#gatherings and my mom making food to bring to a friends house literally prepared me for this exact moment

[puppyeared]

omg ur a filipino puppy??? my partner is a filipino puppy too!! whats ur fav filipino food?

i love how this question always gets asked upon learning someone is filipino lmao

#im a little picky with everything else though so i wouldve also said caldereta and torta the way my mom makes it #ive only just started dunmeshi but this ask did make me realize i could see senshi being filipino spot on and youll have to pry that #from my cold dead hands. like its one thing for him to be really good at cooking but the fact that his core philosophy is to make #sure everyone is taken care of by feeding them.. HOOOHH thats literally what i was raised on bro!!! years of huge spreads at family #gatherings and my mom making food to bring to a friends house literally prepared me for this exact moment #ask #yapping

[youcouldmakealife]

LBTE: Jared (173-174)

In which we prepare for the end by going back to the beginning.

If you'd like to follow along, the series page is here.

Final LBTE the day after tomorrow -- the epilogue itself is tomorrow.

173. Lodestar

He’s already talking about taking next year’s rookies under his wing — taking them out for lunch, inviting them over to play video games, making sure they feel welcome.

Jared terrifying the rookies might put a crimp in Bryce’s rookie mentoring plans.

And — fuck, is Jared going to have to host shit? Jared doesn’t want to host shit. Letting people into his space sounds horrible. Hopefully they’ll get a pass, since there’s no way the team could all fit in their apartment, let alone significant others and kids. They had a few preliminary discussions about getting a house after they re-sign this summer, but no way is that happening if it increases the likelihood of Jared having to endure guests.

Refusing to buy a house solely so no one makes him host anything is the most Jared thing possible.

You’re co-hosting a wine night with me he receives from Stephen, who continues to have the uncanny ability to say the thing that Jared would like to hear least. Jared guesses Gabe told him the news.

Wine nights happen when the Canucks are on the road. Jared replies, rather than ‘I would rather die’, just in case Stephen takes him literally.

Very smart not to tell Stephen your worst fears: he’ll make them happen. Also: you’re co-hosting a wine night with him. It’s inevitable. The rookies may fear Jared, but the WAGs will love him.

The Scouts are flaming out against the Kings, earlier than their typical Stanley Cup Final choking.

This is the Red Wings’ year. So Kings vs Red Wings in the WCF (yes, this 'verse shunted Detroit right back to the west when they finally thought they were safe), then Red Wings vs Lightning in the Finals. Sorry Seb.

Bryce is, but he’s been busy with other things — getting a crash course on what’s involved in wearing the A from Gabe, babysitting the Kurmazov spawn while Dmitry and Oksana pack up their own place for the offseason, bringing some of their extra food over to Elaine’s, and somehow coming home with more shit than he left with, though thankfully all the childhood shit Elaine’s unloading on him is nonperishable.

Seriously, Bryce is 100% living the dream. Mentoring, babysitting, hanging out with his mom.

In one of the boxes is a battered stuffed bear with a bow tie that Bryce greets like an old friend, and now sits with the minor Winnie the Pooh collection in the sulking room. He doesn’t fit thematically, but Jared figures he gets extra points for making Bryce’s eyes light up. His name’s Mr. Bear. Bryce was apparently not a creative child.

Because Bryce was Bear, the Mr. was included to avoid confusion.

“What’s wrong?” Jared asks.

“Nothing’s wrong,” Bryce says.

“Is it your shoulder again?” Jared asks.

“It’s not my shoulder,” Bryce says.

“Is it somewhere else?” Jared asks.

Jared is not a very good listener when he’s panicking.

He’s suddenly terrified Bryce is going to propose or something. Demand they get married again, but in public this time. Fuck, Jared doesn’t want to marry Bryce again. He embarrassed himself in front of enough people last time, and is frankly extremely grateful no video evidence exists. He can’t deny that he cried if there’s a video of him doing exactly that. Not that he’d cry, but—

You’d fucking cry, don’t start.

Also if Bryce knew he could make everybody hold a party for his relationship with Jared? On one knee in a second flat. So Jared will just…never mention the existence of vow renewals in his presence. And quit bugging Gabe and Stephen about when they’re getting married so Stephen doesn’t snap and mention it himself.

Bryce hasn’t shown any signs of stopping to breathe, but Jared doesn’t interrupt him, knows Bryce won’t be able to gather the threads back together if he does, and, more than that, that he’s nervous about this for some reason. Nervous about telling Jared this.

Bryce rambles when he’s nervous and when something’s really important to him. This is both.

Mostly he’s trying to figure out how Bryce did all this without Jared knowing. Like, Jared knew Bryce was keeping busy, but how did he miss a whole ass project? Bryce did financials? He talked to Marc Lapointe?

He had a lot of spare time. Especially during road trips. It wasn’t particularly difficult to keep it on the DL, considering.

“We started in like, January,” Bryce says. “I wanted to have like, a real idea before I told you, make sure I was still like, serious about it. And everyone says to do the research so, like, mom and I did the research. Gabe and Stephen helped too. Stephen was only like, kind of mean about it. Though he kept saying shit about my hair.”

“Babe, saying you have Disney prince hair isn’t an insult, I told you that,” Jared says.

“He says it like an insult,” Bryce says.

Because he’s offended that your hair just DOES that. Stephen is very vain about his own hair, he hates having a competitor.

(It does not just DO that, there is great time and financial investment involved in Bryce’s terrific hair)

“He says everything like an insult,” Jared says. “That’s just the way Stephen communicates.”

“He’s nice to Gabe,” Bryce says.

“Have you ever met anyone who isn’t nice to Gabe?” Jared says. “Even I’m nice to Gabe.”

Er. Nice(r).

But seriously, who’s mean to Gabe? Stephen will kill them.

“I wanted it to be like, fully planned out before I told you,” Bryce says. “You’re always so like — you always think shit through, you know? So I wanted to make sure I thought everything through first. And that took like, way more time than I expected it to. And help. This stuff isn’t like, my thing, you know? But it matters to me, so.”

Bryce trying to make sure he got ahead of every road block and set back so it would be perfect by the time Jared found out about it kills me a little.

“It isn’t?” Bryce says. “I mean, I know it isn’t, I just — you don’t think it’s dumb?”

“Of course I don’t think it’s dumb,” Jared says, and it kind of breaks his heart, how relieved Bryce looks.

Mine too.

“I just don’t want anyone thinking they can have hockey or love but not like, both,” Bryce says. “Like, I’d be a fucking mess without you, and I was kind of a mess without hockey too, and I just—“

Bryce going from someone who can’t even say the word gay out loud to willingly becoming the face of an organization meant for LGBTQ youth athletes — this boy.

“I can’t believe you made a secret club just so you could hang out with your mom,” Jared says.

That’s just a BONUS, Jared.

“I’m not—“ Bryce says. “It’s not a secret club!”

Note there is no denial about the hanging out with his mom part.

“You can join the club,” Bryce says, then, quickly, “But you don’t have to or anything. I know you’re not a joiner.”

“Obviously I want to join your secret club,” Jared says.

“Really?” Bryce asks.

“Duh,” Jared says, kicking Bryce’s foot, and Bryce kicks him back, grinning.

Jared’s evolution has been subtler, but of course he makes an exception for Bryce.

Bryce goes to grab his laptop with this jaunty little trot Jared doesn’t think he’s ever seen him do before, and he smiles down at his hands so he isn’t grinning at Bryce when he returns, just in case Bryce thinks he’s laughing at him.

Another evolution: Jared’s awareness of how easily Bryce’s feelings are hurt, and his efforts to make sure he isn’t the one doing it.

“We can take a break,” Bryce says quickly. Jared decides it wouldn’t be constructive to point out they haven’t actually done anything, form-wise. Certainly wouldn’t get either of them what they want, unless what they want is to be frustrated by bureaucracy.

Excellent work NOT cockblocking yourself with forms, Jared.

For the second time Jared gets to see the jaunty run. It’s a little dorky, but Jared won’t tell Bryce that. If he does, he’ll never see it again, and he’s already fond of it.

Jared getting to see parts of Bryce nobody else does, and being SO SO fond of them.

Jared decides to speed up just a little. If Bryce is going to put on a show, he doesn’t really want to miss it.

Like, yes, this is about sex, but also very much a dynamic that plays out across their relationship, which is great, because Jared doesn’t mind that Bryce is the better player/higher profile/bigger name. In fact, all the extra stuff Bryce deals with because of that is shit Jared is very glad not to deal with. But he loves getting to sit back and watch Bryce do his thing.

174. Starstruck (Redux)

There are so many callbacks in this part it might be easier to point out what isn’t one. One of the great things about doing this liveblogging (I reread the first 102 before I restarted this endeavour) — everything is very fresh when it’s time to wrap things up.

It’s also a really nice way for me to come to terms with finishing things — I get to go back and honour every part of the process, which helps, because this part always hurts. This series has been in my life so long it’d be a first grader by now, so it's been particularly hard to say goodbye to it.

It always feels a little strange now, travelling commercial. Well, strange is putting it nicely. Terrible. It feels terrible. Jared has had five hours of sleep and his Starbucks is burnt and his husband is wearing a toque indoors ‘so people won’t recognise me, J’. He looks ridiculous, and if his coffee’s burnt he can’t taste it, probably because there isn’t much coffee involved in that concoction.

Who says Jared isn’t a morning person (everyone who’s met him, and many would say he’s not an afternoon, evening, or night person either)

“You’re that guy from the Canucks, right?” she asks, inexplicably looking at Jared rather than Bryce.

Guess you should have worn a hat like your genius husband, Jared.

“My friends all think you’re really cute,” she says, then runs back to her group without asking for an autograph or anything, greeted with yells and cheers like she just scored them the OT winner.

She is a god among them.

“Don’t look so douchey in my hat now, do I?” Bryce asks.

“You still do,” Jared says. But he looks like a douche with a good idea.

Shoutout to the time Jared wrote a heartfelt card on his first anniversary that used the word ‘douche’ twice.

“I packed an extra,” Bryce says. “Just in case you changed your mind.”

Jared continues to underestimate how often they’ll be recognized, particularly in Vancouver. Bryce prefers to be prepared so he doesn’t have to take pictures and sign shit when he’s just trying to get a coffee.

Once the plane door shuts, Jared rips the hat off his head. “Is it fixable?”

“I don’t know how you can say I’m vain about my hair,” Bryce murmurs. Jared would tell him it’s because he is, but Bryce is fixing his hair for him at the moment, so it doesn’t seem like the most opportune time to argue.

Jared’s less vain about his hair and more vain about his so called dignity, and messy hair is not dignified. But then, neither is Jared, a lot of the time.

Training with you. I come back to Canada in June.

Absolutely not. Jared texts back.

Chaz and Raf already said OK. So did Arvan. So I’m coming.

Too bad Jared texts back. You’re not invited.

“What’re you so happy about?” Bryce mutters.

Julius officially in the crew and Jared is visibly delighted about it.

“Jared!” Bryce says, grabbing his arm.

There’s a few instances of physical communication between the two of them in this part. Big because it’s always in public/in front of others, and that’s something they’re only recently grown comfortable with.

“Did you know Julius was coming?”

“What, Julius is coming to train?” his dad asks. “That’s news to me.”

“I didn’t mention training,” Jared says.

“Shit,” his dad says, and Jared snorts.

Jared got his terrific lying skills from the best.

“Great,” Jared says. “Wonderful. I’m so happy to be home.”

“We’re as happy to have you as you are to be here,” his dad says.

His chirping skills are mostly from his mom, but sometimes Don comes through.

“Is that where Erin’s taking Bryce?” Jared asks.

“As far as I’m aware,” his dad says.

“Well,” Jared says. “Then I guess that’s where I’m going.”

These two. Two planets orbiting one another.

“I tell you I’m proud of you yet?” his dad asks.

“Not in as many words,” Jared says.

“Well, I am,” his dad says. “Proud of Bryce too.”

Look at Don growing too!!

“Me too,” Jared says. “Next season he’s going to — actually, I’ll let him tell you about it over brunch.”

“The charity thing?” his dad says, then, “Shit.”

“Oh for—“ Jared says. “Come on.”

Elaine got ahead of herself, she’s sorry!

Ashley has a ring on her finger. Grace doesn’t, but judging by Raf going red and hissing ‘shut up’ when Jared asks him about it, that’s changing very shortly.

Raf’s trying to find the perfect moment. Chaz did it in their living room and almost wiped out on one of Maia’s toys when he went to kneel.

“You're pregnant," Bryce says.

"No," Ashley says. "Okay, yes, but—"

Everyone had a couple beers (or spritzers) but her over the afternoon. Bryce noticed, Jared, of course, did not.

“To keep the numbers even we thought that maybe Bryce could be on my side?” Ashley asks. “And you two could partner up. But we don’t want to do that if you’re not—“

“Can I wear a suit that matches the bridesmaid dresses?” Bryce asks.

Ash and Chaz worried he’d feel emasculated, being on the bride’s side. And once upon a time he would have, but now he’s just hyped about a pastel suit.

“So it was Chaz you were hiding it from,” Jared says.

Ashley’s mouth flattens. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“It is an excellent instrument,” Chaz says. “You’re just haters.”

If he plays twinkle twinkle little star on that thing one more time…

(And it is always twinkle twinkle little star. Because that is all he knows.)

Jared leans over to Chaz as Bryce and Ashley put their heads together. “Did you steal a toy from your own child?”

“We’re teaching her to share,” Chaz mutters.

Can MAIA play twinkle twinkle little star? No! It’s wasted on her.

Raf proposes, but only after weeks of making everyone around him miserable. To the surprise of absolutely no one but Raf, she says yes. Jared would be more smug about calling it if he hadn’t been the only one blindsided by Raf asking him to be his best man.

Just wait until Jared remembers there’s a speech involved.

Jared’s volunteered to help, mostly to make sure that Julius doesn’t mistake Jared telling him he’s not welcome, and explicitly uninviting him, for actually not wanting him here.

Taking Jared at his word would obviously be a mistake.

“Oh my fucking god,” Jared mutters. Bryce had finally gotten rid of the convertible when he left Calgary, and Jared had figured that was that, because Vancouver’s the opposite of a good place for one. Maybe that was naive. “You’re too old for that car! Also too young!”

Bryce gets out of the front seat, sliding his sunglasses off and tucking them into his polo. He looks like bad porn. Right in front of Jared’s parents, too. Jared glowers at him as he walks up the driveway.

Jared’s anti-convertible gripe turning into ‘how dare you look hot enough that I now want to ride in your dumb car’. In front of his parents, to boot!

“Nice looking car, Bryce,” his dad says.

Bryce grins. “Want to come for a spin?”

“Watch my pots!” his dad says, then literally jogs down the driveway to get in the passenger seat.

Don has dibs though!

Jared exchanges a look with his mom.

“Well,” she says. “It’s nice to see he’s finally gotten over his Bryce related car trauma.”

Growth!

It’s another half hour before Bryce and his mom come back. It doesn’t involve anyone shouting ‘what a rush’ as they come inside, so it’s more subtle than his dad’s return

I love Don.

Jared scoots over, and Bryce lies down beside him. They don’t fit. They never have, really, but now Jared has to put his back against the wall, tangle their legs together so Bryce doesn’t topple right off the bed.

Back in Jared’s high school bed. Every time they do it gets more and more cramped.

“I thought we could get some pizza,” Bryce says. “Sit around at a park or something. It’s a nice day for it.”

“You got a blanket in the trunk too?” Jared says.

“Maybe,” Bryce says. “Not a Flames one, but.”

This boy. This ridiculously romantic boy.

“Absolutely,” Bryce says. As soon as they get outside he jogs ahead. Jared’s about to ask him what he’s in such a hurry for before Bryce opens the passenger door for him, and then he just has to stop everything, take a moment and watch him, golden in the late spring light.

Jared’s still so gone for him.

“You coming?” Bryce asks.

“Yeah,” Jared says. “Yeah, of course I am.”

So gone.

#liveblogging the end

[andreafmn]

Collision | Chapter 17

Word Count: 3.2K Story Description: (Y/N) Uley is back home after being away for four years. Her life is at its first standstill and she is taking this time to find out who she is without school. But she never thought that coming back to the reservation would turn her whole life around. In the midst of secrets and mystery, a man crashes into (Y/N)’s and her life will never be the same. Chapter: 17/? A/N: I really hoped I would be able to also write for Speak today, but couldn't finish on time and wanted to post as I had scheduled. If I finish the chapter this week, I'll post it, but y'all will probably have to wait two weeks more 😬😬Anywho, prepare for some feels... you've been warned. My content will always be free, but if you’re feeling particularly generous, you can leave a tip on any of my posts to support me and my love of writing or buy me a coffee Follow 😊 -> TikTok • Instagram • Business If you’d like to be tagged in this or any other story: click here Make sure you have my notifications on so you know every time I post!

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Chapter 17

It wasn’t hard to figure out that Sam was planning a surprise party for her, especially when Jared had let it slip when she was over at her brother’s home. Accident or not, (Y/N) knew just what had been arranged for her 19th birthday.

“I swear, Sam. I had no idea she was here,” Jared had said.

“Don’t you have supernatural senses, Cameron?” (Y/N) laughed. “You should have known about it.”

“I’m not supposed to be on guard when we’re in the house,” he whined. “This is the place where we’re supposed to be relaxed and unaware. This is our safe space.”

“Technically, you should always be paying attention to your surroundings,” Sam responded. “That’s literally your job.”

“Also, when is she not here, dude?” Paul added with a chuckle. “If she’s not at work, she’s here.”

“I have other friends,” she grumbled, settling on the seat next to Paul. “Speaking of, are they invited to my party?”

“They would be if it weren’t for Paul,” Jared teased. “Can’t trust him not to go off at any given point when there are other people involved.”

“So, it’s only gonna be you guys, Emily and Kim? What a party,” (Y/N) laughed. “What about mom? Is she invited?”

Sam’s face contorted in an uncomfortable scowl. He knew the question would come. The obvious tension that existed between Sam and Allison Uley had been growing for almost a year, and the youngest Uley’s arrival only worked to cement the strain that had grown between mother and son.

“Okay, here’s what we can do,” Sam started. “We’ll have the party at the beach. A nice bonfire in a big open space where everyone can be. Paul will be on his best behavior and if anything happens, we’ll just leave.”

“Why does everything have to be so weird now?” she groaned. “This whole secret keeping just makes things harder.”

“Says the girl whose ex is a literal bloodsucker,” Jared chuckled without thinking. But as soon as he heard the words slip by his tongue, regret painted across his face. “Shit, (Y/N), I didn’t mean to say that.”

“It’s fine, Jared,” she smiled comfortingly. “You’re very right. It’s completely flabbergasting that my ex and his whole family are vampires. But I guess I dodged that bullet.”

After that afternoon, the Uley pack had set to prepare for (Y/N)’s first birthday back at the reservation. Everyone in town was happy to attend the bonfire. It was no secret that the Uley girl was loved around town. Even in her absence, all anyone could sing were high praises for her. So it was no surprise when the RSVPs started rolling in.

Quickly, the small gathering had turned into a party for the whole reservation. People were offering to bring plates of food and appetizers for the crowd that was forming, they offered their grilling and bonfire-making services, swiftly making Sam’s job simply inviting people and setting the time.

And somehow in the four days that were left, a whole town party was being set up. It was a stark contrast to the bonfire that had been set only two months before when the Cullens had left Forks. That one had been a fierce celebration as their ancestral enemies had finally left the land. Now, they were celebrating the life of one of their own — her achievements and her future endeavors. A joyous occasion in honor of a valuable member of their community.

At least, it was meant to be joyous, and (Y/N) knew that. She knew she should have been excited to be amongst her people. The same people that had seen her grow and had grown alongside her. The very people she knew she could count on whenever she might need them. She knew all that.

But it was such a bittersweet moment. She was constantly surrounded by people that loved her, but there was something missing. There was someone missing.

He had come into her life and, in so little time, he flipped it on its feet. He had made her believe that every decision, every moment, every second of her existence had led her to that instance —had led her to him.

And as swiftly as he had barreled into her life, he was fine. He had taken every promise, every declaration, every whisper of love with him. And it had left her with an emptiness that couldn’t be filled by anyone else. (Y/N) could only focus on herself —her career, her friendship, her family. But never again would she focus on love. Not when she knew how it could drastically transform her journey.

“Hi, honey,” her mother said as she peeked into her room. She had been staring at her reflection for what felt like hours, even if she knew it had barely been minutes. “You look beautiful.”

“Thanks, mom,” she smiled. “So do you.”

Allison had chosen a long dark red dress, her black jacket toning down the color even more. She had braided her hair and had put on makeup, but (Y/N) could see the years on her face. She could see having to raise two children on her own, having to work two jobs to keep the lights on, the pain of losing her son, the knowledge that one day she could lose her daughter as well. It was all the secrets and the hardships that she had gone through, that her family had put her through.

Those were the moments when (Y/N) wanted to tell her everything, every single detail that had derailed her mother’s life without her knowledge. She wanted to confess that she wasn’t alone in her pain, that the hurt she had carried most of her life was shared between each of the Uley family members. Instead, all she could do was remain quiet.

“Are you excited for tonight?”

“For the most part,” (Y/N) admitted. “It might be just a tad overwhelming. Heard through the grapevine that almost the whole rez is gonna be there.”

“You’ve gone to many bonfires, honey,” she chuckled. “What’s different about this one?”

“That I’m the guest of honor, mom,” the girl chuckled softly. “I’m gonna be the center of attention and that feels weird.”

“Well, I’ll be right there next to you, holding your hand.”

“Thanks, mom. I would never be where I am without you.”

Her mother smiled brightly, wrapping her arms around her tightly. “Oh, sweetheart that’s all you,” she said. “You’ve gotten this far because you’re bright and talented, and so hardworking.”

“And because I’ve had a mom that made all of that possible,” (Y/N) added. “I love you, mom.”

“I love you too, honey, more than you could ever know,” Allison smiled as she released her daughter. “And I have something for you. I wanna do it here, where it’s just you and me.”

The woman reached into her pocket, pulled out a black box, and handed it to her daughter. She followed expectantly every move, excitement filling her. Inside rested a crescent moon pendant that was engraved. As soon as her eyes fell on the necklace, tears formed in the corner of the girl’s eyes.

“Is this your pendant, mom?”

“Yes, honey,” she smiled. “It had been my mother’s, and her mother’s before her, and so on. I have been holding onto it until I felt it was time to pass it down to you. And I think there is no better time than now.”

“Oh, mom, you have no idea how much I’ve wanted this necklace,” (Y/N) said. “But I’ve always wondered, what do the markings mean?”

“After hardship comes ease,” her mother responded. “It’s what my mother would always say and I know how much you might need that reassurance now. Hard times pass, my darling. Even if it doesn’t feel that way right now.”

“I know, mom,” the younger Uley breathed, melting into her mother’s touch as Allison placed a comforting hand on her cheek. “I just wish that time came sooner rather than later.”

“Give time to time, (Y/N). We can’t rush things.”

“I know,” she sighed. “And I’m trying. I really am.”

“I’m sure of that, my darling,” Allison said. “But tonight is about you and not about what has happened or has stopped happening. We’re gonna celebrate your birthday and forget these past couple of months. Use tonight as your time to unwind and prepare yourself for what comes next.”

“I will. I just need a couple of minutes to finish getting ready.”

“Alright, honey. Let me know when you’re done and we’ll go down to the beach.”

As soon as her mother was out of the room, (Y/N) went back to perceiving herself. She stared at the bags that had formed under her eyes, the long restless nights evident on her face. Her fingers traced where her cheeks had seemed to hollow after months of terrible eating habits. She gawked at the lost gleam in her eyes, the emptiness that peeked behind her pupils.

She was a completely different girl than the one that had come back to La Push, and in a few months,  she would be another her. There was a (Y/N) before him. There was a (Y/N) during him. And there would now be a (Y/N) after him. Even if she had not planned for it, she would have to do it.

“It’s now or never,” she whispered to herself.

As she left her room, (Y/N) gave herself a once over. She smoothed down her navy-blue dress and put on a jacket. She was determined to put every sad thought, every bad moment to the back of her mind. He would never again be the reason she wouldn’t enjoy life.

Before she could reach the beach, she could hear the whispered commotion. Even if she knew the party was happening, she was still surprised. Where she was expecting a small group of her friends, it seemed like the whole town had come out to celebrate. As soon as she was close enough, everyone turned and yelled, “Surprise!”

Everyone she knew welcomed her with a smile on their face. People came up to her wishing her a happy birthday and telling her how glad they were she was back home. Even Charlie Swan had popped in for a bit, congratulating her and asking if she’d go by to see Bella. They gave her hugs and kisses, wishing her blessings for the coming years. It was the warmth of a community that she had not felt for four years, giving her a feeling of belonging she had no idea she craved.

“I think more people turned up to your birthday than for the last community bonfire,” Paul said as he joined her side and sat on a piece of driftwood.  The party was in full swing already. Plates of food had been passed out, children were playing, teenagers were talking, and the pack was keeping to themselves. “Hope you were still surprised.”

“I was,” (Y/N) smiled. “Didn’t think many people would care. I mean, it’s just my birthday. Not even a huge milestone. Just nineteen.”

“I think you’re underestimating just how much the people here love you. And any year is a milestone in my book,” he offered. “You made it another year. That’s an accomplishment in itself.”

“I also got approved by the board at UW to start taking aptitude tests,” she confessed. “I’ll spend the better part of December and January taking all kinds of exams to be able to slide into the next round of rotations.”

“Holy shit, (Y/N), that’s amazing!” Paul exclaimed as he twirled her in a tight hug. “It’s almost a miracle.”

“I know,” she added. “I don’t know what out there in the universe is looking out for me, but I’m glad it is. I honestly thought it would never happen. But I got the call yesterday afternoon. It’s really happening.”

“Well, they’re lucky to have you. I can’t think of anyone that would be a better doctor than you.”

“You’re just saying that, Paul,” she chuckled. “But I’m thankful for that vote of confidence. I’m just glad things seem to be moving forward. I really thought I’d be stuck in the same place for a while there.”

“I knew you’d make it out eventually,” he smiled. “Also, I got you something. And I promise it’s not sex coupons. I know I can get that for free.”

“You’re about to get those privileges revoked if you keep talking like that,” she laughed in response. “But I’ll grant you that comment because it seems Sam did not hear you.”

Paul laughed loudly, making a few heads snap back toward them. “But it’s something serious,” he continued as he handed her a wrapped box that had been resting by his feet. “It took me a while to get it, but I hope you like it.”

(Y/N) took hold of the box, carefully ripping away the neat wrapping paper —a job she was sure had been done by Emily. Inside the box, in perfect condition and wrapped in plastic, was a first edition of Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. She ran her hands over the cover. She studied the spine. She inspected every single detail of the book, and it was perfect.

“Oh my god, Paul, it’s absolutely beautiful,” she joyfully cried. “But this must have cost you an arm and a leg. You shouldn’t have spent that on me.”

“I wanted to,” he beamed. “I know how much you like books so I asked Kim if she could help me get you something special.”

“It’s more than special, Paul. It’s a one-of-a-kind gift,” she smiled as she engulfed him in a hug. “I love it so much.”

“It’s as special a gift as you are,” he continued. Paul raised his hand to her cheek, tucking behind her ear a loose piece of hair. “Also, you look beautiful tonight. I don’t think I’ve told you that yet.”

“Thanks,” she replied, feeling the unnatural warmth of his skin seep onto hers. “I’m glad you’re here, Paul. And I’m grateful that you’re my friend.”

“For better or worse, (Y/N),” Paul added. “You know I’ll always be by your side.”

“You better mean that, dude. Cause I’ll hold you to it.”

“So will I,” Sam’s voice startled them. “You might be a part of my pack, but that’s my little sister right there.”

“By a couple of months at best, Sammy,” (Y/N) grumbled. “And I can handle myself perfectly. Thank you very much.”

“Doesn’t mean I won’t always be looking out for you, (Y/N),” he smiled. “Now, come on. It’s time for cake.” 

The rest of the night went by quickly. They sang her happy birthday, they passed around cake, and they told stories by the fire. The same stories she had heard since she was just a little kid. The same stories that related the lives of the ancestors of their tribe. The same stories she knew were anything but fiction.

One second, she was staring at the figures that were dancing in the fire, showing her the past. The next, she was heading back home, a heap of presents overfilling her arms. “I’m so tired,” (Y/N) whined to her mother. “I could sleep for two weeks if I could.” 

“Unfortunately, you can’t,” Allison chuckled. “But at least you’ve got the rest of this week.”

They laughed in unison, knowing that the least she would do was actually rest. The only time she would probably have a full night’s rest was that night and it would have been out of pure social exhaustion.

But mother and daughter stopped dead in their tracks when they reached the front door of their house. Right in front of the wooden door were three presents elegantly wrapped in silver paper, the same paper she had seen days before her world fell apart. 

“I’m guessing those are for you,” her mother said. “Do you know who could have sent them?” 

“Maybe they’re from the team at the hospital,” (Y/N) thought quickly. “They couldn’t make it tonight because they were pulling double shifts.”

“That was nice of them,” Allison responded, accepting her daughter’s answer. “That wrapping paper is beautiful.” 

“Yeah,” she choked out. “Can you help me bring them up to my room, please?”

“Of course, darling.” The woman took the three boxes under one arm and opened the door before following her daughter up the stairs. “Alright, (Y/N). Well, I’m going to bed because I have an early shift tomorrow and I’m pretty beat. But, happy birthday, sweetheart.” 

“Thanks, mom. Good night.”

“Night, honey.” 

Allison left the room, shutting the door behind her and (Y/N) felt she could finally let go. She felt her blood run cold inside her body, her limbs trembling at the realization of just who had sent those presents. Even though they had ripped themselves from her life, they somehow kept appearing.

With shaking hands, she opened the first gift that was tagged with a note that said From Rosalie. It was a leather notebook, the cover engraved with the words: Dr. (Y/N) Uley. And on the first page, in beautiful calligraphy, she wrote: I may not be the one who sees the future, but I know you have a bright future ahead of you. Love, Rose.

The next one was labeled From The Cullens. It was a small black box that stored a necklace with the Cullen crest engraved onto a circle charm –small and modern. And it was attached to a note that said: Already part of the family.

(Y/N) could feel the warm tears stream down her cheeks. Her lungs ached at the shortness of air, filling as best as they could as she sobbed quietly. She knew the gifts weren’t sent with malice. A high probability that they had been ordered long before everything had gone awry. But it didn’t stop the wrenching of her heart.

There was only one box left and she knew exactly who it was from. She took the long box in her hand, ripping away the paper violently. She was surprised that it had some weight to it, her mind trying to anticipate what could have been inside before she raised the lid.

On a bed of sating rested a silver stethoscope with blue rubber. Engraved on the instrument's bell, in beautiful cursive letters, it read: Dr. Uley-Cullen. In addition, a card that read For our future.

Those couple of words completely broke (Y/N) down. She fell to her knees, feeling as if the weight of the past few months fell upon her. She muffled her shrieks with her pillow, not wanting to alarm her mother.

Suddenly, everything she thought she had started to get over rose to the surface and hollowness filled her core. As the tears kept falling, she could feel the painful hole in her chest grow deeper and deeper.

He had planned a future for them. A future where she was a part of their family. A future where they would take on the world, together. Yet he had thrown it all away in a second, without another thought. Without ever looking back. He had built everything so high to let it all topple down.

He had left her to pick up the pieces of her broken heart and rebuild a life on her own. And that was the only thing she would allow him to have. She would create a life for herself, by herself, and she would prove to him that she was bigger than her heartbreak.

Next ->

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#carlisle cullen #carlisle cullen imagine #carlisle cullen angst #twilight #fanfiction #andreafmn #fan fiction #writing #angst #the twilight saga #twilight saga #twilight fan fiction #twilight imagine #twilight angst #carlisle cullen x reader #paul lahote #sam uley #jared cameron #rosalie hale #alice cullen #jasper hale #emmett cullen #edward cullen #jacob black #esme cullen #follow #collision #carlisle cullen x y/n #heartbreak #the cullens

[jungcity]

𝟓𝟎𝟓.

GENRE: crime, romance, slice of life

PAIRINGS: bandit!hendery, sacristan!female reader

WORD COUNT: 27,632

SONG PROMPTS: Godless - BANKS, 505 - Arctic Monkeys, Some Unholy War - Amy Winehouse, Robbers - The 1975 | [full playlist here.]

WARNINGS: Please observe proper discretion for this story deals with themes of adultery, orphanhood, child abuse, child neglect, deaths, violence, manipulation and suggestive stuff.

NOTE: This is a part of the crime!au collaboration held by @neovisioned. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Please be aware that this story would have references that revolves around Catholicism. I am by no means wish to be exclusive to those who has the same religion as I. Upon pondering the plot of this story, religion would be a mandatory part, hence I chose mine since it is what I know best.

TAGLIST: @legendnct @cloudysuh @eyypeach @mjlkau @cherub-vivi

i. I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth…

Trails of white smoke circled the candle as you snuffed out the fire from the matchsticks. The heavy rain raged on, with the branches slapping the gothic windows of Father Ben’s chamber. The priest sat on a rocking chair near the aperture, watching the thunder and lightning as they continue to battle for dominion over the heavens.

“Father,” you called out softly. He hummed but did not turn to face you. Over the months that you have worked and helped Father Ben tend to the church, you noticed how particularly silent he could be whenever the clouds are pouring. “Are you sure you don’t want me to stay?” you asked.

For the past few days, Father Ben would tell you about shadows prowling around the church. Two boys, he claims. Sometimes they are three. Bandits, no doubt.

“Be careful on your way home, hija. Bring my umbrella so you won’t get soaked.” And that has been the last words he spoke.

You pressed your lips into a thin line. There would be no point forcing the priest. Perhaps he does not want your mother to worry about you.

You closed the door of the priest’s chamber and made your way down the creaky staircase. The church hadn’t been renovated since the middle of the pandemic that had swept across the whole world. This structure hadn’t tasted new paints and new rivets yet for ten years.

Father Ben resides where the choral sings everyday. Since Father lost all his relatives to the pandemic, he made it built for him. Perhaps that was the reason why he was too quiet. You haven’t lost anyone to it, but you knew a lot of people who died because of it and have friends who had lost their fathers and mothers, even siblings, to it.

You fastened the latch of every door inside the church before you walked towards the main door. Laying the lamp on the floor, you unlatched the wooden door. The blustery and frigid wind flows through the opening, misting your feet and right arm as you leaned to grab the lamp and struggle to open the umbrella.

By good fortune, the rain softened as you departed the church. Bougainvilleas wrapping the façade of the structure made eerie shadows as the moon casted down its light to it. You made your way to the small village you live in.

“Hail Holy Queen, Mother of mercy…” echoes the praying mothers and daughters in front of their altars.

You cannot not help but be fascinated by the orange lamp lights in their homesteads, as you saw the women of every family kneel and make their prayers. Ever since the end of the pandemic five years ago, your village has been humming novenas every six p.m. or eight p.m. at night. You heard it was the same for the neighboring village, too.

“Hail our life, our sweetness and our hope…” You heard the little voices of innocent children as they tried to copy the words. It made your heart flutter. “To Thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To Thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.”

Until you reached your street, prayers echoed. Your house loomed as you turn left. Gathering your skirt, you hopped over a puddle of mud and continued walking.

“Mom, I’m home,” you declared upon stepping your feet inside.

Mom was on her usual place near the fireplace, knitting new pillowcases with the dim light from the fire. She turned her head to see you, then pulls down her reading glasses to examine your slightly soaked skirts.

“I thought you’re sleeping in the church?” she asked as she twiddled the needle with her fingers.

“Father Ben won’t allow me,” you simply answered as you trodded towards the kitchenette.

There was only one light inside the house. It was located between the kitchenette and living room. During the pandemic, all energy had been used to fuel hospitals as well as quarantine facilities for the affected citizens. Energy had been lacking ever since.

You went back to the living room with a plate in hand. Food has been scarce in this part of town. But your mother has a little vegetable farm in the backyard. So it’s vegetable salad every night.

“Tomorrow is the first Sunday of the month,” she began, “Did you prepare anything?”

You munched while watching the needle pierce through the fabric. “Mayor Rosales failed to give us sponsorship. But we have gathered some money from the houses nearby the highway.” Those people who live near the highway were what you could call the richer ones. They have convenience stores lining up, and they pretty much sell anything a villager might need. “Father wants to feed the children this time.”

“Would that be enough? The money?”

“We’ll make do,” you sighed.

Mother hummed. “Bring the vegetables tomorrow, then. I’ve harvested enough for ingredients.”

You smiled. “Thank you, Mother.”

ii. And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord…

He came into your life like a fog in the dawn; mysterious, hazy, and cold. The boy with the secret of the universe in his eyes, and danger playing along his boyish smile rang your door in the year 2040. When hope has only started to rebuild itself after the terrors of a sickness nobody had been able to see.

Easy smile, childlike laughters and soft hair— that has been him.

Your first encounter had been outside the church. Where he leaned in a big motorcycle while puffing smokes from his cigarette.

“Kids, please line up according to your height,” you told the children softly. Big innocent eyes stared back at you with excitement.

When suddenly, Lucy, the other sacristan, gestured to you to come over the front line where the food is located. “No pushing,” you warned the kids before leaving them with Rei, another sacristan.

“What is it?” you asked.

Lucy motioned her puckered lips towards the exit. “Could you tell him to smoke somewhere else?”

You followed her gesture. And your gaze landed straight to him as he blew out smoke from his lips. He playfully inhales from the cigarette bud and puffed it carelessly in the air. He was looking straight at the spot where you were currently glued at. Both of you held each other’s eyes, and you felt lost in those mysterious orbs for a good second until Lucy cleared her throat to gather your attention.

Spontaneously, your brows immediately shot up in vexation. It was forbidden to smoke inside and around the church’s vicinity. You gathered your skirts and sauntered up to him. As you near closer to him, you have caught a sight of a black patch plastered on the side of his neck.

The boy cocked a brow as he saw you nearing. You ignored his reaction and cleared your throat. But your breath seemed to be sweeped out of your lungs yet again when you realized that the black patch was a tattoo. It reads the word pervivo. “Mister, it is not allowed to smoke around the church. Could you please take that somewhere else?”

Instead of tossing his cigarette, he took a long sip from the bud and blew the smoke to your face. Shocked and absolutely disgusted, you fanned away the smoke frantically while coughing out the chemical that has succeeded to reach your nostrils and throat.

“What the—”

“Fuck?” he finished. The smoke slowly dissipates, revealing his dead set of eyes staring at you. He, then, threw the bud to the ground before crushing the ashes with the tip of his boot. “Can’t really cuss in here, can you?”

Such audacity! Your nose flared while trying to collect the little patience left in your system. Boys like him never failed to irate you.

Smoothing out your skirt, you straightened your spine with as much dignity as you can muster. “Blowing smoke—”

For the second time, the boy interrupted you by waving his hand high up in the air. “Father!” he shouted. The boy jogged the distance towards the line of children in front of the church to clap Father Ben’s back. Frozen on your feet, you stared at him in horror.

“Do you know him, Father?” you motioned your head to the boy who was casually smiling from ear to ear beside the priest. As if he didn’t deadpan at you earlier.

Father Ben stretched his lips into what you could call a small smile. “Hendery’s from the city. He’s to be our new sacristan.”

There was literal ringing in your ears by what you have heard. Hendery? A new sacristan? “Wait…” You let out an incredulous noise. “What?”

“I’m Hendery Wong. I came here to be the new sacristan.” The boy stretched out his hand to you. You look at it with reluctance evidently etched through your face.

“I don’t understand,” you managed to say while shaking Hendery’s hand. He has been surprisingly calloused, juxtaposing his soft and pretty face.

“I know you will soon, hija,” Father Ben said, “And I trust you to help Hendery adjust to the work here. Can you do that?”

Hendery’s smile never left his face. It was as if he was relishing to the predicament that you were in instead of being friendly. However, you couldn’t really turn down Father Ben. And it was not right to jump on your prejudices. Cigarettes and tattoos doesn’t mirror someone else’s personality. Hendery deserved the benefit of the doubt.

So you sighed. “I can, Father. Rest assured that I’ll show Hendery around.”

Father Ben tapped your shoulder lightly before joining Lucy to prepare the food for the children, leaving you with the new boy.

“So,” he began, garnering your attention. When you turn to look at him, Hendery’s demeanor has already changed. Or perhaps it was only your judgment getting the best of you. But there was a spark of something dangerous in the way that he looked at you. As if his eyes were the tip of the cigarette he inhaled mere minutes ago. Flickering— with a promise of charring if you ever come close. “Shall we begin?”

For what seemed like the hundredth time that day, you sighed deeply. “Could you wash and sanitize first? You know, you actually held a cigarette and we don’t wanna contaminate the food, right?”

His smile grew wider, erasing the enigma he exuded seconds ago. “Do you have a mask? You know, I’ve sipped a cigarette and we don’t want my spit to fly towards the food, right?”

You looked at him sharply. “Yes, we do have a mask. It’s become pretty mandatory since twenty years ago.”

Hendery stretcheso out his hand to let you walk first. From the long table on which the food has been placed, you grabbed a surgical mask to give to Hendery. When you turned to face him, he held up his hands suddenly.

“I haven’t yet washed my hands. I’ll appreciate it if you’ll put those here,” he said  while pointing at his ear.

He really was something. And you have found it oddly… endearing. You haven’t known ice and fire could co-exist in a single person. Until you have met him. You gulped— and you have no idea why— as you draped the strings of the mask around his ears. His mouth and nose disappeared, but that failed to decrease his beauty.

What is happening to you? In your whole existence, you have met boys with stars in their eyes but this has been your first time to see the whole universe in someone else’s irises.

You shook your head as Hendery departed in front of you to wash his hands.

Pretty boys are only boys until you try to make a verselet out of them. That was the line you have never wanted to cross.

Hendery would only be a word. Not poetry. Or would he?

iii. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary…

When you were amongst the poor during the pandemic, your survival rate would be extremely challenged. Luckily for you, your father had run a small business that successfully provided for your family during those trying times.

Five years ago, the world made its reset when it came to economy and livelihood. Almost all businesses shut down. The luxuries and opulence of the year 2020 had been vanquished completely.

Billionaires finally witnessed that they weren’t the gods they once thought they were as the claws of the sickness reached their thrones and destroyed their castles.

Regardless of the Internet’s power, trade fell. With it the Internet celebrities in YouTube, Tiktok, Instagram, Twitter— you name it.

Notwithstanding, the 2020’s pandemic hadn’t been the only one to devastate the Earth.

There had been multiple environmental issues, like the raging of wildfires in sundry forests across the globe. World War III also threatened to break out of its cage as countries fought for dominance over lands they clearly had no business to claim.

Police brutality rages on. Their authority had been used for mayhem other than peace. It has breached the lives of people, especially to that of the black community. Everything went clusterfuck because the authorities think some people are inferior to them. They harmed rather than serve.

Chaos. Death. Fear. Those three things have managed to leave a blotch of bleakness that now blanketed the Earth.

The death toll exceeded that of the Black Plague that had swept across Europe hundreds of years ago. Hospitals transformed to that of a colony— the patients as the ants. Total panic enveloped everyone. Especially the poor, whose only shield against it had been a little bottle of alcohol.

Great Depression two-point-o, some would call the economy right now. Minimal jobs were offered, but the salary won’t be enough to feed a family of four.

Poverty’s poison didn’t fail to contaminate the globe. It strengthened its hold to the third world country, and flowed slowly to those in the upper level of society. Despite it all, everyone collapsed on its feet: adults with dreams for the younger generations. Teenager with dreams for the future. And children who were only starting to build their aspirations.

With it, the hopes of the seven-year-old boy who has the constellations in his eyes and a promise of tomorrow in his innocent face. It had all been obliterated because of heartache and neglect.

Hendery witnessed it every night; the shoutings of his mother, and the hopelessness in his father’s face as yet another job had turned him down. His bedroom walls didn’t muffle the sound— the silence only intensified it.

“You are a useless piece of shit!” her mother would scream.

Despite that, Hendery’s father would only cover his face with his hands. He would absorb every nag and every hurtful words his wife would throw at him. Because tomorrow would be another day to fight and he couldn’t afford losing the battle now. At least, that was what Hendery believed.

Never once did he hear his mother ask about his sake. Never once did he hear the words, “What about Hendery? He would starve!”

Starve he did.

A lanky seven-year-old, his neighbors would call him. Salt and rice every night. You only have to close your eyes and eat. Wash down the taste with water and sleep.

The home that was meant to give him comfort had turned his own hell. Its unfavorable walls would suffocate him every day. Its dull and dirty carpet would be his only friend for the days that would come.

And as if the world wasn’t done throwing knives and rocks at his back, Hendery found something that had completely deteriorated the little boy in him.

One day, when he was returning from their neighbor’s house— full and a little bit energetic— he found his mother’s clothes littered over the floor, with it were pants and shirts that didn’t belong to his father.

With his boy heart and still developing mind, Hendery sat in the kitchen. The noise of his mother’s adultery echoed across the whole house. Hendery patiently waited for it to stop, sitting there with his feet dangling from the chair.

Then the door clicked open, revealing his mother and the man he didn’t recognize. From his position to the kitchen, his mother failed to notice him. But Hendery could see everything unfolding before his very eyes. The unknown man picked up his clothes. When he was completely dressed, he fished for his wallet and handed Hendery’s mother money.

