#yes I promise I'm returning to Glitch too

[sarcastic-pasta-games]

It's been 1 year since Truth and Consequences started production and what a year it has been! I taught myself how to program in a rather obscure game engine specifically to make this game, and I'm still just as excited about it as I was back then. I'm 2 cases in and I've already made a ton of content you haven't seen yet for the next two, and a bit for the two after that.

Taking a break from Glitch was so helpful to make me feel like I have the ability to be creative again and to be passionate about something else. I really do think some of what's to come is the best writing I've ever done. Returning to Glitch for a bit (yes I am coming back to it fairly soon, I have a lot of writing to catch up on), I realized there are a fair amount of parallels between the two games. I've hidden a bunch of Easter eggs for eagle eyed fans to catch.

With the Apollo Justice trilogy releasing next January, there really is no reason not to catch yourself up on the lore to play the game. Of course, this is a vastly different series, so not everyone will get into it, but I'm so immensely proud of this project and I hope I can release my next case in the coming months.

~Dev Lily

To celebrate, here are the new covers for each case so far, which will be seen when The Twin Turnabout is released:

Case 2: Turnabout Ladies Night

Case 3: The Twin Turnabout:

Case 4: The Shattered Turnabout:

Case 5: The Unconventional Turnabout:

Case 6: Turnabout of the Past

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

I'm sorry but i'm addicted to our boy Spamton- I have a little unique request here. So this takes place where Spamton just moves in the Queen's mansion, he meets the reader and immediately falls for their kind words and gestures. Weeks pass, and he goes to see them, but catches them talking and hanging out with Swatch.. He gets really jealous to the point of changing his style to match Swatch's

"Oh [y/n]! Have You Met Our Newest Guest?"

"Uh, I don't believe-"

"He's An Interesting Addison Who Made A Big Name For Himself! Ohohoho!" Queen laughed joyously, pausing to sip her glass of battery acid. "I Wonder How He Got So Rich...No Matter. As My Peon, I Order You Greet Him......Whenever It's Convenient For You."

"Sure thing. I'll go now." With a respectful nod, you set off to the mansion's guest chambers to meet this newcomer. You've lived here for a long time--and somewhat reluctantly since Queen decided to make you one of her peons one day. But life was actually pretty good.

It wasn't like you had anything better to do, so if she needed someone to help her with plans that..didn't seem all-that urgent, you'll offer your assistance. She let you stay in the mansion for free and never made you do anything if you weren't feeling up to it.

For a tyrannical ruler she was rather kind.

Yet you didn't wanna take advantage of her hospitality, so you'd just listen to whatever she says. And if she wants you to meet this celebrity as part of her endless lists of requests, then you'll happily oblige. But you were eager too since you've seen his face on TV a lot. It felt like an honor.

After wandering the corridors of deactivated puzzles, Mona Lisa-esque portraits, and meticulously-placed pottery, you finally arrived at the guest rooms. You hummed a small tune as you passed by each one, stopping when you noticed one door was open.

Peeking inside, you saw the Addison still setting up things. A phone was tucked between his shoulder and ear as he moved a box whilst rambling to whoever was on the other end of the line.

"Yea! I promise I won't let you down, okay? Soon I'll be bigger than ever before! I know I'm already a big shot but....haha, yeah, I shouldn't get carried away. Okay. Right..we'll discuss more of this tomorrow. Thanks!"

After hanging up the phone and returning it to the receiver, he finally noticed you and smiled. "Hey, hey! Haven't seen your face around here yet. But surely you know mine, right?"

"Yeah." You smiled, not wanting to shy away from talking with him. "Spamton, right?"

"Everybody's favorite number-one rated salesman!!" He laughed. "It's good you know me..'cuz soon ALL of Cyber World will know my name! It's a pleasure to meet you...?"

"[Y/n]. I'm one of Queen's peons." You shook his hand politely. The energy that radiated from him was so bright. Just as much as his pearly smile was.

Stepping inside, you glanced around at the luxurious furniture. He definitely got the higher-class rooms, with the addition of a large window that showed the neon green meridians that stretched across the night sky. It was certainly a beautiful view to fall asleep to. "Need help unpacking?"

"Oh--sure!!" At first Spamton seemed surprised by your offer, but he nodded. "If you want, be my guest. And while we unpack, I gotta ask you..how's it being Queen's peon?"

............

Weeks passed, and you've gotten to know Spamton more and more. You realized he was actually a sweet down-to-earth guy all around. Although he was on the phone a lot, he'd make time to hang out with you, so you two became fast friends.

He was truly living the best life. Posters of his car advertisements were littered all over the city, and the Swatchlings attended to his every need. Though one thing was hard to admit, even when it seemed like he had it all:

You were his only friend now that everyone else is intimidated by his status--as they would shy away from conversing with him--and the Addisons, well, abandoned him out of jealousy.

Obviously that made him worry about driving you away, especially when he's on the phone nonstop. But...the fact you've been so kind to him in every word and gesture, treating him like a regular person and not some untouchable celebrity, was quite endearing. Most admired him for his products, not his personality.

Your kindness made him fall for you hard and fast, ever since day one. He wasn't sure if this was a good idea; to let it get in the way of his business.

But what the hell? He was a big shot! He can afford to go a bit bigger and take more risks. Living in this mansion with someone who loved him would be the perfect dream.

There was a much bigger dream that his valued caller insisted he focused on, but that can come later.

So this morning, Spamton set out to find you to address these feelings once and for all. Yet he was rather nervous. Addisons were most confident in selling products, not so much...everything else. But he didn't wanna back down. He kept smiling no matter what.

As he checked inside the color café that he usually frequented, he saw you eating at the table. He noticed you weren't alone but with Swatch, talking and...

Laughing with them?

And just like that, his smile faded much like his hope.

Of course, the head butler had their ways to swoon people. He tried not to think of it as anything more than just their personality. It's just their way to entice returning customers.

That's all...right?

Spamton ducked behind one of the displays, listening in on your conversation to determine if he should proceed or not.

"By the way, we've known each other for a while and..I've always wanted to ask you something.."

"Yes? What is your inquiry?"

He held his breath. This is exactly what he feared. Knowing that you've been here longer, it's obvious you'd be closer to that damn bird-

"Your outfit."

Then he exhaled shakily, relieved. 'What are you getting so worked up for, idiot?' He thought in the back of his mind, but he continued eavesdropping.

"Did the Queen make it or give it to you? It's very stylish and really makes you stand out from the other Swatchlings."

"Ah, in fact I decided this look for myself." Swatch chuckled softly, raising a wing to adjust their glasses. "The tailor did marvelous work with my vision: black suit, tinted glasses. Very fashionable, is it not?"

"It is. I like it a lot."

"Why thank you. I see why our Lady Grace admires you. Just for that compliment, I'll give you a discount on any of our products in the gift shop."

"Should be every day if you ask me." You joked, earning another chuckle from them.

Seeing all of this and the way you two spoke like close friends was a jab in Spamton's heart-shaped object. 'So [y/n] likes people who stand out? Well I can stand out, too..' He thought bitterly as he stormed out of the shop without either of you knowing he was there.

Why should he settle with being a blank-slate Addison like the rest of them? He didn't consider himself one anymore.

Today, he told his valued caller, he was gonna be a whole new person.

It would help him get closer to both of his dreams, but there was only one on his mind now.

............

Later that night as you were getting ready for bed, you heard a knock at the door. You huffed in annoyance, assuming Queen needed you for something.

She had a knack for disturbing you at ungodly hours. But knowing better than to ignore her, you went to answer the door anyways-

To some strange black-haired guy in a black suit and white turtleneck sweater.

"Hi, um...can I help you?"

"[Y/n]? It's me."

"....wait....Spamton?"

"Yeah!" The salesman laughed, throwing his arms out and making a pose. "Whatdya think of me now?"

Perplexed, you looked him up and down. He ditched the lime-green pants, instead wearing white trousers. And his hair was slicked back. But what was most peculiar about him were his glasses, tinted with pink and yellow lenses.

Had you not known any better, you would've thought Swatch suddenly shrunk and became robotized.

"Cool but..you kinda look like Swatch a little bit. Was that on purpose?" You mused.

"...haha....yeah uh..funny story. Um.." He dropped the act, losing his trademark grin as he wondered how to explain himself and this sudden transformation. You could tell he wanted to talk inside the room, so you let him in and shut the door.

"I don't recall Queen mentioning any costume contest-"

"It's not a costume." He muttered, uncomfortably rubbing his hands together as he looked at you with sadness. "This is who I am now. The new me."

"..huh? You serious?" When he nodded, you frowned slightly. "I'm confused. You don't look like an Addison anymore-"

"That's the point...! I...I don't wanna be associated with them anymore. I decided to stand out, y'know? If you're gonna be a big shot, ya gotta stand out from the crowd!" He forced a laugh that sounded rather glitchy.

You didn't buy it. It wasn't like him to do this out of the blue.

"Spamton, why imitate Swatch of all people? And why out of the blue like this? I mean..I don't mind if you like their style. But I didn't even recognize you until you spoke."

Try as he might, he couldn't make any better excuses. So seeing that he was cornered made him finally admit his jealousy, overhearing your conversation with Swatch while he was browsing--when he really wasn't, but he didn't wanna come off as creepy.

His voice glitched further due to stress, accidentally blurting out some kind of...flirtatious term as he explained how much you meant to him since day one.

You weren't sure if he meant to say "hot single" on purpose. Though you were flattered that such a famous guy like him...actually had a crush on you, an ordinary Darkner who just fetched the Queen's stick wherever she threw it.

You found it hard to believe he thought of you that way..so you kept your own feelings buried. So to see that it's mutual was a relief, and it made you smile.

