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everythingsinred · 3 years

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Let's Talk About NatsuMikan: The Anime (pt. 3)

The anime is a different species than the manga, something that frequently happens during the adaptation from page to screen. Since they’re so different, I’ll analyze them separately.

In the last two sections, we explored how the anime treated the start of NatsuMikan's relataionship, as well as how different the story can be with some added elements and feelings. In this part, I'll talk about some more manga divergence, with perhaps more of an emphasis on Natsume because there's some new themes added in regard to his story.

Episode 12 vs. Chapter 11

Another “filler” episode, filler in that the events are completely different than in the manga, is the 12th episode. Just like in the manga, Mikan finds out that her ability class is uninterested in participating in the culture fest, much to her dismay. She ends up spending the whole episode wandering around campus, watching her peers prepare but struggling to come up with something for her class to do. In the manga, she comes up with the idea for the culture fest on her own, but in the anime it’s a journey and it couldn’t have happened without Natsume. Whereas at this part of the manga, he can barely tolerate her, in the anime he already likes her and he helps her out in his own way.

“‘Tis but a flesh wound.”

She finds Natsume in the classroom by himself, reading his manga. She vents to him her frustration and admits her jealousy: his amazing alice has many uses at a culture fest while hers does not. He burns the tips of her hair but confesses that he’s not allowed to participate beyond being a spectator. When Sumire’s brother shows up looking for Hotaru, he finds Natsume and Mikan, insulting both of them but especially Mikan. Natsume sets his hair on fire and then tells her to go back and talk to her class. The back of his manga gives her the idea of the RPG, much to his chagrin since he winces when she thanks him for the help. He talks to her the whole scene, defending her from Permy’s brother and even helps her (indirectly) come up with what to do with the SA class.

They have so much in common, specifically about the culture festival, and Mikan realizes this and it’s part of the reason why Natsume sticks up for her here. Just like her, he knows how it feels to be excluded because of your ability class. The manga’s version of events seems a bit darker, but it’s hard to be depressed after the counterpart’s version, where Natsume and Mikan bond together over their shared struggles.

Although the class is on board with her idea, Jinno (again…) doesn’t let them participate, claiming that he wishes they couldn’t participate at all just like the DA class. The SA class gives up and Mikan blows up on them and runs away, running into Natsume, this time under a tree. She tells him she’s convinced that he’s lonely and wants friends, and she obviously doesn’t have any qualms with being a friend to him. She proposes the two of them spend the culture fest together, surprising him.

For all of their differences, after all, they’re more alike than they seem. Two outcasts befriending each other despite the school’s efforts to suppress their fun is empowering and uplifting and sweet. After all, despite how popular Natsume is, his worshippers mostly go along with whatever he’s doing and saying, rather than trying to find ways for him to have fun. For them, it’s more about getting Natsume to like them. For Mikan, it’s about getting him to smile, and that’s what sets her apart. She knows what he’s like, that he could easily tease her or insult her or cruelly reject her and yet she asks him anyway. She wants to include him in ways nobody else has, other than Ruka. You could easily see Mochu or one of his fan club members saying “Let’s ditch this anyway! Who cares! It’s lame anyway!” while Mikan gets to the heart of it. Natsume doesn’t actually think the festival is lame or boring. He just can’t participate and it hurts his feelings. “Let’s participate anyway,” Mikan says. “We’ll do it together because we’re both not allowed.” It’s what he actually wants someone to say to him, even if he won’t admit it.

If you look close enough, you can see Natsume’s little blush.

She says they’re both on their own, unable to participate. He tells her to go talk to her class instead and reconcile with them. Despite Mikan giving him an offer that he wants to accept, he tells her to do what’s best for her. She is upset about her argument with her class, and just hanging around with him won’t make her as happy as she would be if she made up with them. He’s not selfish at all--he doesn’t want her company if it comes at the price of her happiness. Furthermore, he’s not upset in the slightest that after the episode they no longer have “we’re not allowed to participate” in common. It’s still something they bonded over and it’s enough that she can have fun, even if he can’t. She is impressed by his ability to know what’s wrong and help her in his own way. There’s a growing affection between them, where Natsume values her optimism and cheerfulness, and she values his secret and subtle kindness. She’s learning to see his hidden acts of kindness for what they are and appreciating them when she recognizes them. And no, he won’t tell her anything about the DA class except that it’s different than the other classes, but he doesn’t get mad at her for asking. He wishes he could tell her. It’s just not an option. The crow disrupting the songbirds on the streetlamp is so metaphoric, it’s kinda obvious. But is the crow Natsume, who can’t have fun like the songbirds, or is the crow Persona, who ruins the fun he sees?

Genuinely I’m shocked that Natsume survived this emotional ordeal. How did he not go into cardiac arrest.

Right after Mikan’s departure an onlooking Hotaru asks Ruka if he's glad nothing happened, as if something would’ve happened. Their connection and softness is something perceptible, even from a distance. He’s different with her, and both Hotaru and Ruka can see it.

Then Natsume passes out, implying that he felt poorly during his conversation with Mikan but didn’t let it show, probably so she wouldn’t worry. Knowing that Natsume had earlier gone on a mission where he presumably gets shot in the side adds a new layer to their interactions. After all, he hadn’t told Persona what was wrong when he’d asked and Ruka was surprised too, so it can be assumed that Natsume went back to his dorm after the mission and then patched himself up. Seeing as he is only ten years old, it couldn’t have been that good of a patch-up, and he is still injured. Natsume was grouchy because of the culture fest and because he was dealing with agonizing pain all day.

Kitty, you better not be dead.

In any case, Mikan asking Natsume to hang out is a sign of Mikan warming up to him, and wanting to spend time with him. This can be contrasted with an event that happens around this same time in the manga, though Manga!Natsumikan still hate each other by the time the Culture Fest is announced. He likes her in the anime though, at this point in time, and his rejecting her invitation is not because he doesn’t want to hang out with her, but because she still has a chance to make things right with her class and have a fun Culture Fest without him.

The Reo Arc (Episodes 13, 14, & 15 vs. Chapters 13, 14, 15, & 16)

The Reo Arc (the arc that turns Natsume’s image of Mikan completely around in the manga) is a bit pointless in the grand scheme of things in the anime. Don’t get me wrong, it’s more or less the same story and it’s still fun to watch, but it holds a different weight in the manga. In the anime, he already likes her at this point, so his feelings don’t change much, though they might have gotten stronger and possibly even softer (he seems very angry at himself for liking her before this arc, probably to keep his character in line with the manga, and after the arc he is much less upset about his feelings... or maybe just as upset but for different reasons). The Reo Arc was much better done in the manga. It served two purposes: to make Sumire one of Mikan’s friends and, most importantly, to have Natsume start liking Mikan.

If he already likes Mikan, then the anime should’ve focused more on the purpose of having Sumire and Mikan become friends but the emphasis does not change. It stays focused on Mikan and Natsume, attempting to serve a purpose that has already been served. Plus, the intervention of Narumi and the SA class seems very silly and was done to fill up time in the episodes. I also don’t understand why the culture fest started while Mikan, Natsume, and Sumire were in Reo’s custody, since that wasn’t the case in the manga and it seemed like they changed things for no reason, not even revealing the impact of that change. Furthermore, they were forced by this arc to then include Reo in the Circus Arc, which was undoubtedly the worst mistake of the anime. After all, including a potential big bad who just disappears after he kidnaps three kids isn’t satisfying at all. Narratively, they had to bring him back again as a villain, but the way they did it was lackluster.

Of course, not everything has to have some thematic significance and not everything has to be finely tuned to still be good, but there’s little for me to analyze if it’s so unchanged.

Though there is one scene, before anyone gets kidnapped, that has plenty of stuff to analyze and is thematically important. Natsume has a nightmare of himself entirely shrouded in darkness and surrounded by people whispering about him. He runs, because it’s all he can do, begging people to leave him alone. It’s almost sad that in many ways, Natsume acts so cold because all he wants is for people to leave him alone and yet this behavior is for some quite appealing (hence he has a fan club he couldn’t care less about) or so repulsive that his upperclassmen bully him even more. The dream then shifts to Persona telling him he has a mission, so on top of bullying and ostracization and exclusion, he is also forced into the position of child soldier, doing unspeakable things for an organization that does not care about his safety in the slightest. That’s how he feels, really, like there’s just too much for him to handle, and not enough good to make up for it. He’s shouldering so much pain and has nobody to talk to about it. But then there’s a light! And Mikan’s voice calling for him! And he reaches for her, because it’s the first brightness we’ve seen in this dream, and the first he’s seen in a while.

