing.

He lets out an 'oh' and some humming looking at the menu and feeling bad for his hesitation. I walk to him and intertwine our arms bringing him closer to the counter and pointing out the best options.

"Number five is a safe option but you can still ask to have in a few things you want, pro tip? ask to get your bread to be grilled a little bit so it's warm and crusty," I say trying to appease him in his uneasiness.

He hums again and looks down at Mr.Delmar, " You know what? tonight I'm gonna let you choose for me. Surely you're the expert."

"Oh, you want to be adventurous tonight? Alright then give me a few minutes and your orders will be ready." he beams.

"Great! Thank you Mr.Delmar!" I say dragging him along with me by our arms.

Walking us to the back of the store I see Ned appearing and disappearing in between the shelves.

"Is that a toy stand?"

"Yeah," I draw out, "It used to be just sandwiches and a few snacks but then Mr.Delmar noticed people would come in expecting to find last-minute formulas, diapers, or even pre-made cakes!" I say pointing at a plastic container containing the cake with a happy birthday message.

I start my usual walk, like clockwork, and unconsciously detangle my arm from his walking ahead.

Chips, chocolate, candy, walking I don't notice that I've lost and left Flash behind to do his own shopping. My eyes travel from top to bottom before they freeze on an item that isn't supposed to be there.

In between the mochis and Reese's bars lying there all alone and out of place is a digital Spiderman watch probably meant for the toy stand.

It lies there, an intruder around all the treats.

I look left and right and pick up the item. It is wrapped in plastic and decorated cardboard. The two dollars and twenty-five cents are scratched and a bit sticky but it doesn't happen to have been opened.

"Hi there."

I jump, not expecting anyone to approach me let alone a stranger.

"Oh, hi."

"What do you have there?"

I don't know him, I've never seen him around and he isn't much older than me but the way his gaze keeps running up and down my figure is making my skin crawl and side-eye him.

"Um, snacks, lots and lots of snacks," I chuckle trying the calm tactic.

"Yeah, looks delicious," he laughs to himself.

He walks closer to me, too close for my comfort and reaches out for a bag of candy purposely brushing his arm on my shoulder.

I rush back and he starts smiling, "No need to be scared I'm not gonna attack you."

"I know I just prefer my personal space," I say a bit on edge, the urge to punch him in the face apparent on mine.

"My bad, 'was just trying to be friendly."

I don't answer and leave him to the awkward silence by himself as I turn back to the shelf ignoring him.

"So you come here often?"

I stay silent.

Getting my watch I get ready to turn the other way when I feel pressure on my arm.

"Hey, where are you going?"

"Away from here," I say firmly as a warning, snatching my arm off his grasp.

"No need to be a bitch I'm just being friendly," he says his tone switching from nice to sinister.

He's offended?! He's the one harassing me!

His eyes travel from me to behind me as his scowl softens down to a frown.

I turn around, preparing myself to see Mr.Delmar ready to dismiss the confrontation. Instead, I see Flash approaching with a blank face.

"Can we help you?" he asks drily standing beside me as I subtly hide the watch from his view.

I feel his arm sneaking around mine, linking them together.

"My bad dude didn't know she had a boyfriend," he says putting his hands up in defense.

"Oh, so it was okay to harass her as long as you thought she didn't have a boyfriend?"

"I wasn't harassing her, was just talking,"

"How about you go talk to someone else, oh I know! How about the cops parked across the street," he says with a broad smile nudging his head towards the store windows.

Looking in the direction he glanced at I see two cops ordering from a food truck right across the street.

"Damn, whatever she's not even cute," the scum spits out before spinning around and vanishing from our aisle.

"You got everything?"

I look at him to see his gaze still fixated on the end of the aisle before looking back at me.

I quickly look back at the shelf and snatch a pack of candy, "Yeah."

He looks back at me and gently walks me back the other way.

Turning the corner Ned is walking towards us with confusion.

"You okay?"

We make eye contact and I faintly nod my head.

"Yeah, let's just pay up and leave," I say dragging Flash along and tossing my pack of sweets in the small basket before taking Ned's arm as well.

Passing the aisles and walking toward the counter I see the scum paying up for his thing when his eyes catch the three of us. Sending a dirty look, he shakes his head and scoffs before beading his goodbyes to Mr.Delmar.

When he is out of the way and the place is cleared out the last of our sandwiches is slapped down on the counter.

"A number five, three, and a mystery sandwich for the adventurous little man!"

I take the basket from Ned and put it down to be scanned up.

I take my wallet out as the steady beep of the item emits from the register.

"I got it," Flash says reaching for his back pocket.

"Oh, would you look at that a bunch of cash that is way quicker to pay with than a card," I smile handing the small stack of dollars before he can slip his card out.

He looks at me frozen and with his mouth ajar as I hand him his sandwich. He stands there a few more seconds before Ned nudges him into motion and they start walking towards the door.

I watch them pass the door and turn back around to grab my own meal. I throw a 5-dollar bill beside the rest of my cash and receive a frown from Mr.Delmar.

Turning around making sure nobody is looking back toward me, I swipe out the watch and show it to him, turning it around to show the price tag.

He smiles and winks at me in understanding, packing the last of our purchase in a bag and handing it to me he slides the money to himself.

"Good evening, Miss.Parker."

"Good evening Mr.Delmar!" I shout passing the door with my bag.

Walking to the bus stop I see Ned and Flash looking at the food truck more precisely the officers waiting around for their food to get ready.

"What are you two looking at?"

Before I can have an answer Ned stands up from his seat on the bus bench and crosses the street towards the officers.

"What?"

"We can hear the police station in their car and Leeds is curious."

Looking back at Ned, I watch him tap one of the officer's shoulder.

I shrug and tug at his wrist as he frowns at me. With his arm in the air I rip open the watch's packaging and throw it in the bin on the side.

Enveloping his wrist with the digital watch I see his frown deepen before he registers what it is. He's silent as I fasten it on and stares at it when I drop my hands to my side.

His wrist stays in the air and he pulls it closer to his eyes examining the gift.

"I liked it and it was cheap so I thought, why not?" I chuckle.

He doesn't answer and instead gazes up at me.

He doesn't get to answer me before Ned jogs back to us.

"So, what do you got?" I ask him with a smile.

"Huh, no nothing they just basically said I need to get a life."

"What happened?" I ask.

He pauses looking at both of us, "Well we were waiting for you and I was looking at the food truck. Then I saw the officers looking stressed and their car's radio started blasting off with a code telling every officer in the area to stay on their foot."

"How d'you know that?"

"Flash told me," at that, I turn my gaze to him. He looks taken aback and goes back and forth looking between Ned and me before understanding the silent question I'm asking and straightening himself up if it's possible.

"I learned the NYPD's code on the internet."

Both of us stand, mouth agape and still in our place.

"What, it's not complicated, it's interesting and you can keep up with the police."

"Why would you want to keep up with the police?" Ned beat me to the question.

"We're in New York. It's better to know what's happening in the street," he says after a second of silence.

His eyes shifting between the two of us reassures me to know that Ned doesn't believe this explanation just like me.

Seems like he does not want to answer and sits on the bus bench waiting.

I sit by his side and meet eyes with Ned who too thinks his refusal to answer is strange. Focusing on something else I decide to rummage through the plastic bag and hand him a bag of candy.

He grasps it with a smile leaving the previous awkwardness to rest and tear through the bag presenting it to me so I can serve myself but I don't get to as the bus approach and instead decide to steal the bag from him to stuff it back inside the plastic bag.

I move us along to the open doors, following behind and swiping our card I see Ned already seated on the side of the bus where three seats are lined up, and where he is already seated in the front seat.

Passing him with a pat on the shoulder, I sit behind him and spot Flash sitting behind me as I watch the outside scenery of New York City's evening.

I feel a tug at the back of my head. Turning around I look behind me thinking I'd see the strand stuck in the bus seat but instead, I'm met with Flash's gaze meeting mine as I see him sitting back in his seat a bit slouched.

"A bit of your hair was sticking out," he says running his hands up and down his jeans.

"So you tugged on it?" I ask with a smile finding his thought process funny.

"No, I just wanted to-never mind," his eyes hold a secret that I can't get access to.

A tap on my shoulder brings my attention to Ned who is sitting sideways on his chair and switching his gaze from me to flash and back to me cautiously.

At the edge of my seat, far away from Flash's earshot, Ned starts talking close to my ear, "The cops are on the lookout for an inmate who they think broke out of jail."

The news shocks me and sends me sitting straighter before composing myself and bending back again listening closely to Ned's re-telling of the event.

"You remember that guy you threw into the armored van?"

The memory brings out a cackle from me, "Yeah, that was funny in my head. The money thief being arrested because he's stuck in a van full of money that he tried stea-" my explanation is cut when Ned's face doesn't morph into the amused face I expected.

Instead, I'm faced with a blank stare waiting for the end of my story and I decide to leave the explanation for a later time, "Yeah, that guy. I think his name was like Rhino or something?"

"Yeah, well apparently he wasn't found during the morning roll call. They're still searching but if he's out there I'm ready to bet that he's trying to find y-"

"How do you know all that?"

"They told me to scram but they never said I couldn't eavesdrop."

"Everything's okay?"

I snap my head around to stare at Flash who's inclined in his seat, supporting his body by leaning his forearm on my seat waiting for an explanation or a heads up.

"…Yeah!" I say with confidence sitting up, "We're just talking about," I look at Ned with distress, the color draining from my face when I realize I don't find an excuse worthy enough.

"Spiderman," Ned says without any hesitation.

A cold sweat travels my body, slithers up my spine, and stops at my brain as my head whips back toward Ned with panic.

"I was talking about the fact that since superheroes started spouting out of nowhere it would be logical that if a guy broke out of jail they would go after the one who put them there, like Spiderman or Iron Man," he says nodding back and forth between us both and emphasizing the Spiderman while looking at me.

Nodding I look back at Flash hoping he buys the story made on the spot.

With a frown, he nods and I can see that he's confused but decides to go with the flow, "Sure that makes sense."

Subtly breathing out a sigh of relief I sit back fully on my seat slouching a little bit so he doesn't see me out of breath.

My brain is on overdrive, the possibility that Rhino is out there looking to find Spiderman and causing havoc in his pathway makes me break another sweat.

"You sure you're okay?"

The question makes me raise my head, his body hunched over my seat and his face close to mine.

"huh," my eyes keep scanning his face, "sure, I'm good," I say my voice low and anxious to speak any louder in fear of attracting any attention around.

He's very close and I see a smile gracing his face. My eyes keep watching him and with each swing from eye to eye I figure he's also analyzing mine.

It is only when I feel a tug at my hand that I leave his face and look down to see that he has reached toward the plastic bag to grab a bag of treats.

Looking back up at him, his smile reaches his eyes before he leaves my line of sight and sits back in his chair tearing the packaging up he grabs a mochi full of iced sugar.

I jolt from my seat and rush in front of him, "No wait!" I say in a hushed but agitated voice.

"What?" he says concerned, looking around as if he had just broken a law.

"It's full of iced sugar you're gonna put it everywhere!" I hiss as I kneel, putting my hand under his chin to prevent any mess.

"That bad, huh?" he says cockily.

I raise my eyebrows, a silent scolding to just eat the damn treat.

He looks down at my hand grazing his chin and gazes back at me causing me to doubt my gesture, instead, I bring up the plastic bag on his lap and open it gesturing to go ahead.

With a doubtful smile, he brings the snack up and takes a bite half of the icing falling onto the bag.

He hums and chuckles with his mouth full realizing my scolding wasn't in vain.

A tap on my shoulder makes me turn around and look up at Ned who notifies me that the next stop will be our exit cue.

"So, is one of you gonna be a gentleman and tell me where you are taking me?" he says griping the bus pole to stand up beside me as we approach the bus doors.

"You'll see, from what I heard it's quite noticeable in view," I answer balancing myself without the help of a pole to not fall over.

"From what you heard? you're taking me to a place you've never been before?" he says gripping my arm as we come to a full stop.

"Well," I try to find a decent explanation for my thought process, "Well you know I heard about it a few weeks ago but I never had the time to visit the place so when you said you wanted to have fun I remembered it," I say as we step out.

"Bold, a surprise sandwich, and now a surprise location you don't know about."

I feel the air behind me where the bus drives off.

"Hey I also read the reviews, it's a good place," I say, "Plus, you love your special sandwich, don't you?" I genuinely ask.

"Touché," he says taking a bite before choking on it looking up at our destination.