Spamton, on the other hand, was stressing the hell out. So much so he didn't even see your smile. He just saw himself being stupid the more he rambled on.

It was such a stupid, stupid reason to get insecure--to the point of changing his entire appearance without warning. All because you were friends with a butler who was doing their job???

How selfish can he get when he already had everything he wanted and more?

When he did acknowledge your small smile, he thought you were holding yourself back from laughing. But you had every right to laugh and call him a joke for thinking this will get your attention.

As he finished talking, he could see your smile fade and huffed. He waited for you to tell him how stupid he looks and to go back to being the plain old Addison you met.

Instead of ridiculing him you...hugged him?

At this point you were sitting on the bed together. Of course yours wasn't as massive as his was, but it was big enough for you two to share.

"Spammy, I'm flattered you like me in that way but...you didn't have to do all of this to get my attention. I promise there's nothing going on between Swatch and I. We're just friends. They're not replacing you or anything."

"I know, it's just.." Taking off the glasses, he set them aside before hugging you tightly, head buried in your chest. "I don't wanna lose the only person in this damn place who makes me feel like myself. Who loves me for me, not my success. And...I-I felt like I had to change something about myself to make sure of that."

"Well..you don't need to change anymore. I love you no matter what you look like."

He blinked, his face turning as red as his cheeks.

You could sense his embarrassment from the way he tensed up in your arms and chuckled, patting his hair softly. "Just..don't feel pressured to change for me..or anybody for that matter, okay? Or at least let me know if you're gonna change things up again."

"You don't think..I look stupid or creepy like this?"

"No. Honestly you look pretty handsome. Black hair suits you well."

Hearing those words made him breathe a small sigh of relief. He nodded and hugged you tighter.

His new looks were staying for good.

[spooky-draws-stuff]

"I'm very disappointed to tell you this news." Anti hissed, making the knife in his hand disspear. The strings tightened around Jackie's neck and he struggled to breathe. Anti kicked Jackie and the hero fell to his knees with a thud, his soft brown hair covering his eyes. The strings around his neck became loose, but tied themselves behind his wrists holding his hands together so he couldn't use them.

Anti then pulled off Jackie's hero mask and looked at it before throwing it on the floor. The lights in the room flickered before the power went out again. "Jackie, you're too useful for me. I can't have you wandering around freely. So...Look at my eyes and tell me....That you will help me...." Green swirls appeared in Anti's eyes. Jackie shook his head closing his eyes shut.

Anti sighed and Jackie could feel a gloved hand on the back of his neck, before the cold metal feeling of a needle pierced into his skin and the sound of a syringe being pushed down.

Schneep hurriedly moved his hand a way. "You can open your eyes now, Jackie" Anti spoke with annoyance. "Master, I have done what you have asked." Schneep smiled. Anti held a chocolate chip cookie container above the doctor's head. "Do you want this?" "Do you deserve this?" Anti taunted.

"Yes! That's mine! I deserve it! I'll always be your loyal puppet!" Schneep tried to reach for the cookies as Anti kept moving it away from him. Anti hit schneep on the head with the container of cookies before giving it to him. "Too early for your lunch break, but here you go anyway." Anti spoke flatly with boredom.

When Jackie opened his eyes, he looked frightened. He felt different, but couldn't explain why. "What did you do?" Jackie screamed in rage and disbelief. Anti's eyes glowed and he gave a smug grin. "It's something that will make you feel better. I promise." Anti glitched a Chef's knife into his hands. "Let's test this." Anti held the knife closely to Jackie's arms. "I'm going to cut you really slowly. So far you're not convinced that you are a puppet now, and that you will help me. I don't think you remember how an agreement works Jackie!" Anti's voice deepened, layered in hidden anger and static.

Jackie whimpered as he felt a cold blade graze over his skin, a pain that stung as small puddles of blood surfaced. "Let's see how long it takes for you to give me answers. Honestly, I could do this for hours. And I'm going to enjoy every minute of it. There's lots of ways we can figure this out. Do you like ice water, Jackie?" Anti's eyes blacked out before he glitched and his eyes returned to normal.

Jackie flinched trying not to look at Anti. Anti laughed. Schneep just watched this happen while eating cookies. He wanted to help Jackie, but he knew the consequences. It was best to ignore the problem, even if watching this was painful for him. After everything, he still cared.

Next part of story starts here:

"Marvin! Marvin are you okay?" Chase banged his fists on Marvin's cabin door. Storm clouds loomed overhead. Chase looked at the clouds behind him. Vines shot up from the ground. "Just leave me alone!" Marvin wailed in grief. "IT'S MY FAULT JACKIE IS MISSING!" Marvin sobbed. "Marvin it's raining please let me in." Chase felt water from the sky pour onto his hair.

The door slammed open and vines grabbed Chase's legs pulling him inside. The door blew away in the wind and more plants formed a temporary door. On the floor Marvin cried, his makeup smudged. "He asked if I wanted to get dinner with him...For his birthday. I said yes, but he never answered...The last message he sent...Doesn't make sense. It's not something he would say. It can't be...." Marvin tossed his phone to Chase and tore out the beautiful flowers in his hair.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE HE WOULD DO THIS!" Marvin punched the floor repeatedly and thunder cracked in the distance.

Chase looked at the text message with suspicion and quietly read it to himself. The message said "Goodbye Marvin, I'm leaving you. I've been worried lately. But I have a new friend now. Schneep doesn't want me anymore, so I'm running away. I've found someone who says they can help me." Chase looked at Marvin. "Marvin, you don't think?" Chase struggled not to cry.

Marvin stopped crying. "No...He didn't...He wouldn't believe....No...Don't tell me..." Marvin hovered above the ground. The rain stopped. "Jackie is stupid sometimes, but this is definitely something new." Marvin became calm. "Anti got to him. That's the only explanation. But why, why would he do this?" In a cloud of glitter a notebook appeared in Marvins hand and started to write something. "I have a plan. We're going to go find him." Marvin gave Chase a look of confidence.

[kammieceleek]

Cat's Bride Chapter One.

Tohru Honda always heard her classmates and cousin talking about the game Zodiac Lover. She was always more fascinated by the talk of a supposed impossible route in the game that broke everything if you tried to go down it. But she never played it.

Yet, when she dies in a freak traffic accident, she finds herself in the world of the game. She learns how to survive, and then she meets the one known as 'the most cursed of all'. And this was the one route in the game that she was the only person to take.

******

The prison was a dark and damp place.

She let out a shuddering sigh as she descended the staircase underground. She didn't care for how dirty it was, or the dampness that seemed to seep into her bones whenever she stayed down there too long. But she kept coming back every day because of the one prisoner held there, one who was said to be too dangerous for the outside world and needed to be kept far away from everyone.

She stumbled on the last step, catching herself before she hit the stone floor. Her eyes began to adjust to the dim light, and they landed on the young man in a cage before her. He lifted his head, his dull eyes brightening upon seeing her and he sat upright.

"You're back," he breathed.

"I always come back. Didn't I promise that?"

"Y-yeah, but a lot of people promise things and don't follow through." He turned away from her, and even in the dim lamplight she could see a blush on his cheeks.

He's so cute.

"Well, why'd you come? I already ate today, and cleaning's pointless."

"I came to spend time with you." She sat with her back against the cage. Vaguely, she heard him moving to put his back against hers as much as he could through the bars.

"You didn't have to come. I'd be fine on my own."

"But then you'd be lonely, and I'd be sad." He mumbled something under his breath.

"Do you… feel sorry for me? Is it pity?"

"It's hard not to pity someone who's living in a cage. But that's not why I keep coming back." She smiled even though she knew he couldn't see it. "You're kind, Kyo, whether you know it or not. You aren't a monster or a creature. You're a person, and one day… you'll walk out of here. And I'll be right beside you when it happens."

"Tohru…" His voice was breaking. She slipped a hand through the bars and his fingers linked with hers. Despite the chill, his hands were warm and she felt much less tired than she had when she'd made the journey down here.

They were silent for a moment.

"…I love you." His voice was almost inaudible, but she heard it.

"…I love you, too." She could feel his hand tighten around hers and her heart ached. This wasn't his fault. He shouldn't have been down there.

But he was the Cat, and to the Somas, that made him guilty.

They sat there, just being in each other's presence, not knowing how much time was passing. Eventually, he pulled his hand away.

"You should get back to the damn Dog's house," he said hoarsely, as if he were holding back tears. "They'll notice if you're gone too long."

"I'll come back." They turned to face each other and Kyo leaned forward. She followed suit, and their lips met between the bars.

I will come back. I had to come from another world to meet you, and I'm not letting you go. Not now, and not until there's no possible way for me to stand beside you.

She stood up and started walking towards the stairs. Before she reached the top, she cast one last longing look towards him. His eyes were on her, full of the same desire to be near her.

Then she was out in the moonlight, alone again.

Tohru Honda was used to being alone.

She'd lost her parents in an accident when she was in her first year of high school, and her grandfather had passed not long after. She'd been left to move in with her Aunt Yuna and cousins Kaori and Goro, none of whom were particularly fond of her. So she'd been left alone going through high school. She hadn't had any close friends, only being acquaintances with most of her classmates.

Back then, she'd tried her best to go along to get along. And on that note, many of her classmates had been obsessed with an otome called Zodiac Lover. She often listened to their conversations, and bits and pieces of the game caught her interest. Though it wasn't enough to get her to actually play it, it was fun to hear them all be so excited over people who didn't even really exist.

More than anything about the game, she was interested in an apparent glitched route within it. There was a character who, at first glance, appeared to be the tenth route in the game; however, whenever a player attempted to go down said route, the game would glitch and break until you restarted it. Then things would go back to normal. Kaori played it, too, and she complained that the developer needed to patch it out (whatever that meant) rather than leave it in. Rumors abounded as to the identity of this character, but Tohru graduated high school and moved out of her aunt's house and that was the last she ever heard of the game.

