#you win the main prize' and she smiled so pretty i almost had a heart attack right then and there

[biboyhalo]

i went to the shop today and i bought some flaming hot cheetos and the cashier (who is super cute and with whom i had some banter before) was like "these are really spicy they're gonna burn your mouth" and i was like "you promise?" and she laughed and put HER HAIR BEHIND HER EAR?????

we shall have a spring wedding, may of course, we-

[evienyx]

DSMP Citizens POV 4: The Rebellious Teenager

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Hel had lived on the Dream SMP server for longer than they cared to remember. Their parents had moved them and their siblings to the server rather early on, before there was anything more than the main faction. It was peaceful, for a good while, and Hel did their studies, made friends, and lived a calm life.

Then, though, a man by the name of Wilbur Soot, with the help of his right-hand man, TommyInnit, started a revolution, fighting for independence from the rest of the server, and things seemed to almost immediately fall into chaos.

Hel, the oldest of their siblings and right around the same age as TommyInnit himself, did what their parents told them to do: Stay out of trouble. Dream, the Admin of the server, was decidedly not happy with L’Manburg’s defiance, and each side rallied their forces to prepare for a war.

“Hel,” their mother said as they stared out the window at respawned troops running back toward the battlefield, smoke billowing into the sky, “Stay out of it. Don’t get caught in the crossfire because you’re curious. You’ll just end up making enemies, and they’ll come after your siblings just to get back at you, I promise you they will.”

A hand rested on their shoulder. They turned their head to meet their mother’s firm gaze. “Stay out of it.”

And so Hel stayed out of it.

Their friends made bets on which side would win and how.

“I’ll say Dream will win by killing all of them for… three diamonds.”

“Ha, c’mon, that’s lame! I’ll say Dream wins by killing them all and imprisoning them when they respawn for, uh, let’s say five diamonds.”

“I bet Dream kills them all until all their lives are gone for, uh, three diamonds.”

Hel was the only one who bet that L’Manburg would end up winning. They took home most of the prize pool, with one of their friends getting a small cut for correctly guessing that Dream would have a traitor working for him within L’Manburg.

“Who was the traitor?” One of their friends asked them, as Hel was the one who had been the most interested in the members of the Revolution.

Hel shrugged. That information had been kept rather underwraps.

“Oh, well. Anyway, what do you think about King Eret being in charge, now?”

“A puppet monarch if ever I’ve seen one.”

“Yeah, but a pretty puppet monarch.”

“Point taken.”

After L’Manburg gained independence, Hel came home from school one day to boxes lining the front room of the house.

“What’s going on?”

“Mom and Dad decided we’re moving to L’Manburg,” their younger sister said, passing by with her arms full of books that she dropped into a nearby box. “Now that the war is over, they decided that they like President Soot’s policies more, I guess.”

Hel raised an eyebrow but grabbed a box and moved upstairs to begin packing away their own things.

“Why didn’t you fight for L’Manburg?” Their new neighbor, someone who had, asked them about a week after they’d moved in.

“Wanted to stay out of trouble,” Hel replied simply. The neighbor shrugged, passed over a welcome gift of flowers from the Prime Path Flower Shop, and left. Hel shifted the bundle of daffodils in their hands before moving to put them into a vase.

A bit of time passed, and the L’Manburg elections were announced. Hel’s parents and siblings all stayed rather distant from politics.

“No need to waste time paying attention to something that doesn’t matter anyway,” their father said as he held the ladder so their mother could paint the new wood on a corner of their house that had gotten blown apart during a recent conflict between VP Tommy and Dream.

“At least this doesn’t cost us anything to redo,” their mother said each time, as President Soot allocated funds to anyone who needed to rebuild because of a conflict that they weren’t involved in.

“Still need to do the labor,” Hel responded every time, often on their hands and knees to assist their parents.

Their mother would hum vaguely, then, and continue working.

Hel could understand their parents not wanting to pay attention while it was just POG2020 in the running, but when SWAG2020 announced their candidacy, their family still didn’t care. There were stakes now, things that could change in the event that the administration changed, but still their parents didn’t even bother listening to what each candidate promised.

“There are how many parties, now?” Their mother asked one evening when Hel mentioned the debates.

“Four. POG2020, SWAG2020, SCHLATT2020, and COCONUT2020,” Hel replied, despite the fact that they had just talked about this.

Their mother furrowed her eyebrows. “Which one is led by Secretary Underscore, again?”

“None of them.”

As the elections approached, Hel found themselves getting more and more nervous. There were people, ones who had moved into L’Manburg and the server itself long after the Revolution and so had never witnessed Wilbur Soot’s leadership in action, who were passionately supporting SWAG2020.

“A change in leadership is needed,” one of their friends, someone who had moved from a larger survival server with their family about a week-and-a-half after the L’Manburg Revolution ended. “President Soot and VP Tommy have been in charge this whole time! A new perspective is necessary for the country to develop.”

When the election results were announced, Hel wondered if this was what their friend had meant by ‘a new perspective.’

Their parents hadn’t come to hear the results, nor to witness the inauguration that would immediately follow, but Hel was there in the stands, watching the members of the four campaigns standing on the stage above.

President Soot announced the victory of SCHLATT2020 thanks to the coalition government, and he sat with VP Tommy in reserved seats just a few rows ahead of Hel as Schlatt took the microphone for himself.

Then, before Hel could even blink, the leaders of the previous administration were being chased out of the event, and then ex-President Soot fell over, an arrow in his back and screams for VP Tommy on his lips/, and then his body was gone, returned to the server for the second time, with only one more chance before it would stay there for good.

Hel heard whispers of an internal rebellion, led by Niki Nihachu, who were in support of the Pogtopia rebellion that was sprouting up under direction of Wilbur Soot and TommyInnit, and immediately went to the bakery.

“Hello,” Niki Nihachu said, looking rather exhausted as she grabbed a cupcake for another customer and began to bag it. “How can I help you today?”

Hel wet their lips, remembering what one of their friends told them to say. “Feel free to call me crazy, but I was actually wondering if you had anything made with cave crawlers?”

The customer in front of them gave them an odd look as they paid for their cupcake.

“I’ll see if I can find something,” Nihachu said, cracking a smile. “Could you wait for a few minutes?”

Hel nodded and the other customer hurried out of the shop a moment later. Nihachu helped two more people who entered the bakery before she moved into the back room, beckoning at them to follow.

“Niki, nice to meet you,” she said, holding out a hand. Hel took her hand in theirs and shook it firmly.

“I’m Hel, it’s nice to meet you, too,” they replied. “I’ve been trying to get my parents to move to Pogtopia to support the rebellion, but they don’t want to, so I’m here to help however I can.”

Niki smiled. “I’m glad to hear it.”

They snuck around with their friends involved in Niki’s internal rebellion, listening to what the baker told them to do, silently tipping her extra money to compensate for her increased taxes, and, one night, as they were sneaking back into their house in Manburg after helping vandalize the White House, the lights flicked on as they moved to go up the stairs.

Hel winced. They took in a deep breath and turned around to see their parents standing there, arms crossed, their oldest younger sibling standing next to them.

“Hey, guys,” Hel said, forcing a smile. “I was just grabbing some water…”

Their mother glared, and they felt their heart sink in their chest.

“I wasn’t doing anything dangerous!” Hel exclaimed five minutes later, sat on the couch with their parents looming over them. Their siblings weren’t being very discreet where they stood on the stairs, peering around the corner.

“You’re part of a rebellion!” Their father replied. “That, by definition, is dangerous!”

“Nothing’s gonna happen to me!” Hel shot back. “I’m in my final year of school, I’m basically an adult!”

“But you’re not, Hel, you’re not!”

"Well someone has to be!" Hel growled out. "Schlatt is ruining this country!"

"You don't need to be worrying about that," their mother said. "You work on your studies, and play with your friends, and stop it with all this rebellion talk."

"I'm not going to go live in Hypixel like you and Dad did!" Hel said. "I don't want to go to a 'big' server to 'find myself!' I'm going to stay here and I am going to fight for what I care about!"

"What, you're just going to leave? Go join the rebellion. Leave you family behind?" Their mother asked, her nostrils flaring and hair wild.

Hel grit their teeth. "Watch me."

Their parents calling their name behind them, younger siblings frozen around the corner, Hel shouldered their bag again and stalked out the door, slamming it closed as they went. Their face hot and eyes stinging, Hel went to the spot on the Manburg border that they had learned was never surveilled, glanced around, and then slipped into the forest.

A few hours later, they ran into a Pogtopia scouting group, who attacked them until they managed to say the newest code that they had been given for the rebellion. One member of the group split off to lead them back through the forest farther.

"Pogtopia isn't the most... luxurious, I guess," the scout said, "But it's not forever." They turned and faced a dirty wall of rock. The scout knocked on the rock in a rather quick pattern, and a moment later, the wall fell away to reveal the tired face of a guard. The scout nodded to the guard, who returned the greeting, and Hel followed them inside, the rock wall closing behind them. As the scout led them down the stairs, they looked back at Hel and said, "I hope you like potatoes."

Before Hel could ask what they were talking about, they went around the final turn in the staircase and emerged in an enormous ravine. Lanterns hung from the ceiling, bridges strung across to allow access to rooms dug into the walls. The bottom of the ravine was expanded out, and people moved past one another with a surprising amount of purpose.

"Welcome to Pogtopia," the scout said, patting Hel on the shoulder. They realized that they had been staring. The scout cracked a smile. "C'mon. Let's get you sorted."

Hel was given a bunk a few hours after, a chest for themself, and was officially a member of Pogtopia. As they talked with friends that they hadn't seen since the election, they pretended that their heart didn't feel a bit empty.

For the months following, Hel assisted where they could. They helped establish firmer contact with Nihachu and the internal rebellion. They gave any information they had, and contacted trustworthy friends of theirs to get insider information. They attended training to learn how to wield a weapon, and they was taught how to disguise themselves, and quiet their footsteps, and, for some reason, how to prepare potatoes.

"Sometimes we need extra hands," the kitchen head who had asked President Soot to require the class told Hel. "Technoblade grows a lot of potatoes."

Hel found that that was true very quickly when, a week later, they were called out of training early to help out at the kitchens and watched as a piglin hybrid lugged in barrels and barrels of potatoes.

"This enough?" The hybrid asked gruffly once he'd brought in the sixth and final barrel.

The Head Chef nodded, a gentle smile on her face. "Yes, this will be good for the week, thank you, Technoblade."

Technoblade gave her a nod in return before turning and leaving the room without another word.

"We prepare everything other than dinner in advance," the Head Chef told Hel after the hybrid was gone. "And sometimes he shows up with more than this. Thankfully we had enough forewarning to get some help here before he showed up."

Other than the cold, damp nature of the ravine, and the general serious, somber feeling that clouded everything, Pogtopia wasn't the worst place to live. Hel enjoyed themself more than they had living with their parents, and they felt like they had a purpose, much more than when all they did was study.

"Tomorrow, November 16th, we shall fight the combined forces of Manburg and the Greater SMP to determine the fate of our country," President Soot said. Everyone had seen the deterioration of their leader, there was no way to miss it, and the mania in his eyes was present even now, but he was smiling, and he sounded hopeful, so the people couldn't help but feel the same. "Those of you who wish to fight have already indicated so, and everyone else has been given their jobs."

Niki Nihachu, who had fully joined Pogtopia after the Manburg Festival, stepped forward. "Remember, you might be fighting against friends. You might be fighting against family. The Manburg and Greater SMP forces will be shooting to kill. You must be prepared to do the same."

"We will not ask you to sacrifice your morals," President Soot continued, "But if you do not think that you would be able to kill if you're backed into a corner, then feel free to pull yourself from the forces. Make sure you do it by the end of the night."

Soot's fingers tapped aggressively against his leg, and he kept glancing up to the roof of the ravine. Then, without another word, he was gone, Niki trailing behind him.

The people of Pogtopia who had been present and not just listening over the loudspeakers dispersed to go prepare for the battle the next day. As they did, there was a crackle above them again and, just as it had twice every day for weeks, VP Tommy's voice came through the speakers.

"Hello, Pogtopia!" He exclaimed, static filling his words thanks to his volume. Someone hissed at him, and he quieted. "Er, sorry. This is Big Man TommyInnit, just reminding you again not to touch any of the buttons on the walls if you don't want everyone to die! Thanks!" There was another crackle, and the voice disappeared.

Hel exchanged glances with the person next to them and shifted a bit more away from the wall before continuing on.

The battle the following day went by quickly. Their family was nowhere to be seen, and Hel had been put on ranged combat, anyway. They bowed down anyone not on their side, and hoped that none of the people they were killing were on their last life.

When all was said and done, Hel stood watching the newly-inaugurated President Tubbo speak of rebuilding their country, and Hel felt pride swell up in their chest feeling that, now that they've fought for L'Manburg, they could truly call it theirs.

Then, there was a hissing below them. People in the crowd around them screamed. Hel spun around, watching in confusion as the people ran. The ground shook, then everything froze for a moment, and then they were gone.

Hel shot up in their bunk in Pogtopia. Their hands shook, their face was hot, tears falling from their eyes. Someone grabbed at them, and they let out a cry, whacking the hand away.

"Hey, Hel, calm down, calm down."

They blinked and focused in on the Head Chef, standing in front of them with a gentle smile.

"What happened?" She asked.

Hel's mouth was dry. They wet their lips.

"We... We won," Hel said.

The Head Chef gasped and relayed the information to someone at the door, who called it out to the rest of the occupants of the ravine. The remaining members of Pogtopia could be heard cheering.

"Wait, if we won..." The Head Chef looked down at them. "How did you die?"

Hel, as well as the other Pogtopia members who were respawning from the explosion and following fight, explained what had happened. Apparently, Hel got off lucky, as Technoblade had then spawned Withers. That was when they all noticed the notification that had shot through their communicators, one that informed the whole server of Wilbur Soot's death.

"That was his last life," the Head Chef said, and she sounded like she wasn't particularly surprised. Her arms, at some point, had ended up embracing Hel.

"So, we won, but our country is gone, and whatever is left is being led by a teenager?" Someone asked.

Hel, sixteen-years-old and freshly dead themself, buried their face in their hands and pretended that the Head Chef's arms, holding them close, were their parents' instead.

[prettywordsyouleft]

The Cowboy - Part 11

Summary: Leaving the city for a rural area called Blayne seemed simple enough. Your task was to convince the people to agree with selling their land for a resort redevelopment. But once there, you soon realise that your city ways are entirely different to theirs. Winning their trust was going to take some effort, and when you start to fall for a local cowboy, you wonder if you really needed Blayne more than the city life after all.

Pairing: Jung Jaehyun x female reader

Genre: cowboy au / drama / romance / if you squint there’s some enemies to lovers up in here.

Warnings: Jung Jaehyun is a cowboy, need I say more? (a bit of angst and drama, and it sometimes might feel like you’re reading a Nicolas Sparks book, so I’m told lol) – highly suggestive scene and the angst train is back in action for this part

Word count: 2470

This series will be updated every Thursday and Friday.

Preview | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12

The celebrations continued even once you were back in Blayne. News travelled that Jaehyun had come in fourth with his score at the rodeo, earning him a cash prize and a qualifying ticket. When his truck hurtled down the main street, the evening was brighter than usual.

You peered curiously at Avery and then at the diner’s lights. “Shouldn’t that be closed by now?”

“They’re waiting for us,” he mentioned with a loose grin, and you blinked blankly. “To celebrate!”

“Oh! Right, of course. Everyone knows you’ve done it.” Glancing over at Jaehyun, who had been mostly silent for the ride home, you gave him a small smile before swallowing down your emotions.

Once you had pulled away from that life-altering kiss, Jaehyun had been taken in one direction and you in the other. He had interviews to do, and people within the circuit to meet with. Although the sun had still been out when he had finished his run, dusk had swooped in and carried it away by the time you were finally loading back up into the truck.

There was so much to talk about with Jaehyun.

“We won’t stay for long,” he announced when he parked the truck into the free spot outside the diner, and a small gasp left you when you found the place bustling with people.

Avery smirked. “We’re a tight-knit community. We celebrate everyone’s successes like this.”

“And everyone’s misfortunes too,” Jaehyun muttered, plastering a smile on his face before opening the door to the truck.

You hesitated to get out, and Jaehyun turned back to look at you questioningly. Rubbing your neck, you pointed awkwardly to the party. “Should I come in or wait out here?”

“Why are you even hesitating? You’re part of this world now.”

Still unconvinced, you took the hand he offered to help you down and then nodded softly, feeling rather subdued despite the happy atmosphere.

The noise once you were all inside increased tenfold, party poppers and streamers going off around you both. Jaehyun laughed and held out his arms to the heavens. “Looks like I’m still pretty decent, huh?!”

And then you lost track of all the conversations that began around you. Jaehyun was proudly talking about his run and Avery had shown everyone the recorded clip of it. You nodded and clapped along when prodded to join in, but remained on the outskirts.

It was foreign for you to see so many people come together like this to support each other. Sure, you had friends and family, but even then, it was never like this. A text to say congratulations when you got a promotion from your parents or some quiet drinks with a few friends to celebrate an award you had received. Nothing as loud as this.

You realised you craved this more than what you had back home. The community here was one that cared about each other. Even if they gossiped endlessly and had no filter at times, each person within the diner cared about the one they sat or stood next to. They had grown together, shared their burdens and prevailed against the odds as one.

It amazed you how much you still had to learn about Blayne even after living here for a couple of months.

“Y/N, did you enjoy the rodeo?” a voice asked, and you turned, smiling warmly at June.

“It was quite the experience.”

“You look rather exhausted.”

You nodded once. “A little.”

“Jaehyun, can you run Y/N home now?”

“Oh no! This is all about him, and I’m fine. Honestly.”

Jaehyun was at your side almost immediately, and he grinned. “I bet this is all too much for Miss City here. Come on. I’ll take you home.”

“But-!” you exclaimed as he gently tugged you out of the seat you had managed to secure earlier, dragging you to the exit with a hasty farewell. He opened the door to the truck and helped you in before rounding the other side and climbing aboard.

You stared at him. “You don’t have to-”

“My Mum is a gem, isn’t she?” he stated with a small smile, waving to those inside the diner. “She always finds ways for me to escape.”

“You mean her coming over to me just now was…?”

Jaehyun grinned. “Thanks for saving my butt tonight. I get really uncomfortable after an hour of being praised. It feels foreign to me.”

“Why? You’re the golden boy. No one can touch the Jung’s.”

Jaehyun smiled sadly as he started down the road. “Attention isn’t something much that I enjoy.”

“It sure looks like you did at the rodeo,” you mentioned, and Jaehyun shook his head, changing gear on the truck before reaching for your hand.

You could tell he had been craving your touch for some time.

“I wanted to have some time with just you earlier than this.”

“It’s okay. It’s not like I need to be anywhere else.”

Jaehyun sighed. “Don’t you have people waiting on you though?”

“People where?”

“Back in the city. Your work colleagues, your friends, your family. They’ll need you.”

“I miss them, for sure. Especially Natty. But it’s not like it is out here. Relationships are different.”

“We’re different?”

“Well I’ve never met a cowboy in the suburbs,” you teased, and Jaehyun chuckled.

“What you said earlier, what we did, I get it was the heat of the moment. A different atmosphere than what we both usually-”

“Are you backing out on me, Mr Cowboy?” you asked firmly, and Jaehyun glanced at you several times before stopping the truck in the middle of the country road.

“I’m giving you an option if you want to take it.”

“Didn’t you give me that once you ducked under the bar and came to my side?”

“You’re serious?”

“You don’t think I could love you already?” you proposed, staring intensely at the man beside you.

Jaehyun opened his mouth to speak, only to close it a moment later. He grinned. “You’ve rendered me speechless.”

“Why? Because you hoped I didn’t?”

“No, I hope you fall madly for me.”

“I’m well on my way,” you confirm, and Jaehyun shook his head incredulously. “What? Has no woman ever told you that they like you?”

“I’ve never felt deserving of it, no.”

“You and that self-worth of yours,” you muttered, reaching over to cup his jaw in your hand. Jaehyun caught your gaze, and you smiled. “I love you.”

“I don’t think that’s ever going to get old to hear.”

“You’ve not said it back once,” you pointed out, and Jaehyun chuckled.

“You’ve been waiting for it, huh?”

“Normally most people describe it as one says I love you, and the next says it back. I’ve seen enough movies about it,” you mentioned as Jaehyun finally started to drive again, soon heading down the start of your driveway.

“Claim? How come you sound as if you haven’t said anything like this before?”

“Because I haven’t,” you confessed, and Jaehyun stared at you then. You darted your gaze to the drive and reached for the steering wheel to balance the truck out. “Would you watch where you’re going?!”

“Would you stop making my heart swell so much?” he breathed, and you chewed on your lip quietly, Jaehyun taking back the wheel and gripped it tightly.

The energy was charged between you by the time he turned off the ignition and opened the squeaky truck door, you soon following him out.

Stretching your fingers out to try and loosen some of the tension coiling up within you, you both walked side by side up the porch and over to your front door.

“Well, if you’re exhausted, I should let you rest,” Jaehyun stated, and you nodded numbly, reaching in your purse for your keys.

“I had a good time. Thanks for taking me.”

“Sleep well, won’t you,” he said as you opened the front door, stepping over the threshold and taking hold of the wooden frame. You turned to glance back at Jaehyun, the deep way he looked at you causing your stomach to flip.

He didn’t move, however, and you slowly moved the door to close it until his hand reached out and stopped it, your heart now pounding with anticipation.

“I’m so in love with you,” he confessed hurriedly, stepping over the doorframe and picking you up in his arms.

You curled your limbs around him effortlessly, kissing him with demand as he shut the door, hands roaming and tugging at the clothes between you both.

It felt like too much effort to follow the path up to the bedroom, Jaehyun acting disorientated as he moved around the place, shedding your upper clothing in the process. Somehow you ended up in the kitchen, a moan leaving you as he propped you down on the countertop, your hands finally ridding him of the singlet that had been under his rodeo shirt.

He equally had removed your bottoms, staring at you in a way that made you feel like the only woman made for him. You embraced him as soon as he was close enough to, and Jaehyun groaned into your ear. “I’ve been in love with you for some time now.”

“It’s not a race. Just because you hold a record around these parts, doesn’t mean you need to prove you beat me to feel something back for you.”

“You’re something else you know that? Who knew you’d come into this town and change everything for me?”

“Whatever happened to the guy who told me I wouldn’t last a month?” you breathed out, arching your back as his mouth trailed from your neck to your chest.

Jaehyun smirked at you then, his hands moving to cup your breasts within them. “You made sure about adapting to this place.”

“It’s not so bad. I mean, sometimes I would kill for the accessibility of the city, and have a Starbucks nearby. The smell sometimes out here is something I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to either.”

“I feel there’s a but attached here,” he mused, reaching up to kiss your lips passionately. It was strange to be having such a conversation with the temperature and physical needs between you increasing.

Yet when you pulled back for more air, you beamed at him. “But I’m falling in love with this place, this town, and your people. I couldn’t imagine my life any other way now.”

The new week began, and you felt as if you were riding along on cloud nine. Everything was beautiful out here. You worked, you explored, and you loved long into the summer nights with Jaehyun. Your riding lessons continued, and now that you had the hang of loping, you would often feel exhilarated riding Roger. You felt free and empowered.

Blayne was more than just a small blip on any map.

Despite it all, you still regarded the reason you came here as a priority. With your plan neatly tucked into your briefcase, and slipping into one of your more casual business attires, you looked into the mirror of the bathroom and smoothed down your hair.

“Today’s the day,” you told your reflection, smiling brightly.

Everything about you felt ready right now. You had all the signatures you had sought out, and word had travelled enough for Mr Jung to reach out for this meeting to happen a day earlier.

Today you would get the piece of land you needed to start the redevelopment.

You drove to the Jung’s homestead with your game face on, your finger tapping on the steering wheel repeatedly. You hummed a tune to yourself and ran through the opening part to your proposal in your head. When you parked the car, you smiled brightly at Avery when you crossed him on the yard, but he didn’t return the gesture quite as genuinely.

“Nice day, isn’t it?” you greeted all the same, and Avery grimaced.

“I think you might need to prepare yourself.”

“Oh, I’m completely ready for this,” you assured him, but Avery shook his head.

“Not for your plan. Listen, Y/N, things have-”

“You’re here,” Mr Jung cut in, and you turned your attention to the elder, nodding confidently at the man. “Come inside.”

Following him in and frowning at Avery’s worried expression, you stopped midway in taking the seat across from Mr Jung’s desk when you noticed Jaehyun sitting in the one next to it. “What are you doing here? I can pitch my idea to your father alone.”

“Pitch your idea?” Mr Jung repeated, laughing hollowly. “I didn’t ask you here today to listen to any nonsense about the resort plans your company has. I have no interest in them.”

“With full respect, Mr Jung, I’ve worked incredibly hard with the people of Blayne to find a happy medium.”

“And just how many of them did you sleep with or was it just my boy here?”

“Dad!”

“No. I want to hear it from her. Was it in the plan you made to sleep with my son to get the land, to trespass onto what can never be yours, and fool this idiot into thinking you could actually have something together?”

You were rendered speechless, your game face falling away and crumbling into a thousand pieces. You tried to say something, anything, to not only prove your sincerity but to defend yourself against his vicious attack.

However, Mr Jung’s tongue wasn’t done yet, and he glared at his son, shaking his head slowly. “I should have left you to die in that fire you started. If this was how you wanted to end Blayne, I’d much rather you have gone up in smokes back then than face you and your betrayal now.”

The information stunned you further, and your head jarringly turned to the man now sobbing in the chair beside you. “You were the one to start the fire?”

“It’s not how you see it!” Jaehyun exclaimed, though to whom, you didn’t quite know.

Regathering yourself, you shook your head. “Mr Jung, please allow me to explain myself, as you requested earlier.”

“You have nothing of worth for me to listen to. I’d like for you to pack your bags and be gone from Blayne before sunset.”

“Excuse me?! Surely I can do something to change your opinion-”

Mr Jung slammed his fist down on the table. “Outsiders like you only cause problems for the people who breathe for this place. Get out and don’t come back.”

Glancing at Jaehyun, who was rocking back and forth in his chair holding his head, and then back at the resolute expression on the owner of this land’s face, you finally allowed your emotions to burst through, choking on the sob that followed.

“I’m so sorry!” you announced before turning for the door and running out it.