That night, there were sausages and eggs in the table. His mother was enthusiastic, but there was a dull spark in her eyes. His father, too, despite the smile on his lips, was a flash of apology in his orbs.

Hendery slept soundly. A tear escaping his eye.

“Why are you crying?” You crouched in front of a boy named Kristan. Snot and tear has already mixed up in his face to create dirty splotches. You held his hands softly to put beside his body.

Kristan sniffed. But did not answer.

“Kristan, tell me what happened,” you gently asked. His head bowed down deeper, as if he was embarrassed and scared to tell you anything. Kristan, he was one of your favorites despite his silent comportment and shy eyes.

Ever since Father Ben decided to teach the children from the village basic education at the church, you have been curious about Kristan. There was something about the boy. Sadness. Melancholy. Loneliness.

“I am here—” You were interrupted by Hendery, who also crouched beside Kristan. “What are you doing?” you deadpan.

Hendery ignored you, as he focused on Kristan. He puts his hand on his shoulder and pulls down his mask. “Tell me who among these kids beat you up,” he whispered, “Was it him?” Then he pointed towards the other boy who was curiously watching the three of you.

The slightest shock adorned Kristan’s face. He looked at you warily, obviously perturbed by Hendery’s presence.

You smiled at him to tell him it’s alright. And that he doesn’t need to be cautious around Hendery. Although you didn’t know about that yourself. Hendery was still a mystery.

“They… didn’t hurt me,” Kristan said through his snuffles. “Thank… you, Miss Y/N,” he added, then he looked at Hendery, “And to you… Mister…?”

“Hendery. Call me Hendery.”

“Mister Hendery,” Kristan said, practicing the new syllables of Hendery’s name. Kristan bowed before walking towards the line of boys again.

Concerned about the well-being of the boy, you sighed. When you turned to go back to packing the foods, Hendery walked up towards Kristan again.

“What is this?” he asked while slightly pulling up the little boy’s sleeves. There was a purple mark right on his arm. Something that definitely resembled a contusion.

When Kristan realized what was happening, he flinched away from Hendery.

You hurried beside him once more, brows furrowed. “Kristan, what is that?”

His eyes were fervent, lips quivering while wriggling free of your hold from his arm. Because of the fear that you might hurt him, you let Kristan go. He ran away.

Father Ben rushed towards you, robes billowing like waves against the pavement. “What is happening?” he asked.

You shared a look with Hendery before answering, “Hendery and I saw something in his arm— something like a bruise,” you explained. “Father, I think there’s something going on with Kristan, and I am deeply concerned about his well-being.”

The priest listened and nodded his head. “Follow me, the both of you,” he commanded before pivoted on his heel.

Without offering Hendery a glance, you followed Father Ben inside the church and to his chamber. When all three of you were secured inside, Father Ben locked the door.

You couldn’t help but observe Hendery as he roamed his eyes around the room. As if he was searching for something. Something valuable. But when he looked at you, he smiled and all your doubts vanished in a blink. How could happiness and sadness co-exist at the same time in someone else’s body?

The sound of papers shuffling woke you from your reverie. Father Ben raised up a paper, and studied it with his reading glasses.

“Here is Kristan’s birth certificate,” he announced. “His mother died giving birth to him. Kristan is being taken care of his father, his alcoholic father, at their house in the southeast part of the village.”

You listened carefully to each word. You already know that Kristan’s only living parent was his father. But never once did Father Ben shared the reality of him being alcoholic. Goosebumps crawled onto your back as realization slowly weaved its way through your mind.

“His father’s hurting him,” Hendery pronounced beside you.

Father Ben hummed. “That, we do not yet know. So it’d be really helpful if the both of you would venture to their house and check for your own eyes. I would’ve gone myself but I won’t be able to fight his father if it ever comes to that,” Father Ben continued, “He’s quite well-known as an aggressive man.”

“And… I suppose Hendery could fight him off?” You raised a brow. Hendery’s built wasn’t like that of a body-builder. He definitely belonged to the species of boys with sad eyes and skinny bodies. Dangerous. Utterly dangerous.

He chuckled— a quite rumbling sound that could stir butterflies inside a woman’s stomach. “I’m quite a fighter, Y/N,” he said.

You sighed. “Let’s just hope that it won’t come to aggression.” Then you focused your attention back to the priest. “What of me? What can I contribute, Father?”

Father Ben placed the paper back to his drawers. “You have your wits in you, hija. Convince his father to give us Kristan for a while until he gets his life on the right path.”

After Father Ben’s instruction, the both of you made your way down the stairs. You still couldn’t understand why Father Ben asked Hendery to come. He was from town after all. Townspeople weren’t so used to life in the countryside. In their towering factories and buildings, they still pretend that they have the glory of the past.

“Are you really from the city?” you asked, turning your body to face him. He descended the last step while you stood on the second.

His steps halted at the question, then he tilted his head quite a bit too see you. “What of it?”

You shrugged. “I don’t know. Having someone journey here from the city’s pretty unusual.” You descended the stairs and walked ahead of him.

“Having villagers in the city’s never been heard before,” he snorted.

Your brows furrowed. Was that an insult? Or was he simply baiting you? Whatever that meant, you halted. “What are you implying? That we don’t have the means to go to the city?” When Hendery shrugged, you puffed out your chest and held your chin up high. “Well, must I say to you that it’s pretty decent living in here than pretend to have riches in the city.”

He only chuckled, driving you irate even more. “We don’t pretend, Y/N.”

You have decided not to answer for your own well-being. He was truly a city boy. Arrogant. Condescending. Too full of himself. And you mustn’t bother yourself with him. Hendery was on the other side of your own spectrum. There was no point understanding a boy you have just met.

“Oh, wait.” You halted when you finally reached the exit door of the church. “I’ll ask Lucy if you could borrow her bicycle.” When you turned to leave, Hendery caught your wrist. Everything about you stopped functioning by the touch. It wasn’t as if you weren’t used to boys holding you— but yes, you could say that.

“We can ride my motorbike,” he suggested, “Much more convenient, don’t you think?”

Oh, no. No, no, no. If the year 2020 had learned its way towards openness and liberty, well, 2040 failed to adapt to that. “No,” you simply answered.

“No? What do you mean no? You’ll only ride behind me, then we’ll take off.”

You groaned. “City boys.” If anyone would see you riding a big motorbike, they would curse you as if you were the demon. You despised the notion yourself. And it was really tempting to try new things once in a while. Perhaps you were only being stupid— or naive. There was no harm riding a big black and shiny motorbike, right? You heaved out a deep sigh. “Alright, let’s go.”

Hendery’s confused visage turned to that of a bright one when he, once again, flashed you his pearlescent teeth. He jogged the distance towards his motorbike. Without any word, he hopped and snapped the pedal with his right foot.

“Hop in,” he said.

You raised a brow. “Helmet?”

“Church girls,” he groaned. You opened your mouth to speak, but Hendery once again cut you off, “Where is the fun in riding a motorbike if you’d wear a helmet?”

“Hendery, it’s a safety protocol if you aren’t—”

Once again, he groaned, “Where’s the fun in ‘safe’? Hop in.” He tilted his head to the side, encouraging you to finally hop in his motorbike.

“I think I’m gonna ride—”

“Y/N,” he firmly called, “Sometimes, you also have to taste the danger.” Then he reached for your hand. You would have flinched away, but the warmness of his palm hindered you from doing so. “Don’t you trust me?”

Trust? Mother says don’t talk to strangers. It has been a mantra of every little girl as they grow up. But you aren’t a little girl no more.

Other than his melancholic eyes, his name is all you know about him. And how could you trust the swirl of danger in his irises? However, humans are vexatious. They don’t always follow the rules.

When you are fed with deprivation of something extraordinary, you grow hankering after it.

You took Hendery’s hand. With your heart thudding inside your chest, you grasped your skirt and pulled your body upwards to sit on his motorbike. Hendery revved the engine, twisting his hand around the accelator.

“Please, slow down—!” Your chests collided against his back by the impact. Hendery chuckled, but he did not heed your cries. He rode through the road ahead, shoulders still rumbling of his laughters.

Skirt ballooning out, you prayed to God that you won’t meet your doom today. This has been a bad idea. A very bad one at that. What would people say if they witness a sacristan— a sacristan woman— riding this black motorcycle? With her skirts billowing out in the open? Oh, no. Your mother would whip you to shreds.

“Where are we going?” Hendery shouted.

You clutched on his front shirt tightly, afraid that the wind would surely swoosh you away if you do so much as to slacken your hold. “Where are we now?” you shouted back. Because you refused to sit up straight, you shielded yourself with Hendery’s body. And now your position shielded you away from seeing anything other than the road beneath the wheels.

“Y/N, please sit up straight.” He laughed. Oh, this boy relishes to your suffering. He really was. “We are currently entering a village…?”

You willed yourself to sit. Surely, it won’t kill you. You have seen actresses ride behind their own James Deans in big motorcycles such as this one.

“Alright, alright, I’ll slow down.” But Hendery’s words were muffled by the air. However, you felt the wheels roll slowly as it enters your village. Your village. Oh, no.

“No, please don’t! Faster, Hendery!” When he refused to rev the accelerator, you pinched his sides.

“Aw! Alright, alright!” Without another word, Hendery drove through the houses.

You obscured our face as much as you could. You couldn’t afford having someone recognize you. It won’t happen.

“Y/N, where are we going?” he asked for the second time. “We’re away from the houses. No one can see you here but the grasses,” he taunted.

You opened your eyes and saw the ground below, as well as the grasses. It only means you were well away from your village. You exhaled and sat up. “Turn left.”

“Left? Is there life at the end of this road?”

You deadpanned, “City boys.”

“No, seriously?”

“Yes, there is Hendery. It’s the most isolated part of the village— please look at the road,” you reminded him when he attempted to face you sideways.

“Kristan’s from here?”

“Apparently.”

He nodded his head. “He walks this distance every day?”

“Yes.”

It was somehow weird to talk about life in the countryside with a city boy. If Hendery was, indeed, from the city. You have no idea about the city ever since the pandemic. This has always been your home; the trees, the grasses, the kind neighbors, and a pious village. The liveliness of the wen— if claims were to be trusted— has been no more than a thing left in the back of your mind. It was almost a name you have no idea how to pronounce.

“You, too?” Hendery asked. A question you didn’t expect to hear.

“Uh-huh.” Then a chuckled. “We’re left with no choice since we have no resources when it comes to vehicles.”

“How do you go to the city, then?”

“We don’t go to the city. Unless it is needed.”

Hendery hummed. “And how do you go?”

“We ask the chieftain to lend us the ambulance.”

“The ambulance?” he asked.

The road becomes bumpy because of rocks, so you hold on him tightly once again. Hendery chuckled at your action, but did not bait you.

“Yes,” you answered. “Oh, we’re here,” you announced as Kristan’s village looms ahead. It was shielded away from your eyes because of the trees circling the whole vicinity.

“Do they sleep with snakes here?” There wasn’t any jeer to his voice, only curiosity.

You snorted. “Why don’t you stay for the night to try?” You gathered your skirt then planted your heel to the ground. With a swing of your leg, you hopped off his motorbike.

“I’d like to.” Hendery fished out a packet of cigarettes from the pocket of his jacket. He pressed one between his fingers and lit the tip with a lighter.

“Is that necessary?” you asked.

People in this part of town weren’t welcoming. That was why it didn’t come off as a shock to know that Kristan’s father was alcoholic. It simply was the way of living here: alcohol, cigarettes, cards. That being said, having an outsider such as Hendery venture here could provoke the most hard-headed fathers and boys alike.

Hendery sipped then  blew smoke out in the air. “What are you scared of?”

For a minute, you caught a spark in his irises. It was as if he didn’t ask about your fears— but your insecurities. And of the things you wanted to try but couldn’t. Or perhaps it was only you, digging deeper into the simple question.

“God,” you simply answered.

“There is no god,” he retorted.

That caught you off-balance. An aspiring sacristan wouldn’t say that. “Father says you want to be a sacristan. How could you? When you don’t have any faith?”

Hendery stopped for a second before blinking. “There is no god but God the Father Almighty in heaven.” Then he flashed you a smile. You furrowed your brows. “Shall we?” he asked, throwing out his cigarette to the ground.

You shrugged.

Different sets of eyes pierced your bodies as you and Hendery trodded the dusty road. Mothers with their youngest born straddling their waists peered through wooden gates. Fathers with their cigarettes and beer bottles scrutinized you from head to toe. You were covered from your neck down your heel, but they look at you as if you were naked.

Hendery beside you exudes indifference. Shoulders straight and chin up high, Hendery stared every man down. You didn’t know if that’s a good idea or not. The last thing you need was a brawl between him and the juveniles surrounding you.

Finally, you have reached Kristan’s home. It ws made of cement and sawali, just like most of the houses you have just passed by.

You smoothed out your skirt before knocking. One, two, three knocks before his Father greeted you with a grunt.

“What d’ya want?” he asked  in a rumpled voice.

Hendery stepped beside you. “We’re here to talk.”

Kristan’s father wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “I don’t have anytime for you—”

“It’s about Kristan,” Hendery stated, jaw clenching.

To be honest, you didn’t expect him to make the talking. You could do it yourself. But you were still thankful that he was with you right now.

Kristan’s father rests his body against the doorframe. “What about my son?” Yes, he did ask about his son. However, there wasn’t any trace of concern in his voice.

You cleared your throat. “Father Ben wants to take care of Kristan for a while, until we’re sure that he’s safe living here.”

You heard the crashing of his beer bottle first, before you felt the tightening of your throat by the way he grabbed your collar.

“No one tells me what to do—”

Your first instinct had been to lash out on him, but your anger got the best of you. Before you could act out on your own, Hendery wrapped his hand around the man’s wrist. With force, he pushes him away and twisted the bone.

You stared in horror as Kristan’s father screamed in pain while holding his broken wrist. “Hendery!” you shouted as he sauntered towards the man. Hendery grabbed his head and slammed his knees against his nose, once again cracking the bones.

Thunderstruck beyond comprehension, you flew towards Hendery. “Hendery! Stop!”

Kristan’s father was on the ground, clutching his bleeding nose. Hendery towered over him with clenched fist, ready to pounce at any given time. Before he could swing yet another blow, you already lay hold of his arm.

“What are you doing?!” you asked, out of breath.

“Beating the shit out of him,” he said in nonchalance.

“That— isn’t what Father Ben asked as to do,” you reminded him, despite the fact that Father Ben indeed expected a brawl.

Hendery’s muscles relaxed nonetheless. He pointed a finger towards Kristan’s father who’s still on the ground, glaring at the both of you.

You grapple for words— anything. “Did you hurt your son?” you ask.

“What of it? You don’t have a child so you won’t understand how it is to discipline one,” he answered.

Hendery crouched. You grabbed hold of his back collar. “You fucking hurt your son again,” he spits, “I will kill you.”

“Father, I’m home— Miss Y/N?”

The three of you turned your attention towards the little boy who entered the house. Kristan. He was holding a plastic of what you could tell was a bag of vegetables.

Kristan’s eyes turns to Hendery, and to his bloodied father. “Mister Hendery? What are you doing here?”

“You’ll come with us for a while,” Hendery said.

“What is happening?”

You crouched in front of the boy and lay hold of his shoulders. “Father Ben asked us to take you back to the church. Where you’ll stay for a while until your Father learns how to be a good one.”

“Really?” Kristan asked in relief.

Has this house been his hell that it’s a relief to be away from his father? You frowned at the thought.

“But… Father— he’s going to be alone.”

“Ask your Father. We still need his approval after all,” you explained.

Kristan walked towards his father, who was standing and padding his pants. Hendery crossed his arms over his chest, watching the man warily.

“Father, is it okay if I’ll leave for a while? Will you be fine?” the little boy asked.

“Go! Do what you want! Don’t come back!” he shouted.

However, Kristan didn’t flinch. It was as if he had been to used to this kind of treatment. “Alright, I’ll come back. Don’t worry, I won’t leave you.” Then he hugged his Father’s hips.

You looked away, unable to watch the scene unfolding before your eyes. It would seem as if Hendery couldn’t take it in himself, for your eyes crossed as he looks away, too.

“Take care and be good. I love you, Father.” Kristan turned his back against his Father. He smileed at you and took your hand. You held his hand tightly and spared his Father one last look.

He turned his back the same time his tear slid down his face. You swallowed the lump in your throat before bowing slightly as a goodbye.

iv. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried…

Pandemic and poverty, it truly was a wonder how Hendery survived such dreadful times. Perhaps there was really a god, lurking somewhere, ready to grant the wishes of the people during those awful times.

Yet as far as Hendery was concerned, nobody prayed for him when the pandemic striked him. Right, this lanky seven-year-old’s suffering didn’t end after he found out about his mother’s adultery.

At first, Hendery brushed off the heaviness of his eyelids together with his parched throat as a common sickness. He never told his mother or father about it, for the fear that it might fruit into something their financial stability won’t be able to answer for.

But then hours had gone by, with Hendery’s air passage slowly closing in on him. As if a boulder was placed right in on his lungs, demanding his life by choking him. Cough dry and head aching, Hendery twisted and turned on his bed, unable to think clearly. He felt as if he was dying— dying in the most horrible way possible.

Thereafter, he believed that he had gone in and out of consciousness, or perhaps it was only his vision going blurry from the ache his body was trying to fight off.

Hendery failed to recognize his father as he leaned to check his son. And he failed to recognize the feeling of being scooped up from the bed, with his father shouting for help as if his life depended on it.

Blotches of darkness swam in his line of sight. The cries of his mother as well as the panicked shouts of his father were muffled by his coughing.

Would this be the end? Was this the life the gods had planned out for him? To die young? To die without a fight? How do you accept this fate?

For once, he wanted to see the end of this pandemic. He wanted to witness the rainbow after this storm. For once, he yearned to see something beautiful. Just once.

Hendery fully succumbed to oblivion.

When he woke up, it was the white light that filled his vision. Was it heaven? Hendery tried to make sense of his surroundings, but no noise could be heard other than the beeping of machines around him.

His eyelids fluttered open completely. The ceiling to where his hospital bed was located flashed above him like a canvas of nothing but white. There was a tightness in his nose, and he realized that he was breathing through an apparatus.

Hendery tried to move his fingers. They were mobile, albeit frail. It’s the same with his feet. Perhaps it was the incessant ravaging of the cough against his lungs that made him sick to the bones. He would’ve thanked whoever there was to be thankful for, if not for the uncertainty that was still stretching out in front of him. The pandemic wasn’t a one-night killer. It would render you infirm for weeks— it’s only up to the doctors and your own antibodies if they won’t collapse and give up on you.

And Hendery’s feeble state, as well as his age, failed to give him much hope.

He would die, right there— alone. God has shunned him away. He refused to cry, since no amount of tears could appease the loneliness inside him.

Hendery closed his eyes again.

The second time he woke, the doctors were smiling in front of him. The nurses guided him out of his bed. They even helped him get dressed in new clothes. Baffled was an understatement for what he felt that day. Was he out of danger? Could he truly live now? With his mother and father once again?

For the first time since his life went downhill, Hendery smiled. There wasn’t a reason not to. If he could, he would jump from happiness. He did it. He survived.

Hendery excitedly roamed his eyes around him from the wheelchair, hoping to finally meet his parents after weeks of being separated from them. Yet no familiar faces greeted him when he reached the exit of the hospital.

A clawing feeling rested in his stomach, but he couldn’t afford to cave in his fear. Hendery remained smiling until a middle-aged woman stood before him.

“Are you Hendery?” she asked.

“Yes. I am,” Hendery answered without looking at the woman. He was busy searching for his parents.

“Thank you so much for taking care of my niece. I’ll  forever be grateful for your service. I’ll take him from here,” the woman announced.

“Wait—” Hendery turned around to see the woman taking the wheelchair from the nurses. “Where’s my Mom? My Dad?”

“Hendery, I’ll explain once we reach the house,” his apparent aunt said.

Hendery pursed his lips together. “Is Mom and Dad—”

“Be quiet,” the woman said softly.

Hendery had been quiet thereafter.

Hendery looked up to see the stars in the skies. How pretty they truly were. He won’t blame those who wishes upon these twinkling white lights. But he would feel utterly stupid himself to whisper his dreams to these scintillating lights that would die later on.

Supernova, scientists call it. It is the dying of a star. It is its return to atoms, particles, or whatever shit there is in the universe even before matter and time took its place.

Hendery let the liquor grate his throat as he took yet another swig from his bottle. Liquor and unwanted memories? Sign him up. Deep conversations with himself? He might be heartless in the eyes of many, but Hendery knew how to contemplate things. Too bad that he didn’t have anyone to share his thoughts with.

“What on earth are you doing?”

Oh, perhaps there was.

Aghast by the fact that there were empty bottles littered all around him, you gazed at Hendery.

It had been a week since he arrived at the church, telling everyone that he wanted to be a sacristan. So far, so good. He was a fast-learner albeit not showing any interests when it came to talking about the Bible. You still had your doubts in the pockets of your skirts. And seeing him drinking himself right behind the structures of the Church only intensified your wariness.

But the boy faced you with a smile. “Drinking,” he answered with a shrug.

“I know you are drinking,” you seethed. “But why are you drinking?”

It was past six p.m. already. You had completed your duties to the Church, and had also tucked in Kristan to the sacristan’s quarters just below Father Ben’s own chamber.

“To let off some steam.”

You stomped towards him with your chest puffing out of irritation. “First, you smoke on your first day. Then you drink on your first week. What on earth is wrong with you, Hendery?”

“Why don’t you sit with me for a while?”

You flew your arms to the air. “You are unbelievable.”

Hendery leaned back. “Aren’t you curious about me?”

“I am—” You closed your mouth. The words slipped out before you knew it.

His smile only widened . “Father Ben’s secured in his chamber. There is no need to fret.” He motioned his head down the space beside him. “Sit.”

They said drunk men speak the most truth. If you could squeeze anything out of him by joining him tonight, you would. With a heavy heart, you sat beside Hendery. The acrid smell of the alcohol whiffed your nose like a whiplash instantly.

“Now,” he began. “Ask me anything you want.”

“Where are y—”

Hendery pressed a finger to your lips. “In one condition: drink.”

You swatted his hand away with a frown. “I’m going.” But before you could stand up, Hendery held your wrist.

“I’m kidding,” the boy said  with a chuckle.

There. That smile. That chuckle.

“Seriously.” You sat comfortably again. “Where are you from?”

“The city,” he answered. “I was born in the city. It’s all I’ve ever known ever since.”

“The pandemic hit the city hardest,” you commented. It was true, though. Because of their lifestyle and opulence, the pandemic moved way faster in the city compared to the villages.

“Yes, it did,” he whispered before downing the last gulp from his bottle. Hendery burped softly before tossing the empty bottle to the grass.

“One, two, three, four—” You scrunched your nose. “Five bottles. Now tell me, where did you get these?” you asked, pertaining to the liquor.

Hendery looked at you as if you beguile him to the fullest. “Convenience store. You have it here.”

You shot up a brow. “And you decided it best to consume them here? In the Church?”

“If it wasn’t obvious, yes.”

“I don’t have anything against you, smoking and drinking, but we shall set a good example to the children.”

Hendery quirked a brow. “Do you think smoking and drinking are bad examples?”

“Personally? No.” It was true. You didn’t think they were bad examples. It was always the person. But the church-goers were mostly children. They still don’t have the capacity to balance the right and the wrong for their age. Eventually, they would know. However, it was your duty to protect their innocent minds as best you could. “But there are children here. We must guide them.”

“They’ll learn to smoke later on.” He shrugged.

You hummed. “That, we aren’t sure of. Until then, let’s guide them first.”

“You’re truly devoted to being a sacristan, aren’t you?” Hendery asked, his head looking up to the skies.

You watched him in silence. His side profile was undeniably beautiful. You have never seen such soft features, to be honest. “Yes, I am.”

“Is that your dream?”

You tilted your head up to see the skies yourself. The stars were sprinkled like white sands against the darkness of the heavens. You smiled. “I have a lot of dreams, though. Like the stars above, they are somewhat implausible.”

It was his turn to look at you. If he was to be honest, Hendery found your face marvelous. He had never seen your likeness in the city. “Why do you say that?”

Perhaps someone would find it funny that you were opening yourself up to this boy. A boy you just met one week ago. However, there was a space in your heart that tells you it’s alright to tell Hendery all your dreams and worries, your aspirations and your doubts. Strangers couldn’t judge you.

You sigh. “I am… stuck here. I’ve never been anywhere else but here.”

“Not even in the city?”

You shake your head.

Hendery hums. “Well, it’s not really different. If not, it’s worse.” He chuckles. “Everyone lives as if it’s the end of the world tomorrow.”

“Isn’t that wonderful?” You hugged your knees closer to your chests. “I’ve always wanted to experience a night like that.”

Hendery snorted. “It gets tiring. And it’s not really convenient when you don’t have the money.”

“For what? Can’t you enjoy without it?”

He strayed his eyes towards you. There was a spark of amusement dancing in his orbs. As if he found your question fascinating. “You can’t. What about drugs? Alcohol? Cigarettes? You can’t buy those without money.”

Oh. Of course. Hendery’s talking about parties. He looked like that kind of boy at first glance. Yet upon hearing his snorts and the dissent on his face, you have realized that perhaps both of you were yearning for something you weren’t been born to reach. You, the city. Him, the peace of the countryside.

“I wasn’t talking about those,” you said. Hendery fixed you with a curious look. “I’m talking about the city lights above the rooftops. The blare of the cars. The life outside this town.”

Hendery threw his head back, contorting the tattoo on the side of his neck, and laughed softly. “Of course.” His laughters ceased, like smoke slowly dissipating into the air. “But there is more to that.”

You stood up and smoothed out your skirt. “Perhaps.”

“Don’t you want more?”

With that, you looked down at him to flash him a small smile. “I’ve always wanted more. Perhaps there is more to the world than this little town. Perhaps I deserve to see it one day.”

Hendery didn’t break eye contact when he said the words, “There are millions of possibilities if you’d only dare.”

In which you didn’t have any answer for.

v. He descended to the dead. On the third day, He rose again…

Hendery waited. For hours, days, months, but he’d never seen his parents again.

The roof above him and the floors underneath his feet were a place he had never seen before. Wherever he looked, the unfamiliarity of everything would hit him like a tidal wave. From the couches to the television, to the doorframe and the windowsills, no one could deny that this house had seen better days.

Hendery sleeps in a cot of hard wood that leaves his back aching every morning. He eats in a kitchen with mice crawling in the corners and cockroaches flying in different directions. Nevertheless, there was food and somehow it was all that matters.

What happened to his Mom and Dad? Hendery was left with puzzles of an answer himself. After he survived the pandemic, he was met with yet another obstacle: orphanhood.

His aunt, Lilia, said that his father died. He died because of the pandemic, too. Hendery wept for days on end, refusing to believe what had befell his loving father. But as Lilia showed him the death certificate, Hendery’s world collapsed to shreds. That had been the time when he felt utterly alone, with no one to guide him and no one to tuck him in his sleep but the coldness of the world and the loneliness of the night.

His mother— no one knows what happened to her. They say she was in an asylum. They say what had betided her husband and son shattered her mind. Hendery tried to gather information. He tried to ask his aunt about his mother’s whereabouts. But whenever he does, he’s met with a slap on the cheek.

Aunt Lilia was a kind woman— she really was. But there had been times when she would talk to no one in the windows, or would cry with unknown reasons on the kitchen floors. Sometimes, she would sing lullabies to help Hendery sleep. Sometimes, she would whip him until he was crying and begging for help.

No one saved him.

One day, when Aunt Lilia was fast asleep and snoring on her couch, Hendery tiptoed to the door. It’s time for him to leave this godforsaken place. It’s time that he finds his mother. He was twelve years old.

According to the doctors themselves, you become immune to the pandemic once it has already hit you. Hendery braved the pandemic with a single mask and a little bottle of alcohol. And for months, he would live in the streets.

You sang your favorite song while walking. It was eight p.m., the road was almost empty, save for a few workers going home to your village. Fortunately, it didn’t rain tonight so there were no need for umbrellas and tiptoeing through the mud.

Hendery remained in the Church, to do what, you hadn’t bothered to ask. He offered to take you home, but you politely declined. After a series of convincing Hendery that you were going to be fine on your own, his shoulders finally slumped in approval. Your mother would collapse on the ground if she ever sees you riding Hendery’s motorbike.

You didn’t take him for a gentleman. However, there were still a lot of things you didn’t know about the boy. After your conversation with him on the grasses, perhaps he’s allowed you to slip through his visions, even just for a little bit.

As you neared towards your house, elders and children alike scattering around your street drew you in a halt. What is happening? A bad feeling rested in your stomach, but you sent a silent prayer that it wasn’t what you were thinking about.

Your mother was also one of the villagers out, so you sauntered straight towards her with your forehead drawn in a crease. “What’s happening, Mom?”

Her lips were pulled in a tight frown. “Bandits!” she seethed, as if the word had been the cruelest of all curses. “They took Loira’s money that she hid under the dresser.”

“How? Are bandits that skilled?”

As far as you could tell, Aunt Loira’s home was barred from ceiling to floor. She doesn’t go out of the house without locking all the possible holes that bandits might slip through.

“Evil knows no bounds,” your mother once again spat. “Yes, they are that skilled and heartless nowadays.”

The village chieftain as well as the other tanods circle Aunt Loira’s home with their lamps and flashlights. But you’d doubted that they would acquire evidence. Bandits had been pillaging your village as well as the neighboring ones for years. No one could ell what they look like. However, some elders think that the men from Kristan’s village were the ones responsible for the robbery.

“But Aunt Loira literally bars her whole house whenever she leaves for the market, right?”

Your mother made a strange noise through her nose. “She forgot to lock her back door when she left earlier.” Then she wrapped a hand around your wrist. “Come, the food’s getting colder.”

With one last look at Aunt Loira’s house, you let your mother lead you away from the mayhem.

You have been a victim of the bandits yourselves. Once, when you were ten years old. And it had been of your own fault. Father and Mother went to the market that day, and being the only daughter that you were, you had no one to play with whenever they were away. So you hopped out of bed, with your morning glory still stuck in your eyes and hair like the nest of birds, you hadn’t bothered to lock your house and flew straight to your childhood friends.

When you came back home, Mother was frowning at you. She would’ve had you whipped if not for your father, who kindly stood between you and your mother’s diabolical punishments. The money from the old refrigerator was stolen. It was the money for the renovation of your own room. Because of its looting, you still stare at the blotches of rainwater on your canopy every night until now, praying that it won’t collapse on you.

As you lay on your bed, silent contemplations ravaged your mind: the conversation with Hendery, the bandits, your unattainable dreams— are they though?

You have always dreamed of traveling the world. See the wonders of it for yourself. But how could you do that if you have been stuck here ever since? You have no idea what the city looks like. Mother said you were born in the city, but before the lockdown had taken place over the whole country, Mother went back to this village. Apparently, the isolated places were safer during the pandemic.

The pandemic has been over for five years now. Surely, there was more to life than this quiet town, right? You love this village with all your heart. However, you feel as if there were a lot more waiting for you out there. As Hendery said, there were millions of possibilities if you’d only dare.

Dare. What an audacious word. It made you feel dauntless just saying it.

You sat up and stared at the view outside your windows. What could truly happen if you dares the world? What could happen if you step your foot out of this town and dare?

vi. He ascended into Heaven, sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty…

“He’s not from here,” the other boys whispered.

Hendery continued ransacking the trash cans under the bridge. It had been exactly two weeks since he escaped Aunt Lilia’s hell house. And he wasn’t fairing well. The coins he stole from Aunt Lilia’s dresser were beginning to sound nothing in his pockets despite the fact that water was all his body consumed ever since escaping.

They say you could survive without food, but you wouldn’t survive without water. So he drank and drank until his stomach became bloated. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Hendery would buy at least one bottle of water with the stolen money and would consume it for two days. Sounds impossible for other people, but Hendery made it to two weeks of not fainting on the ground by that.

“He looks like he’s from here, though,” the other boy commented.

Hendery paid them no heed, for he found a bag of chips in the trash. It tasted like ashes in his mouth, but he couldn’t complain. He’d never complain.

Hendery fished for yet another chip when the boys snatched the bag away from him. They sneered. At long last, Hendery looked at them. And they were exactly like a mirror of him. Greasy hair, acrid smell, tattered clothes— and that something in their eyes: despair.

“Where are you from, boy?” One of them asked.

Boy? He didn’t look older than Hendery. However similar their situations might be, he had no time to linger around them. He needed to find his mother. So he turned his back and walked away. Not even a few steps ahead, someone grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. The boy smirked before landing a blow at his nose.

Hendery staggered backwards, aghast and angry at the same time. He touched his nose, and found it bleeding. Fueled by hunger and lost and a shit ton of problems, Hendery let his backpack fall to the ground and charged towards the boy.

They rolled off the ground. Hendery had him by the collar, and all the boy did was to choke. If no one would intrude, Hendery could surely kill him. But when they rolled once more and Hendery got on the boy’s stomach, he raised a fist only for someone to wrap a viselike grip around his wrist.

Hendery shot him a glare, but he answered him with a kind smile. That was when he noticed there were at least five of them there. Six, if Hendery was to count himself.

“There is no need for us to kill each other,” the boy said. “Stand up.”

Hesitant, Hendery wriggled free before standing on his feet. Once again, he turned on his heel to walk away.

“Why are you leaving?” the boy asked. “We have food here. And a shelter for the night.”

That sounded like a dream. Hendery had never heard of that for two weeks. Not even experienced any of that. Still, he didn’t turn.

“I promise we won’t harm you.”

He continued to walk away. If Hendery had come to a realization, it was that he could survive on his own. He’d experienced a lot of shit already being with people.

“We can help you!” the boy shouted.

With that, Hendery gripped the straps of his backpack tightly. He didn’t know if it was out of luck, or the boy really hit something that made his consciousness stir. If Hendery wanted to find his mother, it’d be better to have companions he could rely on.

He turned to face the boys again. “Really?” he shouted back.

They looked at one another before trodding the distance towards Hendery. The taller man stretched out his hand, with a smile he said, “I’m Kun.”

Hendery stared at the hand before taking it. “Hendery.”

“We can help you,” Kun said. “In one condition.”

You stared at your reflection on the mirror. The glass had a lot of brown blotches because of its age. But your reflection could still be seen.

Another day, another walk, another face to greet.

It’s Sunday already. The third Sunday of the month. You once believed that if people would pray day and night in the churches and in their houses, the bad things crawling in the world would somehow lessen. You were mistaken.

Bandits, bandits, bandits. They were everywhere these days. Mother even refused to go to the market in fear of being robbed. That left you with no choice but to go on your own. How? You exactly have no idea.

It was always best to visit the market at dawn, for the vegetables and meats were still fresh. You could still buy something after noon, but it won’t be as worth the money as they were in the gloaming. And the bandits had left yet another fiendish mess at Uncle Gino’s house. Your mother had been a cursing mess for hours since they stole a precious heirloom from Uncle’s treasure chest.

You sighed. Why is your village always prone to bandits? It wasn’t as if your chieftain never does anything for it, if not, he’s hands-on searching for the robbers. With no luck at all. Bandits disappeara like a bubble everytime they come close to capturing them.

At the church, everyone else was busy when you arrived. Save for one person; Hendery. He was leaning on the door frame of the sacristan’s quarter, watching everyone pass by him.

“Why aren’t you doing anything?” you asked when you reached him.

“Ah, my dearest Y/N,” he sighed. “How I’ve missed you dearly.”

You deadpanned. “We met yesterday, Hendery.”

“Then? Am I not allowed to miss you?” He raised a brow.

You compressed your lips in a tight line. Three weeks since the boy arrived and in some way you have found a common ground together: talking about your dreams. Well, it’s you who’s always doing the talking. While he listened and snorted whenever he disagrees with you. It had been somewhat challenging, having someone disagree with you.

“Let’s go,” you sighed. “The mass is about to start.”

Thankfully, he was already donned in his white robes. No matter how holy the color might be, it failed to make him one. If not, it had only intensified the danger lurking within him.

Hendery yawned all throughout the mass, resulting in you nudging his ribs with your elbow. You couldn’t still comprehend his goal for joining the church. He seemed disinterested about everything. You have to find out his true intentions or else you will lose your mind thinking.

And it was not right to think about anything but the Lord while the mass is going on.

“Our Father, Who art in Heaven…” The churchgoers starts to sing. They clasped their hands as if in prayer while singing. Father Ben already practiced the right way in singing the litany. No one holds hand any longer.

You clasped your own hand. “Holy be Thy Name— what are you doing?” In bafflement and shock, you hissed louder than what you intended to.

Hendery took your right hand to clasped with his left. He didn’t answer you, though. He kept on looking straight at the altar. “Thy Kingdom Come, Thy will be done…” he started to sing along.

Flustered on where you stand, you roamed your eyes around you. Lucy and Rei were busy singing their hymns, oblivious to the way Hendery was breaking Father Ben’s rule.

You tried to wriggle free, but his grip was viselike. It’s disrupting the mass for you. With a heavy intake of breath, you let it go. “On Earth as it is in Heaven…” you sang along.

When he heard you, Hendery slackened his hold. You looked at him the same time he looked at you. And there he was, smiling like an idiot. “Give us this day, our daily bread…” he sang as he focused on the altar again.

You blinked, heart doing somersaults inside your chest. “And forgive us our trespasses…” you sang.

Everything had come at once. The echoes of the singing churchgoers, as well as Hendery’s.

“As we forgive those who trespass against us…”

The beating of your heart was wild. For what reasons? You have no idea. It was just there, beating stubbornly inside your ribcage.

“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil…”

After the mass, and when all the churchgoers finished asking for Father Ben’s blessings and advice, he gathered all the sacristan inside the church.

You sat between Rei and Lucy, while Hendery sat behind you. He still has that infuriating smile on his face. Truth be told, and no matter how hard you tried, you also smiled a little yourself.

“I’ve heard the concerns of the people,” Father Ben announced. “For years, we have faced the bandits.”

You straightened up. In his own ways, Father Ben had been a huge help for the people. You won’t call him rich, but he’s always ready to lend money to those who fell to the bandits’ wrongdoings. You have seen his treasure chest once, and you believe you had been the only one allowed to see it.

“As much as I would like to financially aid everyone, my coffers couldn’t hold everything,” he added.

Lucy intruded, “It is alright Father. You’ve been helping us since you came here in the village. And for that we are thankful. But you need not bother yourself for our problems.”

Father Ben smiled. “I am the priest of this town. I need to preserve peace just like the chieftain. It’s been a pleasure to help with my own ways.”

You cleared your throat. “How can we help, Father?”

“Ah, yes.” Father Ben placed his hands behind him. “I need you to be vigilant. Not only for your own sakes, but for the well-being of others, too. Help in your own little ways. Be it helping the townspeople pick the strongest barriers there is in the market, they’d appreciate that. I trust you all. And don’t forget to pray for your village and the neighboring ones, too.” Father Ben makes a cross in the air. “May God bless us all.”

“Amen,” you said in unison.

Father Ben returned behind the altar to check up on Kristan, more likely. As for the little boy, he was comfortable, he said. His father also tried to visit him, but found it hard to face his son. Kristan said  it’s fine, and that his father deserved time to think.

You stood up together with the other sacristan with a sigh. Bandits are such headaches. It gets tiring having to deal with them. It feels as if dealing with the wind. Invisible. And there was yet another headache you have to face: going to the market.

If you were lucky, you could reach the market at one p.m.. But vehicles during this time of the day were rare. Not to mention the village was isolated.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Hendery asked as he stood in front of you.

You sighed a pensive one. He’s your third headache of the day. “Please, Hendery. I’m thinking.” You started to walk away, but he followed beside you.

“Perhaps I can help.”

You drew in a halt. Mayhaps it was a blessing in disguise— him. Hendery has a motorbike. You’d get there and come back on time if you would ride with him. But courage was a luxury you couldn’t afford, so you shun the thoughts.

“No, I’m fine. Thank you.”

“Are you sure?”

Your tongue ached to say the words. And your body yearned to feel the wind on your face, too. It was not everyday that a chance opens up like this in front of you. Dare.

You straightened your shoulders. “Can you take me to the market?” The market isn’t as far as the city. But going in there is a once-in-a-blue-moon opportunity you couldn’t afford to miss. It was a step, no matter how small.

Hendery raised a brow. “What business do you have in the market?”

You played with your lower lip with your teeth. A fleet of a moment, and a moment you had surely missed: the way Hendery looked at your lips when you rolled it between your teeth. “Well,” you said, “I need to buy some food. And mother wouldn’t leave the house in fear of bandits robbing us.”

“Understandable,” he said. “But I have a condition to make.”

“Forget it—”

“Kidding.” Then he laughed. “You are one hell of a heartless woman, do you know that?”

A ghost of a smile painted your lips. “It is not right to say ‘hell’ inside the church. And why do you say that?”

“What about my wage?”

You blinked. “Oh, I— I didn’t bring any extra cash—”

Hendery placed his hand on the top of your head. “I’m just kidding.” Then he pivoted on his heel, his keys dangling between his fingers.

You followed.

“I thought you didn’t have a helmet.” You shot up a brow to your forehead upon seeing one helmet resting on his accelerator.

Hendery shrugged. “It’s for you.”

And there it wasagain, the wild beating of your heart. As if it was an animal begging to be unleashed to the world. “That’s… kind of you.” That had been the only thing you were able to say. “But how did you know to bring one?”

He disentangled the helmet from the accelerator. “Because I am always waiting for you.”

“For me? What do you mean?”

“I’m always waiting for you to ask me to take you to the city.”

Without giving you any time to comprehend his words and form coherent answers, Hendery fixed the helmet to your head. But before he could fully lock it under your chin, you stopped his hands.

“I think I’ll prefer to feel the wind.”

Hendery smiled, but continued to lock the helmet nevertheless. “Not today. I drive relatively fast, and the road to the market’s pretty bumpy. You won’t enjoy it.”

“I appreciate you, bringing this, but—”

He tapped the head of the helmet. “No buts.”

Hendery climbed his motorbike, then nudged his head to invite you to hop in. Just like the last time, you pulled up your skits and climb behind him. He revved the engine and you rode together.

The feel of riding behind him had become a reflex inside your body. A peaceful one, despite the blare of his engine and the harsh slap of the wind on your face.

“Hold on,” he reminded you before he accelerated the engine yet again.

You wrapped your arms around his torso. This was the second time you rode a motorbike, but the feeling compared to last time has drastically changed. There was no fear now. Only fascination and curiosity of what lies behind everything you have ever known.

If you’d only dare.

An hour before the clock strikes two, you have finally reached the buzz of the market.

When the pandemic ended, the livelihood didn’t go back automatically to normal. There were millions of protocols and reminders from the government. Because the pandemic didn’t really disappear like a bubble in the air. It was there, still. But after the years of its ravaging, the human body slowly adapted to its hazards.

It became just like the flu. More dangerous, yes. But less hazardous now.

“Wait for me here,” you said to Hendery.

“I’ll come with you.”

You stopped. “Are you sure? It’s quite chaotic inside. And… city boys are city boys.”

A playful laugh resonated from him. “I’ve been here before, sacristan. I’ll be fine.”

When he said that he’d be fine, it was true. Hendery jumped from vendor to vendor to help you buy all your needs. Be it meat, poultry, vegetables, or fruits. Father’s coming home in two days after weeks of being away, so Mother wants to cook something special for him. And you, too.

“Is this all?” he asked when you finished. Hendery insisted on carrying everything, which you politely declined. But he didn’t stop bugging you about it until you gave up and handed him everything.

“I need to buy onions over there, across the street. Could you hold this for me? I’ll be quick.”

Hendery nodded. You fished for your wallet inside your pocket. Halfway across the street, someone bumped into you.

“I… I’m sorry,” you said. But the man ignored you as he continued to walk away.

Five steps ahead, you noticed something. Your wallet was stolen. Before you could shout, Hendery was running for the boy already. Shocked and confused, you did the first thing that occured to your mind; run for them.

The wallet didn’t have much money, but it was given by your mother on your birthday. And you have been utterly sentimental when it comes to gifts. The boy can take the money, but he needs to give back your wallet.

Hendery ran pretty fast that you almost lost him in the maze of people and stalls alike. He turned left. You pulled up your heavy skirts and follow him. When you finally reached the alleyway he’s run off to, you have found out that it was a dead end.

Hendery was sitting on the boy’s stomach, and he had him by the throat. Few steps away from them, your wallet lays on the ground. You gulped and sauntered up to the two boys.

“What the fuck are you doing, Hendery?”

He knew Hendery? How come?

“Dude, you need to let me g—”

Hendery punched him straight. You gasped. The boy’s eyes rolled before his head collapsed to the ground. And he was unconscious.

Hendery stood up and picked your wallet. He didn’t look at you when he handed it back. “Let’s go home,” he says.

You stared at the boy with your brows narrowing. Is he a bandit? How did he know Hendery? Gripping the wallet tightly, you pivoted on your heels and walked away.

Something wasn’t right.

vii. From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead...

“I say I beat the shit out of him right now,” Xiaojun seethed upon seeing Hendery enter the room.

Kun, while sitting on the table, raised a hand to stop the other boy from attacking Hendery. He had always been like that; the middle man. Yet Hendery could sense the disappointment as well as the inquisition in the air. This is going to be one hell of a night.

“Sit,” Kun announced as he stretched out his hand to the empty chair on his left side.