The reviews weren't lying, the laser game is flashy, and just the entrance would make one believe a carnival is located inside.

"That is flashy," he wipes the corner of his mouth after coughing out the piece lodged in his throat.

"Flashy for Flash," Ned chuckles to himself.

Walking up my shoes go from a hard cement floor to a berber flooring as blue as the night sky depicting an endless pattern of space.

Hearing a loud bang I swiftly turn around back to the street and see a man dressed up in a suit standing back up. The steel shutter being the cause of the disturbance I notice that the arcade is placed right across a bank.

"Bit late to work, right?" Ned wonders aloud.

"No, depends on the day. Some banks stay open late at least once a week," Flash says as if it was a common fact.

"Okay how do you know so much?" Ned asks with frustration or is it genuine confusion by his sudden knowledge.

"My dad works in business, he deals with banks a lot," he shrugs, clearly not enjoying the subject of his father or his father's business.

A tug at my hand makes me turn back around. Looking down I pause at the realization that it is Flash's hand tugging at me and making me move from the entrance to the front counter where a guy barely older than me; maybe even my age with a summer job like me.

"Leeds, follow."

I sneak a peek at Ned who is still standing at the door ignoring us or simply not focused enough to be able to hear him.

"Hum here, take this we'll join you in a second," I say handing him a few bills and squeezing his shoulder before walking up to Ned.

When I take place beside him he senses my presence and speaks up, "Look at the logo isn't that the bank that Rihno guy tried to rob?"

Squinting, I do recognize the logo and chuckle, "Yeah," I say linking my arm in his, "But don't worry bad guys like Rhino are not smart enough to escape from jail AND follow up with a plan that failed once."

I drag him alongside me toward Flash who is standing beside the register counter close to the laser game entrance with his arms crossed.

"Done daydreaming Leeds?"

I squint my eyes and Ned completely ignores him walking ahead.

Passing him, I flick his ear.

"Ouch! What? I was just joking."

Walking ahead I roll my eyes but slow down as he calls out to me and catches up.

He takes my hand and drops something in it. Looking down I recognize the dollars I gave him prior.

"Wait, how did you pay-"

I cut myself off in realization. I don't know whether to be angry or disappointed.

"I told you, you don't have to pay that's why I gave you that!" I say frustrated.

"Wasn't enough!" he says defending himself, " Plus if you continue paying you'll end up broke."

"I'm not broke!"

"Well you're gonna be," he mumbles as I huff and walk ahead of him.

Ned keeps the door ahead open and walking through it we meet a group of people of various ages all scattered around the room.

we husher up and stand against the wall close to each other.

"I can't believe I couldn't even keep at least one bag," Flash says defeated plopping the last candy he managed to sneak in into his mouth.

"Wait they threw our stuff?!" I ask panicked.

"No no, they just put it aside until we're done."

I sigh in relief, closing my eyes and leaning back against the wall.

"But you're not broke, huh?" I hear a whisper and look to see Flash leaning down to my ear.

He is close once again and the lack of distance gives me flashbacks to our kiss. My eyes keep switching back and forth from his eyes to his lips and seconds feel like minutes.

I turn away clearing my throat and look around inspecting the room.

A bright red sign above the door tells us a session is still going on. As for the rest of the space, it is quite sober, a few benches placed around to wait for the current session to end. The walls are covered in thick wire mesh with hangers that are there probably here to hold the laser game equipment.

A group of kids are here scattered around and probably here for a birthday with one of the kid's mother tagging along to supervise, I can see a group of three girls and a couple on a date, maybe a first date even.

"Hey, I know you!" Flash says loudly bringing all the eyes in the room onto him.

His eyes are throwing daggers at one of the kids and if a look could kill…

"Oh shit," the kids seem to recognize Flash as well as the mother berates the kid for his language. Flash points an accusing finger at the smaller kid.

"Yeah, I recognize that voice! You're the guy who keeps trolling people on the D&D server!" he calls out confidently.

The kid looks appalled and most of his 'friends' look in between one another in confusion.

"Once we're in, you're next buddy!"

At that the kid slides behind the mother who sends a nasty look at Flash along with an offended scoff. I nudge his shoulder and place myself in front of him.

"Sorry! he's been a bit stressed lately. He doesn't really know how to handle it," I make up an excuse looking back at him with large eyes.

"Hey it's not my fault he started it!" he shouts motioning to the kid.

At that, I sent him a death stare of my own as the red sign atop the door starts to flash letting us know the previous session is now over.

I move him backward as a staff member enters the room.

I get a bit of a cold sweat before realizing that he entered the room to help the people undress from their laser game attires and not to throw Flash out for threatening a child.

It gets a bit crowded with people all around trying to slide in and out, and more complicated when elbows start to swing as the previous players try to undress from their equipment for the new players.

I get handed a vest from a player who hands it with a smile. Taking it with hesitation I analyze the device with a frown, "Shouldn't those be disinfected in between sessions?"

Flash turns around with his vest already on and approaches me sliding through the few players left trying to squeeze out of the room.

"Here let me help you," he said, taking the vest from me and passing it over my head. The tissue feels heavy on me and I don't get to wonder before he starts circling me with his eyes and bending to secure the many clips to keep the equipment on.

"You've done laser game before?"

"A few," he answers mindlessly securing yet another clip.

I feel his hands on my neck and freeze before I understand his intention to free my hair from under the vest. I believe he would back up but he stays firmly in front of me and I can't help but make eye contact. His eyes however end up drifting from mine to focus on my forehead.

I frown wondering what has his attention when his hand moves to the base of my hair and I remember the bandaid on top of my earlier injury.

"I did a bad job, shouldn't have placed it so high up," he says putting pressure on the side of the bandaid smoothing it once again against my forehead, "It's crazy it looks almost healed."

"Yeah, I guess-" I get cut off as the employer stands beside us asking if Flash could help a few of the customers as the poor guy is struggling to get the cluster of kids to behave long enough to get them geared up.

Getting separated I'm joined by Ned as we examine each other's gear and check if we're secure before another employee enters the room. He takes place in front of us and waits to attract the room's attention his colleague walking up beside him.

I look around and gradually see the rest of the room starting to pay attention to him. As the volume goes down it takes a few beats of silence before the man speaks up enouncing the rules and the normal flow of a laser game match.

My attention gets taken away by my curiosity as I look around.

The group of girls is barely keeping it together, tip-tapping their feets almost unable to keep their excitement in. Only one of the two people that makes up the couple is paying attention, the girl taking mental note as her supposed date seems entranced by her, devouring her with his gaze.

My eyes reach Flash who isn't paying attention either. His eyes are focused on the man but I recognize that empty glint in his eyes, the same one I see once in a while during class when I look around telling me he is lost in his head.

His stare is redirected toward me as we lock eyes and the glint in his eyes switches up as he flashes me a grin.

My ears start to register the game's instruction but my eyes stay glued on him, those eyes that usually irk me are now void of all mischief they used to hold and it's a feeling that fills me with satisfaction.

The man's booming voice brings me out of my daze and a cry of approval from the room makes me focus back on my surroundings.

A crowd mobilizes around the door to the laser game room as the sign lights up to indicate a new session when I get shoved ahead by Ned who too cannot keep his composure hopping to the door. A hand lands on my arm and I look back to see Flash back on my side.

"You okay there? You seemed out of it."

"Yeah I'm fine, what about you? it looks like you weren't listening," I answer as we are squeezed through the door to the darkness of the neon-drenched place.

"Of course I wasn't listening, I've done laser games before I know the rules but it's different for you, why weren't you listening?"

"What? I was!" I say standing still in front of the door as the rest scattered around.

"Oh yeah? What team are we on?"

At that, I stay silent.

"Blue," I say proudly pointing to the luminescent lights on my vest.

"And who else is on the team?"

…Damnit!

"Ned, the group of girls, and the two lovebirds," he says pointing and nudging the middle of my forehead as a sort of gentle scolding.

"So we're against the birthday group."

"A few of them were put in our team to balance things out," he says dragging me away from the door.

I get to learn about the rules for a second time as he walks me through them. Skipping wall to wall, aiming at adversaries and targets.

It's fun and exciting, skipping and running around, hiding and attacking. We were hit a couple of times but all in all, I'm content and having a good time with Eugene Thompson out of all people. I also get to be the witness of his vendetta against the other birthday boy a bullet landing right in the middle of his vest and a grimace adorning his face as slurs fly out of his mouth.

Before I can ask where a toddler like him learned such language I get dragged away by my hand by Flash to turn a corner as backup shows up for the opposing team.

It's hard to believe. A few months ago the perspective of spending time with Flash Thompson would have given me a migraine and I would have had to have a pep talk to have both of us in the same room.

turning around I look back and forth trying to keep my laugh at a low tone to not attract any unwanted attention from the opposite team before I bump into his back. Turning around he catches my shoulder and maneuvers me aside hiding us from the rest.

I put my hand in front of my mouth to muffle another laugh leaning against the wall as he bend sideways to check if we were followed.

"Did they follow us," I say close to another fit of giggles.

He shakes his head, his beaming smile so strong it forces his eyes to squint.

After a moment where we manage to calm down the laughing fit comes right back as we hear amidst all the voices a specific one holler in a very high-pitched tone how a certain Tyler can eat shit.

The laughter is so hard that we find ourselves leaning on one another for support.

My guts hurt and I try to talk through my laughter, telling Flash we should stay in movement.

"Oh my-" I say breathlessly laying my head on his shoulder, "I feel like I'm dying."

No response from him outside of an agitated gasp to catch his breath.

My head still planted on his shoulder I feel us lean aside so he can check again if our exit was trailed.

He smells nice. I never noticed, even back in the yacht' bedroom my mind didn't get to focus on his perfume as I was too distracted by his lips.

It's soft but I can tell that at first the scent was strong when it was applied. It's calming and unnerving even as I accidentally snuggle a bit longer than I should.

I notice that we both calmed down and I don't feel either of us shaking with laughter.

Raising my head, our eyes meet in silence.

We are close, forehead to forehead as a voice booms in the place scolding a participant who is apparently violating the rules. It does not take my attention from him and from the way he gets closer brushing his nose against mine I can tell that he is not bothered by the screaming either.

His lips brush against mine and that same feeling of electricity comes back traveling inside my body sending the butterflies in my stomach in a storm.

The feeling is so intense that I need to hold on tighter to his arms to convince myself that I'm not hallucinating.

His lips stay here atop mine just brushing and I understand that he's asking me to do it, he's silently asking me to kiss him first this time.

The first time was rushed almost like instinct an impulsive idea he couldn't help but act on but this time he's waiting almost out of breath making sure he has my consent first, like a confirmation I feel the same.

The feeling of him fades as my body feels like it's falling into the abyss. That feeling I have when I'm in costume, the one I feel when something bad is about to happen.

I back away and look around to hear my surroundings. Nothing but the usual cheering, screaming, and the pitter-patter of feet yet this feeling doesn't go away.

Creating distance drives Flash to back up as well as if I burned him. I can see him fidgeting and trying to say something but he doesn't get to as we both jolt, startled and holding on to each other with a scream.

The shadow gets clearer and I recognize Ned and exhale with a relieved cry.

"Damnit Ned, what's wrong with you?!" I shout exasperated.

"One of those kids is a damn sniper I swear I'm ready to bet he's part of the FBI!" he says frantically looking behind him over and over again.

"Damn Leeds. It's a laser game," Flash says with a concerned face.

"He's crazy!" he repeats with just as much power.

The building shakes and forces us to find our balance and I catch myself holding on to Flash's wrist and grasping Ned's shoulder to not fall.

A huge buzz resonates through the place, one that isn't the final buzz to declare the end of the game.

"Customers and staff are asked to evacuate the area calmly using the emergency exit located at each end of the building."

"What's going on," my question echoes through the many hallways of the maze as others probably ask themselves the same question. I already see people regroup, finding allies and opponents to scurry out as another hit sends the building shaking.

"Okay that's so not an earthquake," Ned says with urgency.

"Let's get out of here," Flash says slipping his wrist out of my grip and joining our hands.

We don't get to take a step before we are sent to the ground with violence, the wall comes crumbling down in pieces as a towering figure appears covered in darkness.

The brutality of the fall thankfully sent us into a corner where the figure can't see us.

Sitting up with a headache for the second time today I look down to see Ned shaking his head to clear it and putting pressure on the side of it as I feel the side of my head being cradled.

"You okay?" I make eye contact with Flash who whispers scanning my face for any injury.