Unfortunately, that’s not where the dream ends. Natsume can’t reach her. Persona’s grasp is too strong, and he gets pushed right back down into the darkness. This is the most important part of the dream, really, but the part that gets most overlooked. Mikan is Natsume’s light, but he’s not allowed to have her. Natsume’s particular brand of coldness and cruelty to Mikan is to protect her. His life is nothing but darkness and her being his light only illuminates him, while it would bring her darkness and possibly even dim her light. You can’t mix black and white without getting grey--his life would brighten and hers would fade. Moreover, Natsume is dying. He won’t get to be with Mikan, even if he wanted to, even if it wouldn’t ruin her. He doesn’t have time. By the time he gets close enough, he’ll be dead, and it would all have been a moot point.

So much misunderstanding about Natsume’s behavior stems here, from the mistaken belief that he is cold and cruel and mean and distant from Mikan because that’s just the way he is, rather than the way he has to be in order to protect people from himself. From his back story in the manga we see that Natsume was always a snarky, unsmiling kid, but he wasn’t like he was when Mikan met him. He had warmth, passion, life, and the school snuffed that out of him. If Natsume’s head weren’t held constantly under cold water, he’d have a much easier time making friends, having fun, and being happy. He might even give wooing Mikan a shot, because as it stands now, he is not even close to considering it.

Anyhow, the rest of the arc is very similar to the manga, so we’ll focus on that for the next essay. I will discuss this more when I analyze the manga, because those events stay the same but matter way more in terms of the manga.

Episode 16 vs. Chapter 18 & 19

Mikan and her SA class have a labyrinthian Aladdin activity, accomplishable only because of their unique alices, but at first no one wants to play. It takes Mikan’s friends--Ruka, Sumire, and Narumi--to make the attraction popular. I’ll talk more about this in the manga section because it means more in the manga and the anime adaptation didn’t change the original much. The analysis will be much more satisfying in context of the manga, anyway.

Episode 17 vs. Chapter 20 & 22

In the seventeenth episode, Mikan and co. visit Hotaru’s attraction--featuring Pigula from the manga and a little competition attraction featuring chickens. The one noteworthy Natsumikan moment is Natsume conceding that “everyone has to be good at something” when it turns out Mikan is pretty good at the game.

That seems like it could be a compliment, but considering that Mikan is athletically talented and cheerful, she is good at things beyond a chicken game. It just so happens that this game plays on her strengths. Silly Natsume. Later on, Mikan shows her compassion for the little boy who screws up his chicken and Hotaru’s backstory is unlocked. In this episode, the emphasis is on Hotaru and her brother. The manga explores different themes, including Mikan’s insecurity about her alice and not knowing what she wants to do with it, as well as Ruka’s feelings about his triple-star status.

There is one thing that really stands out in the anime that doesn’t have the same meaning in the manga. Earlier, Natsume and Mikan bonded before the culture fest about not being allowed to participate and when she asked if he wanted to hang out with her during it, he helped inspire her to make up with her friends instead. After beating the labyrinth, Natsume got three wishes from Mikan and one of them was to spend time together during the festival. He doesn’t exactly put it that way, in the manga or the anime, instead opting to wish that she’d carry his stuff around, but ultimately he wanted what she had offered: to spend time together during the culture fest. It makes him happy and makes his festival experience so much better, even if she is a downer for some of it.

Summary

This part of the anime, we discover some more information about Natsume. This new information adds new layers to his relationship with Mikan. The scenes the anime adds give the story some extra richness, like the dream he has at the start of the Reo Arc. Because of the addition of Natsume's perspective, we can see more clearly why he acts the way he does, but also why despite all his acting cool, he's still just a kid that wants to have fun and be happy, and why it crushes him that he's not allowed to be a child.

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naysaltysalmon · 5 years

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I’m back!

Upon my return from China, I noticed there were a lot of things weighing me down... that I can just throw the fuck out.

I could expound upon all of these in great detail, but it really would be pointless. And I wouldn’t be able to cover it all anyway. So instead I’ve decided to make a post of every icon I’ve used for my online persona over the years.

The reason for this is... at the end of the program I attended, we had an entire week of silent meditation. We weren’t allowed to talk or communicate with anyone in any way, including gestures, eye contact, or physical touch. So, during this time I had the realization that the stories I’ve been interested in have been my main source of comfort over the years. No person, place, or thing has felt more permanent to me than this.

However, permanence is an illusion, as the Buddhists say (I stayed in a Buddhist monastery in China, in case you’re wondering). My interests have changed over the years -- from the first fandoms I got obsessed with, to my interests now. I may still adore the series that I enjoyed as a child, but definitely not in the same way.

Coming home, I realized... I no longer want to attach my identity to one character or series. That’s why I’ve decided to make this post. I want to reflect on all the egos of my past, on what they have meant to me, so that I can let them go. I’ve been clinging to a folder of them for too long.

To anyone who’s been here since the very start of my blog, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. This is an acknowledgement of my transformation from then until now.

And so:

Breadward Elric. My first Internet icon, which I had for 2 and a half years from May 2011 -- 2013. My blog was originally entirely FMAB content, created in January of 2012, and while this format didn’t last the entire time that I had this icon, Breadward saw me through the majority of my early anime and video game obsessions. He jump-started my personality on the Internet as a fanfic author, a blogger, and an artist. I will never forget him... ;~;

Comrade Führer Tamama. I had this icon for 8 months in early 2013 -- early 2014. What can I say? Tamama’s passionate personality resonated with me, especially when he was finally able to be in control (in the episode this particular screenshot is from). Gotta get those cola oceans pronto!

Yokoso waga tainai e [Welcome to my Womb ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)]. I had a phase during the summer of 2014, okay. But I still love this maniacal snake’s crusty ass, fite me. I admire KagePro immensely for the popularity and development it gave characters in song format. Of course, favorite of those characters was Kuroha, a snake whose only desire was to keep granting wishes so that he could survive. Add a touch of murderous intent and you have the complete package -- I won’t deny he appealed(appeals) to my wild side -- okay moving on.

KeroTama hugge 👀. I had this icon for about 4-6 months in 2014 before the Hunter x Hunter phase hit. God, I shipped them so hard *facepalms* It was funny though, it’s like KagePro hit me like a hurricane during this summer and then I went right back to being KeroTama trash. Amazing.

Softly Smiling Pika. I kept this icon for at least 9-10 months at the end of 2014 -- early 2015, until I found Owari no Seraph. Kurapika was definitely my bae at the start of my HxH phase -- and in many ways he still is. The current arc gives me this sense of nostalgia of being a 15-year-old again, deeply in love but too in denial to see it. Watching him as a young adult, I see how far I’ve come, how I could have ended up... since I believed myself to be most closely alike with Kurapika at the time. And now I know that’s not the case... I remember debating between many other Kurapika icons and finally choosing this one because I dearly wanted to believe I too could find my happiness in the friends around me, even if it seemed all was hopeless behind the scenes.

Yuu babe. I had this icon for 4 months in the middle of 2015, I remember. Yuichiro Hyakuya was an underappreciated dorky genius at the time, much like how Gon is in HxH now, except... Now in the series... *deep sighs* *clenches fist* I still love his piercing citrine eyes and the dynamism of this icon/pose though.

Cuties T^T (MikaYuu edition). Mmm I kept this icon for a while, something like most of 2016, at least 6-8 months, probably more like 9 or 10. Looking back, I still wonder how/why the author was a fucking coward and didn’t make MikaYuu happen. We coulda had it aaallllll...... Anyway, this is when I was writing Ebony & Ivory, my most popular fic to date, so I was reveling in the reputation I gained from that. This icon was me accepting that while I was no longer friends with my best friend from middle school to 11th grade, I would still pursue my own happiness in the perfect relationship that I saw in MikaYuu. *nods* It’s fitting.