_________________

Part 12

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[bungou-stray-dingus]

Hello! Thank God I found a still active BSD imagines blog 😭 So, I have quite a specific request if it's ok um can you please do a scenario where Ranpo has a smol female s/o and she's very child-like (in appearance & personality) similarly to him but in everyone's surprise, Ranpo becomes mature when it comes to her. Like, he takes care of her, looks out for her and maybe tell her off when she's misbehaving. My advance thanks to you!~also, do you do NSFW? asking for a friend ;) hehe

A/N : I DO BELIEVE THAT I FINISHED THE SECOND ASK BEFORE I FINISHED THE FIRST ONE. WELL EITHER WAY, HERE WE GO! DOUBLE RANPO REQUESTS COMING OUT! I stan lil snack boy, he is *MWAH*

Ranpo

When he first saw her in the candy shop he had to do a double take. She seemed almost too perfect. He was salivating, and it wasn't because he was surrounded by sugar filled rock candies and pastries, no, it was her. The way her her legs looked in those knee high socks, the way they traveled up underneath her short skirt, the cute little face she made, her tongue hanging out the side of her mouth as she reached on her tiptoes for a bag of candy on the highest shelf. She was precious, she looked delectable, and she put all the other candy in the store to shame. Of course he went over to help her, even though he wasn't much taller than she was himself, but what other way was he going to make her his if he didn't make his move.

He woke up to the sound of glass shattering in the kitchen followed by the sound of your soft voice mumbling to yourself. "Shoot, shoot shoot! Darn it! Oh man." He pulled the blankets off himself and got out of bed, not wanting you to cut yourself on any of the glass that you had broken. He was always so worried about you, you were pretty clumsy and you were prone to hurting yourself often, but that just gave him more reason to hover and be close to you.

He slipped his slippers on and made his way into the kitchen, finding you crouched on the floor sweeping the shards of glass into the dustpan. You looked up and saw him standing next to the counter, staring down at the glass on the floor. "You okay, cinnamon bun?" He asked, finally bending down to finish with the smaller shards that you might miss. "Hmm? Yeah! Sorry I woke you up. I was trying to make breakfast for you and the cup got in the way." You said, your voice always so cheerful, your smile never faltered. When he finished cleaning up the glass he checked you over, looking over your hands and knees to make sure that you didn't cut yourself or get any glass embedded in your skin. After he made sure you were okay he kissed along your knuckles before pressing a small kiss to your nose. "Please be more careful." He murmured, but that wasn't a parting statement, that was an honest plead. If anything happened to you it would destroy him completely.

He sat at the table, his feet propped up on the edge as he watched you turn on the burner to the stove. His heartbeat quickened, the thought of you and fire mixed together, it didn't seem good. It's not that you didn't know how to do things for yourself, it's just that sometimes you got distracted and that could be really bad for you and the apartment with the burner on. "Do you need my help with that?" He asked as nonchalantly as he could, hoping that you would say yes. He would much rather you sit at the table and let him take over the cooking, just so he knows you wouldn't get burnt. You gave him his favorite wind chime giggle as you turned to look at him. "Of course not! I'm like, the worlds greatest breakfast chef, like, ever!" You said, and he couldn't help but smile at how adorable you looked. You were wearing one of his shirts and his favorite knee high socks with an apron tied around yourself. He was torn between watching you move around the kitchen, his eyes glued to the way your body looked in the early morning sun, or getting up and helping you anyway.

The oil popped in the pan as the eggs sizzled, every pop made him jump especially when you let out a little squeal, he feared that the oil had landed on you and that your beautiful skin had been burnt. Then you would let out a breathy chuckle, he could tell that you were embarrassed. "Turn down the burner, pumpkin." He'd say, and you would slowly inch closer to the stove, your arm stretched as far as you could stretch it to turn the knob on the stove. When the bubbling and popping subsided you would smile proudly at him, your eyes squeezed shut and give him two thumbs up. "I did it!" He would hum with approval, letting himself relax knowing that you won't get hurt, hopefully, in the next five minutes at least.

Everyone at the Agency was shocked at how mature Ranpo had become over a matter of six months. He wasn't as childlike as he had been before, but now that he had someone else to worry about and look out for, he knew he had to do some growing up of his own, especially since you were very childlike yourself. He didn't mind it, as long as you were okay, that was his main concern, you were his top priority. You had helped him find a reason to grow up, to be a better version of himself, and you weren't even aware. From the start, he had begun the maturing process. The first date he went on with you, you had tripped up a set of stairs and skinned your knee. When he saw the small tear clinging to the edge of your eye he had almost cried himself. Then when you had been on the phone with him one night and he heard you slightly whimper in pain, the pained "Ow" that you had muttered into the receiver, he almost had a heart attack. He was about to run to your apartment to make sure that you were okay, that is until you reassured him that you had just burnt your finger on a pan by accident. God, did this man worry about you. It seemed like it took forever for him to convince you to move in with him, just so he could keep an eye on you constantly, but once he did it felt like some weight had been lifted.

You had finally finished making breakfast and he could finally take a deep breath. He watched you carefully as you walked over, placing the plate on the table before sitting on his lap, swinging your legs back and forth as you wrapped your arms around his neck. "Did you make a plate for yourself, pumpkin?" He asked, trying to not think too hard about your lack of pants as you rocked back and forth on his lap. He could feel the blood flowing south, and he knew that if you felt it, the two of you would be locked in the bedroom for the next two hours. "Hmm? Oh, nope! Not hungry right now. I'll cook something when you go to work." You said, and his eyes went wide, the thought of you being home alone and cooking scared the hell out of him.

"How about I just bring you home something during my break?!" He said almost too forcefully, and you leaned back to look at him. He thought that he had hurt your feelings, and he was about to apologize until you flashed a big smile, pressing your lips to his. "I love when you visit me during your breaks! Thanks, honey bunny!" You slid off his lap, and ran to the bedroom. He heard the sound of something hitting the door frame and he leaned back in his chair to see you sitting on the floor, your hands wrapped around your ankle.

"What did you hit this time?"

"Funny bone..."

"I'll get the ice."

One thing he loves doing is taking you out on his days off. He'll take you out to eat or out to the movies or when the weather allows it, he'll take you for a stroll through the park. Anything that allows him to spend time with you and give you his undivided attention he loved doing it. He would have his arm wrapped around your waist while you held onto his coat. He thought it was precious how tight you gripped onto him, how close you pressed your body against his.

One time he taken you to CosmoWorld and you had begged him to get on the Ferris Wheel. It's not that he didn't like the Ferris Wheel, he thought it looked beautiful from a distance, especially at night when it was lit up, but the concept of you and him, especially you, being that high up with no harness or really anything to keep you from falling out, it didn't really sit well with him. He wasn't scared of heights, he was scared of you falling to your death.

"Let's just pick something else. I'll win you a prize from one of the games. Pick any prize, I'll get it for you." He had tried to coax you away from the Ferris Wheel, gently pulling you in a different direction. You yanked your hand away from his and folded your arms across your chest, pouting at him as you stomped your foot. "No. I want to ride the Ferris Wheel."

"I don't think the Ferris Wheel is a good idea, not after we've eaten." He didn't like you being mad at him, and he definitely didn't like saying no to you, but sometimes he wished that you would just take no as an answer and move on with it.

"If you won't take me on the Ferris Wheel, I'll find someone else to do it." You said, sticking your nose in the air and turning your back on him. You began walking away, but you didn't get very far before he was right behind you, grabbing your wrist and pulling you to look at him.

"Y/N, stop it." He said sternly, his hands moving to grip onto your waist, holding you tightly to make sure you didn't try to turn away again. "Now look, I said I'd get you a prize, but if you want to act like this we can just go home."

Your lip jutted out and began trembling, he tried to not let it affect him, but he hated making you sad. He closed his eyes so he didn't have to see how upset you looked, it helped him keep his composure, but once you started sniffling he broke. "Come on, don't cry."

"You didn't call me pumpkin... am I not your pumpkin?" You asked quietly and as silly as your question was, he knew that you were serious. At this point you had already forgotten about the Ferris Wheel dilemma, you were worried more about the fact that he had used your first name. It was a rarity, the only times you ever heard him say your name was in the bedroom or when he was irritated with you.

"Of course you're still my pumpkin. Don't be silly. How about we just go home, we can cuddle and watch your favorite movies." He'd quickly brush his thumbs across your cheeks, brushing away any stray tears that had managed to fall.

You were childish, and sure you worried him to death sometimes, and sure he sometimes had to be more serious than he liked to be to get you to behave, but he loved you. He loved everything about you. He fell in love with every aspect of you, and he wouldn't change you for a thing. You're perfect just the way you are, and if anyone even tried to say anything about how you acted he would gladly put them in their place. You were him pumpkin, and he was proud to be your honey bunny.

A/N : What!? Two posts in one night? TWO RANPO POSTS IN ONE NIGHT?! YOU HECKIN KNOW IT! This one is kind of short, but I hope you enjoy it. <3

[shra-vasti]

MAKES ME WONDER [15/40] The Surprise

→ Synopsis : Your dream to attend a Seventeen concert was finally coming true but you weren't prepared for the events that were going to follow after Joshua made eye contact with you and chose to make you his partner for the mini game and take you out on a date as a winning prize.

→ Genre : fluff

→ Type : Idol x fan au

→ Word count : 1.5k

→ Taglist : @mngyuheart @vannie24 @uglyratlmao @rjsmochii @dwcljh @noniesgirl @yuriewolfhard @jisungsdreamy @mischeifmakerliesmith5 (let me know if you want to be added to the taglist)

→ Pairing : idol!Joshua x fan!reader

→ Main Seventeen Masterlist 

→ Makes Me Wonder Masterlist 

The constant ringing of the doorbell made Seungkwan get up from where he was seated on the couch of their living room, groaning and complaining about how the members knew the password but still chose to ring the bell. 

"SURPRISE!" 

"AHHHHHH" 

You, Jeonghan and Wonwoo fall down on the floor, clutching on your stomach as you watch Seungkwan clutching on his heart in an attempt to calm himself down. 

Seokmin and Chan came running downstairs to see what the commotion was all about, getting surprised when they saw you with two of their Hyungs on the door. 

"Y/N what a pleasant surprise, I missed you so much."

You hugged Seokmin as Chan helped Seungkwan, you hugged the rest two too and they helped you take your luggage inside their apartment and into the living room.

"You guys had a schedule today? I thought Joshua said you were free."

You thanked Chan as he gave you some water to drink then proceeding to sit beside you and you lay your head on his shoulder. 

You explained to Seungkwan, Chan and Seokmin about your scholarship program and they were more than happy that they would be able to spend more time with you here. 

"We don't have a schedule, few of the members have gone out because they got bored and few are inside, I think Minghao and Vernon are upstairs sleeping or doing their own thing."

You nodded your head at Jeonghan's word, yawning a bit since you were really tired as sleep deprived. 

"Joshua is out too, let us help you with your luggage to his room and you can get freshen up there, I'm pretty sure he'll be back sometime soon."

"That sounds like a plan, I'll go take the shower and rest for a bit."

You got up from your spot and took a few of the small bags with you while Wonwoo and Seokmin helped with other baggage. Jeonghan led you towards Joshua's room which was on the ground floor in the extreme end of the hallway. 

You also learned that maknae line were staying on the first floor and Hyung line on the ground floor, Jeonghan also explained that they had separate party rooms at the second floor where they hangout with other idols sometimes or hold parties. 

He also told you that the first door which opens to the left of the entryway was their general living room and the living room where you were seated a few minutes prior was only for close friends. 

"Your luggage is already inside, you go ahead and use the room as yours and if you need anything, my room is here."

You looked in the direction where his finger was pointing to see that his room was exactly on the opposite side of Joshua. 

"Thank you, I'll go ahead and shower."

He smiled, ruffling your hair a bit before going inside his own room while you opened the door of Joshua's. 

"Woah, are they covering the whole floor of this building, I didn't realize that the rooms would be this huge too."

The room was a bit smaller than the living room, you thought that they may have made it extra large for entertainment purposes but taking a look at Joshua's room you could tell that the rooms were fairly large too. 

It wasn't that surprising though, you had read an article where the members said that each of them have a single unit now. 

Joshua's room was very clean and sophisticated, it was minimal but it fitted his aura, you chuckled looking at the number of plushies kept on the top shelves of the cabinets, you remember looking at them when a carat pointed at the plushies during a vlive.

Thinking back at those memories, you have come so far. 

You took your sweatpants and a plain t-shirt from your bag along with your other necessary things and made your way inside the bathroom to take the shower. 

▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️

Jeonghan was peacefully sleeping on his bed when he heard Joshua's scream followed by yours, he fell off the bed, clumsily making his way out of his door to bump his head into a very frantic looking Joshua. 

"What the-" 

Jeonghan rubbed his head almost cursing at Joshua but stopping when he saw how shocked the latter was. 

"Why were you yelling?" 

"There's some girl in my room, someone broke in my room?" 

Jeonghan looked at him in confusion, who would break into Joshua's room which was the way at the end of the hallway when his eyes widened in realization. 

"Yah, it's y/n, what did you do?" 

Joshua straightened himself from his prior position. 

"Y/N? Isn't she busy with her exam?" 

"No stupid, she came here to surprise you, what did you do?" 

Joshua looked back at his room and then at Jeonghan, he ran towards his room to take a look at the luggage kept at one corner before turning back to Jeonghan. 

"I may have opened the bathroom door thinking no one was there and I may have got shocked seeing someone else in my room but now that I know it's y/n, have a nice day."

He shut the door on Jeonghan's face, leaning on his door to process what exactly happened.

You clutched onto the towel you had wrapped around your body as soon as you and Joshua screamed when he opened the bathroom door. 

You immediately got outside of the shower and wrap the towel on your body before locking the door from inside, you slapped yourself for being so careless in an apartment full of boys, you had a habit of not locking the bathroom door since Miu and you shared one bathroom and sometimes both of you needed to use it for different purposes. 

You sat down on the closed toilet seats regaining your breath, you were happy that before Joshua could see you manage to hide your body behind the curtain. 

You heard a few soft knocks on the bathroom door followed by Joshua's voice. 

"Y/N are you okay? I didn't scare you much did I?" 

"No."

You stood up and made your way towards the door to hear him clearly. 

"I didn't expect you to be here at all,I'm so sorry I scared you like that."

"It's okay, I wanted to surprise you so it isn't your fault at all."

Joshua sighed, hitting his head lightly on the door, shaking his head. 

"Open the door."

"What? No."

"Come on open the door I want to see you, I haven't seen you for months and I miss you."

"I can't, I haven't worn my clothes, wait up."

"No, now."

You shook your head at his stubborn behaviour. 

"I'm just on my towel Joshua."

"I won't do anything funny, open up, don't you trust me."

You opened up the door as he stumbled towards you, not expecting you to open the door. 

He closed the door behind him as he made his way towards you and as soon as he was near enough, he engulfed you in a bone crushing hug. 

"I can't believe you are really here."

He ran his fingers through your wet hair, the scent of your floral shampoo soothing his nerves. 

"But I'm here now."

You wrapped your arms around his waist as you ran your hands up and down his back. 

"Was this the reason why you asked me for the dorm address?" 

You nodded your head as you felt him give feathery kisses the moist skin of your shoulders. 

"My university recently became a part of International Partnership of Universities which gives the students of those selected universities a chance to be able to attend an university from other country and h saw that Seoul University was a part of it, so I asked my professor if I'm eligible and they said yes so here I am."

He pushed himself a bit away from you to take a good look at your face. 

"So is this the reason why you were so busy?" 

You nodded your head as he kissed your nose. 

"I wanted to surprise you but you got angry."

You pouted at him recalling how he hung up the call on your face and didn't message even once after that. You learned that he can hold a grudge very well. 

He pouted looking at your face as he leaned down to kiss your pouting lips, you encircled your arms around his neck, bringing him more closer to your body. 

"I'm sorry."

He kissed your jaw and continued to kiss you down your neck to your shoulders as you sighed, feeling your breath hitch, your skin was already so warm after just taking the shower and his kisses weren't helping ease the warmth of the room. 

He pushed you back until your back hit the way and he pulled away taking another towel from the hanger and giving it to you. 

"Dry up your hair fast otherwise you'll catch a cold, I'll see you outside."

He threw a wink in your direction and he was out of the bathroom leaving you breathless inside the bathroom clutching onto the towel as you tried your best to process what he just did. 

[navyhyuck]

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𝐒𝐈𝐆𝐍𝐄𝐃, 𝐉𝐀𝐘.

↳ a love letter a week, and it has you wondering who’s your secret admirer. you have nine weeks, eight candidates, and one story to live. will you find out who your ‘jay’ is?

a/n :: hi guys it’s finally here!! this is an introduction sorta prologue type chapter here, and i, uh, apologize for the length but anyway, please enjoy and stay tuned for more! :) update :: repost because tumblr hates me

wc :: 1.6k

taglist: @childofthecycle @takoyakkun @the8luvr @staywrites

let me know if you’d like to be added to the taglist!

“That’s the new kid? Shit—he’s kind of hot.”

You’re caught off guard by Ryujin’s confession, the usual slam of her locker faltering as you lean back on your heels, giving her a raised eyebrow. She’s not looking your way, however, her usually bored eyes watching an unfamiliar face stroll down the hallway; your best friend’s gaze isn’t the only one he’s getting. It wasn’t, especially eyeing him from the button-down shirt he has lazily tucked into his jeans to the clack on his dark shoes on the tiles—he had your mouth practically dropping open at the sight.

You’re absolutely sure, you realize as he walks out of sight—the only thing marking his past presence being the cling to his neck jewelry, that you’ve never seen someone walk through those halls with a fashion sense as exceptional as his. Though you’re shaken out of your trance by the girl next to you, a low chuckle leaves her as you blink back into the present.

“What’d I say?” She tests, wiggling her eyebrows in a way that makes you roll your eyes, turning towards your locker to open it. “He’s hot, right? Like not a jock sort of hot but more like a, oh! Like one of those anime guys that loves the girl but sort of wants to kill her, that kinda hot. You know?”

“...Right.”

“And he’s got a nice face too, don’t you think?” Ryujin adds slyly, a smirk spreading across her lips as you wince at her choice of words. “Plus he’s on the swim team apparently, at least from what I heard this morning. It’s kinda hard to believe it too, that you know, someone with better fashion sense than Han Jisung’s entered the school. And well, anyone other than Jisung is the one for me.” She ends off dramatically, leaning against the lockers with her eyes staring up at the ceiling as if they had the answers to the next calculus test on it.

The boy’s swim team, well, you could possibly call them the pride and joy of the school; from the way every bleacher is filled with a packed audience, they make a more entertaining group than the football team (which we don’t talk about, not ever since Lee Taeyong’s senior rebellion against the sophomore class for sabotaging the homecoming game). It would be a lie if you were to say you’d never gone to one of their many meets and watched them take every lap as if it was nothing on their shoulders—if anything, you give them the credit they deserve. Though it’s common for everyone to have a favorite from the team as well—from the current top (and most popular) seven—you never personally decided on one. If you had to pick, you’d be conflicted till your last day on the earth.

First, is Lee Minho, the captain of the swim team. It’s easy to tell why he’s a school favorite, considering the athletic drive he’s had since his days in elementary school and the contributions he’s made since his freshman year, but most importantly because of his spirit. The previous year, he single handedly took the team to the county championships with his skills in freestyle and backstroke—though he won first prize for freestyle—and earned the highest title yet. Because of that, the annual argument on the team captain had even been unofficially cancelled this year because of the coach’s final (and best) choice; no one had dared to say Minho didn’t deserve the role.

Next, is Bang Chan, the team’s best diver. You don’t know too much about swimming, the only facts being the ones you derived from watching countless meets beside your friends, but you’re certain you’ve never seen a diver better than him. The only other thing about him is that he has the hearts of everyone melting at any given time, the dimpled smiles he gives with every loss or win being the one that somehow channels energy each time. He’s also seen as the most optimistic, mainly for his cheesy cheers before meets actually start, and as the one with the most charisma.

After that, is Seo Changbin. If there’s one thing about him that the entire population comments on, it’s that resting bitch face he holds throughout the school day and practically anytime he’s not swimming. It seems like it changes completely when his skin touches the water, maybe it’s as magical as a mermaid, but it’s also how he manages to speed through 500 yards without a few pants of exhaust at the end. He’s always one to keep going, until past the breaking point.

Next, is Han Jisung, the team’s designated popular member. He’s Ryujin’s favorite (and it’s ridiculously obvious, regardless of how hard she attempts to hide it) as well as many others, clearly being yet another contributing factor to his popularity. But he’s not just popular for the sake of it, he’s also quite famous for his sleek backstroke. Being a dream it is to some to see Jisung swimming competitively in the evening on Friday, you’ve even seen some take advantage of the situation by taking snapshots. You don’t like to think what he might think of strangers taking pictures of him in a bathing suit, however.

After him, is Kim Seungmin. Maybe you could call him another school favorite, but he isn’t nearly as ‘famous’ as his counterpart, though you might be one to advocate for his backstroke over Jisung’s. He’s also known for his impeccable grades, rocketing higher than most of the students in the school and even placing him in the top 5% of the school. Not only is he a stellar athlete, but he’s got the A’s as well. (You can expect him to be a teacher’s favorite, too.)

Next, is Lee Felix, the team’s best individual medley swimmer. Out of everyone on the team, he’s known as the one and only to exhibit some of the best technique (he was even complimented on the local news, and your heart had almost stopped just seeing the pretty boy on your TV). He’s also on the dance team, the captain too, though he’s more well known for his skills in the water. You can guess that there are a handful that come to watch him dance as well.

Lastly, is Yang Jeongin. A junior, actually, but with a skill set much farther than of his age. He’s a bit cute as well, with a shy sort of persona that usually had people awing for him through his sophomore year, and it still hasn’t gotten out of your mind even after a year. He is, after all, a fantastic 200 yard racer, being able to snatch a medal at almost every meet.

Adding another swimmer to the team is common, but something tells you that the case of this boy walking through the halls of your school might make him a bit more than just another person joining the team. The aura he gave off, startling everyone in his way with nothing more than a simple walk down the hallway—it’s nothing, but it seems like much more than that. Perhaps, you’d even get to learn his name one day.

You snap out of your daydream with a smack from Ryujin, the girl nagging at you to hurry up; your hand grazes past the lock on your locker, filling in the combination before tugging violently at the metal until it gives away. Instinctively, you reach your hand in blindly for your books, but there’s a fluttering feeling on your arm as you glance back, confused. A neat envelope had fallen from above, probably having been stuffed into the top not too long ago, and a questioning hum leaves you.

“What’s this?” You say to yourself, mumbling underneath your breath as you turn it over in your hand, your finger tracing over the colorful washi tape placed on the borders. It’s decorated with stickers, all the way until your name is written in a bright blue. The last letter of your name branches off into a flower, one that leads all the way to the back, where there’s a stick over the flap that reads ‘open here’ in small font.

Might as well read it now.

dear y/n love,

i hope you’ve received this safely, and if you haven’t, i genuinely apologize! i’d say it’s not my wrongdoing, which of course it is, but you also have no clue who i am! hopefully. unless you saw me put this in your locker, but i really hope you didn’t. i’d be quite embarrassed if you did, so please just maybe, don’t tell anyone if you did? yeah, thank you in advance.

anyway, hi! i’ll call myself jay for the time being. hmm, just so i can stay anonymous! i wouldn’t want to reveal myself to you just yet. or hopefully, not at all, but i think i’ll eventually open up to the idea of confessing. oh, yeah, sorry i didn’t mention. i’m jay and i’m in love with you.

okay, that sounds pretty aggressive and a little arrogant but i promise i’m not!!! i just don’t have any extra letter paper to write on or else i wouldn’t even be writing the rest of this. okay, okay, i’m sorry. back to the main point. so, i guess you can call me your secret admirer or whatever, but anyway, i like you. like more than a friend, like you, but i’m too scared to tell you so therefore, here we are. expect to hear from me in the near future ;)

signed, jay

[kelyon]

Golden Rings 22: An Offer

The Storybrooke sequel to Golden Cuffs

Lacey has a meeting with Mayor Mills

Read on AO3

Content warning for verbal abuse and sexual fear

The clacking of Lacey’s heels against the sidewalk was music to her ears. She felt right, dressed like a whore and parading herself down Main Street. After her conversation with Mayor Mills, the stupid voice in the back of her head was quiet. Finally, things were back to normal. 

Now it didn’t matter that Mr. Gold had been acting like a stranger since October. It didn’t matter that he didn’t want her, that he was fucking somebody else. She didn’t need him. She didn’t have to be “Mrs. Gold” in order to get what she wanted out of life. All that bastard did was pay her. He didn’t own her. He’d given up that privilege months ago. She didn’t have to belong to him. There were lots of other people out there. Mayor Mills wanted to help her. Mayor Mills wanted her.

At least, she was pretty sure she did. It was hard to tell. Lacey had never had a woman look at her the way Mayor Mills did sometimes. It was a sharp, laser-focused look. A look that cut her to the bone and then began to saw into her marrow. Like everything Lacey was, everything she had ever been or had ever dreamed of being, was laid bare for Mayor Mills’ approval. 

Mr. Gold used to look at her like that.

Lacey dug her nails into her palms. Or maybe she was an idiot. Maybe she had been imagining the little signs. Maybe the mayor of Storybrooke would try to help anybody she came across in town, offer them rides in her sporty black Mercedes-Benz. Maybe she would arrange an after-hours meeting with any married woman who called her up. Maybe it was a public service.

Or maybe not.  

She remembered this feeling, this knowing-but-not-knowing. The anticipation. The unanswered questions. The tension gave her a thrill. A thrill she hadn’t felt in a long time. 

Maybe that was why it was so easy to lie when she walked into the pawn shop.

Mr. Gold looked up from his inventory book when he heard her. His eyes were cautious. Afraid? Was this sad little coward really afraid of her? Maybe that was why it was so easy to grin at him, to reassure him with bright eyes and a lilting voice. 

“I wasn’t sure what you were doing for lunch,” she chirped. “Want me to pick up something from Granny’s?”

The corners of his mouth lifted up. It was almost a smile. “No thank you, Mrs. Gold. I brought leftovers from home today.”

She nodded, and tapped her fingers against the counter in front of him. How many times had he fucked her against these display cases? How many times had she dropped to her knees behind the cash register while the shop was still open? He would challenge her to hurry, to suck him off before a customer walked in on them. He told her he would beat her black and blue if she failed.