Then, one day, she was on her way to work.

It wasn't a normal day. Part of her wished she'd taken the day off, but rent would be due soon and she needed all the hours she could get. It marked five years since her parents had died in that accident, a train derailment that had claimed the lives of so many others. She'd go visit their graves after her shift, and then go see her grandfather's.

Would they be proud of me?

The rain poured down around her, making her feel sleepy and wish she'd stayed home even more.

She was so lost in her thoughts she didn't hear the screeching tires or the screaming of people telling her to get out of the way until it was too late. The headlights shone in her eyes and she squeezed them shut out of reflex. The pain was immediate as she flew through the air and hit the ground. She knew before anybody started tending to her that this was it. She was dying. Tohru Honda was going to be dead at the age of twenty without anyone to truly mourn her passing.

At the very least, she'd see her parents and grandfather again soon.

Y̴͚̺͊o̵̲͉͐͝ŭ̸͚.̸̜̈͝

…me?

Y̸̥̓̚o̴̥͋͜u̵͙͝'̷̯̪͘r̷͖̝͐ȩ̴͝͝ ̶̦̈́͋ť̷̺̬ȟ̵͎͊ȅ̵̹͌ ̵̢͐̌o̵̡̬͠n̵͉̎͛ͅe̵̹͓͂.̴͎͆͜

S̸͚͝a̷̗v̷̢̔e̷͉̎ ̵̻ḥ̵̇i̶̘͂m̴͕̔.̴̮͌

Save him!

Who are you?

He needs you. You need to find him before it's too late.

Who? Who needs me?

The most cursed of them all.

Tohru gasped as she opened her eyes.

To her shock, she was no longer lying in a puddle on the street. Instead she was kneeling in the hallway of a house of some kind. She certainly didn't recognize it… nor did she recognize the clothes she was wearing. Gone was her work uniform, and in its place was some kind of old-fashioned kimono. Like she was a maid in one of those awful dramas her aunt had watched near-religiously every day that she could remember.

"Honda!"

She jumped at the sudden yell of her last name and looked to see another woman in a matching uniform. The woman was older with graying streaks in her honey-brown hair, and she was clearly not pleased with Tohru.

"S-sorry!" Tohru gasped. "I'm so sorry!"

"Sorry won't get this place cleaned! The master's coming home today, and this house needs to be spotless before he does!"

"Y-yes, ma'am."

"Honestly, I don't know why the Somas even hired you. Lazy, good-for-nothing girl…"

Tohru felt her heart racing.

She'd never heard of the Somas before. They certainly weren't her employers. What was…?

Soma.

The name did ring out as familiar in her head. She tried her best to remember, and that was when she could see the name written on the screen of her cousin's tablet as she played out a game. And this same uniform, on a character in that same game that had enraptured so many girls her age.

She didn't want to believe it. But there was only one way to be sure.

Taking a deep breath, she smacked her cheeks in an effort to wake herself up. It didn't work. She was still there. Her eyes went to the bucket and rag before her, and to the dirty floor. Well, if she was stuck here, she might as well do something that was at least mildly familiar. She got to work, scrubbing the floor like she did back home and before too long it was as spotless as her apparent superior had wanted. The older woman returned and nodded.

"Good. I see you just need a bit of encouragement."

"Yes, ma'am. I promise I won't slack off again." It was just like dealing with her boss at work. Then again, this woman was her boss now.

"Good girl. Don't forget to wash up before you make the master's dinner. He's having a guest tonight." The woman gestured down the hall towards what was most definitely a kitchen.

Tohru nodded in confirmation and stood up, taking the bucket with her. She glanced down and realized that while her clothes and location had changed, her face was the same. How was this possible? She couldn't remember if there was ever a character like this in the actual game. Kaori would know, but Kaori wasn't there.

She let out a sigh and headed towards where her boss had pointed. The kitchen was largely empty, save for the ingredients, and she felt that sense of familiarity she had while cleaning. This was something else she could do. Cooking was one of her favorite ways to pass the time, and she hadn't cooked for someone else since she'd moved out of her aunt's house. So rather than dread or confusion, she felt excited.

I have to make the most of this until I find out what's going on.

Save him.

That voice again. The one that had spoken when she was struck by the car. Who did she need to save? Who were they talking about?

She shook her head. Right now, she had to cook dinner for the house's master and his guest, whoever they might be.

She rolled up her sleeves and got to work chopping vegetables. Everything was so similar to back home that it was startling. Sure, the tools were a little less sophisticated but they did the jobs they needed to do. And even though she'd never worked with a stove or oven like the ones they had here, she already knew that those kinds of things tended to do what they wanted depending on age or use, so she knew to check them often to make sure nothing burned and everything cooked properly.

"Tohru!"

She turned around to see another young woman in a maid's uniform entering the kitchen. The newcomer had golden blonde hair and she was taller than most of the people Tohru had ever known.

"Hi!" Tohru greeted her.

"Man, Hamasaki put you on this by yourself again? You've got to stop being such a pushover."

"I know, but… cooking's so easy! And it's fun!"

"If you say so. I just came to see if you needed a hand."

"I won't say no to some help! Could you put those veggies in the pot, please?"

"No problem."

Tohru suddenly felt awful. Obviously this girl was her friend, but she didn't even know her name! How terrible must she look to this person?

"Um… this is going to sound really dumb, but… who are you?"

"Jeez, cleaning duty's gotten to you. I'm Arisa Uotani. We've been friends since we got here?"

"Right! Sorry, Uo-chan!" The name slipped out so easily, as if she'd been calling the other girl that for years.

"It's all right. Hanajima and I know how spacey you get."

Spacey? Then… this Tohru Honda really  is  me?!

"So, er, do you know anything about the master's guest?"

"Not much. He's supposed to be a member of the main family, just like Shigure. All I know is he's supposed to be a real prince of a character."

"Oh, really? Well, thank you for your help. I've got it from here, if Hamasaki has anything else she needed you to do…?"

"Yeah, thanks. I'll see you later."

Shigure's the master of the house. I think he was Kaori's favorite route in the game. But a prince… I know who it is. Nobody would stop talking about him in school. It's Yuki. It's got to be.

There was no doubt in her mind now. She was in the world of Zodiac Lover, and as it stood, she had no way out.

[toonformers]

Part 7

Today's topic

Twinsies AU part 6

We left off on Sentinel in his high and mighty acting Magnus position, no longer happy after getting everything he's ever wanted. At first, the mech didn't know what to do. He tried training, which usually cheers him up, drinking a bit, reading, looking for a potential sparkmate. In the end, he decided to send his guards over to a small apartment in the middle class area of Cybertron, with a message for a special mecha in his spark.

Guard 1: *knocks*

Centinela: *opens door* May I help you?

Guard 2: Are you Centinela Prime?

Centinela: I don't go by that title. But yes, I am Centinela Minor.

Guard 2: You have been requested to speak with acting Magnus, Sentinel Prime. You will be escorted there effective immediately.

Centinela: Sentinel...wants to see me? *looks down kinda sad then goes back to a blank stare* The commander couldn't tell me himself?

Guard 1: He is busy in some government affairs. It's the reason why he asked for you. Sentinel Prime believes you can solve his dilema.

Centinela: Is that so? *sigh* Very well. Let's be off, then.

*In Fortress Maximus*

Centinela: *enters and salutes* Commander.

Sentinel, surprised: H-hey. I...didn't think you'd come.

Centinela: You are the acting Magnus. I couldn't say no.

Sentinel: Yes, you could. I'm just glad you didn't. *smiles* Ho-how are you?

Centinela: Well. And you?

Sentinel, sad: Honestly...heh...not good. You know how you said I gave up my life for something I would never get? Turns out you were right. I got everything i ever wanted but...it just...wasn't the same doing this on my own, compared to all the effort we did together to get our head start in our futures. I can't believe I was so stupid.

Centinela: You are not stupid, Sentinel. Just less intelligent. You were also young and power hungry. I can understand why you reached such a point of desperation.

Sentinel, sad: Don't try to make me feel better. It's not right. I was a bad friend, to both Elita and Optimus and I was a horrible brother to you. Nothing can justify what I did back then.

Centinela: You're right. But forgiveness is still achievable. No matter how bad your actions are.

Sentinel, tearful: Do you hate me?

Centinela: No.

Sentinel, angered: No? Then why does it feel like I'm talking to a wall? You're not reacting at anything I say, you've just been staring at me! What's wrong? Listen, I want to make things right, but I need some kind of way to know it's getting through instead of your analysis. Please.

Centinela: *stares blankly*

Sentinel, angered: What is it?

Centinela: You don't know.

Sentinel: Know what?

Centinela: I...I left you a message in your comm link. Did you ever listen to it?

Sentinel, sad: Honestly...no. I wanted to, recently. But I thought it would be better if we spoke like this. Instead me listening to such an old message and calling back.

Centinela: Sentinel, I reccomend you listen to it. Please

Sentinel: *actives comm link* Override 1139. Play message.

Computer: Playing. "Sentinel. I hope you're well. I wanted to speak with you, but it seems that you're busy. I wanted to let you know that Perceptor is reducing my personality to 20%. I won't be able to feel unless it's in an intense situation..."

Sentinel, shocked: What! No. *looks at Centinela* You...you didn't. You couldn't have.

Computer: "I'm sorry for what I said to you. And I forgive you for what you said to me. And that no matter how much you may hate me or how much we'll fight in the future, you'll always be my brother. And I love you, Sentinel. I love you, brother! I love you! I-I love you! *voice becomes more monotone* I...love you! I....love you. I love...you.... Goodbye, Sentinel." End of message. Goodbye.