Caught Child². I shared this and the next couple of icons with a friend that I met online, who used the Gon equivalent. I think we shared this one for about 3 months of 2016. This is when I became re-obsessed with Hunter x Hunter and realized how much I had changed between 2014 and 2016. It’s an obsession that’s more or less carried onto now, and redefined my adulthood, as I see my progression as I refer back to HxH for guidance to this day.

Content Chompy Boye. I love this icon. I kept this icon for a long time, something like 5-6 months in December 2016 -- mid-2017. The colors of the background contrast with Killua’s white hair, pale skin, and dark muscle shirt... I still used this icon on other websites until just a few days ago (when I most recently changed my icon) because I thought it looked the best backdropped against the format of other websites. I love this scene in the series, though; while (human) Palm is chattering on about her worry that Gon and Killua will be able to defeat Knuckle and Shoot in time, Killua continues to eat without a care in the world. It’s a mood I feel at least once a day, whether while eating or getting a back massage -- as if that ever happens -- 11/10.

Pizza Devil Brat. I like this icon a lot and kept it on a few websites for longer too, but with the way I edited it, the green background becomes a little too headache-inducing if you stare at it too long, so 8/10 -- okay no more out of 10 ratings, this isn’t that kind of post. I believe I kept this icon for about 3-4 months in 2017 and possibly early 2018 as well. From the same scene the previous Kurapika icon came from, this remains one of my favorite scenes in the entire series for its serious undertones over the light happiness that underlies Gon’s, Killua’s, and Kurapika’s (and Leorio’s -- but he’s not in this scene) interactions with each other throughout the series.

Grumpy Gem Gremlin. I was sharing the last three icons with that friend, including this one, with the Phos equivalent (more or less). I think we only kept it for about a month or month and a half in 2017 or beginning of 2018 before switching to the next one. Cinnabar’s desire for a purpose and closeness to others despite her poisonous nature... is definitely something I can understand and relate to.

Sad Gem Child. Damn, I think we’re all still waiting for the day Gormie realizes Aechmea’s a creepy sugar daddy and dropkicks his ass into the ocean where the Admirabilis can decompose his cloudy body like he doesn’t deserve. When will Land of the Lustrous return from the war? I’m still waiting, Ichikawa. Anyway I think we kept this icon for about a month or maybe two in 2018, not long at all.

Gay Childe™. Look, this is one of the gayest scenes in the entire series and it’s right after my favorite episode(s)/scene(s) in the entire series (so far) and it’s not even acknowledged by anyone. Just. Holy Fuck. Anyway I think I kept this icon for about 6-8 months to cap off 2018. And this is where the Big Breakup happened, where my friend decided to choose an icon that deviated from mine, but I kept this icon for a lot longer due to what this scene means to me, placed after/during my favorite episode. ;v;

And finally, BoMH (Blood on My Hands) Pika. I used this icon for 8 months from the start of 2019 until just a few days ago (approx. 8 months). This icon was originally the cover for a Kurapika fic that I started back in 2015 and ended up discontinuing because it was pretty slow-paced, and thus unpopular, which made it become difficult for me to write. But I got all the way up to 97k words before I quit, simply because of the freedom and joy I felt in creating all the OCs that I fit into Kurapika’s journey as he searched for the Kurta eyes after the Yorknew City Arc. Looking back, I’m proud of the planning and commitment that I succeeded in undertaking with this fic -- it was about halfway done by the time I stopped writing it -- and I feel I want to return to this concept one day. Even if the arcs were pretty formulaic at times and, well, boring, I wanted this icon at the start of 2019 to be a new person separate from my recent past matching icons; a representation of my ability to reconnect with my past, but to no longer be afraid of it; to be proud of it, but still recognizing the not-so-good parts, laying it to rest by no longer avoiding it.

My icon now, as I’m sure you can see... is nothing like those I’ve used thus far. I definitely have no intention of moving away from anime or my past. I simply wish to redefine who I am in relation to them, rather than being defined by them.

...I’ve discovered a lot about myself over the past 2 years since college started, more than I ever thought possible. I discovered a lot while in China, too. And I need my online persona to reflect that in every form, as I’ve done every time there was a change.

Thank you all for being with me on this journey: for following me, for reading my posts, for liking my art, for talking with me and blowing up my notifications on every platform...

I’ll be pursuing the next chapter(s) of Human, TIDU, and other works soon. ^.^

#Nay talks #idk i thought it would be cool/fun #The End of an Era #thank God #i mean the Buddha #i mean whatever #i can say that as a Religion major

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maxattack-powell · 6 years

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Winter Break - Going Home (1-17c)

***This is an original fic that fits in between the Luxury Date special and Book 2/Chapter 1 (1-17c in my masterlist)***

Masterlist - go here for other chapters and related original fics

Disclaimer: The following are fics (adaptations from actual game chapters AND original works) to Choices: The Freshman and The Sophomore stories. It is a fictional adaptation. I (we) do not work for Pixelberry Studios, the game developer or own the rights to the characters Chris Powell, Nicole or any other IN GAME character. All of the ORIGINAL characters, storylines and events were developed for my adaptation of The Freshman story.

Comments: I enjoyed playing Choices The Freshman… and then I found this awesome group of people and their works - I’ve loved it all, very much so. Deciding that I wanted more interaction than the options allowed, I’ve gone through the first book, chapter by chapter (omg painfully slow) to follow the story (95-99% I’d say) and add to it as I felt would benefit. Now I am doing the same to Book 2 as well.

Basically, I wanted to include certain things that weren’t really full fic worthy, adding more substance to the story. However, I did add some full size fic moments also… some are included in cannon chapters and some are their own full chapters in between. I wanted to see MC and Chris through their freshman year… with more angst, fluff, sweetness, real life and overall detail. So, if you like that pairing then you’ll be satisfied, otherwise sorry James & Kaitlyn fans lol. I even added some parts from Chris’s POV, so that we have a chance to see what he’s thinking, knowing what she experienced.

There will be ADULT and/or NSFW moments in certain chapters - this is a warning lol. I will try my best to make it obvious as it occurs…

Paring: MC x Chris

POV: ~MC~ or ~Chris~

~MC~

The game and after parties run late, leaving Thibbs’s jet to wait until the group arrives so they can leave L.A.. They finally load up and head out early the next morning, somewhere around 1 a.m. The group of friends were still buzzing from the excitement, causing them to stay awake for quite some time. After an hour or two into the 7 hour flight, everyone finally starts to settle down. Most fall asleep and stay there for the remainder of the flight home.

Chris and MC snuggle close to each other in their reclined seats, sharing a plush blanket provided by the small crew. MC curls up against Chris, her head on his chest with his arm wrapped around her tightly, holding her close. They whisper back and forth for a while until it becomes clear they are both finally falling asleep, their words slowing and becoming very broken and incoherent. She lets out a soft giggle when he’s in the middle of a particularly pointless sentence.

Chris suddenly pauses, apparently realizing this, before speaking a final time with a sleepy grin on his face as he looks at her through narrow slits. “Yeah, I’m out… G’Night, MC.”

He pulls her close and they both fade into deep sleep. When the jet arrives in Boston, the crew gently rouses everyone so they can disembark. The group of friends walk together towards the parking lot and say their goodbyes.

Chris quickly unlocks his red Jeep Wrangler and starts it so it will warm up and MC jumps in to call her mom, while Chris stays outside talking to Darren and Logan for a minute longer. She lets her mother know that they have made it back to Massachusetts, but it will take a while for them to drive to Hartefeld, so she tells her to wait a few hours to leave the house for the reasonably short trip to pick her up.

Along the way back to their dorm, Chris and MC talk about their trips home and what they will do with most of their time away from Hartfeld. Both admit that they will be working when they can, as both they and their families could use the extra money right now. Each also plan on spending time with friends and family as much as possible. Both have missed them all greatly over the last few months.

As soon as they make it to the dorm parking lot, Chris and MC slide out of the Jeep and simultaneously open the doors to the back seat to grab their bags. However, when MC opens her side she finds her bag missing. She looks across the Jeep’s back seat and quickly locates it though. MC finds it already slung over Chris’s shoulder with his own, a huge ‘gotcha’ grin already in place.