What kind of things would Mayor Mills want her to do?

“Hey, I’m sorry about this morning,” Lacey lied. “I’ve just been really stupid and emotional lately.”

“You’re not stupid,” Mr. Gold said softly. “I know I haven’t made things easy for you. I’m sorry about that.”

A plastic smile was a wonderful talent. She was used to using it on other people, but now Mr. Gold was as easy to fool as everyone else. 

“It’s not your fault,” she said sweetly, even though she was ready to spit acid in his face. “I just needed some time to myself this morning. But I feel better now. Later today I’m gonna get my hair done. I scheduled an appointment for around five.”

Easy as it was to lie, there was a specific delight in letting him get the wrong idea from entirely factual information. He had taught her how to do that. She would go to Janine’s and get her hair styled. And then she would have her appointment with Mayor Mills at five o’clock on the dot.

And he just nodded, just went along with it. Idiot. “The shop will be closed by the time you’re done. I can pick you up at the salon.”

She wrinkled her nose. Playful, casual. Not a care in the world. ��No, I don’t know how long I’ll be, and the weather looks like nothing but blue skies. Besides, you’ll want to start supper. What are we having tonight?”

He began to ramble on about spring onions and fricasseeing, while Lacey counted the hours until her appointment at City Hall.   

****

Officially, the city offices closed at 4 PM, but everybody knew that Mayor Mills stayed as late as she needed to keep the town running.  Everyone admired her devotion, but pitied how often she had to leave her sweet little boy unsupervised. Rumor had it that was why Henry was so troubled, why he kept hanging around shady characters like Sheriff Swan, his birth mother. But his real mother was doing the best anyone could under such circumstances. Henry had appointments with Dr. Hopper several nights a week to keep his moods under control.

Why do you know so much about Regina’s life? Why is that woman the center of the universe in this town? Think about it!

Of course the voice was back. Lacey wasn’t sure if she wanted a stiff drink or a total lobotomy. Whatever would get it to shut up.

City Hall was quiet, that was part of the trouble. The empty hallway echoed so much she could hear her heart beating along with the sound of her footsteps. The voice always started jabbering at her during moments of stillness, moments when she should have been at peace. 

She couldn’t tell if City Hall was serene or creepy. Like most buildings in the rich part of New Town, the design was sleek and modern. The interiors were stark white trimmed in black--plaster walls and gleaming tile floors. Right now, it had the terrible oddness of a place that was supposed to be filled with people, but wasn’t. 

At this late hour, the fluorescent lights were dimmed. During the day the brightness was intimidating, but long evening shadows didn’t inspire confidence either. The doors lining the hall were a fake wood laminate, so dark they were almost black. The only other color came from the occasional piece of corporate art hanging up on the walls. Black and white photos of Storybrooke, all in frames as red as blood.

This is a bad place. You need to leave! 

“Shut up,” she hissed. She would try not to tell Mayor Mills about the voice right away. No need to let the mayor think she was crazy. Besides, if all this went right, Lacey would feel a lot better very soon. 

The door to the mayor’s office was ajar, but Lacey still knocked on the ebony frame.

“Come in,” Mayor Mills’ voice was brusque. For a split-second, fear clenched at Lacey’s stomach. She should listen to the voice in her head and run! Run away from this place that felt like a haunted house, run back home to Mr. Gold or to her father or to Sheriff Swan or anyone but Regina!  

But she didn’t. 

All Lacey did was adjust her purple bustier and walk in.

“Close the door behind you.” Mayor Mills didn’t look up from her paperwork.

Lacey did as she was asked--did as she was told. Her pulse quickened to be obeying orders again. 

Like the rest of City Hall, the mayor’s office was nothing but black and white. The only difference was the clutter of prints and patterns. The wallpaper, the curtains, the upholstery on the conference table chairs--they were all a different print, but they were all monochrome. There was no illusion of serenity here. The room looked designed to disorient.

Even the stone floor was inlaid with black and white. An outline of a circle took up most of the space between the door and the desk. The circle was black, with tapered black flags coming out from the center. It looked like a pinwheel, or a clock, or something a bad guy would use to hypnotize someone in a cartoon. 

Without any other instructions, Lacey decided to stand in the middle of the circle. She waited, at the point where black and white met and disappeared into each other.

Mayor Mills stayed at her desk. After a few more signatures, she set her pen down in a drawer and began to stack the papers neatly into a shiny black file folder. So she was meticulous. Lacey could appreciate that. 

She kept waiting. The mayor didn’t look at her until the desk--a white slab of polished stone set on top of two carved stone pillars--was empty. 

“You were seven minutes early,” she said at last. 

Lacey swallowed and kept her hands at her sides. “Mr. Gold says that punctuality is the virtue of princes, Madame Mayor.”

One perfectly outlined, jet-black eyebrow raised on Mayor Mills’ forehead. “Mrs. Gold, if you’re looking for a prince, I don’t think I can be of any help to you.”

Would it be okay to laugh? Or would Mayor Mills think that was impertinent? Lacey just pressed her lips together and said nothing.

“Do you want to tell me what you are looking for, Mrs. Gold?” 

Now she opened her mouth, but she didn’t have the words to answer.

Rumple. Rumple, help me! Rumple!

“R--r--really, I… I don’t know if I can put it into words, Madame Mayor.”

Mayor Mills gave her a considering look. She stayed at her desk, but leaned back in her black leather office chair. “Sit down.”

Two black and silver chairs sat in front of the desk. Lacey put her purse down in one and perched on the edge of the other. 

“Would you like something to eat?” Standing up, Mayor Mills went to the conference table that took up most of the space on the right-hand side of the room. A large white bowl--ceramic, and shaped so that it looked like a collection of bleached, dead coral--was full of apples. All of them were as red as blood. The mayor took two and held one out to Lacey. “I often find that when I need to think, one of my prize-winning Honeycrisp apples always helps me focus on what’s most important.”

Lacey took the apple and held it in her hands. If she had seen this in a grocery store, she would have sworn that it was a Red Delicious. But of course the mayor would know her own apples. She had grown apples since she was a little girl. The tree that grew these ones was right outside the window behind the desk. 

“Are you going to thank me?” The mayor was quiet, but it was the quiet of a viper about to strike.

“Yes,” Lacey said automatically. “Yes, I’m so sorry, Madame Mayor. Thank you for the apple. And for your time. I--I know you’re busy.”

“I am,” Mayor Mills agreed. Behind her desk, she pulled open a drawer and took out a silver knife. There was a design carved into the handle, Lacey couldn’t tell if it was an apple or a heart. After walking back to the front of the desk and leaning against the edge, the mayor began to cut into her apple. “There’s a lot of trouble brewing right now in Storybrooke. But I’ll make time for you, Mrs. Gold.”

“Why?” Lacey muttered. “I’m just a cheap, trashy slut.”

Grinning, the mayor took a slice of her apple. She chewed, swallowed, licked the juice off her red lips. “Is that what Mr. Gold told you to think of yourself?”

“Yes,” she whispered, looking down at the apple in her lap. She had said the words before to people, said them with a smile, like they were an honor. She had puffed up her own performance like a balloon. Only now she had popped, and there was nothing left of her but tattered shreds of rubber. 

Lacey felt something cold on the bottom of her chin. Mayor Mills held the flat edge of the knife against her skin and lifted her gaze until they were eye to eye. Sitting down, she was looking up at the mayor.  “Is Mr. Gold in charge of you, dear?”

She blinked. “I--He was. But I don’t want him to be anymore.”

“Did something happen?”

“Yes.” Lacey wanted to look down again, but the mayor hadn’t released her yet. “He--he cheated on me. And he’s been keeping secrets from me. And--and he’s just different, I don’t know how to explain it, but I hate it. I hate it, Madame Mayor!”

Mayor Mills took the knife away, and cut herself another slice of apple. She smiled. “He’s not the man you married.” She seemed almost smug to say it. “So now you’re looking for someone who can take his place. Someone who can remind you of why you were put in this world.” 

“Yes!” Absurdly, Lacey felt her eyes begin to well with tears. Those were the words she had been looking for! She had been so right to come here. Mayor Mills knew exactly how to make everything right again! “I--I hope you’re not offended or anything. That I thought of you first when I wanted to find someone who would--would treat me the way I like to be treated.”

“The way you deserve to be treated, you mean.” Her voice was so low, so dark and so dangerous. “You cheap, trashy slut.”

It was like her heart had been ripped out of her chest and she was just perverted enough to love it. Repeating the same words that had just caused her shame, rubbing them in her face. This was exactly the kind of pain she had been looking for. Mayor Mills was brilliant.

She wanted to kiss her boots.

Lacey looked up at the mayor, at the way her crimson dress clung to her curves. Her silhouette was an absolute hourglass, tapering down into legs wrapped in tasteful nylons. So much classier than Lacey’s whorish fishnet stockings. 

Mayor Mills’ eyes were dark and intense. Black, where Mr. Gold’s were brown. Her makeup was dramatic but flawless. Her lips were as red as the apple she was eating, her teeth as white as its flesh.

Lacey had never felt so small before, not in front of another woman. Not in front of anyone but Mr. Gold. She looked down. When she spoke, her voice was a whisper, a breath. “What can I do? In order to deserve you?”

The mayor’s laugh was rich and throaty. It sounded like red wine at a midnight feast. She set down her apple and her silver knife and held Lacey firmly by the jaw with her own silky-smooth hands.

“Let’s make sure we understand one another, Mrs. Gold: You don’t deserve me. You can’t deserve me. Nothing you could ever do would be enough to get you even close to my level. Is that clear?”

“Yes,” Lacey whispered. She couldn’t move. Fear and arousal were too overpowering. “Yes, Madame Mayor.”

“Good.” She took her hand away and went behind her desk. “You know, you’re actually a very lucky girl. Until quite recently, I was content with the submissive I had. But then he… disappointed me, and we had to part ways.”

You killed that poor man, you vile--

“So!” Lacey said, too loudly. “Are we agreed then? Will you take me on as a ‘submissive’?”

Mayor Mills looked at her from her office chair. Her gaze was steady and unblinking. “Do you think you can submit to me? Even though I’m not your husband?”

“Yes,” she said. “At least, I’d like to try.”

“Have you ever served a woman before, dear?” She didn’t wait for an answer. “No, of course you haven’t, not properly. Well, I’ll warn you, we’re not like men. We’re not easy. There’s no one-and-done climax while you lie back and think of England.”

Lacey opened her mouth. Her instinct was to defend Mr. Gold, to say that sex with him had never been like that. But that wasn’t anything Mayor Mills wanted to hear. 

“I’m going to demand a lot more of you than a man would,” the mayor went on. “I’m not satisfied by anything but perfection. And the cocks I use never go soft.”

She shifted in her seat. Were these threats or promises? “I would like to satisfy you, Madame Mayor,” she said softly. “I would like to please you.”

The mayor smiled again. “Of course you would,” she purred. “I think everyone in this town understands the benefits of having a happy mayor.” Her eyes flickered over Lacey’s body. “Are you wearing anything underneath that ugly skirt?”

 A flash of heat went through her body. Partially it was the shock and pleasure at the sudden shift in the conversation. But there was also a bit of embarrassment. Lacey liked this skirt--black vinyl with blue tulle ruffles underneath. Was it really ugly?

“Well?” Mayor Mills said patiently.

“Oh! I--yes. A thong. It’s purple, like my bustier.”

“Mmm.” The mayor smiled like a cat with a bluebird in its paw. “Well, that I simply must see.”

Lacey sprang to her feet. She moved to unzip the tight skirt, but then she got an idea. “May I take off my blouse as well?”

“Oh, if you insist.” Leaning back in her chair, the mayor picked up her knife and cut off another slice of apple. She ate it, while Lacey stripped down to her lingerie and folded her clothes neatly on the conference table. 

Then she stood in the center of the circle again, in front of the mayor’s desk, wearing nothing but purple silk, black lace, high heels, and jewelry. 

Looking at her, Mayor Mills crunched into the last bite of her apple, then threw the core into the trash. 

“Turn around,” she ordered. “Slowly.”

Lacey obeyed. God, this was amazing. Under the mayor’s scrutiny, every inch of her felt alive. This was what she was made for. This was the reason she existed in this world.

“You're groomed, at least. And it looks like you have some marks,” the mayor said coolly. “Am I safe in assuming they’re not recent?”

“No--I mean yes. They are not recent. Mr. Gold hasn’t touched me since October.”

“I imagine that would be frustrating,” she smirked. “For both of you. Come closer.”

Lacey stood directly in front of the desk. It was like she was here on official business, like she was going to ask for funding to re-open the library or something.

“Bend over, with your elbows on the desk. Lean forward until that pert little ass of yours sticks up in the air like a bitch in heat. I’m sure you’re familiar with the position. Keep your head up, but your eyes lowered. Don’t look at me.”

She did the best she could, remembering that the mayor was only satisfied by perfection. Once she was settled into place, she kept her eyes downcast. Her head was spinning. For some reason, it was hard to breathe. 

Then Lacey felt the mayor’s hands on her throat. 

She gulped,  but didn’t move. Do the brave thing. And it wasn’t that she was afraid of Mayor Mills. But the movement had been so sudden, so unexpected that it caught her off guard. And the mayor did have a very tight grip.

Her hands weren’t cold, but Lacey would have been hard-pressed to call the touch warm. A better word would have been to call the touch… proprietary. Appraising. She was inspecting the goods before she made a claim on them. 

Obediently, Lacey kept her eyes down while the mayor touched her. She couldn’t see her face. She heard her chuckle as her fingers explored the skin of her neck. 

“All these little scars here look like you lost a fight with a rose bush. How did you get them?”

You gave them to me, you bitch! You and your dragon! She made thorns grow into my skin while you made me fuck you!

“I don’t remember,” Lacey said. Honestly, she didn’t remember having scars on her throat. “I don’t think Mr. Gold gave them to me.”

“Hmm.” Despite Lacey’s ignorance, Mayor Mills sounded pleased. Her hand moved from Lacey’s neck down to the upper edge of her bustier. There was enough space between the cloth and Lacey’s skin that the mayor could have slid inside and copped a feel. But all she did was trace her fingers over the mounds of cleavage and pinch.

“Ow!” Lacey yelped, but stayed braced against the desk. It was a little shameful how quickly she reacted. But a sharp pinch could hurt more than a spanking and she was out of practice. Besides, Mr. Gold always liked her to be vocal. He liked to know exactly how much pain he was causing.  

The mayor rubbed at the sore patch of skin and gradually expanded her touch so that she cupped the whole of Lacey’s breast. 

“Oh poor thing,” she cooed. “I’m just surprised to see that they’re real. Of course, it would be a waste of Mr. Gold’s money if you paid for tits and these were the best you got.” 

The mayor emphasized her words with a sharp twist, digging her long nails into the soft flesh.

Lacey gasped in pain. The heat of it started at the mayor’s hand, coursed through all the nerves in her body, and eventually settled between her legs. The gasp turned into a whine, and then a moan.

“Good girl,” Mayor Mills said quietly. “But remember, slut, this is a public building. I can’t have you defiling these hallowed halls with your grunts and groans. You disgusting animal.”

Pressing her lips together, Lacey tried to swallow her hungry noises. 

“Ugh.” She could imagine the mayor rolling her eyes. She could imagine the disdain, the contempt on her face. Lacey was so worthless. And now she had finally found someone who understood that she was worthless, who would treat her like she was worthless.

God, she was so wet.

“Here.” The mayor took Lacey’s apple from where she had set it down earlier. “Don’t think I didn’t notice you refusing to eat this. That was exceptionally rude. Ungrateful, even. If there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s ingratitude.” 

“I’m sor--” She began to apologize, but as soon as her mouth opened, Mayor Mills had shoved in the apple. Lacey’s teeth broke through the red skin and she tasted the sour-sweet juice on her tongue. After only a moment of having the apple in her mouth, she felt the juice dripping down onto her chin. It mingled with her saliva and made her a slobbery mess. 

“Better.” Now Mayor Mills’ voice was gentle, sweet. She was happy. It was good to make her happy. 

Lacey heard her footsteps move around the desk. She couldn’t see the mayor, and she couldn’t make any noise. Apple flooded her senses of taste and smell. All she could do was hear. And feel.

The mayor was behind her. Manicured nails scraped at the exposed flesh of Lacey’s ass. She would have made a noise, to show how much her body liked the attention, but the apple was an excellent gag.

“You know, I can smell how wet you are, you tramp.” Her hands rested on either one of Lacey’s hips. “You stink. You’re filthy. You’re a disgrace.”

Unable to moan, Lacey shivered. Her hips rocked against the desk for a minute, until Mayor Mills dug her nails in and she stopped. 

“Why do you even wear panties?” She plucked at the straps of her thong. “You always soak right through them. Every time I walk by you, you reek of pussy. You needy, greedy little cunt.”

She couldn’t stop herself. She jerked up, pushed against the desk in a desperate search for any kind of friction. 

“Wriggling like a worm,” the mayor sneered. “You’re not even really a person, are you? You’re just a sex machine, like a junkie looking for a fix. You’re nothing but your need. Just a trio of fuckholes, desperate to be filled.” 

When had Lacey started crying? She was bent face down on the empty desk. The apple in her mouth was the only thing that kept her face from pressing against the cold stone. Her hands were balled into fists on either side of her. She didn’t dare move her arms.

Everything the mayor had said echoed in her mind until she felt the vibrations of the words in her body. Her flesh trembled and shook. Her cunt clenched and it didn’t matter that it had nothing to clench against. She just wanted. Her body wanted...  

“Don’t you dare!” Mayor Mills roared. “I forbid you to come. Don’t you--”

But then there was silence.

Desperate to obey, Lacey tried to stop her orgasm. She had done that often for Mr. Gold. There was a trick to it--pretty much the same thing as stopping yourself from having hiccups. As her body calmed, she became aware that Mayor Mills hadn’t spoken. 

Then she became aware of a breeze swishing back and forth over her nearly-bare ass. It was like when Mr. Gold would pretend to spank her, just to see her jump. He would laugh at that. But Mayor Mills didn’t seem to find it amusing at all. 

“What the hell?” 

Even without seeing her, Lacey could tell that Mayor Mills was clenching her jaw. Again and again, she felt the breeze of phantom spankings. Did the mayor not want to spank her? What was going on? 

“Hands flat on the desk!” the mayor barked. “Let me see your fucking wrists!” 

Her wrists? Why? But Lacey did as she was told. Gracelessly, the mayor pulled on her hands. She turned them around and examined them. While she was distracted, Lacey dared to look up at Mayor Mills. 

She was livid. Her breath came out in huffs and her red lips snarled around bared teeth. Suddenly, she slapped her right hand beside Lacey’s left. 

“This ring,” she hissed. “That’s your wedding ring, isn’t it?”

Lacey lifted her mouth off the apple and nodded. 

Mayor Mills looked angry enough to burst into flames. “Take. It. Off!”  

Hands shaking, Lacey tried to obey. She couldn’t remember the last time she had taken off her wedding ring. Mr. Gold had wanted her to wear it day and night. But what the fuck did Mr. Gold matter now?

When the ring was off, she set it on the desk next to the gnawed apple. She stood at attention, with her eyes downcast. 

The mayor took the ring and held it between her thumb and forefinger. She looked at it, and shook her head. 

“Unbelievable.” 

Yes, it was unbelievable that Lacey would go to a seduction still wearing her wedding ring. What a stupid whore she was. Thoughtless. Sloppy. Ungrateful. 

Mayor Mills tossed the ring back down on the desk, like touching it made her sick. Then she stood up again.

“Let’s try something else.”

For a moment, her anger had abated. Her hips swayed softly as she walked over to Lacey. Gently, she put one hand on Lacey’s neck, and cupped her cheek with the other. She tilted her head back. 

Lacey closed her eyes and parted her lips--but nothing happened. The mayor’s hands moved away. After another moment, Lacey opened her eyes. 

Mayor Mills had one hand extended toward Lacey’s face. It was flat and open, like she was about to slap her. But she wasn’t. She hadn’t. Aside from some pinching, Regina hadn’t been able to do anything to her.

Rumple, you genius!   

When Lacey caught the mayor’s eye, she started and looked away. Without a word, Mayor Mills walked over to the other side of the room. There was a cabinet by the fireplace, from which she pulled out a bottle and a glass.

Her back to Lacey the whole time, the mayor poured out a measure of clear alcohol and drank it in one gulp. Then she took a deep breath. 

Then she turned around. 

“Mrs. Gold, I’m so sorry, but I don’t think I’ll be able to continue this relationship.” She gave a bittersweet smile. “You see, unlike some people in this town, I value marriage. I couldn’t possibly engage in an affair with a married woman.”

“What?” Lacey’s voice cracked. “No, you can’t mean that! I-- Mr. Gold isn’t taking care of me anymore. Our marriage is dead! I--I need you, Madame Mayor!”  

“And you can never know how happy I am to hear you say those things, dear. But the facts are facts--as long as you’re married to your husband, I can’t touch you. Not in any way that matters, at least.”

“Fuck.” Lacey put her hand over her mouth. “Oh fuck, Madame Mayor. I--I really need this, you know?”

“I know,” she nodded. She went over to the conference table and picked up the stack of Lacey’s clothes. She held them out to her. “And I am truly sorry that I won’t get to punish you the way you deserve. But this is how it has to be.” She turned back to her desk.

“Wait!” Lacey clutched her clothes to her chest. “You--you’re just doing this because I’m married, right?”

The mayor nodded again. She had pulled out a paper towel from a desk drawer and was wiping up Lacey’s spit and apple juice. 

“Well, what if--what if I left him? What if we got a divorce?”

Mayor Mills stopped cleaning mid-wipe. For the first time in a while, she looked Lacey in the eye. “Divorces can be messy. They can take a long time. I thought your issue was more pressing than that.”

“I--I don’t know what else to do, Madame Mayor.” Dumping her clothes on a chair, she got on her knees in front of the desk. “You’re right, I do need what you can give me. I need it now, and I’ll do anything to get it!”

She smiled. A light shone in her black eyes. “Anything?”

“Yes. Please.”

“Hmm.” The mayor stood. She began to walk around Lacey in a slow circle. “Well, my point still stands. I simply can’t do anything worthwhile to you while you’re married to Mr. Gold.”

Lacey opened her mouth to beg again, but Mayor Mills lifted a finger and she fell silent.

“And, as we’ve established, a divorce might take a while to finalize. Especially with your husband’s thorough approach to contracts. So I suppose I’m forced to meet you halfway. I’ll just need some proof that your marriage is dead.”

Lacey licked her lips. “Proof?”

“Yes.” When her circle was complete, Mayor Mills was in front of her desk again. The golden ring was still on the surface. She picked it up and handed it out to Lacey. 

It was a bizarre reverse-proposal. Lacey was the one on her knees. The mayor was giving her her own ring back to her, in exchange for a promise to end a marriage.    

“This is part of a matched set, isn’t it?” she asked. “It’s useless on its own. Your husband wears the other one?”

Lacey nodded. 

“Alright,” Mayor Mills said. “So in order for me to have you, I’ll need both of them.”

“What?” Lacey felt her eyes going wide. “You want me to take Mr. Gold’s wedding ring?”

The mayor shrugged. “If your marriage is as dead as you say, he won’t miss it. If it isn’t, then, well, I have no power over you.”

“No.” Scrambling to her feet, Lacey took the ring from the mayor’s hand. “No, I want you to have power over me. I really do!”

A knowing, full-lipped smile. “There’s not much that would make me happier than having absolute power over you, dear. And it will happen, just as soon as I have both of your wedding rings.”

“It will,” Lacey nodded. “I’ll make it happen. I won’t disappoint you, Madame Mayor!”  

[genesisrose74]

Hinata Shoyo x Reader: Good Unexpected

Hello there! This is the first time I’ve ever posted any of my writing, so I hope you enjoy reading! I had a really fun time writing about my favorite ray of sunshine and may or may not have gotten carried away with the word count whoops :P Constructive feedback or just comments in general are welcome~

Word count:  6600

Warning(s): None

Another close win for Karasuno’s male volleyball team had a crowd on their feet and a roar echoing throughout the building. There were five volleyball courts in the structure, but none had a more rambunctious crowd in that moment than the once Flightless Crows. The match wasn’t an all too significant one, but it claimed the boys another opportunity to play in this charity tournament, and that’s all they needed to keep their drive going. In the chaos of cheering students, players on break, family members, and those who had simply been enraptured by the match, a duo of young females ushered out muffled apologies of ‘sorry’ and ‘excuse me’ more times than they could count as they edged their way through. A short blonde stuck closely beside her fellow classmate in the sea of people, letting out a breath of relief upon seeing a gap to a less crowded section of the stadium. 

“Yachi, could you text Kiyoko and tell her we’re on our way? Takinoue and Shimada said they’d take care of the banner since the next match is tomorrow,” you instructed.

“Sure thing,” Yachi replied with a small nod, fishing her phone from her back pocket.

You both continued your move down a set of stairs, searching for the main entrance to court three, on which Karasuno had just played.

“Hey, I think I see Tsukishima by the water fountain over there! The rest of the boys must be close by.” Yachi gestured to the slim middle blocker, donning the unmistakable Karasuno High VBC sweatshirt each player was given at the beginning of the season. 

“Yeah, that’s him for sure! Good eye, Yachi!” you acknowledged.

Jogging over to the towering blonde, you flashed him a warm smile in greeting. Tsukishima replied with a brief nod, his usual hello.

“Hey, Tsukki! Where’s the rest of the boys?” you inquired, now used to Tsukishima’s little expressed enthusiasm, even after a victory.

“Daichi, Sugawara and Ennoshita are checking out the standings for who we’ll face off against tomorrow, Yamaguchi is in the bathroom, and the dumbasses who share one brain cell went to check if the snack bar was open. I have no clue where the rest of them ended up,” Tsukishima listed, scrolling through his phone.

Yachi giggled at his last description of what you could only assume to be Tanaka, Nishinoya, Hinata, and likely Kageyama. Those boys had a way of getting into the stupidest situations, and their immense distaste for anything school related made their title quite fitting, although it was safe to say that you had a soft spot for the knuckleheads - especially one in particular. 

“Speak of the devil,” Tsukishima stated as he looked up from his device. Sure enough, two of said boys had returned from their little food run with bags of snacks in hand. Tanaka had already ripped open a package of beef jerky, two of the sticks stuffed in his mouth as he spoke incoherent words to his fellow second year teammate, Nishinoya.