Sentinel, crying: Tell me this isn't true. Please tell me this is some sick prank!

Centinela: I'm sorry, brother.

Sentinel, crying: Oh, Primus. No. No! What have I done! Oh no! No! *hugs Centinela* No please! Centinela! Oh Primus, it's all my fault! What have I done to you?! Oh, Centy, I'm so sorry! I'M SORRY! *sobs loudly* Please, no! Please! You have to be in there! Give me a sign, anything!

Centinela: .... *hugs back*

Sentinel, crying: Centinela?

Centinela, crying: You idiot. I told you I couldn't feel unless it was an intense situation. You're bringing back my pain!

Sentinel, crying: Good! Tell me how I caused it. How I made you suffer! How I should pay!

Centinela, crying: You've already suffered enough, you glitch! I just want my big brother back.

Sentinel, crying: And I want my sis to feel again. *lets go of Centinela and contacts Perceptor* Preceptor, I need to speak with you. Immediately.

Hours later

Perceptor: I apologize, commander. But as I previously stated, what's been done to Centinela is irreversible. I cannot, even if I wanted to, restore her personality to it's original state.

Sentinel, angered: No, there must be something you overlooked. We...I can't just leave her like this!

Centinela: Sentinel, let it go. There's nothing you can do for me now.

Sentinel, angered: No! I'm the Magnus! I decide when we should give up! Remember when we were newborns, that we could somehow talk to each other with our thoughts?

Perceptor: *whisper* what?

Centinela: I remember.

Sentinel, angered: Well I remember I emerged out of that artificial chamber thing first, telling you to wait for me to see if it's safe, and you didn't come out until after I said it was safe. I promised I would protect you from any harm that comes to you! And if I have to save you from something you did, because of MY mistakes, so be it!

Perceptor: If I may... Sentinel Prime, you said you and Centinela could communicate through your thoughts, correct?

Sentinel: Yes. We used to talk like that all the time, but it faded away as we got older. Why?

Perceptor: Centinela, are you aware of split spark convergence?

Centinela: Yes, the ability of split spark mecha to share their minds among other things when in peril. But that only works when the convergence persists until adulthood. Me and Sentinel were children when our convergence stopped.

Perceptor: A common misconception. Split spark convergence is permanent, and even when it feels it has faded, it can be reactivated temporarily through processor stimulation.

Sentinel: Less, sciency talk, more English. What does this have to do with me and Centinela?

Perceptor: If I can stimulate you to share your mind with Centinela, I may be able to transfer some of your emotional capability over to her. Of course, as I previously stated, this process is permanent. I cannot return whatever you wish to give to Centinela. So consider deeply how much you wish to give her-

Sentinel: Easy, all of it!

Centinela: You can't, you'd become a drone.

Sentinel: Alright, then half. 50%. I'll be just like you when it's over. I'll know how you felt. Perceptor, do the procedure now, please.

Perceptor: Yes, sir.

Two hours later

Perceptor: Like last time, both of you will have two minutes in your current emotional state. Sentinel you will experience a sudden drain to 50% emotional capability, and Centinela, an increase to 70%. There is still time for you to consider, Commander, giving a lower percentage before I close your helms.

Centinela: Yes, brother. Once this is done, you will be just like how I was, emotionally.

Sentinel: What's so bad about that? Besides, you'll make better use of my emotions than I ever did. *smiles*

Perceptor: Very well. *closes helms*

Sentinel: We'll be much better after this. I promise. I'm gonna make things right.

Centinela: You already apologized to me, to Optimus. Ultra Magnus will most likely never recover from his wounds, so it's too late to confess to him. What more can you do?

Sentinel: ....I...will replace every bad thing I've done with a good one. By being the best Magnus this planet can have. I will be kind, fair and just. And you will help me get there.

Centinela: *smiles slightly* Sounds good. You sappy idiot.

Sentinel: *chuckles then laughs* *laughter fades* I...I love you too, sis. *smile becomes less noticeable*

Centinela: *big smile, sighs* It's done. You okay?

Sentinel: Yes...I feel a little weird. But I'm fine.

Centinela: Good. We'll make good use of that 50%, won't we?

Sentinel: *slight smile* Hmm. Yes. Thank you, Perceptor. You may leave. I will later publicly announce the changes I've made. And from now on Centinela will be the new head of Cybertron Intelligence. You may go to her for any information you need.

Perceptor: Yes, sir.

FINALLY I'M FINISHED! I wanna do an epilogue tho 😔👉👈

I'll do one later. For now enjoy this last segment of the Twinsies AU. Hope ya liked it, cuz I sure did!

Fun fact: I cried while writing this haha

Part 5

Part 4

Part 3

Part 2

Part 1

[bumblesimagines]

Other, other, OTHER dimension

Request: Yes or No

If you're favorite color is black then your suit is mostly black with red (similar to Miles).

Let's do this again, folks. My name is (Y/N) Parker. I was bitten by a radioactive spider and well... Became Spiderman. You know the rest. Saved my city a couple of times with my dad until he retired, got a boyfriend but it didn't work out, and I found my passion in painting. While working on a new piece, something weird happened. Weirder than dad's cooking. I got tossed into New York but... A New York that I wasn't familiar with. My spider-senses told me to visit Aunt May, so, here I am.

Peter stared long and hard at (Y/N).

"You're... My son?" He whispered. (Y/N) nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. Peter stepped closer.

"I have a son.." He whispered to himself. Gwen watched them with soft eyes.

"You're a great dad, at least in my dimension. You have another kid on the way too, a baby girl that you're gonna name Gwen.. After my godmother." (Y/N) said, eyes flickering over to Gwen. Her eyes widened, a mixture of emotions being exposed. (Y/N) reached up, pulling his black and (F/C) mask off. He heard an audible 'woah' from Miles. Gwen snorted causing Miles to look away, flustered.

"I get that a lot, don't worry." (Y/N) grinned, sending Miles a wink.

"You get that from your dad." Peter said, pulling his sweats up.

"Right..." (Y/N) poked Peter's belly. Peter chuckled, rolling his eyes. (Y/N) shifted his attention onto Miles.

"Nice suit." He commented, watching Miles become even more flustered. Peni awed, watching them.

"Alright, lovebirds, let's get back on track." Peter said, crossing his arms but he held a soft smile.

"The only way back home is through that collider gismo. The only problem is-"

"One of us has to stay behind to destroy it." Noir and Ham explained.

"I'll do it." All the other dimension spiders said in unison.

"No, no, no, you guys don't get it." Miles shook his head.

"Don't get what-" Peni was cut off, as she and the other dimension spiders glitched and fell. (Y/N) groaned, rolling his shoulders.

"Feels like electrotherapy." He mumbled.

"How do you know?" Gwen questioned.

"Long story." (Y/N) replied, pushing himself up.

"You guys can't stay here, you'll die. I'm the guy who's gonna stay behind and I'm gonna get you all home. Look, I made a promise. So, I have to keep it." Miles explained, watching them. A beat of silence passed.

"Who are you again?" Noir asked.

"This is Miles. He's gonna save the multiverse!"

"Yeah, man."

"This kid can turn himself invisible. Watch this. He's gonna do it... Now!" Peter B encouraged. Miles cringed, groaning softly.

"I can't do it on command."

"He can't do it on command, but, it is cool. Show em' the zappy thing!" Peter B said, looking like a dad trying to show off. (Y/N) couldn't help but smile. Peter B was just like his dad. Just thicker. Miles tried again.

"Can't do it on command."

"He can't do it on command, but he do so many other cool things, like..."

"Just those two things."

"Just those two things!" (Y/N) snorted, shaking his head.

"Aw, no.." Ham mumbled.

"I've seen him in action. He's got...potential." Gwen said. (Y/N) gave Miles a reassuring smile.

"We've all been in your spot at one point, Miles. You'll send us home, I know you will." (Y/N) said, watching the boy. Miles gave a soft smile in return.

"Alright, little fella, King Pin's gonna send a lot of mugs after ya. I'm talking hard boys, real biscuit boxers. Can you fight them all off at once?" Noir asked, raising his fists. Miles copied him.

"I haven't actually fought anyone-"

"Surprise attack!" Noir dropped down, swiping his feet under Miles and knocking him down.

"Can you rewire a mainframe while being shot at?" Peni asked, tossing a chip at Miles.

"I.. Lowkey can't do that." (Y/N) mumbled.

"Can I what?" Miles stood up.

"Show me!"

"Surprise attack!" Noir knocked Miles down again.

"Can you swing and flip with the grace of a trained dancer?" Gwen asked.

"Can you balance a normal life and a hero life?" (Y/N) asked, helping Miles up.

"Can you close off your feelings so you don't get crippled by the moral ambiguity of your violent actions?" Noir asked next.

"Can you help your aunt create an online dating profile so she can get out of the dang house for once?" Aunt May asked. (Y/N) and Peter B shared a look.

"Can you float through the air when you smell a delicious pie?"

"Can you be strong?"

"Ruthless?"

"Disciplined?"

"I don't know. Maybe?" Miles stared at the other spiders. They started to overwhelm Miles, it was clear as day.

"Guys, come on." (Y/N) crouched down by the poor boy, gently grabbing his arm.

"(Y/N), come." Noir called him over. (Y/N) sighed, looking at Miles.

"Sorry about all this.." He apologized before jogging over to the other spiders. (Y/N) heard a clank and turned his head, watching the platform rise.

"He's just a kid!" (Y/N) turned and glared at the other spiders.

"I still have trouble being Spiderman! Give him a break, he's new to this." (Y/N) huffed.

"We know, (Y/N), but.. We can't take the risk." (Y/N) sighed softly at Gwens words. They headed up to Aunt May's house and waited for Peni as she worked on the chip. Noir entertained himself with a rubix cube while (Y/N) looked out the window.