Xiaojun, Hendery’s comrade, had his fist clenched while sitting on the window sill. The punch he landed on his face has left a contusion to the bone right below his eyes. Hendery didn’t feel sorry. Not even a little bit.

Kun’s ‘office’ had been stripped off any furniture saved for a table and two chairs. There was only one light hanging from the ceiling. It casted off an orange hue to everything it touches.

If Hendery spends so much as an hour here, he would lose his mind. However, Kun has managed to make this empty place his abode whenever he plans out another robbery or crime. It was comparatively fitting, if he was to be honest.

When Hendery had made himself comfortable on his seat, Kun stood up. “I’ve heard entertaining news today.” He smiled. It would come off as a kind one if you were looking in the surface, but Hendery knew the depths of the edges of that smile.

Nevertheless, Hendery hasn’t been the one to be scared of anything. “Is it about me…” Hendery strays his eyes towards Xiaojun. “Punching someone?” The smile he casted after had completely set his comrade’s blood on fire.

Xiaojun jumped, attempting to attack Hendery once more. Kun gripped his arm in a firm hold. Xiaojun slouched back on the other chair, panting heavily.

“You’re fucking dead to me, Wong,” he spat.

Hendery leaned closer. “Bring it on.”

“Shut the fuck up, you both,” Kun sighed while massaging his temples. “Or just go ahead and get your guns, shoot each other in the head and be done with it.”

Tempting was the offer, but Hendery took it as a warning. However, it had been pretty effective. Hendery leaned back to his chair, hands dangling on his sides. “What’s the matter?”

Kun chuckleed. “You.” He licked his lips while pointing his finger at Hendery. “You’re really something else, aren’t you?”

“Well—” Hendery stumbleed and fell from the chair. That, he hadn’t seen coming. Kun had always been strong when it comes to boxing someone’s ears. Before Hendery could stand up, he spat blood on the cold floor.

Hendery wipeed his mouth with the back of his hand. It was his turn to chuckle. “I really am.”

Kun wrapped his hand around Hendery’s collar, then he slammed his back against the wall. Sight obscured because of of the hair falling down his eyelids, Hendery felt the blood flowing from the side of his mouth to his chin.

“Why did you do it?” Kun asked.

“What did I—” Hendery fell to the ground as his face met Kun’s fist. His vision blurs, causing him to blink languidly. Perhaps he heard Xiaojun’s laughters, or his sniggers, he wasn’t sure.

Hendery felt like a sack of cotton as Kun hurled him up with his back collar. His back was against the wall again. Now, he feels two warm liquid flowing from the sides of his mouth.

“Why did you do it?”

His mouth twisted in a leer. “None of your business.”

Hendery’s stomach caved in as Kun landed a punch to his guts. Air left his lungs for a moment, and he found it extremely hard to breathe. Hendery had always hated being punched in the stomach.

As he tried to catch his breath, he watched as Kun’s feet started to pace the space in front of him. Hendery continues to blink. Then Kun crouched.

“Who is she?”

She. Hendery stared at Kun. The years of them together flashed in his eyes like a projector in a wide white screen: the day he met his gang of bandits, his first time holding a gun, robbing a store, and shooting someone plays right in his eyes like a movie on repeat.

“None of you fuckers are going anywhere near her,” he stated in a voice so cold even the demon stared back at him in horror.

Kun was silent for a moment. Eyes hard staring at Hendery. Then he asked, “What the fuck is happening to you?”

Hendery realized that he had no answer to the question. But the thought of you, falling in danger feels like rotten food in his stomach. It made him want to retch.

Nobody had seen it coming, that was for sure. This feeling inside him— this wriggling feeling whenever he was with you. Whenever you smile at him. Whenever you tell him your dreams.

Hendery stood up and looked straight at Kun and then at Xiaojun. “Don’t fucking dare,” he warned before he pivoted on his heel.

Two steps away, Kun stated, “I’ll let you swim in your foolishness but don’t fuck this up, Hen. Remember why I sent you to the church.”

Hendery waved  his hand. “I remember.”

He’d gone straight to his own room and tended for his own wound. Hendery sat on his bed, meditating over his actions earlier.

For years he had been one of Kun’s best bandit. Ever since he met him under the bridge. Xiaojun landed his fist straight to his nose that day, too. And that had been all Hendery had known. To fight, to survive. Even if it means licking the edge of the knife.

The time Kun handed him a gun, Hendery knew his hands trembled. For that he missed his first aim. But as the days went by that all he’d ever held was a bullet, a magazine, and a gun, Hendery became as sharp as a pointed knife when it came to mowing down.

He stared at his calloused hand. The rough palms stares back at him, as if in insult. He’s lost count of the stores he’s robbed. Of the houses he’d stolen from. Of the individuals he pointed the barrel of the gun at. Is this what he has been born to do?

All he ever wanted was to meet his mother again. To hold that hateful woman in his arms. To tell her that her son survived and there has been an aching hole inside him ever since she disappeared without a trace.

Years of searching for nothing, Hendery thought he’s already turned every stone in this country upside down searching for his lost mother. And it all went in vain.

Hendery doesn’t know who to blame: the pandemic, his mother, or his own self?

You chewed on your bottom lip while walking the long road towards your home. The scene from the market, and the robbery that had taken place refused to leave your mind. You sigh, since those weren’t the only things trying to penetrate your brain. Hendery refused to leave, too.

Perhaps you should be thankful that he somewhat saved your money earlier. Bandits are heartless. The boy could’ve been carrying a pocket knife and Hendery would’ve been in grave danger. Yet he braved the possible risks and ran for the boy nonetheless. Worries aside, you cannot help but feel perturbed of the way the bandit called Hendery’s name.

Are they related? If yes, how?

Before entering your house, you straightened your back. Mother senses even a slip of your composure, and she’d never let you go unless you tell her what’s wrong.

You raised your fist to knock, then a familiar face greeted you when the door swung open suddenly. The bags you have been holding fell as you squealed and jumped to hug your father. “Father!” you exclaim.

He laughed as he wraps his arms around you. “My baby girl,” he chuckled.

“Dad!” you retorted, but laughed nonetheless. There is time for that endearment. “When did you arrive?” you asked as both of you pulled away.

“Earlier,” he saied as he muffled your hair. “I didn’t tell your mom, either.” As he said that, Mother occured from the kitchen with a spatula in hand.

“Time for dinner,” she announced with a smile.

Ah, that rare smile from her lips. Father was the only living thing who could pull up the edges of her mouth like that. It was refreshing to behold.

Father picked up the bags from the ground. “You carried all these by yourself?” he asked.

You automatically flustered. The image of Hendery carrying all you have bought earlier flashing back in your head without permission. “Y… yeah.”

It wasn’t as if they are illiberal when it comes to boys. But it was a topic you haven’t discussed with any of them yet.

“Hm, we really ought to buy a motorcycle, don’t you think?”

You turned to face him. “It would be convenie—”

“Who would drive? Me?” Mother interrupted. “Our daughter?”

Father placed the bags onto the kitchen counter. “Yes. Y/N is a fast-learner. She could defini—”

“I’m sorry but it is a no.” Mother smiled again, but there was an edge to it. “It is inappropriate for a lady to drive—”

“Who says?” you groaned. “It’s 2040, Mother.”

Mother crossed her arms over her chests. “And where would you go once you learn how to drive?”

You pursed your lips. Saying the word would only extend the argument. But it needs to be heard. “Perhaps then I could go to the city—”

“What?!” she exclaimed.

“... and study,” you finished.

Father cleared his throat. “That’s a good idea, actually.” He turned his head towards Mother. “Don’t you think?”

Mother made out an incredulous noise from her nose. “No, I don’t think so. The city is still contaminated with the virus and hedonism. There is no way I’m letting you—”

“Develop on my own?” you asked.

It had always been an argument: your dreams. And Mother always says no to every step you’d attempt to achieve them. You loved her dearly. But sometimes, you couldn’t help but feel a little annoyed of her decisions when it comes to your life. You were an adult— a capable adult. And yet you felt as if someone had clipped your wings before you could fly. It hurts to know that that someone was your own mother.

“Y/N!” she hissed, her eyebrows knitted together.

Father held up his hands. “There is no need for us to raise our voices. We can discuss this in peace,” he said.

But Mother wouldn’t back down. “There would be no discussion. I won’t allow it.” Then she turned on her back to finish preparing the food.

You looked down at the floor, eyes suddenly breaming with tears. This conversation had never failed to put you to misery.

“Cheer up,” Father whispered. “We’ll find a way.”

No. You will.

The next day, you couldn’t help but frown upon your reflection in the mirror. Same robes, same skirts, same hairstyle. There was nothing new.

You loved being a sacristan. You have devoted yourself in serving God and His Son, Jesus Christ. You have never missed a mass. It was a part of your life that won’t ever disappear. But duty and dream aren’t the same thing.

You have your duty to God, that you diligently and wholeheartedly accomplished for the last few years. But there was your dream, hanging like a blank canvas on the wall of your bedroom.

The village was your serenity. But the city holds everything that you have ever wanted.

Dare.

You harshly brushed your hair and fix your robe. The bones under your skin are unstoppable. You only have to dare. So with a deep intake of breath, you departed your bedroom, kissed both your parents’ cheek, and ran towards the Church. Where everything was going to happen.

Seeing Hendery casually sipping on his cigarette while leaning on the tree has put your rushing feet in a halt.

This boy. Always so alluring, always so mysterious, always so stubborn.

Hendery remained staring at the ground when you sauntered up to him. It would feel as if you were back on the day you first met him. When he exuded such obscurity that you found him irritatingly blurry yet interesting.

What happened yesterday still lingers in the back of your mind. Perhaps you should talk to him about it to quench  your interest. “Hey,” you greeted.

When he looked up, you covered your mouth with your hands in utter stupefaction. “What happened to you?!” you blurted out.

There were purple patches on the bone underneath his right eye and another on the side of his lips. Did the bandit get back to him yesterday? The thought made your stomach lurched.

“You look devastated,” Hendery commented.

You blinked. It was him who looked like an absolute wreck right now. How could he tell you that? “No. You are.”

“You are.” Hendery toucheed your chin to lift up your face. You let him. “See? It’s missing,” he said while staring at you.

His stare made you nervous. But you couldn’t look away. “What is?”

Hendery let his hand fall before he answers, “The fire in your eyes.”

The fire in your eyes. For the second time, you blink at him. You were a lover of poetry. Hearing this boy talk as if he had the verses of the universe in his tongue perhaps set your heart in a panic.

Sad eyes, bad guys, and a mouthful of verselet. You once thought someone like him won’t sweep you on your feet. Knowing that you were mistaken has left a bittersweet taste in your tongue. It was, indeed, beautiful to feel this way. This feeling you have for Hendery was a flower beginning to turn into a fruit. So fragile, yet so heavenly.

Would it be ready for the plucking?

You gulped. “Did the bandit get back to you yesterday?”

“This is nothing,” he said. “I found myself in a brawl yesternight. Nothing for you to worry about.”

You raised a brow. “I am not worried.”

That was his cue to laugh before puffing his cigarette again. “One hell of a heartless woman.”

“I am not heartless.”

Hendery looked affronted. “Really? Prove it, then.”

“Prove it?” You let out an incredulous sound. Then you crossed your arms over your chests. “How?”

“Admire me back.” He tossed his cigarette bud away. “Simple as that.”

Admire me back. You gaped at him, unable to form lucid words. What was that? Did he really ask you to admire him… back? “Is that…” you paused, “Is that a confession?”

Hendery placed the tip of his pointer finger against your forehead. Then he pushed lightly. However, he didn’t answer, he only walked past you. “You’re pretty unique,” he added. “I like your fire.”

“Wait!”

You ran for him. You have no idea what it was, but talking to Hendery has stirred the emotion you once felt earlier before leaving the house. The extreme drive to do something you haven’t done before and prove your mother that you are worthy of being left alone with your decisions.

Hendery turned to you. “What? Have you reciprocated my feelings alr—”

“Take me to the city,” you panted.

His smile grew wider. And the stars in his eyes shone, rivaling the blare of the sunlight above. “That’s better.”

viii. And His Kingdom would have no end…

A month ago, you would never have imagined yourself going out of the village. But here you wee, riding with a boy you only met four weeks ago, in his black and shiny motorcycle that was like a much safer version of a Harley. However, it didn’t lessen the agitation in your heart.

After years since you were born, this would be your first time to see the world beyond your village. You didn’t expect it to be beautiful. Since a global pandemic has swept through the continents twenty years ago. But you could say it was something you didn’t expect to behold either.

Copse of trees became a blur of brown and green as Hendery picks up the pace. There was nothing to see but the unending stretch of tall grasses and trees and the isolated road ahead. There weren’t even streetlights to guide you back later.

The wind slapped your face, with it the grimy feeling of running at 60 kilometers per/hour, and sniffing Hendery’s virile scent.

Hendery sure drives like the road was his and he’s alone in the world.

For this adventure, you refused to wear any helmet at all. It took minutes of disagreement, but Hendery had come in peace with it. If this was the first time you were riding towards the city— a place as strange to you as anything in the world— you wanted to caress it with your whole body. After all, this was an event more special than your own birthday.

As Hendery revved the engine faster, your grip on his torso tightened. Nonetheless, you bite your tongue to stop the squeal that was threatening to come out of your mouth. You will brave this ride. And there was nothing that would stop you from relishing this feeling.

All your trust and all your hopes of a safe travel were in Hendery’s hands today. And if you were to be honest, a sliver of doubt still flows in your veins. It has to be normal for a village girl to feel this way. Hendery could be infuriating at times, and he sure has this mysterious secret in his eyes, but he’s never done you anything hideous. Or perhaps you were only a naive girl, too blinded by ambitions and the overflowing courage in your heart, that you walked right into the devil’s trap.

You sent a silent prayer to God to guide you safely despite breaking the rules of your parents.

Slowly, the copse of trees became an expanse of water. Then you were traveling on a bridge, with a river below you. Busses, cars, and motorcycles alike run along the bridge, adding much to your adrenaline. You couldn’t remember the last time you have seen a bus. Perhaps it was when the students from the city took a trip to your village.

You turned your head to see the water. Few birds were flying as well as diving into the water to catch some fish. The wind coming from it was briny and sticky. But you loved it nonetheless.

Then the tall buildings loomed ahead, at the edge of the bridge. You cannot help but gape at it. How isolated have you become to marvel at tall buildings? Embarrassed as you were, you didn’t let it douse out your excitement.

Hendery slowed down as you meet the highway. On the pavements there walked the passersby. Some were hurrying, some were jogging with their dogs. Inside the coffee shops were lovers laughing while sipping on their drinks.

Despite the pandemic, the city felt alive. It thrummed with an energy you haven’t experienced before. It made you feel dizzy with excitement.

“It’s two p.m.,” Hendery stated before parking his motorcycle in a dead alley.

You hopped off. “Won’t you get in trouble parking here?” you asked, roaming your eyes around the two buildings covering the alleyway. In the village, there would be no problem parking your car wherever. But as far as you were concerned, city policies were different.

Hendery snickered. “Nobody would dare.”

By that, you raised a brow. “What do you mean?”

He sighed. “Nevermind.” Then he faced you with a smile. “Where do you wanna go?”

You deadpanned. “I’m not from here. You’re supposed to show me around.”

He feigned laughters. “Oh yes, I almost forgot. But—” Hendery raised his pointer finger as if in warning. “May I warn you that I’m not a ferris wheel type of guy.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I’m adrenaline embodiment.” Then he grabbed your shoulder softly and guided you towards the buzz of people.

As you walked with Hendery on the side streets, you looked up to the sky. It was gray but bright nonetheless. The type of weather wherein you wouldn’t know if it would rain or the clouds were only keeping the sun away.

Different honk of cars resonated everywhere, with the giggles of students as they walk home. There were teenagers sitting on the narrow alleyway, their clothes black and their pants ripped. You regarded them with narrowed brows. Then the two teenagers kissed.

“Oh,” you gasped as you cover your eyes. It felt private, albeit the fact that they were kissing in a public place.

Hendery chuckled. “That’s like, level 0.1 of the things that happens there.”

Before you could ask him what did he mean for the nth time that day, Hendery held your hand and tugged you. “See that sign up there?”

He stood extremely close to yours. Strands of his hair flew towards the sides of your face. You gulped before following his pointer finger with your eyes. He was pointing at the sign across the street. It was surrounded by different types of people, but students dominated the whole entrance. Above their heads was a huge sign board that says ‘Wonderland’.

“Yeah.” You nodded your head. “What is it about?”

“It’s a circus,” Hendery said as he turned to look at your face, “Last to arrive pays for the tickets. Deal?”

“Wha— wait! That’s not fair!” you shouted when he bolts away.

Hendery took a look at you while laughing. His hair obscuring his eyes. “Run!”

You exhaled sharply before gathering your skirts and running towards him. As your shoulders slammed to different bodies, you shout apologies on your wake. If this was a normal day, you would have to stopped and say your apologies with a bow. But this wasn’t a normal day. And Hendery didn’t even bother to stop even if he had to push students out of his way.

However, he drew in a halt as a little girl suddenly appears from a boutique. Hendery was still ahead of you by five steps, but because of the circumstances, you tapped his shoulder and run past him.

At last, it was time for you to cross the streets. The streetlight says red. You muttered, “Green, green, gree—”

“Didn’t take you for a… runner,” Hendery breathed with his hands on the sides of his waists as he stood beside you.

You ignored him. Then the lights went green. You stormed away from him, dodging the elders crossing the street. Hendery laughed behind you. And he was extremely close.

With one last force of a leg, you jumped the one meter distance from the pavement to the entrance line of the circus. “I won!” you shouted in triumph.

Hendery shook his head, disbelief visible in his face. “This is unbelievable,” he muttered.

“A ticket for two,” you taunted, displaying two fingers in front of him. “The deal is the deal.”

Hendery sighed and fished for his pocket. Perspiration trickled down your back as you follow Hendery towards the ticket booth. After he received the tickets, he handed you his kerchief. “For your sweat.”

You immediately raised your hands. “Oh, no! It’s okay!”

Hendery tilted his head to the side. “You are sweltering like a waterfall. Here, let me,” he said before pulling you and patting the kerchief to your forehead.

You looked away blinking, unable to form words as you felt the fabric pressing softly on your skin. As if you were a thin, breakable glass he feared that might break if he wasn’t careful. “Thanks,” you whispered when Hendery finally folded back the kerchief to his back pockets.

Both of you turned and faced the entrance of the circus.

The door opened, revealing two little person wearing brightly colored jumpers. Their faces were made up to copy the image of a clown. Both of their heads look up, then they scrunched their noses, clearly irritated of a customer.

“Come in,” they blabbered in unison.

You looked at Hendery. He had that same smile on his face when he walked through the turnstile.

The hallway that displayed itself in front of you were made of corrugated roof ceiling and walls. You felt as if you were in a box.

Different posters of performers adorned the corrugated roof walls. There is the two little person, on their jumpsuits, balancing themselves on a large ball. At your right side, there is the image of a mermaid. Of course, circus such as this one would have a fake mermaid. Then there is an image of a man playing with fire.

You cannot help but stare in awe. You have a knowledge of circuses since you have read books and watched movies to have a distinct image of it in your mind. However, you haven’t really experienced one.

Hendery walked beside you, not bothering to see the posters plastered on the wall. That gave you a hint that maybe he has been in Wonderland already. He was born here in the city after all.

“How many times have you been here?” you decided to ask, voice echoing through the hallway.

“Too many times to count.”

The two little person opened another door. You gaped in astonishment as you take in the picture of the whole circus. Lambent lights hung in different trees, giving the whole area a soft glow.

There wre families resting under the trees and students hopping to different food carts to another. It was a whole new world in the middle of the city. And it was so lively that you feel the energy thrumming in your veins.

Hendery stared. Not at the circus, but at you. Pure amazement adorned your face. And perhaps your eyes twinkled brighter than the lights, too. Hendery couldn’t help but smile. It was somewhat fulfilling taking in your expression. He took you for a woman difficult to impress. Yet he was mistaken. There was that glow in you that he hasn’t seen before in anyone else’s eyes.

And for the first time in twenty years, Hendery has seen the rainbow he was waiting for. It wasn’t in the end of the pandemic. It’s in you.

When you craned your neck to look at him, Hendery blinked and looked away, his heart thudding madly inside his chest.

He couldn’t believe it. This feeling. For someone as sinful as him, Hendery had never expected to feel this type of… fondness.

“I thought you weren’t a ‘ferris wheel’ guy?” You lifted a brow while quoting the air.

The ferris wheel was located at the very corner of the circus’ vicinity. As if on cue, Hendery’s childhood memories weaved their way back to his mind. The laughters of his father and his own giggles whenever they would ride the said ferris wheel.

After seconds of being taciturn, Hendery answered, “I’m not.”

“Really?” you teased. “You needn’t deny it!”

Hendery placed a hand above your head and ruffled your hair. “Come, I’ll show you around.” Then he stretched his hand to you.

Clearly flustered, you stared at his outstretched hand for a minute. You wrapped your hand with his. Taking his hand felt as if a manifold of experiences in itself, but it was thrilling nonetheless.

Both of you entered the tent where the mermaid perfoms. Of course, she was fake. But the craftmanship of her tail almost made you doubt your own eyes. It was simply marvelous.

Next that you visited was the fire-breathing man. The thing was, he was extremely talented and… cute. However, when you mentioned it to Hendery, his amazement deterred and he pulled you out of the tent.

Now you stood in front of a food cart, trying to pick between corndog or fries. You chose fries with lemon iced-tea. Hendery preferred the former.

“We need to go home,” you said while looking up at the sky. There wasn’t any brightness in the heavens any more, only darkness. The stars were hidden in the clouds, which give an ominous sign that it might rain.

And you couldn’t afford to rain. Your mother would go nuts. But then you thought how you have already defied her. Might as well enjoy the night, right? You heaved a sigh. No. You have to go home.

“Yes,” Hendery sighed. He was looking at the heavens, too.

Contemplative of the adventure you have experienced today, you looked at Hendery. Four weeks ago, you have resented his presence in the church because of your own preconceptions. But if this boy beside you didn’t arrive, you wouldn’t have the courage to defy your mother and finally go to the city.

In spite of everything, the saying proves true— that someone could go rebellious if ensnared for a long time. Yes, it was not pleasant to flout parents, but this freedom… you almost felt like a bird with its wings spread wider.

Hendery shifted, then he turned to face you. “Just one last destination.” He spoke the word with a certain anticipation. How could you deny him the chance?

Then you departed the circus.

“Is this safe?” you asked Hendery while you climbed the stairs of an unknown building near the alleyway where he parked his motorcycle.

“Yeah,” Hendery hummed. “This seems empty but trust me, this could be a party place.”

When he said that, you noticed the littered cigarettes in the corners. There were candy wrappers… and some rubber that you had no name for.

“This place is creepy,” you announce when you reach the last set of stairs.

Hendery’s laugh echoed through the empty place. “It’s not,” he said before pushing open a door that leads somewhere.

“A rooftop,” you stated as a-matter-of-factly. Your boots made a clocking noise against the pavement as you walk towards the railings. You stared in awe as different lights from the stores below twinkled like fireflies.

The darkness intensified the colors of everything. The city wasn’t perfect, but was beautiful at this time of the day. With the wind softly nuzzling your face, you breathed a sigh of relief at everything.

“This is beautiful,” you said in utter adoration.

Hendery leaned and grabbed the railings. His floppy hair dancing with the wind, once again falling down his eyelids. “It is,” he breathed.

At the horizon, some far away land stared at you, probably wondering of your unfamiliar face, too. There were mountains and there were also lights flickering from it. The sky was a darker shade of magenta turning black. It’s a pity that there were no stars to grace the heavens.

“Thank you, Hendery,” you whispered.

Hendery looked at you, a smile adorning his lips. “For you.”

Your shoulders brushed against each other, sending your heart into a marathon again. Then you sighed a heartful one. “I want to live here.”

“Really? This was only a façade, though. Bad things crawls out in this city.”

Bad things. There were bad things all around the world, though. “In the village, too,” you muttered, “Bandits. Everywhere.”

“Yeah. Bandits,” he repeated with the same contemptuous voice.

“What do you like most about this city?” you decided to ask. He’s from here. And he won’t stay if he doesn’t find anything beautiful here, right?

Hendery’s eyes were looking at the horizon while he answered, “My…” Then you notice the curvature of his throat as he gulped. “The memories of my family.”

Something inside you insisted to ask him further. So you opened your mouth to speak. “Where are they?”

Hendery displayed a painful smile before a chuckle resonated through him. “My dad died because of the pandemic, and my mom… she’s missing.”

You tasted something bitter in your mouth by the revelation. You shouldn’t have asked. Then you placed a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s okay.” The boy tried to smile when he looked at you. But an old pain still sparked in his eyes.

People tend to say it’s okay even when it’s not. You supposed it’s one of the ways for them to cope. Instead of forcing Hendery, you tried to smile for him, too.

“And your mother.” You cleared your throat. “Just ask me if you need any help.”

“Thank yo—” Hendery’s words were interrupted by the large pitter patters of the rain.

You gasped and shielded your head. Hendery does the same. Then the both of you run towards the building. The ravaging of the rainfall could be heard against the ceilings. It was the sound that pierces the ears. And you were afraid that it’s not going to stop any sooner.

“We have to go home,” you said while biting your nail.

“We can’t,” Hendery pronounced with a shrug.

You sighed deeply, forcing your knees to stand still. “My mother would kill me.”

Even though there was absolute dread to the words, you couldn’t feel any regret. You would’ve done it all over again if given the chance.

“You can call her,” Hendery suggested. “There’s a payphone down the next block.”

She would go absolutely unhinged once she knew about your whereabouts. But you have to at least tell her. Or lie about it. There was no other choice.

You mentally memorized your mother’s cellphone number. She has one, to contact father whenever he’s away. But she barely uses it.

“Let’s go,” you said.

While descending the stairs of the abandoned building, you thought about ways on how to dodge your mother’s possible questions. Lying has left a burning sensation in your chests. But it was the only way. And if it would somehow save you from the doom of being whip to shreds, you’d gladly do it.

Hendery offers you his leather jacket to use as an umbrella. You would have refused, but the rain was falling heavily. You cover your head before running.

When you reached the payphone, Hendery was drenched from head to toe. Due to some miracle that you couldn’t describe yourself, your corsage remained dry.

You delved for a coin inside your pockets and slid it with shaky fingers. Trying to squeeze himself inside the payphone, Hendery stoof mere inches away from you. Your chests too close to each other. Flustered, you focused on the phone still ringing against your ear instead of your bodies’ proximity.

You heard the click of the phone from the other line then the sound of your mother’s voice. “Hello?” she answered.

Running a damp hand through your hair, you gulped and said, “Mom, it’s Y/N.”

“Y/N?” You could see her eyebrow raising in your mind. And that made you even more agitated. Mother wasn’t easily convinced. You would need to slid through a needle’s hole if you ever wish to successfully lie to her.

“Yes, Mom. I’m here— at—” You bit your thumbnail as you realize that you cannot truly deceive her.

“Where are you?” she asked, “Why is it so loud in there?”

Shoot. The harsh sound of the rain was, of course, loud. And it probably wasn’t raining that hard to the village or not at all. You needed to think.

“Mom— I— I have an errand to run for Father Ben,” you lied. “And… well… I am in the market. And—” You take a deep breath. “I don’t think I would be able to come home tonight—”

“What?” she said with a voice louder than the rain. “What errand? And why aren’t you coming home?”

“Mother, it’s strictly confidential!” You added just enough panic to your voice to make your deceit more convincing. “And Father Ben told me not to tell anyone—”

“Well, I am your mother so I deserve—”

“Hello? Mother? Mom? I can’t hear you!”

“Y/N—”

“Alright, Mother. I’ll take care! I’ll see you tomorrow!”

You dropped the phone immediately, not letting your mother say a word any more. Drawing ragged breaths, you let your back rest on the cold glass encasing the payphone. Then a laughter seized your attention. It was Hendery.

Baffled, you raised a brow. “What’s funny?” you asked, but you had a feeling that you know the answer to your own question. He found it amusing, your panicked conversation with your mother.

Hendery tried to shrug despite his laughter. “I just find it amusing,” he says as his glee receded. You glared at him, but the boy only pointed his finger right in front of your nose. “Now, quit being so strung up.”

“I am not,” your affronted reply. But he was right, your stomach was still tied in knots after the conversation. It was as if your mother would appear in front of you out of nowhere.

You looked at your surroundings. The buildings still towers over you. The road was drenched with rainwater and it didn’t seem to stop any time soon.

“Where do we sleep?” you asked Hendery, embarassed of the realization that you have no idea about the city and where you were supposed to sleep now that you were stuck in an unfamiliar place.

“‘We’?” he teased, “That sounds nice—”

“Hendery!” You hit his arm lightly, eliciting yet another fits of laughter from him.

“I know some place,” he said, “Don’t worry.”

You shrugged. “Well, aside from the fact that I wasn’t from here... and it’s my first time venturing to the city— yeah,” you sighed, “I really shouldn’t worry.”

He seemed not to sense the sarcasm lying within your words for he placed a reassuring hand on your shoulder. “You’ve got me. I won’t let anyone harm you, alright?”

Ah, the vulnerability in a rather cold façade. It’s marvelous to behold. You couldn’t help but smile. Romance books were true, after all. Once an aloof boy shows some affection, it really feels like lying in a field of cotton.

“You have to promise,” you said. Hendery opened his mouth to speak his oath, but you offered him your pinky finger instead. “Lock it.”

Hendery stared at your hand for a good minute before exhaling a ruminative sigh. Then he placed his pinky finger against yours. The both of you entwined your finger in a lock.

“Ah,” he sighsd at the sight of your coiled fingers, “You really are something else.”

If he was talking about the pinkies, you weren’t so sure how did he consider it something else. It was probably childish, yes, but on other spectrum of things, children rarely lies. That somehow strengthened his promise; the childishness yet purity of it all.

“Yes,” you said, a bit proud of the compliment, “I really am.”

You were in an unknown place, hugging the torso of a boy as you rode with him on his motorcycle. The lights of the cars the only lambency there is in an isolated road.

It should bother you— this unfamiliarity clinging in your bones. But all you could feel was the burning sensation of thrill as it flows in your veins; this strange freedom.

The night was a cacophony of rainwater splashing to everything it touches. With your body pressed against Hendery’s back, both of you braved the unforgiving rain. It was surely the night that would go down to your own history.

“Where are we going?” you asked, giving way too little acknowledgement to your soaked clothes and clattering teeth.

A new empty alleyway greeted you as Hendery turned left with his engine the only noise in the dead of the night. White street lights flicker as he slows down, then you come to a halt in front of an empty gasoline station.

Irradiant glow of pink and orange LED lights adorned the signage plastered above the store. At the sides of the vicinity, rows of motel rooms could be seen. Hendery killed the engine, then both of you hop off his motorcycle.

“Wait! I... I don’t have the money—” you tried to argue, but the boy only flashes you his most beautiful smile.

Still smiling, Hendery held your hand and you both ran to the columns of motel rooms. He roamed his eyes everywhere. When he saw no one, Hendery tugged you softly towards the stairs up to the second floor.

Now, there was no light adorning the second floor of the motel. But the glow of the moonlight casted its illumination towards the place, making a slanted shadow on the walls.

“How do we—”

Hendery turned to you and quickly placed a finger to your lips. “Shh,” he shushed.

There was something about the glint in his eyes that made you agitated and even excited. If both were possible to feel at the same time. Mischief oozes its way out of his body as Hendery pulls a piece of a metallic wire from his pockets. He, then, curled the wire with his fingers. Once done, Hendery inserted the wire to the doorknob.

“Hend—”

For the third time, he cut you off. “Trust me.”

In his eyes, something stirred. You caught a glint of it because of the moon. Hendery knows what he was doing, and it looks as if he’s done this a million times already.

You pressed your mouth in a thin line. Rubbing your hands against the skin of your arms, you look around while Hendery works his wonders to the door.

505, that was the number plastered above the doorframe. The room number.

Within a few minutes, there was a click. Then the door opened in front of you to reveal a typical motel room.

There was a bed near the blinds, then a bedside table. A 1960’s model of RCA television sat at the edge of the mattress, with a single ottoman beside it. The room had also been illuminated by a single deep yellow bulb.

It was 2040. Whatever remnants of 2020 remains, it doesn’t look like this. Motel rooms were a thing eighty years ago. However, you couldn’t complain. You have been wanting to sleep in a room such as this one. People can call you hopeless romantic, but that was the truth. There was a certain vintage love surrounding motel rooms which you yearned to experience yourself.

You looked at Hendery, who was currently standing beside you with a rascal grin on his lips. He was definitely proud of what he did. Notwithstanding of the circumstances, and of the fact that you have just sneaked into a private property, you couldn’t help but grin yourself.

This was way out of the rules of being a sacristan. And you would get a whole mass worth of scolding if Father Ben knew about your adventures today. Despite all of that, you couldn’t help but feel a swell of happiness and pride in doing what you did today.

“I assume this isn’t paid?” You raised a brow.

Hendery shook his head with a small chuckle. “Obviously.”

“Aren’t we gonna get in trouble doing all... this?” you asked him, voice laced with skepticism. Bold as you were, the thought of going behind bars in an unknown place still gives your heart a little bit of a jolt.

“We’re already in trouble,” Hendery said  nonchalantly, “Might as well enjoy it.” He placed his hand on your shoulders as he searched for your eyes. “Besides, this doesn’t happen all the time.”

You stared at the depths of his orbs. There seemed to be a permanent mark of roguishness dancing in his eyes that you only notice now.

What devilment in an angelic face. Bemusing as it was, you loved it. This Hendery.

“To me,” you said, “But you’re from here. And from

the looks of it, you’ve done this a million times before.”

Hendery’s shoulder shook from his laughter. He laughed so much for someone with sad eyes. “Yes. I won’t deny it. But this isn’t for me, though. This adventure is for you.”

It’s funny how a stranger could give you all you have ever wanted in a single day. By that alone, you knew that you would forever be grateful of this boy in front of you.

“Thank you,” you whispered, “So much, Hendery.”

You didn’t know what it was, but Hendery lost his composure as his mouth gaped open a little bit. The sincerity of your voice moved him and made his knees weak.

This has been the first time he heard the words from someone. All he had known were the frightened prayers every time he would point a gun to someone, the muffled cries, the tear stained cheeks. It’s his first time to see sincerity to someone else’s eyes that was meant for him.

Perhaps you have seen it, too— the perplexity in his expression, the slight glitch of his demeanor. And it made your heart happy to see that you have affected him as much as he has affected you.

Hendery leaned closer, his face utterly close that you could make up your reflection in his eyes by the dim light of the light bulb.

He gulped, you did too.

It would deem as if no one amongst you had the experience of this... intimacy. No one had come close to your defenses but him. It rattled your bones underneath. And perhaps the world stilled when your lips met his.

It’s exactly like those in a romantic movie. It wasn’f rash, it wasn’t blistery. It’s soft... it’s heavenly. The kiss would compare to cotton touching another cotton. Both of your eyes were still open as you tried to savor the kiss. You were still thunderstruck beyond comprehension, but your lips were glued to his and there seemed no turning back. Not that you’d like too, anyways.

Hendery cupped your cheeks with his hands and pressed his lips against yours. You closed your eyes. In the blink of a moment, the kiss went wild. Now you would compare it to a sea under a storm. Raging and unforgivable.

You hadn’t noticed how your back had come into contact with the bed. But the surprisingly soft mattress hugged your back as Hendery lays you down slowly.

Your heart had its own business thudding harmoniously wild inside your chest with the kiss.

Hendery pulled away. You felt your plump lips and his had been red, too. With a second of eye contact, Hendery leaned and kissed you again. With the same fervor, with the same hunger.

Your hand shot up to his hair. The sound of someone kissing and your attempts to catch your breaths against the kiss, the only thing that could be heard inside 505.

His hands started to roam your body. His touches were like that of devotees; careful, with little prayers in every friction.

Lips a mere inch from each other, Hendery whispered with a raspy tone. “May I?”

You were here, and you were ready to do whatever this kissing ends up to. So you nodded.

He smiled while the moonlight caressed half of his face.

Then he brought his fingers to the laces of your corsages. With deft motion of a hand, Hendery pulled, the laces had come free, opening your collar bones and upper chests for him to see. The reveal of the skin made your breath hitch.

Hendery brought his fingers to the open skin, then he trailed— slowly, oh so slowly— downwards. As if your skin was Braille.

He kissed you. He whispered his confession in your ears. He touched you like he longed for you. He cried your name in a euphoric bliss.

That night, you weren’t a sacristan. You were a saint. Worshipped by a boy with the devil in his eyes.

But nobody— not even the moonlight slipping through the windows — told you about the doom that awaits your blooming love.

It was past four in the morning when you wake up. The room was dark, with the heavy light from the skies illuminating the floors through the blinds.

Hendery lied on the bed beside you. The light casted parallel lines on his bare chests and stomach. While you laid on your side, your hands between your thighs and a smile on your lips.

Hendery leaned to trace your shoulder up to your cheek, sending goosebumps down your back. Then he whispered the words, “You’re so beautiful.”

You would’ve hit him with a jest, but your breath seems to clogged in your throat. Pure words for someone with jagged edges. Then you suddenly noticed his tattoo. You still didn’t know what that meant. So you reached out your hand and traced his skin.

“What does your tattoo means?” You asked him.

Hendery held your hand that was tracing his tattoo when he answered. “Survive. To live.”

ix. I believe in the Holy Spirit...

“You really don’t have to, Hendery,” you timidly stated.

Hendery sighed, but his smile never disappeared. “You know I won’t let you go, right?”

It’s six a.m., the both of you have already finished donning your clothes. Some parts of the fabrics were still sodden, but nevertheless wearable. You picked up a lone thread from your skirt before standing up and facing the window. The dream was finished, and you needed to wake up now.

A sigh went past your lips as you stared at the horizon displayed before your eyes. You weren’t sure when you would experience this kind of freedom again, so it was better to seize the remaining moments of not being trapped into a cage that was your own house by taking in the view of a small part of the city.

Hendery stood beside you, his eyes far away. “How do you feel?” he asked.

A sudden heat crept up in your cheeks by the question. The unbidden imagery of last night threaded its way back in your mind. Did you regret doing it with Hendery? Not one bit. Some might call you stupid for falling in a love supported by unspoken promises and confessions, but the union with Hendery have made you feel whole somehow. Like you were in the skies, and the stars were about your reach.

He made you feel powerful. He made you feel worthy of devotion. He made you feel utterly you. No inhibitions, no pretense.

The honesty slid smoothly from your lips. “I feel incredible,” you answered. You turned sideways to face him. Hendery’s face was ethereal in the night, especially when his lips were parted, sweats trickling down his face. But as the early light of the morning hit his features, you couldn’t believe that he could even be this more beautiful.

“How about you?” you managed to ask.

A chuckle. Your heart made the familiar jump at the sound. “I’ve never felt this happy for years.” And it was the truth. Hendery thought that the money and power a banditry offers would give completion in his life somehow, that it would serve as stitches for his tattered life. But as he recalled everything that has happened since he met you, he might be stupid, but he knew real happiness when it’s staring back at him in the wee hours of the morning.

He would’ve bottled the sound of your pleas and your cries if he would, he would’ve kept your laughters in a treasure chest buried someplace else he only knew, he would’ve given you everything and anything— and perhaps he did— if he could. As he stared at your face, so goddamned innocent and peaceful, Hendery knew one thing: you would break him into pieces, and he would let you.

A smile painted your lips, erasing the agitation of what this new day would bring. “I wouldn’t have experienced all of this if not for you,” you told him.

Hendery laughed. “You wouldn’t have experienced all of this if you didn’t dare.”

That was him: the beam that was supporting your life. He’s never failed to make you feel as if you could do everything despite the odds.

Your smile widened. “But now we have to go back.”

“Yeah, unfortunately—” Hendery’s words were cut off by the sound of the bedroom door clicking.

Your eyes widened, but he kept a cool façade. Then it swung open, revealing a middle-aged man carrying a broomstick and a dustpan. His forehead creased as he saw you standing near the window, then realization hit him. “Who are you?!” he shouted.

Hendery gripped your hand, then he dashed for the door, pulling you behind him. The helper was too dumbstruck to even say a thing again, let alone stop you from sprinting away. Hendery was laughing all the way down the stairs, while your forehead was coated with little beads of sweat.

When you reached his motorcycle, Hendery let go of your clammy hand. “That was... incredible!” he gleefully stated.

You tried to catch your breath by gulping large bouts of air. “That was scary!” you told him after steadying your breath.

Hendery fished for his keys from the back pocket of his jeans while still laughing. “Sacristan girls,”

he muttered teasingly.

Rolling your eyes heavenwards, you crossed your arms over your chests. “You don’t have to be a sacristan to know what’s scary or not.”

Once again, the roar of the innkeeper echoed across the gasoline station, bringing you on a hurry to climb Hendery’s motorcycle. With a chuckle, he ignited the engine and revved through the day.

The city was deserted early in the morning. And it was undeniably dull. The paint from different buildings were chipped, and they could really use a renovation. You were baffled at how you didn’t notice the dullness yesterday. Perhaps it was your excitement getting the best of you. Humdrum as it was, this city would forever hold a special place in your heart, along with the man you have traveled here with.

The ride back home was enveloped in utter silence, not that you could hear each other over the loud blare of the motorcycle’s engine. And as you neared to the village, your heart couldn’t help but thud abnormally inside your chests. You felt as if your throat was constricting, air passage clogging. It would deem as if there was an apocalypse waiting for you back home.

No. You have to trust your intuitions, no matter how indistinguishable it was. Your mother knew you were safe, there wasn’t anything to fret about.

But you knew better than to calm down. Your father was a lot easier to convince than your mother, you let your heart loosen up by that fact, even just a little bit.

With the empty and bumpy road ahead of you, the familiar stillness of the village welcomed you back home. A sense of familiarity splashed on you at the sight of tall trees and green meadows. This has been what you have known all your life, you were coming back to it after a night of pretermitting.

“Stop right there,” you said in a voice so low even you had a hard time hearing the words.

Hendery knew that you would never allow him to be seen in the village, much worse with you. But after last night, a slight stab in his heart bloomed at the thought of you, not being able to introduce him to your parents just because he rides a shiny-black motorcycle.

And as if you heard his thoughts, you cleared your throat before Hendery could kill the engine on the side road. “Or... you could take me home.”

It was stupid. Imbecilic. A voice inside your head whispered that it was a bad idea, but upon seeing how Hendery’s lips turned to a smile by looking at the side mirror, all your fear had been vanquished. Suddenly, you were ready to face the world again.

Your grip on his shirt tightened as you entered the village. It was mid-morning. There were a few elders fanning themselves in their verandas under the blistering weather. They squinted at the sight of you, a sudden contempt in their lips which they conveyed as a frown.

“Turn left,” you mumbled, praying that he heard you just right.

By the silence that was unusual of Hendery to exude, you have contemplated that maybe he was nervous, too. The thought made you slightly giddy and anxious at the same time. You have never brought a man home. Not even introduce a boy friend to your parents. Just when you thought that last night would be a history of your own, this morning has proved you wrong.

Your stomach was empty, but you felt like retching in the bushes as Hendery stopped the engine in front of your house. Mother was tending to her flowers when you hopped off the motorcycle. Father was nowhere to be found.

You looked at Hendery before sauntering towards your mother. The rustle of your feet against the grasses garnered her attention. She looked up to see you, then to the boy beside you.

You walked up towards her to kiss her cheek. Mother stood still as your lips made a friction against her skin. She was looking straight at Hendery, who had a polite smile on his face.

You cleared your throat. “Mother, this is Hendery.”

Hendery stretched out his hand to your mother. “Hendery Wong, pleased to meet you.”

Mother stared at his outstretched hand for seconds. Your knees started to wobble. Then Mother took Hendery’s hand. “I’ll prepare the food,” she said, the tone unfathomable.

When she attempted to leave, Hendery quickly raised his arms as if to stop your mother. “It’s fine, Mrs. I just dropped Y/N off.” He looked at you and nodded his head. “See you at the Church, Y/N,” he said.

Your lips coiled in a frown. The atmosphere was thick, and there was no doubt Hendery felt it. Your mother could’ve been warmer in greeting him, but you knew better than anyone else than to force the time when it obviously wasn’t ready.

With a tone of both reluctance and slight disappointment, you mumbled, “See you.”

He nodded one last time before turning his back and getting on his motorcycle.

The same time Hendery revved the engine once more, your father went out of the house with a glass of cold water in hand. “What’s that about?” he asked.

The garden shovel your mother was holding was dropped as she focused her attention towards you. You braced yourself for the imminent storm that was coming. And there it was, in a voice so loud even the houses nearby grew hairs and got goosebumps, your mother cried out, “What on earth are you thinking?!”

Father sipped on his water, his brows arching above the rim. There was no accusation in his eyes, only interest and confusion.

“What do you mean, Mother?” You tried to make your voice sound strong, but it came out as a breathy question.

“What do I mean?!” she roared. “Where were you last night? Tell me the truth.”

Truth be spoken, you were utterly rebellious to neglect your mother last night. But the wanting to experience something greater for once has overcome all your senses. Was it really abhorrent to experience such freedom?

You could feel your veins popping up your temple. Your breath was becoming ragged. And the stubbornness that was trying to envelope you didn’t help. It felt like a bomb ready to explode at any given moment.

“Where have you been—”

“The city!” you screamed back. “I went to the city with Hendery!”