“Hey boys!” you waved enthusiastically. “Nice win today!” 

Upon seeing you, Nishinoya and Tanaka gasped simultaneously, the remaining jerky in the latter’s mouth falling onto the floor. You could see a grossed out Tsukishima cringe in your peripheral vision, but you didn’t really mind the duo’s antics at this point. 

As everyone knows, Kiyoko was the team manager, an absolute goddess to all, and the master of avoiding the flirty nature of any guy she came across. It was evident that she had a huge effect on the rambunctious second years, two of them in particular melting any time they were given the slightest bit of attention (affectionate or otherwise) - and she could even pull a reaction out of the calmest of boys, including the ever respectful and reserved Karasuno captain from time to time.

However, despite a deep infatuation for the beautiful third year female, the team had been introduced to a new kind of character in the past year that had thrown Nishinoya and Tanaka into a frenzy: a competitive yet kindhearted first year student who just so happened to be a volleyball player herself: you. 

You had arrived in the boy’s gymnasium one afternoon, on the day of the week that the Karasuno girl’s team had practice off. You were hoping to find some tasks or drills to help out with, just to keep yourself active during your free time after school. Since Coach Ukai always appreciated an extra set of hands, especially some that held experience, you began appearing as a regular during Wednesday practices, and the team took a quick liking to you. 

Despite your focus and intensity whenever you were on the court, you were almost always there with an encouraging word or bright smile if the Karasuno boys ever needed, and your consistent sweetness caused many players to view you in a similar manner as Kiyoko. While the more reserved Kiyoko Shimizu was more or less dismissive of the constant attention she would get from boys, you were always happy to jump in and boost the team with your enthusiastic words and actions.

Nishinoya briefly brought up that he likes when girls compliment his hair? You make a little mention of how good it looks at the end of practice that day. Tanaka isn’t feeling particularly happy with his spikes? You’re sure to compliment him extra when he gets a shot off that he likes. Yamaguchi gets frustrated with his jump floaters? You offer up a few words of encouragement to keep him going. Even after practice is over and it’s just a normal day that you can spend time with the team, you happily accepted the compliments and the affection you received from the boys - specifically Nishinoya and Tanaka. Of course, you never lead them on or anything of the sort; you’re all just very close friends.

It was an interesting dynamic to say the least, but the differing personalities of you and the team manager Shimizu had two second year boys going wild to get your attention. 

But, the two troublemakers had discovered who you had your sights set on pretty quickly.

“N/n! I didn’t realize you came to watch today!” Nishinoya grinned, quickly making his way over and wrapping his arms around your midsection. You laughed and placed a hand on the libero’s head, patting his hair gently.

“Hi, Nishi,” you smiled. “Of course I came to see you all. I couldn’t miss watching my favorite libero in action, now could I?” 

“How did you think we did? Wasn’t that an awesome last set?” Tanaka joined in the conversation, giving you a side hug in greeting.

“Yeah, it was pretty exciting to watch!” you agreed. “I’m all for the heart pounding matches, so long as you boys keep winning at the end of them.” 

“You know we will!” Nishinoya smiled up at you. 

“I do know that,” you affirmed before looking around the space. “Tsukishima mentioned something about you and some of the other boys getting snacks, but right now it’s just you two. Where’s the rest of your little group of mischief-makers at?”

“Kageyama stopped by a vending machine to buy some milk. He said it was cheaper than the prices at the snack bar.” Tanaka clarified. 

“Hinata decided to stick with him to talk about the team we’re likely playing tomorrow, but they shouldn’t be far behind us.” Nishinoya concluded, a small grin playing at his lips. “Speaking of which, didn’t Hinata do pretty great, N/n? You should tell him how good he looked doing those quick attacks out on the floor today.”

You stuck your tongue out at the boy who still had his arms secured around you.

“Very funny, Nishi.” you pouted. “At this point you’re not even trying to be discreet.”

Nishinoya was the first player on the team to pick up on your attraction to Karasuno’s prized decoy. You had nearly walked into the wall of the school gymnasium while shagging volleyballs during a hitting drill, watching intently as Hinata did his approach before jumping and slamming the ball onto the other side of the court with ease. It would have been incredibly embarrassing if anyone else had witnessed your distracted movements, but fortunately Nishinoya was the only one to see, and had prevented you from smacking straight into the side of the building.

Initially, the libero thought the mishap was merely because you didn’t want to get nailed by Kageyama and Hinata’s quick attacks, but then he watched you nearly choke on your water when Hinata tossed his practice shirt off the same night, leaving the you to gape in silent astonishment as the middle blocker searched for a less sweaty replacement. Since Nishinoya was already quite close to you at the time, he was quick to corner you about the instance and declared himself an unofficial wing-man when you admitted you had feelings for the ginger.

He may or may not have let the secret slip to Tanaka one night when the three of you were walking home - and then profusely apologized to the point where tears visibly brimmed in his eyes - but Tanaka promised that he wouldn’t say anything to Hinata. Besides, even if he did make a not-so-subtle mention about you to the aspiring ace, you doubted that the dense boy would even understand Tanaka’s implications. 

Little did you know, you were just as oblivious as Hinata when it came to people crushing on you. And the two second years beside you knew much more than you did.

“Awe, you look so cute when you get all pouty,” Nishinoya chuckled, reaching up to tap you on the nose.

“Oh, hush. Don’t make me bring up the time when you went completely rigid after Kiyoko-senpai gave you a high five at the scrimmage against Nekoma last month,” you countered.

“Don’t you mean the greatest moment of my entire life?” 

“Wow, I’m hurt that she gets a higher placement than me in that regard.”

Despite being quite a bit shorter than you, Nishinoya easily hoisted you a few inches in the air and spun around, eliciting a surprised yelp on your part.

“Nishi, put me down!” you squealed, albeit laughing while doing so.

“You know how much I love you. Kiyoko might be my queen, but you’re definitely an angel sent to grace us with your presence!” he declared playfully.

The libero gently placed his friend back on the floor, a lopsided grin on his face as she ruffled his hair fondly. 

“I know, and I love you too, little Guardian Deity.” you conceded. “Now, show me what kind of snacks you bought. I forgot to grab money before I left the house, so I could use some food.”

“You got it!” Tanaka opened up his backpack filled with goodies and offered it out to you. “Take your pick. We stocked up on a lot of food to munch on for the team meeting later today.”

“Speaking of which, you should come and sit in on that! I’m sure the rest of the guys would like to see you,” Nishinoya added.

“Actually I was already planning on going,” you mentioned while acquiring a bag of pretzels from Tanaka’s stash. “I texted Kiyoko that I was going to be here today, and she said that if you boys got another win that I should come to the meeting.”

“Sweet!” Tanaka exclaimed. “Since it’s not all that late, some of us were thinking about having a small practice in the gym after. If you had the time, it would be fun to have you stick around and maybe play if you wanted.”

“That sounds like fun!” you smiled, “just make sure you all don’t tire yourselves out completely before tomorrow’s game.”

Tanaka gasped dramatically, “We wouldn’t dream of it.”

“-I’m just saying that you have a serious obsession with milk, Kageyama. It’s almost unhealthy.”

“Milk is a good source of calcium, you dumbass. So what if I drink a lot of it?”

“If you had the chance to marry a carton of milk, you absolutely would.”

“Would you shut up already?”

Two voices bickered back and forth as they approached the area near your little group. To anyone even barely associated with Karasuno’s volleyball team, these two arguing idiots would be easy to recognize from a mile away, and sure enough, a head of fluffy orange hair rounded the corner, quarreling with his dark haired teammate.

“Are they seriously having an argument about Kageyama and his milk?” Tanaka questioned.

“I’m honestly not even surprised at this point,” you sighed.

“Hey, morons!” Tanaka yelled at the two boys, who snapped their heads in the direction of their senpai’s distinct voice. “Quit fighting with each other and get the hell over here!”

You could feel your stomach flip involuntarily. Despite seeing the aspiring Karasuno ace many times during Wednesday practices and around school, it was always a sight to behold whenever he was suited up in the official team uniform. Hinata always got into these moments of intense focus during matches, which you deeply admired, and you affiliated such occasions with the jersey he always donned during each game. The look quickly became one of your favorites, but that piece of information was never shared with the boys. Only Kiyoko and Yachi knew about that secret preference, which they had promised to never bring up near any of the Karasuno team.

You were thrown out of your stupor when Nishinoya nudged you knowingly, a single eyebrow raised in a playful challenge. You only scoffed and shook your head, giving the libero a little nudge in return. 

“Such a schemer, Nishi.” you murmured.

“You’re such a scaredy-cat.” he muttered in response. “Go compliment him about the game or something, you do it all the time with me and Tanaka.”

“It’s not that easy.” 

“Excuses, excuses~”

You huffed in exasperation, sparing another look at the little ray of sunshine with which you were so enamored. At this distance, the boy was close enough to recognize you, and you felt a gentle smile grow on your face when warm brown eyes met your own. You offered him a small wave in greeting, as you both were still a ways away from each other.

Hinata was quick to close that distance upon seeing you from across the hallway, making a beeline for the familiar girl that he had grown to love seeing walk through the gymnasium doors every week. He was glad to see you whenever he got the chance; you were always there to help him and Kageyama practice a few more quick attacks after practice concluded, always ready to try a few serves of your own when the boys wanted to get in some extra receives, always happy to help the young decoy with his studies when a particularly difficult exam was near. Not to mention, he found you to be the prettiest person out of his entire class of first years, so that was a plus.

The whole team may or may not know about Hinata’s very obvious affections, despite the boy not telling a single soul about the way his heart goes bwah!! whenever he thinks about you. Tanaka and Nishinoya found the entire ordeal utterly agonizing, being the only two boys on the team knowledgeable of your own feelings, and being sworn to secrecy about that fact. The Karasuno manager and the manager-in-training also knew the irony of the situation, but they didn’t dare meddle in your love life.

If your friends were all being honest with themselves, as torturous as it was to watch you two timid first years dance around each other’s feelings all the time, it was also incredibly adorable to watch your interactions. The usually loud and energetic middle blocker would lose all sense of function every time you would praise his game play, to the point where Kageyama had to kick his teammate from behind to get him to focus again. Hinata swore he nearly ascended when you had launched into his arms after beating Shiratorizawa in the Spring High Finals.

Yet, despite these moments of mutually lingering gazes and light blushes that often dusted both of your faces, the ginger rationalized that you acted this way towards every player on the team, and brushed such encounters with you off as nothing but platonic. He didn’t mind simply being friends, if that's all he could be. He was content so long as he got to be near you.

“Hey, Y/n! I didn’t know you were coming to watch the game today,” Hinata addressed you with a smile that put a blazing summer sun to shame.

“I wanted it to be a surprise! The student council meeting ended up being shorter than expected, so I called Kiyoko and let her know that I was on my way,” you explained. You then turned to Kageyama, who had eventually made his way over to the small group. “Nice game today, Kags. That one set you sent to Asahi in the second match from behind the attack line was insane.”

Karasuno’s starting setter nodded in acknowledgement of the commendation. “Thank you.”

Tanaka and Nishinoya, now standing next to their two teammates, aggressively attempted to gesture to Hinata with their eyes; a silent urge to get you to say something to the boy.

“And I think that one super fast quick attack you guys pulled off in the final set was really cool,” you tagged on. “It’s always fun to see the other team’s reactions whenever that happens.”

The two second years shot you a deadpan look. That’s not exactly what they meant, but they could see you struggling to string together any coherent sentence to your crush and decided not to press any further. You just couldn’t help it! You wanted to tell the present ray of sunshine that he played a great game, that he always played amazingly, despite his occasionally awkward receives or missed serves. He always gave each match 110%, and you wanted to express to him just how phenomenal he was, but just couldn’t find the right words without the fear of sounding completely obsessive and embarrassing. Nishinoya and Tanaka both glanced at each other, a silent agreement occurring between them in a matter of seconds. 

Unlike Yachi and Kiyoko, the two boys weren’t opposed to a little meddling.  

“Y/n is going to come to the meeting and maybe stay for that extra practice time we have planned,” Nishinoya mentioned, saving you from trying (and failing) to say anything else.

Hinata’s eyes lit up at the news. “For real? That’s great!” 

The middle blocker enjoyed your presence at the Wednesday practices you’d attend, especially since it was where he got to witness your competitive and athletic side. So, getting to see more of that was welcomed any time. 

You nodded in affirmation and popped a miniature pretzel in your mouth. “And since I was just dropped off at the complex and kind of need a ride, Kiyoko said that there was plenty of room for me to go back on the bus.”

“Hell yeah there is!” Tanaka grinned, slinging an arm around your shoulders. “You can sit with me and Nishinoya, duh.”

You smiled up at him. “Well obviously. Who else would I sit with?”

Nishinoya cheered, picking his game bag off the floor and gently grasping your hand. “Well let’s go find the others, then! Coach Ukai is probably getting impatient waiting for us at this point,” the libero insisted, pulling you towards the doorway of the building with Tanaka in tow. 

“Alright, alright! Don’t make me drop my pretzels, Nishi,” you warned, letting yourself get dragged by the excited teen.

Hinata, Kageyama, and Tsukishima also started to gather their things to get on the bus, Yamaguchi doing the same after exiting the bathroom not long before the previous trio ran off to claim their seats. Tsukishima looked over at Hinata, who still had his eyes glued to the door from which his friends had just left, and seized the opportunity to try to get under Hinata’s skin just a little. 

“Nishinoya and her are pretty close, don’t you think?” he mentioned briefly, before turning on his heel towards the doorway with Yamaguchi beside him. The pinch server spared a glance back at Hinata as he fell into step with his childhood friend. “Tsukki…” 

Now Nishinoya was clearly a close friend to Hinata, as both of the boys were big balls of energy all the time, and as they both shared an immense love for volleyball. Hinata acknowledged his teammate’s tight knit relationship with you, and he was totally okay with that fact. But occasionally, the middle blocker would get a weird feeling in the pit of his stomach that he had never really experienced before as he watched you interact with some of the boys on the team. It wasn’t an excessive amount of instances, but that feeling would bubble up from time to time - most notably when you would spend time with Karasuno’s libero. And whatever that feeling was, Hinata didn’t like it in the slightest.

“Oi, you coming, dumbass?” Kageyama questioned, snapping the ginger out of his thoughts.

“Yeah, I’m coming, Bakeyama,” the middle blocker replied, readjusting his backpack and following Kageyama to the door.

******

The team was glad to see that you had come to watch them play, and you were quick to praise the boys on their well fought match. The ride back to school was relatively quiet, as many of the players wanted to either relax and listen to music or take a quick nap after their tiring game. As the bus continued on its route to Karasuno High School, it was evident that the energy and adrenaline felt earlier in the complex had calmed down, the boys given a chance to rest from the day’s events.

You, Nishinoya and Tanaka were seated near the back of the bus, with Hinata and Kageyama in the adjacent row. Tanaka was out like a light, his face pressed against the cool window next to him, while Nishinoya was struggling to get situated in the spot beside his teammate. From the corner of his eye, the libero could see Hinata sneaking subtle glances at you, as you unsuspectingly gazed at the passing scenery. With a mischievous smile playing at the corners of his lips, Nishinoya decided to kill two birds with one stone: try to help out with his friends’ crushes, and try to get himself a more comfortable napping spot.

“Hey, would you mind doing me a favor?” Nishinoya asked you in a soft tone, but just loud enough for the boy on the other side of the aisle to hear. You turned your attention to the libero, tilting your head to the side. “Sure thing, Nishi. What do you need?” 

“Could I maybe lie down on you? It’s been a little difficult to find a decent position to get comfortable in,” he asked sheepishly. “If not, I totally get it.”

You smiled at the light pink that dusted his cheeks, and you patted your lap. “It’s alright, go ahead. You deserve to get some rest.”

Nishinoya offered you a smile of his own. He placed his legs over Tanaka’s snoozing form, knowing that his friend wouldn’t mind as they had been in similar positions on previous team bus rides. He then placed his head gently in your lap, gazing up at you before speaking up once more. “Thank you. You’re seriously the best.” 

“It’s not a problem at all,” you waved it off. 

The libero closed his eyes, sighing contentedly when he felt your hand brush through his hair. You absentmindedly hummed the soothing melody to a lullaby as you let your fingers carefully undo any tangles on his head. You paid special attention to the blonde streaks of hair that you always told the second year you adored, twirling the strands between your fingers and letting them fall back into place. 

You were completely ignorant to the fact that the boy on the other end of the aisle felt a burning envy in his stomach as he witnessed the display from his peripheral vision. Your voice, which would have mesmerized Hinata under any other circumstance, did nothing to ease the emotions licking at his insides like unpleasant tendrils of flame. He desperately wanted to be able to sidle up next to you, wanted to feel your hands weave gently through his messy ginger hair. The fact that it wasn’t him made Hinata feel nauseous - worse than how he felt before a big game. 

Because although Hinata was absolutely fine with you being close to the boys on his team, it didn’t mean he couldn’t get jealous.

Seated beside the middle blocker, Kageyama took note of his friend’s clenched fists and slightly tightened jaw, a stark contrast to Hinata’s usual happy-go-lucky enthusiasm. One look at the opposite side of the bus blatantly explained why. Kageyama was confused, though; Nishinoya knew just as much as the rest of the team that the decoy had his sights set on you, so why was he disregarding that fact right in front of him? The libero either didn’t realize what he was doing would upset his friend, or he knew exactly what he was up to. Was the whole thing intentional?

*****

Ohhh, it absolutely was. Kageyama figured that much out as soon as the team meeting started.

Nishinoya had been occasionally looking at Hinata to gauge the boy’s reaction, being careful not to overstep his boundaries, but pushing it just enough to see if the ginger would step in and make a move on you. From what Kageyama could tell, Tanaka was also in on this plan, but the wing spiker let his fellow second year handle most of the interactions with the brunette.

You were settled next to Kiyoko on the gymnasium floor, sitting with your legs stretched out as you listened in on the meeting. Nishinoya had his head resting on your shoulder the entire time, only shifting from his spot to steal more snacks from Tanaka’s backpack. If it weren’t for what Hinata had witnessed in the bus earlier that evening, he likely would have thought nothing of the second year’s actions. But now it was all he could think about, barely even focusing on the words coming out of Coach Ukai’s mouth. That feeling in his gut still hadn’t left him alone.

His discomfort was even more apparent when a number of the boys stayed behind after the meeting for some extra practice. Sugawara, who was the only third year who decided to postpone his walk home (mostly to keep an eye on his rambunctious children juniors), helped divide the group of six players into teams. Kageyama, Nishinoya, and Tanaka were on one team of three, while Suga, Hinata, and you were on the other. Despite the fact that he was on the same team as you, the middle blocker was still in a distant mood, and this showed when he completely botched the first two sets Suga tossed to him. 

“Are you alright, Hinata? You seem a bit off at the moment,” you spoke softly behind him. When the ginger didn’t answer, she frowned slightly. “Shoyo…”

His first name coming from you had Hinata’s face heating up, not just because he loved the way his first name sounded on your lips, but because he was embarrassed. His bitter emotions had completely messed up his game, and caused him to practically ignore your concerned inquiry. 

“Yeah, I’m alright. Just a little tired is all,” he brushed it off. “I‘ll be good to go now that I’ve warmed up a bit.”

“Oh, okay. Tell me if you need some water or anything, your face looks hot.” You instantly flushed at the choice of words. “I mean, it looks warm! Like a red - you know what I mean.” 

Tanaka snickered at your stammering, and you shot him a glare of annoyance before turning on your heel to retrieve the volleyball that had rolled away from the group.

After that, the three-on-three game went pretty smoothly. Hinata was in a better mood, working well together with his two partners. You even got a few good spikes in during the match (although a majority of them were thwarted by Karasuno’s Guardian Deity). Before you all realized it, the moon was shining brightly in the sky, and Suga instructed everyone to go home and get rest in preparation for tomorrow’s first game. After putting back the equipment the group had borrowed from the storage room, you were on your way out the gym doors, until the voices of Tanaka and Nishinoya stopped you midway.

“Wait up, Y/n!” The libero called out to her. You turned her attention towards him, a soft smile resting on your face after the impromptu practice. 

“There’s no way you’re walking home all by yourself at this time of night.” Tanaka declared firmly, and Nishinoya nodded his head vigorously.

“I’ll be fine, you guys. Besides, neither of you live all that close to me, so it would be unreasonable of you to walk me home,” you told them.

“Well, doesn’t Hinata live in the same area as you do? Why doesn’t he walk you home?” Nishinoya suggested.

On the other end of the gym, Hinata had caught wind of the conversation. The ginger’s head perked up at the idea of accompanying you home, and standing beside him, Kageyama finally realized what the two second years had been up to the whole day. You narrowed your eyes at the boys in suspicion, but you couldn’t deny that it was a good idea to have someone else with you at this hour. You gazed over at your fellow first years, finding that Hinata was already looking your way, and a light shade of pink dusted your face.

“I mean, if he wouldn’t mind it, I suppose it would probably be smart,” you shrugged.

“It’s not a problem at all,” he uttered out.

Tanaka and Nishinoya shared a sly grin. This was the most that the two could do for their two dense kohais, so the rest was up to you both.

“If you’re uh, ready to go, my bike is just outside,” Hinata sputtered. 

“Oh! Yeah, I’m good to go,” you responded with an awkward thumbs up that you mentally smacked yourself for.

“Don’t go having too much fun now,” Tanaka smirked. “He’s still gotta play tomorrow.”

His raised eyebrows and overall suggestive expression were met with a playful smack on the arm. 

“Shut up, you big weirdo,” you scoffed, and before any more comments could be made by your two dorks of friends, you rushed out the gym door after Hinata.

Seeing the boy waiting outside for you, his fiery orange hair illuminated by the glimmering starlight like a cliche movie scene, you nearly tripped on the staircase by the school’s entrance. When he turned to you with an easy smile, your heart practically busted out of your chest. Damn him and his cute face. 

You approached him at the gate and readjusted the bag on your shoulders, trying to remain calm at the realization that you were going to be alone with her favorite ray of sunshine. Beginning on the path up the hill, Hinata decides to push his bike alongside him in order to stay closer to you.

“I didn’t realize you lived that close to me until Noya said something tonight,” the middle blocker mentioned. 

You raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Really? I’m surprised you haven’t been over before.”

“Maybe I should come visit sometime.” Hinata’s eyes widened at the implication and quickly added, “Like, with the rest of the team!”

You laughed softly. “That sounds like fun.”

You both walked in a slightly uncomfortable silence for a moment, before Hinata spoke up.

“So, does that mean Nishinoya has been over to your place before?” he asked.

“Yeah, he’s been over a few times now,” you confirmed. 

“Oh, that's cool.” 

Your eyebrows furrowed at his response, his voice laced with what you could only recognize as disappointment. 

“Why do you ask?” you inquired.

“Well, you both just seemed really close is all.” The first year ran a hand through his hair. “Even Tsukishima noticed.” 

“Well, Nishi and I are really good friends, and we know a lot about each other, so I guess that’s an accurate description.”

Hinata glanced at you and titled his head a fraction, which you thought made him look like an adorable little puppy.

“Really good...friends?” he murmured.

You nodded affirmatively. “Yeah, he’s like an older brother. Did you think we were dating or something?” you laughed. You meant it as a joke, but when the boy didn’t reply, your eyes widened a fraction and you stopped walking. 

“You thought me and Nishi were, like, together together?” you gaped. 

At this point Hinata was burning red. He nodded bashfully, and you fell into fits of giggles, placing your hands on your knees for support. 

“H-hey! It was a justified question!” Hinata defended himself. “He fell asleep on you in the bus today and it looked like a normal thing for you two, so I just figured!”

You stood straight and composed yourself, a teasing smile playing on your lips as you started walking again.

“As much as I love Nishinoya, we’re definitely not dating,” you explained. “It’s a platonic relationship, nothing more.”

Hinata mentally celebrated at the confirmation that there was nothing going on between you and the libero, although he was embarrassed beyond words at this point in the conversation.

“I’m super sorry!! I just thought- I shouldn’t have assumed,” he apologized, scratching the back of his head. 

“Awe, it’s okay, Shoyo. I guess we do act a bit like a couple sometimes, but...I’m not actually seeing anyone at the moment.” You added on without a second thought, “Nishi knows who I really like, though.”

Hinata frowned a bit at the latter sentence, but he remained in a better mood than before.

“So…do I know this person?” he inquired, feeling quite courageous himself. 

You hummed, a blush creeping up your neck. “So what if you do?”

“Is it someone on the team?” 

“Are we playing twenty questions or something now?” you laughed nervously. 

Stupid! Why did I even mention anything in the first place? you mentally cursed yourself.

The ginger felt his heart rate pick up. Out of hope or anxiety, he wasn’t exactly sure.

“What’s he like?” Hinata heard himself asking. 

You couldn’t help but smile fondly at the ironic inquiry, and decided to answer his question.

“He’s probably the most energetic person I’ve ever met, but in a good way. He’s really kind to everyone, even though he can get very competitive. While he’s not the most studious, I can tell he tries his hardest to do his best in everything he does. Not to mention he’s incredibly cute.” You chanced a glance at the intently staring first year for a brief moment before focusing your attention back on the sidewalk, thankful for the dim lights of the street. “Sometimes I find it just…so difficult to not mess with his hair, too. It’s so overwhelmingly fluffy.

Hinata let out a small sigh. He didn’t think there was any way he could compete with the special someone that you had described so fondly. 

“Well, it sounds like you really like him,” he said simply, a halfhearted smile on his face. “He’s a really lucky guy, whoever he is.” 

At his genuine tone, you raised her head to lock eyes with Hinata, who was looking at you with such an honest expression that your breath hitched in your throat. You slowed down in the middle of the empty walkway.

“It’s you, ya big dummy,” you admitted quietly, fiddling nervously with your sweatshirt sleeves. 

Hinata heard it. You could tell that much from the way his eyes widened as he stopped dead in his tracks. 

“It’s me?” he echoed.

You nodded once, not able to speak as you evaluated his reaction. Hinata clumsily pushed the kickstand of his bike down with wide eyes, maneuvering around it to step closer to you and examine your face, trying to determine if this was real or all in his head.

“I like you too. Like a lot,” he managed to confess, a delighted grin gracing his features.

You felt like you were dreaming and about to wake up at any moment, the urge to pinch yourself just for confirmation that this was all real itching at the back of your mind. But your train of coherent thought quickly dissipated when Hinata gingerly moved a hand up to your flushed cheek, brushing your jaw with his thumb and looking up with warm brown eyes. 