"What if-"

"Relax, (Y/N). Miles is fine. He's probably clearing his head." Peter B said. (Y/N) nodded, heading towards the door.

"I need to take a breather-" Miles burst in through the door, arms wrapping around (Y/N).

"Miles-"

"My uncle! My uncle, Aaron! He's- He's the Prowler! He tried to kill me!" Miles exclaimed. (Y/N) frowned.

"That's a hardcore origin story, kid." Noir commented.

"It's okay, we're gonna figure it out." Peter B assured. (Y/N)'s spider senses went off and he pulled his mask on. The doorbell rang before a weird tentacle broke the door.

"Aunt Liv?" (Y/N) questioned. He glanced at Aunt May.

"I guess you two aren't married in this dimension.." He mumbled.

"Miles, get out of here." (Y/N) ushered. Miles nodded, trying exit but a tall guy entered. (Y/N) huffed. A fight quickly ensued. (Y/N) grabbed the chip when it was taken out of Peter B's hand but (Y/N) dropped it when Scorpion used his tail to slam him against the staircase. (Y/N) shot a web at his eyes, using the distraction to jump up and punch him. He grunted when Aunt Liv, or rather, Doc Oak wrapped one of those odd tentacles and threw him against the ceiling.

"My poor back..." He whispered, nodding to Peni when she helped him. They all ended up outside with Scorpion chasing after Gwen and (Y/N). The two got some space before kicking Scorpion back. They highfived before rejoining the fight. (Y/N) spotted Miles on the rooftop, being held by his neck.

"Mi-" He grunted, getting grabbed by Doc Oak. He heard a gunshot and show multiple webs at her before jumping up onto the roofstop. (Y/N) shot a web at King Pin, sticking his hand to the wall before Peter B kicked him.

"Miles, go!"

[delta-roseblr]

I would love to read something from John's POV about when he figured out Dean was also bi and then him coming out to his son. Sorry, I just love the Solace's drama, and you're the only one proving me with anything good in that department. (Which is why I'm rereading Normal Lives. Again.) Xxx

Hello!

So this is only going to cover part of your prompt. John figuring out about Dean’s sexuality happens a lot sooner then him coming out to Dean about his own. Hopefully you still enjoy!

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

Sounds in the distance amplified by John’s half hungover and boozed soaked brain was enough to bring him to at least semi-consciousness. It still took him a solid minute to realize that he was sleeping on his own couch. It took him another minute to remember he wasn’t supposed to be there.

For one, he really didn’t remember getting home the night before which normally wasn’t the best of signs. That memory glitch aside, John knew he wasn’t supposed to be home. The night before had been Dean’s prom, and John was pretty sure he had a date, not that Dean had really admitted that. Dean had been weirdly secretive about his personal life lately, and John was still in the giving him space phase. If Dean started to do things that were concerning, John would push for information, and until that he would let Dean have his privacy. Part of that was John promising to not be around that night so Dean could bring home his date (not that he admitted to having one) if he wanted.

He had fucked up, that was for sure. The last thing he remembered from the night before was the bartender giving him a free tequila shot. He wanted to blame the bartender, but he had been kind of hot (but a little young for John’s taste), and at this point in his life John knew nothing good ever came from fucking tequila.

John sat up on the couch, and he would have fucking sworn he felt his blood rush from his head even before the room started to spin. The living room did the merry-go-round thing for a few seconds which was unpleasant, but in the end, was infinitely better than the headache that replaced it.

Reflexively he groaned and put his head in his hands in an attempt to hold in his brains which felt like they we're trying to beat their way out of his skull. It didn’t go away, but it did subside enough for the sounds of shuffling in the kitchen stood out. Dean was going to be annoyed with him, that he knew, but in the end, he was a good fucking kid. A better kid than John probably deserved. He would yell a little, sure, but he would also make coffee and potential breakfast and he would get John ibuprofen.

John pushed himself to his feet and then stopped as the world momentarily spun again before stumbling toward the kitchen to see what Dean was up to. His vision was still a little blurry from just waking up and he was sure the stink of cigarette smoke and booze that was radiating out of his clothes from the bar the night before wasn’t helping with that any. So he was still wiping the sleep from the eyes as he entered the kitchen and spoke to the blurry figure rummaging through the cabinets, “Please tell me you’re making coffee, kiddo.”

The sound of something heavy and plastic hitting the floor accompanied by an aggressive curse was enough to clear John’s vision fast and it was quite the sight he found. For one, there were coffee grounds spilled across the kitchen floor. For another, the guy that was standing in his kitchen wasn’t Dean.

The guy- no, the kid- standing there looked to be about Dean’s age which John had to admit was a bit of a relief. Oh, the kid was shirtless which was the reason those hickeys were visible. He was standing there in just some snug briefs and looked to be in impressive shape (Go, kiddo!). He looked to be on the shorter side, but John had been six feet since he was fifteen, so he always struggled to tell people’s height. Everyone that was shorter than him fell in the short category in his mind. The guy had dark hair, striking yes, even if John really couldn’t make out the color, and a medium to light complexion. Similar to his obviously athletic physique, his facial features were classically handsome. All in all, the kid was good looking even as he stared at John in shock and complete panic.

“You’re not my kid,” John observed matter-of-factly. It wasn’t his most eloquent moment, but it was the best he could come up with considering he was hungover as fuck and his head felt like it was going to fucking explode. He was pretty sure going with his first instinct and making a joke about him being the secret Dean has been keeping wouldn’t help the kid’s obvious panic. This was the fucking south! The poor kid was probably terrified John was going to pull a gun on him or some crazy shit. John knew that shit from personal experience.

John waited as the kid’s eyes darted around the room for a few seconds like he was assessing the situation before they settled back on John standing there. He seemed to find at least some level of composure which was impressive considering he obviously wasn’t feeling very composed. “Ay, no, I’m not,” the kid admitted. The nerves were still there but John was impressed with how he was holding it together. John probably would have jumped out a window put into the same position at his age. A half a second of silence passed and that was apparently too much for him. He gave a painfully awkward wave as he greeted, “Hi.”

“S’up,” John returned with a nod.

He almost said the name. The name Dean had been saying near-constantly since the summer.

Felix. 

If John had to guess the kid standing in front of him had to be Felix. There had always been something about the way Dean talked about Felix. John recognized it from his own youth even if he didn’t dare point that out to Dean at the time. Dean would have to figure that out for himself if that was the case, and John didn’t think pushing it would help things any.

John was about as positive as he could be, without Dean directly telling him, that his kid felt far beyond friendship for this Felix kid. The only reason John didn’t call the kid in front of him by the name he suspected was his, was that he couldn’t be sure. Dean could have struck out and ended up with someone else and he didn’t want to torpedo Dean’s chances with someone else.

Luckily for the kid, John didn’t care even if he was a little hurt that Dean didn’t feel comfortable telling him that he was gay. The kid clearly hadn’t picked up on that and he still looked like he wanted to literally run.

From down the hall, Joh heard a door open and the sounds of approaching footsteps. Within seconds Dean appeared in the doorway. “Is everything-,” Dean started but stopped mid-sentence the moment he noticed John standing there. The look that spread across his face was far from a happy one. “ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!?!”

The expression on Dean’s face alone should have been warning enough but John was still taken by surprise by the yelling. It was the last thing his throbbing head needed either. It was almost reflex to bring his hands up to protect his eyes, and if need be, hold his head together because it really did feel ready to split in two. “Oh, kiddo, not so loud,” he requested in a whisper.

“WE HAD A FUCKING DEAL! YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE!” Dean continued to shout because apparently, he couldn’t appropriately convey his obvious rage quietly, “WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK!?!”

John closed his eyes but that didn’t help his headache or with the intensity of Dean’s shouting. He cracked open an eye and held out a hand as a sign of surrender because at that point Dean had most definitely won and started to plea, “Kiddo-,”

“I DON’T GIVE A FUCK THAT YOU ARE HUNGOVER!” Dean cut him off sharply and just as loudly. “YOU CAN’T BE HERE!”

Dean was a pretty laid-back kid from birth, but he still got annoyed when John drank too much or if he forgot to pay a bill. This wasn’t the first time Dean had gotten angry enough to yell at him. In this case though, the reaction seemed so out of proportion. Dean couldn’t possibly think John would care if he was gay. That would be laughable especially considering John couldn’t exactly call himself straight. Dean didn’t know about that but still, he had to know John wouldn’t care.

John just didn’t have the energy to fight, and he couldn’t tell Dean not to be pissed because they had had a deal, but all the yelling was a bit much. “Alright, now you’re just being dramatic,” he pointed out with a sigh. He tried to rub his temples which seemed to help his headache at least a little. “You really don’t need me out of the county to get laid, do you?”

Really all John wanted to do was calm the situation down a little bit, end the yelling, and get everyone to relax but that statement had the opposite effect. John could practically feel the panic in the room increase tenfold. Dean was still angry but even he seemed to have shifted his focus. What they honestly thought John was supposed to think considering the situation. Dean’s “friend” was standing there in nothing but his boxers with clear signs that he had gotten laid all over his body, and Dean wasn’t much better in just sweatpants with a pretty fucking obvious hickey on his collarbone. They had obviously fucked around, and good for them. Getting laid was practically a quintessential part of prom night, or at least that was John’s experience.

“No,” Dean friend interjected with practically zero confidence as he did. As soon as the attention shifted to him the kid seemed to get even more uncomfortable. He pulled his arms over his chest like he was embarrassed by his level of nudity. Kid had nothing to be ashamed of there, that was for damn sure. “We’re not-” he started, looked at Dean, and then immediately rethought what he was saying, “I mean, we didn’t-” the poor kid stopped again. He clearly realized he wasn’t coming across as anywhere close to believable and was panicking. After a couple of seconds of fumbling to find an excuse or something, the kid did something John could really appreciate. He cussed.