Mother looked at you with a tormented face. From the way her mouth hung open with her eyes almost bulging out of their sockets, you could tell that she’s beyond horrified by the revelation.

“How dare you?” she whispered, “How dare you lie to me?”

Father was on her side instantly, laying a gentle hand on her back. “We all need to calm down—”

“Calm down?!” Mother turned to face him. “You’d expect me to calm down when my own daughter defied me?”

You bit your lower lip. What was the big deal? What the fuss was all about? It wasn’t as if you didn’t come home. Here you were, safe and sound.

“I’m sure Y/N could explain herself, right?” Father raised an encouraging brow at you. His lack of judgement pierced your heart with a throb.

“Yeah,” Mother said with enough scorn to make you recoil. “Let her narrate everything!”

You tried to catch your breath before forcing your face to look up to your parents. “What’s so wrong about going to the city?”

“Oh, you are one naive girl,” Mother stated as she made noises in her nose. “You could’ve been infected! You could’ve  brought danger into this home!”

“Mother!” you hissed. “The pandemic has already disappeared! I want to live a normal life now!”

Mother looked at you as if you weren’t her daughter but a mere stranger she’s picked a fight with. “Why are you so foolish and stubborn?”

“Why can’t you let me live my life?” you retorted.

“That’s enough,” Father warned with a commanding tone. His jaw was pulled taut. One more push and the three of you would burn right where you stood because of vexation.

Mother heed no warning for she continued to look at you as if she was contemplating to push you back to her womb. “I’m keeping you safe.”

“Safe?” You could almost laugh. “I don’t want safe.” I want freedom. I want danger. I want the sin. I want the rush.

“That’s enough talking back, Y/N. Return to your room and change,” Father commanded.

Mother’s lips were compressed in a tight line. You’ve expected her to say something, but no words were heard from her as Father guided her back to the house.

You were left alone in the garden, with your neighbors peeking at their fences to catch gossips.

You wish this world had been a little bit forgiving, a little bit welcoming for boys like him. He wasn’t cruel. He was kind... he was protective. And he was a tether to the dreams that you tried so hard to achieve. Without Hendery— the only person who believed that you were meant for greater things— you wouldn’t know what to make of your life anymore. Sure, you would get back on your feet. But you would never want to feel alone in the battle again. You didn’t want to start empty again. And you would never wish to be parted from Hendery. Ever.

x. The Holy Catholic Church…

“Oh, look who’s finally arrived,” Kun uttered with a shit-eating grin as Hendery appeared in the abandoned building Kun made a rendezvous in the outskirts of the town.

For weeks, they stayed and made their camp here. With Kun occupying the last and only good-conditioned room in the building. There, he’s beaten by Hendery for apparently mowing down Xiaojun’s jaw.

The grin Kun had on his face intrigued Hendery, but he wouldn’t let it show on his face. With inquisition was an annoyance Hendery didn’t know where he came from. It was just there, crawling on his skin. Perhaps it was his encounter with your mother, and the lack of warmth in her welcome.

But could he blame her? Not one bit. Hendery didn’t even think of meeting someone else’s parents and being introduced as a lover, but after getting chummy with you, his aspirations in life went a little higher than what he deserved. Hendery knew that it was a bad thing to be zealous, but that was what he had known after joining Kun’s banditry.

“What’s going on?” he asked, albeit not having the heart to inquire in the first place.

After a day and night with you, Hendery yearned for one thing: sleep. He just couldn’t close his eyes when you were lying on his side, with your peaceful face and soft snores. Hendery wanted to capture every moment, to memorize each line of your face, to be drowned in the serenity of the night.

His other comrades were nowhere to be found which was new. At this time of the day, all of them needed to report their sleuthing of a certain area assigned to them. Kun wanted to know everything.

Kun’s grin only widened. “How’s your job, Hen?”

Hendery ran a hand through his hair. “I’m still trying to make my way onto the priest’s chamber.”

Kun sat up on the swivel chair and placed his feet on the table laid before him. “If I’m not mistaken,” he started, “It’s been months since I sent you to the Church. And until now, you still don’t have anything useful to tell me.”

Hendery’s jaw twitched. He hated how he’s inclined to answer every Kun’s calls. And he had never felt this way before towards his work, that was if you could call banditry a job. He was always the best. That made him Kun’s favorite. But that was before he met you.

Meeting you really had changed most of his beliefs about life. He’s almost convinced to let go of his wretched ways and have a normal way of living— a life he could be proud of. And a life with you.

“Father Ben’s strict,” Hendery lied. The priest was as kind as a deer. If Hendery wished to enter his chamber, he’d gladly let him out of his trusting nature. And that would be the end as well as the start of everything. Hendery still wasn’t prepared to drop the new life he has, because that would mean he has to let you go, too. The mere thought made his stomach recoil.

“Strict?” Kun asked as he raised a playful brow. “But you’re my best asset, Hen. There is no ‘strict’ when it comes to you.”

If these were normal times, Hendery would’ve smirked by the compliment. But he knew what Kun meant. And he’s heard the warning even if it was unspoken.

Months ago, Hendery and Sicheng started searching for places to rob in the isolated villages near the local market. Until they had come across the Church. Upon their nightly visit and hawkshawing, Hendery found out that Father Ben has a golden necklace. The thing has become their target ever since. However, you wouldn’t see Father Ben taking the necklace off. Hendery won’t be able to steal it without violence.

He would’ve finished the work sooner than intended. Besides, he knew brutality like the back of his hand. It had become his armor through the years. And Father Ben didn’t hold a special place in his life, no matter how nonjudgmental the priest was. He could easily wrench the necklace away from his neck without any remorse. But he feared you.

The thought of failing you, of disappointing you, and of showing Hendery’s true colors to you has left his courage dwindling.

What cowardice. He would’ve punched himself unconscious if he could. Hendery wasn’t familiar to this kind of weakness, and he didn’t know how to deal with it.

Hendery shifted on his seat, shaking off the tension from his body. “The priest was surprisingly guarded,” he lied once more. Father Ben was as permeable as the Church itself. It was Hendery’s own choices that the work has slowed down.

Kun hummed. He withdrew something from his drawers. Picture, Hendery noticed, but he was too tired to even think about its connection to the current discussion. “Perhaps you need some boosters to help you do the work.” Then Kun slowly placed the picture flat on his table. Hendery couldn’t see the image well for he was leaning back on his seat. Kun waved his hand. “Look.”

He knitted his brows together. Whatever it was, Hendery had a bad feeling that once he leaned, there would be no turning back. Nevertheless, he didn’t have much choice, did he? So he leaned, like a good boy that he was, and stared at the image.

Hendery bit back the sound which tried to echo from him at what the image displayed. It was his mother. On a hospital bed, looking withered and close to death. She was too frail. Too weak.

Hendery swallowed a sob. “How...” He gulped a few times before willing himself to continue. “How did you find her?”

Should he be rejoicing? He should be happy, right? But why did he feel miserable now more than ever?

“I told you. I’ll help you find her,” Kun said.

Hendery kept looking at the picture, afraid that it might disappear if he blinked. “Where is she?”

Kun chuckled then stood up. Hendery fought the urge to grab him and punch his face. “You act as if you don’t know how to play this game, Wong.” Kun’s fingers grabbed the edge of the picture. He tucked it inside his pocket, his grin never leaving his face.

Hendery bit the insides of his cheeks. Of course, he knew how this game works. “I’ll bring you the necklace tomorrow.”

That night, Hendery washed away the sleep by downing cups of coffee. The liquid takes its root inside his system, pumping blood in a pace that would keep him awake.

He sat on his made-up bed, with a lamplight beside him, providing little to no warmth against the cold. With a white silky towel in hand, Hendery wiped his handgun. It had been a while since he last pulled the trigger. And the weight was dead in his hand.

Perhaps there was no more redemption left for his torn soul. Perhaps he was only fooling himself in believing that his life could be better. Perhaps he was glued to violence and not even you could save him from it. No matter how hard he tries to believe that you could.

xi. The communion of Saints. The forgiveness of sins…

A knock on your door woke you from your trance. You realized you were looking at your reflection on the mirror mindlessly.

“Come in,” you said, clearly indifferent to the possibility that it might be your mother standing and knocking on the other side of the door. But you knew better. She would never raise the white flag for her daughter.

With one last sweep of your hands along your robes, you waited for your father to finally enter. When he did, he went straight to the bed and sat. He’s cornered you, there was no escaping from it now.

“Spill it, Father,” you mumbled, trying to sound as friendly as possible. It was enough that you have stretched your mother’s irascibility. You didn’t need another enemy in this house.

“You do know why mother’s angry with you, right?” he asked. Before you could answer, he continued, “It’s not just about the fact that you went home with a boy. And that you went to the city without telling us.”

A sighed. Then you whirled to face him. “I don’t understand her need to be angry. I am safe. And if she’s talking about the pandemic... I am alright, Father.”

It was Father’s turn to sigh. “I don’t have anything against you going to the city. I know your dreams, your aspirations. But you must understand that your mother’s protective of you because she loves you. And the pandemic isn’t gone. It’s there, we just don’t see it now since its effects have died down.”

You looked out the window, feeling as if your tears might betray you anytime. “I just want to experience life.”

Father walked up to you and placed a reassuring hand on your shoulder. “I know. Hell, I want you to live life to the fullest, too. Have fun, have mistakes. Kiss boys. Be crazy. But it isn’t the time. Your mother’s still not ready.”

With tears brimming, you looked up to your father. “And when would she be?”

Father smiled his kindest one. “Soon, darling.”

—

Your walking towards the church was occupied with birds chirping in the branches, and flowers blossoming in the meadows. Perhaps it will be a bright day despite the darkness of yesterday.

Hendery never left your mind, even though you have a lot to think about. He was etched in your brain, like some sort of a tattoo you wouldn’t be able to erase. That made you think whether he was thinking about you, too.

You shrugged the thoughts away as you arrived at the Church. It was unusually silent when you arrived. At this time of day, the other sacristan should be running around and helping clean the surroundings. It didn’t settle well with you.

“Kristan!” you called out when you saw him running towards Father Ben’s chamber. Is the priest sick?

Kristan halted to wait for you. You huffed a breath as you laid your hand on his shoulder. “Where is everyone?”

The little boy bit the insides of his cheek. He didn’t meet your eyes when he said, “At Father Ben’s chamber.”

“What are they doing there? And what’s that for?” you asked, regarding the white and clean towel he was holding. Instead of answering, Kristan held your hand and pulled you towards the priest’s chamber.

The little bedroom was jam packed with the sacristans occupying most of the spaces. Father Ben was sitting on his rocking chair, with what you could tell was an ice-cube inside a clean towel being pressed on his left cheek by Lucy.

Your heart dropped to your stomach. “What happened here?” you asked particularly no one.

Father Ben winced. “I am alright, hija,” he said. But he looked nothing like that.

Lucy glared your way. Her eyes were full of accusations. “Hendery did this to him,” she practically spat out the words with venom.

Now you couldn’t even feel your heart anymore. Hendery did this? How? Why? Despite feeling numb, you stepped closer to Father Ben. “Hendery... did this?”

How... Why... Gods, why? Father Ben looked at Lucy’s way, then the latter pursed her lips. She washed the cloth into the nearest basin, therefore allowing you to see the cut in Father’s cheekbone.

“He... punched me earlier,” Father Ben said in a low voice. He was undeniably pained by what happened. You couldn’t even bring yourself to speak, let alone react to something other than a thunderstruck expression. “And he stole my necklace.”

By that, you grabbed the nearest chair and sat. You placed your hand between your chest. This is all too much. Your bones felt like collapsing. “The... the necklace your mother gave you?” you asked this without looking at him. It was hard to do that when you feel responsible for everything that has happened.

No, it isn’t right to hurt yourself like this. But Hendery has been with you since day one. If he planned something as horrible as this, you would’ve known. You should’ve known. How could you be so stupid?

“Yes,” Father Ben breathed as he absentmindedly reached for his necklace. As far as you could tell, the necklace was given to him by his mother when he was little. It was an heirloom of sorts. A treasured legacy.

“How could he do this?” Lucy interrupted. “We welcomed him here. Believing that he was good.”

“It was another thing to steal. And another to hurt someone to rob them,” Rei added.

You really couldn’t blame them. You were in absolute shock to even argue and pretend that Hendery was better than this. They wouldn’t tell you he was the culprit if he wasn’t, right? God, you couldn’t breathe.

“I think he’s a bandit,” Lucy stated once more.

With that, you looked up at her. “That is a grave accusation to make, Lucy.” Now, you are even making excuses for Hendery. You could laugh from your own imbecility.

“Yes. I know,” she said. Then she stood tall. “But what would you have me call him? A grave man deserves a grave name.”

“Perhaps he has his reasons.” Your voice sounded uncertain. For you have no idea what could be the reason behind all this..

Lucy sniggered. “I used to think you were reasonable, Y/N. Don’t stoop so low. He’s hit Father Ben. He’s robbed him. Whatever reason he might have, it was wrong.”

You fell silent. Lucy speaks the truth. Hendery has done something hideous. He could be a bandit all along. He could be the one who’s been robbing the villagers off their small riches all this time. And yet… how? How could he smile at you like he could replace an angel in heaven? How could you be so naive and stupid?

Without your own realization, you have run away from the Church already. To where? You have no idea. But you needed to free the tightening rope inside your chest— you need to salvage your heart off a heartache. Seeing Father Ben dispirited, as well as your co-sacristans, have shot a bullet to your heart.

You felt ashamed and wounded. But before mending your own wounds, you have to search for Hendery first.

xii. The resurrection of the body...

Million thoughts ran in Hendery’s mind as he looked at the emaciated body of his mother lying in a hospital bed. A glass separates them both, but he felt far away to her now than before. She was looking so frail— as if her bones would snap if you did so much as to hold her hand in a featherweight touch.

Her situation pierced Hendery’s heart with a sword. It didn’t matter that he’d found her now. He doesn’t feel happiness for this accomplishment. Misery. Hate. And that hole of missing his mother for years were the only things he could coax himself to feel.

Perhaps he was too far gone because of his loathsome heart. Or perhaps it was because of the teenager standing beside his mother’s bed, sobbing his heart out, while a middle-aged man pats his back to soothe him. As much as Hendery didn’t want to admit it, he could see the same nose and lips that he’s got from his mother in the boy to even deny the truth. He’s his brother. Half-brother.

He balled his hand into fist. Sudden heat coated Hendery’s tear ducts. He swept the lone tear away with his jacket-sleeve. He’s accepted the truth before— he’s made peace of the fact that his mother abandoned him. But why does it hurt to look the truth in the face? She’s cared and loved another son while Hendery longed for her embrace. She’s fed another mouth while Hendery starved in the streets.

Why must the world be cruel?

Hendery stepped back and sat on the chair beside the glass window. He made himself as unimposing as possible until the father and son departed the room. Hendery gathered himself and walked towards the door, towards his mother.  

“A... Alec, is that—” Her mouth abruptly clamped shut as she realized who was standing before her. Without another word, her shoulder shook and there were tears in her eyes.

Hendery looked up, biting his lip. He won’t cry. He won’t cry. He won’t cry. “Come on, mom,” he stammered. “It’s not like you haven’t seen me for a long time, right?” Then he looked at her. She was coughing and sobbing now. Hendery had to help her sit up to give her some water.

“Is that really you?” she asked, thin fingers crawling at Hendery’s cheek. Her hand was cold. But it gave Hendery the warmth he was searching for. “Son,” she choked, “I’m sorry.”

Her voice was too weak. Hendery felt like he shouldn’t let her talk. So he shushed her instead. “I...” he stuttered, “I hate you, mom.” That’s it. He won’t hold back. He needs to say it. “I hate you so much. You left me. You left me to die.”

If her mother looked thunderstruck, her sunken eyes didn’t show it. “Hendery, son, I didn’t—”

“I became a bandit to survive. I kill now, mom. I kill so I can live. I kill so I can find you. I’ve asked myself a million times whether it was your fault I became like this.” Hendery snorted at the end. “But it was of my own choice so I couldn’t really blame you, could I? I chose this path to survive.

“I learned how to hold a gun because I need it. I’ve robbed people for money. For my own glory. For you. You left me in the dust. And all my life I’ve wondered why. Why did she leave me? Didn’t she love me? But I’ve thought about it and realized that I don’t need answers. I just need to see you.”

Her mother sobbed again. “I’m sorry, son, I’m sorry— I was scared.”

“Scared,” Hendery repeated. “We would’ve been fine together, mom. You and I.”

“I know,” she choked. “But when your father died— I was scared of the reality that we were alone. During a pandemic. The both of you were hanging on for your lives inside the ICU. And I’d nearly lost my mind.

“When he died, I didn’t have the chance to say good bye. They took him and burned his body. I was alone. Alone, thinking that you could be the next one they’d burn and I won’t have the chance to see your beautiful face for the last time. Instead of facing it all, I called your Aunt. When she came, I left.”

Hendery wanted to tell every abuse he’s gone through with his Aunt. But he didn’t want to remember those times, and he didn’t want to add into his mother’s guilt.

“I’m dying, son,” she whispered.

That, Hendery could tell. There’s a pang in his heart, yes, but he knew that there won’t be happy endings for bad people like him. All of us die in the end, however.

“I’m happy to see you,” she said, “It’s all I’ve ever wished to God every night.”

God. Is this what it feels like to know that someone has been praying for you? He felt... empty. Like everything is too late. The wound has been crawling with worms and there’s no more gauges to stop the pus.  

“Do they... know me?” Hendery asked, voice low.

Her mother pursed her lips together. “No. I haven’t told them about you.”

Of course, Hendery muttered in his mind. He stood up, smoothed his shirt with a forced smile and looked down at his mother. “I’ll better be going, then.”

“Where are you going? Hendery, son...”

Hendery placed his hand on his mother’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about me. I am fine.” Far from it, but you didn’t need to know that, he thought.

His mother’s eyes were red-rimmed, thus accentuating how sunken they’ve become. “Can you... give me a hug?”

Hendery blinked as he did not expect such favor. But he leaned forwards absentmindedly, and hug his mother tightly. He first heard his own sob before realizing that he was crying like a little boy in his mother’s arms. This wasn’t the reunion he had in mind. He thought they could still reunite and make a life together. Be away from people. Hendery thought he would take care of his mother until she’s grey and old.

But life has other cruel plans. The path has been twisted years ago. And whatever he could get from this hug, it is enough.

It would be enough.

With an empty mind, Hendery drove through the night. He didn’t know where to go. His mind has been blank since his visit to the hospital.

What does he feel? Fuck, what does he feel? He felt ashamed. For everything that’s happened today. From the way he cornered and punched Father Ben just to get his necklace. He wanted to blur and erase the shame. He wanted to disappear.

Hendery revved the engine. Faster and faster, he drove without destination. The wind got harsher, the night still dangerous. He couldn’t take his mind off Kun’s smile when he finally handed him the golden necklace. Kun tapped his back and congratulated him, his eyes twinkling like stars. Hendery never wanted to see the same sparkle in the man’s eyes anymore.

Then his mind drifted to you. Knuckle white around the accelator, Hendery bottled up the scream that has threatened to explode from him. You. With your kind smile and angelic face. You’re so good. And Hendery let you down. For once, he met someone who was willing to accept his flaws and every bad thing about him. But he answered you with claws.

So after all the disgrace, why did he stop in front of your house?

The village was quiet. No more lights could be seen inside the house. A further indication that you are already asleep. Despite that, Hendery found himself walking towards the small alleyway leading to your room. There’s a tree, beside your window. Hendery hesitated for a moment whether he would knock on your window to wake you up. Besides, he has been reckless with his decisions and he didn’t need you to think of him as a creep.

However, he stood a few meters away from the window. And there, all his muscles strained. He was locked up in his place as his eyes met yours. Donned in your nightgown, you stood there looking outside. Your own eyes turned wide as you realized that Hendery was standing if not in front of you.

He gulped, then quickly pivoted on his heels to walk away. No. He isn’t ready to talk to you tonight. The shame was too overwhelming for him to ignore.

“Hendery!” you screamed, and that would’ve been enough to wake the whole house.

Hendery’s steps faltered.

“Wait for me,” you uttered just enough for him to hear.

He sucked in a breath. No. He couldn’t do this. But before he could decide to run away, a hand tugged him. Hendery faced you. You had your hand in your chest as you tried to calm your breath.

“Y/N,” he whispered. Here you were, standing in front of him under the pale moonlight. Everything would’ve been romantic if not for the circumstances.

“Hendery.” You say his name like he’s good. Like he deserves forgiveness. Why?

“I…” he stammered, “I did something hideous.”

He expected you to accuse him. To shout at him. But all you did was to hold his hand. “Why?”

Hendery’s hand abruptly trembled. He bit his lower lip so hard, it bled. “My mother,” he choked. “Y/N… I saw her. Everything is for her.” He couldn’t stop his sniveling no matter how he try to stop it. In between sobs, Hendery told you what happened, his hand never letting go of yours. The shame that he’s felt has been obliterated clean. He didn’t even care about the tears rolling down his cheeks.

After he opened himself up to you, you reached for him and hugged his body tightly. Hendery fought the urge to cry again. So he hugged you back instead, drowning in your scent.

When you pulled back, there’s a lone tear sliding down your cheek. Hendery wiped it away with his thumb, cupping your cheek with his cold hand.

“Now. This is what we’ll do,” you began.

xiii. And life everlasting…

You paced in front of the altar, trying your hardest to contain your heart inside your chest. It’s been at least twenty-four hours since you last saw Hendery. Your mind would explode thinking of what could’ve happened to him now. He’s supposed to come back an hour later.

You started to think that maybe it was a stupid plan all along. But you couldn’t blame him. He wanted to redeem himself to Father Ben, albeit it’s hard doing so. And he really didn’t plan to do exactly that. Hendery only wanted to return the necklace.

After his visit last night, where in he told you all that has transpired between him and his mother, you told him how important the necklace was for Father Ben. It is an heirloom, given by his mother.

You tried to coax Hendery that he should go to church and ask for Father Ben’s forgiveness. And yet he insisted that he would return the necklace. No matter what happens.

No matter what happens. That didn’t sit well with you.

In the end, you couldn’t argue with him anymore. He was determined to prove himself: that he’s worthy of good things and of forgiveness. Such raw emotions. It made you cry.

You agreed to meet here in the Church. Hendery says it’s safer this way. It is still the house of God, according to him. No one would attempt to harm you here.

You faced the altar and knelt, but before you could chant the first prayer, the latch of the door sounded. Hurriedly, you stood up on your feet.

In the dark, the silhouette of Hendery was drawn. He limped towards you while clutching something in his hand. You ran towards him, relief flooding your system. Tears pricked your eyes by how at ease you’ve felt by seeing him.

“Hendery!” you squealed and hugged him tightly.

He chuckled weakly before pulling away. “Here,” he says. “For Father…” Then he coughed. He coughed. With blood spurting out of his mouth. Your heart dropped on your feet. No.

Before you could think, Hendery fell to the floor, kneeling. Bouts of cough attacked his throat.

“Hendery,” you sobbed, “What happened?” You knelt in front of him, holding his shoulders to support his frail body.

“This is nothing,” he tried to say, but the world were muffled.

Panicking won’t help. So you strived to remain calm although your heart was beating jarringly inside your ribcage. And in the end, you sobbed and cried. “Help!” you cried out with all your might. “Help us! Hendery!”

You locked Hendery’s arm around your shoulder and hurled yourself up. But his weight was dead and he doesn’t seem to be doing well. “Hendery, please!” You were a crying mess. Vision blurry, throat wrapped up in pins and thorns and needles. You placed your arm around his waist and tried to hurl him up for the second time, but Hendery screamed in pain as you made contact with his side.

He fell to the ground.

And there was too much blood.

Blood. You stared at your trembling hands.

“No!” you screamed. “Hendery!” You sat and scooped him up in your arms, tears streaming down your face to his. “Stay with me! God!”

Hendery’s eyes were drooping now. They look like crystals, frantic and wild. “I…” He coughed. Blood came out of his mouth again.

You shushed him, brushing away his hair sticking to his forehead. His skin was feverish. You choked again and again, trying to gulp down your cries. “Stay. With. Me.” You give emphasis to each word. “Hendery! No! No! Stay awake! Please!” You even started to slap his cheeks just to keep his eyes open.

Then his bloodied hand found your cheek. You sobbed as it made contact with your skin. “You…” he uttered under his breath, “you’re... so beautiful.” Hendery flashed you a smile. His teeth coated with blood.

“Please.” You bit your lower lip. “Stay with me.”

Hendery stared at your face, tears streaming down from his eyes. “So…” he whispered again, drawing circles on your cheek, “... beautiful.”

Then his hand fell.

Hendery spent his last breath with you. In front of the altar. With God your only witness that night.

Amen.

#nct-writers #hendery fic #hendery imagines #hendery angst #hendery fluff #hendery x reader #hendery au #hendery blurb #hendery scenarios #wong kunhang fic #wong kunhang imagines #wong kunhang angst #wong kunhang au #wong kunhang blurb #wong kunhang scenarios #wong kunhang x reader #nct au #nct imagines #nct x reader #nct angst #wayv au #wayv imagines #wayv x reader #wayv angst #wayv scenarios

[songfell-ut]

Chapter 13, something luck something

I gave myself the feels, @lostmypotatoes send help

Link here.

“…AND THIS, MY INTREPID YOUNG FRIEND, IS…THE ROYAL GUARD!! NYEHHHHHH!”

They’d stopped at the head of the staircase in the Grand Hall. Her new skeleton friend had thrown his arms wide at a line of monsters standing motionless in shiny black armor, as proud as a child showing a visitor his favorite toys. “NYEHHH,” he added reverently.

The Royal Guard was quite impressive, like gleaming statues that could come to life and kill you, but Frisk wasn’t scared. She could see their ears poking out from their helmets, and some of them looked pretty silly: a couple of dogs, a cat, a rabbit, a bug, something like a lizard or dragon…

But then there was their Captain, who had just removed her helmet. She did not look silly. “UNDYNE!” Papyrus blared at the tall, eyepatched fish-woman. “THIS IS KRIS! SAY HELLO TO HIM! …ER, UNDYNE? HIS NAME IS KRIS, NYEH HEH! …HE IS A HUMAN! …NYEH? UNDYNE?”

No answer. Undyne’s scarred, scowling, evil-toothed countenance did not waver. Her webbed hand was clenched on the shaft of her spear, cerulean scales and mostly-yellow eye glittering in the witchlight. Even her red ponytail looked menacing as it fluttered in the breeze of passing dignitaries.

The human’s path was clear. Her expression went blank with determination. Frisk looked around and saw vases full of fresh flowers against the wall; as the monsters glanced at each other in confusion, the child selected a vase, tossed out the flowers, lugged the vase back to the Royal Guard Captain, and, with one almighty heave, threw the water right into Undyne’s face.

~

Frisk woke him even earlier than they’d planned, looking as though she hadn’t slept and sounding very businesslike. Sans was too groggy at first to remember last night, and before he could wonder if it had even happened, she was already laying out their plan for the day.

And…it was not what they had discussed yesterday. It was the opposite. “Lemme get this straight,” he said when she was finished. “Ya don’ wanna sneak out anymore. You wanna tell everyone an’ their mom that we’re takin’ the monsters back t’the Underground as a goodwill gesture in exchange for more cool monster stuff.”

“Yes.”

“So we’re goin’ out as a big deal that everyone knows about, on purpose?”

“Yes.”

“We’re gonna let ‘em think you already cleared it with the King ‘n everything’s fine?”

“Yes.”

“That’s…that’s a big fat lie.”

“No, it isn’t.”

“Yes it is.”

“No. It isn’t.”

“Yuh-huh.”

“I’m not an idiot, Sans! If we disappeared without any indication whatsoever of where I’d gone, His Majesty would assume I’d been abducted and send soldiers after me. I just woke him up a few minutes ago and told him where we were going, and why.”

Something about the way she said it made him ask, “And he’s okay with it?”

Frisk smirked. “We’re going.”

~

Departing with a lot of fanfare actually took less effort than Sans expected. All he had to do was go down to the stables, announce that Her Eminence was leaving immediately on an important diplomatic mission, hand over her written instructions, and then stand back. For once, his scariness was a real advantage: by the time Frisk brought down the group of silent, shivering monsters, the wagons were already in place, the horses hitched up, and the cargo nearly loaded.

The priestess had been busy mobilizing a small army of assistants, which was a lot easier than their original plan to have him teleport everything from her room. Their provisions and gifts for the Underground were brought down and loaded according to the diagrams Frisk had drawn for the monsters: one wagon was for Ice Cap, who would travel with the majority of the food, while the other had Pyrope and Vulkin, who were wrapped in fireproof blankets and seated away from anything flammable. The other monsters would ride with them in order to stay warm—the canvas wagon covers were good for privacy, but didn’t keep out much of the wind.

Sans had made himself scarce while the work was going on, but when everyone and everything was in place, he stepped up to make Frisk get in with the flame monsters instead of riding up front in the lead wagon. She’d been standing in a corner of the freezing yard to supervise the last preparations; in her full High Priestess regalia, she was as impressive as ever, but he’d watched her closely and seen her trying not to cough.

As her personal guard, and her…whatever the hell they were now, it was his duty to not let her get sick again, but his official consideration was for her safety. They were traveling with a cortege of twelve guards, which would deter most attackers and also help clear traffic ahead of them, but there was no point in putting her on display for someone to take potshots.

They wheeled out of the castle gates and onto the main thoroughfare just after sunrise. Sans wasn’t a big fan of walking, or being in the cold, but his slippers and overcoat were mostly adequate. He wished he could poke his head into the wagon to check on Frisk, but she had asked him not to let the other monsters see him yet; besides, he heard her humming at a couple of points and figured she was busy keeping them calm. Pyrope was a twitchy little bastard, and Vulkin had a bad habit of “helping” via lava, so he’d just leave her to it.

The day passed, and to their pleasant surprise, they reached Frisk’s house on the outskirts of the city long before dark. That gave them more time than expected for Frisk to unload the monsters and shepherd them into the house; Sans grabbed enough food for that night and the morning, and the attendants took the wagons and horses to the nearest inn. Two guards took up positions outside the house before they locked the door for the night, and that was that.

None of the monsters had spoken or made eye contact with anyone all day, to Sans’ knowledge. As soon as they were gathered in the dining room, the priestess allowed him to step in and say, “Heya.”

Frisk retreated as the monsters came alive, swarming around the giant skeleton and all babbling at once in frantic relief. He had been somewhat scary to them in the relative peace of the Underground, but seeing him now was the best possible reassurance that the High Priestess had not been lying or playing some kind of sick game with them: they really would be home by the day after tomorrow.

After a few minutes, Frisk came back into the room, bare-headed and wearing a loose white gown, for Sans to re-introduce her as “Kris,” the not-really-a-boy from the human delegation. Six of the eight remembered her, and Pyrope got so excited that he left a couple of smoking holes in the carpet.

When everyone was done eating and talking, Frisk directed Ice Cap to the attic, where they could safely leave the little window open to keep it cold, while Sans built up the kitchen fire and made an asbestos-blanket fort for the flame monsters. The others sprawled out on the beds or any patch of floor they could, safe and well-fed; still, Sans noticed how uneasy they were, and understood what that was like. He just hoped they’d be able to feel safe again.

Once everyone was settled, Frisk was nowhere to be found. Of all the damn places she could’ve slept in, Sans finally found her wrapped up in her cloak in the bathtub. “Frisk,” he said accusingly.

She made a noise explaining that she was fine, a monster could have the remaining bed.

“Nope.” The priestess squeaked as he bent to scoop her up in both hands. “C’mon, kitten. Time ta sleep literally anywhere else.” Before she could object, he walked her into the smallest bedroom, dropped her onto the bed, and threw a comforter over her. “There. G’night.”

Frisk struggled to sit up. “Wait, where—”

Sans lay down on the floor and sighed noisily. “We’re not t’the Underground yet. Let’s just go ta sleep, okay?”

“…Okay. But, Sans—”

The boss monster emitted a loud, sustained fake snore, cut short by her pillow landing on his face.

~

Either the demon-child was still satisfied from the other night, or they were just too tired to be reachable, because they woke from a dreamless night to another stiff, sore day of travel.

The monsters were more animated today as they loaded into the wagons, which Frisk took as a good omen. Granted, there was a delay when Sans got too close to the draft horses and scared them so badly that the grooms had to unhitch them for a quick jog around the block, but the crowd gathering on the street to watch still cheered and waved as they set off.

It was another bitterly cold day, and as Frisk leaned into Vulkin, she tried not to think too much about spending the night in the no-man’s-land. King Stephin had still been sleepy when they talked yesterday morning, and the best objection he’d come up with on the spot had been the diplomatic ramifications of bringing so many humans so close to the Underground. She’d countered with the proposal that they leave all their attendants at the border and have Sans handle both security and transportation from then on, as he was a monster and knew the area well. The King tried to backpedal, but Frisk had gone on about a smaller group being faster and safer, attracting less attention, needing fewer provisions, etc., until he gave in.

“Very well. I will ask His Holiness to arrange the necessary financial matters for each monster,” the King had said coolly. “I am trusting you, Frisk, to bring back favorable news, and prove that this mission is any better than a child’s tantrum over not getting her way.”

“I wonder that Your Majesty has ever spent enough time with a child to see one,” she shot back, eliminating any chance of leaving him on a polite note.

Unfortunately, Frisk was now so busy thinking of that conversation – and trying to ignore the bruises she was accumulating from riding in a big, jouncing cargo wagon – that she forgot to mention it to Sans until they stopped for a break several miles outside the city. He’d started bemoaning the logistics they had to work out for that evening, trying to get all these guys fed and coordinated and bedded down and what they were going to do with the horses, and she had to cut him off with “They’re not coming.”

The guards and drivers looked up from their roadside sandwiches at a furious, smothered explosion of sound. They glanced at each other as the massive skeleton growled down at the priestess, but she didn’t seem worried, so they resumed eating as Sans carried on snarling and gesticulating.

Frisk could understand why he was upset, but the third time he ended a sentence with “—‘n did I mention I’m not a fuckin’ horse?!” was enough. “Sans,” she said, and he stopped. “Calm down and think about it. This may actually be safer. Have I ever shown you how I can hide something with a barrier?”

“Uh…” The boss monster shrugged crankily. “I know you’ve got a lotta different tricks.” Snort. “Any chance ya have somethin’ that’ll pull the wagons for us?”

“Yes. You.”

Sans blinked, and covered his face with one hand. “God damn it.”

Frisk turned her back to the guards so she could grin at him through the veil. “It takes a lot of strength, but if it’s just the two of us and the wagons, I could keep us completely hidden for short periods,” she said, more somberly. “In your opinion, is it safer to move by night, or camp outside the border till morning and then make as much time as we can?”

The skeleton tapped his dusty slipper on the grass, thinking out loud. “It’s probably better t’go at night. A lot of this place is so flat that you can see fer miles on a clear day. I can get by pretty well in the dark, so yer right. If we don’t have all of these dorks walkin’ with us ‘n makin’ noise, you’d just need ta cover up the wagons. It’s mostly bedrock out here, so with the wind blowin’ the sand around, we shouldn’t hafta worry about tracks.”

“I see. How far should we try to get tonight? I don’t think we can make it all in one push.”

“Not if I’m all we’ve got,” he grumbled. “Let’s get t’the fence and see how we’re doin’.”

Frisk had a word with the drivers; when they started again, they went at a quicker pace, the better to reach their destination and allow the men and horses time to get back to the nearest village before dark.

She grew more and more apprehensive as the hours passed, and finally dug out her satchel of clothing, asking the monsters to close their eyes so she could change into a more practical dress than her High Priestess leg-trap. Not long afterward, the wagon slowed and ground to a halt; they were at the border, a day’s journey from the Underground.

~

Sans waited till the other humans were almost out of sight to tell the monsters, “Come on out, guys.”

All but the flame monsters piled out to stretch their legs and wings while Sans ran a trace of red magic along the wire fencing. Frisk watched him pluck at a seemingly solid strand, revealing a length of twine holding two cut pieces together. “Humans go in ‘n out this way,” the skeleton informed her. “’s like havin’ a gate. They just untie it and tie it back up behind ‘em.”

Frisk shook her head and hugged herself tighter under her cloak. Sans didn’t have time to admire how the cold air had turned her cheeks red, or be really irritated at how the men had all gawked at her without her veil, but he did it anyway while the monsters got ready to resume their places. “So,” the skeleton said, resigned, “how’re we gonna do this crap?”

Five minutes later, Sans was trudging along in the fast-fading light, his hands shoved in his pockets, the wagon’s shafts wedged between his wrists and his hipbones so he could pull it in lieu of a horse. Frisk sat in the driver’s seat of the second wagon, whistling softly and watching the tufts of red magic keeping its shafts upright. Sans had to admit that the flat terrain and the laws of physics made it easy to keep the wagons going once they’d started…but it still sucked.

“Are you doing all right?” the priestess asked at one point.

“Neigh,” he responded, and she started snrrking so hard that he threatened to stop and make her pull the damn wagon. Then he had to deal with that mental imagery until it got darker and he could focus on maintaining a tiny speck of magic to sharpen his night vision. It was nearly a new moon out, perfect for moving in secrecy.

It happened some time after midnight. The monsters had fallen asleep; the priestess was dozing, and Sans was on the verge of stopping for the night when a shriek rang out from the wagon behind Frisk, who nearly fell off her seat. Sans had to lift her down for her to run back, leap into the wagon, and rouse Vulkin from a nightmare, humming urgently to quiet her.

“Shit,” Sans muttered as a torch flared in the distance. “Hey, kitten?”

She didn’t waste any time: a whistle raised a golden bubble around them, and Sans winced at the sheer power crackling through it. For the first time, he found he was less worried about being trapped inside a barrier than he was about the amount of magic it was costing her.

Minute after minute passed. Strange human voices drew way too close, and Sans could only stand there while Frisk held the spell steady, diverting enough magic to soothe the terrified monsters. The giant skeleton had no idea how she was blocking both sound and light and hiding the barrier’s presence from the other side while she hummed, but she did it, because the poachers soon concluded that it’d been a false alarm and wandered back the way they’d come. “They’re gone, sweetheart. Drop it,” Sans ordered, and he heard a ragged sound as the barrier evaporated.

That was enough. Sans set the wagons’ brakes, grabbed as many rocks as his remaining magic could carry, and formed stacks under the shafts to hold them upright, then stuck most of his head into the back of the wagon. “I’m so sorry,” whimpered Vulkin. “I didn’t mean to—”

“It’s not yer fault,” he said roughly. In the monster’s glow, he could see the priestess lying on the wagon floor, resting her head on her forearm as she struggled to catch her breath. “Hand ‘er over.”

Later, he would kick himself for dragging Frisk into the cold again, but he had to see for himself that she was okay. Sans bundled her under his coat and sat down against the wheel, folding her into the crook of his arm while he summoned up heat and softness, everything a skeleton usually couldn’t offer.

That was all well and good, but as she turned toward him, trying to reach up around his neck, something weird happened. He allowed her to stand on the ground and rest her weight against him, her arms sliding under his coat and over his bony shoulders; he’d almost gotten used to that amazing, fluttery, possessive thing his SOUL did when she was on him, but this time, it got physically warmer, and he felt like something was…leaving him? What—

Frisk’s whole body jerked. She pulled her head back enough to stare at him. “Sans? What did you do?!”

“I…” Sans had to close his sockets against a rush of dizziness. “I dunno.”

The priestess withdrew her arms and looked down at her hands. She raised one and snapped her fingers, and another barrier roared to life around them. “What the crap, Frisk?” Sans rasped. “Ya don’t have the strength fer that!”

“I do now,” she said blankly. “How…how did you give me magic directly? Is it—”

Just like that, the dizziness had become full-on vertigo. “Sansy needs t’go night-night,” the skeleton mumbled, and the darkness politely stepped up to pull him back down with it.

~

A band of poachers had made camp near the river. Their sentry glanced up from his breakfast, then leapt to his feet and called out as someone emerged from the morning mist. “Whoa! Easy, pal,” said the stranger, stopping a polite distance away and holding his hands up. “We’re not lookin’ for trouble. I’m just checkin’ somethin’.” He made a strange face, as if he wasn’t entirely sure how faces worked. “Have ya heard who’s s’posed to be out here right now?”

“Maybe,” the sentry admitted. He eyed the interloper’s oddly pale hair, the contrast it made with his black coat and red shirt, and lowered his crossbow. “Depends what you’ve heard.”

“Someone from the High Priestess is passin’ through, doin’ somethin’ with a buncha monsters,” said the newcomer, lowering his arms very slowly. “I was makin’ sure ya weren’t them. We’re pretty new at this, so—”

The sentry gave a bark of laughter. “Dumbass! It’s the High Priestess. She’s out here with nine or ten monsters, all by herself.”

“Really?” The stranger blinked too many times. “Hot damn.” He laughed, too, sort of. “Too bad we can’t get magic outta her, huh?”

The sentry leered at him in male camaraderie. “Ever seen her in person? I know what I’d get out of her!” He slapped his leg, oblivious to the stranger’s twitching eye and clenched fists. “Well, if you’re new to the business, take it from me: keep any humans you find and save ‘em for ransom, ‘specially her.”

Blink. “Ransom?”

“Yeah. Ransom,” the poacher said impatiently. “You know who her dad is, right?”

The pale-haired stranger blinked again. “Duke Whatshisface?”

“Seriously?” The sentry shook his head in disbelieving pity. “Her dad’s the King, dipshit. You never heard about it?” He gestured expansively with the crossbow, enjoying the stranger’s dumbfoundment. “No joke. The old man used to fuck anything that’d hold still long enough. There’s five or six kids left that we know of, and she’s his favorite.” His grin broadened. “You really didn’t know? Man, you’re fuckin’ stupid.” He flapped his hand. “Get out of here. Go on home before you trip ‘n kill yourself.”

In a daze, the stranger put his hands in his pockets and turned around. “Oh, by the way,” he said, and without warning, something erupted from the ground, impaling the sentry’s foot.

His screams brought his comrades running to see him clutching a huge white bone sticking out of the bedrock, and a stranger pointing wildly toward the river. “Holy crap, it came from over there!” he shouted. “It’s that big-ass skeleton thing! It’s definitely over there!”

Only one of the poachers tried to say, “Who’re you?” before another line of projectiles slammed into the ground heading away from them; he ran to follow the rest of the group, leaving the luckless sentry to try to wrestle the bone free. When he looked up to demand the stranger help him, there was no one there.

“Fuckin’ fuckstick,” Sans muttered to himself from a few hundred yards away, jerking a hand to summon more bones and make it seem like they were still under attack. “I oughta fuckin’…” He kicked a rock so hard that it hurt his stupid wimpy human toe.

Fuck-a-duck. He couldn’t go back to camp like this. With the mist covering him and the poachers haring off in the opposite direction, he could think things over for a minute, starting with whether Frisk had ever come out and said who her father was.

…No, she never had. He’d just remembered something about Rosa – who he now knew wasn’t even her mom – working for a duke, and reached a reasonable conclusion that was totally wrong. It was probably such an open secret that she either hadn’t thought to tell him or hadn’t wanted to in case he treated her any differently. She was probably sick of that already…

Sans was too lost in thought to see something moving in the mist, following him away from the poachers’ camp along the riverbank. When he absently turned to stare at the water, it vanished, only to reappear as he turned again.

So, Frisk had pulled this crazy stunt because there was nothing else she could do about the monsters being sold. According to everything Sans had seen, only the Cardinal or the King could go over her head; therefore, while Duke Whatshisass was in charge of doling the monsters out to new owners, it probably wasn’t him who’d actually decided to sell them. The Cardinal hadn’t bothered her since she said she’d be retiring, and she hadn’t mentioned him at all, which just left the King.

Sans had seen for himself how much the old man treated her like a daughter, go figure. Knowing Frisk, she’d probably told His Majesty to his face that she intended to free those monsters, and he’d decided to keep her out of serious legal trouble and also remind her who was boss by ordering them sold right away. No wonder she’d been willing to flip him the bird right back by stealing the monsters and getting public opinion on her side.

Against all logic, Sans felt his poofy lips curling upward. In a weird way, this was the push he needed to be a little less miserable about not deserving her and a bit more smug that she’d picked him over the zillion guys desperate to snag an illegitimate princess. At this point, she transcended the concept of anyone deserving her. He still thought he sucked, but so what? If he hadn’t imagined what she’d said the other night, then…

The mist was beginning to thin out as the sun came up. Sans paused and glanced behind him, but nothing was there. He turned back toward their camp, reaching for his chain. Better not confront her about something she hadn’t really been hiding in the first place, though now he was determined to ask about her m—

Only the hiss of something flying through the air alerted him in time to fling up a wall of bones, barely deflecting a blow aimed at his neck. Before he could even swear aloud, more things came at him, and he instinctively turned to run away from their camp.

“Hey! HEY!” a voice shouted. Sans’ human ears perked up at the sound. “Come back here, meat-wad!”

His aim wavered as he threw a wave of pointed bones behind him, just missing the figure in the mist. It easily caught one and threw it straight back at him, only to see it glance off another wall of bone. “You!” the figure snarled. “How did you get Sans’ magic? Where is he?! Tell me, you damn coward!”

Sans dodged another one. “Hey!” Dodge. “Hey, listen, ya crazy broad! It’s—”

“Sans?” They both froze at the sound of Frisk’s voice. “Sans, where are you?”