“Could I kiss you?” he asked gently, voice barely above a whisper.

“Please do,” you conceded.

Hinata brushed his lips with yours, in a brief but sweet exchange. He did so the second time in the same manner to experiment, and again, just to confirm that this moment was actually happening, before all but backing you into the bike behind them as you tugged at the collar of his shirt. His lips were softer than expected, and you tasted the fruity flavor of what you assumed to be lip balm lingering on them. You could feel the boy grinning into the kiss, this one longer and firmer than their predecessors, and you eagerly tangled your fingers in his fluffy orange hair that was impossibly softer than imagined. His own hands found themselves planted firmly on your waist to secure you from losing balance, drawing small circles into your sides with his thumbs. Your entire body was buzzing with excitement, practically melting when Hinata traced your bottom lip with his tongue. 

Hinata pulled away briefly to catch his breath, a fire blazing in his eyes that had you shying away from his gaze. He took a hand off of your waist and tilted your face back towards him with his index finger, a newfound confidence radiating off of the first year in droves that had you flushing darker than you thought possible.

“Shoyo,” you spoke his name softly, pulling a bit at the fiery strands of hair still twirled between your fingers. The little hum elicited from Hinata’s throat was one of your new favorite sounds.

“Please use my first name more often,” the boy breathed out, and you couldn’t help but laugh airily at the request, Hinata unable to suppress the satisfied smile that bloomed across his flushed face at the sound.

“That was… unexpected,” you murmured. 

“Good unexpected?” the ginger inquired playfully. 

“Very good unexpected,” you joked lightly.

Hinata wrapped you in a warm hug, snuggling his face into the crook of your neck. You reciprocated the action, arms encircling around his figure, taking in everything that had happened with an enormous smile.

You might just have to thank Nishinoya later.

[mysterioh]

a surprise for uncle bucky || s.r.

Pairing: Dad!Steve Rogers x Mom!Reader

Summary: Your boys get Uncle Bucky a sweet gift. 

W/C: 719 words

A/N: I hit 500 followers today! So as a little celebration, I decided to pull out another dad!steve from my drafts. Thank you so much for everything. I have also decided to make a drabble set of domestic fluff for Dad!Steve because I love it. :) 

Roger’s Family Photo Album (Coming Soon) | Main Masterlist 

“Uncle Bucky! Uncle Bucky!”  

The sprightly voices of Bucky’s two favorite and only nephews echoed through the commons room as they pushed the door wide open. Whatever he was saying to Nat died on his lips as two pairs of feet shuffled towards him. The two boys stopped in front of him, heaving deep breaths with rosy cheeks and excitement swimming in their eyes. 

The ex-assassin could see by the way they were wriggling around with suppressed giggles that they were desperate to tell him something, but what that was he didn’t know. 

“Hey, there boys,” he gives them a lazy smile while crouching down to their level. He ruffles their hair earning him a burst of laughter from the two. “What’s up?”

“Remember that time we went to the arcade with Dad and Uncle Sam?” Jason recalled.

Bucky nodded slowly. “Yeah?” he drawled. 

“And you kept on losing that prize game? Do you remember? Do you?” Alexander questions. It sounds like the boy’s rubbing it in his face, but his brilliant blue eyes were honest.

Did Bucky remember that game? Of course, he remembered that game. He spent twenty bucks trying to win a Pikachu and it all went to vain. 

“And Dad and Uncle Sam made fun of you for losing?” Jason stepped closer. He takes Bucky’s face into his hand. They’re kinda sticky.  “Remember how awful that was?” 

Bucky nods again. Somewhat embarrassed. Nat snickers behind him. 

“So we were leaving the grocery store and saw another prize game,” Alex told him, the blue in his eyes growing brighter by the second. “And we begged Mommy if we could play. She finally let us and we worked really hard!” 

Jason shakes Bucky’s face in his hands. “Mommy said she spent ten dollars on the stupid game but in the end we finally got it!” 

Wait a minute. 

“She figured it out, but Jay was the one that won it,” Alex was practically jumping up and down. 

They did not. 

“Mommy said we had to wait until your birthday but that’s too far away,” Jason beamed. 

A blush creeps onto Bucky’s cheeks and his heart feels like it’s going to burst from the way it’s speeding. 

The two of them moved to the side, revealing the toddler-sized Pikachu behind them. Both boys picked it up and shoved it into Bucky’s face. He falls back with a soft thud and just as he’s about to get up the two of them jump on top of him. 

“Happy Birthday!” 

Bucky’s booming laughs mingle with the two boys’ lighter chuckles. 

“Do you like it?” they asked with the sweetest smiles plastered on their faces. 

“I love it,” he says with an equal smile and melting on the inside. He feels like he’s going to cry. 

He disentangles himself from them and straightens his clothes. He clears his throat and walks over to you standing by the kitchen counter with his new Pikachu under one arm. 

You catch him in the corner of your eye and beam at him. 

“Hey, Buck,” you smiled. Your kids got their pretty smiles from you. “Like your present?” 

Bucky chuckles with a nod as he looks down at the stuffed toy in his hand. “Yeah, it’s great.” 

He places the Pikachu on the counter and clears his throat again. “Can I—um ask you a question?” 

“Sure, go ahead,” you reply. 

Bucky gets down on one knee and takes your hand in his. You raise a brow at him then start to blush when he kisses the back of it. 

Bucky looks up at you with his glossy blue eyes and a serious look on his face. 

“Will you do me the honor of divorcing Steve and marrying me?” 

It falls on your head like a brick. “Uuuhhhh…”

All Bucky could hear in the background was Steve’s desperate shouts for them to hold the hell up and it brings the sweetest smile on his face. The perfect memory to replace the other. 

Steve practically jumps over the counter and almost crashes into the oven before he comes to wrap an arm around your waist. He pulls you close to him and away from Bucky like he’s trying to hide you. 

“Back off, punk, she’s mine!”

TAGLIST: @dancingunicorn113​ @miraclesoflove​ @fckdeusername​ @chuckennuggets1213​

[glacecakes]

The Life and Times of a Tiny Alchemist (1/?)

A series of oneshots set in the universe of Alchemy Lullaby (or, Dadgene and baby Varian). Eugene, Rapunzel, and Varian's life as a family, and the people who helped make it happen.

Current: Set post AL. Quirin adopts a young boy of his own, and bonds with the parents of his son's best friends.

I return! With more baby! There's never enough, all praise be unto him I have no idea how long this series is gonna be, tbh, the 5 is just a placeholder. I may post 20, I may only do 3. Who knows! Not me! I do have a lot of ideas though, lol. Reading AL (link in rb) is highly recommended, but you don't have to if you don't want to. TLDR Eugene adopts Varian, Ulla was a jerk and she's dead now. Hooray! Some of these will be cowritten by the lovely Finnoky who I love very much uwu

Ben is owned by @finnoky and @aj-illustrated :) he's Quirin's adopted son and he is a mini menace. I love him.

Quirin fidgeted awkwardly from where he stood across from to Eugene. It was weird to be back in the palace after… everything. Varian was still afraid of him, and he didn’t blame him at all. Neither did he blame Eugene giving him a distrusting look. But he wasn’t the main focus here. No. The focus was on a small figure currently staring Varian down.

If Varian was small for his age, Ben was even smaller. Though to be fair, Ben was younger; Varian had just turned five, if he remembered correctly, while Ben was still four. His curly black hair and cool brown skin stood out against the others of Dark Kingdom descent, but to Quirin, he was going to fit right in just fine. After all, both he and Varian had a common background.

Following the… incident in Old Corona, Quirin had taken permanent residence. It felt weird to live in what remained of Ulla’s old house, but the farm life suited him better than he’d thought. Almost as if it was what he should’ve done. Well, no use thinking of the past, he told himself. Only looking forward from here on out. Perhaps that’s what drew him to the Corona orphanage.

Varian wasn’t his son, not anymore, he’d accepted that. But now that he had the idea of fatherhood in his mind, he couldn’t let it go. He wanted to raise a child, wanted to be a father. So he’d trekked down and found Ben, with his button nose and roguish charm. The fact that he was Varian’s age was merely a coincidence, but perhaps the first step to repairing relations could be for the two to meet.

“So…” Eugene drawled, smacking his lips together. An awkward silence ensued. Honestly, what are you supposed to do in this situation? It felt a bit like Quirin had just grabbed a kid in an attempt to win Varian’s trust, but that’s not right… right? Quirin’s not that kind of guy, after all.

Then again… Eugene didn’t see him as the type to hurt Varian, but here we are.

“So.” Quirin hummed. Varian clung a bit closer to his dad when he spoke, fear clouding his baby blue eyes. To be fair, Ben was nervous too, his hands shaking where they were bunched into Quirin’s pants.

“Are you going to introduce us?” Eugene raised a brow, and Quirin startled.

“Oh! Yes. This is Ben, he’s four years old, and he’s going to be staying with me for a while.” He smiled down at the little boy. “Ben, this is Eugene and his son, Varian. Varian’s your age!”

Ben pouted, eyes narrowing in on Varian. Who was this kid? What made him so special that New Dad wanted them to meet? “Hi,” He mumbled, and Varian waved back shyly.

“Why don’t you two go play, hm?” Quirin’s eyes are warm, perhaps a bit overeager. “I’m sure you’ll get along.”

“I mean maybe,” Eugene muttered, but nonetheless pushed Varian forward gently. “Why not show Ben around the castle, hm? I need to talk to Quirin.”

Varian whimpered, squeezing his dad’s leg briefly. It was a small sign, a plea for him not to go. But he still let go, toddling over to Ben. The two shared eye contact, before he grabbed Ben’s hand and pulled him into the pristine halls he called home, away from the man who they both might have called dad.

“You wanna meet Ruddiger?” Varian asked, leading Ben down the hall towards his room. The kid was a few inches shorter than him, but his poofy hair was tall enough to compensate.

“What’s Ruddiger?” Ben said.

“My best friend!” Varian chimed, more chipper now that he was talking about something he enjoyed. “Well, outside of Hugo. But he’s different.” The younger opened his mouth to ask, but then shut it. Whatever, he didn’t really care all that much.

The castle was massive, nearly overwhelming in stature. How it dwarfed them, nearly swallowed them! Ben’s eyes kept wandering around, from the shadows cast by windows to the ironed carpet floor. How could anyone live like this? He loved his current home, its small farm feel. But Varian seemed right at home. Of course he would be, with his neat hair, and fancy outfit, stupid nice smile and friendly demeanor-

He’s cut out of his thoughts when a striped blur bounces into Varian’s arms. It wraps around Varian’s neck, purring, and suddenly all Ben’s concerns melt away. A raccoon! He loved raccoons!

“Can I pet him?” He whispers, starstruck. At Varian’s nod, he runs a hand through soft fur and squeals in delight.

He changed his mind, Varian rocks.

“So…” Varian says shyly, feet rocking back and forth. “Why did Quirin bring you here?”

“I dunno!” Ben chimed, giving Ruddiger a tummy rub. “New Dad said he wanted to show me off. Or something like that.” He shrugged. He didn’t actually pay attention to what New Dad said (he’d actually wanted Ben to make a friend). I mean, he was pretty great, in his opinion. So it was a logical assumption!

Varian frowned. “New dad…?”

“Yea! Cuz I had a dad before, but this one is new! And the best!”

“Really? Me too!”

“REALLY!?”

Varian nodded. “My dad is new, too! Quirin was my old dad.” Well, Eugene was his first dad, then Quirin, then Eugene again, but that wasn’t important.

Ben frowned. Quirin was Varian’s old dad? Did that mean he gave Varian up? Would he give Ben up, too? He didn’t want that! He liked New Dad! There had to be another explanation…

“Maybe he just didn’t like you.”

Varian gasped. “He liked me a lot! He took me from daddy because he liked me so much!”

“Oh yeah? Then why’d he give you up?”

“Why’d he adopt you? To replace me?”

Oh he did not just go there! Ben grit his teeth and glared up at the older kid, who was pouting down at him.

Ben stood up.

And lunged.

-

“To clarify, you didn’t adopt Ben to replace Varian?”

Quirin narrowed his eyes in anger. “I’m offended you would think that at all.”

Eugene raised his hands in defense. “I’m just making sure! I’ve seen it happen! Don’t want Ben to get left behind, you know?” It had only happened a few times, but it always stuck with the kids at the orphanage. Someone would come and scoop up a kid, trying to fill a hole in their heart, only to drop them back off when they were too much work or not enough like the kid they lost. It sucked. Why not just get a dog in that situation?

“Of course not. Varian opened my eyes to being a father, sure, but Ben is… special,” he smiled at the thought of him. “Such a silly boy.”

Eugene opened his mouth to respond when a shriek cut him off. It sounded like a young boy! Both fathers completely forgot what they were talking about and raced off in the direction it came from.

“That’s Varian!” Eugene cried, skidding to a stop in front of Varian’s room. He threw open the door, and both men gawked.

Ben had pinned Varian to the ground, hollering and hooting out war cries as he tugged on Varian’s hair. Varian screamed bloody murder and slammed his fists into Ben, grabbing at whatever skin he could find.

“Not again, Ben,” Quirin moaned.

-

You’d think that after that debacle, they wouldn’t put Ben and Varian together again.

You’d be wrong.

Because about a week later, Varian had tugged on his dad’s pants and asked, “Can we go see Benny?”

Eugene had raised an eyebrow. “You mean Ben and Quirin? I thought you hated him?”

“No!” Varian whined. “He’s fun. He makes me cry.” Eugene didn’t understand it at all, but he supposed if Varian wanted a relationship with his birth dad and his son, he couldn’t really deny him. So they’d started weekly playdates, alternating who travelled where.

The knight (or, well, former knight) was still getting used to his new routine. At dawn he’d get up to help the people of Old Corona, then start on his own farmwork. He started small, just tending to the crops Ulla had. Around midmorning Ben would join him, playing with the wooden sword he’d gifted the lad. It was around then, on a crisp spring morning with sweat lacing his brow and the earth warm at his feet, that he heard his son squeal in delight.

“Varian!” Ben cried, running over, lugging his sword behind him. “Look! New Dad got me a sword!” With a heave he brandished it, holding it high above his head. Unfortunately, he was top heavy, and both boy and sword fell to the ground. Varian laughed, standing over his new friend. Ben pouted up at him, tears budding in his eyes. He whined, and Quirin dropped his farm tools at the sound. His feet carried him over to where he feared Ben was about to burst into tears.

The whines abruptly stopped and Ben started to laugh, joining Varian. He reached up and pulled Varian down into the dirt alongside him, prompting more giggles.

Eugene stood nearby and shrugged.

“Is this normal?” Quirin asked, flabbergasted.

“Don’t ask me, man! I’m just as lost as you.”

“I… Maybe they’re just like this?”

“Yea that’s the working theory.” Eugene let out a breathless laugh. The boys had taken to wrestling, rolling around in the earth like a tumbleweed.

“Boys!” Quirin called, and they stopped to look up. He smiled fondly. It warmed his heart to see. Varian wasn’t his, he knew that. But that didn’t mean he didn’t care deeply. And to see both of the children getting along so well? It filled him with more joy than he’d had in years.

He motioned for them to wait a second, running inside before grabbing his prize. Good thing he’d thought to buy a second for himself. Varian’s face lit up when he reemerged with an identical wooden sword.

The knight leaned down, digging the sword point into the ground. “Can I trust you two not to hurt each other?” He asked. Varia nodded violently. “Alright,” He almost said son out of instinct, though he doubted that would go over well. He held the toy out as if he was a knight suiting up his king. In a funny way, he was.

Varian snatched it up, running over to where Ben waited. He let out a shrill scream before jumping at him with the sword, completely ignoring what Quirin had just said.

Ben shrieked, dodging just out of the way in time. He raised the sword high, this time leaning forward in order to fall towards Varian. Their wooden swords collided with a donk .

“Surrender!” Ben yelled, a feral grin on his face.

Varian’s face was just as unhinged with glee. “Never! I will avenge… uh…” He looked over to Eugene, who had walked over to join Quirin in the peanut gallery. “Dad! Can I avenge you?”

“Sure,” Eugene responded.

“I will avenge my daddy!” The little prince cheered. It wasn’t a graceful fight, considering how young they were. It was mostly just two wooden blocks smacking together over and over, with the occasional changing of positions. But the boys seemed to have a blast, and that was enough.

“So,” Eugene hummed. Maybe it was the castle staff rubbing off on him, maybe it was that “parent” drive for gossip. Honestly it could be either one. “How is Ben settling in?”

“See for yourself,” Quirin smiled, gesturing to where Ben was chasing Varian through the orchard. “He’s got a warrior’s spirit, that’s for sure. Lots of energy,” his face fell slightly. “He only uses it when he doesn’t think I’m looking, or when he’s outside. It’s like he’s afraid of messing up and upsetting me.”

“Yea, orphanages are pretty strict, he’s probably just getting a feel for the new rules,” Eugene stuck his hands in his pockets. “Varian was the same.”

“Really?”

“Yea, for a few weeks he was terrified of anyone that wasn’t me or Rapunzel.” His smile turned wistful. “Or you, actually.”

Quirin sighed, a bittersweet sound. “I’m just… glad he’s happy,” he managed. Neither of them had really talked yet, about Ulla, or the moonstone, or really… anything about their situation. Perhaps someday they’d be ready. But for now, this was enough.

-

Quirin wasn’t the only single parent in Corona. Hell, he wasn’t even the only foreigner who knew Ulla and then adopted.

Hugo and Ben probably wouldn’t have gotten along on their own. Hugo was a know-it-all, mischievous, and used his cuteness to his advantage. Ben was stubborn, a stickler for rules, and brutally honest. If they had been left alone, someone probably would’ve gotten hurt. Whether it be one of the boys, or a bystander, that was up for debate.

But they both adored Varian, and Varian adored them. So it was pretty easy for them to form an inseparable trio.

Both Quirin and Donella walked their boys to the castle, watching with amusement as Hugo tried to show Ben what he was reading for the week. It was cute how Hugo adored school, though he wondered how long that would last. Ben was in turn telling Hugo all about the frog he saw in the fields last night.

“It was huuuuge!” He insisted, racing a bit ahead. “Like the size of Ruddiger!”

“Nuh uh!” Hugo pouted. His little ponytail whipped around as he shook his head. “Frogs aren’t that big!”

“Are too!”

“Are not!”

“Are too!”

“How big do you think a raccoon is?” Donella butt in, amused.

Ben shrugged. “Big. Maybe like…” he holds his hands out so wide that he almost strains his shoulders. “This big?”

“But if he was that big, we couldn’t pick him up?” Hugo argued. That causes Ben to falter. For a moment his father feared a real argument, but instead Ben lights up and laughs.

“Hugo, you’re stupid! We can’t pick him up!”

“You mean you can’t, cuz you’re a baby.”

Ben shrieks in offense, but still retains a smile. The conversation quiets significantly after that.

“So,” Donella said, turning to Quirin. “It appears we have a lot in common.”

Quirin groaned. If it were up to him, no one would have ever learned about his past; about Varian’s parentage, the woman who tricked him, and her inevitable downfall. But the royal family wasn’t one for secrets (well, except for Frederick). They didn’t tell the entire story, that would be ridiculous, but rather simply said that Ulla had kidnapped Varian and Quirin assisted them in stopping her. The only ones who knew the full story were those directly involved… and those who knew Ulla firsthand. “Is this about our boys, or our ex?”

She smirked. “It was fairly easy to put two and two together. Ulla is… was… something else.” Donella scratched at her scar, an unfortunate habit she picked up. “When we parted ways, I thought my stay in Corona would just be temporary. I’d lay low in the one place she’d never go, and then head back to the Iron Kingdom. Clearly, that didn’t happen.” Her face fell to a frown, squinting at the too bright sun and unpolluted streets. Some shopkeeper waved at them, and Donella simply rolled her eyes. The blinding palace sparkled in the sun as they approached, and part of her lamented not bringing her work goggles, as they might have provided some protection. Over half a decade later and she still wasn’t used to this place.

“What changed?” the farmer asked.

Her eyes fell to their sons.

“Oh.”

-

“Varian!” Both boys cried in unison. Varian stood in the courtyard, bouncing up and down where he stood. With a fond smile, Eugene let go of his hand, and all three slammed into one another, mouths moving a mile an hour.

“Varian I saw a frog!”

“Well I brought a book! And Mr. Finn says I’m at a 3rd grade level! Whatever that means!”

“And I saw a frog!”

“Well I saw a duck!”

“REALLY?”

“It was a goose,” Eugene corrected. “Hi Don, hi Quirin,” he waved.

Varian giggled, dragging his best friends inside while they continued to talk. His cheeks were a bright red, Hugo was smiling so hard it had to hurt, and Ben eagerly ran circles around the older kids.

-

He and Donella left to run errands in the capital, leaving their boys in good hands. When he came back, groceries and supplies for his new home in hand, he was directed to a small living room.

The room looked like it had been torn apart, with toys and books and games strewn about. Some were still open, others not even out of their packaging. A fire dimly flickered in the fireplace, illuminating a quiet scene in the center of the wreckage. All three boys slept on the floor, oldest to youngest. Hugo and Varian were holding hands, with the older facing the younger as he snoozed. Varian was smiling in his sleep, his ebony hair reflecting the flames. To his left Ben was passed out, one arm on top of Varian’s stomach, and one of Varian’s legs atop Ben’s. A soft burgundy blanket covered them all.

“It’s cute, right?” Eugene whispered as he approached. “I half expected them to set the place on fire.” Quirin snorted.

“You’re just in time, the first meeting about childcare reform starts soon.” The prince consort continued, motioning for him to leave the boys be.

He beamed. He may no longer be Quirin, knight of the Dark Kingdom, protector of the moonstone. Now he was Quirin, farmer, father, advisor to the royal family and newly-formed Child Protective Services.

He liked this Quirin better.

“So,” he said. “Lead the way.”

[black-streak]

Waiting for the Worms- In the Flesh.

Part 16

No editing, we die like men: ill prepared and confused. Did I read this over even once before posting? Nope.

Warnings back fully into effect. Have triggers? Just go ahead and avoid this. Don't want to spoil anything, so I wont say which, but guys, you've seen my other chapters for this. You know better.

This was actually fun to write with my weird view point that's both in the moment and yet so disconnected.

CLOSED list of hooligans: @northernbluetongue @thethirdwheelfriend @shizukiryuu @theatreandcomicfreak @michellemagic @karategirl119 @moonlightstar64 @my-name-is-michell @mystery-5-5 @zalladane @queen-of-the-trash-planet-tm @miraculousdisapointment @dorkus-minimus @jardimazul @allthebooksandcrannies @g-arya @worlds-tiniest-spook-pastry @persephonescat @mycupisbroken @luciferge @18-fandoms-unite-08 @dawnwave16 @alwaysreblogneverpost @kris-pines04 @mysteriouslyswimmingfan-blo-blog @weird-pale-blonde-person @you-will-never-know-how-i-think @kokotaru @naclychilli @slytherinhquinn @clumsy-owl-4178 @ladybug-182 @darkthunder1589 @evil-elf16 @dast218 @lysslovsanime @emilytopaz @naoryllis @iloontjeboontje @thepeacetea @danielslilangel @finallyaniguana @i-like-fairytail-and-stuff @vixen-uchiha @yuulxd @bleeding-heart-romantic @magic-inthe-stars @st0rmy-w1th1n

~---~

Following Damian back into the living room, she saw the group all gathered around their phones, whispering amongst themselves. Approaching soundlessly, she peeked over Juleka's shoulder, catching sight of the screen at the same time Jason did. 

The Joker. He had escaped Arkham once more and now held a broadcast, obviously attempting to get the attention of the Batman. Apparently he set up a new game for them to play. To make matters worse, the prize for winning? The return of Robin. A young looking boy in a different form of the Robin suit was shown for only a moment, glaring at the camera in his face. The timer was set and the broadcast cut. 

That location, it was far closer to their own location than the Wayne manor. Bruce wouldn't make it. It was her and Jason all over again. 

Jason.

Turning on her heel, she took a deep breath and swallowed hard to settle the anger rising in her throat and took command.

"Damian, see to Jason, keep him calm. The pit is about to take hold," she spoke calmly, Damian nodded and lead the taller man away as she turned towards the group watching her every move, "I'm setting out. Jason is likely to come with me. You'll watch over Damian in my absence. I do not expect any of the kwamis to wish to transform with me, but if you decide to, you'll need to be morally ambiguous unlike Tikki or Plagg. Neither of us will be held back or redirected. You'll have to accept whatever comes of this," looking away from the kwamis and to the bristling teens in front of her, she hardened her gaze, "Unless one of you has experience with the Lazarus Pits and their effects, you will stay away from either of us or that building. Judging by the gasps I hear from the kwamis, they will enforce this for me if you decide not to heed my words."

Stalking into her room once more, she started to drag out bags, open compartments in drawers, pull off seemingly decorative pieces from the walls. Longg approached her carefully from the side.

"I will transform with you. The others would feel more comfortable if one of you were superpowered and I'm morally gray unlike the main set."

Nodding, she took his piece carefully, "I need you to make my suit stealthy. I will not be caught due to bright colors."

"The suit will match your will," he reassured.

Transforming, she took in the multiple shades of grey and black lining her body in waves, selective holding pouches hidden within the fabric. Placing her knives about her body, she found a retractable bladed staff along her thigh. Perfect, one less large piece to carry. 

Grabbing a mask, she slipped out to find Jason mostly calm. Taking his hand in hers, she led him to the bathroom and handed him his own clothes back from the league missions.

"He won't be transforming?" Marc inquired.

"His body is more riddled with madness. It's less than it would be had his soul been dipped as mine has, but I've had time to tame and curb the insanity. He hasn't. Add superpowers to the mix?"

"He'll level a city," Plagg spoke up.

"Exactly."

"And you're taking him with you?" Kagami growled out, obviously against the idea.

"Would you rather I leave him here so he can accidently kill one of you and hate himself for the rest of his life? Besides, he has no attachment towards Damian yet. I'm not risking it," her tone brokered no arguments and Jason emerged in that moment. He immediately went into her room and pulled out a gun from her side drawer, muscle memory letting him navigate the place as his own. He put it in the holster on his thigh and went towards her equipment, still out and waiting for him, sifting through until he found a larger set of machetes, grabbing them and a second mask before rejoining her at the window to the fire escape. With just a glance towards the other they knew their minds were in sync.