She shakes her head and smiles before shutting the door and meeting him in front of the Jeep, lacing her fingers through his free hand as they walk to the dorm door. As they walk to and through the dorm building, everything feels so surreal. Most of the students are already gone from campus and it’s eerily quiet while also peaceful. It’s just, unnatural. Chris sets their luggage down near the kitchen table and heads into the kitchen.

Knowing that she has a least an hour or two to wait for her ride home, MC digs out her phone to check her messages and sits on the couch. Chris comes back from the kitchen with two water bottles, handing one to MC as he sits next to her on the couch. She thanks him and they share a moment of silence as they drink their water and reflect on recent events.

Both are fairly exhausted from the trip home, having only received about five to six hours of sleep on the flight, then following it up with an hour long car ride back to Hartfeld. With the time difference from L.A. to Boston, the morning was already well underway, working towards 11 a.m.

They decide to order a pizza and relax in the living room until it arrives. Chris stretches out on the couch and opens his arms to MC as she returns from her room with cash for the delivery person. She sets everything on the counter and smiles as she heads towards him.

He shifts to his side as she comes close, sitting next to him as he stretches out again before pulling her down, spooning her when she stretches out in front of him. He slides one arm under her head and the other around her waist, pulling her close and securing her spot on the couch. She sighs and shimmies into his warmth, quickly falling asleep to the sound of his even breathing. He falls right behind her in just seconds.

A loud knocking jerks them from their peaceful slumber, making MC sit straight up on the edge of the couch and look around befuddled for a moment, not yet aware of her surroundings. Chris lets out a low chuckle and sits up as well, rubbing her back for a moment before he slides around her and off the couch before heading towards the door. He pulls out his wallet and adds to the cash he grabs off the counter for their delivery.

MC stands and stretches her arms high above her head just as Chris returns to the living room, pizza box in hand. They turn on the TV and flip around until they find The Lightning Bug Holiday Special that the two of them missed during the storm a few days earlier. They both laugh and dissect the episode until they are exhausted once again. After a moment, MC turns to Chris and watches him as he types in a map app on his phone.

She leans over and rests her head on his shoulder, realizing that he’s mapping his trip home. She quickly notices the almost 6 hours drive to make it to his home in Cherryfield, Maine from Hartefeld, which is near Worchester, Massachusetts. She immediately frowns, knowing that it gets darker earlier this time of year, so the later he leaves, the worse his drive will become. She looks at her phone, noting that it was already noon, which meant it would turn dark on his way home no matter what, but the sooner he leaves, the safer the drive.

~Chris~

Chris turns his eyes from his phone to hers, noticing her deep frown. “What’s up?”

She sits back and looks at him, her worried expression growing. “You really should have left before now…” She trails off, gesturing towards his phone, concern lacing her words.

He gives her a light chuckle as he nudges her with his shoulder. “We just got back and you’re already trying to get rid of me, huh?”

She swiftly turns and looks straight into his eyes. “Wha–no! I… I’m worried. About your trip home. It’s going to get dark on your drive, even if you leave now.” She frowns and looks down at her hands, currently folded together in her lap.

He reaches over to wrap her closest hand with his, giving it a squeeze. He waits to speak until she looks up at him again. “It will be fine. I know upstate Maine like the back of my hand.” She gives him a unsure look. “Even in the dark…” He flashes her a snarky grin.

She sighs and searches his face. “When are you planning on leaving then?”

He shrugs but keeps his grin in place. “When are you?”

She scrunches up her nose and gives him a mock glare. “That’s different. My trip home takes like… an hour and a half or something.”

He notices her anxiety building over the idea of his drive home ending in the dark, so he quickly attempts to squash it. “Look MC, I will be fine.”

“But it’s a long drive, by yourself…” She begins and he nods, confirming her words. “…and you’re tired.”

He looks at her then, refuting her statement. “We slept on the plane and we just had a nap.”

She shakes her head, “That’s not enough, and you know it.”

He laughs, internally recognizing that she was right. He could feel the pizza and lack of sleep already weighing on him a little. “Okay, how about this. I take another nap, a short one, then I grab my stuff and go.” He sees her eyeing him suspiciously. “And if I start to feel tired, I get some coffee on the way home…”

She finally seems to relax a little at his new plan, making him feel relieved as well. The thing was, he didn’t want to leave though. He wanted to stay here, with her. As long as possible. It just felt… right. It was a little unusual to him how natural it felt to be here with her, without any interruptions or schedules to keep, even if it was just for one afternoon.

That’s when he felt it again, this time much stronger than before. The melancholy feeling that had been creeping in, starting the moment they touched down in Boston. He sighs as he thinks about how long it will be before he sees her again. Before he can touch her, smell her, kiss her… He almost groans when he thinks about that, his mood shifting slightly darker.

He turns and notices that she has been watching him, her eyes full of concern again. “What’s wrong?”

He forces a flashy grin. “Ah… nothing.”

MC studies him for a moment longer, clearly not believing him at first. She eventually looks away and shifts to a more comfortable position leaning back into the couch. She grabs a pillow and lays it on her lap before she tugs on his sleeve, insisting that he lays down.

Chris can’t help but grin, being more than happy to oblige. He shifts to stretch out on his back down the length of the couch, his long legs dangling over the arm a little as he lays his head in her lap, looking up into her eyes. “This. Is. Awesome.”

She shushes him and starts running her fingers through his hair as he tilts his head to face her. He closes his eyes and lets out a deep sigh as he relaxes there, content in her arms. He struggles to stay awake and enjoy the feeling, to breathe in her scent, but he soon realizes she’s too good, and gives in to his exhaustion. He falls asleep within seconds.

~MC~

She lays there comfortably for a while, threading her fingers softly through his hair, over and over until she hears his breathing becoming more shallow, signalling that he had fallen asleep. She smiles as she continues to run her fingers through his hair, now more for herself. She takes the opportunity to study his features in detail, completely uninterrupted.

His hair was soft and thick. So thick, that she takes off her rings after only a few runs through his hair, not wanting to catch and pull any of it. She notices that his hair color shifts from a deep brown at the roots all the way to a lighter auburn highlight near the edges around the top. It’s a beautiful range of warm colors, so different from her cool platinum blonde. His eyebrows and eyelashes are a matching dark brown, making his bold masculine features pop from his face.

She softly traces a finger over his eyebrows, both a little bushy and thick, but not the kind that require a lot of maintenance on a regular basis. She laughs at that, wondering if he is the kind of guy who even worries about that type of thing. “Probably not…” She whispers to herself.

Her hand moves down his face, running along the line of his jaw. She feels some rough stubble starting to take shape as he hasn’t shaved since before they left for California. She thinks back and decides that she hasn’t really seen him with it much longer than it is now though, immediately making her wonder what color it was when it grew out. She had an idea it would be more auburn, like his highlights. The thought makes her smile wide. She always thought redheads, and red-beards, were adorable. The Weasley’s were her favorite wizarding family after all.

They stay like that for a while, her letting him relax in her hands before his long drive home for winter break. She continues to gently run her fingers through his hair, hoping he is getting some much needed rest.

After about half an hour or so, MC sighs as she realizes it’s probably time for him to get going. She hesitates just as she’s about to wake him though, not wanting the moment to end. She knows she doesn’t really want him to leave. She’s enjoying it, a lot. The break suddenly feels like it’s going to be extremely long. Usually the idea appeals to her, but this time, she isn’t so sure.

MC frowns slightly as she looks down at him, his face completely relaxed as his head rests cradled in her lap. She swears she sees a small smile on his lips, the corners tilted up just so as she runs her fingers through his hair a final time. Before breaking the spell, she gently grabs her phone from the side table and pulls up the camera. She bites her bottom lip for a moment, contemplating her plan.

She promptly gives in and takes a quick photo of him there, absolutely relaxed in her lap. Just to be sure she gets a good one, she takes a few more. Telling herself it’s just incase some are bad, before putting her phone down. Knowing it has to be done, though not wanting to do it, she sighs and leans over, kissing his forehead. His brow wrinkles slightly then fades back to his relaxed expression.