I nod urgently before standing up and running toward the nearest wall that would allow me to sneak on the faceless figure. Leaning over, I recognize the shadow to be Rhino who must have found a way to escape the authorities and get his hands back on his suit.

Feeling a tug on my arm I turn around to see Flash trying to hurry me in the opposite direction.

A scream erupts and the idiot rushes headfirst into another wall creating more chaos.

"Come on we got to get out of here," he says tugging me urgently.

A cry for help resonates and I spin around trying to locate where the scream came from.

Too many questions in my head. I don't have my suit, how do I do without my suit? I can't just go help with my face uncovered, how do I do this?

Another high-pitched cry lets me know that the person who needs help is a girl and is balling her eyes out crying out about being stuck.

I turn back to Flash and address the both of them, "You two get outside and wait for the cops, once they get there you tell them where we were I'll go get the girl and I'll bring her back right here, okay?" I say sternly making sure the two of them understand.

"No no! We get out of here and when the help gets here we'll tell them we heard someone needed help."

"She's stuck, I'm not leaving her alone here with this lunatic!" I say firmly.

He pauses, his eyes switching back and forth between me and the hole created by the metal-suited criminal, his brows scrunched up and worry swimming in his eyes.

"No, it's too dangerous. Damage's been done to the building and their alarm has gone off, firemen, ambulance and probably cops are toe to toe to get here, they're way more trained for that type of thing the only way we can help is to get out of here and be out there when they arrive to tell them about her."

"She's stuck, meaning she can't get out she might be hurt or debris might be crushing her," I say angrily trying to keep my tone down to not give out our location.

"Yeah well guess what? you might get crushed too because if that guy's big enough to crush you to begin with imagine the impact with a massive armored suit!" he says frantically looking back at the destroyed debris left behind by Rhino.

"I'm not going to fight him I'm going to get the girl and get out of here, you two go!" I say walking ahead through the debris.

I turn around to walk away when I feel his hand grabbing my wrist and turning me back around to him.

It must be the look in my eyes because the second we make eye contact he seems to be unable to protest.

I turn and start walking again as I feel his fingers holding onto me till the end as my wrist slides out of his grasp.

I hear him protest behind me telling me to come back here before he gets cut off by Ne. I don't get to know what he says to him before the voices fade and I'm left focusing ahead of myself to not come face to face with Rhino.

Stepping over a pile of broken scraps of wall I focus on my hearing to try and figure out where the girl is all while smoothly moving from hiding place to hiding place.

I come across a few items including a backpack where a piece of cloth hangs out from the opened zipper.

Grabbing it I recognize the pattern of a scarf and mentally fist-bump myself for finding a cloth to stop any potential bleeding wound.

Shoving the fabric into my back pocket, the tail of the scarf drags along the ground as I move along crouch walking.

I see a thick sweater protrude from another piece of debris. Snatching it I come to an abrupt stop when I hear another rageful howl before a flash of tarnished silver makes me fall on my ass a huge rumble forcing yet another wall to come crumbling down.

"Where is he?!" I hear Rhino's words echoing along the remaining walls he hasn't yet destroyed.

Who is he talking about? Spiderman? He can't possibly know I'm here…did he figure it out?! How did he find me?!

Clutching my fists I decide to raise myself and leave the crouch walking behind determined to find the girl as soon as possible.

With how silent the place has become I'm convinced she's around the area Rhino just left and hushed when the criminal showed up, baited by her scream of distress.

"Where are you," I ask in the void of the room that I just entered through the punctured wall.

That's when I hear it, the audible intake of breath and a panicked question.

"Is he gone?" comes the frail voice buried in a mountain of broken wall scraps.

"How did you end up down there?"

"I was playing and then I heard a huge crash and before I knew it I was under all of this."

"Are you hurt?"

"No but I'm trapped and I can't lift those," she says with a frustrated grunt trying once again to lift one of the wall remains.

Looking at the structure burying the girl I observe that her current situation is nothing short of a miracle as all the wall pieces are piled up in a way that each piece balances each other out.

"Okay, alright so what we're gonna do is you're going to stand as close as possible to me and then I'm gonna lift this one and you'll see, the rest of them will slide off."

"It's too heavy you can't lift it."

That's a great point. My frame doesn't allow me to go around displaying my real strength.

"Never underestimate the power of adrenaline," is the excuse I manage to find on the spot as I try to balance myself grabbing a strategic piece of the wall amongst them all.

Putting pressure on it the piece is lifting as plaster dust falls down the pile. As the pieces slide off I can throw mine back in a swing.

In a coughing fit, the girl grabs my hand as I extract her from the pile.

Hidden by her forearm to cough and rub her eyes I grab it to get a clearer view of her face.

"Are you okay?"

She doesn't answer but nods, coughing.

"Okay, what we're gonna do now is get out of here," I say holding her shoulders so she pays attention to me rather than the chaos around us.

"He's coming this way so you're going to go to where I was, there is a direct exit."

"Wait what about you? what are you gonna go?"

"I'm just gonna check if everybody is out, don't worry I'll be right behind you," I say as I push her back to the exit.

She walks ahead carefully and when she turns the corner of a wall that hasn't yet been destroyed I snatch the sweater previously tied up around my waist and throw it on hiding any evidence of my chest.

Another crash and I look back making sure I get the time to swap up the scarf and cover my face and hair rolling the fabric all around and tucking it safely behind my head safely hiding my identity.

A dry thug and loud stomps lead me to turn around and face a wall that I know will come crumbling down in a matter of seconds.

Before the walls' crumbles can harm me my arm protects me from the cement dust as the wind is knocked out of me and my body is sent backward smashing against another wall that hasn't yet been torn down by the brute.

"I knew I recognized that smell."

Standing back up with a grunt the prospect of Rhino locating me by sniffing around town forces bile to pile up my throat.

"Ew, that's gross," I say deepening my voice to not give myself out.

Rhino is just a criminal but even a criminal can convince and reveal to enough people that Spiderman is not actually a man.

My voice is also strained from the hit I received when I was smashed against the wall leaving me to be unrecognizable.

I lean against a pole that probably keeps this roof in place as another pained moan escapes me.

"I was gonna finish what I had started before being arrested," I silently cheer as It seems I have accidentally sent the idiot into a villainous monologue.

"Since the bank across the street is the one that was supposed to and did receive the money I thought why not finish what I started."

Breathing in and out with difficulty I can already feel my cracked rib healing with another huff.

"And then I smelled it, that obnoxious smell I remember picking up on when you threw me in that truck."

"Yeah, that was hilarious because see you wanted to steal from the truck but you ended up inside the truck and-" my chuckle is cut short with a pained grunt as my rib is still mending itself.

"We'll see who's laughing when you're six feet under!" he hollers running at me.

Jumping up I propel myself in the opposite direction through Rhino's back landing clumsily still clutching my side.

"I think you're giving yourself too much credit man. I don't think you can punch me hard enough to send me through the ground," I say avoiding jabs after jabs.

I hear sirens and realize I need to take care of Rhino before they can enter the building and see someone else other than the blue&red vigilante going toe to toe with the armored Rhino.

Blocking another hit the force of it sends me to my knees pushing against his weight of him.

Trying to focus on not getting plummeted to the ground my ear buzzes continuously drawing my attention behind me to the electric panel placed behind the counter which is still standing after all the damage caused to the place.

The perfect placement.

When I feel the smallest shift in strength from Rhino I push back with all my force sending him stumbling backward and tripping on a pile from his destructive strike.

Putting distance between us I walk back to the counter climb on it and stand face to face with him.

"See?" I say motioning to my unscathed self, "Untouchable. Of course, that's not a surprise an idiot like you who can't even stand still could not possibly get rid of me."

His only response is a cry and an angry balled fist connecting to the ground, shaking it up.

"Look at you, a little baby having a big tantrum because he's clumsy," I seal the deal with a smirk.

And I get the exact reaction I expected as the brute hurls running like a savage toward me.

When I can feel the breeze of his enraged speed caressing me I bolt up and stick myself to the ceiling leaving the brainless idiot to go headfirst into the panel.

The sound is enough but my curiosity drives me to look upside down to see the Rhino passed out and fuming.

"Dude, you're toast," knowing he can't hear I can't help but make myself chuckle.

My laughter is cut off short when I hear in the distance the sound of the entrance's metal door banging open and a choir of yells invading the place.

Instead of letting go and falling to the ground to get away with the risk of my poor disguise being questioned by the authorities I instead decide to crawl away to a quieter place before falling back down on the ground and letting go of the secondhand vigilante costume.

Fleeing the scene I come out of the alleyway where I throw my 'gear' into the dumpster and walk out to an ocean of red and blue lights. A group of firemen enters the building following the hoard of cops and a booming voice attracts my attention.

"Where were you?!"

My head whips around before my shoulders are grasped firmly and I am turned to a frantic Flash Thompson.

Speechless I'm only able to look at him with a dumbfounded look like a deer caught in the headlights.

"Huh?! Where were you?!" he says shaking me, "You said and I quote 'I get the girl and we'll join you outside', she got out and you weren't with her so where were you?!"

"Rhino was coming so I told her to run and I lured him away before hiding so he couldn't find me," I explain lying as best as I can grabbing his upper arms to steady both of us.

"Oh, and that's supposed to make it better?!"

Out of explanations, I can only shrug my shoulder with an awkward smile.

He scoffs exasperated and let go of me to pace back and forth at a loss for words too.

Not knowing how to make it better for myself I decide to stay silent and just let him pace around trying to calm down.

An officer walks up to us, "Were you inside this building?"

I nod with a frown looking at Flash and Ned for reassurance.

"We're gonna need you to come with us with your friends to the station we're gonna need your statements."

At that Flash tenses up even more walking up to the officer and pleading.

"No wait! Can't we like give a statement later? We like really need to go."

Agreeing with him it's Ned who walks up to the officer and manages to make us look less suspicious.

"We just went through a lot of stress and we're expected somewhere so we'd appreciate it if we could give our statement later on, maybe stop by your station tomorrow or something?"

"I'm gonna ask my superior, please stay here I'll be right back," she says walking back as I halt her with a request.

"Wait, in case you're allowed to let us go could you please drive us there?" I question.

Flash looks at me with an incredulous expression sliding his hands down his face probably in an attempt to wake up from what seems to be his worst nightmare.

"We would feel safer escorted by the police."

"I'll see what I can do," she says with a warm but swift smile before walking away.

With the sound of her footstep fading in the chaos-packed background, Flash approaches me with his hands out.

"Why would you do that?!"

"Because it's better this way. We get back to your party and we get escorted by the police. When you're in this kind of situation cooperating is the best option."

Before he can answer another officer walks up to us to confirm our request of being escorted back as well as asking us to give out our numbers.

"We'll contact you and settle a date and time to pass by the station, have you been examined?"

"Oh um, no there's no need I'm alright."

"No, he's right let's get you checked out," Flash says tugging me towards one of the many firetrucks.

"No no, I really don't need to get checked out. I didn't get hurt I swear I'm fine, no bruises, nothing."

"It would be safer miss."

"I swear I'm not injured, I did not fight Rhino I just hid in the toilets."

"Yeah no shit we can guess you didn't go toe to toe with the guy, would still be smart to get you checked out."

"No, I swear I'm fine no need. It'll only waste time."

"It would only take a few minutes," the officer tries to resonate.

A shrill sound attracts our attention and the sigh of Rhino passed out on a stretcher makes me noticeably tense up.

I'm not used to this I usually don't stay so close after a save. I'm used to watching from afar as the bad guy gets taken away and I'm also in costume but right now the lack of Spiderman attire is making me feel exposed as if anyone could just turn around and point at me saying I was the one who knocked him out.

"Hey, it's okay."

My eyes are drawn back to Flash who is gripping me back tightly like a reassurance probably thinking it's the sigh of Rhino that scared me.

"Let's get you checked out and then we can-"

"I am fine!" I affirm.

My outburst throws a pause and I'm frozen on the spot feeling a bit guilty.

His expression is unreadable, I don't know whether he's angry, scared, or disappointed. How am I surprised that I can't read him? I shouldn't even be able to read him.

"Okay, okay I get it, no check-up," he says his eyes softening as well as his tone.

Letting go of my arms I catch myself missing the feeling but it is not gone for long as he places his hand on my back to guide me to the police car.

"You're alive!"

My breath escapes me as I'm attacked with a violent but warm embrace.

Looking down I recognize the hair of the girl I rescued earlier.

"It's her! the girl who saved me!" she says turning around to a woman who jogs up to us.

"Are you quite sure?"

I frown wondering exactly why this reaction. The woman must notice my expression bringing the girl back to her by the hand.