“Ah, yeah, so I can explain,” Dean immediately chimed in. He was suddenly much calmer, and John recognized it as Dean shifting into problem-solving mode. “So Felix ended up crashing here because of his date-”

John laughed. He didn’t really mean to but the moment he realized the Dean was actually going to try to feed him some bullshit excuse for why there was some attractive high school athlete in their kitchen, he couldn’t help himself. Thing was, John was sure that Dean could be what people would consider a good liar, but he just knew Dean too well.

“Are you seriously going to lie to my face right now?” he asked even though he knew the answer was yes. It really was funny except John thought Dean didn’t lie to him about anything, and he was a little hurt that he was trying to. Of course, he also couldn’t help but think of himself at Dean’s age, and all the secrets he had. John liked to think that he kept secrets for reasons Dean shouldn’t have had, but maybe keeping secrets was part of being a teenager. That thought was both stressful and nauseating. “You know what, I probably deserve it,” he conceded as he brought his hands up to scrub at his face, “I was a lying piece of shit as a teenager.”

“I have no idea what you are trying to say,” Dean declared flatly.

John didn’t know if he should be impressed or hurt by how much Dean was really digging into the lie. It was something for discussion that was for fucking sure but maybe not in front of Dean’s still panicked friend. John’s throbbing head probably wouldn’t help the situation any either. “Kiddo, I’m going to be honest,” John started as he pushed off the doorway he had been leaning on and stumbled to press a hand on Dean’s shoulder, “I’m still a little drunk from last night, so I’m not really in the condition to do this with you.”

Dean rolled his eyes as he grumbled, “Shocking.”

“Oh, and we’ve switched to sarcasm.”  Sarcasm wasn’t great but it was at least a sign that Dean was cooling off a little. It also more than likely meant that there was a lecture in John’s future which was less than thrilling. He could have probably let it pass because it wasn’t like he got bothered if Dean got a little mouthy. Hell, the kid had a right to do it far more than he ever did. Of course, keeping his mouth shut had never been John’s style.

He gave Dean’s shoulder a couple of pats as he continued, “So, tell ya what I’m going to do? I’m going to go to my room and pass out, and you two can have the rest of the house to finish your date or whatever.”

He didn’t hang around for Dean’s response. He didn’t need to. With a date that looked like that, John was sure that Dean wanted to get back to giving him his full attention. He used his grip on Dean to give him an extra boost as he started down the hall.

“Really thought Will would be the one that would be into dudes,” he admitted aloud even though he was really just talking to himself.

John loved his nephew almost as much as if he were his own kid and he spent plenty of time with him as he grew up. He wasn’t going to pre-determine his destiny or anything, but he had figured out he wasn’t straight a pretty early on. It wasn’t like he was overly flamboyant or anything. There was just something John thought he picked up on. Dean had always been harder to read but John guessed he had an answer to that now too.

He stumbled through his bedroom door, managed to shut it behind himself, and then promptly collapsed on his bed. A few more hours of sleep and hopefully his head would stop throbbing.

The sounds of shouting and angry footsteps storming down the hall let him know that sleep might not be in the cards for him quite yet even before Dean pushed into the room. “Why!?!” Dean questioned angrily as he stood at the side of John’s bed, “Why couldn’t you just do what you promised you would, just this once?”

He was fucking pissed. It was impressive that he was managing to maintain such an intense level of emotion over something that didn’t seem like that big of a deal. John got that he had fucked up but he was out of Dean’s hair now. Really, no harm no foul. “Kiddo,” he sighed.

“Don’t fucking kiddo me!” Dean growled before John could get out another word.

This was not going to be a quick conversation, that much was clear. John really wished that he could blame this stubborn strike Dean had on his crazy mother, but honestly, John was pretty sure Dean got that from him. Even if Dean had gotten that from Marie, at least he hadn’t picked up her propensity for throwing things. John definitely didn’t miss that shit.

Despite his pounding head begging him not to, John pushed up so he was sitting cross-legged on the bed. “So you’re upset,” he acknowledged in hopes of calming Dean down at least a little bit.

“Are you just realizing that?” Dean questioned with outrage, “You said you wouldn’t be here!”

“I know,” John conceded. If he could go back in time and kick his own drunk ass he would because this was broaching a miserable situation. Sleeping on his lumpy as fuck couch was not fucking worth it, that was for damn sure. He brought his hands up and started scrubbing at his face with his palms. “Sorry,” he grumbled through his hands.

“Sorry isn’t good enough!”

“Sorry is all I got, kiddo,” John admitted as he threw up his hands in surrender. There was nothing he could do about it and it wasn’t like he had meant to go back on his word. He had just fucked up. Dean didn’t have to like it but he was going to deal with it. If he could deal with it without the need to keep shouting, it would have been preferred because John’s headache was still pretty fucking mind-numbing.

Peeking at Dean through one barely opened eye because his head was screaming for him to keep his eyes closed, he asked, “Shouldn’t you be more worried about your date?” That certainly seemed like it would be more fun than yelling at John for something that couldn’t be changed.

Dean was still obviously pissed off but the question made him shrink back. He pulled his arms over his chest and looked down toward his bare feet. It was so fucking weird seeing his normally open and confident kid act like that. It made John feel like complete shit that Dean could honestly even consider the idea that John would be bothered by anything he could do. John got extremely lucky in that Dean was really just an awesome kid, but even if he wasn’t, John would still think the fucking world of him. Dean was the best thing that happened to him and the best thing he ever created. He really thought he did enough that Dean would get that.

John waited for Dean to break out of his little funk and when he didn’t he shook his head with disappointment. “God, kid, do I really have to say it?”

Dean looked up with an expression of surprise and maybe a dash of confusion, “Say what?”

“Dean,” John tried to stress the seriousness and sincerity in his words even though his head was throbbing and his stomach had started to turn unpleasantly, “I don’t care if you are gay.”

The words hung there between them for a few seconds. If anything Dean seemed to pull in on himself even more as he replied, “I’m not.”

God damn, John cursed inwardly. This whole situation was fucking ridiculous. John could imagine being so thick-headed if he was in Dean’s position. Of course, John’s parents finding out about his sexuality had gone about as bad as it could have so it was not hard to imagine being in Dean’s shoes.

“It doesn’t change anything,” he assured as patiently as he could manage considering his worsening hangover, “I still love you, and you’re still my kid, and all shit.”

Dean sighed and shifted his shoulders like he was uncomfortable in his own skin. “Yeah, I get that,” he said in an almost dismissive way. John didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing but it was something. “But I’m really not gay,” he stated with a surprising level of certainty.

John held in a chuckle because it really wasn’t the time but it was hard. There was a half-naked teenaged boy in his fucking kitchen, for Christ's sake, and he wasn’t there for John because he had been too old for dating teenagers the moment he had a kid (and yeah he was technically still a teenager at that point). Really, what was Dean trying to sell him? “So the guy who looks like he is from page ten of a teen heart-throb magazine who is standing in nothing but his underwear in our kitchen is what? Your tutor?”

Dean still didn’t look comfortable in his own skin but a little smile spread across his face despite that. “Felix is just….different,” Dean explained, “But I’m not really gay, not completely.”

John earned a beer later for being right that their house guest was the practically famed Felix. Well, at least Dean wasn’t completely oblivious because it was obvious there was an interest there just from listening to Dean talk about him.

He whipped at his face to hide his grin. “Oh, so that is the Felix,” he commented, “Guess that explains why you talk about him constantly.”

Dean looked shocked. So shocked that he forgot that he was angry and uncomfortable. “I don’t talk about him that much,” he stated insistently.

Okay, maybe he was still a little oblivious.

“Kiddo, it has been nonstop Felix for like a year,” John informed plainly. “I almost wanted to ask him for his autograph.”

Dean blinked a few times and John was pretty sure he could see Dean running through all the times he talked about Felix in his head. It had to be a quick review because it didn’t take him long to finish with a long sigh that seemed like his form of concession. The tension in his shoulders released visibly and he pushed the fingers of his hand through his hair. “Yeah, well, we haven’t been together that long.”

Despite his pounding head or his churning stomach, John couldn’t help but find himself intrigued. He had figured there was a chemistry there, even if Dean didn’t see it on the surface, but he had figured if Dean was in a same-sex relationship he would have heard about it. Maybe it was just his ego but John had just figured that it wasn’t something so established. “Oh, so this is a whole thing then?” he questioned with a crooked eyebrow, “Prom didn’t just get really out of hand?”

“No,” Dean admitted with a shake of his head, “We’ve been dating since January.”

Well, that was a bomb. Not only was Dean in a gay relationship but he had been for a while. John felt like the most oblivious parent on the planet. In the past, when Dean had been in relationships he talked about it. He hadn’t said shit to John since January, although in hindsight he had been “hanging out” with Felix a fucking lot over the last few months. Maybe John was the one who was oblivious.

“Shit, so it’s serious?” he asked. He was genuinely fucking curious because this was the first time he didn’t know about something so big in Dean’s personal life.

Dean blushed and looked toward the closed door for a second. “I mean yeah, I think so,” Dean answered in a way John had never seen his kid act. He seemed happy which was good but also bashful and uncertain.

Dean was good-looking, well-mannered, smart, and athletic so it wasn’t really surprising that he seemed to be successful in the high school dating scene. He definitely seemed to be more successful than John’s band-geek ass ever had back in the day. He had had at least a couple of serious girlfriends that John knew of. Dean had never seemed really invested in those relationships, at least not enough to care when they ended. John could already tell just by Dean’s body language that this relationship was different.