The boss monster finally understood that expression about blood running cold. Fighting chills, he turned his head and opened his mouth to tell Frisk to run.

That moment of distraction was all the figure needed: Frisk came up just in time to see a bone spin end over end and smash into the back of his head, nearly knocking him out.

~

The High Priestess had heard Sans’ attack on the poachers as she was balancing a frying pan on Vulkin, who’d volunteered to help cook breakfast. Frisk just prayed Sans could divert them without killing anyone, or that he would at least try.

Several minutes later, though, he hadn’t returned. She was passing the pancakes around and had retrieved the bucket for more water when she heard shouting. Her stomach lurched at the sound of bones breaking. Sans!

Telling the monsters to stay put, Frisk reflexively grasped the bucket handle and ran out of the warded camp, keeping another barrier ready. “Sans?” She looked around, squinting through the last tendrils of mist. “Sans, where are you?”

She saw him a split-second before someone threw one of his own bones straight back at him. Frisk choked on a scream as he hit the ground, blood darkening the sand. “Sa—"

“Hey. You.”

Frisk gulped as their attacker advanced on her from the edge of the water. “What’d you say about Sans, human? You know where he is?” The tall monster emerged from the mist, removing her helmet as she glared down with one mostly-yellow eye. “Oh, come on! Don’t tell me you took out a boss monster! How’d you do it? Cheating?” She almost spat the last word. “Start talking, you—”

“Undyne?” Despite her fear, Frisk smiled. “Undyne, it’s you!”

A spearpoint flashed in the air, stopping the priestess as she tried to step forward. “How’d you get my name? Did you torture it out of someone, human? Huh? Was it Sans?!” The spear poked at Frisk, forcing her backward. “Tell you what,” Undyne snapped, pivoting toward the human-shaped boss monster, who was still struggling to get up. “Let’s assume you care at all about your accomplice here. Either you tell me what I want to know, or…” The spear rose.

“No!” In sheer panic, Frisk threw a barrier between Sans and the other monster.

A moment later, she realized her mistake: Undyne had only been threatening him, but as she looked back at Frisk, her gaze was now murderous. “That’s it! That’s how you did it! You used a frickin’ barrier!” She stomped the ground so hard that Frisk felt the bedrock tremble. “I ought to gut you like a fish, you damn cheater! Do you hear me? A FISH!”

“Wait!” The priestess held up her hands, too distressed to be amused by Undyne’s choice of words. “Undyne, please! I’m—” She bit her lip. That wouldn’t work; Undyne wouldn’t believe that she was Kris. It might make her so angry that she’d try to kill them outright. Frisk racked her brains for some way to prove it—she had never shown Undyne her scars, but…

The Royal Guard Captain scowled deeper, this time in puzzlement, as Frisk stared at the bucket dangling from her forearm. “You’re what, human?” Undyne demanded.

Frisk swallowed hard. “I want to show you something,” she said, and took a deliberate side-step toward the water, ignoring the raised spear. “It’s not a barrier, and it’s not some kind of trick. Just watch, all right? And don’t hurt him!”

Undyne glanced around them in case this was a diversion, and at Sans, now lying still and silent. Frisk saw him, too, and her expression made Undyne lower her spear ever so slightly. “What is it? Make it quick!”

Frisk took a deep breath. To Undyne’s bewilderment, the human’s expression went neutral. She went to the river, dipped up a half bucket of water, carried it back to Undyne, and threw it into her face.

~

Through the haze of pain and gut-wrenching fear, Sans distantly heard Undyne yelling at Frisk, and he felt the barrier she put up to protect him. He wanted to shake her for thinking of him and not herself, and for showing Undyne she could do it. Then there was a dreadful silence, and he couldn’t get up to—

“NGAHHHHHHH!”

Sans threw himself forward, not quite gaining his feet. Hitting the ground again on all fours, he looked frantically for Undyne and whatever horrible things she was doing to—

Frisk was dangling, not from a spear’s bloody point, but from Undyne’s bear hug as the dripping-wet monster swung the human in time to a joyous bellow of “My little bestiiiiiiiiie!”

What the…no, never mind. With an effort, Sans pulled off his disguise and tried not to collapse as the world lurched sideways. “Ow,” he muttered, just to be part of the moment.

Undyne froze, not quite releasing Frisk. “Sans? What the—where’ve you been?” she demanded.

Sans’ glare would have set a lesser monster ablaze on the spot. “Almost gettin’ murdered by yer crazy ass!”

“Really?” Undyne looked puzzled. Then her face lit up. “Ohh, that was you! Ha!” She gave her giant-toothed grin. “Sorry about that, boss. How’d you do that? And why were you saying all that crap to that human back there?”

“I was tryin’ ta throw him off our trail! We’re the monsters and the High Priestess!” Sans sat up and raised one hand to heal his aching skull, indicating Frisk with the other. “Now let ‘er go before ya squeeze her t’death!”

“Hm? Oh, right.” Undyne set Frisk down, letting the priestess catch her breath. “So you’re Kris, huh?” The Captain planted her hand on one hip, watching Frisk brush herself off. “Did you know she was a girl?” she asked Sans.

“Nope. She had us all fooled.” Sans closed his eyes to focus his magic. Fuckin’ Undyne. If he hadn’t been a boss monster, that would’ve killed him!

“It wasn’t my idea,” Frisk protested as she picked up the bucket. “I was only ten, and they said it’d be safer. Can I help you with that, Sans?”

Undyne waved her spear. “Whatever! You’re here now! Ignore him, he’s being a big baby.” She glanced around. “Let’s move out before any more damn humans show up. No offense.” Frisk inclined her head. “You say you’ve got more people with you?”

If the monsters had been happy to see Sans, they nearly turned to dust when Undyne strolled into camp and announced that she would be escorting them the rest of the way home. Once everyone had calmed down, Sans had to admit the fish-lady knew how to get people moving: they scarfed down the remaining pancakes and some leftover oranges, then loaded right up and took off toward the Underground.

“Man…” Undyne was holding it together better than he had the first time he found himself inside a barrier, only betraying her fear of the dome overhead with a tighter grip and her eye darting back and forth. “I can’t believe it. She really is the High Priestess, huh?”

“Yep.” Sans was very pointedly nonchalant, sauntering along as the barrier crackled and the fish monster twitched. Served her right. “She coulda killed me a zillion times over, but she never did. Hell, I tried ta kill her a few times, an’ she smacked me down without hurtin’ me.”

Undyne shook her head. “It’s just…Kris is back, and he’s a she, and she’s the High Priestess, and she’s crazy strong…but she’s still Kris. It’s a lot to take in, you know?”

“Tell me about it.” Sans adjusted his grip on the shafts. He was pulling one wagon, and Undyne was pulling the other one alongside him; all it’d taken to get her going was a hint that she couldn’t do it. She was puffing a bit, but doing well now that they were moving. “So how’d you suddenly know it was her?” the skeleton asked.

“It was from the first time Papyrus introduced us,” Frisk said from the driver’s seat behind him. “I thought Undyne must’ve been upset because she was thirsty, so I grabbed a flower vase and tried giving her some water. …In her face.”

Sans guffawed, freeing one hand to slap his femur. “How’d that work out? Did the nice fish say ‘thank you’?”

“No, she just looked surprised. I thought she was feeling better, so I went back and—”

“The little punk tried to do it again! It was the stupidest thing I’d ever seen, but the kid wasn’t scared of me at all.” Undyne shook her head. “Then the King ordered us to be friends with the humans, so I figured I’d be the best damn friend Kris ever had.”

“And you were.” Frisk sighed. “When we get there, Undyne, I have something for you. In fact, we brought gifts for everyone. Did Alphys ever read the last two Adventure Lady novels?”

“Nah, and it’s been bugging her for years, the poor—” Undyne’s eye widened. “No. You didn’t!”

Sans let them chatter, profoundly grateful that they weren’t doing that weird thing where women hated each other for no reason. Having Undyne on their side, both physically and for moral support, was worth a dozen other monsters. “Did you get him that outfit?” she asked Frisk, nodding at the boss monster. “He’s been growing nonstop, so after a while, he just quit buying new clothes. It drives Papyrus nuts.”

“He’s my bodyguard, and it pays pretty well,” Frisk explained. “Those were a bonus for helping me shop for everyone.”

“Nice!” Undyne couldn’t reach over and smack him in congratulations, so she contented herself with jerking her head. “Good job, boss. Way to find a nice—what do humans call it? A ‘sugar mama’?”

Frisk burst out laughing and couldn’t stop, Undyne joining in as Sans sputtered. Stupid women, he thought sullenly. Why couldn’t they hate each other instead of giving him shit?

A few hours later, Undyne called a halt. “At this rate, we can get there by nightfall,” she said, offering a hand to the priestess half a second before him. “Er…do you have to, uh, go?”

Frisk looked uncomfortable enough for Undyne to nod hastily and point behind the wagon with her spear. “Not much privacy out here. We’ll just pretend you’re not doing anything, okay? Here, I’ll dig a hole for you.”

If that was awkward – and it was – it was nothing compared to the piscine monster making the others talk to cover the sound of Frisk’s business, then leaning over and whispering to Sans, very matter-of-fact, “Is it just me, or is it weird that Kris turned out to be so damn cute?”

Sans wished the ground wasn’t so flat around here, because then he could find a nice big pit and jump right on in. Luckily, Frisk suddenly said to herself, “Oh, dirt, why now?” and stuck her head beneath the wagon to call, “Undyne? Can you please get the little gray bag out of my satchel for me?”

The Captain obligingly found the only satchel with human clothing in it, rummaged around, and tossed the bag over the wagon and into Frisk’s lap. The young woman mumbled her thanks, but sounded so aggravated that Undyne asked, “What’s up? Are you okay?”

A prolonged sigh. “It’s nothing, just a stupid, ridiculous thing that human females have to put up with.” Frisk came back around a few moments later, stuffing the bag into the satchel. “Now, once we reach the Underground, should we all come in through the Grand Hall, or should Sans and I go through the Ruins into Snowdin?”

Sans exchanged glances with Undyne, who was munching on a roasted potato as if it was an apple. “You’d probably better not go straight to Asgore,” she said reluctantly. “When Snowdrake came back, he was pretty messed up, and the King was…uh…”

“Not happy?” Sans guessed.

Undyne’s eye closed. “Yeah. Not happy.”

“We’ll tell him what happened,” piped up Vulkin from inside the wagon. “We all heard the humans talking. Lady Frisk’s in big trouble for bringing us home, but she’s doing it anyway.”

The monsters made generally affirmative noises, and Frisk managed a smile.

“You are?” Undyne scowled. “Here, we’ve got to get going if we want to make it home before dark. Why don’t you give me the whole story on the way?”

They did, starting with Frisk being brought to the convent after her stint in the Underground and her memories being removed at her father’s request— “Oh, crap, that’s right,” Undyne interrupted. “That scumbag said the King’s your dad. Is that true?”

Frisk looked down at Sans in alarm. “Yeah, that’s what the guy told me,” Sans confirmed, not turning his head. “He was talking about her being worth a lot for ransom.”

The priestess grimaced. “I might not be, after all this.” She swallowed. “I wasn’t sure if you knew. I’m sorry if I—”

Sans made himself shrug. “It’s fine, kit—kiddo. Not like ya ever actually lied about it.”

“I don’t get it,” said Undyne. “If your dad’s the king, why aren’t you a princess?”

“Because I was one of many, many children the king had with women he wasn’t married to,” Frisk replied. “To be a princess, I’d have to have come from his actual wife. The first queen died childless, and his second wife died having the Prince.”

Undyne started. “Wait, so he…with just anyone, and you didn’t even count? What the hell is wrong with humans?”

“There’s the million-g question,” Sans mumbled.

Frisk sighed. “Anyway,” she said, “once I stopped begging to go back to the Underground, I settled down and studied as hard as I could. I was ordained a priestess when I was sixteen—”

The story continued until it was time for Sans to pick up with how he’d been caught by a party of five sorcerers almost a month ago. “I figured I’d hang out in jail until someone came ta get me, then kill ‘em,” he said conversationally, “but guess who came strollin’ downstairs?”

“The Duke asked me for help. There was a huge monster in the cells, and no one could decide who would be suitable to take him,” said Frisk. “I figured he must be a boss monster, and I scared them with stories about how powerful he was and how lucky they were that he hadn’t destroyed half the castle already. Then I said I’d take care of him.”

“And you tried to kill her?” Undyne snapped at Sans.

“Tried to burn ‘er, squish her, and blast her,” the boss monster said, almost proudly. “Nothin’ worked. Next thing I knew, I’d signed up fer a month of bein’ a witch ta learn how to grow better crops.”

“Which turned out to be much closer to three weeks, thanks to His Majesty,” Frisk said sourly. “I had each of these monsters taken from humans who were mistreating them so badly that even the Church wouldn’t allow it anymore, and I brought them out here to keep them from being sold again.” Even over the sound of the wheels crunching on sandy rock, they could hear her teeth grinding. “The King knew what I wanted to do, but he thought I shouldn’t have to worry my pretty little head about it anymore, so here we are.”

Sans considered pointing out that the King probably just wanted to keep her out of trouble, but decided he’d rather not be murdered. Undyne’s sole contribution was “…Damn.”

They rolled along in silence. “In three days or so, we can go back to the village and pick up the grain and other things Sans ordered,” the priestess said. “It won’t feed the entire Underground, but it will help.”

“That reminds me, Undyne—ya know the big farm over that way with the maple trees?” Sans nodded in a direction. “She’s gonna get it fer us.”

The Captain gaped at him. “She what?”

“I shit you not,” said Sans. “The human who owned it croaked, an’ she’s been negotiatin’ ta buy it. Turns out bein’ High Priestess makes ya super rich.”

Undyne muttered something under her breath, taking a fresh grip on the wagon shafts. Then her head swiveled, and without being told, Frisk immediately began whistling again. The air around them, which had been a translucent gold, solidified until it was nearly opaque. “They can’t see or hear us at all?” asked the fish monster, glancing up warily.

Frisk shook her head, and paused long enough to say, “They’d have to literally be touching the barrier to know we’re here.”

“No kidding?” Undyne squinted to watch the far-off group of humans through the barrier. Sure enough, they were moving away. “So,” she said presently, “how long are you gonna stay this time? Another month?”

“’Bout ten days,” Sans answered for her.

Undyne nodded slowly. The whistling stopped, and the human said, “Yes, if all goes well. It depends how long Asgore will let us stay, and what we’ll be allowed to bring back to the castle afterwards.”

“‘We’?” repeated the Captain.

It took Sans a second to realize what Undyne was even asking. He and Frisk had yet to discuss whether he’d be coming back to the castle after her visit, but the possibility of leaving her hadn’t even occurred to him, and she obviously felt the same way. “Yeah, I’ve gotta learn more witchy crap,” he said, hiding his elation. “Plus, the more monster stuff she gets ta show the other humans, the less trouble she’ll get in fer cartin’ these guys off in the first place.”

“And I’m not pulling the wagons back on my own,” Frisk added.

“Got it,” Undyne murmured, and Sans breathed an inward sigh of relief. Another thing they needed to hash out: what to tell the other monsters about…whatever they were now. Everything still depended on him working on himself, didn’t it? It would be easier to learn to control his magic in the proper directions inside the Underground. Who knew? Maybe if he kept thinking happy thoughts and not actively loathing himself, it’d really be possible. Maybe, if he was in good enough shape by the time they straightened things with Asgore, they could really—

The priestess resumed whistling, snapping him out of it. Undyne began bobbing her head along with the melody, and immediately started getting the rhythm wrong, but Sans decided not to say anything; he had a lot more thinking to do before they got home.

~

Very much against her will, they left Undyne just out of sight of the Underground’s principal entrance. She would announce their arrival, see the monsters to each of their homes, and then report to Asgore; knowing the King would insist on the wagons being inspected before he allowed them inside, they would also remain here.

Undyne checked over the little group of monsters as they climbed out, then paused. “Hey. Sans? Are you…gonna talk to Her Majesty?”

Frisk knew a loaded question when she heard one. Sure enough, Sans took a much longer time to reply than usual. “Yeah, I kinda have to. If she’s asleep already, I’ll leave ‘er a note.”

“Okay.” The Captain picked up her helmet from one of the shafts, pulled it back on, and nodded to them. “I’ll be in Snowdin as soon as His Majesty’s done with me. Good luck, guys.”

“We’ll see you soon,” Frisk replied, giving her a smile and ignoring the butterflies in her stomach. This was it. They were here!

The monsters trotted off, and they very faintly heard Undyne hail the sentries from atop the rise. “Welp,” Sans said. “This way.” Frisk obediently grabbed her satchel, which she’d stuffed with apples and potatoes, and set off after him, trying to be happy and grateful and not on the verge of barfing.

~

It was another cold, boring day in Snowdin. The monsters were pretty sure they knew what was going to happen today – nothing – and that it was going to keep happening, and it was hard to care much about it anymore. Sure, Papyrus kept nattering about how Sans and a mysterious human had told him they were going to come back to the Underground soon and everything would be all right, but…Papyrus. The denizens of Snowdin carried on with nothing as usual, secure in the knowledge that—

Every monster in town stopped what they weren’t doing and looked around in confusion. Magic was building in the air like smoke from a barely contained fire; there was a hhhwp, and in the empty space in front of the skeleton brothers’ house, there now stood a boss monster in black slippers and a tiny human peeking out from beneath his overcoat. “I told you to wait,” she scolded him, moving the coat aside like a giant curtain.

“What? You were the one whinin’ about how cold it was,” retorted the skeleton.

“Hey!” To their surprise, Undyne sprang up from where she’d been sitting on the step. “Where have you nerds been?” she snapped. “It’s been five frickin’ hours! Were you talking to Her Majesty, or what?”

“Nah, we got lost in the Ruins,” said Sans. “Tori’s asleep, so I left her a note like I said. What’re you doin’ here already? Is everyone okay?”

Undyne looked at them narrowly, then said, “Yeah, it turned out Asgore was already in the Grand Hall, so we didn’t have to waste time finding him.” She had changed into the outfit Frisk remembered: a short jacket, wool shirt, long pants and red boots. “Everyone’s home by now. I left Ice Cap with his family a few minutes ago.”

Frisk nodded gratefully. “What did the King say?” she asked, setting her satchel down.

Undyne hesitated. “Well…he was happy to see everyone, but then they started talking about how the High Priestess was coming in through Snowdin, and he wasn’t happy anymore.”

“How not-happy is he, exactly?” Sans demanded. “Is Frisk in any danger?”

“Nope. The others kept going on about how you saved them from the other humans, and when I told him you were Kris, he got really quiet.” Undyne put her hands in her jacket pockets. “He said you could stay until we ‘know your true intentions.’ I have to babysit you, and he wants to talk to Sans as soon as possible, but that’s it.”

Sans and Frisk breathed sighs of relief. “Good enough,” said the boss monster. He stood on tiptoe, the better to see most of the way across Snowdin. “Where’s Pap?”

Shrug. “I don’t know. No one’s in the house. He must be at the store or something.”

Frisk rubbed her arms unconsciously, turning in circles to look around them, especially at the light-spangled house. “I can’t believe it,” she murmured. “I—” She swiped at her eyes.

The Royal Guard Captain stepped over to the High Priestess and put an arm around her shoulders. “You know what? May I be the first, K—Frisk, to say: welcome back.” She gave the human what was, for her, a gentle squeeze. “C’mon. We’ll introduce you to everyone again. We can take it nice and slow, no pressure to—HEY!” Undyne had spotted a nearby cluster of monsters staring at them. “What are you looking at? Haven’t you ever seen a human before? I know you have!” She pointed at Frisk, who was still tucked beneath her arm. “Remember Kris?”

Frisk quickly forgot her irritation as several monsters hurried over. “Kris! Bro!” One dinosaur-like creature shouldered its way through the crowd, hopping from foot to foot. “Is that really you? Do you remember me? Hi, Undyne!”

Of course she remembered Monster Kid, who was only a little bigger now, still wearing the same armless sweater—twelve years obviously didn’t go as fast for monsters as it did for humans! There was the bunny who ran the store, Gyftrot – stuff still dangling from his horns – a couple of the various dogs she’d petted and thrown sticks for…

Once the first wave of pleasantries had subsided, it was time to tell them the reason for her visit, what Sans had been up to, and why “Kris” had turned out to be a lady. She noticed a few of those who hadn’t greeted her falling back to go spread the news, but saw no signs of Papyrus.

She wasn’t the only one: right in the middle of a very important discussion on someone’s baby sister being ready to hatch soon, Sans let out a growl that shut everyone up at once. “Where’s my brother?” he asked.

Shrugs and mumbles all around. “He was staring at the river again,” volunteered Gyftrot.

Sans waited for more information, then nodded. “Okay, everyone,” he told the little crowd. “We’re gonna head inside for a minute. If anyone sees Pap, don’t tell him I’m back yet, don’t mention Kris, and don’t do anything to freak him out. Got it?”

A chorus of agreement. “Don’t freak out,” someone said helpfully to Papyrus, who had just stepped into view.

Papyrus froze, staring up at Sans. “BROTHER?” he said. Then: “BROTHER! NYEHHH HEH HEHHHHH!” He leaped up and threw his arms around Sans’ massive ribcage, doing a pullup of sheer joy. “YOU’RE HERE! YOU’RE REALLY HERE THIS TIME, LAZYBONES! I THOUGHT…THE GREAT PAPYRUS THOUGHT—”

“Yeah,” Sans mumbled. “Hey, Pap.” He hugged him back for a long moment, then glanced downward. “She said she’d bring me back safe, didn’t she?”

Papyrus looked at Frisk, who was grinning. He looked at Undyne, who was grinning and nodding. The younger skeleton released his brother and launched himself straight at his best friend, tackling her with a wail of “THANK YOU, UNDYYYYNE! NYEHH!” Before the Captain could correct him, Papyrus dropped her and caught Frisk up in a less forceful but similarly enthused hug. “THANK YOU, HUMAAAAN! I—” He stopped, and turned his head to look at her quizzically. “NYEH. WHY AM I THANKING YOU, HUMAN?”

“Ya met ‘er the last time we talked, Pap, in the dream,” Sans reminded him. “An’ you were right. She is Kris.”

Papyrus blinked, still holding on to her. “I SEE,” he said sagely. “NYEH HEH HEH! OF COURSE THE GREAT PAPYRUS WAS RIGHT! I…I…” His eyes rolled up, and Sans caught Frisk just before she hit the snow along with the fainting skeleton.

“Geez. He probably hasn’t eaten anything or slept in a couple days. No worries, we can fix that!” Undyne punched Sans reassuringly in the ribs, then bent and rummaged in her friend’s “armor,” helping herself to the house key before slinging Papyrus over her shoulder. “Listen up!” she shouted at the assembled monsters. “This is all very exciting, but these guys’ve been traveling for a couple days straight to bring the others back to us. We’ll see everyone in the morning, okay?” She poked Sans as he turned to teleport into the house. “Not you! Asgore’s waiting. Get your bony butt over to Alphys’ place before he comes looking for you.”

Frisk gripped his sleeve, but she made herself say calmly, “It’s fine. We’ll be here when you get back,” as she picked up her satchel.

He stared at her for a moment, then gently removed her hand, and was gone.

Undyne let them into the house, flipping the witchlights on and kicking the door shut as Frisk walked into the living room. It wasn’t the biggest or nicest of dwellings, and it didn’t help that Papyrus had probably been stress-cleaning—it would explain why the couch cushions were still damp from the last time he’d mopped them, and why the pet rock by the kitchen was barely visible under a pile of rock-candy shards. Had Sans set those out for his brother to use, just waiting for the pun to sneak up and hit him out of nowhere?

“Here you go, Pap,” Undyne said briskly, tramping up the stairs while Frisk marveled at how much smaller everything was than she remembered. The priestess heard her deposit Papyrus in his pirate-ship bed, slam the door behind her, and come back down to pull a kitchen chair out for Frisk. “Have a seat. Sorry, but they don’t have anything in the fridge.”

“That’s all right,” Frisk said. She unbuckled the satchel and offered Undyne an apple.

The Captain took it politely, but as Frisk glanced down to dig another one out for herself, the monster chomped the apple nearly in half, wiping her mouth on her sleeve. “So,” she said casually, “what were you and Sans up to in the Ruins? No one’s dumb enough to just get lost in there for that long.”

Frisk felt her face grow stiff and hot. “I had to stop and rest because I used too much magic today,” she answered truthfully, and Undyne nodded. “I…actually, maybe you’d know this—is it possible for someone to directly give someone else some of their magic?”

The Captain paused, her eyebrows rising, a smile growing into a giant grin. “Haven’t you heard of—”

Frisk’s face got even hotter. “Not like that! I just mean, if you were weak and needed a little extra power, could, say, Asgore or Alphys give you a handshake, or a hug, and lend you some magic?”

“Nope. They couldn’t.” When Frisk looked skeptical, Undyne sighed, then made a fist. “Look, pretend this is my SOUL.” Another fist. “This one is…we’ll say Alphys.” Frisk wondered if it was her imagination, or if her friend’s face was turning red, almost purple under the smaller blue scales. “My body’s made of magic, and so is hers. But my SOUL is self-contained, and so is hers. Even if I took a chunk of my magic and handed it to Alphys—” She knocked her fists together. “Nothing would happen. She can heal me, but that’s just repairing damage, not giving me power that I could use to attack someone or do my own spells, assuming I knew any. There’s no way to combine or exchange magic unless you’re trying to have a kid, and that’s a whole different thing. It takes a lot of power and concentration, and…it’s different.” She was definitely purple now. “Why are you even asking?”

The priestess thought about it. She made a fist, and loosened her fingers until she could slide the fingers of her other hand through it. “After you left today, I was tired, and Sans gave me some of his magic again,” she said distantly. “Monsters can absorb a human SOUL, but…” Her fingers wiggled. “I don’t think it works both ways. Humans can’t take a monster’s SOUL, at least not directly into ourselves.”

Undyne suddenly looked very, very uncomfortable. “That’s true,” she commented, “for normal monsters. For Sans, the rules are a little different.”

Frisk was so startled that she dropped her hands. “Are you saying I was able to take some of his SOUL because I’m human and he’s a boss monster?!”

“Hell no!” the Captain snapped. More calmly, she said, “It doesn’t work like that. If you really took something from him that he couldn’t get back, he’d be acting a lot weaker, or he’d be dust already.” She shrugged. “If he did somehow give you magic and you had to wait for him to recover, and he did, then nah, there’s no permanent damage.”

That was something to think about. Frisk remembered last night, when she’d just wanted him to hold her. There was that jolt of energy, and he’d almost immediately passed out… She thought of a few hours back, when she’d gotten anxious and her magical exhaustion had suddenly kicked in, forcing her to sit down. Sans had – somewhat correctly – assumed that she was getting cold feet, gotten impatient, and picked her up, and when she turned to put her arms around him, it’d happened again.

Then, of course, they’d been in a uniquely ridiculous quandary where she was brimming with magic that wouldn’t help them get anywhere, and he couldn’t even stand up. Thank God she’d had something for him to eat in her satchel, or they might have been stuck out there all night waiting for him to recover. When she half-jokingly suggested she try giving his magic back to him, he’d almost bitten her head off.

Wait. Wait a second. If his magic was supposed to be so dark and terrible and evil, etc., how had she not felt anything like that from him, much less been poisoned? Frisk had the sudden, idiotic, schoolgirl-ish urge to giggle—did the good magic come out of the top half of his body, while the evil stuff came out of the other thing?

Undyne was shaking her head in wonder. “You need to tell all this to Alphys. She’d have a better idea of what’s—”

Crack went the window.

Both women whipped around at the sound of shouting outside. Undyne wasted no time, slamming her chair back and throwing the door open to roar, “What the hell is going on?”

A moment of quiet; it might have ended there if Frisk hadn’t peeked around her friend’s shoulder. A group of four or five young monsters stood a few yards away, holding stones, their body language scared but defiant. Their ringleader was a feathery snow monster who looked very familiar. “Chilldrake, isn’t it?” the human asked.

The hoodlums drew back as Undyne’s face darkened. “What do you want, kid?” she snapped. “If you’ve got a good reason for breaking Pap’s window, I’m listening!”

“We want her gone,” the drake said, shifting his feet and glaring at Frisk. “Haven’t you seen Snowdrake? He’s not Snowdrake anymore! How can you let a human in here after what they did to him?!”

“And what if she blows us up?” his friend added.

Undyne grabbed a spear from thin air and thrust it in the monsters’ direction. They shrank back, but stood their ground. “That’s not up to a bunch of kids like you,” the Royal Guard Captain snarled. “His Majesty said she could stay. Are you telling me you know better than Asgore?”

They shuffled back again, but a moment later, Chilldrake drew himself up. “Does he know she’s the humans’ High Priestess?” He raised his voice for the monsters standing nearby to hear: “Does he know she makes barriers?”

That got an anxious murmur going. Frisk felt sick; this was everything she’d been afraid of, no matter what Undyne said, or Sans. She glanced around instinctively, but he wasn’t there.

“He knows way more than you do, punk!” snarled Undyne. She advanced down the steps, leaving Frisk in the doorway. “Now get out of here before I get you out of here!”

“Fine!” Chilldrake shook his ruff, dancing a little in place. “If she’s here, it’s not safe anyway! We should all leave before she traps us and drags us off!”

The murmurs were louder and more upset now. The Royal Guard Captain looked at the other monsters in disbelief. “Guys, you were just telling her how glad you were to see her again! She’s the same damn person she was fifteen minutes ago! Are you going to listen to this little—”

“Is she really the High Priestess?” the shopkeeper asked Undyne.

The piscine monster’s face said it all. Too late, she snapped, “It doesn’t matter! She only uses her magic to—”

Everything happened at once. A stone came sailing over Undyne’s head, straight at Frisk, who did not stop to think that it was better to get a black eye or a bad cut than to confirm their worst fears. Reflex kicked in, and a barrier flared in front of her, pinging the rock away.

Her one piece of luck was that every monster froze in place instead of screaming or running to spread the tale of the human who had snuck Underground to use barriers on them—every monster but Chilldrake. “See?” he screamed, flapping his wings so hard that ice crystals flurried off them. “What did I just tell you?! Get out, human! We don’t want you here, and if I have to go tell His Majesty that you’re using barriers, I’ll—”

Whump.

It wasn’t a rock, or a spear, or a barrier. A ball of pure flame struck the ground in front of Chilldrake, who yelped and hopped backward, crashing into his friends.

The monsters’ heads turned toward the magic’s source, the edge of the field to Frisk’s right; each one immediately dropped to their knees or the equivalent thereof, with the hoodlums dropping the rocks and throwing themselves flat on their faces.

Undyne took one look, shook her hand to dispel the energy spear, and went to one knee as another monster advanced. “Your Majesty,” she said in wonder, then apprehension. Her head ducked. “Majesty, I can fully explain and take responsibility for—”

A gesture silenced her. The monster came to stand in front of the house, her amber eyes coming to rest on the High Priestess, features impassive.

Frisk’s heart constricted. She was suddenly ten years old again, not knowing whether to be afraid, whether she should bow or do something royal. She came down the steps, and to her horror, she found herself breathing harder, eyes prickling, throat tightening. “Lady Toriel,” she whispered.

Toriel folded her arms at the waist. She wore a plain robe, adorned only with the Delta Rune in white—the same thing Asriel had worn the day she fell into the Underground, only purple instead of black. The former Queen regarded Frisk for a long, terrible moment. “Where is the human named Kris?” she asked sternly.

It took all of Frisk’s training, all her experience as an exalted and lonely member of the Church’s highest echelon, to speak up. “The human child you knew was not a boy, and his name was not Kris. He was a girl, and his name was Frisk.” She swallowed. “I am Frisk.” Damn it, her voice wouldn’t stay steady. “I’m back, Lady Toriel. Please—”

Toriel took a step toward her. Another, and another. Her white-furred hand came up to brush Frisk’s hair from her face. The boss monster stared into her eyes…

And she stooped, opening her arms and folding Frisk into a huge, warm, cloud-soft hug.

Everything pent up behind Frisk’s defenses rose in a surge that crumbled the walls like wet paper. She still smelled like cinnamon and golden flowers, Frisk realized, and she wasn’t ashamed to grab hold of the velvet robe and get it soaked with tears again.

“My poor child,” the boss monster murmured, stroking Frisk’s hair as the priestess’ shoulders heaved. “My poor, dear girl. I’ve missed you so much.” She hugged her tighter. “I cannot tell you how very glad I am to see you again.”

Frisk was sobbing without restraint now, not caring what anyone saw or heard or thought of her. Toriel rested her hand on the back of the young woman’s head and looked up for the first time, her eyes bright with unshed tears. “Am I to understand that this human is not welcome here?” She didn’t raise her voice. She didn’t have to. “Would anyone like to say anything?”

Chilldrake had collapsed in on himself. His beak moved, but all he could muster was “…High Priestess, Majesty.”

Toriel’s hand grew heavier. “Is this true, my child? You’ve become the High Priestess?”

Frisk didn’t have the courage to raise her head. She just nodded.

The boss monster inhaled, and sighed, her diaphragm moving under Frisk’s cheek. “Then we are very fortunate to have you, Frisk.” She glanced up, once. “Wouldn’t you agree, young man?”

Chilldrake did not nod so much as vibrate his head too fast for it to be visible.

“Splendid. We…what, my child?” Toriel listened as Frisk turned her head to mumble more clearly. “They broke Sans and Papyrus’ window? My word.”

Frisk didn’t see who rushed forward, but she heard a scramble to be the first to check the cracked glass and figure out how to fix or replace it or something right now.

Toriel waited for the priestess to get herself under control, then stepped back and took Frisk’s hand. “Captain,” she said, and Undyne was instantly on her feet, fist on her chest. “We have much to discuss. Please accompany us.” And with as much grace and ceremony as if the old house had been a marble palace, the boss monster went inside, allowing Undyne to glare once more at the crowd, then shut the door gently behind them.

#songfell man i love my mom but

[crownjimin]

✰ 076 | not such a bad idea, part one.

la vie en rose ━ in which lee aera, a girl who has been crushing on choi soobin for a long, long time, is starting her junior year and her friends decide that its time for her to make her move.

A/N: this is part one, part two is being uploaded right after this one! they are a combined 5k so it took a bit longer for me to do.

( masterlist | prev | next )

Saturday came a lot faster than Aera had anticipated. It seemed like the week stretched on and on, with the thought of Sakura going to her house looming over her head everyday of the week. Anytime Aera would see Sakura in the halls, her heart would spike, and even though Aera knew that Sakura wouldn’t do anything to her in front of other people, it still didn’t help to ease the nerves from the fact that the peach haired girl was still going to be at her house on Saturday.

She ended up telling Sooyung about what was taking place on Saturday, since she never responded in the group chat to any of the messages. And Sooyung, in her true protective fashion, offered to go to Aera’s house even though Jiah wasn’t going to be there also. Aera quickly talked Sooyung out of it, assuring her that Sanha and Soobin were going to tag along and so were their partners, so Aera was more than secure at the moment.

But that was when Saturday was a far distant memory, but now the day is here.

Her older brother, Jaesang, made sure that he had plans so he wouldn’t interrupt Aera and her friends. While both of her parents were putting themselves to work in the kitchen, cooking up something that Aera didn’t bother to ask about. When she had told them that she invited a few friends over for a project, her parent’s first question was if it was Sooyung, Jiah, and Haeun. And once Aera told them no, that it was new, different friends, they burst into shouts of joy, planning recipes for snacks and starting to tidy up the house.

Her parents didn’t have anything against Aera’s usual trio of friends, but seeing their daughter hang out with new faces, delight immediately clouded their expressions. They were more than aware about Aera struggling to make friends, how she liked to stick to the same people she met in elementary school and never branch out. So to see that their daughter has finally made new friends to bring around, they would be insane to not go over the top in an attempt to help make her new friends want to stay.

Whilst questionable smells wafted through the house, Aera sat in her room, staring at the wall as she waited for the first person to arrive. She had texted Soobin her address the moment she woke up, and he had replied with a simple thumbs up so she wasn’t sure exactly what time he was showing up. Sanha had already known Aera’s address, from the multiple times he had picked up and dropped off the girl at her house from the times they hung out during the summer.

Sakura–well, Sakura texted that she would be at Aera’s house by noon, and noon was fast approaching. She hoped deep down that Sanha or Soobin would show up at eleven or maybe even eleven-thirty but knowing her luck, they probably wouldn’t come until well after Sakura came.

And that seemed to be the case. The clock ticked on, the time showing eleven forty-three, and neither Sanha or Soobin had shown up yet. Sakura had texted five minutes earlier that she was on her way, so Aera was mentally preparing herself for however long she was going to be left alone with Sakura to work on their project.

However many minutes later, the doorbell rang, but Aera didn’t move from her spot. The sound of footsteps could be heard, before voices were heard and then a loud, “Aera! Your friend is here!”

It was her mother who had screamed it, and just then, at that moment, Aera was knocked from her reverie. She quickly got out of bed and made her way downstairs, and before she got to the bottom of the stairs she saw Sakura, with her backpack hanging on one of her shoulders in a nice floral dress, standing in the foyer, talking to Aera’s mother.

From the sound of her descent, Aera’s mother turned to face the stairs, smiling sweetly at Sakura before saying, “Aera, you never told me about your friend Sakura.”

Aera smiled a tight-lipped smile, awkwardly glancing at Sakura when her mom mentioned the word ‘friend’. “Oh yeah, we didn’t meet until recently. For this project.”

“Oh, well, set camp anywhere that you girls like,” her mother responded, turning to make her way back to the kitchen. “We’re cooking up some food, and we can bring it out once it’s done.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Lee,” Sakura says sweetly and bowing. “Also, your home is very lovely.”

Aera lifts an eyebrow in Sakura’s direction, not believing her niceness for a bit. Sakura ignores, or just doesn’t see Aera’s look, while Aera’s mother pauses her steps for a second and just smiles appreciatively at Sakura.

“Aera,” her mother begins, “This friend of yours is so nice. Why aren’t your other friends like this? Bring her back rather than those hoodlums, Jiah and Sooyung. All they do is eat all my food and play their loud music.”

“Eomma-” 

But her mother continues. “You see how this friend of yours bowed and complimented me? Teach Jiah and Sooyung-ah that.”

“They did that the first time they came over,” Aera spoke up. “You want compliments every time they come over?”

“Of course.”

“But they literally come over everyday.”

“I can take compliments everyday, Aera.” Her mother concludes, with her hands on her hips. “Anyways, I don’t mean to keep you girls from your project,” her mother starts gesturing for them to move from the foyer. “I’ll send your other friends whenever they get here.”

“Other friends?” Sakura questions, but Aera quickly turns away and begins heading out of the foyer, and down a long hallway. Sakura quickly tells Aera’s mother, whose name she learns is Dongmin, that it was nice to meet her before she rushes in the direction Aera sped off in.

At the end of the hall, she finds a door that leads outside to a balcony, one that is bright white with a picnic table to the right of the door and an umbrella perched in the middle of the table to block out the bright sun. To the left of the door sat some outdoor furniture, a two-seat sofa and then a three-seat couch parallel to one another with a clear coffee table in between the two pieces of furniture.

In Sakura’s opinion, this entire balcony, and Aera’s home, looked quite expensive. She never took Aera to be someone who had a well-off family since no one in school ever mentioned it, nor did Aera herself. Plus no one with large amounts of wealth were as quiet as Aera, if Sakura’s parents had a lot of money she would flaunt it, not keep it a secret.

“I didn’t know you were rich,” Sakura speaks, finally moving from her spot in the doorway and stepping over to the picnic table where Aera sat. She placed her backpack onto the table and pulled out her laptop, notebook and a pen.

“We’re not rich,” the brown-haired girl muttered. “My grandad just owned this house and gave it to my mom as a wedding gift. It was already furnished and everything.”

“It’s still nice.”

“Thanks,”

An awkward silence enveloped the space. A bird chirped in the distance while Aera stared up into the sky as a plane passed by. Sakura tapped her pen on her notebook for a few beats, shifting her gaze around the environment before sighing and looking to Aera.

“Let’s do this fast, so we can get this over with, please.” she spoke. “I know you don’t want me to be here longer than necessary.”

“I-,” Aera’s voice wavers for a second, but she stops herself. “Okay.”

Sakura pulls open her laptop screen, typing for a few seconds before she peers over the top of the screen and looks at Aera with a look of confusion. “Are you not going to bring your own computer or notebook, or something?”

The question seems to shock Aera. “Oh-uh, I just thought that we could just use your laptop and notebook. But if I need to-” she quickly rises from her seat, and heads over to the door. “I’ll be back.”

Sakura doesn’t acknowledge her and continues typing on her computer, so Aera just continues inside and heads up to her room. While inside her room, she looks out of the one window that is there. The position of the window is right over the balcony where she left Sakura, and Aera watches her. She hadn’t gotten any murdery vibes from her so far, but Aera never knew. One wrong word or sentence and maybe the peach-haired girl would attack, and Aera would be left defenseless.

In Aera’s mind, the thought of possibly being attacked and murdered by Sakura was plausible, completely plausible. But to any sane person that understood Sakura was nothing but a one-hundred and something pound, sixteen-year-old girl knew that nothing of the sorts would be happening that day.

After a few more seconds of Aera staring and her mind running wild, she stepped away from the window and began searching for her laptop and a working pen. She scanned the floors for her MacBook, since she remembered plugging it in to charge the night before beside her bed, and she quickly found it. Next, she set off to search for a pen on her messy desk, pulling out drawers and then slamming them shut once she didn’t find any pens. A bright orange pen sat on her nightstand, and she quickly grabbed it before also snatching a notebook from her backpack that was on the floor. She then gathered everything into her arms and left her bedroom, making the trek down the stairs just as the doorbell rang for a second time that day.

Since she was already at the front door, the young girl quickly shouted, “I’ve got it!”

She pulled open the door, and there sat her other four guests. Sanha had his hand hovering over the doorbell, telling that he was preparing to press the button a second time before he set his gaze on the now opened door and saw his Sweet Cheeks.

“Sweet Cheeks,” he greeted with a shout of excitement.

“San San!”

“Lee Aera!” A voice interrupted, one that belonged to her mother. Dongmin came to the door, a bright smile on her face as her eyes scanned the four boys standing outside her front door. “Oh, are these your other friends? Come in, come in!”

The four boys quickly came in, Aera quickly backing up from the door to allow space for all of them to fit into the foyer.

“Sanha-ah, you tall boy,” Dongmin sing-songed, reaching forward and pinching his cheek. Red bloomed on Sanha’s cheek from the cheer force Dongmin used to grab and pull his cheek skin, but nonetheless he donned a smile. “Wow, all of you boys are so tall. My Jaesang isn’t as tall as you guys.”

The three remaining boys muttered thank yous and bowed repeatedly, which Aera knew her mother was glad to see. Before an unsettling silence could occur, Aera began introducing them to her mother.

“Ah, Eomma, this is Jeong-in, he’s-”

Dongmin’s face takes on the look of realization and she points out, “He’s the one Jiah likes, right? The boy she was showing me pictures of the other day?”

“Eomma,” Aera gasps, turning in surprise at both the fact that she remembered the pictures Jiah showed and the fact that Jiah was showing her mother’s pictures in the first place.

“What? He’s adorable,” Dongmin turns to face Jeongin. “You’re adorable, young man.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Lee,” Jeongin says, being sure to bow once more before he extends his hand to her. “It’s lovely to meet you.”

Dongmin completely ignores his hand, pulling him in for a hug instead, surprising Aera, Jeongin, and Sanha at the sudden gesture. “I’m giving you a hug to wish you the best of luck with that Kim Jiah. She’s a handful.”

“Yes ma’am she is.”

“And a menace too,” Dongmin quickly adds. “Y’know she eats raw green onion? Like, uncut, completely in it’s form from the store. She’s a weird gi-”

“Okay, Eomma!” Aera claps with a cheerful voice, ending the rant her mother was beginning to go on that would have surely embarrassed Jiah for days. She then points to Taehyun, before introducing him, “This is Taehyun, he’s in my music class as-”

“Wah~, you’re so handsome. You could be a model, or one of those idols,” Dongmin begins once again. “Your facial structure is amazing for a growing boy, you’re really tall too. Wah~, why couldn't my Jaesang be as tall as you.” 

Aera grimaces at her mother’s rant once again, covering her face before she mouths an ‘i don’t know, i’m so sorry’ to Taehyun, but the young boy just smiles at Dongmin and deeply bows. “Thank you, Mrs. Lee. You are very beautiful yourself.”

The other four teenagers groan at that, Aera letting out a, “C’mon Taehyun, that’s my mom.”

“Aera,” Dongmin says with a leveled tone. “Let the young man compliment me, besides he isn’t lying.”

“Oh my gosh.” Aera mutters, looking up at the ceiling wishing a black hole would open in the floor and just suck her in.

“Thank you, Taehyun-ah,” Dongmin brings Taehyun in for a hug, being sure to rock them side to side for an extra moment before she pulls back. “You’re my favorite as of now.”

Sanha lets out a gasp at that. “Dongmin-ssi I thought I was your favorite!”

“You didn’t compliment me today, Sanha-ah. You’ve lost your spot.”

“But you-” Sanha attempts to salvage his position as Dongmin’s favorite but Aera cuts him off quickly, placing her hand over his mouth.