"Sorry it's just," she hesitates," With the story she told I imagined you to be…bigger."

Bigger?

"My apologies I did not mean to sound rude but," she hesitates again, "Nevermind I should've known. You know how kids are, full of imagination I mean."

"No, I did not lie! She saved me! I was stuck under a pile and she lifted that one HUGE block and got me out!"

Fortunately, my face cannot get any whiter but it doesn't stop my face from falling.

"You must have the wrong person," I turn around to see Ned taking a step forward, putting his hand on my shoulder, "She's not strong, can barely lift chairs at school so I can't even imagine a piece of broken wall," he chuckles turning to Flash for validation.

"Yeah," Flash says with a frown, "Parker is not the type to lift a tone I think you might have embellished things."

He looks from the girl to the woman, "Adrenaline does that a lot."

"I'm not lying!" the girl screams as the woman holds her back asking her to calm down.

"I'm not saying you're lying. She saved you but she did not lift that HUGE block or most likely it wasn't as heavy as you think it was."

"Excuse me," we are interrupted by the police officer, "the car is over there, we'll be driving you back."

"I'm not lying," the little girl whines sadly as I am hurried away by Flash.

I feel bad not being able to back her up but the circumstances are perfect to keep my identity hidden.

I bend down to enter the car and sit comfortably in the middle of the back seat right in between Flash and Ned.

"Are you sure the address you gave me is the right one?"

Looking through the wired wall the officer messes around with their console as the last door of the vehicle is closed and we are finally surrounded by a comfortable silence.

The car moves and my eyes are drawn to the unconscious body of the Rhino.

"I didn't learn police codes to keep up with them," Flash says softly beside me.

This statement wakes me, "What?" I answer with just as much discretion so the conversation can stay private in the gorged car.

"You were weirded out earlier when I said I learned the NYPD's codes by heart and I'm not an idiot I saw that you didn't believe me."

I look down uncomfortable.

"I found-well I heard about a website," he says trying to maintain eye contact, "And at first it was cool, it was all about fans of Spiderman."

He must notice my frown because he hurries his explanation as if he was his own lawyer.

"But then there was that one guy who added me to another group chat except this time it wasn't the same, those guys weren't fans they were like stalkers. They were asking weird questions and one said he was actively trying to find him using the police radio."

My eyes double in size and a chill rushes through my body rising my blood temperature.

"It's not like I learned the codes, I just read through the messages and it was so disturbing that I think the codes just ended up stuck in my head I guess," he finishes avoiding any eye contact, fumbling with his hands.

"I told them it was weird, that they shouldn't do that because they could end up stalking and walk up on him during a mission and end up hurt or dead, not just them but also him."

I stay silent letting him finish up his story his eyes clouded up like earlier in the evening during our first bus trip.

"We argued through text and most of the people in the chat ganged up on me and I just left. Well after I reported their accounts but I don't think anything was done about that though."

I don't know what to do, how can I tell him he didn't do anything wrong when I don't even know what he possibly could've done wrong in this situation.

"You seemed ashamed of it, why?"

Raising his head he doesn't seem to know how to answer me.

"You saw someone doing something wrong that could put not only put themselves but others in danger and you tried to put an end to it," I try to reassure him as best I can.

He maintains eye contact without a word before he slowly nods and I believe I spot the ghost of a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

The soft noise of the car's movement mixes in perfectly with the chatter which lulls me to sleep.

"I was told by one of my colleagues that you were in there, you were very lucky," I hear the officer ask from the front seat.

I tiredly nod the simple motion making me drowsy as I lean my back my head with a sigh.

The conversation is unintelligible as I feel myself falling in and out of consciousness.

I jolt awake when a hand lands on my neck and moves my head from the headrest to a shoulder. Groggy, I try to protest wondering why the sudden change of position when I am cut off.

"You'll hurt your neck go back to sleep now."

My argument dies on my tongue as the haze of sleep crashes back on me. I fall into the kind of sleep where you don't really snooze and can still hear everything going around you but can't get rid of the veil of slumber.

And so that is how I spend the rest of the travel in and out of consciousness, half listening here and there to the discussions going on around getting more and more comfortable on his shoulder.

As the speech gets louder I frown and grunt sleepily, my hazy brain still trying to grasp the reality around me.

"What's going on?" I barely manage to get out in my half-asleep state.

"The call on my radio sounded close to the address you gave me but I wouldn't have guessed it was the exact same location."

Looking out I see the familiar sight of the sea and the port as well as the brightly light yacht surrounded by multiple police cars.

"Uh oh."

"What is going on?" Ned chimes in.

The guests are divided into small groups like herds of sheep looking around. Some are confused, some are annoyed, or simply bored, officers are scattered trying to question or count the heads all looking frustrated and exhausted.

"My parents are gonna kill me," he says looking through the window overstepping in front of Ned sending him to sit far back into his own seat.

The pang I feel in my heart is painful and the realization that I'm at fault makes me scooch back into my seat. The shame being too much to handle I yank the car door open needing a breeze of fresh air.

The outside cold bites at my cheek as I breathe in deeply.

"Flash! Where were you?!"

I turn around noticing one of our classmates looking frantic.

"I stepped out for a little while what the hell happened here?!"

"I swear it wasn't me! some guys from another school sneaked and used the fireworks."

"What fireworks? there weren't any fireworks."

He hesitates looking at the birthday boy with squinted eyes full of worry "It was McCoy," his question almost sounds like a question.

Flash looks up and like me breathes in deep, "Damn McCoy stresses me out even when I throw him out."

The classmate walks away escorted by one of the many officers around as our personal chauffeur of the night approaches us and singles out Ned telling us they'll come back once Ned gives his point of view of the night.

"I'm so sorry," I say my voice quivering without my consent.

Turning back to me, he frowns and looks at me up and down.

"If I hadn't offered to go out this wouldn't have happened."

He approaches me as I fidget with my hands, "And If we didn't go to the laser game we wouldn't have almost been killed by Rhino," I say wiping my nose who's beginning to tingle.

His frown somehow deepens, "What are you talking about?" he says firmly.

It's my turn to frown, "Well your night is ruined now and it's my fault."

His frown softens to leave place for an eye roll.

"Parker," he says annoyed.

"It's true if I hadn't proposed you'd have still been here and could have stopped those guys from-"

"It was my decision to stay or go but I wanted to go. I could've just said no but I didn't."

It might be the first time I've ever seen Flash Thompson take the blame for anything.

"But it's your birthday I shouldn't have taken you away from your party-"

"Oh my god!" he says irritated taking me by the shoulders and hurrying me aside to a corner where fewer people can eavesdrop.

"Listen Parker none of what happened tonight was your fault okay? I decided to follow you because I wanted to and we both know for a fact that this psycho who started crashing the building didn't just appear out of nowhere just because of because of you."

I internally cringe. Oh if only you knew.

"And it's fine. Okay, it's still sucks, but I had fun and if I stayed I would've been bored out of my mind anyways so I guess you could say you came and saved me from the most boring party ever."

His hands move from my shoulder to my face as he finishes his speech.

Speechless, I'm unable to answer as the warmth of his hands is comforting against the harshness of the outside cold.

The honesty of his speech and the tenderness that shows in his eyes throws me off balance.

When my eyes make the quickest contact with his lips I quickly switch my gaze to anywhere else.

"You're parents are gonna kill-Oh no!"

My yelling directs both of our attention toward the target of my panic.

"Is that your Aunt May?!"

I spin around to somehow hide from her and try to find an out.

"Forget about your parents I'm gonna die before you!"

"She's pointing very angrily behind me which means she's pointing at you," he informs me, "Hi Miss Parker!" he says with fake enthusiasm and a high-pitched cracked voice.

My whole body tenses up and I take all my time turning back around not daring to make eye contact.

Flash is still standing between the two of us feet planted in the ground.

"Flash get out of my way."

"For sure," he says hurriedly stepping aside.

"So get this. I get a call, right? And I hear that not only was there an incident at this party but I also hear that you weren't at the said party which right then reassured me since I believed you weren't in danger," she shouts all over the place with frantic movement as if she was telling a scary story around a campfire.

"But then my logic sense came back and I told myself 'Wait if she's not at that party, where could she possibly be?'"

The lump in my throat is starting to hurt and I go back to avoiding eye contact.

She's now silent and it's clear her question is not a rhetorical one.

"It was my fault."

I turn to him with confusion that quickly turns into irritation.

"Not it wasn't," I say firmly.

"An accident happened and she was hit," he says pointing at my forehead that I try to hide with panic written on my face.

Why is he aggravating the situation?!

As expected Aunt May panics walking to me and analyzes me up and down focusing on my forehead where the bandage has managed to stay attached through my baby hairs, the second hand suit, and the attack.

Startled by the sigh she trots up to me inspecting the area closer.

"It was an accident but the person who did that refused to apologize and would not leave the party so I thought the best would be to step out so there wouldn't be any more tension and then Leeds proposed to go take a look around the city," he lies skillfully through his teeth.

"But then we were at this place and that guy Rhino showed up-" May starts to panic again but is cut off for the rest of his speech, " BUT we're okay we got out before any of us could be harmed and we were escorted back here with the police to make sure we're safe," he finishes his rant with what I could only describe as a marketing grin motioning to our surrounding as if all of this isn't as bad as it looks.

A sigh escapes May as she closes her eyes and tries to let go of the tension inside her.

I am smothered by a hug from her letting me in turn lose all the tension in my own body.

Embracing her back I breathe out not once noticing how I've been stiff since my run-in with Rhino. The tension leaving my body I close my eyes and let myself fall deeper into her arms hugging her back.

Opening my eyes my gaze traces back to Flash standing there looking at us with sympathy.

I mouth him a 'thank you'. I don't really know what the thank you is for but it feels right to say it.

A cop approaches him and I let go of the hug to investigate hoping he won't get in trouble.

"He didn't do anything," I intervene, "Actually, he wasn't even there!" I protest.

Met with blank stares from both of them I have second thoughts.

"Alright I'll make sure to write that down on my report but I will first ask Mr.Thompson what happened from his point of view," the officer says with a pointed look as if asking me to stop talking to avoid damaging his case even more.

The previous anxiety on my face falls to an awkward open-mouthed, "Oh."

"Yeah," Flash says.

"Now how about we go home and leave the nice officer to do his job?" May says loudly holding my shoulders and silently telling me to mindlessly agree to what she says.

With a similar fake smile Flash gave earlier, I giggle and nod like a puppet to get myself out while making sure he doesn't get in more trouble for my indiscretion.

"Let's go get Ned."

"Um I'll be right with you," I call after her my hand in hers.

She seems confused but nods regardless.

When I'm sure she's far away I trot back around.

"Hey, Flash!"

I catch his attention as he walks back to me reassuring the officer he'll be back in a moment.

"What is it?" he ask curiously and a bit in a hurry.

…

I don't know what to say.

"I. I-just."

I'm fully out. What should I say? I'm sorry? Thank you?

I'm still looking for my words when his finger begins mingling with my bandaid once again.

"I really did a shitty job with that," he chuckles eyes focusing back on mine.

I feel that peace again, that comfort I never thought possible around the obnoxious Flash Thompson.

"I should probably go, Officer Davis isn't gonna wait around for me forever."

"Oh yeah of course!" I agree.

I see that Aunt May is looking around for me by her car with Ned beside her looking around as I still try to find the right words.

Looking back at him I find myself analysing his face and figure out I don't need words.

"You okay?" he asks.

Taking a few steps I am standing just a few inches away. Before he can question my motive I lay a kiss on his cheek, right below his eye.

I step back, a feeling of Euphoria invading my body, "Happy birthday."

He does not answer frozen in place and rigid like a pole.

Oh no, did I mess up?

"Are you okay? Aren't you gonna go with officer Davis?" I ask worried.

"Mister Thompson?" talking of the devil.

"Yeah! Let's go!" he shouts turning around and hurrying into the car.

The euphoria dissipates and the regret sets in. What a way to end such a nice night in a fiasco.

I really messed up.

A new side of you: Waltz of emotions

[irondad-defensesquad]

Fly away, skyline pigeon

(also posted on AO3!)

--

It’s a beautiful day today. And a special one at that.

Not that anyone remembers that.

Tony waits outside, carrying his loyal bag (that secretly hides the book he took from the library and hasn’t returned since). He rocks himself back and forth, still in uniform. His shoes are kind of uncomfortable. They feel like Dad’s shoes…

He wonders if he’ll show up this time.

Well, that’s what he asks every single weekend.