John wasn’t sure if he was supposed to be happy or worried about that. Dean was supposed to be going off to college in a few months. He wasn’t exactly in the place to be getting into some intense love affair, and John was well aware that when his kid got intense about something he got intense. He didn’t want to discourage Dean either because this was obviously some moment of self-discovery, and he shouldn’t miss out on that or a great romance for that matter. They were usually a wild ride and even if they crashed and burned (which they normally did) the ride was still worth experiencing.

“Good for you, kiddo,” he encouraged, pushing his fingers through his hair as he spoke. “I still thought it was going to be Will that was into guys.” It was probably sort of shitty that he and Nams had a bet going on that one but they absolutely did. Will wasn’t effeminate or anything like that but John had always thought he got a vibe. Maybe it was the Apollo of the whole thing. Having your beloved nephew be the offspring of a guy (or technically god) you used to screw around with was bound to mess with your mind at least a little.

It was an offhanded comment, almost a joke really. Dean shifted with obvious discomfort as his eyes began to wander the room nervously. “Yeah, about that,” he muttered. He seemed to give the next bit some thought before admitting, “Will is gay.”

Am I out of the loop on everything? John wondered.

“Well, fuck,” he exclaimed although there wasn’t that much surprise it. He really had always suspected and he always figured with how close Dean and Will had always been, Dean would be the first to know. “Nams owes me twenty bucks. Does she know?” The way John figured it there was about a fifty percent chance that she knew. Nams was absolutely brilliant after all but she also had a tendency to actively not see things that she wasn’t ready to deal with. Not that Naomi would have any issue with Will being gay. She had always been supportive of John after all. But in some ways, John knew her relationship with Will was still fragile from whatever it was that led him to live at camp for a year. She wouldn’t be looking to potentially drive him away again by prying into his personal life.

“About Will?” Dean questioned with a thoughtful nod, “Yeah, she has known for a while.”

“Sneaky bitch,” John commented with a bit of a chuckle. He was definitely going to give her shit for keeping this one to herself.

“Um, about Aunt Naomi….,” Dean hummed. He was clearly trying to pick his words carefully and the nervous energy rolling off him was back up. “She doesn’t know about me and Felix,” he admitted in an almost whisper - like he was afraid she might somehow hear him or something.

How Dean was acting was so unlike him, John honestly didn’t know what to make of it. He was at least glad to hear that he wasn’t the absolute last person to know about it but beyond that, he was at a complete loss. “Okay.”

“And you can’t tell her,” Dean explained nervously. The kid managed to look at John at the end of the statement and the look in his eyes was absolutely dire.

John fucking loved his kid and he would do almost anything to make him happy but lying to his sister never ended well. He was honestly surprised Dean would even ask for that because John was pretty sure that Dean told Naomi most things about his life.

“Nope,” John dismissively as he shook his head so that he was really extra clear just how much that shit wasn’t happening. “Sorry, kiddo, I can’t lie to your Aunt Nams,” he explained, “I’ve done it before and it has never ended well for me, and she always finds out.”

“Felix’s dad doesn’t know,” Dean explained with an actual huff of frustration “And Felix is really worried about how he will react.”

That concern was one John could understand but he didn’t get how that related to what he told Naomi. “Then I won’t tell Felix’s dad,” he assured, “That I’m pretty sure I can fucking manage since I’ve never met the guy, and I don’t plan on taking an ad out in the newspaper or anything.”

He remembered that Dean had said Felix had moved to town from out of state. John had only barely met the kid but he definitely had a northern accent. If his dad wasn’t a local John was almost positive they hadn’t crossed paths unless the guy had a thing for dive bars. If his kid was so worried about his dad’s reaction to him being gay or whatever, it did make John wonder about the guy. He would have to remember to ask Dean a few follow up questions when Dean was not on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

“Yeah,” Dean hummed still sounding nervous, “But here is the problem.”

At those words, John was immediately reminded of the fact that he was hungover and had a killer headache. Problems were never good. Problems that couldn’t be told to Naomi were likely to be disastrous. “Oh, nothing good ever started with that statement,” he groaned and brought his hands up to scrub at his face. He wasn’t sure he wanted to hear what would come next.

“Aunt Naomi is kind of dating Felix’s dad,” Dean admitted.

“Fucking A, Dean!” John shouted. That was so much worse than anything he had been anticipating. Naomi was actually pretty chill, maybe even too chill sometimes, but even she had her fucking limits.

That was just so fucking awkward and as much as John wanted to give this Felix kid’s dad the benefit of the doubt because Naomi was seeing him, he really couldn’t. Naomi didn’t always have the best taste in men, not that John could really judge because he wasn’t that much better. He personally blamed their father for that one. The man had set the fucking rock bottom of expectations. Just don’t be an aggressively religious, abusive, alcoholic and a guy would look great in John’s eyes.

Dean was probably right to worry, but Naomi wouldn’t get that. She would assume the guy was just as open and understanding as she was even if she had no proof that was true. Maybe she would be right but there would still be the awkwardness of the fact Dean was dating her boyfriend’s son. More importantly, if she was wrong she would be devastated and the whole situation would be a fucking mess.

Jesus fucking Christ.

Dean let out a long sigh so at least he somewhat got how much of a shit show this was. “I know,” he stated sounding guilty.

“Did you know about that?” John asked. He could understand that shit happened. If anyone could fucking understand how shit could fucking happen without you realizing, it was John. Dean wasn’t the type of kid to cause trouble. He had always been the easiest fucking kid, way easier than John probably deserved. It was just hard to imagine he would have started something with this kid if he knew that Nams was involved with his dad. “You know, before you two started dating?”

“Um….” Dean hummed and his expression changed. He seemed to think about the question for a bit longer than seemed even remotely fucking necessary before finally starting to talk in a matter-of-fact tone, “Well, technically-”

“Seriously? Why?” John questioned as he threw up his hands in exasperation not needing to hear the rest of whatever Dean was going to say to know the answer. “Are there no other cute boys at school?” Dean was a good looking kid, so he had to have plenty of fucking options so why the fuck would he knowingly pick someone so inconvenient.

“Like Felix?” Dean questioned and blinked at him like the question was absolutely nonsensical before shaking his head, “No, absolutely not.” He spoke with such finality. John was positive he had never heard Dean talk like this about a romantic interest before. This was clearly a big deal.

John couldn’t really criticize him because he had been there. He had definitely met someone and knew that getting anything started with them was a horrible idea but they were just so magnetic, he couldn’t help himself. So he got it but that didn’t make the thing any more convenient.

He sighed heavily. He wanted to help Dean out but lying to Naomi never worked out well. “Kiddo, here’s the problem,” he started.

“Oh, nothing good ever started with that statement,” Dean interrupted him with a sarcastic eye roll.

If John still wasn’t extremely hungover he would have marveled. He often heard how much Dean looked like him, and the kid really fucking did, but he had never really acted as John had at his age. He was never the snarky teenager John had been. This might have been the closest Dean had managed and John was impressed. Yeah, no one wanted their kid to talk back to them but if any kid had a right it was probably Dean. It was probably good for the kid to mouth off now and then and not be so fucking mature about everything.

It was good that Dean relaxed a little but it didn’t make the problem at hand any less real. “Don’t be a smart ass,” he retorted as he pushed his fingers through his hair as he tried to think. Maybe if Dean talked to Naomi and told her his concerns she would keep things to herself. Seemed unlikely but at least it was something to consider.

“Sorry,” Dean replied with a smirk, “That gene didn’t skip a generation.”

“Haha,” John faked a laugh. “Here’s the thing. When your aunt Naomi finds out about this, and she will find out because she always fucking does, you are going to get baked goods and affection, and I’m going to get my ass kicked for keeping it from her.”

Dean shrugged and John got the distinct impression he wasn’t even going to try to argue that. “I’m failing to see a problem with that,” he admitted without sympathy.

“Again, haha.”

Dean let out a long sigh and John thought he could hear the weight of this whole thing in it. “I get that it isn’t ideal. I really do, but I just need a little time,” Dean insisted, “I really don’t want to fuck this up.”

Dean sounded close enough to desperate so John knew he really didn’t have much choice in the matter. “Fine,” he declared with a groan which was more for dramatic effect rather than a real show of frustration. He might not have liked keeping things from Naomi but that didn’t mean that it wasn’t necessary from time to time. This wouldn’t even be the worst secret he was keeping from her by more than he would like to admit. That didn’t mean he was going to give off the impression that it was an easy thing because it wasn’t. “I’ll lie to my only sister because I am the best father ever and I love my only son that much.”

Dean let out an impressively long relieved sigh and John could see how his posture changed like a literal weight had been pulled off his shoulders. “Thank you,” he offered and at least that sounded sincere so when Naomi inevitably found out about this whole shit show John could at least say Dean was sincere about it. She was going to fucking love that. Dean gave a nervous look around the room before looking back at John to ask, “So, are we good?”

“You tell me,” John replied as he threw up his hands. It was also hard to tell when Dean was done blowing off steam when he got pissed so John usually just went with it and when Dean stormed off he figured they were done. “Do you want to yell at me some more or do you want to get back to your date, so I can pass out?”

Dean thought about that for less than a second before he nodded, “Yeah, so we’re good.” Dean was half out the door before he stopped to look back at John from around the door. “Don’t forget to drink water to cut the hangover,” he reminded. The fucking kid couldn’t stop fucking caring even when he really had the right to still be at least somewhat pissed off. John really wasn’t sure how he managed to have a kid that great. “Do you want something for the headache or anything?”

“Just need sleep,” John answered with a shake of his head, “But thanks, kiddo.”

[thisendlesslostparade]

Becks Ice (Tyrelliot)

Summmary: Elliot didn't think he would see Tyrell ever again after their friendship ended years ago, but then they meet again at a party and all of his feelings come back up...