"Damian, stay and watch them," Jason ordered, the kid nodding at his given mission, turning towards the team with crossed arms. 

With that, they climbed out and took off across the rooftops.

…

The run went by in a blur of motion neither could remember. Now they crouched on the edge of the building the Joker was supposedly in, scoping out the entrances. She could feel Jason practically vibrating at her side and traced spirals along his spine to keep him mentally in place.

"Shhh, focus on my instructions Jason. Those voices aren't as important as our own," she murmured, finding an unguarded door. The idiot never used obvious doors, so of course the clown wasn't focused on them as much as the windows, basement and roof access. The door she found looked like an old employee entrance, easily overlooked. 

"Jay?" Before she could finish the inquiry, he moved forward and picked the lock, letting them in, keeping in front of her.

"Based on the lighting in that video, I'd guess they're keeping him further up. What do you think?"

"Likely midway up, seventh or eighth level."

They skirted their way up staircases, quietly knocking out anyone they found on their way up. Occasionally they stopped to practice deep breaths, as the further up they went, the more vivid the green in their eyes glowed. Both could sense the impending catalyst and tried to press the insanity back. They wanted this to be on their own terms.

At about the sixth level, Jason found himself having to hold Mari back, having almost torn out a guys throat for simply struggling too much in the takedown. 

"Not worth it. Not yet."

Breathing heavily, the voices dropped back to reasonable levels, allowing their continued movement. Mari found herself meditating as they went, recentering herself. One of them had to stay fully self aware and she knew it had to be her. Jason needed someone to watch out for him in his first true rush, not to panic in the middle when no one could hold them back. She would be there the way Talia had been for her. As Damian normally was.

At the ninth floor, they found their target.

Marinette felt borderline insulted at the difference in treatment.

The current Robin was swinging upside down, bound in rope and gagged. 

They had been chained to an operation table, beaten to a pulp with every moment too long the bat took. This boy didn't even have a guard on him. Sure, there were boobytraps set all over the damn place that they painstakingly dismantled one at a time, but even still. Not a scratch on the kid's face. Shaking the thought, Mari chided herself. Her anger was reserved for the people who put them in this situation, not some boy that was obviously dragged into the adults' personal issues. She knew when they escaped and the madness leveled out, relief for his unharmed state would course through her like a tidal wave. For now, she felt contempt and resignation. When the last trap finally fell apart, they heard his voice.

"Batsy! So you finally decide to show on time for one of your pretty birds?" It called, still not in view.

Jason bristled in her peripheral and she yanked him around quickly to focus in on her, aware of the hanging kid's eyes trained on them.

"Save Robin. He can't. He won't. We know this. Do what he didn't for us. Save. Him."

Jason's pupils blew under the mask and a growl tore from his throat as he turned towards the masked child, letting the anger direct itself into righting the injustice done unto him.

Marinette turned back towards the voice, creeping forward, bladed staff withdrawn and extended. She watched its shadow as it twisted along the walls. Finally, it turned the wrong corner and she slammed the side of the staff against him, letting the staff glide along their body as they were forced back, the tip catching their chest and opening a gash through his suit.

Joker jolted, gasping and confused, "You're not Batsy."

A feral grin grew upon her face, "No, but I'm so much more fun, wouldn't you say?" she activated wind dragon, blowing him further back across the room until he stumbled and fell onto his back. He quickly grabbed up a device and smiled maniacally, holding it up to view, starting a spiel about what it would do if he pressed this particular button, blah blah blah. She wasn't here for his rambling. Activating electric dragon, she launched herself into the device, shorting it out into a useless hunk of metal. Reappearing in front of him, she drew out her blades, only to hear quiet feet land in the room over. 

"And what exactly did you have in mind, girly?" He asked, licking at the corner of his mouth in a weird tic sort of a way. 

Placing a grin to rival his own across her face, she tilted her head, "It is not what I'll do that should concern you. Rather, what I'll allow him to do," she watched annoyed confusion flicker across the clownesque features as Jason appeared at her side, a second set seeming to approach her from behind. Reaching back, one hand grabbed a thin shoulder in a harsh grip to keep the kid in his place, the other went to her side to grip a broad shoulder in a more crushing grip to keep Jason from moving too soon. She turned and looked into masked, violently green eyes.

"Do you want to?" A nod. "Will you regret it?" A shake. "Will you take back your mind when it's over?" Another nod. "He's all yours, Bird. Get it out of your system, find me when you're done." A growl.

She let go and turned towards the kid, bodily backing him up into the other room, out of view.

"You don't want to see this."

"Who are you?"

"Does it matter?"

"No, I'll figure it out either way. Be nice if you made it easy though."

"Hmm, how does one become a Robin? Oh yeah, the previous one either leaves or dies."

"You don't mean," the kid's eyes widen.

"He shouldn't of allowed another one. Isn't one child dying for his cause enough?"

"It's not like that," he grew defensive.

"Isn't it though? Whether you wanted it or not, if anything happens to you, it's because he decided another child could fight actual murderers."

"That's beside the point, I need to stop them," he tried to push past her only for her to activate wind dragon and pick him straight up and out of the building to another rooftop, letting him go at the top, though grabbing his grapple as she reformed.

"Do you recognize this part of the city?"

"What are you doing? Let me back in there," he sounded panicked.

"Breath, little bird. Do you recognize where we are?"

"I- yes. I recognize it."

"Do you know how far it is from Wayne Manor?"

"What does that-" he attempted playing dumb.

"Do you?"

"Of course I do!"

"I know you do. You're a smart little bird. Very well learned. You know how long it takes to get here from the Manor as well don't you? And what time the broadcast went up?"

The kid's face darkened, and while he obviously didn't want to admit it, he could obviously make the calculations.

"He wouldn't have made it on time."

"It was on purpose. Joker wants to remind him of his greatest failure," the teen, she realized, rationalized.

"Batman isn't the only one Joker reminded. People don't take kindly to reminders of their dying day."

"So you two are?"

"Undead? In a funny way, yes. And absolutely riddled with destructive insanity."

"You don't seem it."

"I've had time to repress it. Learn control and stability. Him, not so much. This is his first relapse. There's no preventing it. Only directing it. I figure taking out an actual child murderer, who has tortured and ended the life of hundreds, including the sick and dying would be an alright outlet."

"It's immoral."

"We both know the only reason Bruce won't kill is that he wouldn't stop once he started. He'd lose control entirely. It's nothing to do with morality. Otherwise he wouldn't turn a blind eye to the select hits Alfred made in his time."

"How do you know so much?"

"How do you?"

"I figured it out on my own and decided for him."

"Very clever of you. But you didn't decide for him, he let you and took advantage of your determination. I'm sure in more ways than this one." She picked his arguments apart, remembering the way Talia detached Damian from herself. She didn't like the idea of manipulating a kid into disowning his own family, but a toxic situation was still toxic. She'd contact Alfred later to get back in touch as well as a better read on the situation.

As the teen became frustrated once more, he moves towards her to get back his gear only for Jason to drop next to them, breathing heavily with blood dripping down his arms and from the blades across his back, down onto his legs and the ground surrounding.

He seemed to slowly come back from the insanity, leaning into her, "I killed him. Fuck, I killed him," he gasped. 

Marinette reached up and stroked his head in soothing motions.

"It's okay, Jay, it's okay. He deserved it. You hate taking another's life and feel the weight of it, but it wasn't a life that was regrettable to end," she whispered, remembering the words that assuaged her own guilt.

"The-the Joker is dead?" The teen before them whispered.

Jason peeked up at the little Robin before them, the green sparking for another moment, "He made another? Replaced us? The mantle should have died when you did. Dick should have stopped him," he groaned out, hatred and fear pulsing in waves.

"Oh shit, you're the last Robin. Jason," the teen's breath caught, half in awe, half dread.

"Yeah, the last. Why? You shouldn't be here," his voice quivered.

Mari handed the grappling gear back over, looking him directly in his hidden eyes, "I know you're going to tell him Jason's back. That he killed the Joker. I'm sure you'll even mention me. But I'm sure he'll notice our own message."

"And what would that be?"

"We were the ones to save you. Not him. Let me know if you ever need an escape from that nightmare."

With that, she lead Jason away, having heard his breathing even out and calm moments before.

"Let's go home," she whispered in his ear, getting a soft nod and taking off back across the roofs.

[welllpthisishappening]

Welllp These Are Books: the June 2021 Edition

I have read a lot of books this month. That should be stated upfront. Just an absolute metric ton of books. Some real good, some not-so good, some inadvertently hysterical. Also, I made that BINGO board. Because, like, you ever have a total crisis of writing-confidence and ignore that potential freakout and the tendency of your coworkers to miss deadlines by reading every free Amazon sports romance you can find? And several full YA series? In one month? No? My experiences are not universal, I understand. Anyway, there’s thoughts and opinions and spoilers under the cut. Everyone read the Once Upon a Con series, I’m begging you.

READ THIS SERIES! PLEASE! EVERY BOOK WAS SO CUTE! EVERYONE IN EVERY BOOK WAS SO CUTE! THE FANDOM STUFF DID NOT GIVE ME SECOND-HAND EMBARRASSMENT!

Geekerella by Ashley Poston Part romance, part love letter to nerd culture, and all totally adorbs, Geekerella is a fairy tale for anyone who believes in the magic of fandom. Geek girl Elle Wittimer lives and breathes Starfield, the classic sci-fi series she grew up watching with her late father. So when she sees a cosplay contest for a new Starfield movie, she has to enter. The prize? An invitation to the ExcelsiCon Cosplay Ball, and a meet-and-greet with the actor slated to play Federation Prince Carmindor in the reboot. With savings from her gig at the Magic Pumpkin food truck (and her dad’s old costume), Elle’s determined to win…unless her stepsisters get there first. Teen actor Darien Freeman used to live for cons—before he was famous. Now they’re nothing but autographs and awkward meet-and-greets. Playing Carmindor is all he’s ever wanted, but the Starfield fandom has written him off as just another dumb heartthrob. As ExcelsiCon draws near, Darien feels more and more like a fake—until he meets a girl who shows him otherwise. 

The Princess and the Fangirl by Ashley Poston Imogen Lovelace is an ordinary fangirl on an impossible mission: to save her favorite Starfield character, Princess Amara, from being killed off. On the other hand, the actress who plays Amara wouldn’t mind being axed. Jessica Stone doesn’t even like being part of the Starfield franchise—and she’s desperate to leave the intense scrutiny of fandom behind. Though Imogen and Jess have nothing in common, they do look strangely similar to one another—and a case of mistaken identity at ExcelsiCon sets off a chain of events that will change both of their lives. When the script for the Starfield sequel leaks, with all signs pointing to Jess, she and Imogen must trade places to find the person responsible. The deal: Imogen will play Jess at her signings and panels, and Jess will help Imogen’s best friend run their booth. But as these “princesses” race to find the script leaker—in each other’s shoes—they’re up against more than they bargained for. From the darker side of fandom to unexpected crushes, Imogen and Jess must find a way to rescue themselves from their own expectations...and redefine what it means to live happily ever after. 

Bookish and the Beast by Ashley Poston In this third book of the Once Upon a Con series, Rosie Thorne is feeling stuck—on her college application essays, in her small town, and on that mysterious General Sond cosplayer she met at ExcelsiCon. Most of all, she’s stuck in her grief over her mother’s death. Her only solace was her late mother’s library of rare Starfield novels, but even that disappeared when they sold it to pay off hospital bills. On the other hand, Vance Reigns has been Hollywood royalty for as long as he can remember—with all the privilege and scrutiny that entails. When a tabloid scandal catches up to him, he’s forced to hide out somewhere the paparazzi would never expect to find him: Small Town USA. At least there’s a library in the house. Too bad he doesn’t read. When Vance’s and Rosie’s paths collide, sparks do not fly. But as they begrudgingly get to know each other, their careful masks come off—and they may just find that there’s more risk in shutting each other out than in opening their hearts.

— I cannot possibly overstate what an absolute delight this series was. Cute and sweet and adorable. Like rot your teeth sweet with romances that my high-school self would have swooned over. (I would have been so in love with Darien Freeman as a 16 year old, it’s not even funny. Also, I would have been obsessed with Starfield.) Let’s be honest, my current self swooned quite a lot. Reading these books genuinely felt like a love letter to fandom. To the good and bad and trashy parts of it, and it made my heart swell thinking about these fictional kids and the community they found and how much they learned and then they FELL IN LOVE and, like, not to sound like an after-school special, but: THE REP IN THESE BOOKS?!?? HOLY S H I T. So good. So goddamn good. And not, like, shoved to the side. Like, Jess falls in love with a girl. And it gets its swoon-worthy moment as much as anyone else. Plus, bi-librarian dad who wears suspenders??? Sign. Me. Up. Twisting the fairy tales into the stories also worked really well in my opinion. Honestly my only gripe was that Darien found a cell phone number in the white pages, but, like, everything else was a joy. Please read these books. I promise they will make you smile.

IN WHICH I CAN NEVER TURN DOWN A BEAUTY AND THE BEAST ALTERNATE UNIVERSE

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge Betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom, Nyx has always known that her fate was to marry him, kill him, and free her people from his tyranny. But on her seventeenth birthday when she moves into his castle high on the kingdom's mountaintop, nothing is what she expected—particularly her charming and beguiling new husband. Nyx knows she must save her homeland at all costs, yet she can't resist the pull of her sworn enemy—who's gotten in her way by stealing her heart.

— Yo. YO. Everyone in this book was horrible! And it was wonderful! I figured out the twist approximately point two seconds after the potential for a twist was possibly introduced and it did not diminish my enjoyment of this book for one second. I am such a sucker for any Beauty and the Beast AU, but this was way different than anything I’d read before and Nyx was a blood-thirsty terror and I loved her. The magic and the world building was fascinating in that I really did not expect Greek gods and goddess, but it was also a welcome turn in a weird, huh, that’s interesting sort of way. And the banter was a-plus, top tier. Even when they were snarking at each other. Especially when they were snarking at each other. (Still a pretty quick turn from enemies to lovers, but I’m willing to overlook that based almost solely on the snark.) Plus, the castle was fascinating. And there were more twists aside from the main twist, none of which I figured out. All of which I gasped over. The end was like—chef’s kiss, fantastic. I would like a novel-length sequel to tell me how everything worked out.

...BUT THE LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD ONE WASN’T AS GOOD

Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge When Rachelle was fifteen she was good—apprenticed to her aunt and in training to protect her village from dark magic. But she was also reckless—straying from the forest path in search of a way to free her world from the threat of eternal darkness. After an illicit meeting goes dreadfully wrong, Rachelle is forced to make a terrible choice that binds her to the very evil she had hoped to defeat.Three years later, Rachelle has given her life to serving the realm, fighting deadly creatures in a vain effort to atone. When the king orders her to guard his son Armand—the man she hates most—Rachelle forces Armand to help her hunt for the legendary sword that might save their world. Together, they navigate the opulent world of the courtly elite, where beauty and power reign and no one can be trusted. And as the two become unexpected allies, they discover far-reaching conspiracies, hidden magic . . . and a love that may be their undoing. Within a palace built on unbelievable wealth and dangerous secrets, can Rachelle discover the truth and stop the fall of endless night?

— As much as I loved Cruel Beauty, I was like ehhhh on this one. Which is part Little Red Riding Hood (although that seems like a stretch, honestly) and part The Girl With No Hands, which is a fairy tale I have literally never heard of before. Rachelle was just—sorta whiny? Which, y’know, she was cursed and had fucked up her entire life, so fair, but also...annoying. I kept reading mostly to try and understand what the FUCK was going on with the magic. I like to consider myself a relatively intelligent person who can understand most YA novels, but this one was tough to keep track of. Like, sure, the imagery of the Dark Forest was cool, but also what is a Gladspring? I’m still not sure I know. Also, this kind of dragged in some places. Lots of patrolling the palace (whining about life) and not enough magic-fighting or establishing any sort of relationship between Rachelle and Armand. Which just sort of happened? Amidst, approximately, twenty-four different twists that were admittedly cool, but also felt like they came out of nowhere. Everything that happened in Cruel Beauty made sense. Most of what happened here felt like it was shoehorned in for shock value.

YOU WANT MORAL AMBIGUITY? BOY HAVE I GOT MORAL AMBIGUITY FOR YOU. IN GODDAMN SPADES.

The Firebird Series by Claudia Gray Marguerite Caine's physicist parents are known for their groundbreaking achievements. Their most astonishing invention, called the Firebird, allows users to jump into multiple universes—and promises to revolutionize science forever. But then Marguerite's father is murdered, and the killer—her parent's handsome, enigmatic assistant Paul— escapes into another dimension before the law can touch him.Marguerite refuses to let the man who destroyed her family go free. So she races after Paul through different universes, always leaping into another version of herself. But she also meets alternate versions of the people she knows—including Paul, whose life entangles with hers in increasingly familiar ways. Before long she begins to question Paul's guilt—as well as her own heart. And soon she discovers the truth behind her father's death is far more sinister than she expected.

— Guys. GUYS. These books, oh my G O D. Little known fact about me, but I am trash for cross-dimensional soulmates. The concept of “we’ll find each other anywhere” is one of my favorites, so I was so psyched about these books. And for awhile that’s what I thought I was going to get out of them. But. BUT! What I actually got was something, not totally different, but not entirely great, either. The problem here was that when anyone used one of the Firebird devices to jump dimensions they TOOK OVER THE BODY THEY JUMPED INTO. So, like, that consciousness got shoved to the side while whatever prime!person just took over. Living that body’s life. In a different dimension. And that’s kinda fucked up, right??? Brings in all sorts of questions about consent and morality and let me tell you, guys, this YA series DID NOT ADDRESS A SINGLE ONE OF THEM. Which is also super fucked up!! So, like, Marguerite is just bouncing around dimensions taking over people’s bodies and lives and leaving this, frankly, trail of destruction in her wake. And as if that wasn’t enough!!! In the second book Paul’s soul gets, like, split and she’s got to round up the pieces through dimensions, meeting all sorts of Pauls who are occasionally kind of shit people and he eventually just, like, CANNOT COPE. Seriously, I could not stop reading these. Partially for the moral ambiguity. Partially because I could not figure out why Paul loved Marguerite. Also, capitalism was the ultimate villain. AS IT SHOULD BE, REALLY.

CREEPY FAE WERE KIND OF CREEPY AND THAT’S NOT BAD, BUT LIKE MAYBE THIS WASN’T A GOOD BOOK?

An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson Isobel is an artistic prodigy with a dangerous set of clients: the sinister fair folk, immortal creatures who cannot bake bread or put a pen to paper without crumbling to dust. They crave human Craft with a terrible thirst, and Isobel’s paintings are highly prized. But when she receives her first royal patron—Rook, the autumn prince—she makes a terrible mistake. She paints mortal sorrow in his eyes—a weakness that could cost him his life. Furious, Rook spirits her away to his kingdom to stand trial for her crime. But something is seriously wrong in his world, and they are attacked from every side. With Isobel and Rook depending on each other for survival, their alliance blossoms into trust, then love—and that love violates the fair folks’ ruthless laws. Now both of their lives are forfeit, unless Isobel can use her skill as an artist to fight the fairy courts. Because secretly, her Craft represents a threat the fair folk have never faced in all the millennia of their unchanging lives: for the first time, her portraits have the power to make them feel.

— I’ve seen this book mentioned a lot. As good. And it wasn’t not good, but Isobel was pretty goddamn annoying and kind of dumb and a little self-important and I was mostly here for the creepy fae. That was fun. More fae should have antlers and stuff. Everything in this story happened ridiculously fast. I couldn’t believe it was over when it was over.

THE PROSE WAS VERY PRETTY. I’M NOT SURE WHY THE DRAGON HAD TO BE SUCH A MONUMENTAL DICK.

Uprooted  by Naomi Novik Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life. Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as falling to the Wood. The next choosing is fast approaching, and Agnieszka is afraid. She knows—everyone knows—that the Dragon will take Kasia: beautiful, graceful, brave Kasia, all the things Agnieszka isn’t, and her dearest friend in the world. And there is no way to save her. But Agnieszka fears the wrong things. For when the Dragon comes, it is not Kasia he will choose.

— Let me just say first off, that this should have been two books. Everything happened so quickly, I swear I got whiplash. That being said, as a heroine, I liked Agnieszka a lot. She was understandably freaked by everything that happened, but once she kind of settled, she didn’t take The Dragon’s shit and that was good because The Dragon was kind of shitty. This is why it should have been two books. Because everything The Dragon did felt like it needed some kind of explanation. Or at least some sort of reasoning for why he was such a monumental bastard. Which is why I was a little confused that Agnieszka was in love with him? He was such a dick, honestly. The last third or so of this book was the best because Novik really does know how to write action and the magic itself was pretty fascinating. (I wish it went into more depth, but I think I’m spoiled by fic and that’s not actually how the publishing world works.) Kasia might have been the most interesting person in this story. Girl went through it and just became a total badass. I loved her.

MARAUDER FEELINGS! MARAUDER FEELINGS! SO! MANY! MARAUDER! FEELINGS!

The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater All her life, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love's death. She doesn't believe in true love and never thought this would be a problem, but as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore.

— RICHARD GANSEY, MY BELOVED. What a dweeb. A self-sacrificing, sorta sad dweeb. When he wrapped his jacket around Blue, my heart exploded. I think I spent the last fifteen or so chapters with disconcertingly wide eyes and possibly my hand over my mouth. Still not entirely sure why a Welsh king was in Virginia, but I loved it. Was real glad he was there. As promised by that one book rec list I read months ago, the Marauders vibes of these books were off the charts. It was a weird story with lots of weird things and I hope Mr. Grey gets to be happy one day and that Ronan and Adam make out some more eventually. I think they’ll both feel a lot better if they do. Like, about the world as a whole. Has anyone read the Ronan spinoff series? Should I read the Ronan spinoff series?

OK, THIS WASN’T THAT BAD, ACTUALLY

To Love Jason Thorn by Ella Maise Jason Thorn... My brother's childhood friend. Oh, how stupidly in love with that boy I was. He was the first boy that made me blush, my first official crush. Sounds beautiful so far, right? That excitement that bubbles up inside you, those famous butterflies you feel for the very first time--he was the reason for them all. But, you only get to live in that fairytale world until they crush your hopes and dreams and then stomp on your heart for good measure. And boy did he crush my little heart into pieces. After the stomping part he became the boy I did my best to stay away from--and let me tell you, it was pretty hard to do when he slept in the room right across from mine. When tragedy struck his family and they moved away, I was ready to forget he ever existed. Now he is a movie star, the one who makes women of all ages go into a screaming frenzy, the one who makes everyone swoon with that dimpled smile of his. Do you think that's dreamy? I certainly don't think so. How about me coming face to face with him? Nope still not dreamy. Not when I can't even manage to look him in the eye. Me? I'm Olive, a new writer. Actually, I'm THE writer of the book that inspired the movie he is about to star in on the big screen. As of late, I am also referred to as the oh-so-very-lucky girl who is about to become the wife of Jason Thorn. Maybe you're thinking yet again that this is all so dreamy? Nope, nothing dreamy going on here. Not even close.

— Ignoring the fact that this was almost blatant self-insert, this was a mostly good, occasionally trashy book with brother’s best friend and the one who got away tropes. Which, as we know, are my life’s blood. (Plus, surprise, fake marriage that isn’t really fake?!? Ok. OK!) My only eeek moment was when Olive got super drunk and wanted Jason to like—consummate the marriage and he was like, No Olive, you’re drunk. And then they ended up doing everything except having full-on sex, which felt a little creep and a lot sketch and then it was never mentioned again. Also, Olive needs to find some better friends, God.

EMERSON COD VOICE: HE’S STAAAAAALKING YOU

Marriage For One by Ella Maise Jack and I, we did everything backward. The day he lured me into his office-which was also the first day we met-he proposed. You'd think a guy who looked like him-a bit cold maybe, but still striking and very unattainable-would only ask the love of his life to marry him, right? You'd think he must be madly in love. Nope. It was me he asked. A complete stranger who had never even heard of him. A stranger who had been dumped by her fiancé only weeks before. You'd think I'd laugh in his face, call him insane-and a few other names-then walk away as quickly as possible. Well…I did all those things except the walking away part. It took him only minutes to talk me into a business deal…erm, I mean marriage, and only days for us to officially tie the knot. Happiest day of my life. Magical. Pop the champagne… Not. It was the worst day. Jack Hawthorne was nothing like what I'd imagined for myself. I blamed him for my lapse in judgment. I blamed his eyes, the ocean blue eyes that looked straight into mine unapologetically, and that frown on his face I had no idea I would become so fascinated with in time. It wasn't long after he said I was the biggest mistake of his life that things started to change. No, he still didn't talk much, but anyone can string a few words together. His actions spoke the loudest to me. And day after day my heart started to get a mind of its own.

— Ok, ok, ok, so I enjoyed the Jason Thorn book, right? Was, like, how bad could this other book be? And it wasn’t bad, but it was patently ridiculous. Let me explain what happened. Not entirely sorry for the spoilers. Jack the lawyer sees that Rose is only going to get the space for her coffee shop from her uncle’s will if she marries someone. She WAS engaged, but the guy split. For reasons no one can understand, especially Rose. She’s sad. She’s spent so much money on espresso machines! Enter Jack the lawyer who one random afternoon is like: HEY ROSE, YOU’RE MOSTLY A STRANGER, BUT I ALSO NEED TO GET MARRIED FOR REASONS I’LL ONLY SORTA EXPLAIN, LETS DO THAT. So they do???? And Jack the lawyer continues to be kinda weird and a little shady, but Rose has got the coffee shop and things are going well. Until! She’s got a leaky brain!!! That’s not a joke. Not a typo. Out of goddamn LEFT FIELD, Rose has got some horrible medical condition, so thank God she got married because Jack the lawyer’s got great health insurance. (this is ROMANTIC) and she’s got to have an operation and he stays with her and sleeps in the hospital chair and her coffee shop is somehow still going strong??? On Madison Avenue??? What sit-down coffee shop on Madison Avenue do you guys know that would succeed? None because it’s not downtown. I digress. Anyway, Rose makes a miraculous recovery, she and Jack the lawyer are now almost in love? At least having a shit ton of sex. They’re mostly happily married. Until, part two! The ex-fiance shows up and is like JACK THE LAWYER PAID ME TO BREAK UP WITH YOU. To which Rose is understandably flabbergasted. She confronts Jack the lawyer who fesses that he’s been seriously crushing on her since they met at her uncle’s Christmas party. She doesn’t remember this. He does. BECAUSE HE’S A STALKER. So, he knew about the will stipulation with marriage BACK THEN, which is why he used FIRM RESOURCES to investigate the ex-fiance and found out he was a con man, using Rose with plans to basically steal all her money. This infuriated Jack the lawyer because he thought Rose deserved better and then proceeded to basically con her himself, just in a different way. With marriage! He told her he needed to get married to show he was a family man to make partner. THAT WAS A LIE. He didn’t need it at all. He just—wanted to marry her??? To help her??? What a psycho. She leaves. He continues to lurk outside the coffee shop. They make up. No one mentions the stalking. The end.