“Chris?” She says his name softly.

He doesn’t stir at first, so she tries again, this time rubbing his cheek and the rim of his ear before trailing her fingers down his neck. She says his name again, a little louder than before. “Chris.”

Chris’s brow draws together in slight irritation at the interruption to his blissful state. He grumbles and turns on his side, running one arm behind her back and burrowing his face into her lap.

She lets out a small laugh and tries again, this time lightly shaking his exposed shoulder. “Chris Powell.”

The use of his last name must have done it, as he rolls back slightly and peers up to her through heavy lidded eyes. “MC?”

She smiles at his sleepy confusion. “Hey there… naps over I’m afraid.”

He sits up, propping himself up on his arm as he pivots to look around the room, his mind focusing on the situation again. “How long was I out?” He mumbles through a gravely voice as he places his feet on the floor.

MC shifts to sit next to him, rubbing his back softly to help wake him up. “Maybe 30 minutes or so..?” She guesses.

He shakes the sleep from his head and turns to look at her, a warm smile spreading across his lips. “It felt like hours. What did you do to me?” He flashes her a playful questioning look.

She just shrugs and smirks, moving her hand to his neck and applying more pressure. His eyes roll shut and he lowers his face onto his hands, letting out a soft groan at her actions. She does it for another minute or two before standing and turning to him, offering her hand to steady him as he stands up.

MC starts to pull away, but he draws her close, wrapping his arms securely around her and burrowing his face into her neck, hiding in her hair. She feels his warm breath on her skin and shivers at the contact, running her hands around and up his back. He sighs and stands there for a moment. She understands the feeling.

She tilts her head towards his, her lips close to his ear. “Promise me something?”

He takes a deep breath, his face still hidden in her hair. “What’s that?”

She pulls him back, leaning to see his bright blue eyes. “Don’t text or anything while you’re driving. Please.”

His curious expression melts into a warm smile, his eyes closing as he leans towards her, their foreheads making gentle contact. He raises his hands to cup both sides of her face, his calloused thumbs running across her cheeks.

“I promise.” He whispers before he tilts her chin up slightly, gently covering her lips with his own.

The familiar electric feeling shoots through with the contact. It starts on her lips and creeps through her entire body, one cell at a time. Their kisses remain soft and slow, each trying to savor the moment as long as possible. He asks for more and she eagerly gives him permission, opening her lips more as she flicks her tongue out to greet his. He groans and presses his lips to hers more firmly, sweeping his tongue inside, playfully finding hers.

MC sucks on Chris’s lower lip a little as he pulls it back to look her eyes. Her actions make him pull her tight against his chest before taking her lips with his again. They eventually break contact and once again lean into each other, eyes closed as they press their temples together. Chris nuzzles her ear, causing her to shudder in his hands. He holds her tighter, just about holding her up as her knees feel weak.

MC lightly kisses the spot right below his ear, making him suck in a sharp breath. “Drive safe, okay?”

Chris leans back once more, searching her face with a cocky smile. “You got it.” He quickly kisses the top of her head before separating and walking towards his bag.

“Ah, almost forgot my guitar.” He turns and dashes towards his room, returning almost immediately with his guitar case in hand. He flings his bag over his left shoulder and reaches for her one last time, pulling her into a firm hug before he steps out of the door. “See you soon, MC.”

She forces a smile when all she wants to do is frown. “Yes, soon. Have a good break Chris.” She watches as he heads down the stairs, waving at him one last time as he disappears.

MC lets out a small disappointed sigh and heads back inside. She drags her suitcase back to her room and adds a few more items to it before setting it by the door. She doesn’t have to wait long before her mother calls her phone, letting her know she was about to arrive on campus. MC grabs her stuff and heads downstairs.

The ride home was enjoyable. MC missed her parents. She missed her old life. So it was easy to talk with her and catch up on everything she’s missed. The odd thing is, MC has a nigging feeling that she is going to miss her new life more. Even though it’s only been such a short time.

When they finally arrive back in her hometown, she grins at all the memorable spots from her highschool years as they pass by. She can’t wait to get home and hug her dad, to visit her friends and see her dog. She has missed them all greatly. For the first time since finals, she almost forgets the other pieces of her life that must now wait until she returns to Hartfeld.

Her dad comes outside when he sees them arrive, scooping MC up into a tight hug as he spins her around. He has hugged her the same way since she was a toddler, and she loves it. “So, how’s college life? Ready to get your masters?” He jokes as he removes her suitcase from the rear of her mother’s SUV.

She laughs at him as they walk towards the house. “Oh, you know it. Next I’ll be getting my doctorate and teaching before you know it.”

MC has missed this. The goofy banter that only she and her father shared. Her mother just didn’t get it. While she was sweet and caring, she was often too serious and became awkward when she tried to joke with them. It is cute though, but usually ends in failure.

When they enter the house her best friend runs to greet her, whistling and jumping up on her, dying to be acknowledged. She crouches down and hugs her border collie mix, Max. The excitement dripping off of him as he flounces around her feet.

“Hey buddy. I missed yooooou.” She pulls him into a big hug, making him actually smile through his hysterical panting.

She tells her parents she’s going to take her stuff to her room and maybe take a quick nap, the day finally catching up with her. She enters her room, followed closely by Max, and notes the time. She begins to wonder how far Chris has made it so far, hoping he was over halfway there at least.

MC barely gets her shoes off after sitting on the edge of her bed before her phone rings. She picks it up and sees that it’s a FaceTime call, from Chris. She simultaneously feels butterflies in her stomach but also frowns, knowing that he’s not even close to being home and here he was calling. Part of her begins to worry as she slides the phone to answer the call.

~Chris~

He stares at his phone, eagerly waiting for MC to pick up. When she does he can see her face and can’t help but grin. He was expecting this. This exact expression. Her face was a mixture of emotions, ranging from happy to anxious to angry.

“Hey.” He flashes her a big grin.

Her face scrunches up more. “You promised.”

Chris laughs and nods. “That I did… and I did not break it.”

He receives a look of disbelief so he turns his phone around showing her that he was parked on the side of a gas station. He even shows her his keys in his lap, not in the dash. When he spins the phone back to face him, he finds her expression much more relaxed, even smiling at him.

“Better now?” He raises his eyebrow at her and she nods.

“Yes, thank you. But what are you doing…” She trails off as she looks at him curiously.

“I started to feel tired, so I stopped for a break. I pulled in here and got some coffee…” He notices her smile grow because he kept another promise, “…and I knew you would probably be home, so I wanted to call and make sure you made it down okay.”

He clears his throat before continuing, “And… I wanted to see your face.”

Chris receives a blushing smile in response, making him feel good throughout. They chat for a while as he drinks his coffee. He happily listens as she tells him about her drive home with her mom and how goofy her dad had been when she arrived. She suddenly gets excited and spins her phone to show him Max, telling Chris that her four legged friend was the love of her life.

Chris laughs and lets out a big sigh as she turns the phone back to face her. “Well, I guess I should drop out of the race now, huh?” She instantly blushes on the other side of the call, obviously realizing what he was implying.

They chat for a few more minutes while he consumes the last of his caffeine, finally feeling it begin to surge throughout his body. She doesn’t let him stall very long though, knowing the daylight is creeping further and further away as he sits in his Jeep. He chuckles at her persistent worry about his safety, while something inside him loves knowing that she’s so concerned about him.

“Alright, alright. I’ll get going… I’ll let you know when I get home, okay?” He flashes her one last smile as she nods and they say their goodbyes.

~MC~

A few hours later, after dinner with her parents, MC finds herself back in her room, laying on her bed flipping through her phone. She sends out a few texts to her friends from Hartfeld, making sure everyone has made it home safely. She even chats through text with Zack for a while, making her miss him even more as the minutes pass. She jokes with Kaitlyn about holiday traditions in Texas, telling her that she expects pictures of anything extravagant she runs across.

MC makes Abbie and Tyler promise to take cute pictures together and send some to her, as they made last minute plans to meetup after the holidays since they live so close. She wishes James a Merry Christmas, and asks him to say hi to his parents for her. Even though they had an odd introduction, things we’re starting to calm down between James and his parents. MC wants them to know she really does care about their son. They are friends after all.