“San San, you’ll live. Lastly, Eomma this is Soobin,” Aera says, grabbing Soobin’s wrist and pulling him from behind Taehyun so he could stand front and center in Dongmin’s line of sight. “He’s-“

“He’s the one from-” Dongmin starts to say, and Aera quickly lets out a panicked, “Eomma!”, afraid of what she might let slip.

Dongmin pauses for a second, quite caught off guard by Aera’s panicked shout before starting over. “He’s the one from your music class and physics class, right?”

Aera lets out a small breath of relief, noting the tone her mother used while speaking. Her mother knew that Soobin was more than just ‘the one from your music class and physics class’, but out of the goodness of her heart, she decided to spare her daughter the embarrassment she imparted on Jiah.

“Oh, uh,” Soobin glances over to Aera before he dips into a bow, the action causing Aera’s grip on his wrist to slip away. As he rises back to his full height he continues, “Yes, I am. It’s nice to meet you Mrs. Lee.”

“You as well, Soobin,” Dongmin smiles, reaching up to wrap one of her arms around his shoulders. “Y’know, you have quite an adorable face. You and all of your friends are just so handsome! How come you are friends with my Aera?”

Gee, thanks, Eomma, Aera thinks to herself.

“She was my seat partner for a bit in Physics,” Soobin explains. “She’s very nice though, easy to get along with. I suppose she learned that from you Mrs. Lee.”

Dongmin gasps in flattery, holding a hand to her heart. “Oh, please, just call me Dongmin-ssi, all of you. Maybe you’re my favorite now Soobin-ah. You kind of resemble a bunny, you know, when you smile—and oh! You have dimples, Aera he has dimples.”

Aera knew all of this already, hell, she’s spent most of her high school career staring at Soobin, so she more than anyone else knew that he had dimples and resembled a bunny. But either way, a deep red blush appeared on her cheeks as she watched her mother poke at and gush over the deep indents in her longtime crush’s cheeks.

“Eomma,” Aera clears her throat. “Can we please practice for our projects?”

“Oh!” her mother shouts, ceasing her poking and prodding and remembering why Aera invited her friends over in the first place. “Of course, yes. Did you leave that nice, young girl outside by herself?”

“Eomma, I’m sure she’s fine.”

“You’re being a bad host, Aera-ah,” her mother scolds. “I’ve raised you better than that, now go. Aera, don’t forget to apologize for leaving Sakura by herself for such a long time.”

The five teenagers turn away, Aera pointing down the hallway to show the four boys which direction to head in. “I will, Eomma.”

“Oh, and Jeongin! If you want any more stories about Jiah I’ve got plenty, that girl unloads all of her stress onto me as if I’m some diary-” Dongmin starts to rant as the boys begin walking away. Aera stays behind to ask her mother to tone down the niceties for a second, before she skips off down the hall, because while her mother nags at her for a lot of things, she was right about Aera being a bad host. No matter how much Aera thought Sakura was going to hurt her, she didn’t deserve to sit alone for so long.

#choi beomgyu #choi soobin #choi yeonjun #hueningkai #kang taehyun #choi soobin x female oc #kpop #social media au #txt #txt social media au

[mojo72400]

Hamiltots based on hamil-tots.tumblr.com chapter 6

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

One day at King’s Kindergarten, it was lunch time, the second break in school with the first one literally being called break time. Mr. Washington told his class “I’ll be back in 5 minutes! No food fights!” before leaving the classroom.

Jefferson and Madison were sitting on a table, preparing to eat their lunches.

“Hey James, what are you having for lunch today?” Jefferson asked Madison.

“My mom packed me some apples, what about you?” Madison answered then asked Jefferson.

“My mom got me cherry tomatoes” Jefferson said causing the entire class to gasp at him.

“THOMAS, YOU GOT TOMATOES?!!!” the class shockingly asked him in unison.

“Yeah…?” Thomas said, having no idea what was going on.

“But tomatoes are poisonous” Lafayette said.

“Yeah!” Mulligan said as Burr nodded in agreement to what Lafayette and Mulligan said.

“What?! Who says that?!” Jefferson incredulously asked.

“Everybody knows that!!” Alex said.

“I have some croissants if you want! I have enough for everyone!” Lafayette offered to Jefferson.

“You can have some of my apples too!” Madison offered likewise.

“Thomas, you know I hate you, but you don’t have to do this!!” Alex pleaded at Jefferson.

“You guys are being dumb!” Jefferson said, annoyed as he picks up a cherry tomato “Look, it’s fine! I’ll show you!”

“THOMAS!!! DON’T DO IT!!” the class pleaded before Jefferson successfully ate the cherry tomato.

“Tommy…” Tears began to well up in Peggy’s eyes as she held her sister, Eliza’s hand before she started crying “I DON’T WANT TOMMY TO DIE!!!”. Madison, Lafayette, Alex, Eliza, Angelica and all the other kids except Jefferson started crying as well.

As Mr. Washington returned to the classroom, he saw his class minus Jefferson crying and asked Jefferson “What happened here?”

“The class was crying because they thought I might die because I ate a cherry tomato” Jefferson said.

“And…?” Washington asked for more details.

“They think tomatoes are poisonous” Jefferson said.

“Oh…” Washington said before he called his class “Class gather around, your teacher has something he would like to explain to you”. The crying class turned to him and tried not to cry in front of him, so they just sniffled.

“Class, tomatoes are not poisonous. Did you know my wife, Martha makes tomato-based dishes at home? She makes spaghetti, pizza, tomato soup and salad. I ate tomatoes for many days and I’m still alive and healthy you see” Washington explained.

“Wait, you mean spaghetti sauce and pizza sauce are made from tomatoes?” Alex asked Mr. Washington as he sniffled.

“Yes, and I’m sure all of you had either eaten spaghetti or pizza once in your life, right?” he asked his class. His class nodded in agreement “See, you’re still here and healthy, am I right?” he said, and the class nodded again. “Now don’t feel sad, Jefferson’s gonna be fine. Now why don’t you all go have lunch with smiles on your faces” he told the class.

The class stopped crying and they apologized to Jefferson for their misunderstanding before sitting down to eat their lunches.

A few days later after the cherry tomatoes incident, it was Thomas’ turn to do show and tell, the assigned student usually presents an item to the class during the end of classes. Before leaving for school, he looked around his house for the perfect thing to bring for show and tell. He checked the dining room, living room, bedroom and finally his bathroom before he found the perfect thing to present to his class during show and tell.

During lunch time, Jefferson was eating mac and cheese when his best friend, James Madison asked him “Since you’re doing show and tell, what did you bring?”

“That’s a secret” Jefferson told Madison as he continued eating his mac and cheese.

When classes are almost over, it was time for show and tell and Thomas went in front of his class to present his item. Both of his hands are hidden behind his back, hiding the item he brought.

“Today for show and tell, I would like to present you my favorite thing” Thomas said as he brought out his rubber duckie “This is my rubber duckie, his name is James Madison. I named him after my best friend”. This sentence made his friend James Madison, red in the face. Jefferson continued to describe his rubber duckie, saying “He’s the one who make bath time lots of fun, James Madison, I'm awfully fond of you. James Madison, joy of joys, when I squeeze you, you make noise. James Madison, you're my very best friend it's true, just like the real James Madison”.

The class couldn’t help but giggle at Jefferson and at Madison whose blush has darkened due to his best friend unknowingly embarrassing him in front of class.

“Thank you, Thomas, that would be enough” Mr. Washington said before Jefferson might unknowingly say much more things that would sound wrong on his own ears.

based on @hamil-tots

#hamilton #hamiltots #alexander hamilton #aaron burr #lafayette #hercules mulligan #james madison #thomas jefferson #george washington #peggy schuyler #angelica schuyler #eliza schuyler #eliza hamilton #jeffmads

[th3okamid3monart]

Things I’m going to miss this Holidays

There are a couple of traditions we do in my family that I havent seen in other places and with one search on the internet I realize that most of the things we do are from my own country + some that we make up ourselves. 

So Im going to share them here because... Well, there’s a big-ass chance I wont be able to do them this Christmas nor New years. 

NOTE: When I say ‘my family’ in a lot of this, I mean ALL my family. Which means, all my grandparents, all my aunts, all my uncles, all my cousins, and, yes, EVEN my great grandaparents, cousins, uncles, aunts and more. Because we all know each other and we even make a party once a year for my dad’s side of the family 

Here I go:

Las Posadas

There’s this thing that we do at one of my grandparents’ house that involves singing a carol about the time Maria and Jose were looking for a place to stay to rest before travel far away for the birth of Jesus. It is a song which is singed by 2 groups, one that is inside and the other that’s outside. What we do is the following: One group goes inside a room in the house while the other stays outside the door, the group outside sings one part and the other sings the other. We go back and forward until we finish the song. It is pretty funny because no one sings well and its just like a bunch of grown ups practically screaming but we always end up chuckling. I used to think it was pointless and boring but that was because I was an edgy potato, after I enter University i began to enjoy more things and be happier. This is going to be the second time I wont be with my complete family for Christmas and now its all the family who wont be able to go to my grandparents house for a celebration. 

12 grapes, 12 wishes

In both sides of my family we usually fill up 12 grapes in a cup and give everyone 1 cup each. I dont remember what exactly the grapes meant or the story about the wishes but it’s supposedly like before it strikes 12 am on New Years, we have to eat our grapes while also wishing for something. I remember when I was younger I’d wish for peace on the world or that everything went well for everyone. I think I’m going to buy a bigger bag of grapes this year. 

Something that was funny was that everyone would just... Stuff their mouths with grapes, mostly my cousins and I, just to see how many we could fit. Not everyone wished for many things in the family because I think we all feel we had and have enough. If my family does this again on their own, I’m pretty certain their wishes would be to be able to meet with the family. 

Piñata

Every year since I was little, my grandparents buy a piñata to smash before or during Christmas. They find it such a good activity for cousins and even for my aunts, my mom and uncle. They literally havent stopped buying them, the oldest grandchild in that side of the family its in her 30s, but they still buy a piñata. I think its mostly for the youngest which are below 16, never the less, its still super funny and hilarious because we go from youngest to oldest. By the time it gets to my brother, its still intact, he only swings it once and its completely DESTROYED. We just have a lot of fun, and sometimes we make my mom or my aunts to hit it. My mom wasnt as cheery when I was a kid, but now she laughs more and when it comes to the piñata she laughs and enjoys her time even more. 

Games 

Like any gathering, all cousins bring up something we can do to entertain ourselves. At first they were toys my grandparents had for us, then it was videogames and now... Its board games. My bro is the one obsess with different boardgames and DnD and other card games. So, about 5 years ago he began bringing boardgames for all cousins to play along. We either talk with each other or try to destroy each other with any game there is. Videogames are fun but we all find it a drag to bring the console to the place, besides we usually get so busy with each others banter and weird conversations that we just forget about the videogames all together. 

At my other grandparents house it becomes W I L D. Last time someone brough a beer pong table and they all began to take shots with mezcal (I’m trying to not drink a lot of the time ever since I puked one time. If I drink its light things like wine and only one glass). Then my aunts play music and began to sing and everyone follows up, and... Well last time they began to dance.... And all my cousins were very embarassed and I was hella confused. Suffice to say, my dad’s side of the family are super freakishly energetic and wild, while my mom’s side is more of a geeky, nerdy vibe with a lot of meme stuff and political conversations at times (Oh yeah, we talk a lot of different political stuff, but guess what? It never derails into a fight. I note this due to always reading people’s talks ending with fights and stuff and that kinda weirds me out a bit at times) 

Dinners 

I don’t remember the time exactly, probably since I was 15 maybe, my dad and I turned into the designated ‘chefs’. Every year we’ve been deciding and preparing foods for each house. We make the main course while my aunts do the sides (although sometimes it becomes like 3 main courses with 2 sides). Im waaaaaaaaay into the cooking and I try to make it perfect each year. I kinda chillaxed a bit with some foods because it wasnt that big of a deal. Besides the main course, I also decide to make a dessert and sometimes they arent eaten because my families have some sugar regulations. They are stored and kept after Christmas because thats better than eating it all in one sitting and having sugar poisoning (AKA, high sugar that needs a fast Insuline injection afterwards). 

It is always fun to make food with my dad, and to make the famous Tamales from my grandma’s recipe. Last time i think we made around 400? Between green salsa chicken, red salsa beef and pork, and some that were like... its like an adobe, its with achiote and orange juice. It was very tasty. We usually make a lot and freeze them. THEY ARENT COOKED, they are raw and then frozen. Every time we take some out, we make them with vapor, takes around 2 hours and they are always tasty. I remember I made a batch all by myself, I made the feelings, I mixed the masa, and I assemble 100 by my own, the rest was thankfully made by my parents. And it was the best when I gave some to my grandma and she told me that they were super good. Of course, I made a couple mistakes, Im not perfect but she still enjoyed it with the salsa I made. Maybe I can still make some this year and give each family a batch. 

Aunt’s cookies

Every year, every god damn year... We all wait for one thing... It’s not the presents, its not the food... Its the cookies. The motherfucking cookies. My aunt has made this cookies since I was a kid, and we all fought to get a bunch of them. She has made choco chip with nuts cookies every year without missing. And they always end before Christmas even hits. She once gave me frozen batch so I can cook them at home and she told me ‘Dont tell anybody’. Of course I cannot not tell anyone since I live with my parents and siblings but when I made them I made sure to make them when my dad wasnt home. Not only because Im a gluttonous fuck but because my dad is diabetic and he shouldnt be eating anything like that. 

It used to be a battle royal between my cousins, now its a battle against my uncles cause they LOVE TO FUCKING HIDE THE BIG ASS CONTAINER. I swear, i only got 1 or 2 god damn cookies last time. 

Breakfast at...Lunch at...

After Christmas, we always go eat at my grandparents house. Always. And it’s, most of the time, Menudo. The most delicious food you can make with cow stomach. It’s my grandpa’s recipe and it’s always good. Meanwhile, we lunch at my grandma’s house the leftovers of yesterdays dinner which it varies if its turkey or pork but it always ends up as a torta. Delicious, leftover, tortas. 

We end up... SUPER CONSTIPATED because you eat menudo with bread, and you make tortas with bread, and we all eat bread and like... A LOT. Its hella good but well... THERE ARE CONCEQUENCES!! 

I think thats all, at least the most relevant parts. There’s also The Toast of El Bohemio, the stupidity and over eating i do for fun for some cousins, the conversations that go from super deep to stupidity with cousins, the music we play, the hugs... 

THE HUGS

When its the New Year, we scream out HAPPY NEW YEAR. And we proceed to hug each and everyone, one time I waited to see everyone and they all were very very happy. Its something I didnt realize before, but that was a happy thing all the time. Last year we event celebrated with other family, most of this reunions are compose with the nuclear family, but we arent shy about involving more family or friends. So last year not only included some family and their friends, we also included a 2 new members of the family: My newborn cousin and my cousin’s now husband. 

It was like.. One of the best beginnings... Which kind of... didnt prepared us for what this...sucky year. 

I’m sure we’ll make it ok... I sure hope so, I wanna see my grandparents again... I wanna see my baby cousin, he is babbling and has already learned to walk. The little dude doesnt have cousins to play with anymore, I wanna make sure he doesnt confuse me by his aunt ajjajajaja. I want to talk to my cousins, I want to hug them and scream with them and eat with them all. 

But maybe this year it wont happen, and I rather it not happening than loosing any of them. 

Right now I cant smell, and everything hurts, but it kinda helps ease things when i remember this and when I think they all are still kinda healthy. 

Maybe when it all passes we can make a march reunion, to celebrate my grandma’s birthday. In the meantime, I’m going to try to get better and wish for this Christmas to not suck now that It’s only my main family and I. 

Hope everyone is safe, I hope you can at least see your parents or siblings. I hope you dont get sick nor have to spend time at a hospital or anything. I hope all who are, get help and dont get worse. I hope you all get better. 

Hope you have Happy Holidays. 

#writing #things to remember #christmas #1 month away #november #november 2020 #december #december 2020 #holidays #traditions #christmas 2020

[criminalhotch]

“A Proposition”~An Ethan Dolan Imagine

A/N: Buckle your seat belts my loves, this one is kind of wild. It’s probably not what you imagine Sugar Daddy Ethan as but maybe. Idk. I thought of something then just rolled with it. I am actually really proud of this so I hope you guys like it!

Word Count: 7, 664 (aka really effing long)

Warnings: Cursing, Smut, DADDY! Ethan, Death, Angst, Fluff, Hints of Domestic Abuse, and Suicide (It’s said once nothing too bad) 

I told you it was wild. 

Ethan’s POV I don’t know what it was that attracted me to the girl who sat in the Starbucks three blocks from my house, but she caught my eye. It could be her mysteriousness, her smile that I, unfortunately, don’t see that often, her eyes, honestly it could be anything. She’s here almost every day as if it’s an escape for her. Her name was Y/N which I only knew from the barista calling her order when it was complete. I need to just suck it up and talk to her, but she was just so beautiful. Who am I? What am I saying? I’m Ethan Fucking Dolan. I walk over to her table, pull the chair across from her out and sit down. “Sure, you can sit there” she chided. “Oh, a sarcastic one I see. I like feisty ones” I smirked. “Yeah, and I’ll kick your ass” she promised. “Good luck with that one, doll,” I said sipping my drink. “Can I help you?” she asked clearly annoyed, at least for now. “I was wondering if I could take you out?” I asked. “Umm, why?” she blushed. “Not so tough now are we, sweetheart?” I asked. “I’m nothing to talk about” she whispered. “Stop,” I said harshly, and she looked at me confused. “I think you’re beautiful” I smiled. “Well thank you umm” she stalled waiting for my name. “Ethan” I finished her sentence and she nodded. “So that date?” I asked. “We’re already sitting here. Tell me about yourself and I will think about it” she answered. She’s a tough nut to crack but I’m willing to work through it. Therefore, I sat and told her about myself. My parents who were still together and my twin brother. (You’ll find out later why Cameron isn’t mentioned) “So, there’s two of you?” she asked at the mention of Grayson. “Oh, no. I’m one of a kind” I told her. “You’re a twin so not exactly, Ethan” she retorted. Hearing her say my name sent shivers down my spine. “I told you some about me, I think it’s your turn” I returned. So, she proceeded to tell me about her parents, her goals, her dreams, and her ambitions. All these things seemed way bigger than me but nonetheless, we continued. “Well speaking of family, Grayson is calling me so how about that date?” I asked hoping for a yes. “Sure, pick me up tomorrow at 7” she smiled. “Deal but I don’t have your address,” I said. “Give me your phone,” she said sticking her hand out and without a moment’s hesitation, I handed it to her. Who am I becoming? Dates? Small Talk? Handing a girl my phone voluntarily? Grayson. I was becoming Grayson.

It was the next night and I was preparing for my date with Y/N. I had to step up my clothing game because I have a feeling she is going to look even more gorgeous than before. We were going to a 5-star restaurant, so I decided dress slacks with a button up and a jacket would be best. I decided to text her to make sure she was wearing appropriate attire.

E: Make sure you wear a long dress

Y/N: Like an evening gown?

E: Um, sure

Y: Already planned on it but thank you for the warning

E: I’ll be there in 30

Y: Alrighty, see you then

 I finished my hair off with some hairspray and got dressed. While I was dressing the nerves began to set in. I hopped in my Jeep and drove to the address she sent me this morning. It was an apartment complex. Apartment 1D (haha sorry I had to) to be exact. I rode the creaky elevator up to her floor then knocked on her door. She opened the door looking drop dead gorgeous just as I expected her to. “You clean up nice” she smiled. “You look just” I sputtered out. “I’m literally speechless” I finished what I was trying to stay. Her cheeks started to blush, so I reached my hand out. “Should we leave?” I asked, and she nodded grabbing my hand. We rode the creaky elevator once more. “I’m getting you out of this building” I whispered as we headed to the Jeep. “It’s just the elevator. There’s been a work order placed” she tried to explain. “I don’t care. Most landlords don’t give a fuck and I’m not having you get stuck in an elevator from 1957” I said kind of exaggerated. “This building was built in 80’s, E” she giggled, and I tensed up. No one calls me, E. Grayson is the only one and even then, it’s rare. We were already halfway there and I think she saw my body language. “What’s wrong, E?” she asked. “Can you stop saying that?” I said harshly. Well looks like I’ve fucked this up already. She stayed silent. “I’m sorry that nickname just has a bitter past for me and I just don’t like it” I tried to explain. “I’m sorry, Ethan” she whispered as she said my name. She was scared of me, what the fuck am I doing? We drove in silence the rest of the way. “Y/N” I sighed as we pulled in. “This restaurant is way too fancy” she commented. “I can afford it, I promise but that’s beside the point” I muttered. “Well then what’s the point?” she bit back. “I’m sorry for snapping at you. Someone very close to me called me that and they are gone now. It’s been long enough and I’m an adult, so it shouldn’t bother me” I explained. “I get it. The toughest people are allowed to be sensitive. Let’s go eat, shall we?” she smiled, and I nodded. She kissed my cheek and it was my turn to blush. I’m turning into mush, what the hell? “Wait,” I said as she tried to open the door. I ran around and opened the door for her because that’s what gentlemen do, right? “Why thank you,” she said as she began walking us into the restaurant. Her eyes moved in a million different directions trying to take in everything around her. “Ethan” she whispered. “Yes?” I asked. “This is too much. You can’t bring me to a place like this. It’s literally our first date” she said still shocked. “So, does that mean there will be more?” I asked. “Only if you take me somewhere less expensive. I don’t need all of this” she said. “Ah but you deserve it” I said, and she rolled her eyes.

We sat at our table and began talking some more. Learning a little bit more about each other. I was trying to decide if I should bring up why I brought her here. Why I truly want her. I was scared she would run but at the same time, I felt as if she’d understand. Our food arrived moments later interrupting our thoughts. “This food is amazing” she commented after a couple bites. “Yeah, I’m not going to bring you to a bad restaurant on the first date,” I said. “Ethan, why did you want me? Me of all people? A girl who has nothing but an apartment with a rickety elevator and some sketchy stairs” she asked. She was insecure, she tried to be a badass, but she couldn’t always keep her composure. “Don’t doubt yourself, Y/N. You’re absolutely gorgeous” I complimented. “You want something” she assumed but she wasn’t wrong. “In a way, yes” I agreed. I guess it’s now or never. “Look I’m not sure if you know who Grayson and I used to be” I started. “You looked familiar so I googled Ethan. You and your brother were the first two to pop up. The Dolan Twins” she said. “Yes, we were YouTubers but not anymore. We stopped after—” I stopped to gather my thoughts as to why we stopped. “Anyways, I have lots of money because after we stopped YouTube Grayson and I founded a company. It is called Dolan Partnerships. Now I’m not implying that you’re a gold digger by any means. That hasn’t crossed my mind once. Now I’m 23 but I have only my family and a couple close friends” I said as she interrupted me. “Are you going to kidnap me? Are you in a gang or something?” she asked. “No, I’m not going to kidnap you. I couldn’t even imagine laying a finger on your pretty head now listen. This part is important” I told her, and she nodded. “My family always harps on Gray and me because we never have girlfriends. My mom wants grandkids” I said, and I saw her eyes grow wide. “I’m not saying we have to fall in love, get married, have kids, and get old together but we can fake it if that’s what you want but I’m willing to buy you things in return for being my girlfriend, so to speak. I have lots of money to spend and no one to spend it on. Part of this is selfish. I want someone to spoil and maybe eventually love because I do like you. I truly think you’re so beautiful but if you don’t want to, I get it” I finished my pitch. She gave me a look of confusion but the words that followed were shocking. “I’ll do it but not because of the stuff or the money but because I like you too” she smiled. “So are we like faking it or are we going to like actually try to have a relationship?” I asked. “It’s totally up to you” I added. “I don’t know why we couldn’t try,” she said. Boy did I pick the right girl for this.

 Y/N POV What in the actual fuck did I just agree to? Ethan was attractive, to say the least. He’s hot as hell quite frankly but you can tell he’s troubled. Deep down you can tell he cares, maybe too much and that’s why he is the way he is. He definitely loves people whole-heartedly once he learns to love them. I didn’t agree to his idea because of the items or the money he has but because I know he’s capable of love and even if he’s not the one I marry then at least I can say I tried to help him when he needed it. Even if it doesn’t work out then you live, and you learn right?

These thoughts all flooded my brain as I laid in bed after Ethan had dropped me off. He walked me to my apartment even though it meant he had to go in the elevator that he despises. He kissed me goodnight, just on the cheek though. Would I have stopped if it had been more? I can’t say for sure. My phone dinging drifted me out of my thoughts.

Ethan: I hope you had fun tonight

Y/N: I did, thank you

Ethan: You want to do something Saturday?

Y/N: Sure, but can we not do anything expensive?

Ethan: The entire point is so I can spoil you

Y/N: Ok but let’s ease into it. I’m not used to this

Ethan: How about you can come over and we will get take out?

Y/N: You promise that you aren’t trying to kidnap me?

Ethan: I promise

Y/N: I have an early day. I’ll talk to you tomorrow

Ethan: Alright, good night. Sleep well, gorgeous

Y/N: Good night, Ethan. I need to make up a good nickname for you

Ethan: haha

Y/N: There was one from a video I watched from your channel, but I can’t remember it

Ethan: NO!

Y/N: Ah, Eee-tee-wee-tee. I like it!

Ethan: Goodnight, Y/N

I chuckled and then plugged my phone in. I was curious as to why he got so upset over me calling him E. It’s common to nickname someone after their first initial. There was something going on there. Maybe I’ll ask on Saturday.

We had spent the next couple days texting each other quite often and he even called me once. I was excited to just spend time with him and this way he didn’t have to spend boatloads of money on me. He told me to wear something comfortable, so I threw on some leggings, a nice sweater, put my hair in a bun, applied a little bit of mascara, and some boots to shield my toes from the bitter cold. He insisted on picking me up again. “You’re not staying here much longer. I do not trust that elevator” he told me. “Ethan, I have a lease and I just signed it four months ago” I explained. “Y/N, I have money and I will pay for you to break your lease” he replied. “Well, where would I live?” I asked. “With me?” he questioned even himself. “I barely know you,” I told him. “You’re right that was dumb” he mumbled. “How about I stay a couple nights a week then we will increase it little by little” I suggested. “Sounds good but you’re still moving out of that apartment,” he said again. “You are so damn stubborn” I exclaimed, and he gave me a cheeky smile. This boy, I swear.

“Chinese?” he asked. “Sounds good” I smiled as he picked up his phone to place the order. “It’ll be here in half an hour,” he said putting his phone down. “What should we do?” I asked him. “A tour?” he asked as we had only made it to one room, the kitchen. It was huge. “Sure,” I said. He pulled my hand into his and pulled me through the house. “This is the living room,” he said as I looked around. “Dining room, that I never use” he explained. “Maybe we could have a party here or even do Thanksgiving” I suggested. “You would want to?” he asked. “Only if you want to” I smiled, and he nodded. He showed me to a couple more rooms downstairs then we went up the grand staircase which was magnificent. “This is my guest room,” he said for when he has family stay. “This is my room,” he told me. His room was pretty clean, not great but not bad for a 23-year-old bachelor. “And this is your room if you don’t want to sleep in my room yet which I totally understand” he explained.

 I wasn’t sure how I felt about sharing a room with him, maybe I’d try it? It sounds nice not sleeping alone for once. We toured the rest of the house the hallways, the closets, the bathrooms, and other things. Someone rang the doorbell as we finished, probably the Chinese delivery guy. Ethan went to get it as I walked the house. So, he was basically my sugar daddy, right? He wants to buy me things and spoil me, but I don’t know how this works. “Can we talk?” I asked as we started munching on our take out. “Sure,” he said hesitantly. “I’m not exactly sure how this all works?” I told him. “How what works?” he asked. “Youbeingmysugardaddy” I said fast, and he chuckled. “It’s easy if you want something, tell me, and I’ll buy it. If I think you deserve something, then I’ll buy it for you. It’s not a bad thing. I want to spoil you” he said as he shoved Chow Mein into his mouth. “I don’t need anything, Ethan. I have everything” I said. “That’s where you’re wrong because I have a plan for tomorrow” he smiled. “Oh, yeah?” I asked. “It’s a surprise though,” he told me, and I scoffed.

We finished our Chinese as well as our conversation. He picked a decent looking movie to watch on Netflix. “Can we cuddle?” he asked in a whisper tone. “Yes, Ethan” I smiled. He was already on the couch, so I pretty much had no option but to basically lay on top of him. Before the movie was over he had fallen asleep. He looked so peaceful. It was around 11 when the movie ended so I decided to wake him up. “Ethan. Ethan. Ethannn.” I said, and his eyes finally opened. “Hmm?” he hummed. “Let’s get you to bed” I stated sitting at the end of the couch. “Only if you come with” he negotiated. “Alright, fine. Let’s go” I said standing up trying to get him off the couch. His eyes shot open when he realized that I agreed to stay the night. “Are you going to sleep in my room or your room?” he asked quietly. “This house is so big. I’m kind of scared to sleep alone” I admitted. “Good then you can sleep in my room where I can cuddle you and protect you,” he said, smiling then getting up from the couch.

The next morning, I woke up and the bed was empty. I went downstairs to see the entire menu of IHOP on the kitchen table. “I uh didn’t know what you liked, and I didn’t want to wake you, so I got a little bit of everything” he blushed. “You could’ve woken me up and we could’ve gone together” I smiled kissing his cheek. “I wanted to surprise you besides there’s a whole day of surprises coming today” he smirked. “Ethannnn” I groaned. “Please just let me spoil you” he begs. “Fine but I’m going to complain about it,” I said taking a bite of the strawberry pancakes. “We’re not going to eat all of this why don’t you ask Grayson if he wants to join us?” I suggested. “That’s a good idea,” he said grabbing his phone. After a short phone call with his brother Ethan told me Grayson was on his way. Soon enough Grayson barged through the door. “Who is she?” Grayson asked. “I’m Y/N-Ethan’s—” I trailed off. “She’s my girlfriend so don’t get any ideas, little bro” Ethan warned. “I may be your little brother but I’m bigger in every way” he winked. I laughed and shook my head. They were definitely brothers. “I didn’t know that I agreed to be your girlfriend,” I said. “It’s just easier than explaining the truth and maybe one day, right?” he asked. “You’d like that wouldn’t you?” I asked. “Mhmm, very much,” he said as I fed him the last bite of the cinnamon roll pancake. We got ready while Grayson finished everything we couldn’t eat. “Hey, is Gray going with us?” I asked. “I don’t know. I didn’t think about it, why?” he asked. “Well I should probably get to know him, right? He is your twin” I told him. “I’ll ask him,” he said walking to the door. “GRAY” he yelled. “WHAT?” Grayson yelled back. “YOU WANT TO GO OUT WITH Y/N AND ME?” he shouted. “SURE!” Gray answered back. “Well there’s your answer,” he said. “I’m going to shower real quick,” he said. “Can I um join you? Just so we can leave faster” I answered. “Whatever you want, princess” his growing dark. He walked into the bathroom to warm the shower up. I couldn’t tell you why I was so comfortable with Ethan, but I was. He made me feel happy and safe. I felt like I had known him for years not a few days. I had played my life so safe maybe it’s time I’m bad. “The shower is ready!” Ethan calls. I walk into his bathroom where he has already stripped down to his boxers and I bit my lip. I slipped my pants down my legs revealing my underwear, thank god I chose some cute ones to wear. I tugged my shirt over my head revealing my breasts and I immediately covered them. “This was your idea. You have a beautiful body, don’t cover yourself” he said removing my hands from my boobs and placing them around his neck. His hands rested on my hips. “Can I kiss you?” he asked quietly, and I nodded. He started at my lips kissing me softly, but it was a deep, meaningful kiss. He moved his way down my chin to my neck, from my neck down my chest, and then to my boobs. His lips wrapped around my nipple and I moaned involuntarily. He began sucking and I hissed at the feeling. “Ethan” I gasped. He then kept moving down my body. His lips kissed in between my breasts once then down my stomach. “You’re so gorgeous. I can’t wait to cherish your body every day” he muttered. He then continued his trek down my body. His lips made there way down until he hit the line of my underwear. “Would you like for me to take these off?” he asked. “Oh, please” I groaned as he looped his finger on either side of my black lace panties from Victoria Secret. He pulled them down my legs slowly taking in the sight in front of him. He was gentler than I expected him to be. “I hope you know we aren’t fucking in the shower” he smirked. “What the fuck, Dolan” I groaned now sexually frustrated. “We don’t have time and Grayson is downstairs” he explained. “Please,” I said sticking my lip out and pouting. “I won’t leave you hanging, baby girl. I promise” he smirked again. “After you,” I said gesturing to the shower. He pulled his boxers down releasing his semi-hard member causing me to bite my lip again. He was already that big and not even fully hard. “You know, it’s not polite to stare” he snickered. I rolled my eyes then stepped into the shower. “I don’t have any shampoo, soap, or conditioner,” I said disappointedly. “It’s ok, I went and got you some. You have your own shelf” he said pointing to it. “Aw, thanks” I smiled kissing his cheek. Pushing the past few minutes out of my head I began to wash my hair with the shampoo he had gotten for me. All of a sudden I felt a pair of large hands massage my boobs. “Ethan, what are you doing?” I asked. “Washing your body, continue with your hair. I’m trying to help” he explained. He had pushed his front into my back and I couldn’t feel his erection in between my thighs. This boy was going to be the death of me. I had just finished the shampoo when I felt his hands move lower. He was teasing me. “Ethan, please” I whispered as I put the conditioner in my hair. The fingers of his right hand drifted over my clit causing me to buck my hips. “Eager, are we?” he smirked finally granting me of my wish. He rubbed my clit in gentle, continuous strokes. I hummed in pleasure. I began washing the conditioner out of my hair as he moved in front of me. I felt one of his fingers slip inside of me, moving slowly. “Ethan” I moaned as he continued. “More, I need more” I groaned. “More, what?” he asked. “Another finger” I suggested, and he did as told. He slipped another finger inside of my soaked pussy. He began going faster and harder. Maybe he wasn’t as gentle as I thought. I finished washing the conditioner out of my hair. “Ethan I’m done showering,” I said. His fingers began to pump inside of me faster and harder than before. My head fell into his chest. He was supporting both of us at this point while I became a moaning mess in front of him. “I’m close” I whispered and before I knew it his other hand met with my clit again. I hissed at the new sensation. It was enough to send me over the edge. “Oh fuck. I’m cumming, daddy. I’m cumming” I moaned not realizing what I was saying. My release soaking his fingers even more. My eyes grew wide as I came off of my high. “Daddy, huh?” he snickered, and I blushed. “It’s ok, I like it. It’s hot especially spilling from your beautiful lips” he said stepping under the water. I looked at him, taking in the sight in front of me. His body was glorious, and his dick was completely hard by now.  A thought came to me as he began rubbing the water through his hair to make sure it all got wet because of how thick his hair was. I reached down and wrapped my hand around him. His eyes shot open. “Y-you don’t have to do anything” he stuttered. “Yes, I do, daddy,” I said as I winked at him while sliding down to my knees. My eyes never breaking contact with his hazel ones. I wrapped my lips around his tip sucking lightly. “Y/N, baby girl” he moaned. I continued what I was doing as I could tell it was driving him crazy. I then moved my head farther down his length taking more and more of him into me. I used my hand on what I couldn’t fit in his mouth. I bobbed my head up and down as he moaned above me. “God, you look so beautiful sucking daddy’s cock while he’s trying to shower” he groaned. I looked up at him as we made eye contact. I felt his dick twitch inside my mouth. He was close. “I’m close, princess. Don’t stop” he pleaded. I took a little bit more of him in my mouth until his dick hit the back of my throat causing me to choke around him. This caused him to groan even more. I went back to just sucking on his tip knowing how sensitive it was and how close he was. It wasn’t long until he muttered “I’m going to cum, baby girl” he warned. Then just like clockwork, he moaned loudly as he came. “Fuck, I was not expecting that,” he said relieved. “Expecting what?” I asked. “Oh, god. Any of this” he said completely out of breath. “You finish showering and cleaning yourself up. I’m going to go get ready” I told him as I turned to pull the shower curtain open. As I went to step out a harsh slap spread across my ass. “Ethan” I scowled, and he just smiled.

I got ready in about 20 minutes which was record timing. Ethan got out of the shower about five minutes after I did. When we were ready we went back downstairs. “You guys took forever!” Grayson noticed. “We took separate showers, that’s why” I lied, and he nodded. We loaded into Ethan’s jeep and then we were off for an adventure. “Where are we going?” I asked. “The Mall” Ethan said nonchalantly. “You don’t need to buy me anything,” I said. “But I do. You have like no clothes at my house, so we need to change that” he said as he pulled into a parking spot. I sat in the passenger seat not wanting to get out for this. “If you don’t get out of this seat in three seconds, daddy is going to have to punish you” he growled lowly, so Grayson didn’t hear him. I decided it was in my best interest to just suck it up and let him buy whatever he wants for me. We walked in and as we walked through the door Ethan intertwined our fingers. What was he doing? We spent the day going in and out of almost every store. We went to the Apple Store and he got me an iPhone X when I would have been fine with a 7. We went to Victoria Secret where he got me some panties amongst other things. We also went to a bunch of clothing stores. We got back to the car and the trunk was filled with bags from both Ethan and Grayson’s purchases. “Ethan, how much did you spend on me today?” I asked as I took a sip of my drink. “Oh, about 3 grand,” he answered as I spit my water all over his Jeep. He and Grayson then began laughing. “That’s way too much, in one day!” I shouted. “You only know about 2 grand of it though” he explained. “That doesn’t make it any better!” I said, and he smiled. “You need to get over me spending money on you. I know you didn’t ask me to, I WANT to. I have plenty of money, so you don’t need to worry your pretty little head about a thing” he smiled kissing me once. “Wait what did you spend a thousand dollars on that I don’t know about?” I asked curiously. “You’ll find out later,” he said. “Grayson! Tell me what you know!” I demanded. “I know nothing” he smiled. I hate The Dolan Twins.

We got back and unloaded all of the bags into his house. I began taking the tags off so I could wash everything. “The maid could do that,” he said. “You have a maid?!” I exclaimed. “Yes, babe. She works Tuesdays and Thursdays” he told me. “I can do the laundry. I’m bored anyway” I told him. “Help me carry this to the laundry room,” I said and so he did. “What about the other things?” I asked. “Later” is all he said. I started the lights in the washer then headed to the living room where Ethan was on his phone. “Why did you pick me for all of this?” I asked. “I liked how mysterious you looked sitting in the coffee shop” he answered. “But I’m not pretty, or interesting, or funny” I admitted. “That’s where you are wrong. You are all of those things. You are the most beautiful girl I have ever laid eyes on” he told me, and I interrupted him. “I’ve seen your exes on the internet, Ethan. They are all at least four times prettier than I am” I said. “Bullshit now listen to me,” he said harshly. “You are absolutely gorgeous. The way you are and the way you do things are so intriguing to me. I want to know everything about you and you are funny. Not as funny as I am but you’re funny in your own way” he said kissing my forehead. Maybe I wasn’t crazy for doing this. Maybe he was actually being genuine. “Do you mean all of that?” I asked him, and he nodded. “You already mean the world to me. I think it’s because you didn’t know who I was. You didn’t freak out because I’m Ethan Dolan. You treated me like a person and I appreciate that. You are so kind and down to earth. You hate me spending money on you even though that’s the sole purpose of this arrangement” he chuckled then continued, “You can’t or at least you don’t judge me on my past. Well I mean you judge Grayson and I’s old videos but that’s what they are there for but my dumber decisions. You’re with me for me and not my money or my fame. There’s lots to like about you, Y/N. Don’t doubt yourself” he finished as a tear rolled down my cheek. “Why on Earth are you crying?” he said. “That was the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me” I whimpered. “Every word I said was true,” he said pulling me into his lap. “Now I, well we, have a dinner to go to with my parents’ so you need to get ready for that” he instructed. “What do I need to wear?” I asked. “Preferably nothing but that’s not appropriate but that’s your first of a few surprises” he smirked.

“Follow me to your room,” he said. “The room I’m not going to use” I chuckled. “We can turn it into a closet” he commented. We got up to my room and there was a dress bag and beside it was a shoe box. I opened the box to reveal beautiful, nude heels then I unzipped it to see a long, black dress in it. “This is beautiful, Ethan,” I said. “I know and it’s all yours so get ready so I can see how sexy you look in it,” he said pinching my butt. I went to the bathroom and started getting ready. It was winter in New Jersey, and we showered this morning so that was done. I decided to curl my hair and then do my make up with a black and brown smoky eye. I slipped the dress on but then realized I couldn’t zip the zipper. “ETHAN!” I yelled, and he came running in with black dress slacks and black dress socks on but no shirt yet. “Will you zip me?” I asked as he went to my back and zipped me up. “Oh god, you look so damn good” he growled in my ear. “Finish getting ready, we have to leave soon,” I said shooing him away. He came back in with a black dress shirt, black tie, and black jacket. He looked HOT. I hadn’t even noticed that he was holding a small bag. “These are your last two surprises,” he told me pulling out a small box to reveal diamond earrings. “Ethan, this is so much” I whispered. “Only for you,” he said taking the earrings out, so I could put them in. “They’re beautiful,” I said placing them in my ears. “I have a small speech for this last one,” he said. “I have way too much makeup on to cry so keep it short” I warned. “I will” he chuckled. “Y/N, I know this may seem fast and sudden but in the few short days we have known each other we’ve come so close in more ways than one and I can’t stand the thought of not having you by my side. I truly hope you feel the same way I do so that’s why I got you this gift, but I need you to close your eyes” he said, and I obliged. He draped the necklace around me. “Don’t open your eyes yet” he warned. “I got you this necklace in hopes that you would maybe want to my girlfriend like officially now,” he said, and I opened my eyes. I looked in the mirror to see an E with a small heart gleaming on my chest. “Yes, Ethan. I’ll be your girlfriend like officially now” I giggled as I kissed him quickly. He then started to pout, “Lipstick, babe,” I said, and he sighed.

  Ethan’s POV

We walk into the dinner party that my parents are hosting. I see my mom and Grayson first. “Ethan, who is this?” my mom asks excitedly. “Mom, this is my girlfriend, Y/N” I smiled. “Hello, Mrs. Dolan,” Y/N said. “Oh please dear, call me Lisa!” my mom said. “Have you met Ethan’s twin?” she asked gesturing to Grayson. “Yes, mom. He was with us early today” I explained. “Why am I always the last to know these things?” she scoffed. “You aren’t. It’s really new and dad doesn’t know yet” I told her. “Ahh, yes. Your father, where is he?” she asked, and I shrugged then my mom walked away. “Your mom is sweet” Y/N said. “Yeah, she is” I smiled walking through the house with her hand in mine.

We had been there about an hour when I heard a voice, a voice I didn’t want to hear. “Your girlfriend is awful pretty isn’t she, E?” I heard as I turned to see him. The person who ruined my life, my family’s life. “Why are you here?” I growled. “A friend of a friend invited me as her plus one,” he said. “You should be in prison,” I said. “For what, E?” he asked, and my blood began to boil. “You know why!” I screamed. “No, I don’t. Please elaborate” he taunted. “BECAUSE YOU KILLED MY FUCKING SISTER,” I said connecting my fist to his face then tackling him to the ground. “Ethan!” I heard Y/N shout but the seemed so far away. All I saw was red. “DON’T FUCKING CALL ME E, EITHER. ONLY CAMERON AND GRAYSON CALL ME E” I screamed beating him to a pulp before Grayson and my dad pulled me off of him. “Ethan, what the-“Grayson said before he realized who it was. “You need to leave now, Andrew” Grayson ordered. “I was invited here,” he said. “You have five seconds to get the fuck out of here before I have the entire police department here” Grayson growled. I was angry then I looked at Y/N, she was terrified. My sweet girl was probably terrified. I felt my face soften when our eyes met. I watched as Andrew left followed behind Grayson. “Never come back, EVER or you will leave in cuffs, do you understand me?” Grayson shouted at him as Andrew flipped him off. Soon enough my mom came over the speaker system “I’m sorry but we are going to have to cut this party short. Thank you all for coming but my family is shaken up after tonight’s events. I’m so sorry for all of this. Drive Safe!” she said as everyone began to exit. Time began to slow, and the lights began to fade before-black.

I woke up in my childhood bed with Y/N sitting at the foot of it. “Baby” I whispered, and she turns around. “How long was I out?” I asked. “About an hour” she answered, her voice sounded very monotone. “What the hell happened back there?” she asked. “Well I guess now is as good a time as any” I mumbled. “So, Grayson and I had an older sister, her name was Cameron,” I said.

Flashback.

“Cam, you have to leave him,” I said. “I know but every time I try to, he beats me nearly to death, E” she cried into my chest. “When he works next, we will go over and get all of your stuff then get a restraining order. We can even file domestic abuse” I told her, and she nodded. Even though she was my older sister I was going to do everything in my power to help her, so would Grayson. “I’m sorry that Gray and I can’t be here to protect you all the time” I apologized. “Don’t apologize. I am so proud of everything you guys have become. You shouldn’t have to worry about your older sister” she said. “But we do,” Grayson said as he entered the room. “Every day, Cameron,” I told her.