I KEEP GIVING HELENA SECOND CHANCES AND SHE KEEPS...NOT DESERVING THEM

All In Series by Helena Hunting Sometimes I need an escape from the demands, the puck bunnies, and the notoriety that come with being an NHL team captain. I just want to be a normal guy for a few weeks. So when I leave Chicago for some peace and quiet, the last thing I expect is for a gorgeous woman to literally fall into my lap on a flight to Alaska. Even better, she has absolutely no idea who I am.Lainey is the perfect escape from my life. My plan for seclusion becomes a monthlong sex fest punctuated with domestic bliss. But it ends just as abruptly as it began. When I’m called away on a family emergency, I realize too late that I have no way to contact Lainey.A year later, a chance encounter throws Lainey and me together again. But I still have a lie hanging over my head, and Lainey’s keeping secrets of her own. With more than lust at stake, the truth may be our game changer.

— Last year I read a hockey romance by Helena Hunting that was very cute and traditionally published and she’s got a bunch more free Amazon books that, for some reason, I keep downloading and reading and they continue to be absolutely ridiculous. That first one was a not-so-secret accidental pregnancy (as previously discussed ONE TIME without a condom mention and bam pregnant) but the second one with Rook’s sister was actually pretty cute. I’m not sure why they all called him Rook. Almost all these series have at least one book with someone recovering from an injury and they inevitably fall in love with their physical therapist. So, that one was pretty ok. None of these, however, were quite as entertaining as (wait for it) QUEENIE AND KINGSTON. WHOSE FRIENDS AND TEAMMATES ALL CALL HIM KING. QUEENIE. AND. KING. Gag. I read it anyway. At least 99% of that decision was based solely on the fact that the story started just after King found out his sister was actually his mom. How am I supposed to stop reading THAT?!? I ask you. Highlights of Queenie and King’s romance included: him calling his mom/sister MOMSTER, Queenie being secretly married this whole time, WITHOUT KNOWING IT, his strawberry allergy that flared up because she’d had a strawberry milkshake and then GAVE HIM A BLOWJOB, her dad finding out they were dating because he was the GM of the team and saw that his starting goalie was having a MASSIVE allergic reaction, Queenie’s eventual ex-husband getting engaged to someone who previously tried to self-inseminate to trap Rook into a relationship (I am not making this up, I swear) and then when he found out that his fiancee’s kid wasn’t actually his, he got into a massive fight and earned a 20-game suspension. THAT’S A QUARTER OF AN NHL SEASON. Tom Wilson got fined five thousand dollars for practically killing Artemi Panarin on the ice! I did not read the last book in this series because it was MORE ACCIDENTAL PREGNANCY and because it was Queenie’s dad and King’s mom and that meant they’d share a sibling. Which is where I draw the line, guys.

THERE WERE SEVEN BOOKS IN THIS SERIES! EVERY SINGLE ONE HAD TO HAVE A SCENE WHERE THE DUDE UNDERSTOOD THAT PERIODS WERE A THING???? LIKE THAT WAS IMPRESSIVE SOMEHOW?!?!

Hot Jocks Series by Kendall Ryan I've never been so stupid in my entire life. My teammate's incredibly sweet and gorgeous younger sister should have been off-limits, but my hockey stick didn't get that memo. After our team won the championship, and plenty of alcohol, our flirting turned physical and I took her to bed. Shame sent her running the next morning from our catastrophic mistake. She thinks I don't remember that night—but every detail is burned into my brain so deeply, I’ll never forget. The feel of her in my arms, the soft whimpers of pleasure I coaxed from her perfect lips…And now I’ve spent three months trying to get her out of my head. Which has been futile, because I’m starting to understand she’s the only girl I’ll ever want. I have one shot to show her I can be exactly what she needs, but Elise won’t be easily convinced. That’s okay, because I’m good under pressure, and this time, I’m playing for keeps.

—I read all of these. All. Of. Them. They were exceptionally quick reads. Every single one had a copious amount of sex in it and a very weird, apparently required scene, where the dude had to be like I’M NOT SQUICKED OUT BY PERIODS AM I NOT THE ULTIMATE EXAMPLE OF MASCULINITY?? My favorite one was Grant and Ana’s, though, because it was so goddamn absurd I cannot believe someone wrote it. Basic gist was that Ana was dating someone on Grant’s team (he’s the captain, natch) but the guy was a dick and abusive and so one night Ana decides to leave, but she needs someone to help her and WHO DOES SHE TURN TO??? That’s right, reclusive captain Grant. Who’s spent the last few years watching his teammates marry-up and start families and he’s so jealous, but he can’t say anything because he’s a stoic MAN™. So he takes Ana and her dog (of course she’s got a dog) back to his super swanky bachelor pad and she just sort of...stays there? Video of the boyfriend accosting her at her job gets leaked and the boyfriend gets sent to the AHL which is not really how it would work, but fine. Naturally, Grant and Ana hook up. It’s emotional. Vaguely romantic. There’s no GODDAMN CONDOM. So, she gets pregnant. But, of course. Except! She doesn’t know if it’s dick boyfriend’s or Grant’s. Because he’s the male lead in a free sports romance on Amazon, Grant is the MOST understanding. He wants to help Ana. He would like to continue having sex with Ana. This is ready-made happily ever after. Only Ana’s like...eh?? She doesn’t want it to look like she bounced from one hockey player to the next, but also she sorta did and she kept telling Grant she just wanted to be friends, only to have sex, like, three chapters later. Then she just moved out! Just moved out. Seven months pregnant. Moving out. With her dog. Of course, this is a free sports romance on Amazon, so eventually she moved back in with Grant. Once she realized independence wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. And because he left practice to be there when she had the baby. Oh! And she got a DNA test after. To see whose kid it was. Grant ripped that ‘ish up. Just ripped it up. Which is cool, I guess. But, like, you didn’t want to double check? What if that kid has to go to the hospital? Did she put Grant’s name on the birth certificate? What are his parental rights?? Anyway, they’re all set to live HEA when....THE DICK BOYFRIEND DIES. Straight up. No explanation. Nothing. Just Grant tells Ana he’s dead, she’s like, oh wow that’s sad, they send some flowers to the funeral and that’s THAT. I assume this was to close any potential plot holes on the father of this baby, but it was hysterical and I cannot stop thinking about it. Strangely enough, the one where the couple made a secret sex tape in college and then got back together because it got released may have been the healthiest relationship in this series.

[angelsfalling16]

The Ugly Christmas Sweater

Read on ao3

Part of my Christmas ficlet series

Prompt: “How much for the ugly Christmas sweater?”

Word Count: 1270

A/N: I will admit that I got a little carried away with this fic, but I had a lot of fun with it and hope you all like it!

Also, the Christmas sweater in this fic was somewhat inspired by those cat and dog sweaters from Hannah Montana in case anyone was wondering (does anyone else remember those? or just me? lol)

***

Simon

“How much for the ugly Christmas sweater?”

“Excuse me?” I ask looking up from my phone to see who just asked me that question. I don’t recognize him.

“I will give you fifty dollars for that sweater.”

“The one I’m currently wearing?” I squint at the guy, wondering if he’s serious.

He runs a hand over his slicked-back hair and frowns at me as if I am somehow the weirdo here when he’s the one who walked up to a stranger and offered to buy their sweater off of him.

“Yes,” he says. “How about sixty? A little extra for your trouble.”

“Are you this rude to all strangers? Or am I just lucky?”

I mean, seriously, who walks up to someone on the street, insults their clothing, and then offers to buy it from them?

“Come on, that sweater is hideous. I’m doing you a favor by taking it off your hands. You should be paying me just to get rid of it.”

I growl and cross my arms, glaring at him. “I happen to like this sweater.”

“Seriously?” He asks, practically gawking at me.

“Yes. Why do you want it?”

“My friend is having an ugly Christmas sweater contest, and I have to win. That sweater is perfect. Please let me buy it off of you.”

“Hmm,” I hum, considering it. “Just how much are you willing to pay for it? I’m awfully attached to it.

That isn’t exactly true. I only bought this sweater a few minutes ago, but he doesn’t need to know that.

He sighs and pulls out his wallet, counting the bills inside of it. “Look, I only have seventy-five dollars on me. Will that be enough?”

I pretend to think about it for a moment, but I’ve already made up my mind.

“Fine,” I say. “you have a deal.”

He starts to pull the cash from his wallet, and I tug the sweater over my head.

“That must be some prize if you’re willing to pay that much for a sweater you seem to hate.”

“It’s not about the prize,” he murmurs as he hands me the money. “Thanks,” he adds, taking the sweater.

“Sucker,” I laugh once the guy has walked out of earshot.

He has no idea that I spent less than ten dollars on that sweater inside the very store we just made the exchange in front of.

I would feel worse than I do, but he was kind of a jerk. I really did like it and he kept insulting it. He deserved payback, even if it was a steep price.

I just hope I never see that guy again.

***

“Hey, Simon,” Penny says, walking into my room. “We just got invited to a Christmas party, so get dressed.”

“Isn’t that a pretty late invitation?”

“Actually, I got the invite last week but forgot to tell you about it. Sorry.”

“Whatever,” I say, shaking my head. “Let’s go.”

“Oh, you should wear that sweater you got the other day.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s festive.”

I shrug. “Okay.”

That won’t be a problem because I went back in and bought a new one after selling the first.

I don’t get suspicious about her request until we arrive at the party, where almost everyone is wearing a Christmas sweater, some of them simple and others horrifically outrageous.

“What is this?” I ask Penny.

“An ugly Christmas sweater party!” She replies excitedly.

“Is my sweater really that awful? I ask, pulling at the hem of it.

“It’s perfect,” she says, but I don’t think she means it in a good way.

I sigh and let her pull me farther into the house, which is decorated festively, with garland hanging everywhere, mistletoe hung intermittently in the hopes of catching couples, and four Christmas trees (that I’ve seen so far.)

“Hey, I’m gonna go say hi to Shep. Go mingle. Have fun. I’ll meet up with you again later.”

I nod but don’t respond because I’ve just seen something that has caught my interest. Or rather someone.

I make my way over to where they’re standing alone, disbelieving.

“You,” I say, surprised to see the guy who bought the sweater off of me, but not as surprised to see he’s wearing said sweater.

His eyes widen slightly in recognition when he looks at me.

“What are you doing here?” He asks rudely.

Wow, I really did have him pegged. This guy is seriously a jerk.

“Same as you,” I say with a shrug. “Enjoying an ugly Christmas sweater party.”

His gaze falls down to my abdomen, and his eyes widen almost comically this time.

“What the hell are you wearing?”

“My sweater,” I say calmly.

“I thought it was a special sweater. Why do you have two?”

“Becau--.” But he cuts me off, grabbing my arm and dragging me out of the main room, down a hall, and into a bathroom, locking the door behind us.

My heart is racing, but I’m not totally sure it’s out of fear.

“Take that sweater off,” he demands.

Okay. Definitely not out of fear.

“What?” Why?”

“I’ll never win the contest if we’re wearing the same sweater.”

“So? Why do you care so much about a stupid contest?”

“I just do, okay? Now, take it off. I’ll pay you.”

What, is this guy rich or something? Or just that desperate?

“You’re going to pay me to take my clothes off?” I ask, raising my eyebrows at him in amusement.

“I–.” His ears are turning pink. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Sure,” I say, relishing in the way the blush is now spreading to his cheeks. “i would take it off, but I’m not wearing a shirt underneath it this time.”

He sighs. “You can have mine.”

“Fine, but you can keep your money.”

He nods, and I once again find myself taking off this sweater for a guy I don’t know. He pulls off both his sweater and t-shirt in one swift movement, and fuck, he’s gorgeous.

“Fuck, you’re gorgeous. “I can believe I actually said that aloud.

His cheeks turn an even darker shade of pink, but he smirks at me, dropping his clothes and taking a step towards me.

“So are you,” he murmurs. Then, he slams me up against the door and kisses me roughly.

The kiss is sloppy and full of teeth, but it feels amazing, better than any other kiss I’ve ever had.

***

When we exit the bathroom a few minutes later, our clothes are askew and hair is mussed. I’m wearing his shirt, my sweater stuffed under my arm, and the collar of his sweater doesn’t quite cover the mark I left where his neck meets his shoulder.

I can’t keep the smile off my face as we walk in silence together back down the hall.

As we near the main room and are about to part ways, I speak.

“You know, I never caught your name.”

“It’s Baz,” he says, glancing over at me, and the look in his eyes is surprisingly soft.

“S’nice to meet you, Baz. I’m Simon.” And I hope we meet again soon.

I meet up with Penny not too long after, and she doesn’t even question the fact that I’m not wearing the sweater anymore. Though, her hair is even messier than mine, which is quite a feat, so I can just imagine where she’s been. This is some party.

Baz ends up winning the contest after all. Apparently, a sweater with a 3D dog dressed up as Santa that both lights up and barks jingle bells is a horrific sweater. Who knew?

[spookyboywhump]

Card Game

Okay so! This uses this Sadistic Card Game from @card-games-and-pain, and I really really hope it’s okay I used it because I’m really into writing this

 This was going to be one long thing but it was getting Too Long so it’s likely going to be in two or three parts, starting with this one which should really be called “Why Vanessa Shouldn’t Be Allowed To Dog-sit”

This is also a complete side thing, thus far unrelated to the main story but I might insert it the farther I get I’m not sure

TW: noncon kissing, strangulation, noncon stripping, mentions of noncon/dubcon in general

***

 Zander was familiar with the game, but he’d always been a victim of it. It was odd to be a player for once.

 It wasn’t that he wanted to play, but Vanessa had made it pretty clear, either he played with her or she’d take Wren in his usual place. There was still a chance of that happening, if Zander lost, and in a way he’d lose no matter what, because if he won Wren would be spared, and he wouldn’t. He couldn’t let the kid take his place though, he didn’t care what he had to do or what Vanessa did to him personally, he would never let her get her hands on him that way. 

 She had decided on the usual guest room for their game, the room in the house that Zander hated most. She had brought her cards, any items she thought they might need to complete a task, and of course, her victim, their victim, Wren. He sat on the floor, blindfolded with earplugs shoved in his ears. She hadn’t been very gentle doing it. His wrists were bound in front of him, he could’ve easily removed either of the restrictions but he didn’t dare. He sat silently, anxiously biting on his lower lip, clearly trying to stay calm, even though he was visibly shaking. It made Zander angry to look at him for too long.

 “Here, you can go first.” Vanessa told him, sliding the deck of cards closer to him. He had already shuffled them a second time, worried she’d arranged them a specific way, she’d seemed amused but let him do it anyway. He hesitated, glancing at wren before picking up the first card, flipping it over and scowling when he saw the words “slap their face” followed by a star. Off to a terrible start, he thought, taking the die that Vanessa passed him and rolling it. It was a candy red, twenty sided little thing, even after all this time it reminded him of his friends in high school begging him to join a game he could never make sense of. No use reminiscing now, there were more pressing matters at hand he reminded himself. Five times, she laughed when she saw the number. “Ooo, starting the boy off easy huh?”

 “Shut the fuck up.” He muttered, getting up from his chair to approach Wren. He didn’t want to do this, the man suddenly seemed so small to him, small and fragile, even though he’d seen what he could do in the ring, he knew he would be able to handle it, he still didn’t want to do it. 

 He wished he could apologize at least, but Wren wouldn’t hear it, and Vanessa would only mock him for it. He would have to make it up to him later, he thought, drawing his hand back and slapping him across the face. He let out a startled gasp, his head snapping to the side. His whole body went tense, his jaw clenched as he prepared for another hit. Smart boy, he thought, drawing back to slap him again. He whimpered this time, it damn near broke his heart. The side of his face was bright red by the time he finished, and Vanessa was laughing again.

 “You didn’t have to hit him so hard!”

 “You would’ve made me.” He said bluntly, going to sit down again. He knew her sadistic games by now, she’d never let it be easy. 

 “Hmm, you’re right.” She smiled, drawing her own card now. Her eyes lit up and he knew it would be bad, she laid down the card that simply read “choke them”. 

 “Cain will be pissed if you cause any permanent damage.” He reminded her as she got to her feet. “Especially to his prized dog.”

 “I know, I know.” She waved her hand dismissively. Wren seemed to still be recovering from the slapping, but he was otherwise fine until she positioned her hands around his neck, squeezing lightly at first as his breath hitched in his throat. “It’s a shame we blindfolded him, I would love to see his pretty blue eyes get all big!” She giggled, slowly tightening her grip. We, of course, he was just as guilty this time too. He frowned as he looked to Wren, the man was struggling, gasping for air, until nothing could get past, his mouth open in a silent plea for relief. He wanted to stop it, he was taller and stronger than Vanessa and he knew he could, but he also knew it would be so much worse for Wren if he interfered. 

 She didn’t let go until his face had gone bright red, his bound hands reached up to weakly grab her wrists. As soon as she let go he was gasping for air, almost to the point of hyperventilating. Zander wanted to at least comfort him, but Vanessa was watching him expectantly, waiting for him to draw a new card. He hoped for something lighter, but he still wasn’t thrilled to get the “kiss them” card. It wouldn’t hurt him, but it also wasn’t something he was comfortable doing without asking, or at least warning him, but comfort didn’t exactly matter right now. A kiss from him would be better than anything Vanessa would do if she won. 

 He started to move towards him, but Vanessa reminded him about the die. She seemed more excited about this card, watching with delight as he rolled the die, landing on the number two.

 “Two seconds.” He told her seriously, making sure she knew he didn’t intend to take any longer than that.

 “Minutes, Zander.” She smiled. “You don’t expect me to bend the rules, do you?” He glared at her, knowing damn well she’d bend the rules if it was for her benefit.

 She smiled as she watched him, leaning against the table. He turned his attention away from her, kneeling on the floor in front of Wren. With his hands bound together the way they were he was picking at his skin again, aside from that though he seemed to be managing his anxiety well. He had been told to sit still unless moved, to keep his mouth shut, and don’t struggle, and he seemed to be following those orders well. Zander reached out and gently grabbed his hands, trying to stop him before he made his fingers bleed again. He seemed to relax, recognized that it was Zander in front of him and trusting him not to seriously hurt him, not like she would. He felt guilty, knowing he wouldn’t get so lucky to choose an almost harmless card again. 

 He couldn’t ask permission, he couldn’t apologize, and Vanessa wouldn’t take her eyes off him, so he just had to go ahead and do it, leaning forward and pressing his lips to Wren’s. His surprised whine was muffled by the kiss, Zander quickly realized he wasn’t experienced with this, even if he wanted to reciprocate he probably didn’t know how. It was awkward and uncomfortable, and he didn’t blame him at all, he knew perfectly well that it was far more uncomfortable to be in Wren’s place. 

 Two minutes was a long time when both parties wanted it to be over. He knew Vanessa was timing it and if he pulled away before the time was up she’d hold it against him, he already knew it. Just before the time was up a flash went off from her phone, she was laughing again. He couldn’t fucking stand her laugh.

 “You’re done, Zander, unless you want to keep going I suppose.” She said, and he quickly pulled away, immediately getting to his feet to put some distance between him and Wren so he wouldn’t be touching him more than necessary. His face was almost the same color as his hair, bright red up to his ears. It probably would’ve been worse if he knew she took a picture of it, and unless it was necessary, Zander didn’t plan to tell him about that. He watched as Vanessa drew another card, immediately going to dig through her purse for something. “Oh thank god, I wanted a smoke anyway.” She said, finding her lighter and pack of cigarettes. She dropped down into the chair as she lit the cigarette, looking to Zander. “Go ahead and sit down dear, I’m not lighting this just to waste it.” 

 He scowled as he sat back down across from her, arms crossed over his chest. It would only get worse from here, he was sure of it, and he hated knowing he would have to continually participate in Wren’s torment. He knew that for him personally, he would take any amount of pain before going with Vanessa, pain was so, so much better than what she did to him. It was probably why he preferred Cain, the closest to that his handler ever got was when he played this game, and Zander could tell he didn’t enjoy it the way Vanessa did. 

 What bothered him the most was that he didn’t know if Wren felt the same way. He felt like he had reason to believe he did, knowing how completely sex repulsed Wren was, he felt like it would be so much worse for her to get her hands on him. Not to mention, Zander had been doing this for six years, he had long since learned what to expect, how to handle it. At some point, probably the second or third time he had begun to dissociate when it happened, he knew it wasn’t good but it did make it so much easier. He could handle this, and whether Wren could or not didn’t matter, he shouldn’t need to.

 “I love your constant angry expression, but it would do you some good to smile once in a while.” Vanessa said, blowing the smoke towards his face. He quickly fanned it away, he hated the smell of cigarettes. 

 “Not much to smile about around here.” He said, trying to look anywhere but at Wren, who seemed to be growing increasingly nervous with the lack of anything happening to him.

 “Aww, but I’m here now!” She giggled. “I have you boys for the whole weekend, I'd say there’s plenty to smile about.”

 “Well you’re fucking wrong.” He snapped. She just laughed though. 

 “Here, how about I make our game better for you, a little extra incentive if you win.” She suggested. He didn’t even bother to ask what it was, usually it would just be something to benefit her. She pulled something else from her purse, setting the small orange bottle between them. “If you don’t hold back on the poor boy, you can have this. I’ll even keep it quiet from Cain.” He eyed the pill bottle for a moment, before trying to grab it from her, only for her to snatch it back. “Hold on my little pill junkie,” she sneered, “I said if you win.”

 “I can’t tell if you want me to win or lose.” He scowled, leaning back and crossing his arms again.

 “What does it matter? I’ll win either way.” She grinned. “I always win.”

 “Your fucking competitive streak makes sure of that, Huh?” He muttered. 

 “Yep~!”

 She was smiling when she rose from her seat, holding the cigarette. He didn’t want to watch as she approached Wren, the poor kid had no idea what was waiting for him. She seemed to take a moment to decide where she wanted to do this, finally pulling him forward by the hair and forcing his head down, when it would’ve been so much easier to simply walk behind him. His breath was nervous and shuddering, he was trying so hard to keep calm but as soon as the hot end of the cigarette was dug into the back of his neck he cried out, trying to jerk away. She didn’t step away from him until the struggling stopped, until the panicked cries were slow deep breaths as he tried to keep calm.

 “We really should play with him more often…” she hummed, letting go of his hair. Zander opted to ignore her, picking up the next card. His stomach dropped when he read three words and a question mark. Make them scream. He hadn’t read the card out loud and he seemed to just be staring at it, so Vanessa snatched it from his hand. “Oooh! This is a fun one.” She grinned. “Come on Zander you have to do something.”

 “I know.” He slowly got to his feet. 

 “Or you don’t. I can always just take him instead…”

 “No!” He snapped. “I’m not going to let you do to him what you do to me again, and again!” 

 “Of course you wouldn’t.” She smiled, stepping closer to him. She reached a hand up, gently resting it on his cheek. He knew better than to jerk away from her by now. “You just can’t bear to give up what we have, hm? I know how Cain treats you, I know you’d never get such loving touches from him. I know you’re so desperate-“ 

 “Fuck off!” He snapped, and she finally pulled away, seeming amused with his anger. “I’d rather Cain fucking beat me to death than spend another minute with you.” He snarled. 

 “Easy, boy.” She laughed, hands raised in mock defense. “I’d hate to have to muzzle you, not so early in our time together.” He scowled at that, he knew the threat was very real and if he wanted to avoid it he would need to keep his mouth shut. He decided to turn his attention away from her, back to Wren, back to his victim. He needed to make him scream. He tried to think about what had been done to him, the few times he was allowed to hear or see the game go on. Back when Cain used the shock collar that was always his go to, he had been stabbed once, often times they surprised him into screaming with a sudden attack. It was one thing to perform a task that had been given to him, another entirely to have to come up with the task all on his own. Contrary to popular belief, Zander was not a violent person, he hated his situation, he hated hurting people, and this was so personal it made it so much worse. 

 “I need to untie his hands.” He warned her, kneeling down in front of him and carefully undoing the knots that held his wrists together. He always wondered where Vanessa learned to tie knots, everything difficult and intricate and decorative with her. At first it would seem merciful, soft expensive rope was kinder than rough rope or metal cuffs, until it had been wound tight enough and long enough to rub the skin raw and bloody. 

 Wren was relieved at first, he could tell them apart by their hands and he was smart enough to figure out they were taking turns. He relaxed when Zander untied him, relaxed when he gently grasped his hands for just a moment, long enough to give a reassuring squeeze in place of an apology before letting go, standing up again. He came to stand behind him, reaching down and grabbing his wrist. He hoped he could do this without breaking or dislocating anything, twisting his arm behind his back. He wasn’t rough at first, and Wren seemed uncomfortable, but he didn’t fight. Zander just twisted it further, nails digging into his wrist in hopes that the piercing pain would make him scream before any serious damage could be caused. 

 “W-wait-” He started, speaking up for the first time. “I- I can’t- can’t twist that far- Zander please!” It came out as a sharp whine, and he had no choice but to ignore it, giving a harsh tug on his arm that finally ripped the noise out of him, a startled scream as the muscles in his arm and shoulder were pulled and strained past their limit. As soon as he screamed Zander let go, stepping away, watching as he cradled his arm close to his chest. He wasn’t crying yet, but his lip was trembling, he was trying so hard to keep himself together and somehow that struggle was worse than if he’d just let himself give in. There was no use fighting it, Zander knew he’d be in hysterics by the end of the game. 

 “I suppose that’s one way to do it. I miss when Cain would use the collar on you.” Vanessa sighed, drawing her card.

 “Sorry, he doesn’t like watching me have seizures.” He muttered bitterly, watching anxiously to see what she would do. She gently grabbed Wren’s wrists, positioning his arms over his head until he realized she wanted him to keep them there, staying still as he bit down on his lip. She grabbed the hem of his shirt and quickly pulled it over his head, tossing it aside. Zander had figured it out pretty quickly, out of habit he glanced away. This always was one of her favorite cards to use on him. Wren seemed uneasy, but not panicking until she grabbed the waistband of his shorts.