She did think about visiting with her high school friends tonight, but she is beyond tired. MC also knows what time she need to wake up in the morning if she was going to actually help her uncle at his store. That was her part time job for the break, helping her uncle keep his bookstore tidy, stocking shelves, updating inventory and checking out the occasional customer. She will never complain about this job. Not with her love of books, that and this particular uncle being her absolute favorite.

MC knows she’s not supposed to have a favorite in the family, but everyone does it - they just don’t admit it. Well, he was hers. Her uncle Mike is her mother’s younger brother. He and MC always had a connection, partially through their love of literature, but also because of their ridiculous interactions. They basically communicate with each other through pure sarcasm, and she loves it.

She scrolls absentmindedly through her Facebook feed, suddenly jerking into the presence as the screen of her phone lights up with an incoming SnapChat image of his Jeep parked in front of an adorable house. She could barely see it, the only light in the image from a soft porchlight. The caption reads ‘I’m home! Can you talk?’

MC smiles and sends him a Snap in return, showing her cute fuzzy sock covered feet with Max asleep right next to them. ‘Sure - just hanging with Max.’

A millisecond later her phone rings and she answers the call. “Hey, you.” She can’t help but smile, instantly feeling relieved to finally know he made it home safe.

“Hey, MC. Sorry I didn’t call sooner… I was attacked when I came through the door.” She can tell that he’s tired, but happy as there’s some humor in his words. Chris lets out a soft chuckle, his voice remaining low as he tells her how excited his younger brother and sister were to see him again. How he felt more excitement from seeing them than from any of his games at Hartfeld.

“I didn’t realize how badly I missed them…” His voice tapers off leaving only silence on the line.

MC sighs. “I know. Me too. It’s an odd feeling… like I’m split between two worlds now.”

“Exactly. I guess this is part of it.” He laughs quietly. “Adulting, right?”

“Yeah. Something like that.” She smiles into the phone, enjoying hearing his voice again. “I’m glad you made it home okay…”

She swears she can hear him grin. “I told you I would. You worry too much.”

“Never.” She can hear him laugh softly again, making her heart flutter.

Chris yawns into the phone. “Oh man, I’m beat. I have to get up tomorrow and help my highschool coach with some stuff. He wants someone to condition his new players over break. He seems to think I’m going to whip them into shape or something.”

“Of course you can. You’re Hartfeld’s star quarterback, Chris Powell. If anyone can, it’s you.” MC smiles into the phone.

“Ha, yeah. That’s it. Either way, it’s football and it pays. Win/win I suppose.” He yawns again. “I really want to talk to you more, but I need to get some sleep.”

She smirks. “Oh, what’s this? You’re actually tired now?”

“Yeah, yeah. You were right, okay? I’m exhausted.” She can tell he put her on speakerphone by the change in audio.

MC sees a notification pop up on her screen and puts him on speakerphone to open the text. When she does, she is pleasantly rewarded with a picture of a grinning Chris taking a selfie, his body sprawled across the bed. He’s shirtless with minimum covers across his waist. One arm folded behind his head, his expression clear proof of just how worn out he really is.

She stares at it for almost a solid minute, not saying a word as she bites her lip. His chest and abs look just as solid as she remembers. She runs her finger across the image, silently wishing she was there and able to do it in person.

“MC?” She hears his concerned question, confused from the silence.

“Uhh, sorry.” She laughs. “You distracted me.”

“Oh, really… I’ll remember that.” He lets out a soft laugh as she shifts on her bed to take her own selfie.

Curling onto her side, MC clutches a stuffed dog to her chest. She leaves her hair as it falls across her face, the blonde strands partially covering her eyes as she peeks through, looking into the camera with a cute smirk. She’s wearing only a tanktop and it fits her perfectly, the dark color contrasting dramatically against her fair skin. She studies the pic for a moment before she decides it’s acceptable, and sends it to Chris.

She only has to wait a moment to know he’s received it. “Well, damn. That’s cute.”

MC grins and climbs under the covers and turns off her light. “Goodnight, Chris.”

She swears she hears a slight groan before he replies. “Goodnight, beautiful.”

MC feels her heart jump at his words as the call ends. She smiles to herself and brings up the picture he sent back up on her phone, eager to look at it again. He really is tired, she can tell from his face in the picture. But his expression is almost…blissful, at the same time. She’s thrilled for him, happy knowing that he’s going to be able to spend time with his family over the next few weeks. She knows how much he has missed them. She smiles as she sets her alarm and rolls over to find her wonderful friend Sleep.

~Chris~

Chris turns off his bedside lamp and stretches out on his bed. His first thoughts are about how much better his bed is than the one at Hartfeld. He easily fits on this bed, the one at school, not so much. If he stretches out to his full length on his dorm bed, his feet usually go off the edge a little. He suddenly remembers the text she sent and flips his phone back over, opening the picture.

He studies the image for a while, his eyes growing heavier by the minute. Her expression is playful yet relaxed, while her hair is messy in just the right way as it covers her face. He can see most of her lips, and the smirk they are making. Chris realizes that her smirk, the one in the picture right now, is one of his favorite things in the entire world. He’s pretty sure she saves it for him too, which makes it even better.

His eyes trail lower on the image, down her arms, across her ribs, stopping to appreciate the curves of her chest partially hidden behind her stuffed dog. Her exposed hip is lower down in the picture, framed in by the top edge of her underwear, the photo stopping there. He can’t help but wish it was a wider picture.

Chris feels his lower abdomen flutter with desire as he continues to look at her picture. Knowing he needs sleep, he sighs and turns off his phone. He’s aware that he’s too tired to give in to the idea tonight, but he has a feeling he might spend some time with that picture tomorrow morning before jumping into the shower. He raises his right arm and drapes it over his eyes, willing the building desire to dissipate quickly so he can get some rest.

~MC~

MC wakes to her alarm going off next to her on the bedside table. She groans and flips over, slapping at the offensive device until it ceases its horrific noise. It’s 8 a.m., giving her two hours to get up, get ready and feed herself before she heads to her uncle’s bookstore. That’s one of the things she loves about bookstores, especially in this town. They tend open and stay open later than other stores. It’s perfect for someone like her who loves to stay up late, when it’s quiet and dark, reading into the early morning hours.

She sits up and reaches for her phone, causing the screen to light up with her movements. That’s when she sees it.

“Good Morning, beautiful.” The caption is across an image of a rising sun on the coast of Maine. She smiles as she studies the range of colors and life in the picture.

She quickly saves the SnapChat image and takes one of her window, the sun now slightly higher than it was in his. She adds a quick caption before she sends it. “You talking to me, or the sun?”

The next image she receives is of his smirking profile looking over an empty football field. She assumes it’s his high school, that he’s probably meeting his old coach to come up with some type of plan for his break. The caption reads, “Aren’t they the same?”

She quickly saves the image again, her face turning hot from his flirtatious behavior. “You’re a flirt. You know that, right?” She adds the text across a picture of her face, firmly pressed into he pillow to hide her red cheeks.

It only takes seconds to receive his response. This time it’s a short three second video of his face, and a slow growing smirk. He included a caption again, “Only with you.”

She can’t stop herself from capturing the image again, saving it for review at a later time. Feeling the butterflies in her stomach she takes a deep breath and jumps out of bed, getting ready for her day.

The hours pass quickly, her work flying by as she reconnects with her uncle while they spend time at the store. She tells him about her first quarter at Hartefeld, and he tells her about her younger cousins, his children, and all the trouble they have been upto since she left. Before she knows it, the afternoon has come and gone prompting him to tell her to go home. His part time worker usually closes the shop for him anyway since it was typically quiet as the night deepened. Having someone else there also let him spend quality time with his family in the evenings.

She waves goodbye to him, promising to visit her aunt and cousins soon. She realizes that it’s Saturday night, so the store will be closed Sunday. They decided that she would work 3 to 4 days each week to help him out, other than Christmas of course. She pulls out her phone and sends a few texts to her highschool friends, knowing everyone is in town for the holidays.