The following Wednesday her dick head boyfriend had to work an extra-long shift, so we went to get all of her shit then head to the police station. Grayson, my parents, and I all went over there. We managed to get her moved out in just over an hour. We had moved everything into our parent’s house. We got the charges filed and so we didn’t hear from him at all. Hopefully, because he was behind bars. It was a couple days later, and Cameron was adjusting. “Hey, Cam?” I asked. “Yes, E?” she asked. “We want to talk to you,” Grayson said from behind me. “I don’t need a lecture” she groaned. “It’s not, we promise,” I told her. “It’s a proposition” Grayson finished. “We think it would be best for you if you moved to LA with us. Far away from Andrew and if something bad happens then you will have both of us right there with you. You can help us edit our videos like in the old days” I smiled. “I think a change in scenery would do me good,” she said. “So, you’ll come with us?” Grayson asked. “I have a feeling I am going to regret this but yes I will move to LA with you guys” she smiled. This one was a real smile. The first one I’d seen in months. “Well we have plane tickets for Saturday and it’s Monday, so I’d get to packing” Grayson suggested. “You guys are the best brothers a girl could ask for,” she said hugging us both. Finally, she’d be safe.  

Or so I thought..

I had run to the store to grab a couple last minute things for our flight back to LA. I was only going to be gone for half an hour, so I checked with Cameron to make sure she’d be ok by herself while I was gone. I had gotten everything I needed and was heading back to the car when my phone began to ring. It was Cameron. “E, Help” is all she said before the line went dead. With everything that happened we had a family app, so I checked her location. Andrew’s house. He had kidnapped her. I called the police and drove straight there going entirely too fast, but I didn’t care. I also had called Grayson and told him what happened while he called our parents. I arrived at his house just as the police did. They busted down his door and I ran through the house trying to find Cameron. I found her in the basement lying in a pool of her own blood. She had been shot. “Cameron” I cried as I ran to her. “Ethan” she croaked out. She was alive but barely. “You’re going to be ok,” I told her. “No, I’m not. I’m dying” she said as a tear rolled down my cheek. “Cam, no,” I told her. “Tell mom, dad, and Grayson that I love them,” she said. “No, Cameron you can tell them,” I said. “No, I won’t make it” she croaked out. “I love” she stopped to breathe. “I love you E,” she said before she went unconscious and her breathing stopped.

End of Flashback

Y/N POV

“He killed her but made it look like suicide, so he was never charged” Ethan finished as he began to cry even harder. “Ethan” I sighed as I pulled him into me. “Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?” I asked. “It hurts, it was two years ago but it still hurts” he whimpered as his head laid in my lap. There was a knock at the door. “Come in,” I said, and it was Grayson. “I see he woke up,” he said scratching the back of his head. “Yeah about 15 minutes ago,” she said. “He told you, didn’t he?” Grayson asked. “Yes, I’m so sorry, Gray,” I said to him. “It’s ok. I came to terms with it a long time ago. Some days hurt more than others, but Ethan has the worst of it” he told me. “I can imagine,” I said as I played with his hair as he’d fallen asleep in my lap. “He’s a really good brother,” Grayson said. “I can tell,” I told him. “He really likes you, Y/N. He has never done this much with any of his exes” Grayson told me. “Really?” I asked, and Grayson nodded. “Y/N” Ethan grumbled. “What baby?” I cooed softly. “I’m not done explaining,” he said. “Then continue,” I told him. “Can I stay in your lap?” he asked. “You can do whatever you want,” I told him. He stayed in my lap, but he turned so that he was on his back instead of his side. “Hey, Gray,” he said. “Hey, bro” Gray smiled lightly. “That was the first time I had seen him since that night and I lost it. I wanted to kill him. Just like he did to Cameron” he said as he began sobbing all over again. “Then I saw your face and I was scared you’d run. I was worried that I had scared you so bad that you’d hate me. I was worried that I wouldn’t get to wake up next to you ever again” he sobbed harder. “I was scared because I had never seen that side you then you passed out. After that I just wanted you to wake up” I told him. “When I get that angry I pass out” he explained. “That’s what Grayson told me earlier before he carried you up here,” I told him. “Cameron’s why we stopped YouTube. She was a big reason as to why we loved making videos. I was so hurt and depressed that I couldn’t bring myself to do it. It wasn’t fair to anyone. Grayson, me, the fans” he explained. “I understand,” I told him. “So, you aren’t scared of me?” he asked. “Not at all” I smiled as I continued playing with his hair. We sat in silence for a minute. “She was the first person to call me, E. She rarely called me by my name. That’s why when you called me that I got so upset. E was the last thing she ever said” he paused “to anyone” he said quietly. “It’s ok, babe. I’m not mad about it” I said to him. “I really like when you call me that though so if you want to call me E, I’d be ok with that. Plus, it would match your necklace” he said. I had forgotten about the necklace. I was still wearing it even after I had changed into some of his old clothes. “I’ll call you whatever you want me to. Whether it be Ethan, E, babe” I listed. “Don’t forget E-tee-wee-tee” Grayson chimed in and Ethan groaned. “You just had to bring it up” he sighed. Grayson and I both laughed. “I’m going to bed,” Grayson said. “Night Y/N,” He said. “Goodnight, Gray” I smiled at him shyly. “Goodnight, Ethan. Love you, bro” he said. “Night, love you too,” he said. “E?” I asked as I looked down at his hazel eyes. “As crazy as it sounds, I think I love you,” I told him. “Good, because I think I love you too” he smiled up to me, so I pressed my lips to his. I removed my lips and saw him pouting. “I’m sorry for everything you went through,” I said. “It’s ok, some days are worse than others. My days have been better since I met you” he said. “Really?” I asked. “Really.”

   (A/N: Cameron Dolan is perfectly fine. She only died for story purposes)

#ethan dolan #ethan dolan imagine #ethan dolan smut #ethan dolan blurbs #grayson dolan #grayson dolan imagine #grayson dolan smut #grayson dolan blurb #Ethan and Grayson #grayson and ethan #dolan twins #dolan twins imagine #dolan twins smut #dolan twins blurb #the dolan twins #the dolan twins smut #the dolan twins imagine #the dolan twins blurb #sugar daddy ethan #sugar daddy grayson

[texanredrose]

Kindred Ch 2

This chapter brought to you by Moonwatcher13! Thanks buddy!

Winter cursed under her breath as she got out of her car, reaching down to pull on the hood tab to pop it open. By the smell of it, she could tell she’d gone far too long without an oil change, but it wasn’t until she yanked- using all her body weight and strength- her dipstick out to find it bone dry that she realized her understatement. That didn’t bode well at all; at least she’d made it back home before anything too detrimental happened.

Getting it started that evening, however…

Dragging a hand down her face, she sighed heavily, the weight of everything sitting on her shoulders almost crushing and exhausting her purely through the circumstances alone. She didn’t have the luxury of wallowing in the frustration of too many bills and not enough money, though; her daughter was waiting. Summoning her focus, she marched up to her apartment, closing the door behind her softly. Her sister had some sort of early meeting today, meaning her girlfriend would be looking after Penny until she arrived and the slam of a door could be painful to her sensitive hearing.

Of course, she could never be silent enough to escape the notice of her daughter, though.

“Mom!”

“There’s my angel,” she said, a smile on her lips as she knelt down and gathered up her daughter in her arms, pressing a kiss to the top of Penny’s head. “Were you good for Aunt Blake?”

“Uh huh!” Little arms wrapped around her neck, giving her a fierce hug before Penny began to squirm, apparently ready to return to the ground. “Right, Aunt Blake? I was real good!”

“You absolutely were,” she said, coming out of the kitchen as the smell of freshly brewed coffee began to waft through the apartment. The Faunus had already changed into her work uniform, a simple black coverall with a white overall for her name on the right side of her chest. While she didn’t do any actual automotive work, the uniform seemed mandatory even for one who worked the counter. “Now go finish your breakfast.”

“Okay!” 

Scampering back to the dining room, they both kept pleasant expressions on their faces until she’d disappeared. However, once she’d gone, Winter leaned back against the door and stared down at her feet. “Thank you, Blake. I appreciate your help.”

“It’s no trouble, really.” Even though the words remained unsaid, she could hear the breath the Faunus took in preparation before letting it go. 

When she’d moved to Vale, Winter made it expressly clear that she didn’t want her decisions to impact Weiss in any way, despite her sister’s insistence that they could move in together. Weiss had her own life and while her help was invaluable, she’d imposed enough and would never be able to repay it; she’d given up and forsaken plenty in her life, but she still had her pride. Raising Penny herself was her decision and she wouldn’t put her sister in a position where she didn’t have a choice whether or not to help.

“You should probably get to work.” Winter winced, not wanting to ask but also highly aware of her reality. “Also, would it be possible for you to give me a ride to work tonight? I’m… not sure if my car will start.”

“What’s wrong with it?” Blake tilted her head, feline ears canted forward a moment before her expression sharpened. “I understand you prefer handling problems yourself but I literally work for an auto shop. If there’s something wrong with your car, I’m sure my bosses will let you use my employee discount.”

Pushing off the door, she moved towards the dining room- really, just a nook that fed into both the kitchen and living room, hardly big enough for the four person table that she owned, with its scratched table top and wobbly legs- and checked on Penny, who was doing very well in finishing off her cereal. She’d even drank all of her milk. That brought a small smile to her lips before she returned her attention to Blake and lowered her voice.

“There’s no oil left in the line; it’s all burned up. I’ll need at least five quarts and a new filter. But it’s not that expensive and I’ll go to the store while we’re out for our walk.”

“When are you going to give your car an oil change yourself, Winter?” Blake set her hands on her hips, a stance she’d adopted from Weiss for exactly this circumstance, it seemed. “I know you won’t accept money from us, we’ve both fought that battle with you already, but this is about your time. You hardly get four hours of sleep; are you going to sacrifice even more when there’s a perfectly logical solution staring you in the face?”

“And what is that?” Frustration colored her tone, conscious effort necessary to keep from raising her voice and alerting Penny to the argument. “I’ll not have you deceive your employers by saying it’s your car needing the oil change.”

“Fine, then let me go into work and tell them the situation. If they agree, you can meet me at the shop.” Crossing her arms over her chest, the Faunus’ ears twitched, a clear sign she was doing her best to hold in her frustration as well. “They’ll probably knock it out before we close up or first thing in the morning; either way, I’ll be your ride to and from work today and tomorrow. Weiss was going to watch Penny tonight anyway, so there’s nothing to worry about there.”

Part of her wanted to object on principle. So much of Weiss’ and Blake’s lives were dictated by her current financial position; it wasn’t fair to either of them but they refused to simply let her struggle in silence. “Ask. If your boss says no-”

“I’ll still give you a ride and we can pick up the oil on the way back in the morning,” the Faunus said, raising her hands in a placating gesture. “I’m not trying to force your hand, Winter, but you have to be reasonable. There’s no reason to force yourself into a bad position- or an even worse one.”

With a sigh, she nodded, heading into the kitchen by way of the dining room so she could press a kiss to Penny’s head in passing, smiling at her daughter while making herself a cup of coffee. Hopefully, they wouldn’t spend too much time expending a lot of energy today. “Say bye to Aunt Blake.”

“Bye bye Aunt Blake!” She jumped down from her chair, quickly running over for a goodbye hug which Blake returned.

“I’ll see you later, Penny.” Then, the Faunus collected up her bag and left, closing the door behind her for Winter to lock.

“Mom?”

“Yes?”

“Can we draw today?”

Winter chuckled. “Of course we can, Sweetheart.” 

She took a sip of her coffee, silently sighing in relief. In the back of her mind, she noted that all the drawing and coloring they’d been doing would mean she’d need to stop by the store and get Penny more crayons. 

Ultimately, she just needed to sit down and reexamine her budget. Living paycheck to paycheck frustrated her greatly, of course, but that provided no excuse for failing to provide for her daughter.

---

Yang hit the buttons to open the garage doors while finishing off the last of her morning protein shake. They still had about an hour before the front office opened but she’d woken up a bit earlier than normal and opted to head into work so she could finish up that engine rebuild from the night before. Aside from the alternator they were waiting on, that meant they had a pretty clear schedule for the day, a string of simple fixes over the past few days giving them a bit of breathing room. On the one hand, a lot of small problems were quick to fix and quick to get paid for, but on the other, the bigger projects consumed more time but usually came with a higher price tag.

Tilting her head to either side to stretch out the muscles, she ducked into the garage office, setting down her protein shaker on her desk. Ruby would probably remind her to clean it up at some point, invoices littered across the top of it just below the picture frames she kept. A few fast food bags lay crumpled and shoved onto one corner because they’d forgotten to take out the trash two weeks in a row. She’d make sure to get it tonight.

By the time she made it back out to the garage, pulling her gloves on and setting her safety glasses in place across the bridge of her nose, Yang found she wasn’t the only one in the shop, and she had to raise a brow. “Blake?  You’re in early; I thought you were helping your sister-in-law.”

The Faunus offered a small smile and a shrug, ignoring the slight misnomer. “Well, I’d planned on having breakfast with my girlfriend before coming into work but… I kinda have a favor to ask and didn’t think it would be a good idea to be late.”

“What kinda favor?” Heading over to her workbench, she pulled out her tools from the nearby box and got to work on the engine rebuild.

“My girlfriend’s sister, she needs an oil change, bad.”

“How bad?”

“Bone dry.”

Immediately she winced, not looking forward to what sort of damage might’ve been done to the engine. “Yeesh. Yeah, tell her to bring it by, we’ll knock it out today. Not much of a favor.”

“Well, it might have to be tomorrow morning; she works the night shift and I’m going to be her ride to and from work.” Although she had her work to focus on, Yang could hear Blake moving around and preparing the auto shop to open for the day. “That is where the favor part comes in.”

“Helping a friend isn’t a favor; it’s being a friend.” Chuckling, she paused and made a motion with her hand. “Look, do what you need to do and the oil change is on the house, no worries.”

“That’s another thing; I can almost promise she’ll insist she pays something.”

“Well, it’s my shop, my rules, so she ain’t paying a dime.” Yang paused. “Or she’ll pay one dime, if she insists.”

“Can you fight that fight without getting me in trouble? It’s still my girlfriend’s sister we’re talking about.”

“Leave it to me, Blakey.” Doing the math in her head, she figured even a bone dry engine wouldn’t cause too much trouble. “Hell, if you wanna bring her in earlier, we don’t have that much going on. Probably have it done before she has to leave for work.”

“I’ll offer but that depends on whether or not Weiss is out of her meeting. She’s… got a busy day today.”

“That’s fine, just let me know; I’ll take care of it myself, okay?”

“You got it.”

Shaking her head, Yang got back to work, absently greeting her sister when Ruby came in a bit later. She got completely lost in the project as time passed and hardly registered Zwei coming to lay at her feet, having spent the night with her sister. Although she took the brunt of his care, they agreed to share him between their respective apartments, both wanting their independence after working side-by-side all day but also not willing to give up their dog.

Unsurprisingly, he never complained.

“Hey, Rubes?” She called out when she reached a stopping point.

“Yeah?”

Looking over her shoulder, she flashed a smile. “Remind me to give Blake hell later. It’s been two years; she needs to marry that girlfriend of hers.”

Her sister laughed. “Will do!”

---

Penny bent over the little desk Mom got her, working to furiously finish the drawing she’d started before Mom put them both down for a nap. Even though she should’ve probably slept, she didn’t feel tired, so she snuck out of bed earlier to work on her drawing a little more. Mom probably wouldn’t like that if she knew; naps were so Mom could sleep without worrying about what she was doing, but Penny always got back into bed before Mom woke up or one of her Aunts arrived. Then, she’d pretend to wake up while Mom got ready for work. One day, Mom would let her stay awake while she slept, but until then, Mom needed to sleep as much as she could, regardless if she felt tired. As long as Mom didn’t wake up to find her out of bed, she wouldn’t get in trouble.

The doorbell rang and Mom went to answer it, meaning she probably didn’t have much time left. She really wanted to finish this one before Mom went to work.

She could hear Aunt Weiss’ voice, which was weird because usually she wouldn’t be here this early, unless they were having dinner together. Oh, maybe this was one of those special occasions where Aunt Blake’s work let her go home early and she was on her way!

“Sweetheart?” Mom came back into the room, wearing her work clothes and kneeling down. “Mom has to go to work early today.”

That was exactly the opposite of what she’d hoped, turning to look up with pleading eyes. “But Mom!”

She felt bad immediately, seeing the way Mom’s expression saddened as she coaxed Penny into a tight hug.

“I’m sorry, Sweetheart, but I have to drop my car off so it can get fixed. That means I have to leave early and I’ll be home late, but Aunt Weiss will watch over you, okay?” A kiss pressed against the side of her head and she tried not to cry. She didn’t like when Mom had to work more; she worked so much already. “Be good for Aunt Weiss.”

“I will.” Mom started to stand up but paused, obviously looking at the drawing. “It’s not done yet.”

“Can you tell me what is it?” Mom had that look in her eyes, the one that said she was a little bit worried but not in a way she’d be willing to talk about- at least not to her. Aunt Weiss would probably ask about it, though.

“It’s the house we’re going to get,” she said, pointing out the features proudly. “Here’s your room, and here’s my room, and Aunt Weiss and Aunt Blake have their own house over here, and we’re happy.”

Mom pointed to one of the other features. “What about here?”

“That’s the doghouse, ‘cause we’re going to have a dog one day, right Mom?” She’d seen a lot of dogs- people would walk them outside all the time- but she wasn’t allowed to get close. The only one she’d ever gotten to play with was Zwei, Yang’s nice dog, so she colored the dog house like that, black and white.

“One day. A big yard and a dog to play with, I promise.” Mom smiled and pressed another kiss to her forehead. “It’s a beautiful drawing; make sure you put it up on the fridge when it’s finished, okay?” 

“Okay. I love you, Mom.”

“I love you too, Sweetheart. Now, be good tonight and I’ll see you in the morning.” Standing up and wincing slightly, Mom left the room.

“Yes, Mom,” she replied, trying not to sound as sad as she felt. As much as she hoped they could have a house of their own one day, what she really wanted was her and Mom being able to stay home for a day. No work, no meetings, no waiting for someone to show up and ask her questions, just her and Mom.

And maybe a dog.

“Penny?” She looked up, trying to hide her frown away as her Aunt came into the room. However, Aunt Weiss always seemed to know when she was sad. “Come here. It’s okay.” Getting up from her desk, she went over and gave her Aunt a hug, feeling her fingers card through her hair soothingly. “You know Mom wishes she could be home more, right? She doesn’t want to leave you.”

“I know.” Penny hugged her Aunt even tighter.

Then, Aunt Weiss picked her up, rocking her gently while leaving the bedroom. “You know, when I was small, your Mom used to do this for me. We’ll curl up on the couch, watch cartoons, and in the morning, we’ll see about going for ice cream, the three of us.”

“Mom’s going to be tired, though.”

“Not if we meet her at the ice cream shop. Maybe Aunt Blake can join us, too.”

That brightened her mood slightly- at least enough that Aunt Weiss thought she was in favor of the plan. She still hoped one day Mom wouldn’t have to work but expected it to be a while yet before that dream could come true.

---

Yang cursed under her breath, leaning back from the engine and stretching her back. She’d just spent the better part of the past hour getting the rebuilt engine set back in place and hooking everything up properly and figured it’d be a good time for a break. Not only would her back thank her but she’d heard the jingle on the front door a few times, which meant they probably had a car or two waiting for something simple; with Blake handling the front office, Ruby had to do most of the parts running, which meant no one else was working on cars. Usually, they weren’t busy enough for it to be a problem, but business had picked up recently and she’d considered hiring a dedicated parts runner to keep up.

Grabbing the rag sticking out of her pocket, she started wiping her hands while striding towards the front office, whistling along to some pop song on the radio. All in all, a pretty good day; she’d knocked out a few inspections, oil changes, a tire rotation, installed a new muffler for a long time customer- while biting back the comment about how mufflers are supposed to make less noise, not that he intended for it of course- and almost had the engine rebuild done. In between running around, Ruby knocked out a few simple maintenance tickets, too. 

All in all, they were looking pretty good.

“Oh, hey, Rubes,” she said, pushing into the front office and casting a glance around. “Didn’t know you were- shit!”

Immediately, she dove behind the counter, flat on the ground, and crawled into the corner like she had barbed wire above her, drawing more than a curious glance from her sister.

“Yang, what are you doing?”

“Winter’s out there!”

“Who?”

“You remember, that lady with the kid I met in the park a few weeks ago? Her name was Winter- didn’t I tell you that?”

“No, actually, you didn’t, and you didn’t describe her beyond ‘really pretty and kinda terrifying when pissed’ which was all that seemed important at the time.” Ruby looked through the glass windows at the front of their shop. “And all I see are Blake and her girlfriend’s sister. At least, that’s who I assume is with her; Blake asked to go out to talk to her when she pulled up.”

“She hasn’t come in yet?”

“I don’t thinks so? I just got back from picking up that spoiler we ordered.” Silver eyes flicked up. “They’re both coming inside.”

“I’m not here!” Yang immediately tried to push herself up under the counter as best she could. She was going to chew Blake’s ears off after this; there’s no way the Faunus didn’t know who Yang was talking about, and suddenly that look she received afterwards made so much more sense, but no, of course she couldn’t give Yang a heads up, damnit.

Of course, there existed the possibility that, maybe, Winter wanted their paths to cross again, but she’d come to know her mischievous friend rather well by now and firmly believed Blake was up to no good.

“Hi, Blake!” Ruby waved, smiling bright as ever. “Is this the friend who needed the oil change?”

“Yeah, this is Weiss’ sister, Winter. Winter, this is Ruby, one of my bosses.” Oh, yeah, there was definitely a thread of ‘I know exactly what I’m doing’ in her voice.

“Nice to meet you,” the woman said, her voice sounding tight. “Thank you for giving Blake the time off to help me with this.”

“Oh, it’s no trouble at all!” Her sister leaned, not doing a good job of hiding her wince. “Is, uh, is that your car?”

“Yes. I’m aware it’s in need of maintenance but all I can afford right now is an oil change. Speaking of, what’s the projected cost for the oil and filter replacement?”

“Well, we do it at cost for employees, but Ya-”

“Would twenty suffice?” Before either employee could interject, she continued. “I’m not an employee; while I can accept a discount, I’ll not abuse your generosity.”

Yang cringed, already able to picture just how livid the woman must’ve been when the waitress brought her the bags of to-go food and told her the bill was already paid. This did not bode well.

“Uh, alright, we’ll, uh, settle you up tomorrow. We’ve got a spot, so it should be ready for pick up first thing.” Ruby accepted the keys and filled out a work order, asking a few more questions just for clarification purposes. “Hey, by the way, do you remember-” Alarm bells went off in her head as her hand shot out, lightly knocking against her sister’s ankle- enough to get her attention but not to leave a bruise, at least. “Ah! Uh, sorry, knee’s been bothering me recently. Do you remember what kind of oil you use? Synthetic or no?”

“Whichever’s cheapest.”

“Uh, right. Okay! And Blake’s taking you to work now, right?”

“Yeah, should be thirty minutes, depending on traffic,” Blake said. “Ready to go?”

“Of course.” Winter seemed to turn away from the counter. “Thank you again for this.”

“Oh, it’s no problem! And, Blake, mind looking over this order real quick? You might be able to grab the part on the way back.”

“Sure. I’ll meet you at the car.” The moment the door jingled, Yang started crawling her way out from under the counter but found herself looking up at one very smugly curious Faunus, who herself was leaning over to look down at her. “Really? You hid down there the whole time?”

“If someone had given a little warning, I would’ve hid in the back office!” Grumbling, she knelt behind the counter, not wanting to risk standing up quite yet. “What’s the idea, Blake? You knowshe said she didn’t want to see me again.”

“From her version of the story, she definitely didn’t say that; you offered it.” One brow rose before she leaned back, no longer laying across the countertop. “Anyway, I would’ve told you but you made it seem like you were going to forget the whole thing happened, so who am I to change your mind?”

“Bringing her here without any warning kinda says you’ve got an answer to that.” Yang scowled, crossing her arms over her chest. “Seriously, what gives?”

“Aside from the fact you two would actually make pretty good friends if you allowed it? Simple: my girlfriend’s sister needed an oil change and I work at an auto shop.” She shrugged. “How you two decide to handle the ‘it’s a small world’ thing is not my prerogative.” Her lips curled into a small smile. “Speaking of which, I have to get her to work now. Whether or not you ever talk to her, that’s on you.”

“I’ll keep that in mind!”

Although she'd remained silent on the whole situation thus far, something obviously bothered Ruby, something she wouldn't let go without remarking upon. “Uh, just… real quick, she doesn’t… let her daughter ride-”

“Oh, no, no one but Winter gets in that thing. It’s purely to get her to work and back; everywhere else, she walks.”

Yang raised a brow at her sister’s obvious relief, the door’s chime signalling Blake’s departure. “Let me know when they pull away.”

“Three, two, one- and you’re clear.”

Getting to her feet, she looked towards the parking lot prepared to ask which one belonged to Winter. However, given the options, she really didn’t have to ask. “What the fuck.”

“I’ve… seen worse.”

“Yeah, in a junkyard about to be scrapped.” She shook her head. “And even then, I’ve seen better.”

The body had large spots absolutely eaten away by rust. The doors and quarter panels were dented all to hell and the windshield had a crack all the way across it. Even at a distance, she could tell the rims were damaged and probably rusted as well, not to mention the absent grill. 

“Maybe it doesn’t look so bad under the hood?”

“I doubt that.” Snatching the keys, she went outside with her sister trailing a step or two behind. Popping the hood, both of them groaned. The timing belt looked like it was seconds away from snapping, what looked to be some manner of corrosion leaked from the battery, the whole thing smelled like burnt oil and probably coolant, and she could see where an improper attachment on the belt was rubbing what looked to be the radiator hose raw. “Holy shit.”

“She drives this?” Her sister ran a hand through her hair, the other perching on her shoulder. “This is- this is a rolling death trap.”

“Wait, you smell that?” Inhaling deeply, she got down on her knees and looked beneath the vehicle, cringing immediately. “Damnit, there’s a gas leak. It’s small, but it’s there, probably a hole in the line.” Sitting back on her heels, she drug a hand down her face. “Ruby, we can’t let her drive this thing away with only an oil change.”

“Yang, think about this; we could lose our license doing work that wasn’t approved.” Her sister furrowed her brows, lips pressing into a thin line. “I mean, I’m all for it, absolutely, but we gotta be smart about this.”

“Right, you’re right. Lightly used parts, give ‘em a grunge look so they won’t look too out of place.” She leaned towards the side, looking at the tires. Absolutely no treads. “Think we could sneak on some new tires?”

“Part of me says ‘not any I’d feel comfortable with’ and the other part says ‘anything’s better than those’.” Looking back at their shop, she sister started running everything through. “I might have an idea… but all this work-”

“Take my share to cover it; I’ve got a cushion,” she said, immediately banishing any considerations for the amount of lien they’d need to pull this off. “Whatever thought you’re having, run with it.”

“Let’s start copying down sizes; as soon as Blake gets back, I’m making a run, but I can make a few calls first.” A growl. “By the time I get back, though...”

“I’ll handle it.” She looked up at Ruby. “I promised Blake I’d do the work myself. We’ll be ready to rock by sunup.” Then, a laugh. “Would be great if we had a parts runner though, huh?”

“We’ve got someone coming in tomorrow morning for interview,” her sister replied, silently acknowledging that didn’t help them in the slightest at present.

“Well, let’s start moving; I’ll get this pulled into the second bay.” She got to her feet, dusting off her hands. “I think I see something on the front axle I want to take a better look at.”

“Don’t go overboard, remember-”

“Hey, remember who you’re talking to here!”

“The lady our customer met in a park, who kinda sorta bullied her into taking a bunch of food home for free?” Ruby raised a brow. “This is the same woman you hid under the counter from, remember?”

Ah, that was a point. “... right. Sneaky and subtle.”

“Who knows.” A grin. “Maybe we can turn her into a repeat customer, do a little bit at a time.”

Yang wasn’t so sure about that- mainly because she didn’t want to spend random days hiding under the counter of her own shop. Plus, they might be able to buy some time and maybe avoid a catastrophic failure, but they weren’t miracle workers.

---

Winter winced, leaning down to rub at her knee briefly. During that last move, something knocked against it- either a cart or a furniture box she hadn’t seen- and would leave a sizable bruise come tomorrow, but she couldn’t concern herself with that at present. She still had another two hours before quitting time and several more large furniture boxes to move. They had about ten more on the truck they were busy unloading and hopes to get the next one started before the following shift came to relieve them.

“Schnee!”

Straightening, she plastered on an indifferent expression before turning to face the team’s supervisor. “Yes, Sir?”

“For the last time, this isn’t the damn military,” he said, sighing while looking over his clipboard. “And, I’m afraid I have some bad news. They’re coming down pretty hard on us about the overtime, so we’re going to have to put you on a full forty, but nothing over that.”

For a moment, her heart skipped a beat in her chest. “Sir, with respect-”

“Listen, I know, this isn’t ideal for anybody.” To his credit, he looked genuinely upset having to inform her, rubbing at the back of his neck subconsciously. “You’re one of the hardest workers we’ve got on payroll, and I know you’ve got your little girl to think about, but it is what it is.”

“I understand,” she replied, nodding stiffly before moving to rejoin her team, their short break already over. Without the overtime, she’d be even more hard pressed to find ways to make ends meet. Although she’d have more time, her only option seemed to be finding a secondary source of income, and hope it fell into a similar time slot. That, and she’d likely have to dip into what little she’d managed to save up over the past five years.

Briefly, Penny’s drawing from earlier flashed in her mind, and the weight of the world bearing down on her seemed even heavier than before.

Yet, she couldn’t allow it to own her. No matter the trials ahead, she’d chosen her path and refused to back down. After she finished her shift, she’d ask Blake to help her look around for some work, perhaps pick up a few applications on the way to get her car.

---

Yang downed her upteenth cup of coffee, starting to feel a strange buzzing sensation in her fingertips as the overindulgence in caffeine promised one hell of a crash in a few hours. She could worry about that later; right now, she had the last touches to put on Winter’s car.

After pulling it into the garage and giving it a thorough inspection, she’d nearly lost her mind. The fact the whole thing hadn’t fallen apart or suffered a severe mechanical failure defied her knowledge, seemingly held together by bubblegum and hopes. Compiling the parts list alone took the better part of an hour, during which she’d knocked out the other customers they’d gotten- nothing major, good busy work for her hands- and put everything else off to the following morning. Then, she took what parts they had and got to work, replacing what she could and pulling out everything that they needed to find, allowing Ruby to put together a list.

Replacing the engine- with a more functional one, even if it looked about as old- took the better part of the night and replacing the gas line gave her a headache but she’d gotten most of the work done. Looking under the hood, it looked almost as bad as when they first popped it, but a trained eye could see the obvious improvements. Add to that a new oil filter and all she really had left was replacing all the fluids and trying to crank it. She had one shot to make this work; with sunrise on the horizon, she didn’t have an abundance of time for trouble shooting.

“Come on, baby,” she said, setting aside the coffee cup and wiping at the sweat on her face. “Let’s hear you roar.”

Grabbing the oil and a jug of coolant, she went about the final step with the constant thought that, as long as they didn’t get caught, they’d done some great work.

If they got caught, though, it might be her license on the line- she’d been sure to usher Blake and Ruby out of the garage without explaining further, just for plausible deniability purposes. As much as she hated playing the legal game, she wasn’t a fool.

Well, at least, not by her estimations.

---

On the way to the auto shop, Winter tried to focus on the positive side of things. Soon, she’d be back home, and Penny would greet her like she was the most important person in the world, and all the bad things would just… slide away.

“I’m sure I can ask for a day off soon, if you need some time-”

“Thank you, Blake, but this is already an imposition,” she said, biting back the anger her wounded pride sparked. “I’ll fill out the applications today and drop them tonight on my way into work. I’ll… find something.”

“Have you considered trying for something at the bank or-”

“I’m afraid I don’t have the luxury of looking for a job I want. Right now, I need a job as desperately as someone needs an employee.” Two fingers rubbed at her temple. “I just need to find that connection.”

“If you say so,” Blake replied, ceding the argument quickly. 

She felt a touch of remorse- the Faunus only ever tried to help, much like her sister- but neither could fix her many problems. While she took their suggestions to heart, the years spent in Vale looking for any manner of job that could pay her bills and provide her more time with Penny taught her that it was an endeavor that required more energy and time than she typically possessed. However, she would try again, on the off chance something had opened up.

Pulling up to the auto shop, she spotted her car sitting in the lot, in a different space than she’d parked it. Hopefully, that meant the work was completed and a quick payment meant she’d be well on her way home. If she had just a bit more luck, she might even get to spend another day drawing or watching cartoons.

Rubbing at her eyes, she entered the shop after Blake, once again finding the young woman she’d dealt with the day before. Idly, she wondered how many red undershirts a person could own, seeing as she definitely had on a slightly different shade than the day before; while the coveralls might be part of the shop’s uniform, the undershirt didn’t seem to be.

“Oh, hey Blake! And Winter!” Something about the woman’s smile seemed nervous as she retrieved a folder with the paperwork from the day before. “Long night?”

“You could say that.” Pulling out her wallet, she grabbed the twenty lien card she handed it over while accepting her keys back. “That’s what we agreed upon, correct?”

“Uh, well, I’d really rather charge you fifteen, if that’s okay.”

Summoning her willpower, she let out a short sigh. “Fine. Fifteen lien.”

“Great!”

“With a five lien tip.” She raised a brow. “That won’t be a problem, will it?”

“Uh, heh, no, I- I guess not.” Silver eyes looked away as she frowned- Ruby, that was her name. 

“Understand, I appreciate your… generosity.” Again, her pride tickled; a stubborn thing that refused to let her accept the help she obviously needed. At the same time, one could hardly blame her. “But I know this was a favor and I’ll not take advantage of that.”

“I get it.” Ruby smiled and shrugged. “Points for trying though, right?”

She gave a small smile in response. “Thank you again, both of you. I’ll see you later, Blake. I’ll be sure to give Weiss your love.”

Exiting the shop, Winter did her best to keep her mind engaged, not wanting exhaustion to make her careless on the drive home. The moment she turned over her car, however, she noticed something.

The air conditioner kicked on. She had to double check to be sure, blinking a few times and putting her hands over the vents. Neither the AC nor heat had worked since she’d gotten the damn thing. Why would it work now?

Getting out, she popped the hood and lifted it up, narrowing her eyes as she studied the components. She couldn’t be sure, but it all looked… different. A bit shinier, as if some parts were cleaned up, which made enough sense if someone spent a suitable time elbow deep in it… but it looked like more than that. She felt certain it didn’t look like this the morning before.

And then the obvious answer smacked her in the face.

Letting the hood fall shut, she turned around and marched back inside the auto shop, two sides warring within her mind. On the one hand, she’d been keenly aware her vehicle needed a fair amount of work and she was grateful the mechanic saw fit to do it. However, she couldn’t possiblyafford it, and if Blake had tried slipping one past her, she wouldn’t be accused to taking advantage of someone’s kindness. They’d already done enough to help her.

The moment she pulled the door open- sharply, causing the chime to sound out- she noticed the Faunus’ earnest confusion with her return. “Winter? Something wrong?”

“Bring Ruby back here, now,” she said, setting her hands on the counter and curling them into fists. 

She wasn’t angry, per se- it wasn’t that she valued her pride above her sense. Winter simply understood that those who helped her put themselves at a disadvantage and had neither the strength nor the patience to deal with a stranger potentially setting up a debt without her knowing. She’d spent far too much of her life being put in that position, being tricked into feeling like she owed something to someone other than herself- her loyalty, her time, her energy, her very life. Reclaiming it was the first step to finding freedom and she’d not make those mistakes again lightly.

Without Blake having to do much of anything, she could see Ruby take note of her return and hurry across the garage, plastering on a smile that seemed a touch too wide to be sincere as she opened the door. “Oh, uh, something wrong?”

“How much work did you do on my car?”

“Well, we did the oil change and replaced the filter.”

“And what else?” Her gaze flicked over to Blake, who suddenly stiffened and moved a bit away, as if absolving herself from whatever decisions her boss made. “I can tell a lot more work’s been done than I asked and I-”

Suddenly, she felt a small bit of pressure against her leg and looked down to find a dog swatting at her pants.

A very… familiar dog.

And suddenly, it all made sense.

“Hello, Zwei,” she said, reaching down to pet the dog’s head. Then, she rounded on Ruby. “Where is she?”

The woman looked like she might try to make an excuse for all of two seconds before sighing and hanging her head in defeat. “She’s in the garage office- but it wasn’t-”

Winter held up a finger, stopping all manner of excuses while stepping around the counter and heading into the garage. Finding the office didn’t pose too much of a problem, seeing as only one door seemed to lead to an area, and she opened it with every intention of getting to the bottom of the whole issue.

The words caught in her throat, however, when she found Yang- the same woman she’d met in the park a few weeks ago- slumped over the cluttered desk, soundly asleep and snoring softly. She had all manner of grease and oil on her face and arms, even some in her hair, and her coveralls were pulled down and tied off at her waist. The yellow tank top she wore clearly was clearly stained with drying sweat and dirty from work but it looked like Yang hardly had the energy to sit in the chair much less change, considering the cot a few feet away.

Then, blue eyes fell on the few photographs in frames. One was of a family, she assumed: mother with a soft, round face like Ruby’s and father with the same wild hair and wide grin as Yang, plus a little blonde girl and a baby swaddled in blankets, standing in front of a house out in the woods. Another of the same man but with younger versions of Yang and Ruby, their manner of dress clearly indicating the former had just graduated- either from high school or trade school, it was difficult to say. A third, the two sisters standing in front of the auto shop, their father nowhere to be seen.

“Because I was your kid!”

Silently, Winter stepped closer and, with all the care she could muster, picked Yang up from the chair. The woman hardly moved, obviously exhausted from her night of unexpected work, and that made it all the easier to lay her down on the cot and draw the thin, well worn blanket over her without rousing her from slumber.

They’d talked about it, briefly, during that morning, how Yang had grown up in a single parent household. She’d neglected to mention her father beyond that and never in the present tense. Winter hadn’t thought much of it until now.

Going over to the desk, she found a scrap of paper that seemed more or less unused and disposable and penned out a quick message, taking it with her as she returned to the front office, where both Ruby and Blake seemed nervous.

“She’s asleep,” Winter said as means of explanation, handing over the paper. “Give this to her when she awakens. And Blake?” Breathing in deeply, she let it out slowly. “Did you know?”

“I had a hunch,” the Faunus replied, crossing her arms over her chest. “Neither of you mentioned names and I didn’t clarify, but aside from the previous meeting, I didn't know anything.”

“Did she know?”

“She, uh, hid under the counter when you walked in.” Ruby offered with a weak smile. “She… reallythought you didn’t want to see her again.”

Reaching up, she rubbed at her temple. “Be sure you give her that. And thank you, for all the work done on my car. I know it needed some… serious repairs.” Her gaze snapped over to Blake. “Weisswill deal with you tonight.”

Winter turned, ready to head out of the shop without waiting for another word from either of them, but found herself nearly bumping into a redhead just an inch or two shorter than her. 

“Sorry!” Sparkling emerald eyes shone with sincerity as she stepped back. “I’m here for the interview.”

For a moment, her tired brain didn’t connect the dots, until she remembered her work uniform- a similar set of coveralls- closely mimicked that of the two employees and moved aside. “I believe she’s the one you want to talk to and… good luck.” She glanced back at the other two. “They take care of people here.”

Then, she left, intent only on getting home, seeing her daughter, and talking to her sister.

She didn’t plan on the Faunus getting in trouble, of course- obviously she’d kept the details vague for plausible deniability purposes- but she fully intended on having a serious conversation with Weiss about this. Penny would be willing to give them a bit of space to have that talk, hopefully, and they could discuss the whole situation. 

Because what bothered her the most about the whole ordeal was just… the warring sensations of constantly being in debt to Yang- this stranger she didn’t know beyond a few details- and the acknowledgement that the woman probably didn’t see it as such. A proper discussion to work out some manner of compensation would’ve been vastly preferable to driving away with so much unsaid but she wouldn’t interrupt much needed sleep for the purpose of mollifying her own pride.

Plus… she needed to see if her sister happened to have any sort of tips for making a home cooked meal.

---

Yang stretched her arms over her head, yawning while slipping out of the garage office. She’d need to thank Blake and Ruby; it must’ve been a chore moving her from the chair to the cot they kept for emergencies but her back appreciated it. Absently, she reached down to pat Zwei’s head while walking over to where her sister stood in front of a minivan, elbow deep in changing the timing belt.

“Hey, Rubes,” she said, chuckling slightly as her sister jumped. “Easy, killer. Just wanted to say thanks for moving me; that chair is not comfortable for sleeping.”

“Oh! Uh. So. I have some news. About that, specifically.” She raised a brow, confused by Ruby’s sudden nervousness. “I didn’t move you.”

“Blake-”

“Nope.”

“Then, who-”

“Winter did.” Fishing into one of her pockets, she pulled out a piece of paper even as the bottom dropped out of Yang’s stomach. “She noticed we did a bit more work on her car, came inside to interrogate me about it, recognized Zwei, and… went into the garage office. When she came back, she told me to give you this when you woke up.”

Hesitantly, she took the paper in her hands and read the tiny, neat cursive.

I owe you dinner. This is not optional. Call me.

And then a number.

“Oh, shit.” She ran a hand through her hair and winced. “Was she, uh… you know. Mad?”

“I… you know, it’s really hard to tell with her, but I don’t think so? She told Pyrrha we take care of people, so I’m pretty sure there’s no hard feelings.”

“Pyrrha?”

“Yeah, our, uh, new parts runner. Her interview was this morning, remember?”

“Oh, right. Sorry, brain’s a little scrambled.” Dragging a hand down her face, she let out a deep sigh. “Guess I have to call her… is Blake in trouble?”

Ruby winced. “Jury’s still out on that.”

“Great.” Shrugging, she looked at the piece of paper again. “Think I should call now or wait?”

“Blake said she usually wakes up in about an hour.”

“Wait it is.” Tucking it into her pocket, she looked around the garage. “Got something small I can do in the meantime?” 

“There’s an inspection waiting outside. Think you can grab it?”

“Done.” Anxiety lurked in the back of her mind but she realized there was nothing to do but wait.

Wait and hope.

#TRR writes #Elderburn #one of the #Mama!Winter AU

[bangtanbabeloveyourself]

Requested by: @sparky-isnt-a-vampire

You had loved him since you were kids. He was the boy next door, literally. He was also the only other kid in your neighborhood. Both of you spent most of your childhood living at your grandparents. His parents worked overseas a lot so he stayed at his grandparents to go to school. You had lost your mom when you were little and you never knew your father.

After a rocky summer of stealing toys and constantly fighting, you two formed a friendship that could rival that of any duo. You were perfect for each other. Hobi always managed to get into trouble and you were right behind him to help him hide the evidence. A skill honed to perfection by the time you were teenagers.

That came in handy a lot. It kept your social lives exciting, and kept your punishments at home to a minimum. You both played to each other's strengths and helped to hide the weaknesses. When you guys went out, you were each other's wingman. You spent years helping Hobi get the girl; you knew all of his good qualities, all of his bad. You knew everything about him. He knew everything about you. He was there for you during every break up. He'd drop everything to help you, just as you would him.

It was only natural at that point to fall for him.  That's how it they always show it happening in movies, right? Cupid sneaks up on you and takes you out like a sniper on a distant hill. You remember exactly when you realized it too.

It was shortly after graduation. Everyone had gone out to a party out at someone's house. You went with your boyfriend and had a good time. Until you found your boyfriend in the back seat of some girls car. You had taken off from the party, running down the street and ended up getting lost in a bad part of town. Your phone had died long ago and you were too drunk to even attempt to use it at that point.

After wandering for about a half hour, Hobi ended up finding you. You didn't know how he even knew, but he found you. He took you back to his apartment and took care of you. He held your hair back as you threw up. He made you tea and held you while you cried. You ended up waking up in his bed that morning. He left two aspirin, a water, and a note for you telling you to rest and that he'd be back later and not to leave until he came back.

When he finally came back, he had all of your belongings with him too. He had spent that entire time packing your things from your boyfriend's and bringing them to his place. “He never deserved you. I'm better company anyway.” He'd said. And that was that.

You've been living with Hobi for almost a year now. And every day you fell in love with him just a little bit more. And he was too oblivious to it. He was always oblivious to that sort of thing. It's why you had to be his wingman.

You've been wanting to tell him how you feel for a long time. It was just never the right time. And if he didn't feel the same way, you just made your living situation too awkward to handle.

But you couldn't take it anymore. You couldn't go another year like this. It was time to tell him how you felt. And what better way to do that than to cook him his favorite meal on his birthday?

Now you knew you weren’t the best cook, but you had been preparing this for weeks. You found the recipe of some of his favorite dishes and tried to find the simplest of them.  He had mentioned it multiple times of loving it and that he was sad there wasn’t anywhere around to get some.

Fortunately for you, Hobi had work today. That gave you plenty of time to gather all the necessary ingredients which was perfect since the closest Korean market was about two hours away.

While you were there, you also managed to pick up some other foods and snacks that you'd heard he liked and that you wanted to try yourself. You chatted with the lady running the store and she also suggested ingredients for a very simple dessert.

After the drive home, you put all the groceries away and started to look over the recipe again. You had about three more hours before he came home, so you didn't want to start the food early.

Instead, you decided to lay on the couch and catch up on your show. Which was all well and fine until you fell asleep. When you finally came around, you only had about forty five minutes to cook everything. You jumped up from the couch, nearly face planting on the ground.