 “N-no, please- please don’t, a-anything else…” He whimpered, not even sure how to plead his case. Zander wished he could tell him to stop begging, it only ever encouraged her. Despite his panic he didn’t struggle, even with his hands free, hands clenched into fists as she yanked down his shorts and underwear. As soon as they were off he was trying to cover himself, but Vanessa just laughed, grabbing his wrists to bind them again.

 “He really is cute, Zander. He’s not as pretty as you are, but cute, I really do win either way here.” She laughed. He refused to respond to her, trying to avoid looking at him by looking at the cards he’d already drawn, the things he’d already been forced to do to him. He had a slight advantage over Vanessa because he drew first, as long as he didn’t fuck up he would be able to win. Still, it was agonizing realizing that there were only three cards drawn by each, eight cards before all this would be over.

 It was going to be a very, very long game.

[captcas]

Summer Clothes

SUMMER CLOTHES by capthamm

Killian Jones finds unexpected memories when searching for his winter jacket.Inspired by the song “Summer Clothes” by Marc Scibilia

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The air coming through his open bedroom window has the indicative bite of winter’s dreaded arrival. While he was hoping to get a bit more use out of his leather jacket, he’d be a fool to try and brave Maine winters without his obnoxious (but warm) winter coat. Killian notices the lace-like pattern frost has woven along the window sill and lets out a hearty sigh. He rolls out of bed reluctantly and instantly feels the chill as his bare feet hit the hardwood floor. Shivering, a war rages in his head, back to bed or find the coat. Another gust of cold winter air whips through the open window, he hastily shuts it, and he swears the room warms up at least five degrees immediately. Killian turns to the rarely used storage closet in the back of his room, groaning loudly, as he’s almost certain the entirety of its contents will fall as soon as he opens the door. It’s not that he’s hiding from anything, it’s just sort of become his collection closet for things he’ll “deal with later” but never actually does. He adjusts the thermostat and throws on his wool socks before deciding this Saturday is as good as any to finally tackle the dreaded closet.

One and a half hours later and he’s finally found his jacket under a pile of other winter gloves, hats, and mittens that he hasn’t seen since March. He pauses when he realizes it’s thrown over a bin he doesn’t recognize. Killian drags the bin over by his bed and his knees buckle when he lifts the cover off. Her smell fills the room as memories flood his mind.

Killliiannn, I need somewhere to store this summer stuff.  

Just put it in the storage closet, love, that’s where I throw my off-season stuff.  

She left a few short weeks after that, saying she had a job offer in Boston she couldn’t refuse. She assured him it had nothing to do with their shared kiss at the town harvest festival and that he shouldnt uproot his life because of her.

She had no idea that she was his life.

Scratch that— is his life.  

Bloody hell.

He wished she had realized his life was promptly “uprooted” the moment she wasn’t a daily fixture in it. At first she called, texted, and FaceTimed him on a semi-regular basis but their schedules were no-longer synced and her life kept getting busier while life in Storybrooke was simple as ever. Slowly her absence became a new normal but even a year later he just feels like he’s going through the motions without purpose.

He’s thought about calling her more than once but couldn’t imagine what he’d say short of begging her to come home. He’d go see her if he had an address but she’s never been one for permanence.

If only his dumbass had remembered that before he fell head over heels in love with her.

He realizes he’s clutching her old sleep tee shirt she used to wear pretty much every night. She was always fascinated with the concept of a Neverland, a place of hope and trust and magic, so he bought her an oversized sleep shirt covered in Peter Pan regalia in hopes her dreams would take her far better places than her life had. She teared up when he gave it to her, J.M. Barrie’s stories apparently meaning more to her than he realized, and then she wore it to bed every night without fail. He liked to think it was because she felt safe in it… with him.

He smiles at the thought and decides to shoot her a text now that he finally has a coherent topic of conversation.

Hello, Swan. Hope all is well. Looking for my winter jacket, I found your summer clothes. I can send them to you or donate them? Let me know, love.  

He types an “I miss you” at the end but deletes it quickly, hoping the simplicity of his message will warrant a response. He’s surprised when she answers right away.

Killian! Hi! I knew I left that somewhere… it doesn’t happen to have my old running sneakers in there too? If you don’t mind sending it, that’d be great. I can pay you back for the shipping or whatever. I hope you’re doing well, too.

It’s more chipper than Killian expected and that’s probably what prompts him to pick up the phone and actually call her.

“Hello?”

“Hi, love. Forgive me but I don’t seem to have your address.” 

“Killian.”

He swears she whispers it, almost as if she’s telling a secret to herself and he does everything in his power to record it to memory. She hasn’t said anything else so he responds.

“Yes, Swan?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Address, right yeah, do you have somewhere to write it down?”  

“Shit, hold on.”

Killian scrambles to find any piece of scratch paper he can as fast as he can. He dreads the thought of returning to the line and finding she’s given up on him again.

“Hello?”

“Yes, Killian, I’m still here. He can practically hear her eye roll. I’m not that impatient.” 

“My memory must betray me then.” He hears her huff on the other side of the line and they easily fall back into the comfortable banter he’s missed since the day she said goodbye— or rather didn’t say goodbye. She had told him she was leaving obviously, but he didn’t expect it to be that night.

She just… left. His eyes water at the thought but he chokes it back.

“Ready when you are, Swan.”

“710 Nautica Drive,  Apartment #815,  Boston, Massachusetts 02108″

“Got it, love. Thank you.” 

“Of course! I mean, thank you.”

“Don’t mention it. I’ll–”

They start to speak at the same time.

“How is everyone?” 

He hears nonchalance in her voice but can tell it’s forced. If he wasn’t positive his heart was playing tricks on him, he’d say she almost sounded homesick. “Everything’s right as rain here, Swan. You know nothing much changes around Storybrooke. They did get a new bar though! Aesop’s Tables but the ‘t’ is always burnt out so everyone calls it ‘Aesop’s Ables’. It just sounds like bloody horrible alliteration but I suppose it’s free marketing for the guy. “

He hears her chuckle on the other end, but it seems sad— or nostalgic— although he’s not entirely sure there’s a difference.

“Sounds same old same to me, Jones.”

“How are you, Swan? How’s the job?”

“I actually have to go, Killian. He swears he hears her sniffle but chalks it up to shotty reception. Thanks again for sending the clothes. We should— shit I gotta go. Bye, Killian.”

She hangs up before Killian can argue. He whispers his goodbye to no one as he hears the line go dead. Rubbing his hands over his face he tries to pinpoint where it all went wrong.

“Win me a prize, Killian.” She’s smiling at him with the brightest eyes and he swears if he died in this moment, he’d return to it for the rest of his life as this is surely what heaven feels like.  

“As you wish, Swan.” He’s a good shot, and while the rigged games are good, he’s better. It takes no time at all for him to win her one of the big prizes. “What in bloody damnation are you going to do with a huge ass bear, Swan?”

She chuckles at his teasing but proudly carries her bear through the fair, until it gets too heavy and Killian ends up carrying it on his back like an oversized child. Her eyes light up when she sees the short line at the ferris wheel and she grabs his free hand, urgently dragging him towards the ride.  

The operator reluctantly allows Henry (she named the damn thing) to ride with them so when they get into the seat, Killian and Emma are squished as close as humanly possible.  

As they reach the top, she looks at him, “I want to feel this way forever.” He’s stunned by declaration, Emma not being one for emotions of any shape or size. 

“Then that’s what shall be.” She rolls her eyes at his ‘fancy british speak’ and then makes eye contact again.  

“You can not possibly guarantee that.” Their faces are close, a hazard of their stuffed friend riding along.  

“Your heart’s desire, Swan, that’s all I want.” Her eyes soften and then flicker down to his lips. She leans in, softly pressing her lips against his. If Killian didn’t know that they were on a ferris wheel, he would’ve sworn he was flying. She doesn’t say anything after that but cuddles close into him until they arrive at the bottom. They hold hands for the rest of the night and it feels like the entire world has shifted on its axis.  

Two weeks later the world shifts again, leaving Killian feeling like he’s stuck in the aftermath of a category five earthquake.  

It hits Killian like a tidal wave, sudden realization washing over him. All this time he thought letting her go was the best decision, giving her space and time to come home, but he knows now he should’ve ran after her.

He refuses to be another crack in her heart— another love who up and left. While he didn’t technically leave, he let her go, and he’s not sure what’s worse. In hindsight, he should’ve fought for her, but all he has is the present, and he’s going to make things right.

Scrambling for his phone he plugs in the address she gave him.

2 hours. He grabs the bin and his car keys.

He throws on his winter jacket to return her summer clothes.

. . .

Killian is sure the two hours spent in his car are the longest two hours of his life. He pulls up in front of her apartment and lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. It’s not luxurious by any means, but it’s nice and he’s grateful she’s been safe in her time here. He drags the bin out of his backseat and walks to the front door of the building. He scans the buzzer for apartment 815 and finds it with the name Swan scrawled messily beside it. He presses it and the door opens without so much as a word from the other line— so much for safe. If this were normal circumstances, he’d scold her for just letting anyone in her building, but he’ll deal with that later.

He jumps in the elevator to the 8th floor and books it down the hall so quickly that he’s out of breath by the time he reaches her door. The adrenaline pumping through him right now is the only thing that gives him enough energy to knock. When she opens the door, clearly stunned, Killian feels like the air is knocked out of him again.

“Killian?! What are you doing here? Is everything alright?”

“Swan, I’m a damn fool and I’m sorry this took me so bloody long.” He drops the bin to the side and closes the space between them. Her eyes soften, the worry instantly evaporating the moment he rubs his thumb over her cheek.

“You came back?” She hesitates, almost as though she’s expecting to wake up from her daydream at any moment.

He knows the feeling… perfectly.

“Well, I had to get you your bin and shipping would’ve been outrage—“

Emma cuts him off with a kiss. It’s messy, the antithesis of their first, yet behind the desperation he feels an overwhelming sense of peace.

“I missed you, Killian Jones.”

“There’s not a day that went by that I did not think of you. I apologize for taking so long.”

“Yeah, I had to buy a whole new summer wardrobe because of that damn closet of yours.” She’s smiling now, that same smile she held when she begged him to win her a prize.

“Aye, love, a true tragedy.” He smiles at her and hopes his eyes can convey everything she’s not ready to hear out loud. “Are you going to let me in or should I just leave the bin out here?” He winks, knowing an eye roll is inevitable.

. . .

He’s invited in, and he stays… for three more days. And as they leave to turn her key into the landlord she runs back inside apologizing for forgetting something.

When she rounds the corner again she’s clutching a giant teddy bear and beaming with the brightest smile he’s seen in years.

“Do you mind carrying Henry?” She kisses him on the cheek and then gently on his lips, a bribe he’s positive will never get old.

“Your heart’s desire, Swan, that’s all I want.”

[mitchsmarners]

wouldn’t you like to see something strange

pairing: eddie kaspbrak/richie tozier [reddie] w/ stanley uris/patty blum [stanpat] word count:  2,878 summary:  Patty grabbed Richie’s backpack from him and grinned up at him. “Welcome to Derry. It’s the hotel California of towns.” ⤹ written for @thundercatseddie as their prize for winning 3rd place in my follower celebration.

permatags: @thundercatseddie​, @eddiekabsprak​, @appojoos​, @s-s-georgie​, @eddiecare​, @jwilliambyers​, @tozierking​, @eddiefuckinkaspbrak​, @sloppybitchardtozier​, @chaotickaspbrak​, @vipertooth​, @edstozler​, @anellope​, @tozierpunks​, @thorn-harvester-ven​, @wheezyeds​, @emgays​, @thegoths​, @wilding-throught-thehallways​, @reddie-to-cryy​,

Richie leaned his head against the car window, with his eyes squeezed shut. Fall Out Boy blared in his ears as he hummed the beat to himself. He didn’t want to be here. This was as good as the last place he wanted to be.

Patty yanked his headphones out of his ear and smirked at him. “What’s the point of wearing headphones if you’re going to sing out loud anyway?”

Richie liked his new step sister, he really did. She was a sweetheart, only a year younger than he was. If Richie had it his way, he wouldn’t have a step sister at all, but he supposed that he’d lucky out with Patty Blum. It was, at the end of the day, not his new stepsister and stepfather that Richie was against- but the cross country move from California to Maine.

Richie could already feel the cold starting to seep into his bones, and he didn’t think it would be leaving any time soon. The car pulled up in front of the house he supposed he now had to call home, and the family shuffled out. The majority of Richie and his mom’s belongings had made their way over weeks earlier, and Patty and Mr Blum had gotten the house set up for their arrival. Richie knew it was a nice thing to do, but he didn’t want to be here.

Patty grabbed Richie’s backpack from him and grinned up at him. “Welcome to Derry. It’s the hotel California of towns.”

Richie frowned. “What?”

Patty blinked up innocently. “You know. You may come, but you may never-”

“Yeah, yeah. I know the fucking song.” Richie grabbed his backpack back from Patty and moved towards the front steps. Patty didn’t even struggle to keep up with him, even with the extra several inches Richie had on her height. He vaguely remembered his stepfather praising Patty’s track times during the usual “my kid is better than your kid” competition when they’d been dating, but Richie had never paid much attention. Maybe he should have.

“Are you going to be a dick forever?” Patty asked in exhaustion. Richie stopped dead in his tracks and whipped around. Patty rolled her eyes. “Because you almost seemed like you’d be cool, and I think we’d get along pretty well... if you’d stop being a dick.”

Richie let out a rough sigh. “I’m sorry. You seem cool, too. I just-”

“Didn’t wanna move across the country. I get it.” Patty smiled. “It sucks. Nobody wants to do that, but it’s really gonna suck if you already decide that you aren’t going to like it before you gave it a chance.” 

Richie groaned. Of course, she was right. He knew that well enough. He planned on getting over it, but he wanted to wallow in it a little bit longer. Patty didn’t seem keen on allowing that, and seeing as she was the only person Richie knew in the entire state- he supposed he’d have to allow it. 

“Hey!” Patty suddenly lost all interest in talking to Richie, pushing past him and rushing through the fallen leaves on the ground. Richie turned and watched as Patty tossed herself into the arms of a proper looking boy with slick dark hair. A small, light brown kitten circled their feet and seemed to be giving Richie the stink eye. 

Patty pulled away, grabbing the boys’ hand and pulled him over to Richie. The small kitten seemed to skip along behind him. There was something... mischievous about the boy. A glint in his eye, a sinister curl to his grin. Richie felt the hair on his arms behind to stand up, and the dirty glare the kitten was giving him certainly didn’t help things.

“This is my partner, Stan.” Patty said, smiling wide at Richie. The kitten between Stanley’s legs let out an angry meow. Patty laughed. “And this is Eddie. Never one to be forgotten.”

“I love cats,” Richie said, though he wasn’t really sure about this one. “Can I hold him?”

Stan let out a laugh. “You can try.”

Richie swallowed roughly, looking down at the small kitten between Stan’s legs. The thing looked up at him with wide brown eyes, human like eyes, fucking daring him to try it. 

Richie swallowed roughly, looking down at the small kitten between Stan’s legs. The thing looked up at him with wide brown eyes, human like eyes, fucking daring him to try it. Richie Tozier wasn’t about to be shown up by a five pound fur ball.

Richie reached for it, and the little fucker let out an almost human sounding hiss. It knocked Richie’s arms away, and then Richie wasn’t quite sure what happened after that. Next thing he knew he was sitting on the ground, and there was an incredible cute, incredibly angry boy in a sweater too sizes too big for him and mom jeans standing above him.

“DO NOT FUCKING TOUCH ME!” 

Richie’s mouth dropped open, eyes blown wide. He didn’t try to get up from the ground, just staring at the boy (cat? boy? cat?) standing above him. “What the fuck.....” He said, suddenly aware of how Stan was laughing behind him.

“I said you could try.” Stan said with a smirk.

Patty whacked him lightly in the arm. “You could have given him some warning.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” Stan replied, and Richie swore he saw something glimmering around this boy.

Patty just laughed and Richie scrambled to his feet. Hands shaking, he turned to glare at his step sister. “Care to tell me what the fuck is going on?”

Patty shrugged. “I told you. Hotel California of towns.”

Richie let out a loud, long, annoyed breath. Almost a growl. “What.... you’re all a bunch of monsters? And what are you?”

“A Gemini.” Patty replied.

Richie gagged. “God, that’s disgusting. I’d rather have cat boy over here.”

 “WOW!” Patty cried and smacked Richie in the chest. Richie stumbled back, rubbing at his chest and wincing. 

Richie ran his fingers through his knotted curls and shook his head. “Okay, can I please get an explanation. Because I’m pretty fucking sure people can’t just turn into animals whenever they please!”

“Mortals.” The cat boy said with a high, pleasing voice. “They always freak out. They’re so predictable.”

“Eddie, you are also a mortal.” Stan said in a bored voice. “If I stabbed you, you would die.” 

Richie choked on the air and Eddie’s face turned bright red. “Oh yeah, tough guy? You think you’re so great. You’re not great, you’re a pussy. You won’t do shit.”

“And what would you do, Eddie?” Stan said calmly.  “Gonna go home and make a voodoo doll of me?”

“You know, maybe I fucking will-”

“Eddie! Stanley!” Mr Blum’s voice carried over to them. Richie jumped a mile in the air, nearly toppling himself over. The teens all turned to look at him, Stanley’s composure never slipping and Eddie blinking into the image of the boy next door. Richie’s heart was in his throat. “It’s good to see you boys! It’s been awhile!”

“It’s good to see you, too, Mr Blum.” Stan said smoothly, voice dripping with something so soothing and calm that it brought Richie’s nerves down instantly. The realization of that only brought them sky rocketing back up.

“Do you kids have any plans for tonight?“ He asked. “I know Patty’s missed you, and I’m sure it would be great for Richard to get to know the town. The rest of your friends.”

“No, I...” Richie said, pulse racing through him. “I should... unpack.”

“But Richie, Dad and I unpacked pretty much everything already.” Patty jumped in, cheek rested against Stanley’s shoulder. “Come out with us, it’ll be fun!”

“Yeah, Richie.” Eddie said with flashing eyes. “It’ll be fun.”

Richie nodded, lips pursed. He was going to die, wasn’t he? But before he could even try to think of another excuse, Patty’s fingers were wrapped around his wrist and he was being pulled away from safety.

It was eerily dark and quiet streets of this town that Richie never stepped foot in. He walked with two strange creatures he’d never met before, and the stepsister he’d only met a handful of times. He was sure even the moon was watching them.

“Where are you taking me?”

Patty smiled at him, and shook her head. “Don’t worry about it.”

“I am worried about it, though. Very worried, actually.”

Eddie the Cat Boy patted Richie on the shoulder, then squeezed almost painfully. Richie felt something shoot down his spine. Richie jerks away, heart racing in his chest and Eddie’s eyes were wide and sharp as he watched him move.

Richie cleared his throat as he rub absentmindedly at his shoulder where Eddie’s hand had just been. “I’m still really confused.” Richie said in a voice that he knew was too high pitched compared to his usual. “And I’m not completely sure you aren’t going to kill me, so there’s also that detail and-”

“Nobody is going to kill you.” Stanley said, his voice sending a wave of calm over Richie. Fake calm, Richie could feel, but it didn’t make him feel any less comforted. “We’re taking you to meet our friends.”

“And they’re going to kill me?” Richie continued.

Stanley rolled his eyes. “No.”

Richie side eyed Eddie, who was looking Richie up and down as though he was seizing him up for slaughter.  “Are they all secretly animals?”

Eddie rolled his eyes. “They fucking wish.” And with that, Eddie morphed back into the small cat from before and ran off. He didn’t move far, just a few more houses down the road before he bounced up the front steps. It looked like any other house Richie had ever seen, similar but slightly different to all the other houses on this same street, but Richie was all too quickly learning that nothing in Derry was “normal.”

“Let’s go.” Patty said “It’s party time.”

“There’s a party in there?” Richie questioned, staring up at the dark house. The windows were dark, and there was dust on the front porch. It looked like nobody had touched the house in years, maybe decades, beside the little kitten paw prints in the dust left behind by Eddie. “This is an abandoned house.”

“Nothing is ever truly abandoned.” Stan said wisely. He walked up the dusty steps and left no footsteps.

Richie looked at Patty, raising his brow. Patty just shook her head, linked her arm with his and lead him into the house. The inside was different from the outside. It looked larger, and it was lit up with soft orange tinge lights, and soft instrumental music almost like a backtrack. The whole place smelt like pumpkin pie and a smile tugged at the edges of Richie’s lips.

A boy with soft blond hair came around the corner and smiled at the sight of them. “Patty! You’re home!” He quickly embraced her and gave Stan a small nod. His eyes turned to Richie then. “And you must be her new step brother, Richard?”

“Everybody except her father calls me Richie.” Richie said, sticking his hand out and shaking with the blond boy.

“Cool.” He said simply. “I’m Buh-Bill. Welcome to my house.”

“You live here?” Richie asked, looking around. It seemed cozy enough, but there wasn’t much furniture besides an old holey looking couch and singular coffee table.

“Well, n-no.” Bill said. “Not technically, no. I have a house where I live with my family. But I live h-h-here sometimes, too.”

Richie nodded and let himself be guided further into the house. Bill and Patty took turns introducing him to people and Richie couldn’t remember a single name until they moved into the kitchen. There was buff looking boy standing above the stove, stirring, while Eddie the kitten walked along the counter.

“This is Mike.” Bill said, voice suddenly much softer than with anybody else he’d introduced Richie, too. “He’s a witch.”

Richie did a double take. So far, Bill had left the introductions with just names, though Richie had been able to guess that girl with the bright green skin or the boy with the glowing eyes weren’t exactly human.

“Bill’s always so nice about it.” Mike said in a voice as sweet and soothing as honey. “I might be a witch by blood, but I’m not very good at it.”

“You’ll g-g-get there.” Bill said with a smile as he walked over and looked into the pot on the stove. It made Richie a little nervous to watch the steam rise up out of it and curl into the air.

“So, what is this.” Richie asked with a toss of his hands. “Fucking Halloweentown?”

Patty let out a laugh, while Stan moved over and took Eddie off the counter. He placed him onto the ground and Eddie quickly morphed back into his human self. There seemed to at least be some sort of magical benefit that Eddie kept his clothes when he switched forms.

“If you want to be so obtuse about it, sure.” Eddie said sharply. “It’s the HellMouth. It’s a homing call for supernaturals. The closer to the HellMouth you are, the stronger your powers are. Derry settles right on top of one.”

“What like...” Richie wrinkled his nose. “Like Buffy?”

“Do you determine your life with only fucking television references?” Eddie asked.

“Okay, well.” Richie rolled his eyes. “Halloweentown is a movie franchise, first of all, and-”

“This isn’t some stupid Disney movie!” Eddie cried. “This is real shit, okay, and-”

“You turn into a cat when you’re bored!” Richie countered. “That’s the most Disney movie thing I’ve ever heard, are you kidding me?”

“That is so not funny, asshole.” Eddie cried., “I could destroy you. It wouldn’t even be hard! Little toothpick like you, I wouldn’t even need to use my powers, I could just choke you out with my bare hands!”

“Kinky.”

Eddie’s entire face turned bright red and his body seemed to vibrate with rage.

“Wow.” A deep voice suddenly sounded in Richie’s ear. “I’ve never seen anybody get under Eddie’s skin so quickly. You have no regard for your own life at all.”

Richie spun around, but there was nobody there. His skin broke out in goosebumps all up and down his arms. His spine tingled as he looked around with a deep frown. “What the fuck-”

“Hi.” The voice said. Directly in front of Richie’s face. Where nobody stood. Richie screamed and stumbled backwards. He collided directly with Bill’s chest, arms coming to wrap around his midsection to keep him standing up-right.

“Relax, relax.” Bill said with laughter in his voice. Eddie was hunched over at his middle, cackling, and everybody else looked close to laughing as well. “It’s just B-B-Ben. He’s invis-vis-visible.”

“He’s...” Richie cleared his throat and pushed away from Bill’s arms and dusted himself off as though it would save his dignity. “Right, of course. I obviously should have assumed that. Invisible boy. Why the fuck not?”

“You guys are freaking him out!” A girl with bright red hair that seemed to glimmer in the low light came into the kitchen with a large, black wine glass in her hands. She smiled at him. “It’s Richie, right? I’m sorry my friends are such insensitive assholes.”

Bill and Mike both had the decency to look ashamed of themselves, while Stan kept his expression annoyingly emotionless and Eddie just rolled his eyes.

“No, it’s okay. I think I’ve got it.” Richie said as he looked at the group of misfit creatures. “Mike is a witch, Eddie is probably a witch too but he’s also a bitch-” Eddie made a loud, offended noise and Mike snorted into his pot of steam. “Ben- wherever he’s standing is the Invisible Man and Stan is like... yeah, I don’t know about that one actually but he’s weird.”

Stan rolled his eyes. “I’m a fae.”

Richie blinked. “That’s not very Halloween-y.”

“This isn’t fucking Halloweentown!” Eddie shouted. He tossed his hands into the air with a deep scowl. “It’s not all mummys and werewolves and Edward Scissorhands!”

“Edward Scissorhands isn’t from-” Richie started but Eddie held up his hand and glared at him. “Okay, okay. And Bill you’re, like just a person, right? Like me and Patty.”

Bill cleared his throat awkwardly and Richie swore he saw Mike tense up. “I, once was. Yeah.” Bill seemed to slowly go transparent before Richie’s eyes, and Richie’s breath caught in his throat. “No so mu-mu-much anymore.”

“Oh, you’re...” Richie felt his cheeks heat up. “You’re a ghost. I’m sorry, man.”

“No, it’s okay.” Bill waved him off. “I’m uh-uh-only a guh-ghost suh-suh-sometimes.”

“Sometimes? How does that work?” Richie asked.

“I’m working on it.” Mike said in a stiff voice and Richie knew to back off quickly.

The girl came over and poured a slick looking black liquid into her wine glass and swished it around before sipping it slowly. “I’m Beverly. I’m a demon.” She turned to him, her eyes dancing with a thick ember. Her hair almost seemed to be fire itself more than human hair. “So, don’t fuck with me.”

“I wasn’t planning on it.“ Richie said simply. “I wasn’t planning on any of this.”