There’s not really a place to sit out here and he doesn’t want to get dirt on his uniform. At least it doesn’t take long for Tony to see the car.

He gulps and adjusts his tie. Even though he’s going home.

As the car approaches…

There’s no one in the back seat.

Once the vehicle stops, only one man appears. He’s well dressed but he’s not his father.

“Master Tony.”

Jarvis is smiling at him.

Tony still expects someone else to miraculously come out of the car.

…

“Let me take your bag, sir.”

Tony cringes at the “sir”, as he always does, but he doesn’t mention it. The bag is not even that heavy, but Jarvis takes it either way to put in the trunk. Tony opens the door himself, having all that space for himself. Jarvis doesn’t question it and they take off, leaving the fields to return to the Stark mansion.

Tony has questions. But he probably knows the answers.

“Jarvis?”

“Yes, Master Tony?”

“Where…” the boy hesitates. “Where’s Mom?”

At some point, Mom would fill Howard’s absence with her warm hugs and sweet kisses. But nowadays, it kind of feels like she gave up on him now that he’s in boarding school.

“I’m afraid she’s with your father, arranging your birthday party.”

“Oh.”

He knew that.

Then, why is he… disappointed? He doesn’t even like going home.

But today is different, isn’t it? They should be here. Yet they’re more worried about the party than him.

Tony doesn’t cry, though. Crying is for sissies, like his father says.

So, he distracts himself with the landscape – the big wide blue sky, the birds flying away, the open green fields… Tony sees the birds flying, free.

(What he could give to fly away with them…)

Gradually, the freedom is being filled by the city concrete, the many houses and cars and buildings. Tony sighs, head glued to the window. He feels nothing inside him. This is just another day. The party doesn’t even matter. He’s just going to have to be stiff and greet his parents’ business partners and he’s going to fail at befriending their kids who don’t even like him.

They have so many of these parties, that it’s really no different when it’s Tony’s birthday.

He wishes he could’ve stayed in school.

…

Wait.

They’re not going home.

He knows that way.

But… why?

“Jarvis, where are we going?” Tony asks either way.

“Oh, I just thought we might take a little detour before heading home.”

They soon stop at Jarvis’ destination, apparently.

Tony hasn’t been here in forever. The last time he was here was when Mom was still picking him up from school.

“Do you want to get some ice cream?” Jarvis wonders.

“Well, yeah… but…”

The butler just waits. He’s very much ready to leave. He values Tony’s decision.

The young boy looks at the empty space next to him. As much as he’s grown used to it, he just wants one different day. One different birthday.

Tony sighs and… smiles.

“Nevermind. Let’s go.”

--

This is the one Häagen-Dazs in their neighborhood that his mother has always loved. It’s very weird being here without her. She always ordered vanilla ice cream while he got chocolate, then they would try each other’s flavors.

Things just aren’t the same anymore.

“You can order anything you want, sir,” Jarvis tells him.

Tony’s eyes widen. “Hey, Jarvis, I have money with me.”

“Nonsense, today is a special day. You deserve all the ice cream you want.”

The young Stark would’ve declined, but Jarvis sounds so truthful that Tony can’t really contest it. With this, Tony gets an ice cream cone with chocolate and, this time, coffee. He’s eating it quietly while Jarvis briefly leaves, coming back with a handful of napkins.

“We don’t want Master Tony getting ice cream on his school uniform, do we?” Jarvis points out.

Oh, right. Tony forgot he’s still in uniform.

The butler usually stands on his feet with a blank face, ready for any demand. But now that it’s just Tony, Jarvis is… sitting with him? They’re facing one another? Jarvis is always so serious and formal. Well, he still calls the boy “sir” or “Master Tony”, but right now he’s the most casual Tony has seen him.

Tony eventually realizes something.

“You’re not going to get anything?”

Jarvis looks at him in confusion. “Pardon?”

“You don’t want any ice cream?”

“Oh, I’m fine.”

“No, come on. Try mine.”

“Really?” Jarvis smirks.

“Yeah, really. Well, I dunno if you like chocolate or coffee, but you gotta try it.”

“Why, thank you.”

Jarvis takes a very small bite with the paddle. He hums and seems content.

“You have great taste, Master Tony,” he compliments.

“You barely tasted anything!”

Jarvis’ grin is contagious, so much that Tony is laughing.

“Alright, alright.” He takes a slightly bigger piece. He hums again, pleased. “Like I said, you have great taste.”

“Told you,” Tony smiles.

They are quiet again.

Tony kind of misses the vanilla.

He could order it later, if he wants.

But is it going to be the same thing?

“How has school been, sir?” Jarvis asks, maybe noticing his smile falling.

“It’s fine.”

“Have you built anything?”

“Nothing interesting.”

“I’m sure everything you build is interesting.”

“Tell that to Dad.”

Tony feels terrible sounding so rude. But everything in his head decides to crash down and he’s not even able to apologize to his butler.

“... why?”

“Why what?” Jarvis raises an eyebrow.

“Why did you bring me here?” Tony doesn’t raise his voice, but he certainly still sounds bitter. “Did Mom and Dad ask you to? Or did you just feel sorry for me?”

Jarvis doesn’t react the same way. He’s completely calm. Tony doesn’t understand.

“It’s your birthday today, isn’t it?” The man says genuinely. Like there are no other intentions behind it. He really just wanted to be here with Tony. After all, he could just do his job and pretend the boy doesn’t exist.

But he’s being the most considerate out of the adults in his life.

Why?

“... you didn’t have to do this,” he says instead.

He definitely sounds ungrateful, but he feels so guilty.

Jarvis comes a little closer to say something only Tony should hear.

“Well, it’s your special day. You don’t need to be Tony Stark right now. You can be just Tony, a boy who likes ice cream.”

And that’s how Jarvis sees him. A boy named Tony. Just a boy.

That shuts him up for good.

There are so many feelings inside him…

But they’re not all that bad.

--

The party goes on like his parents intended. Tony is stuck with a lot of people that couldn’t care less, as usual.

But now… now Tony knows that at least one person in this world is rooting for him, in the back. Jarvis, of course, is working tonight. Still, every time he sees Tony, he gives him an encouraging smile that no one else notices.

Throughout the party, the boy finally realizes what he must do. The real words he wants to say.

It’s already over, only the staff and his parents are around to put everything away. Tony flees when nobody's looking, hiding something precious in his hands. Luckily, he finds Jarvis in the kitchen and he’s by himself.

“Pssst,” Tony tries to catch his attention, which works.

“Ah, hello, Master Tony. Do you need anything?”

“Actually…” Tony looks behind him. “I wanted to give you something.”

“I thought it was your birthday?” Jarvis jokes.

“Yeah, and I want you to have some cake.”

Even though it’s not really a present, Jarvis still looks surprised. He holds the cake like it’s a precious invention. Even though Tony didn’t really make it.

“Well, it’s fine if you don’t like it,” Tony rubs his own arm shyly. “I just wanted to say…”

He looks in so many directions, wanting to do one particular thing, but not sure if it’ll be unwelcome. And Jarvis is just there, looking at Tony like he’s a boy made of gold and not iron.

Finally, Tony looks behind them, checking if anyone is around.

Either way, he’ll be quick.

So… he does it.

“... thank you, Jarvis.”

Tony hugs Jarvis by his waist. For a brief moment, his mind tells him it’s going to go wrong. But before he can let go and pretend it never happened… Jarvis wraps an arm around him, patting his back. The other hand is probably still holding the cake. Even then, it’s so warm and welcoming that Tony could stay here forever.

“Always for you, sir.” He can tell Jarvis is smiling.

As much as home sucks… now Tony has a reason to come home.

[randalsgrave]

Sweetness and Light: Part Eight

Five months later...

I've been through the ringer lately with school shit and back-to-back submarine deployments (someone please tell the Navy that I'd really like extended time with my husband; I'm tired of him being on the boat); needless to say, this has been on the backburner for a minute and it was high time I get this written for y'all's enjoyment. Thanks so much for your patience; I can't wait for you guys to read this. <3

Things start heating up for Bob and Katie.

BobxFemale!OC. F/C: Kacey Rohl

Word count: 7.2K

MAJOR WARNINGS: 18+ ONLY. SMUT. MINORS DNI.

MINOR WARNINGS: colorful language, not beta-read (we die like men)

***

Week 6, Monday. It’s been barely a minute since the morning portion of instruction finished, and Fanboy is already accosting Katie. Well, not accosting - more like sidling up alongside her with his arms folded and his eyes glimmering with… something. She wouldn’t necessarily call it ‘accusing’, but whatever it is, it comes pretty damn close to it. 

“All right, spill - what happened this weekend?” 

Boy, nothing gets by you, does it? “What do you mean ‘what happened this weekend’?” 

“Oh girl, don’t even,” Fanboy retorts with a snort as they wander out into the hallway. “You and Bob have been staring and smiling at each other alllll morning, which leads me to believe that something happened between you guys. So, what happened?” 

Despite Fanboy being rather annoyingly perceptive about her love life (damn him), Katie can only chuckle. “Really hell-bent on winning that five bucks, huh?”

“I mean, it’s an easy win for me; it’s obvious you two have something going on.” 

“Either that, or you’re seeing things. Speaking of seeing things, what’s this I hear about you seeing a girl in Los Angeles? Halfpint said you were gone all weekend with someone-”

“Ah ah ah, we’re not talking about me; stop avoiding the question-”

“Oh my god - we went to the aquarium and looked at fish. Happy now?” In her defense, she is telling Fanboy the truth - she just fails to mention the kiss they shared in the kelp forest exhibit, the hours of conversation, and the secondary kiss she gave him after he walked her back to her room. It’s not like it’s important for him to know the details right now. 

Fanboy knows she’s lying - or, at the very least, he looks at her like he knows she’s lying, complete with his hands on his hips and his eyes narrowed, just the tiniest bit. “You’re not telling me something. I dunno what it is yet, but I’ll figure it out - and you’re in trouble when I do.”

Katie heaves a sigh. “You’re really not gonna let this go, are you?”

Fanboy sounds almost affronted when he scoffs at her. “I’ve got five dollars on the line; of course I’m not letting it go.” He sets his garrison cap squarely on his head and lines it up with the bridge of his nose, then starts for the front door - only to double back and lean in towards Katie. “Her name’s Gianna, by the way.” 

He’s already walking by the time Katie thinks to respond. “You better gimme details on her, Garcia!”

“Only when you gimme details on you and Bobber!” he yells as a final farewell, just as the front doors cut him off with a loud clang!

Katie can’t help but groan. Can’t he at least give her the courtesy of some privacy before divulging the details of her love life? Apparently not. Nosy-ass.

“Boy, Fanboy’s in fine form today, isn’t he?” Bob’s come up behind her, hand brushing her shoulder blade to let her know that he’s there. 

She ignores the tingling she gets from his hand brushing against her and sighs. “You heard all that, huh?”

“Yeah… What was that all about?” 

Katie blows a raspberry with her lips, shakes her head. “He’s being nosy about this past weekend. He’s got money riding on you and me getting together.” 

“Wait…” Bob’s eyebrows furrow. “There’s a bet going?” 

“Five dollars that you and I become a thing in a matter of weeks,” Katie explains. She doesn’t even try to hide the wince on her face. “In my defense, I didn’t do shit to encourage him. He made the bet all on his own.” 

“Sounds like something he’d do,” Bob replies with a hum as he’s positioning his garrison cap. 

They’re outside now, making their way towards Katie’s 4Runner. The sun’s hanging directly overhead, beaming down and hitting Bob’s hair in a way that turns it to gold in the light. For a second, it’s all Katie can focus on, all she wants to focus on. Christ, he’s handsome…

She coughs after a moment. She hates to end it so soon. “Yeah, well, his competitiveness is making him badger me for money. He’s pretty well convinced you and I are a sure thing.” 

“Well, what do you think? Are we a sure thing?”

Katie’s breath stops mid-inhale. Oh boy. She should’ve known that it was going to come up; she just wasn’t expecting it to come up as soon as it did. 

She forces the air out in a small exhale, purses her lips as they climb into the 4Runner. “I think…” Choose your words carefully Katie… “I think we only just realized we have feelings for each other,” she says slowly. “And… while we’re figuring out where we wanna go with those feelings, I think I want to take things slow with you.” 

She’s half-expecting Bob to hang his head in disappointment, or to say something passive-aggressive in response - anything to suggest she’s in the wrong for trying to set boundaries and manage expectations. It wouldn’t be the first time it’s happened to her. 