(Vaguely based on "Becks Ice" by Von Wegen Lisbeth, doesn't matter at all if you don't know the song though. I wanna start posting some of my fanfictions on here, but this is already available on ao3 under the same username as I have on here. Enjoyy)

Content notation: Unrequited love, mention of alcohol and partying

He wasn't supposed to be here.

Maybe this was a glitch in the matrix, maybe he had somehow entered a parallel universe and no one had told him, but this was completely impossible. His fingers started shaking, as he held on closer to the glass in his hand.

When Angela had told him to have a drink so he would "cheer up" and "relax", he had laughed at her. How was he supposed to relax with all these people around? He hated parties. And now ... now THIS.

Angela hadn't seen the certain someone yet, obviously - she was too busy flirting with every average looking straight guy she could find. Her taste in men had always been terrible, no doubt about it. All these arrogant, sexist jerks she ended up with - Elliot would never get used to them.

But now he certainly had more important problems. 99 problems and the tall guy across the room was every single one of them.

He hadn't changed at all. If he had, maybe Elliot would be able to convince himself that this was just a doppelganger. But it wasn't just his face, the striking blue eyes, the slicked back blonde hair that felt a lot softer than it looked. Elliot shook his head, shaking off the memory.

No, it wasn't just that. It was the arrogant smirk on his lips, the look in his eyes, the way he immediately seemed so much softer when he genuinely laughed. It had never been hard to tell when Tyrell REALLY found something funny - his whole face scrunched up and he didn't look so condescending anymore. He looked almost adorable.

"Angela?"

She immediately stopped talking to the flashy asshole and turned to Elliot. At least he knew he could always count on her, no matter what.

"Look." He raised his glass and pointed towards the guy who was most definitely Tyrell Wellick.

Angela raised her eyebrows. "Who?"

Elliot rolled his eyes internally. Maybe she was so drunk that she really couldn't see what he was referring to.

He raised his hand and pointed again, making sure that no one else saw what he was pointing at.

She tilted her head. "Meh, too blonde for my taste."

It was unbelievable. Apparently Angela would be of no assistance in this situation. He downed the beer at once and then walked towards the group on the other end of the room.

Yup, it really was him. It almost felt like a deja-vu - three years ago it had been a party just like this one. A little smaller, and all of the guests had been wasted high school students who used their remaining two brain cells for staring at people's breats or running to the bathroom every few minutes, either to throw up or to check their make-up.

Quite obviously, Elliot had never liked parties. But just like today, Angela had convinced him to go. "Just for an hour or two, pretty please!"

But then there he had been, the guy of Elliot's dreams, smiling at him across the room and it had begun - the most terrible, wonderful, heartwrenching love of Elliot's life.

"We'll stay friends", they had promised each other, in each others arms at the airport before he went back to Sweden. And even then his heart was breaking because Tyrell Wellick had never, at no point in time been like a friend to him.

He had freaked out and high-fived him, shared his excitement every time Tyrell made out with another pretty, popular girl, or another football player. Yes, he had been THAT guy. Came to America for one year and had sex with what seemed like the entire school - or, well, everyone except Elliot.

And even now he had the attention of everyone around him. It was something about his attitude, something Elliot envied him for, while at the same time he knew he didn't really want to be that way.

It wasn't in his nature. He was the guy who made out with people when he was absolutely wasted, and then had them text him the next day: "Hey, I'm sorry. I usually never do stuff like that. I was really drunk."

And maybe, deep down, he simply didn't feel like he deserved more than that... It certainly never surprised him.

His throat felt so dry, he was already craving another drink. Seeing Tyrell here was more than he ever could've dreamed of, and everything he feared.

He hated him for leaving him, hated him for simply not understanding what Elliot really felt for him... and he hated himself for not being able to remain friends with the person he had once loved more than anyone else in the world.

And wasn't love supposed to be selfless?

He couldn't bear it any longer. Every cell in his body was longing to walk towards him and hug him just one more time, or tell him to never ever leave him again.

Only a few shaking steps further and Tyrell finally recognized him. His face froze in disbelief, then it lit up as if someone had turned back on the lights in there.

"ELLIOT!" He yelled and pushed the girl next to him aside to walk towards Elliot, taking him in his arms and almost squeezing him to death.

Elliot swallowed down the lump in his throat, fighting back the tears, as he breathed in the scent he hadn't thought he would ever smell again. Something flowery, never too much though, and something that was just so completely unique for Tyrell.

"What are you doing here?" he squeezed out when they finally let go of him.

"I'm visiting my host family", Tyrell said, still the widest grin on his face. "You know I really thought about telling you... but... you know, you never texted back anymore so..."

The pain in his voice made Elliot want to slap himself.

"Yeah sorry, I'm so sorry, I was just really busy with graduation and college, you know?"

The truth was that he had thought it was better off this way. A whole ocean between them, and there was no way he would ever get over the Swede with the striking blue eyes, if he kept seeing the status updates of all the beautiful things and beautiful people he was doing now.

Tyrell shrugged and the smile returned to his face. "That's fine. Hey, I'm here now. And I'm staying for another week so we could hang out a bit if you want."

The sparks in Elliot's stomach felt like he was going to explode and set the whole room on fire. Another week... so much and so little at the same time. It made his heart hurt.

"Maybe you could show us around a bit? It's been so long and the city changed quite a bit... I'm not really being the best tourist guide for Jonah." He laughed.

With every word Tyrell said, the clear blue sky of Elliot's mood got more and more cloudy. He could already feel the thunderstorm coming up.

"Jonah?"

"Yeah. Oh, sorry, I forgot you don't know each other yet." He put his arm around a small, dark haired guy standing a bit aside and pulled him away from the conversation he was currently having.

"Jonah? That's Elliot, my friend from America. Elliot, that's my boyfriend Jonah."

Boom. There it was, the thunderbolt hitting Elliot's head and burning him to the ground.

I need a cigarette, Elliot thought. Where the fuck....

"Hi Elliot. I heard a lot about you." Jonah smiled and reached out his hand. It would've been easier if he had been an asshole. Elliot's mind kept racing and yet he had no idea what to say.

'Hey, you seem like a sweet guy. You look cute together. But all I can think about is stealing your boyfriend and kissing him until he forgets how to breathe'.... Well, not a great idea.

"Hi." Elliot cleared his throat, then he looked at Tyrell. "Can we maybe go outside and have a smoke?"

"Oh, I don't smoke anymore. But sure." He gave Jonah a way too exaggerated kiss that almost seemed like a provocation to Elliot. Elliot bit his tongue so hard he tasted blood.

What on earth had happened? Tyrell drinking cocktails? Tyrell not smoking anymore? Tyrell in an actual committed relationship?

He shook his head and walked towards the exit, convinced that Tyrell would follow him.

The cold wind on his skin felt amazing. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths, then took out his cigarettes.

"Is everything alright?" Tyrell appeared next to him, looking a bit concerned.

Elliot nodded slowly. "It's a bit overwhelming seeing you here."

"Overwhelming?" He frowned. "Aren't you happy to see me?"

"Yeah." Elliot sighed. "But .... don't you have all these memories coming back up?"

Now Tyrell seemed to understand. He smiled. "Yeah. It was intense back then."

Both laughed, lost in memories. Taking another drag from his cigarette, Elliot tried to stop himself from comstantly looking at his lips... lips that had kissed someone else only moments ago. He must've completely gone insane - or maybe it was the alcohol.

But fuck it.

"I loved you", Elliot said, not averting his gaze, feeling braver than he ever had before. "I really, really loved you."

Tyrell's face went soft. "I loved you too."

"No you didn't." Elliot blew out the smoke and shook his head. "You liked me. You liked spending time with me. But I loved you."

He pursed his lips. "You know there's different kinds of love right? I did love you. You were the only person in this shit city I really trusted, El."

The old nickname, without a warning. Elliot could almost feel himself tearing up again. Walking around the city and singing their favorite songs together. All the base ball games. The nights at Elliot's place, cuddled up, watching movies under a huge blanket. Tyrell's hands in the pockets of Elliot's hoodie when it got cold outside. Trying to hold back their laughter in class when they were supposed to be quiet but something was just so hilarious, something only the two of them would find funny. Memories, memories, memories.

"I just don't understand how you could know ... I think you knew. You always knew how I felt about you. You just didn't care. It was too much discomfort for you to stop hanging out with me. But you didn't even like me enough to tell me it's not gonna happen."

He didn't disagree, he just looked at the floor.

"I just hoped your feelings would go away eventually, you know. I needed you as a friend. But I also know that... sexual tension was always between us. I'm not completely stupid. It was just... never more than that."

The truth hurt more than anything he could have made up in his mind.

But before Elliot could say another word, Tyrell stepped forward and took the cigarette out of his mouth, taking a drag himself and gazing into his eyes, just for a moment. Elliot closed his eyes because he couldn't handle it anymore. Too much old, dusty pain coming up from his subconscious, too many sleepless nights when all he saw in front of his inner eye, was Tyrell's face. Then Tyrell put his lips on his.

It was only a second or two, but Elliot kept his eyes closed, breathing him in, while his stomach felt like the explosion had finally gone of. Tyrell stroked the side of his neck, sending shivers down his spine, then slowly pulled away.

"Goodnight, Elliot." He put the cigarette back between his lips. "I'd be happy if you called me someday. When you're ready."

He stroked his cheek, almost as if he were fragile, delicate. "And I'd love to meet your future boyfriend. Gotta make sure my former best friend gets the treatment he deserves."

A sad smile on his lips he disappeared back inside the building.

Elliot looked after him, the feathery walk he had seen so many times, now for the last time walking away from him.

He turned around, and went home.

The wind suddenly didn't feel so cold anymore. It was refreshing, taking away the heat.

Making room for something new, something different. Something more.