You quickly started to prepare everything. As you started to boil noodles, you went over to work on cooking the meat. Everything was fairly simple. You added all of the ingredients just as the recipe stated. You frowned as you looked down at the recipe. It said the food should be cooked at a low heat for over forty minutes. But you didn’t have that much time left. So you decided to put the heat on high so that it would cook quicker.

After you did that, you went over to start working on the dessert. You were making a sweet and simple street dessert from Korea called hotteok. It was basically like making pancakes. That was something even you could handle.

As you finished the batter for the dessert, you smelled something burning. You turned around to find dinner black and burned to a crisp with a lovely orange flame right on top. You gasped and went for a slightly damp dish towel. You tried putting that on top of the pan, but it only caught fire as well.

“Someone help me!” You cried out just as Hobi walked through the door. He could smell the burnt food from down the hall and had rushed in. Once he saw the pan on fire, he ran over and grabbed the fire extinguisher, quickly putting the fire out.

“Y/N, are you okay? What happened?” Hobi asked as he walked over to you.

You were nearly having a panic attack and you were trying to calm your breathing. Hobi had seen you like this before, so he knew exactly how to help you. He rubbed your back softly as he let you get your thoughts together.

Finally you looked up to him, tears stinging in your eyes. “I just. I- I just wanted to make you dinner for your birthday.” You said as the tears started to fall down your cheeks. “I wanted to make you traditional Korean food for you birthday and I ruined it. I ruin everything.”  You continued to cry and you pushed away from Hobi to get him away from your sobbing mess of a self. “I just wanted to make things all nice for you so I could tell you that I love you. And I ruined it. I ruined the food and the pan and maybe even the stove. I knew I shouldn’t have cooked. I shouldn’t have done it. I just wanted to make things special for you so I could just tell you how I really feel.” You backed up against a counter and slid down onto the floor, hiding your face in your hands.

“And instead, I almost burn down the kitchen, ruin the food and made a giant fool of myself all on your birthday. I’m so sorry Hobi. I’m really really sorry.” You said before looking up at him.

Hobi stayed silent for a while as he pondered everything you said. He went over to the burnt food, trying to figure out what you were trying to make. He turned and looked on the counters to see all of the Korean food you had bought at the store and the batter on the other counter.

He smiled before walking over to you and offering his hand. “Y/N, this is more than anyone has ever tried to do for my birthday. You tried to cook bulgolgi, didn’t you?”

You wiped your running nose on your sleeve but nodded. “Yeah. I wanted to make that with some noodles. I was also going to make hotteok, but then the fire started.”

He grabbed you by the shoulders and smiled down at you. “Thank you so much, Y/N.” He then pulled you into a hug. “You may have burnt the bulgolgi, but we can just have sweets for dinner. How did you know that I loved hotteok?”

You shook your head. “I didn’t. The lady at the Korean market told me about it. I thought it sounded really good.

“Korean market? Where is a Korean market?” He asked as he let you go so he could see your face.

Your face turned a little red and you ran a hand through your hair. “Well, the closest one is about two hours away,” you said with a sheepish grin.

His jaw dropped. “You drove over four hours today, just to make me this food? Why would you do that?”

Your face continued to turn red as you chewed on your bottom lip. “Well, I really wanted to do something special for your birthday this year.”

He shook his head. “You’ve known me for years and have never tried to do something like this. Why now?” he pressed, as he crossed his arms.

You sighed and stared at the ground. “Because I wanted to make tonight special so I could tell you that I love you.”

The room stayed quiet after that. You didn’t dare look up. Your heart was racing and you could slowly feel your entire friendship slowly fading away. Regret creeping over your body like the water on a sinking ship. Hobi wasn’t speaking, so he doesn’t feel the same way and you just ruined your friendship forever.

You were working yourself up before he finally cleared his throat. “You love me?” He asked. “More than a best friend?”

You nodded, afraid to let yourself speak.

When he took a step towards you, you finally looked up. He smiled down at you before cupping your cheeks in his hands. “I love you too, Y/N. And I have for a long time.”

Your eyes grew wide and you shook your head. “No way. What? Why haven’t you said anything?”

He shrugged. “Well you were always helping me date other women, I never got the chance to try for you. And besides, I thought stuff between you and what’s his name was serious. I didn’t want to make things awkward. But after what happened, I wasn’t going to let you go back to him. Why do you think I let you move in with me?”

You stared at his face while he spoke, trying to absorb all of this information. You’ve only been in love with him for a year or so. He’s been in love with you for longer than that. How could you have not noticed?

He could tell you were deep in thought and he sighed before shaking his head. “I love you Y/N. Thank you for trying to make my favorite food.” He leaned in and gave you a soft peck on your lips, causing you to catch your breath. “The food might not have worked out, but I promise you, I’ll always remember this birthday.”

You smiled and hugged him, resting your face against his chest. He wrapped his arms around you and he kissed the top of your head. You felt like you were in his arms for hours and it didn’t bother you one bit. This place felt right. It felt like home.

Finally you pulled back from him and went over to the burnt food on the stove. “Well, at least we still have the hotteok.” You said as you started to clean off the pan.

He smiled and brought the container of batter over to you, setting it on the counter next to the stove. He grabbed another pan out of the cabinet and set it on the other burner on the stove. “Yes, we still have the hotteok. But you’re not cooking it. I’ll do it this time so we don’t have a second fire.”

You rolled your eyes but moved out of the way. You hopped up on the counter so you could watch him as he cooked. He started to talk about his day and you listened happily, just as you always did. That’s when it hit you. He was always home. Even before you discovered your feelings for him. He was always there for you and he always loved you. You just wish you had been a little more observant and noticed it sooner.

Oh well. Better late than never.

#bts #bangtanarmynet #bangtanbabeloveyourself #jhope #hobi #hoseok #jung hoseok #drabble #birthday drabble #drabble game #drabbles #request #birthday #confession #love #friends

[honestgrins]

Slasher || Klaroween

There's a killer on the loose, and Caroline really needs better friends. (For Klaroween Bingo: "Let's walk through the graveyard at midnight, she said, what could go wrong, she said.")

"Thanks for driving me home, 'Lena," Caroline said, letting herself into the house. "It's a literal lifesaver since the mechanic won't let me pick up my car until daylight tomorrow. Stupid town curfew. Do you have plans for tonight? My mom has been super strict about the curfew, too, so she's been stocking up on food to keep me here. We can have a movie marathon…"

Checking her phone, Elena shrugged. "Sure, Stefan told me he and Damon got caught up in something and didn't want me to hang out tonight."

A little miffed at being a consolation prize, Caroline faked a smile. "Great! What do you want to watch?"

They bickered over options while they gathered chips and sweets, eventually settling on the couch to watch a Harry Potter marathon. Only an hour in, though, a news alert took over the screen. The anchorman's face looked grim.

"The serial slasher has once again struck Mystic Falls."

Caroline's gaze felt frozen on the TV, blindly reaching for the remote to turn up the volume as they cut to a field reporter.

"Another body was found in Mystic Falls tonight," the reporter said, her hair whipping in the wind. "Though still unidentified, the woman's remains were discovered by a pair of boys on the grounds of the old Fell's Church just north of town. Police refused to name the young men as they are minors, but Sheriff Forbes did disclose they were attempting to stage a Halloween prank in the abandoned ruins when they found the victim. Multiple sources believe this to be the work of the same killer that took the lives of Vicki Donovan, Sheila Bennett, and KVGN's own Andie Starr. It has been a week since authorities established a town curfew to protect the public, and when contacted for comment, Mayor Lockwood encouraged all residents to take extra safety precautions."

"Oh my god," Elena whispered. Her eyes brimmed with tears as she pressed a hand to her mouth in horror. She looked over to Caroline. "I don't think we should stay here by ourselves."

Frowning, Caroline couldn't look away from her mother's face as the reporter interviewed her. "Where else would we go? The house is locked up and we have guns. My mom will come home as soon as she can. We're as safe as we could be with a crazy murderer on the loose."

But Elena shook her head, frantic. "I want to go to Stefan's."

"That's clear across town!"

Elena shrugged, already reaching for her discarded purse to rifle for her keys. "I don't care, the boarding house is-"

Caroline raised her fingers point by point. "Creepy, isolated, a bajillion years old with who knows how many secret entrances for killers to get in," she listed. "Oh! And Damon is the worst, so no."

With an offended sniff, Elena stood anyway. For reasons Caroline didn't want to examine too closely, her friend always had a peculiar soft spot for Stefan's older brother. Having grown out of an ill-conceived crush over him herself, she was happy to recite his worst qualities on demand, but they'd long since stopped working on Elena. All the bad vibes he gave off did nothing to harden the girl's all too open heart against him. "I'm worried about them."

Her eyes rolled so hard Caroline thought she might have finally damaged them permanently. Seriously, Stefan had to be blind to miss the signs - and deaf, because Caroline had definitely pointed them out on several occasions. Still, she shoved herself off the couch to race Elena toward the front door. "You can't go by yourself."

"Then let's go." Elena plowed past her, pointing her key fob at the car sitting outside, only to frown when nothing happened. Caroline tried to keep her in the house, but she just kept walking. "The locks aren't working," she said, annoyed when Caroline seemed hesitant to follow.

Caroline gave a half-hearted shrug. "Maybe it's a sign we should stay here."

Sending a snotty look over the car, Elena manually unlocked her door. "Or maybe it's a sign I need a new battery for the keys. I'm going. Are you coming with me or not?"

Torn, Caroline glanced behind her and wondered if Elena would wait for her to grab one of the pistols from the safe. Her mom hadn't taken her to the range for nothing, and she had a really bad feeling in her gut. "Give me a sec-"

"Now, Caroline!" Elena snapped as she lowered herself into the driver's seat.

Caroline groaned, only taking the time to lock the door before running to the car, glad to at least have her phone with her. Elena reached across to unlock the passenger side so she could clamber inside, quickly locking it back. Annoyed and on edge, her bad feeling had only grown worse since leaving the house. "What are you waiting for? Start the car!"

As she turned the key in the ignition, over and over, Elena's breath started coming in shorter pants. "It's not working. Something's wrong."

Her gut twisted, and Caroline felt a spike of adrenaline as she forced herself out of the car. "We're going back inside."

"No!" Once Elena made it back onto solid ground, she started walking in the opposite direction from the house. "I need to make sure they're okay, even it means I have to run there myself."

"Hello, call them like a normal person!"

But Elena refused to listen and kept going. For a long moment, Caroline considered letting her go. At best, she would just be a nervous wreck until she heard from Elena or Stefan that she made it safely to the boarding house. At worst, her friend would be caught and killed by the serial- "I'm coming with you," she bit out as she chased her down the road. "I swear, if you get me murdered, I'm going to haunt you."

And so they traipsed around the ring of town, avoiding patrol cars and jumping at every noise. Caroline muttered at every decision Elena made along the way, her hair standing on end out of nerves when they crossed underneath the wrought-iron gate of the cemetery. "Let's walk through the graveyard at midnight, she said. What could go wrong, she said. You're nuts, you know that?"

"You're paranoid," Elena countered as they picked their way around headstones and crumbling memorials. "It's peaceful here."

"Yep, such a peaceful place to die." Leaves rustled, and Caroline's head whipped toward the sound. "Did you hear that?"

With a helpless shrug, Elena pushed on. "We're almost there, just-"

A twig snapped behind them. Barely holding back a shriek, Caroline shoved them both into a nearby crypt to hide in the shadows. Sure enough, footsteps weren't far behind. Slowly bending down, she picked up a hefty rock and waited. When the gravel crunched around the corner of the crypt, she raised her arm and jumped out - though a hand firmly took hold of her wrist before she could bring the rock down on the stranger's head.

"Caroline!"

Oh, not a stranger. "Klaus?!" Caroline clenched the rock, not quite willing to drop the handy weapon despite the familiar, incredulous face of her ex-boyfriend. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Klaus looked up to the see her tight fist, brow furrowing. "The dog ran away, I promised Henrik I'd find him." Glancing over to Elena, his expression hardened. It seemed he hadn't quite forgiven that it was her interference that led to Caroline breaking up with him. "What are you all doing here?"

Elena scoffed and continued walking. "That's none of your business. Come on, Caroline."

But Caroline hesitated, her hand lowering until she could safely drop the rock. "I'm sorry about Wolf. Still, there's some crazy killer on the loose. You shouldn't be out here."

"I could say the same for you, sweetheart. Let me guess, this begins and ends with Elena?"

Rolling her eyes, Caroline turned and headed after her friend. "Shut up," she spat as she stormed away.

So what if she cared what her friends thought? If she didn't give weight to their opinions, then she had no business calling them friends. When Elena pointed out that Caroline was spending a lot more time with Klaus, then, that she was considering changing her college plans after a decade of it being written in stone, she took the warning to heart. She didn't want to lose herself for some boy - if only it didn't mean losing Klaus instead. There was a deep longing that she fought down as she went about her life, ignoring his attempts to talk to her at every chance.

"No, I'm tired of shutting up," Klaus groaned, his heavy steps falling behind her as he followed. "Caroline, please. At least let me say my piece."

"What?" she asked, though she didn't break stride.

Sighing, Klaus seemed intent on keeping pace with her. "I don't know why you let Elena come between us, and I'm not sure I'm prepared to hear the exact words said against me. What I do know is that some part of you must have agreed, because the Caroline I l-" He cut himself off, and Caroline's breath caught at what he might have said. "Well, you're far too stubborn to let anyone tell you what to do."

The vicious retort she'd been keeping on the tip of her tongue died at the hint of reverence in his tone. She did always love how much he seemed to see her when others failed.

"Is that why you're defying your mother's curfew?" he continued, none the wiser as to her sudden doubts. "Hardly a smart decision, love."

"Shut up," she said again as she threw an elbow into his side. "You're out here, too."

Klaus shrugged. "At least Henrik will appreciate that I tried to find Wolf. Can you say the same for Elena?"

"Care!"

They hadn't noticed Elena slipping away from them as they argued through the woods, and Caroline's heart dropped at her pained cry. Almost automatically, her hand reached for Klaus as she ran forward, his fingers lacing tightly in hers as well. Breaking through the tree line, they found Elena sobbing on her knees. Caroline felt sure she'd found another body, perhaps Stefan was strewn across the lawn in a bloody mess. Maybe the killer had found her instead, and it'd be Elena getting carved up with them serving as unfortunate witnesses and next victims.

Caroline felt blindsided, then, when Elena's face appeared etched in shadows as blue and red lights flared too bright in the darkness, bouncing off the bricks of the Salvatore boarding house.

Police cars swarmed the driveway, their lights flashing. Deputies that were like a second family to her looked too grim, some disgusted. Caroline stared open-mouthed as her mother led Damon through the front door with his hands cuffed behind his back, her stony face damning when she tucked him into her car.

Liz caught her eye over the roof and called out to one of her officers before coming their way. "You're supposed to be at home," she told Caroline sternly, her brow furrowing as she looked down to where Klaus was still holding her hand.

"What's going on?" Elena asked, her voice frantic and choked by tears. "I don't- Where-"

With a deep and regretful sigh, Liz knelt down to meet Elena at eye level. "Stefan is okay," she assured. "A little beat up, but nothing an ice pack can't help."

Caroline blinked, wondering at the implications. "Did he do it? Damon?"

"Officially, I'm not at liberty to discuss an open investigation." But Liz pressed her lips together as she stood, reaching up to cradle Caroline's cheek. "I'll have one of my deputies take you all home. We can talk in the morning."

She didn't quite manage to let go of Klaus's hand until they were at his house, and even then, she didn't want to. "If you want some help looking for Wolf tomorrow-"

Klaus ran a tired hand through his hair. "Caroline, you don't have to-"

"I know," she said, silently hoping he wouldn't make her say it. "I'll see you tomorrow."

His lips quirked up in a small grin as he nodded. The deputy drove away before he made it inside, but Caroline looked back to make sure. Elena was still crying on the seat next to her, staring at the window. "Are you okay?"

"No," Elena answered miserably. Caroline pulled her into a hug, happy to remind her that Stefan was fine and life could get back to normal without the murder mystery hanging over the town. "I can't believe they arrested him, he must be so scared."

Cringing, Caroline pulled away in horror. "You can't be serious." If anything, Damon being the slasher made too much sense and she had little doubt he enjoyed every minute of the infamy. "He could have killed your boyfriend tonight!"

"He wouldn't do that." Elena's teary voice had turned fierce. "Stefan confronted him after Vicki died, and Damon didn't kill him then, even when he threatened to go to the police."

Caroline blinked. "Stefan knew? You knew?" And to think, she almost followed Elena right into the lion's den. She gulped at how close she might have been to dying; Damon probably didn't mind the others, but his secret wouldn't have been safe with her.

Suddenly, Elena looked scared and ready to cry again. "No, no! That's not what I meant. You can't tell- Caroline, you can't tell anyone!"

Eyes sliding to the deputy that was obviously listening to their every word, Caroline's expression turned incredulous as she stared at Elena's wide eyes. "Seriously?!"

She cuddled up on the couch, lifting Klaus's arm to make herself more comfortable as they watched the news. "Today, the district attorney announced that only Damon Salvatore would face charges linked to the serial slasher case. As the main suspect for the brutal killings of four women, Salvatore is likely the more prominent target for the state despite both his younger brother and the brother's girlfriend possessing some knowledge of his crimes."

"I can't believe Stefan didn't do anything," Klaus sighed. He once believed the world of his friend.

Caroline pressed a kiss into his shoulder. "I can't believe Elena is actually visiting Damon in jail," she scoffed. "Actually, yeah, I can."

Shrugging, Klaus tightened his hold to kiss her forehead. "At least she's proven her judgment isn't worth holding in high esteem," he pointed out. "Personally, I'm glad you don't listen to her anymore."

"Shut up," Caroline answered with a roll of her eyes - even if she agreed with him, privately.

Read and review: AO3 and FFnet

#klaroween #klaroween bingo #bingo: let's walk through the graveyard at midnight she said what could go wrong she said #klaroline #bingo!

[wp-blaze]

“Navigating Canada’s Student Visa Process: A Comprehensive Guide”

Embarking on a journey to study abroad is an exciting yet intricate process, and for those considering Canada as their educational destination, understanding the intricacies of obtaining a student visa is paramount. This guide aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the steps involved in acquiring a Canadian student visa, also known as a study […]

[foofygoldfish]

meeting the family part 2! part one is here

aka: the rye family barbeque, the infamous runny mac n cheese, and jacob builds some shelves.

somewhat abrupt end, but  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (apologies to anyone on mobile, this is long)

Mary May was amazing at telling Alice when things were happening: for example, the bartender had known about the Rye family barbecue for weeks, but only told Alice the morning of, while Alice was eating breakfast after Pastor Jerome’s sermon.

Now, Alice was sitting in her truck at the end of the Rye's driveway, trying to work up the nerve to actually go to the barbecue. She knew Mary May would be there, and Pastor Jerome, and, well, the Ryes, but… She still didn’t want to go and deal with all the ‘Oh what have you been doing’s and ‘Oh you’ve grown so much! How old are you now?’s from the people who knew her dad.

She almost turned to leave when a familiar car parked behind her. Sheriff Whitehorse climbed out, followed by who she thought was his daughter and her twins. With a sigh, she slid out of her truck and waved at him.

“Hey, Sheriff.”

“Alice!” The Sheriff smiled at her, and then grunted in surprise - one of the twins had run up to him, trying to drag him towards the barbeque, the other close behind. “I’ll… See you there.”

His daughter laughed, moving to walk next to Alice. “They’re excited. Nick said he’d take them up in Carmina.”

“Carmina..?”

“His plane. You’re new here, aren’t you?”

“Yes and no? I grew up here, it’s just… been a while. Forgot the Rye’s named their plane.”

The other woman nodded. “Oh, right, you’re… Alice, right? The new recruit. I’m Erin. I’m in the day shift.”

“Yup.” Alice nodded, listening to Erin ramble on about the department and the town, and then froze in place at the end of the driveway when she saw the full extent of the barbeque. It seemed like Nick had prepared for everyone in the county to be there, and most of them had actually shown up. People were streaming in and out of the hangar closest to the house, most carrying plates loaded with food, and Nick… Was nowhere to be seen. She could see Grace, though, and her dad, hugging the wall by Nick’s arcade machine, and the Fairgraves had assigned themselves to the food - Mary May and Drew watching the buffet line, their mom at the bar (only punch and beer it looked like, much to Alice’s disappointment), and their dad… Somewhere. Probably by the grill, critiquing whoever was cooking there, if he was anything like he used to be.

Erin tapped Alice’s shoulder, and pointed in the direction of the runway. “I’m gonna go find Nick, I’ll let him and Kim know you’re here!”

She sighed. There were so many people here. None of them peggies - or at least, the ones that wear the cult’s “uniform.” It was weird, really - pretty much everywhere she had gone since arriving back in Hope County, there had been a peggie or five or ten. The general store (buying, of all things, toilet paper - she had laughed at that, you would think the cult would go to Costco or something for that), the bar (demanding the Rye’s stop selling liquor), the gas stations… Everywhere. This was nice. Normal.

Logically, she knew she should go and mingle, but honestly? Being around this many people in Hope County was weird. Instead, she placed her bowl of mashed potatoes on the table next to Mary May, and slinked off to lean against the wall. She spotted who she thought was Nick, giving piggyback rides to one of Erin’s kids while being chased by the other, and laughed, before feeling a wet nose press against her knee. Looking down, she saw a grey and white dog looking up at her, tail wagging at what seemed like the speed of light.

“Hey! Sorry about Boomer, he’s a little excited today.” A blonde woman walked up to her, grabbing the dog’s collar. “Lots of kids spoiling him! I’m Rae-Rae.”

Alice bent down to pet Boomer, then looked up at Rae-Rae. “You own the pumpkin farm, right?”

The other woman nodded. “Yup. Been in my family for decades.”

“I loved going there when I was a kid!” She grinned, then laughed as Boomer plopped down, begging for a belly rub.

“You’re a local?”

“Yeah, grew up here. Just moved back.”

Rae-Rae smiled. “Hope to see you at the farm this fall!”

“You bet! I miss good old-fashioned pumpkin patches.” Alice nodded, laughing as Boomer darted off to say hello to someone else. She waved as Rae-Rae sighed, following the excited dog.

It didn’t take long for the Sheriff to come up to her, forcing her to introduce herself to the people of Hope County, those around her age in particular - there was Elizabeth, the self-proclaimed “Horse Girl,” Stella the lumberjack (who protested that name - she made a point to tell Alice if she wanted fresh eggs, her chickens laid the best in the county), a “proper” introduction to his daughter and grandkids, and so many more.

She liked people, yeah, but… There was no way she was going to remember 90% of the names. Or faces. Both of those together? Absolutely not.

//

“So. You look as miserable as I feel.” Alice leaned against the wall next to the eldest Seed brother, carefully holding her bowl of food. “I mean, I like all the people here, it’s just… A lot. And I’m fu..freaking tired.” Jacob snorted. At her statement, or at her remembering she shouldn’t swear around toddlers, she wasn’t sure. “Well, at least someone brought mac n’ cheese. Everything’s better with mac n’ cheese.”

She looked at Jacob, and then out over the crowds, missing the momentary flash of worry that came over the man’s face. Nick was in a heated discussion (? hopefully.) with John about… Something, Joseph and Faith were sitting at a picnic table outside, eating and talking to Erin (she’d have to ask her about that later - she either had the patience of a saint or was genuinely interested in what the two were saying), Elizabeth and Stella were off playing fetch with Boomer while Rae-Rae ate, and… There were still a lot of people who she didn’t know. At least the Sheriff had stopped introducing her to people - he was a few beers in and telling stories to a group of kids that had gathered, with full sound effects and arm motions. Distracted, she took a bite of the mac n’ cheese.

“Oh, god.”

Jacob looked at her.

“This is horrible.” Alice blanched, setting the bowl down on the table beside her. “It’s an insult to mac n’ cheese everywhere. It’s like… Soup.”

“Is it that bad?”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “Do you want to try it?”

“...No.”

“Yeah. It’s that bad. I almost want to find who brought it and teach them how to make proper mac n’ cheese.”

Jacob chuckled. “Are you really that insulted?”

“Yes!! I have a lot of feelings about mac n’ cheese. It’s not hard to make, you just --- Oh god.” She gaped at Jacob. “You brought it, didn’t you. I mean, it wasn’t here when I got here, and you guys were the last ones -- Shit.”

He laughed again - Alice took that as a sign that the man wasn’t insulted. Thank God.

The conversation was easy from then: talking to him was so easy, not something she would have guessed from his gruff appearance.

“Hey.” Alice looked over at Jacob. “Do you… Wanna get outta here or something? I mean, it looks like your brothers are pretty, uh, distracted right now --” She looked over to the airstrip, where Nick and John’s debates had turned into a full-on literal flying competition, “So we could go into town or something, not like…”

“Sure.”

Alice looked at him, startled. She didn’t think he would actually say yes, but then again, he seemed like the type that would like parties like this. “My car is here, or  --”

“Let’s…” He looked around. “Let’s walk. Need some air.”

“Oh. Sure. Uh, I’ll just drop my keys with Mary May. She can bring it back for me.” He nodded, and Alice darted off to find Mary May.

Her friend was standing on the outskirts of the crowd, shaking her head at her brother’s enthusiastic cheering. It took her a moment to catch her attention - the noise from the planes overhead was so loud - and when she did, she dragged her to a nearby tree.

“What?” Mary May looked at her, raising her eyebrow when she saw Alice’s expression. “What did you do.”

“Uh, I haven’t done anything yet, but --” She took a deep breath. “I might be doing something stupid?”

Mary May rubbed her forehead, sighing. “How stupid?”

“Uhm, can you drive my car home?”

“Alice.”

“Please?”

“Why aren’t you taking your car?”

“Uh, I’m walking back?”

“By yourself?” Mary May frowned when Alice shook her head, “Who are you going with?”

“Uhm… Jacob?”

“Jacob….?”

“Seed?”

“Fucking hell, Alice.” Mary May grabbed her friend’s arm, turning them away from the crowd. “What the fuck are you thinking?”

Alice shrugged. “Uhm. I’m… He seems --”

“Don’t say it.”

“He’s not as horrible as John?” Alice winced. “I know, I know that’s bad but -- I’ve been talking to him and --”

“You were - how long were you talking??”

She gulped. “Like, two hours? You were busy, and I don’t really know anyone, and we started talking before I really knew who he was and --”

“Alice. You --”

“We’re just going to walk back to town and, I dunno, I’ll give him a tour. Of town. I just don’t want to walk back.” Alice squirmed under Mary May’s gaze, “Look, I’m not going to do anything --”

“Alice!!!” Oops. “I wasn’t thinking you were going to -- god, please don’t fuck him. Please.”

“I promise!! Can you please just bring my car back? Uh, and my bowl?” Mary May squinted at her, then gave her a slow, reluctant nod. Alice hugged her, shoving the key in her hands. “Thank youuuu. I can pick them up from your place or whatever, just let me know when you get home!”

Turning towards the driveway she parked on, Alice saw Jacob leaning against a tree.

Silently, they walked to the main road together.

This was a mistake.

This is a mistake.

Why do I feel safe?

I’ve heard the rumors, I’ve heard of what he can do - why do I feel safe?

They chattered aimlessly as they walked to town - it was a surprisingly long walk, just over an hour, with stops by the stream and to watch (too-friendly, too at ease around humans) deer.

Jacob told her stories of his family - happy ones, silly ones, a story of John trying to teach Joseph to fly, of Jacob taking Faith hunting. Alice told him about trips around the Southwest with her brother, misadventures from college, all the weird pieces of Americana she saw on her drive back to Hope County.

He laughed when, after finally arriving at her house, he saw her tiny little mini cooper.

“Shut up!” Alice groaned. “Look, my brother drove with me, we took turns with the moving truck, it’s --”

“That thing won’t last the winter.”

“My dad’s old truck’s at the shop.” She nodded her head in the direction of the mechanic’s shop, shrugging. “I fucking hate driving it, but…”

“It’s proven?”

“Yeah. I guess. Mary May laughed at me too.”

“The bartender?”

She nodded. “Yeah. We’ve been friends for years. As long as I can remember. Her folks live - well, they all used to live next door. She told me they had issues with the house so they’re all above the bar now.”

Pausing at the front step, Alice turned to Jacob. “Uh. Do you want to come in? We could, like, uh… The creek’s nice to walk --” He shrugged. “Oh. Okay. Uh. I have two cats.”

“And?”

“Uh, I didn’t know if you’d have an issue with them. They like meeting new people.”

Another shrug. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door. She could hear a soft pitter-patter from upstairs turn into a small stampede down the stairs, and she almost pulled Jacob inside before the cats could make a break for it.

He seemed amused.

That… Was a good sign? Possibly?

Her cats liked him, too - also a possible good sign. The little assholes loved to rub up to people, begging for pets and treats (she wasn’t kidding when she told Jane that Data thought he was a dog), then, after time had passed, they’d show their actual opinion of the new person.

Jacob did pet them - that was a good sign. Crookshanks was happy with her chin scratch, and Data wove himself between the man’s legs.

“Do you, uh, want something to drink? Or we could watch a movie or something - and fuck, sorry about the mess,” How did she forget about that? Boxes everywhere, piles of stuff that were half-unpacked…. “It’s been a busy few days, I was going to do some more yesterday, but my sister hijacked my plans and made me go to that thing out at the Teller’s, and uh…”

Was that a smile?

It was close, at least.

“Do you want help?”

Alice’s eyes widened. “Uh. I mean, if you want?”

Another shrug.

“...Do you want a drink? Only really have water right now but.. Uh…”

A nod, then a glance at the box next to the tv.

“Oh. Uh. If you want? They can go on the shelf right over there. Uh. I’m going to grab… Yeah.” Alice ducked into the kitchen, taking a deep breath as the door swung shut behind her. Fucking hell - this isn’t where she expected any of this to go.

She thought he’d leave after they got to town, chill at the cafe or something until his brothers or one of the peggies picked him up.

Helping her unpack? That wasn’t even on her list of possibilities.

Reaching into the fridge for her water pitcher, she spotted the beer her brother had bought - she thought Caleb had taken it with him, or taken it over to Staci’s house when he visited his old friend, but… Huh.

“Hey, do you want a beer?” She poked her head through the door, holding the bottle up for him to see. “I mean, I can’t guarantee that it’s good, but I might have some liquor in my food box if you want that too, I’d just have to dig…”

“Sure.”

“Beer?”

“Yeah.”

Silently, she handed him the bottle, smiling when she realized that he was alphabetizing the DVDs, then went back to the kitchen to make a drink.

It may have been insanely awkward - but honestly? This was going better than she expected.

Maybe she could talk him into helping put together a bookshelf upstairs? Worth a shot, at least.

--

He did.

The fucking bookshelf was done. Alice thought she would have bribe one of her brother’s old friends, or maybe Mary May or her brother, but… This was easier.

There were a few jabs at the lack of tools in her house - in her defence, it was just a quick jaunt over to her family’s shop, she didn’t really need to keep tools here too (he disagreed) - and at the amount of stuff she had stuffed into her brother’s old bedroom-turned-storage-room upstairs, the amount of cat toys that were already spread around the house...  He was funnier than he looked. Dry humor, but still humor. It worked for him.

The two of them were sitting on her bed now, watching a movie that he’d chosen, both working on their drink of choice.

Her sister would be horrified.

Or not, she thought, if she is fucking John fucking Seed. Though she’d probably think it’s… Not proper or whatever.

She swears - her contempt for her sister had nothing to do with her leaning over and kissing Jacob.

It was a factor - but really? He’s cute.

She’ll never see him again.

No consequences, right?

Jacob kissing her back wasn’t something she really expected - it took a minute, he definitely wasn’t expecting this, but… He did respond.

It moved fast from there - his hand moved to her lower back, then slipped under her shirt -

She should stop him.

But she didn’t.

It wasn’t an emotional night, really, almost a stress-relief thing.

Him spending the night was… Definitely not expected.

Leaving without a word while she was in the shower, though? That was.

#far cry 5 #jacob seed #deputy alice riley #mariah writes stuff #~impled smut #and emotional shit #because i am just as awkward as alice lmao

[ilovehershey19-blog]

Saluna Christmas

It was Christmas Eve in the Loud house again so everyone was doing the same things as every year. Lori was trying to keep herself from opening all the presents, Leni was making outfits, etc. There was one thing different this year however because all of the teenage Louds were dating someone. Which meant Luna wanted her annual Christmas song extra special to impress the object of her affection, Sam Sharp. The fifteen year old screamed in frustration and Lincoln asked, “Having trouble with your song, Luna?” “Yeah, bro. I want to impress Sam so bad.” Luna said. “I think yule do fine. That’s one.” Luan said, laughing like Santa Claus and pressing the button on her counter. Luna glared at her sister and silently went downstairs to see Rita was nailing the stockings to the wall. “Mom, I can’t think of good lyrics for my song.” Luna said. “I’m sorry, honey. I’m sure you’ll figure something out. You always do. Besides, Sam is a lovely girl. She won’t care what the lyrics are as long as they come from your heart.” Rita said.

Hearing those words from her mother’s mouth reminded Luna of something similar that Sam had said once before so she sat down on the couch and went to work again. “Isn’t this Christmas literally exciting, Luna? I'm with Bobby, Leni's with Chaz, you're with Sam, Luan’s with Benny and Lynn's with Fransisco.” Lori said. “Totally. Now we just have to get Linc to admit he likes Ronnie Anne.” Luna said. “I do not like Ronnie Anne! She’s just a friend!” Lincoln said. “Cut the act, Lincoln. I was literally right there when the Santiagos and Casagrandes came over for Thanksgiving. You're not fooling anyone.” Lori said. As the eldest Loud sibling was talking, Luna had received a text from Sam about how excited she was to be coming to the Loud's Christmas party. “I’m excited too, dude! Christmas this year is gonna be rockin'!” Luna texted back. “You're so cute. I love you.” Sam texted. Luna smiled at the message then looked up to see all of the remaining Loud siblings gathered around the couch grinning like idiots. “You dudes mind?” Luna asked. “Not at all.” Lynn said.

The next morning, Sam arrived with the other siblings’ dates so they all knocked on the door at the same time and were greeted with hugs and kisses from their significant others. “Chaz like.” Chaz said. “Everything’s so beautiful.” Sam said. “There’s snow way this could be any better!” Benny said, making Luan laugh and everyone else groan. Since Bobby was used to the Loud family traditions by now, he just let Lori take him to the kitchen and show him the food Lynn Sr. had prepared. “So, is every Christmas like this?” Francisco asked Lynn. “Pretty much.” the thirteen year old Loud replied. Sam went to stand under the mistletoe then got Luna’s attention and the two girls kissed each other tenderly. “Well, it looks like Sam and Luna are having a merry kissmas.” Benny said. “If you don’t blast him, I will.” Sam said to Luna. “Okay, kids. Time to open presents.” Lynn Sr. said. Everyone sat around the couch and passed out gifts to each other as the teens received something special from their dates. Luna’s present from Sam was the best of all however. At least to her it was. The fifteen year old brunette took the object from Sam and uncharacteristically began to slowly and carefully take the paper off. “Lunes, come on. Just rip it.” Sam said. “No way, brah. I don’t want to ruin the wrapping paper since this is the first Christmas present you've ever given me.” Luna said. “Awwww!” everyone else said, causing Luna to turn red in embarrassment. “How about we save a little piece? That way you can still keep some of the paper. Okay?” Sam said. Luna nodded and tore open the present just enough so that it was salvageable and revealed that her gift had been two framed pictures. One was of her and Sam throwing up the goats with their tongues sticking out and the other one of Mick Swagger, signed by the man himself. “Whoa! Sweet! But how did you-“ Luna said before Sam interrupted. “Simon has a friend who’s dad knows Mick's manager so I asked him to pull a few strings. Do you like it?” Sam said. Luna responded by pulling the blonde close until their lips met. “I take that as a ‘yes'.” Sam said.

The rest of the party was spent with Luna and Sam playing Christmas songs with their guitars while standing on the coffee table as everyone gathered around to listen. “This Christmas has definitely been loud.” Benny said. Luna and Sam raised their picks then did air splits while playing the biggest note possible, causing vibrations from their guitars and sending Benny flying into the wall. After the party, the teenage Louds gave their dates goodbye hugs and kisses then helped clean up. “Christmas this year really was rockin’. Don’t you think, Luna?” Lynn said. “Sure was, dude.” Luna said. “I told you Sam would like your song.” Rita said. “Yeah. You were right, Mom. Sam's amazing. I can’t believe how lucky I am to have her.” Luna said. “Maybe next year, Bobby will literally be able to bring Ronnie Anne with him. Am I right, Lincoln?” Lori said. “Ugh!” Lincoln said as he went upstairs. The sisters laughed and Luna began daydreaming about next year's Christmas party.

#sam and luna loud house #love #christmas #saluna week

[hesthekingofsomewhere]

“This is why mom doesn’t fucking love you” with Jack and Race (platonic)

I added smalls as a third sibling! Heres the thing on AO3, or read below!

The Larkin kids were engaged in the biggest prank war of all time. Race, of course was the one who started it, and after dunking all of Small’s clothing in pink paint, he deserved retaliation. Smalls, being the baby of the family, easily enlisted Jack to help her out. Small’s revenge came in the form of filling his sheets with applesauce, prompting Race to stuff his applesauce-covered bedding into Jack’s backpack. From there, all hell broke loose.

The next 3 weeks were a living hell. Everyday at least one person would be woken up by a prank or not woken up at all due to a missing alarm clock. Breakfast was equally prank filled, usually food replacements or general nonsense. The school day would usually have one or two pranks between Race and Jack, as Small’s went to a different school. After School was chaos. every minute was spent either planning, executing, or receiving pranks. Medda made them promise not to do anything during family dinner time, and for the most part they listened. After the first week, trends started to emerge.

Jack’s pranks tended to come in the form of messing with Race’s (and later, Smalls’s) things. Covering his room with pictures of Shrek, filling his school binders with bee movie scripts, moving everything in Race’s room to the left about 3 inches. Most of Jack’s pranks were so meme-y it just made them laugh. His pranks weren’t harmful by any means, just annoying as hell.

Race’s pranks weren’t exactly pranks, they were more just scaring the shit out of his siblings. Hiding behind doors, in closets, car, lockers, as his siblings saw it: Race could potentially be anywhere. Even when they could see him, it wasn’t out of the question for him to have something else be the scare-er. Fortunately they had an idea of when they were going to be scared, as there was almost always a phone recording the whole thing.

Smalls liked pranks that were waged over the internet. Her first solo-prank was hacking into Race’s instagram and deleting all of his pictures, only to replace them with fantastic pictures of herself. She had so much fun with that prank she made the mistake of doing the same to Jack’s instagram, causing her to lose her alliance with him and turning the house into an all-out war zone.

The first day after the Smalls broke her alliance with Jack signalled the peak of the war. Smalls woke up with her entire room relocated to the front lawn. How Jack- she had to assume it was Jack, it had his name all over it- had managed to move every item of furniture from her room on the second floor to the yard without waking her up was a mystery, but not unbelievable. Smalls made eye contact with a neighbour who was fetching their morning paper. She looked down and realised Jack had also put her in a pair of god-awful cheetah print pyjamas.

“JACK KELLY-LARKIN, YOU ARE DEAD TO ME!”

Breakfast seemed very normal to begin with. Neither Jack nor Race seemed awake enough to plan any pranks, making it a perfect time for Small’s rebuttal. It was a prank she had set up a while ago, and it was time to strike.

“Smalls, can you grab the OJ?” Race asked from his slump on the table.

“Uh, there’s only the stuff from concentrate.” Smalls pulled out a pitcher of orange liquid from the back of the fridge.

“OJ is OJ.” Race gestured for her to bring him the jug. Smalls pretended to pour herself a glass of chocolate milk and watched Race and Jack pour themselves glasses of… juice? With impeccable timing the boys took simultaneous sips and simultaneous spit-takes. Smalls burst out into laughter.

“JESUS CHRIST, SMALLS.” Jack shouted, wiping his mouth.

“WHAT THE FUCK DID I JUST PUT IN MY MOUTH?” Race yelled.

“An artful combination of water and 7 KD cheese packets.”

“BOI.”

School at least took Smalls out of the equation, leaving only one prankster for each of them to worry about. Race found his first surprise of the day almost immediately, he opened his locker, only for hundreds of ping pong balls to fall out, spilling everywhere. It took probably 5 minutes for the locker to empty completely, while Race just watched in slightly-annoyed awe. Moments later he heard Jack scream, as a similar pile of fake tarantulas fell out of his locker down the hallway. The scream was enough to lure a teacher out of their classroom.

“Mr. Higgins-Larkin, would you care to explain?” The teacher asked. Race grabbed his books from his locker and slammed the door.

“Ask Jack Kelly-Larkin.” Race directed before running off to class. A voice echoed down the hallway.

“FUCK YOU, RACE!”

Lunch brought Race the mild surprise of his lunch being filled with an unusual amount of celery and literally nothing else. He didn’t even hate celery that much. As for Jack, no pranks came, and every second that passed left him more and more ready for a prank to come the next. Race was halfway through his celery when he got the first phone call. HE didn’t recognise the number, so, as any kid does, didn’t answer. He got 20 more calls from a variety of numbers over lunch, but resolved not to answer any, figuring it was one of Jack’s pranks. The phone calls continued to trickle in over the remaining classes. By the end of class Race’s voicemail was full. Eventually the curiosity got the best of him, and gathered his friends around to listen to them after school. Race opened the first message.

“ggrgraragragrghrajkargragrrrrr” was the entirety of the message. Race looked at his pals and opened the next one.

“blahahablalallallalal” That one sounded more like a dying sheep. One by one the messages were opened, all of them containing the same weird noises. What they were supposed to mean, Race had no idea, but it was weird as hell, and seemed like something Smalls would set up.

Jack got home first, and Race found him lying on the couch watching TV. He eyed his brother suspiciously for a moment, before sneaking upstairs to his room. He flicked on the lights, half-expecting his room to be covered in post-its notes or something, instead his room was just uncomfortably warm. Race jumped up and pulled the fan cord, and the ceiling fan started up, spraying confetti everywhere. It took all of his self-control not to murder Jack right then and there, no he had to wait until Jack got comfortable. According to his calculations, Jack would start falling asleep in about 10 minutes, he could never stay awake for more than 40 minutes while watching TV. In those 10 minutes Race prepared for his winning prank. And also got a broom to clean up this damn mess.

Race snuck down the stairs, completely silent approaching the spot where Jack was napping on the couch. He reached toward the coffee table, grabbing the remote and slowly turned down the volume on the TV, making the room entirely silent. Race fired his gun into the air, waking Jack with a start, and causing him to fall off of the couch.

“THIS IS WHY YOUR MOM DOESN’T FUCKING LOVE YOU.” Jack screamed, Race just laughed.

The prank war came to an end when Smalls broke the penultimate rule; don’t prank at the dinner table. To her credit, she didn’t do the actual pranking at dinner, it just happened to come to fruition then. Before dinner, Small’s had stolen Race and Jack’s phones, and redirected their numbers to herself. The havoc wrecked in the 5 minutes Small’s controlled their text convos was undeniable. At least for Jack, who received 36 phone calls over the course of the meal, and left his ringer on. Apparently, Small’s had sent a bunch of cryptic texts to Jack’s boyfriend, the result of which was many calls from concerned friends. Race’s boyfriends response was “lol k?”; they understood each other very well. Either way, Medda declared the official end of the prank war. It was terrifying fun while it lasted, and while all three siblings maintain that they won, only Race and Small’s knew the truth: Jack lost miserably.

#thanks for asking! #newsies fic #jack kelly #racetrack higgins #smalls newsies

[pagh03thomassen-blog]

Preparing And Attaining Objectives The INTELLIGENT Way.

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It was shot like an online TV tension, offering this a sense of proximity, like you were seeing all these points, excellent as well as bad, happen to true people in real time. I've possessed folks look past me and direct inquiries to my coworker, just because he's a man that's virtually twice my grow older. Your supervisor or even employer might have you around to encounter your brand new co-workers, however even when they perform, they probably won't introduce you to everybody. Plastic braces have earlier been attempted in the 40/50's, yet developments including the renovation from innovation way that our experts now generally have a Sat Nav to show people how you can get teeth to the required shape. I have actually resided in a speak along with some of his other friends by means of somebody's gathering, I am actually certainly not shocked that everybody are actually being actually managed the same. 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I entered into fighting styles, and also there is actually a considerable amount of wonderful psychology there certainly, and a ton of wonderful bits and also details, however no true well organized method of thinking about de-escalating people. And if you can not keep the axe from acquiring near to your foot, you are actually visiting appear like a details facing the girlfriend as well as her moms and dads. Another crucial details is to interact along with the people they interact along with too. Keep in mind that you are actually defending people and also expect that they'll have your back.

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[ecoamerica]

Watch the American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 now: https://youtu.be/bWiW4Rp8vF0?feature=shared

The American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 broadcast recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by active climate leaders. Watch to find out which finalist received the $50,000 grand prize! Hosted by Vanessa Hauc and featuring Bill McKibben and Katharine Hayhoe!

#ACLA24 #ACLA24Leaders #youtube #youtube video #climate leaders #climate solutions #climate action #climate and environment #climate #climate change #climate and health #climate blog #climate justice #climate news #weather and climate #environmental news #environment #environmental awareness #environment and health #environmental #environmental issues #environmental justice #environment protection #environmental health #Youtube