To her surprise, though, Bob nods. “That’s more than fair. Certainly makes things a little less intimidating.”

When he says that, Katie’s not sure if he’s speaking for her, or for himself. 

In any case, she hums in agreement as she starts the car up - then smirks. “If last weekend was any indicator, though, I’d say things are heading in a good direction.” She reaches over, slips a hand into Bob’s, squeezes softly as her eyes meet his. “Wouldn’t you agree?”  

Bob gives her a grin and his own squeeze of her hand as a reply. Wholeheartedly, it seems to say. 

She smiles, cranks her music volume, and points them  in the direction of downtown San Diego. 

Likewise, Bob. 

Likewise. 

***

Tuesday morning is a timeframe like most others these days - early rise, quick rinse, fresh flight suit…

And coffee with Bob in his lodge room. 

At 0730 he’s in his usual spot behind the kitchen bartop, hand-grinding coffee beans and keeping a casual eye on the kettle on the stove, watching for steam. Equally, Katie is in her usual spot too, elbow on the counter, propping up her head resting in her hand, eyes on Bob, lazy, sleepy half-smile on her face. She likes watching him make coffee for the both of them. It’s soothing, a balm for the unpleasantness of waking up early in the morning. 

Beans sufficiently ground, Bob pops the cap on the grinder and dumps them into his French press. “This stuff smells phenomenal. Where did you get it from again?” 

“Y’know James Coffee over on India Street?”

“Oh yeah, those guys. Been meaning to check ‘em out sometime. How’s their coffee?” 

Katie nods. “It’s really good - kinda’ fruity. At least that’s what the guy who sold it to me said.”

“Yeah, I can tell.” Bob takes the kettle in one hand, wets the grounds with some water before giving them a stir. “You can smell the berries and chocolate in the beans.” He pours the rest of the water into the press, all the way to the top, then sets the plunger. “It’s gonna make a helluva cup of coffee, I can tell you that much.” 

He splits the resulting liquid between two white mugs, and hands one off to Katie, who takes a single long sip and hums serenely. Warm, toasty, and chocolatey.  Bob’s right - this is a damn good cup of coffee. 

“Dude, can I just, like… Take you back to Virginia with me when this is all over? Have you make me coffee everyday or something? Like goddamn.” She takes another sip of coffee, revels in the rich, fruity taste, the heat warming her insides, the caffeine flowing through her. “Seriously, I don’t think I can go back to my Keurig after this,” she says with a laugh. 

Bob chuckles as he comes around the bartop and takes the seat to Katie’s left. “I dunno. Big daddy Navy might have something to say about that, but” - he takes a long sip - “I’m sure we could figure something out.” 

“Eh, it’s nothing an SRC can’t take care of.” 

A shrug and a lip-curl of agreement. “SRC’s do take care of a lot of things.” 

“See? Problem solved.” Katie takes another pull of coffee. Right now she can’t get enough of it, it’s so good. “Just say that you’re, I dunno… establishing a coffee mess detachment in Norfolk. Y’know, something that says ‘mission critical’ and makes upper leadership happy.” 

“Spoken as if it’s actually gonna work,” Bob replies with a snicker. 

“Oh what, you think it won’t?”

“Trust me, I wish it would.”

“Oh, it definitely will. I mean, it’s gotta; I’ve got cute guy-supplied coffee on the line here.” 

Bob’s cheeks color, and there’s just the tiniest hint of bashfulness in the smile that crosses his face. “Cute, huh?” 

“Oh yeah.” She leans into him, hand running feather-light down his forearm before resting atop his free hand. “Very cute.”

Her heart still pounds in her chest when she leans in further and kisses Bob. She may be the picture of cool and collected on the outside, but there’s no controlling the anxious shriek of her nerves, the too-fast rush of her blood through her veins as her lips brush his, taste him. Kissing a man certainly isn’t a novelty for Katie, but… 

This is Bob Floyd she’s kissing now, and Bob, he’s… Well, where the hell does Katie begin? He’s…

Unlike anyone I’ve ever met before. 

She pulls back, surveys his face for a moment. Bob is blank-faced - dumbstruck, even. Clearly he wasn’t expecting a kiss this morning. 

“What about what you said yesterday?” 

Despite the hammering in her ribs, she sidles up next to Bob, leans until her lips are just close enough to brush the shell of his ear. Bold of her. VERY bold of her. “Just because we’re taking it slow, doesn’t mean I don’t want to kiss you,” she whispers. 

Katie can practically feel the heat coming off of Bob all of a sudden, can feel the goosebumps prickling across his skin. Hell, his breathing hitches for a second. So. Close proximity definitely has an effect on him. It’s a bit of a mean thing to do this early in the morning, but she’s definitely got his attention with that. She’s also fairly certain he’s not going to complain much about it, if he even complains at all. 

A moment later, Bob replies. “Well,” he says around a thick swallow, “thank god for that, because I haven’t stopped thinking about kissing you since Saturday.” 

He hasn’t? 

He turns back towards Katie, and picks up where she left off, nice, easy, no pressure. Unlike Katie, though, he doesn’t pull back after the one kiss. No - he stays there, wanting more, giving more. His hand comes up to cup her cheek, so nice and tender, and suddenly Katie’s the one with goosebumps. It’s so… intimate. It’s closeness that she hasn’t had, not in a long, long time. 

And it’s closeness that she wants more of. 

Her hands move of their own free will, creeping up to cradle Bob’s jaw, every bit as tender as the embrace he has her in, more more more please more - 

And then the soft rattle of a doorknob turning has them breaking apart and shoving away faster than they have time to process. Dashed is the moment of closeness, the moment of bliss that Katie was all too happy to let herself sink into - like a bubble bursting and fizzing into the ether.

The door to the left-side bedroom swings open, and out comes Rapture, swiping a hand down his sleep-riddled face, the very picture of ‘I’m up too early against my will’ as he all but stumbles into the shared space. 

He’s utterly oblivious to his WSO having kissed their fellow aviator all but two seconds ago, to the flushed pink tinting both their cheeks, their lips.  

And dare Katie even think it for a second, but she’s… annoyed by the sudden appearance of Bob’s front-seater. Very annoyed. 

“Pre-class coffee?” Rapture mumbles, to which Bob nods in answer. “Smells good.”

“Man, you have no idea. This stuff is amazing. You want a cup?”

Rapture all but moans. “Please.”

It’s a fight to keep a scowl from creeping across her face. Goddamn it Rapture, you couldn’t have done this earlier?

Bob seems to sense the thought running through Katie’s head, because his eyes dart to hers as he stands and goes to fix a cup of coffee for his front-seater - and if she’s reading the glimmer in them correctly, it’s definitely saying “I hear you.”

Perhaps he also had other things in mind before Rapture showed up. 

In an attempt to be conversational while waiting on the coffee, Rapture turns to Katie. “How’re you doing this morning?”

“Not too bad. Enjoying my one moment of peace for the day before other people see fit to destroy it.” The smile on her face is polite, but tight. Very tight. Pointedly tight. 

“Christ, that’s a mood,” Rapture mutters before taking the coffee Bob’s just passed to him and drinking, seemingly unfazed by the wording and stiff expression - and heaves a long sigh of bliss. “Y’think anyone’ll care if I take the mug with me off lodge property?”

“Uh… No?”

“Good. This is coming with me then. Fuck, this is good.” He takes another sip, smacks his lips, starts for the front door. “I’ll see y’all at the schoolhouse.”

Then, Rapture’s gone, breezing through the front door, leaving Bob and Katie to slump in the kitchen. Universe: one. Two romantically involved aviators: zero. 

“God bless my front-seater, but he has terrible timing sometimes,” Bob all but groans. 

“Yeah, tell me about it. S’pose we oughta’ follow his lead though and get moving; muster is in 15 minutes.”

“Yeah, you’re right; we should go. You driving or am I?”

“Eh, I’ll drive.”

“All right. Just leave your mug on the counter; I’ll wash it later.” Bob scoops up his notebooks and study material, dumps it into the black Navy-issued backpack resting against the kitchen floorboards, loops his arms through one of the straps, grabs his garrison cap off the counter. “Ready?”

“Whenever you are.”

“‘Kay. Let’s go.” 

They march down the hall towards the stairwell at the opposite end, strides long and purposeful, minds clear and focused now. At least, Katie’s mind is, no thanks to Rapture and his sudden interruption. It’s definitely for the best though; being half-dazed and delirious from a kiss while learning rigorous combative flight technique is probably not the best state to be in. 

They’re making their way down the stairs, boots all but thundering as they hit the steps, when Bob comes to a standstill right at the bottom. Katie’s lucky she catches herself in time; one more step forward and she would be tumbling over him. 

“You good there?” 

“Fine. Just forgot something, is all.”

Katie’s eyebrow shoots up. “Yeah? What’s that?”

Bob says nothing else - just turns and leans into Katie and kisses her, right there at the bottom the stairwell, one second, two seconds, three. When he pulls away, there’s a grin - a self-satisfied, mischievous one - on his face. “That. We’re good now.” 

“You’re so ridiculous.” Even though her eyes roll and her voice scoffs, her lips still curl upwards in a smile.

“Can’t help it that I like kissing you - and that I’m gonna take every chance I get to do it.”

And with that, Bob smiles broadly, nudges Katie in the shoulder, and pushes through the door into the lobby, leaving Katie to follow with her mouth in a silly grin and her face flushed. 

So much for having a clear mind today.

***

The outdoors call to Katie today, more than usual. It probably has something to do with today’s lecture and hop being on the more hellish side, but by the time everyone’s released for the day and she’s made it back to her room to change, the initial reason doesn’t matter all that much. She just has to get outside, and soon. 

She texts Bob and Fanboy as she’s swapping over to shorts and a sleeveless t-shirt. “Going hiking, y’all wanna come with?” 

Bob’s answer comes through almost immediately. “Sure. Where to?”

“No idea,” Katie texts, shrugging as she does, as though Bob can somehow see her reacting to the message. “You wanna pick?” 

As Bob takes time to ponder, another message chirps through - Fanboy this time. “Fuck it, why not?” his message reads. “Where we going?”

“No idea. Bob’s picking a spot.” 

“Cool cool. Bobber, where to?”

“Uhhhhhh thoughts on Bayside Trail? Two and a half mi roundtrip and it’s right along the ocean.”

Ah, a nice, quick oceanside hike. More importantly, a nice, quick oceanside hike at golden hour. How pretty - and romantic, Katie realizes a second later. 

Shit. Fanboy is definitely going to read into this now. 

She swears to herself, threads her braided hair through the back of the ball cap Bob bought for her, pulls it down tight on her head. She suddenly finds herself praying to the higher powers that be, asking them to please, for the love of all things holy, let her (and Bob, for that matter) have a nice afternoon without any prying questions from their friend, or (Christ) even so much as a sly sideways glance at the two of them. 

HA, she thinks, then groans. Who the fuck am I kidding? 

Much to Katie’s surprise, though, he doesn’t. In fact, Fanboy hardly says a damn word the whole time they’re together. Even when it’s an hour and a half later and she and Bob are drifting and talking to each other a good deal closer than most friends would, he doesn’t say anything. 

Maybe he doesn’t notice, Katie thinks briefly, right before shaking her head. No way. He’s noticed and he’s just choosing not to say anything. 

She all but confirms this when they reach the trail’s terminus and she snaps a picture of the three of them, standing high above the ocean in all its blue- and gold-hued glory, and goddamn it if Fanboy doesn’t smirk in the picture - smirk at her, more specifically. 

Yep, he definitely noticed. 

And he makes as much clear when he knocks shoulders with her on the return trip and murmurs to her, “Still think you’re not paying me that five bucks?”

“Yeah, when hell freezes over.”

“Y’know, that day might be coming a lot sooner than you think.”

“Fanboy, I’m gonna kill you.”

“Yeah yeah, only after you pay me.”

Insufferable, that one. Really and truly insufferable. 

And yet, Katie doesn’t have it in her to resent Fanboy. For as much as he pokes at and pesters her about it, for as much as it drives her damn nuts, they both know that there’s a point being made:

Something is brewing between her and Bob, something big, and to continue to deny it is a fool’s errand. Fanboy’s right, and not only does he know it, but Katie knows it too. 

…She’s still not giving him the money, though. 

***

She hasn’t stopped thinking about Tuesday morning. 

It’s been two days since then and her face still feels warm where Bob had laid his hand - tingly warm, good warm. A man caressing her face the way he did isn’t a novel experience to her - at least, it shouldn’t be; past boyfriends and flings have made similar moves in similar situations, but none of them affected her the way this one, this man, did. 