It doesn’t take long for them to formulate a plan, similar to the old days. They meet up at her friend Gina’s house, still having the biggest basement for everyone to hang out in. Just about everyone from ‘The Group’ as they called themselves, was able to come over and chill. She smiles as she catches up with everyone, noticing how some of her friends appear to have changed a lot, while others not at all. She is glad that her closest friends still feel the same, making it easy for them to fall back into familiar habits and conversations.

Gina was probably her best friend from high school. They had hit it off from the first day she arrived, the shorter girl graciously befriending the new kid that was MC. Gina is like a sister to MC, the only one she’s ever had. Her other friend Brittany is just about as close. MC calls her ‘B’ for short, a nickname of sorts that she had received from a previous boyfriend. It fit her, even when he didn’t anymore, so she kept it, letting only a select few actually address her in such a way.

There were probably 12 to 15 old friends hanging out in the familiar basement that night. All of whom MC knows well, some in a personal way. She looks across the room randomly while laughing at something B had just said, causing her eyes fall on Peter. He was one of the someones who was very familiar to her. She gives him a friendly smile and a small wave, hoping it won’t become any more awkward than it currently is.

She hasn’t seen or heard from him since the day he left for his freshman year at college, the year she was a junior as he was a year older. They dated in high school, but MC had always felt that something was missing, even back then. Sure, he was in great physical shape, his time playing football and hockey helped him accomplish that. He was nice, always there to help her when she needed it, and still be there even if she didn’t. He was smart and charismatic too, becoming the class vice president his senior year at Butler High.

None of that mattered though. She knew back then that they weren’t right for each other. MC really wanted him to be, but it never felt right. He didn’t do anything wrong, in fact he just about did everything right. But it never gave her a feeling of completion.

She knows now what that means, what that actually feels like. She didn’t realize what she was missing then… the way she feels when she’s around Chris, the way he makes her feel with his words and his touch. He not only provides the missing pieces, but also creates an entirely new feeling of support around her.

MC shakes her head, trying to escape from her deep thoughts. She inwardly scolds herself as she remembers that Chris isn’t hers to claim. They have only shared a few kisses at this point. Well, there have been more than kisses a few times, but there were no labels. There had been no discussions or spoken dreams of what could be between them.

She takes a deep breath, reminding herself that he had only come back to her just a week or so prior to today. She wants to trust him, to run blindly into his arms and know she can stay there safely forever. But there’s still a nagging feeling that won’t seem to leave her alone. She pulls out her phone and contemplates contacting Chris. She has yet to talk to him today. No communication since their morning snaps.

MC finally decides to snap him a quick pic of all of her friends across the basement floor. She adds a quick caption, “Reconnecting with friends. You?”

She tucks her phone into her back pocket and rejoins the conversation between Gina and B, laughing at their crazy stories from college.

Only about a minute passes before she feels her phone vibrate from a responding snap. When she unlocks her phone she lets out a small laugh at what she sees.

His image is very similar, except it looks like he’s at some sort of pub or restaurant, “Same. Wanna meet my brothers?”

She almost instantly receives another snap, this time with two handsome looking guys in it. She can tell they are the same age, so when he said brothers he must mean his friends, possibly old teammates as she sees their muscular arms and necks peaking out of their clothes. They both grin for the picture, one giving a thumbs up while the other flashes her a wink, “FaceTime me if you want?” The caption reads.

She grins and steps away from her friends, getting a little bit of distance so she can hear when the call connects.

It doesn’t take long for Chris to accept the call, his appealing athletic profile filling up her screen. “Hey, MC.” He says her name warmly, happily, making her melt a little inside.

“Hey, stranger.” She can’t help but return the smile, her cheeks hurting from the pull.

“I want you to meet my brothers from another mother.” Chris turns his phone around, away from him and across the table, so the same two faces from the earlier snap come into view.

She waves at them as they grin and say hi back. She can still hear Chris as he introduces them, his slight accent sounding just a little more pronounced as his hand appears in the screen, pointing to each friend in turn.

“This guy over here, the one with the mess of black hair, this is Ryan. He was my Running Back. The other one…” His hand shifts to the right, “…this Weasley throwback over here…” She hears both Chris and Ryan laugh hard as his redheaded friend shoots him a narrow glare past the phone. “…this guy, this is Ethan. He was my Fullback, my savior.” Chris reaches over the table and ruffles his friends hair, receiving an even deeper glare.

“I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for these two crazy assholes.” The pair flashes her big grins as they playfully shoulder check each other.

Ethan reaches over and grabs the phone from Chris, pulling MC’s perspective closer to him as Ryan leans into view. She finds a quiet room to talk in off the main basement room, gaining some privacy to properly meet Chris’s friends. The three of them chat for a few minutes, getting to know each other on a basic level, not really able to do much else in the current scenario.

Occasionally they flip the camera view back towards Chris, without his knowledge, so she can see the faces he makes as they tell her a multitude of things about him. She sees the embarrassment creep across his face a few times as they tell particularly amusing stories from their high school years. Ryan clears his throat after a few minutes of this, interrupting another story Ethan can’t resist sharing. He interrupts and pulls the phone towards himself, making MC smile with his overly exaggerated serious expression.

He quickly winks at her before Chris can see and turns the camera view on the quarterback, again without his knowledge. “You know, this guy hasn’t stopped talking about you since he got here.”

MC stares at the phone, her breath catching in her throat as she watches Chris. The muscular man on her screen shifts uncomfortably in his seat, his eyes going wide as he leans forward, silently threatening Ryan to shut his mouth. She quickly covers her own to smother a giggle while Ryan flips the camera back to himself as he bites his tongue, trying not to break character.

“I mean, seriously… can you quit stalking him? We’re trying to catch up with our friend here. I can’t believe he’s only been at college for one quarter and already has a groupie…” Ryan lays it on thick before he flips the camera view again, focusing on Chris.

MC bites her bottom lip while time slows down as she watches Chris’s reaction. His face turns dark, his blue eyes crackling as his brows slam together while he frowns deeply. She can see his hands clench into tight fists, turning his knuckles white. In a flash he lunges at the phone, or more specifically, the person behind holding his phone.

She gasps as the screen on her phone jerks around, giving her a view of the ceiling while a few elbows and other body parts come in and out of view. She can hear a lot of commotion as the phone gets knocked around on the table. She’s also pretty sure she hears Chris growl out a few ugly statements sprinkled with curse words. All of a sudden her view rights itself, giving her a much better perspective of the scuffle.

Ethan begins to speak to her then, “So, Ryan’s lucky he’s not getting his asked kicked right now…” He laughs as he turns the phone towards Chris and Ryan, now standing about ten or so feet from the table.

Chris has his hands tightly twisted into the fabric of Ryan’s unbuttoned flannel near his collarbone. His face is frozen in an even glare as Ryan’s hands grip Chris’s slightly taller shoulders with force, his mouth moving rapidly as he explains himself. MC notices that Ryan is also built nicely, but not quite as tall or thick as Chris.

She chews on her lip as she watches the tension slowly leave them both. Chris lets go of Ryan completely, turning sideways as if he was going to walk away. His dark haired friend quickly pulls him into a side hug, throwing his arm around Chris’s shoulders and leans in close, saying something that she still cannot hear. Whatever it was, it finally puts a smile from Chris’s lips as he looks down. His expression returns to a normal, sweet bashful smile.

MC lets out a sigh of relief while simultaneously hearing Ethan chuckle. “He’ll never learn…” He mumbles with a hint of humor.

Ryan pats Chris on the back and starts to walk towards their table. Chris is about to do the same when a beautiful brunette steps into view. Her long dark hair is made up of big loose curls landing midway down her back. She reaches over and places her hand on his shoulder, causing him to stop and turn to see who it is.

MC swallows hard. She knows exactly who it is by the look that crosses Chris’s face. She watches while he slowly closes his eyes as his broad shoulders slump slightly. The brunette runs her hand from his shoulder farther up his neck, her fingers wrapping around the nape of his neck.

Ethan quickly turns the camera back to his face and plasters on a quick smile. MC easily assumes he’s hoping she didn’t see much. “Heeeey, so Chris’s said you have a dog… oh what was his name, uh, Mac… no wait, Max! I love dogs, what kind is he again?”