It’s made Katie realize lately how badly - how very, very badly - she wants Bob to touch her like that. To touch her in general. To run his hands over her face and her body and…

Her cheeks go from pale and freckled to burning and flushed in a matter of seconds. It paints a wonderful image in her head, but she scolds herself. They’ve only just started figuring things out; she doesn’t need to be having those thoughts just yet. 

But here she is, having them anyway. And she’s not in much of a rush to stop them. 

Hands on her face. Hands on her body. Hands everywhere she can think to put them. 

Oh god, she’s in trouble. She’s supposed to be meeting up with him in five minutes for some studying, and in his room, no less. How the hell is she supposed to manage that with the thoughts, the images racing through her head? 

Katie groans, tips forward and lets her forehead smack against the mirror in her bathroom. “Please, I am begging you,” she moans to herself, “get your shit together. You’re supposed to be taking this slow, remember?”

If only it were so easy to keep that in mind. 

She splashes some water on her face, wills her brain to stop racing and the flush in her face to disappear. The flush proves easy to dispel. The thoughts? Not so much. They circle and circle, over and over, and goddamn it, this is so not helping. 

It’s only when she forces herself to think of the most unsexy things in the world - namely, UCMJ articles and the Navy code of ethics - that she’s able to feel calm enough to handle things. She’s in control. She can do this. 

…Right?

Turns out that’s a lie - a big, fat one, because when Bob greets her in his doorway five minutes later, wearing a USN hoodie with the sleeves bunched up to reveal the tone of his forearms, Katie’s body goes hot and all thoughts of calm and control go flying out of her head. 

Did he have to wear something that shows off one of the best parts of him?

Thinking those thoughts about a friend of yours… Have you no shame?

For once, Katie doesn’t wince at the nagging little voice in the back of her head. 

“All right, I’ve got Thai food on the counter,” Bob says without a moment of hesitation. “I say we eat first and then dive into studying.”

It’s enough to snap Katie out of her momentary stupor. She nods in agreement and follows him through the doorway. “What’ve you got?”

“Summer rolls with peanut sauce, pork pad kee mao, and green curry with chicken. The pad kee mao’s good but if you’re not a fan of spicy, I’d skip it.”

“Well,” Katie asks as she takes a plate from him, “how spicy are we talking here?”

“Like a five, maybe a soft six out of ten.”

“Am I gonna be doubled over in your bathroom in twenty minutes if I eat it?”

“Eh, I don't think so. If you can handle last week's Chinese food, you'll handle this just fine."

Katie’s first response is to purse her lips in thought - then to take the spoon nestled in the noodles and dump a big scoop of them onto her plate. “Guess we’ll see how I’m doing in twenty minutes then.”

Luckily for her, twenty minutes go by without any issue (fire-coated throat and tongue notwithstanding). She makes a mental note to order from this place sometime after going for her second serving of pad kee mao and green curry. Or, better yet, to just have Bob make all her food decisions from now on. He hasn’t steered wrong yet and the food he’s picked out only seems to get better. 

“All right - so, what do we wanna go over?”

“I mean, anything and everything,” Katie shrugs, “but uh… Lecture notes? Lab notes? Flight observations?”

“Lecture was pretty dense today…” Bob flips open one of his many notebooks, eyes scanning through line after line of bullet points and side notes. “Wanna start with radar?”

“Yeah, let’s do it.”

And so it goes. Books are flipped open, old notes are thumbed through, new notes are scribbled down in the margins. For Bob and Katie, it’s the heaviest use of their brain power outside of the schoolhouse. 

Three hours later, at 2100, they sit side by side on the sofa in Bob’s living space, dialed into their studies while vaporwave drones in the background, poring over pages and pages of notes and analysis, over papers that lay scattered across the coffee table, over… Well, who really knows at this point? 

Katie traces a line of text with the tip of her pen, willing the words to, one: make sense; and two: stick in any way possible. Whether it’s due to the late hour or her own subconscious desire to stop learning for the day, none of what she’s reading is making much sense to her. 

Seems like there’s only one thing to do at this point. 

She sighs, turns to Bob, whose eyes seem to rove over the same paragraph repeatedly in his book. “Is your brain as soupy as mine or…?”

Bob snorts. “Katie, if you tipped my head to one side, I’m pretty sure it would fall out of my ear.”

Noted. 

“So we’re calling it for the night then?”

A nod. “Yeah, we’re calling it.” 

“Fair enough.” Katie flips her guidance book shut, tosses the pen onto the coffee table with a curt sigh. “Now what?”

“Dunno - we relax, I guess.”

“As if we don’t relax together every weekend?” Katie says wryly. 

“Ah, that’s different. That’s ‘morale is high and we have a whole day to ourselves’ relaxing. This is ‘stare at a wall and contemplate our life choices’ relaxing.”

“Seems a little sad, but I suppose you’re right.” Katie sinks back into the couch, blows a strand of hair out of her face. “I am kind of wondering what I got myself into here.”

“What do you mean?”

“Oh, y’know, wondering why I said ‘sure’ to my boss when he told me I was going to TOPGUN, that sort of thing. All it’s done for me is get my ass kicked.”

“Well, even if it is getting your ass kicked, I’m glad you’re here.”

“Glad someone is,” Katie replies with snark. 

“Hey, c’mon now, I am. You’re one of the few people keeping me sane here.” 

“Oh, is that why you’re so interested in me?” 

Bob only gives Katie a look that can be described as withering, but it’s hard to call it that when he can barely keep a smile from spreading across his face. “You know it’s for more than that.”

“I know. I’m just teasing. Oh man…”

Katie tips to the side, into Bob, her temple knocking into the curve of his shoulder. Bob, meanwhile, stacks himself on top of Katie with a sigh, cheek pressing into the crown of her head. His hand comes to rest on the inside of her leg, by her knee, but he doesn’t dare inch it up any further than that. 

It doesn’t matter. Even in a spot so unassuming, his hand on her knee is enough to send lightning ripping up her spine.

Hands on her face. Hands on her body. Hands everywhere she can think to put them. 

Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck. This man is going to be the death of her. 

“Guess it’s my turn to be the nervous wreck now,” she comments wryly, voice bordering on a rasp. 

She can feel Bob frown against the crown of her head. “Why do you say that?”

“Y’know how you weren’t able to stop thinking about kissing me? Guess it’s my turn now.”

“…Is that so?”

“Mm-hmm. Your hand on my knee is, uh, having quite an effect.” As if emphasizing her words, her knee gives a twitch beneath his hand. 

“If it’s making you uncomfortable I can take it off-”

“No, no. It’s…” Oh man, why are words suddenly hard? “I want you to keep it there. It’s… It’s nice.” 

“Yeah?”

She manages a nod, the words failing her this time. All she can think about - all that really matters - is his hand on her leg - that closeness between them. 

Oh, they’re playing a dangerous game now. Katie realizes it the second the thought goes through her head. After that first kiss in the aquarium, she’s realized just how starved for physical contact she’s been, and with Bob being more than willing to give it to her…

Oh yes - a dangerous game, indeed. 

And Katie can’t bring herself to care all of a sudden. 

She turns, curls into him with a long, soft sigh, face pressing into the curve of his neck. He’s warm - so warm, and it radiates through, soaks into her, and it damn near makes her hum. This. This is nice. Real nice. 

She drapes an arm loosely across him, nuzzles into Bob, seeking the heat of him. 

Bob is utterly still beneath her. 

…To hell with it. 

Katie removes her face from the crook of his neck - only to lean in, mouth slanting over Bob’s in a soft, questioning kiss. Do you want this? 

His hand slides up her shoulder, rests on her neck, pulls her closer, ever so gentle. Please. 

She obliges. More than that, actually; she pushes in hard, steals the breath from his lungs and replaces it with her own. She needs to be close to him, as close as humanly possible - needs to feel him in some way. 

And Bob? Bob meets her halfway every time she dips in, meets Katie touch for touch, kiss for kiss, sigh for sigh. His teeth prick down on her lower lip and tug it into his mouth, and it’s all Katie can do to clamp down on the heat surging between her legs. The thoughts from earlier resurface. She can’t get enough of the way he feels against her.

She needs more. 

She threads her fingers into Bob’s golden-brown hair, nails digging ever so gently into his scalp. It’s been a long time since she’s done this - shamelessly made out with a man, lost herself in the fog of lips and teeth and tongue. Lips that burn hot against her own. Teeth that pull her in close, into him. Tongue that tastes her. And god, is Bob good with them - better than she would’ve guessed. 

It makes Katie wonder what else he’s capable of… 

Makes her wonder where else he could make her burn and feel utterly breathless. 

Before she’s even fully aware of it, her leg is thrown over Bob’s lap and she’s half straddling him, body going through motions she hasn’t been through in ages, motions she’s all too happy to surrender herself to - that is, until Bob groans beneath her, and suddenly her brain catches up with the rest of her body and it all comes to a screeching halt. In an instant she’s pulling back, her breath frozen in her throat and her eyes wide in mortification. 

“Oh my god-” She shoves herself off, puts some desperately-needed space between the two of them. “I’m so sorry, I got totally carried away-”

“Katie-”

“I’m not trying to give you mixed signals or force you into something-”

“Katie-”

“I swear I wasn’t trying to-”

“Katie!”

Katie freezes, a deer caught in the headlights. Did she just royally screw things up? 

Her heart is hammering in her chest as Bob, with his mussed hair and flushed cheeks and full lips, reaches over and takes her face in both his hands, thumbs brushing over the lines of her cheekbones. “Look at me, look at me - it’s okay. You did nothing wrong.” 

“But- But you groaned and-” Why, why, why does she sound like a nervous high-schooler? Christ - she really is out of practice with this… 

Bob chuckles, and a bit breathlessly at that. “I can’t help it when I’ve got a girl practically on top of me, doing some real nice things to me…” 

“I, uh… don’t know if that helps.”

“Katie, it’s fine. I’m having the time of my life here. I mean…” His eyes travel downward, and Katie follows them, and… 

It’s the first time she’s looked at him since they started this whole thing - really looked at him. And now that she’s here, in this moment, there’s no missing the stiffness in Bob’s jeans. It’s a total rush of blood to the head, seeing how she’s affected him.

Katie lifts her head, light blue gaze meeting Bob’s newly dark blue gaze. “Do you want me to keep going?” 

“Oh god, more than anything, but…” He’s gentle as he takes her hands in his. “Do you wanna keep going?” 

The warmth pulsing between Katie’s legs all but screams ‘yes’ - but she finds herself sighing and drawing back. “Maybe we should hold back a little, or… I dunno. I think if we’re trying to take it slow and figure things out, this kind of isn’t the way to do it… Y’know?” 

“Yeah, you do have a point there.” 

She’s waiting for the 180, the moment when he tells her that he is, in fact, disappointed in her for stopping and guilts her into changing her mind. Only it never comes. Of course it never comes, because it’s Bob, and why on earth would he do that? He’s not one of the boyfriends of days past. 

And he’s certainly not her. 

“D’you want me to walk you back?” 

Yes, and lock us in my room and pin me to my bed and- “I appreciate the offer, but uh, there’s that slight risk of getting handsy again and uh…”

Bob’s lips quirk up in a smirk. “Well, who says that’s a bad thing?” 

The heat in Katie’s core flares like a sunburst. Whether or not Bob knows it, he’s making it damn difficult for her to want to slow this down. 

“I think I’ll walk myself back,” she answers softly - then smiles. “But thank you.”

She doesn’t give Bob a chance to convince her to stay, or even to reply; to do so would be to invite trouble - tempting, fun trouble, yes, but trouble all the same. 

She stands, gathers up her instruction binders and notebooks into her arms, her pens clasped in one hand, key card clasped in the other. “I’ll see you in the morning.” 

“See you.” His eyes remain locked on her, smoldering despite the easygoing, sweet smile on his face. It’s a look that sends heat blazing through Katie’s body. 

Yes, time for her to go. 

She turns, makes for the front door, slips through it, her steps silent. 

She’s certain she can feel Bob’s eyes on her long after the door shuts behind her. 

***

The walk back from Bob’s room to Katie’s own is a long one. 

At least, she tries to make it that way. She makes her steps slow and measured, takes the stairs down to the first floor, then all the way back up to the third, and makes her steps even more slow and measured going down the hallway…

All in an effort to quell the burning of her body, the burning between her legs. 

Something happened tonight - something big. Something earth-tilting. 

Something that makes Katie want to turn on her heel and march right back to Bob’s room. 

To finish what they started. 

She approaches her room, heart thumping, pounding in her rib cage, body aching - aching in ways it hasn’t in a long time. Christ, everything in the realm of intimacy hasn’t happened in a long time. It’s been years between partners - hell, flings - and now she seemingly has one again and everything in her just… aches. Yearns. 

Needs. Needs needs needs. 

There’s only one light on in the living space of her room. In the bedroom to the right, it is mercifully black, quiet - the perfect environment to help quiet the storm roiling within her. 

Hopefully. 

Her study materials are tossed into the living space without a second thought, the single light shut off with a paw of her hand against the wall. She slips into the bedroom, closes the door, takes the one, two, three, four steps to her bed before twisting and falling back-first into it. It takes minutes for her to adjust to the darkness surrounding her, to the stillness that comes with it. 

To the thoughts, the feelings it seems to invite. 

Katie knows full well that she is alone in the room, but the darkness seems to conjure shadows, figures. Figures that can move. Figures that can do things. Things to her. 

Things she had half a mind to do with Bob earlier. 

Hands on her face. Hands on her body. Hands everywhere she can think to put them.

They were definitely going somewhere before her thoughts had stalled her and pulled her out of the fog, somewhere heated. Katie had felt one of his hands trailing down her side, coming to rest on her hip, fingers flexing, gripping firm yet gentle. Bob had wanted her there, just as much as she’d wanted to be there, and…

The ache is back. And it’s between her legs again, warm and pulsing and wanting. She squeezes her thighs together, bites her lip at the pressure it creates. 

And it does nothing to alleviate the burning she feels. In fact, it intensifies it. 

She needs more.

She needs release. 

Somewhere in the five seconds it takes her to figure out what her body is desperate - screaming - for, Katie’s heartbeat goes erratic, off-sync and shaking in her rib cage. This. She really hasn’t done this in a long time. 

Her breath stutters out of her mouth in shallow breaths as she reaches down and undoes the button and zip of her jeans, pushes them down to a bunch around her knees. The cool air from the air conditioning nips into the skin of her thighs and she twitches, presses her legs together again, writhes when it gives her that sweet, warm pressure, those goosebumps prickling across her skin. They’re featherlight, almost like the barest brush of a hand. 

What Katie imagines Bob’s hands feel like, brushing ever-so-gentle across her bare skin. 

She can envision it: the long, delicate fingers, the soft tips, the veins running along the back, those beautiful, beautiful hands just… touching, tracing, whispering along her. 

Her hands move along the same trail he would take with his. They skim up the length of her quad muscles, drift up and across her hip bones, her stomach, the sensation like small bolts of lightning and heat on her skin. They continue upwards, nudging up the hem of her t-shirt, the band of her bralette, up and up and up, and they whisper across the swell of her breasts, now pebbled and sensitive in the chilled air of her room. Then, imagination has them moving back down, across the planes of her stomach, across her pelvis, and then her fingers alight along the lace edge of her underwear and… 

She contemplates leaving them on and simply pushing them to the side, or even just dipping her hand beneath and forgoing the extra movement. She has no need for it, for all the suspense and built-up tension and thrill.

But what would Bob want? What would he do?

Bob, Katie decides, would pull them down - not all the way, just to around her thighs, just enough to give him full view, full access. He would want to see all of her; Katie’s sure of it.

So, she inches her underwear down, grants herself that openness, that exposure. The cold air breathes across her, across the wetness of her, and she shudders at the sensation and fuck, she needs to touch herself now. 

Her fingers go low and drag upwards through her folds, arousal wetting the tips, and it’s bliss as they circle her clit, nice and slow and steady. She imagines it’s Bob doing it, that it’s his fingers circling her, rolling across her most sensitive parts. It could’ve been his fingers, his hands doing this, if she hadn’t let her brain catch up and she’d just let them feel, lose themselves to the pleasure, she thinks. 

No matter now. She’s in the dark, and here, anything is possible. Here, Bob can give her the touch, the pleasure, the release she so desperately craves. 

Somewhere in the back of her mind, deep in the recesses, a voice - a shitty, cutting one - hisses at her that what she’s doing is the height of crass, the height of disgusting, masturbating to someone she knows but isn’t quite involved with. She gives the thought maybe a half-second of consideration - and then decides that she doesn’t care, not as her fingers tease and touch and stroke softly. She finds that the voice deadens to a whisper the more she does it. 

Of course, Katie finds that it disappears entirely when she drops her hand fully between her legs and slips her middle and ring fingers inside, palm pressing against her clit as she curls into her own velvet softness, breath leaving her lungs in a gasp, because oh good god, she forgot how good this feels…

And then she thinks of Bob doing it and suddenly her body blazes. 

He had a gentleness to him when he touched her earlier in his room. The way his hands ran over her, sure and warm and soft… It’s that same gentleness she pictures, feels in the hand between her legs, that same soft touch that she writhes and arches against. 

Hands on her face. Hands on her body. Hands everywhere she can think to put them. 

It’s not long before heat, sinful and borderline unbearable, is pooling low in her stomach and her cunt is fluttering around her fingers, desperate for one more touch, one more stroke that will send her over the edge. It’s an effort to keep her moaning contained; she has to bite down hard on her lip to keep it from floating through the walls - but god, she can’t help herself. The things that run through her head, that she feels… In the dark, it’s Bob’s hand that Katie rides, his fingers that clench her bare breast, pinch and roll her peaked nipple…

And in the dark, it’s his thumb that drags up and presses into her clit, rolling and stroking across it, and it feels so good that it makes Katie want to sob, and… and…

It’s enough. She comes hard, a ragged cry tearing from her mouth as her body bows and spasms against the bed, against the hand still sliding into her, drawing out every last little bit of pleasure, until she finally collapses against the mattress, chest heaving with the intensity of it all. For something so… one-sided, it’s left her feeling spent - utterly mindless. 

A feeling she hasn’t had in a long while.

Haze quickly fills her, the sleepy, sated kind. Katie doesn’t even bother redressing, or crawling into bed properly. She shucks off her half-removed clothing and flings them into the darkness of her bedroom, to be dealt with in the early hours of the morning. Then, she pulls the nearest edge of the covers over her, and wraps, swaddles herself within them, warmth immediately seeping into her naked body and lulling her, easing her into sleep. 

Burning blue eyes are the last thing her mind conjures before she slips off into oblivion, warm, black, and depthless. 

@thestagsheadsblog @everything-i-love-in-life @docdetective @luckyladycreator2

[decent0distraction]

*sigh* ok

So-

Listen-

I-

….

I didn’t want to do this. In fact, I have avoided this particular alternate universe as much as I could. But I got bored in Bio and started writing this dumb little thing instead of making flash cards.

I may fail Biology but I’ll never fail making strangely angsty and intriguingly amusing Our Flag Means Death AU’s.

(Update: I got a C)

This AU is, drum roll please….

HIGH SCHOOL/CHEERLEADING AU!

Yeah, not my best pitch. But hear me out. Or don’t. I won’t know either way. [as]

Sorry, I’ll get to the point now.

Stede Bonnet is a rich kid at a rich private school, King George Academy, until he decides he’s going to the nearest public school, Queen Anne High School. His girlfriend, Mary, only finds out he’s breaking up with her and leaving when her friends message her asking if Stede has a brain tumor or something (sparking the flames of “Stede Bonnet died” rumor)

But Stede isn’t dead! No, no, he just committed social-suicide to…captain the Queen Anne cheer squad??

There’s two problems with this. One, there isn’t really a squad for Stede to captain. I mean, there’s a few students who need the extra credit, a couple that have nothing better to do, and some who need it for their college applications. So yeah, if you count a bunch of weirdos and misfits who have no cheerleading experience whatsoever as a squad, then yeah, Stede’s good to go.

The other problem is that while the school itself doesn’t have a cheer squad, a group of talented students travel to the only top schools and their best games to cheer the teams on. This squad-for-hire is captained by Edward Teach and his head cheerleader, Izzy Hands.

Stede likes to think he and Edward are the same, but let’s get one clear. Edward is a captain because his team is so good that no one sees the need to strap a teacher or coach to the squad. Stede doesn’t need an adult chaperone because no really gives a shit. That lot is a team?? Since when? Ah, who cares?

Got it? Cool.

But by the time Edward and his squad return to Queen Anne, the word has gotten out that a fancy private school twink has built a team that’s attractive in the way that ugly purse dogs are cute. Or something like that. You know, the circulation of the rumor mill at this school is very concerning.

Edward sends the best of his team, Izzy Hands, to check out this new squad.

Total mean girls moment when Izzy approaches Stede with Ivan and Fang, the two of them getting into it and the principal getting involved.

And the principal, who I haven’t put a character to yet but the idea of Spanish Jackie breaking up this fight like the principal in Mean Girls, yk

“Hell no, I did not leave East High for this” or was it north east high? Northeastern high? Someone fact check this quote, please? Thank you.

Anyway, whoever the principal is, they pause bc

Stede Bonnet?? As in father’s the inventor of the toaster strudel, that Stede Bonnet?

Or was it something else?

Who cares; the point is, why is this kid in this principal’s school and why are they just now finding out about it?

That’s not important right now tho because it’s become apparent that this school doesn’t have room for two squads so they make Stede and Edward co-captain one large squad. And since it’s clear this is gonna be a problem, they assign the weird old history teacher, Mr. Buttons, to chaperone.

(If I find the flash card I wrote on, I’ll update with any extra details I wrote that isn’t already on this post)

[jewishbarbies]

https://www.tumblr.com/jewishbarbies/756558301352902656?source=share

this is so relatable lol. But my parents were could be considered abusive by western standards so it might not be that relatable but yeah. Worst part was my parents would go through all my books, diaries, everything. I used to love writing when I was a kid and I used to want to write books back then. But my mother would do “random checks” in which unexpectedly when I was in the shower or not in my room, she’d take my school bag and all the books in my room, empty it and scatter the books, and go through each and every one of them with the hopes of finding… idk what. Already made fun of me and laughed and yelled at me for whatever she would find though. It wasn’t like I was writing anything bad or inappropriate at the time, but the more she did that, the less I wrote because writing was something I considered very personal at the time and it felt like my privacy was stripped from me lol. This started around the age of 7-8 and by the time I was 13, I never wrote another story again and threw away all my journals. She would do this with my phone as well, reading all of my texts and going through my apps because she didn’t trust me (her words). The last time I remember her doing this was when I was 16, but I suspect she still does it now. I journal now occasionally, but I have to either write my stuff in French or a made up language because she can’t understand French or the language I made up now lol. Unfortunately I still live with her. But yeah, she did this with all of my interests. And I hated when she would come to any of my school or sports events because she was always disappointed as fuck whenever I didn’t come first, and had cultivated an immense fear of failure in me ever since I was a kid, one that I’m still trying to rid myself off lol. It was so bad that there’s so many things I refuse to do because I’m terrified of failing lol.

Anyways, this was a random ass dump of information you didn’t ask for lol. Feel free to delete this.

my parents were the “don’t make me take the door off the hinges and throw all your stuff in a dumpster” every time i pissed them off kind of parents so i feel ya with this.

they were assholes about privacy. they rarely knocked coming into mine and my siblings’ rooms so they walked in on us all changing more than once and just kept doing it, refusing to knock bc it was “their house”. they were very militant about computers and phones, not necessarily always to catch us doing something bad but bc they just needed to know everything all the time. I once created a Skype account to join a text only group chat of teens back when i was a swiftie and my dad said i “broke his heart”, almost actually shedding a tear, by not asking them first so they “had to take computer privileges away” and laid the disappointment on as thick as they could, doing a homeschooled version of grounding.

when they found out i was writing a fic they didn’t like bc they were “suspicious” of me (with no proof of any wrongdoing just vibes apparently) and went looking, they made me delete the whole account and scrub the computer of anything related to it. I never had a diary bc i knew they would read it. as an adult with a bedroom door that actually locks, i still can’t put headphones on and play computer games bc of the deep fear of them walking in and getting me in trouble, even with innocent things. the doorknob can be unlocked from the outside with a penny or sturdy fingernail for safety reasons but i know for a fact my parents would open my door if they felt they needed to even without an emergency. there’s no trust there. my mom has been convinced there’s something “evil” (in her words) about me since i was 4yrs old which is ironically around the time my first memories of their abuse take place.

they were abusive in many other ways, some physically, but I doubt I’ll ever shake that feeling like I’m always doing something wrong no matter what it is and that people will get mad at me for it. that shit sticks with you the longest.