MC forces a smile for his sake as he tries so very hard to distract her. She instantly feels closer to him, her expression thanking him for the effort although futile. “He’s a border collie mix. The best dog in the world…”

Ethan glances to his right for a second, and MC hears a familiar voice again, the volume level increasing with each word as he moves closer. “…said NO. Now leave me alone.”

Ethan and Ryan lean in briefly to give her a quick wave as the phone is immediately pulled from their hands. Chris tilts it to face him slightly as he glances down, apparently walking as he does, his face void of much expression. He gives her a small apologetic smile as he goes, reaching to grab something before she hears a door creak open. She realizes that he has grabbed his jacket and is now outside as he juggles the phone to put it on.

He finally gets it zipped up and lets out a huge sigh before he straightens the phone in front of him, his eyes locking onto hers. “Hey…” He says in a somewhat tired tone, a small smile curling the corner of his lips.

“Hey, you. Everything okay?” She asks quietly.

Chris nods as he leans against the side of the building. “Yeah, sorry about that. I know better than to let Ryan get to me. We’ve always screwed around, so I should be used to it.” He flashes her a weak smile.

“He really does care about you though. I can tell.” She gives him a reassuring smile.

He nods again and lets out a short laugh. “Oh, I know. I wasn’t joking when I said I wouldn’t be where I am now without the two of them. I’m glad they were able to get out of Cherryfield like I did.” He lets out a quick puff of air, jostling his bangs as his voice goes very low. “Would hate to see them stuck here…”

She stays silent and watches him as his face goes through a kaleidoscope of emotions for a minute. She sees just about everything cross his features, from warm happiness to anger and gloom.

~Chris~

He notices her silence and looks up into the screen, into her digital hazel eyes, seeing her concern. “I’m alright, MC. It’s just been a long 24 hours. Everything is so different… yet still familiar. Just trying to process, I guess.”

MC stays quiet as he works through his thoughts for a moment. She must have sensed his struggle as he hits a roadblock in his mind.

She finally speaks. “And Nicole..?”

His eyes flash up to hers before he shakes his head with a smirk. “Ah, saw that did you…”

It wasn’t a question. He pushes off of the side of the building and she hears his keys jingle in his hand for a moment as he takes a few steps. She waits as he unlocks and climbs in his Jeep, turning it on to start the heat as he places the phone on his console directly in front of him.

He finally looks up and into her eyes, searching as he rubs his hands together to generate warmth. “So… how did you know it was her?”

“I could just tell.” Her voice turns into a whisper. “She still loves you…”

Chris frowns and looks at her with intensity. “What? There’s no way.” He pauses and shakes his head, clenching his eyes shut. “Wait, even if she does… I don’t care.” He almost looks angry as he speaks.

He sighs and looks at her pleadingly. “Why are you saying this? Did I scare you when I grabbed Ryan? We were just messing around–” His brow pinches together tightly with concern, his expression becoming more worried by the second so she quickly interrupts.

“No… no, I just. I saw the way you looked at her when she touched you, and–” Chris quickly holds his hand up, cutting her off this time.

“Stop. Please stop.” He takes a deep breath. “Whatever you saw, is nothing like what you think it was.”

He lets out a sigh. “I can assure you that I want nothing to do with her. Not anymore. Not for a while. I didn’t even see her come in tonight, otherwise I would have left.”

He looks at MC very seriously for a second. “I need you to believe me. I need you to know that I don’t care about her like that.”

“But–” She begins.

Chris cuts her off again, his voice more stern this time. “MC.” He waits for her to close her mouth and for him to speak again. “What I said up on the roof, the night of the dance…” He watches her eyes as she recalls that moment.

“I meant it. All of it.” He waits as he looks into her eyes, instantly wishing he was able to touch her. To pull her close and hold her tight, so he could prove to her what he was saying.

He quickly looks away and snorts a small laugh. “Ah, if only I was there… or you were here. None of this would have happened this way.”

“I’m sorry, Chris.” She smiles weakly at him.

He shakes his head rapidly. “No, you have no reason to be sorry, MC. This is my fault.”

“How about we agree it’s no one’s fault and pretend it ever happened. Except for the stories part… I really enjoyed that.” Her grin grows and he feels the anxiety leave his body with each calming breath. “I would love to meet them all one day.”

He grins at her. “I would like that.”

MC’s head turns as someone knocks on the doorframe of the room. Chris curiously watches as she says hey to someone and that she will be out in a little while. He takes a deep breath as a sad smile crosses his face.

She turns back to face him and apologizes for the interruption, but he shakes his head again. “It’s okay, MC. I’ve kept you from your friends long enough. They deserve some time with you. I’ll uh… I’ll talk to you tomorrow, if you want to?” He gives her a cautious smile.

“I’m expecting that, actually. Don’t let me down here, football star.” She gives him a daring look, begging him to stand her up.

“Heh, you got it.” He gives her a genuine smile, finally feeling more at ease. “Have a good night, beautiful.”

He sees her flush at the last word, making his chest swell momentarily, excited to see her react to his new nickname for her.

“Night, handsome. Stay safe.” She tosses back, her competitive side clearly not giving in as she gives him a cocky smirk, his smirk, before she ends the connection.

Chris lets out a large breath of air as he leans his seat back and closes his eyes, his mind instantly drifting to detailed thoughts about MC.

~MC~

MC takes a long deep breath as she closes her phone and puts it into her back pocket. She glances over at the closed door, wondering why Peter had been searching for her a few minutes before. She frowns a little as she gets up off the spare bed and straightens her shirt. Once she heads back out into the main basement space, she finds Gina and B again. The two were in a deep conversation about classes, completely oblivious to the world around them.

She smiles and keeps going, making rounds to say hi to everyone she has yet to reconnect with. They each reminisce in their own ways, some telling stories, while others share pictures from the past and occasionally the present

MC feels a warm grip on her wrist as she’s laughing at one of her friends jokes. She turns to see who it is, finding the touch somewhat familiar. Her eyes look from her wrist up to a pair of deep brown eyes. “Peter?”

He smiles warmly at her. “Hey, MC. Care to walk with me outside?”

She stands there for a moment, trying to figure out what he wants, seeing how they had not spoken to each other in quite some time. “Uh, sure.”

They set their cups down on one of the many table surfaces and grab their coats before heading outside. She turns her curious gaze to him after they take a few steps from the door. “What’s up?”

He shrugs as he looks over at her, his expression soft and attentive. “I donno. I guess I just wanted to talk to you. It’s been a while, yanno?”

She lets out a small laugh. “Yeah, but I thought that was the plan. We agreed that we should break up and move on. So we did.”

Peter shakes his head softly, a small sad smile crossing his lips. “Actually, that’s what you wanted. I never wanted that. Truth is, I’ve missed you, MC.” He turns his eyes to hers, waiting for her response.

She stares at him for a moment, trying to absorb his words. They continue like this for a while, making a loop into the dark snowy woods before they head back inside. When she doesn’t respond after a while, he continues.

“Would you want to go out sometime, while we’re home during break?” The college sophomore looks at her, his expression hopeful.

“Actually… I’m kinda seeing someone.” Even as she says it, MC questions her own words. Were they seeing each other? She and Chris have been hanging out like they were, but they have yet to talk about it. No labels have been assigned.

She instantly starts to wonder if Chris is going to see anyone while he’s home during break, her thoughts drifting to Nichole again. She immediately shuts them down though, remembering Chris’s words from just a few minutes ago. She believes he was serious when he told her that he didn’t care for Nichole anymore. That he meant what he had said before, up on the roof. She feels her rampant thoughts begin to cool and she starts to relax.

“Ah. That’s probably who you were talking to a moment ago…” Peter calmly states, his face turned down to his feet as he walks quietly beside her.

“Yeah… His name is Chris.” She decides to give very limited information, hoping to reduce the awkward tension that just appeared.

Peter turns to look at her as they step closer to the house. His eyes look deep into hers, his words more than sincere as he gives her a small smile. “He’s a lucky guy then.”

She can’t help but blush and look away. “Thanks, Peter.”

He gives her a sad final smile, obviously hoping they had a different outcome from their walk as he opens and holds the door for her to walk back inside.

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