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#'HI I LIVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD I LIKE YOUR VEGETABLES CAN YOU TEACH ME'
shegatsby · 8 months
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Hear me out — Reader saves Hannibal from some sort of “his ass was this -> <- far away from being caught by fbi & friends in the dumbest way possible” scenario. They don’t want his gratitude, money or gifts but instead worm their way into his office, home & kitchen — which we all know is his life. Disrespecting his desk by using it as a chair while he works, shuffling papers around, molesting his multitude of couches & books, re-arranging his coffee station, moving all the huge / weird and not nice to use cutlery to the bottoms of the holders. This plus other things that he doesn’t know if it’s slowly driving him insane or if he’s being brainwashed when he starts preferring their ways of organized chaos.
But then they also do less annoying things, like always walking around with only socks inside. Taking over a small section of his fridge / freezer. Tugging on his apron, jacket, sleeve - anything they can reach to get his attention. Pointing out the neighborhood cats that often sunbathe in his garden; with little recaps of some of their antics. Using non-metal cooking utensils in his pots and pans. Filling the bottom drawer of his desks with mini snack packs and tiny chocolates. Giving his patients or colleagues odd nicknames - usually to do with their actions or an item of clothing they were wearing when they accidentally met Reader. Playing videogames or reading on the top floor while he has patients & then making a short comment or 2 occasionally when they leave. Getting a very plush and huggable animal pillow and leaving it on his bed — the first few weeks it will get moved to the top of the dresser when he goes to bed, shooting it with untrusting side eyes. And then later it gets moved to the empty side. And every so often when he cooks Reader will sneak up on him & just hug him from behind, moving wherever with him and eventually letting go when they have energy for the world again or when their meal is ready.
Sorry this got so specific! You’re free to ignore any of it lol! I was thinking fem or GN reader. Reader also probably knows about his dietary quirks and isn’t that bothered - their own quirk is that they view vegetables as a luxury and will clear anything and everything he makes of the sort; while also making sure to leave some for their lunch the next day.
A/N; Hi! Sorry it took me a while to post, I was busy with work. Sorry for any typos, enjoy!
Warnings; None.
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When Hannibal Lecter looked at you from afar, his mind went back to the time where you changed his entire life. 3 years ago he was in Italy, teaching and enjoying his time. Well, maybe he was enjoying his time too much, because in his entire life this was the first time he almost got caught, one of the professors at the university he was teaching got too cocky and last thing he remembered was he was holding a blood dripping knife in his dominant hand, there was a knock on the door, -the professors wife- and you climbed through the window to save him. You were his assistant at the time, carrying his bag and papers, grading papers for him, you were following him almost everywhere. That night, you had a hunch, and you followed that hunch which led you to this scenario. The rest is history…
After 3 years so many things have changed, you started to live with him, he didn’t know if he wanted to kill you or not because you saw him killing, and you proved yourself to be useful so decided to keep you. Your rooms were separate, not even on the same floor, but whenever Hannibal was stressed you were always by his side, it was like a marriage but without the any complicated paper work. He liked to take you to his office sometimes, or dinners etc. Whenever someone would ask about you Hannibal’s first instinct was to protect you and tell people that you were his partner. You were protected.
At the moment he was watching you, you were watching a movie from your laptop (which Hannibal bought) covered in comfy blankets, sitting on your bed, you looked so calm and focused. He wondered what would’ve happened if he killed you that day..
‘’Is there a room for me?’’ he said, he was startled by his own question, sitting with a young person and watching a movie together wasn’t like him but over the years he found himself doing things he could not imagine before.
You looked up to meet his maroon gaze, your bedroom door was open and he was leaning on the door frame, his hair was a mess and rolled up sleeves showed his tense arms, you didn’t say anything just moved from the center of your bed. He approached with lazy steps, sat next to you, ‘’How was work?’’ you asked, ‘’Psycho was a handful as usual.’’
Hannibal had a patient and he was something else and you named him Mr. Psycho
‘’He asked about you.’’ Hannibal said as he got comfortable, ‘’What did you say?’’ that patient was asking about you a lot lately, maybe he was interested in you but whatever that was it made Hannibal irritated. You could tell by a glance, ‘’I said they are busy.’’ Even his tone was irritated. You could feel a smile forming in the corners of your mouth. No matter what you knew that Hannibal would do anything and everything to protect you.
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bl4cktourmaline · 4 months
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Hiii❤
Cna I req akito x mischievous fem reader oneshot where reader teaches akito how to make pancakes, and she starts a flour fight and also smears syrup/fruit sauce on his face when theyre adding it? Ty <3
(๑ↀᆺↀ๑) — shinonome akito
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✿ — ♬ ⌨️ᶻᶻᶻ : yue is typing... ✉!
✿ — ↻ SYNOPSIS : You, his precious girlfriend decided to help him out for the upcoming school festival by teaching him how to make fluffy pancakes...but during the pancakes making, a war broke out?!
✿ — ♯ GENRE : fluff, goofy kids just being kids as ever and female reader.
✿ — ↠ NOTE : hii hii stella! Sorry it's took me a while, I have to ask for help with how to make pancakes and all because I generally don't know tbh so hopefully it's still live up to your request! I love goofy kids, they are so wholesome<;33
✿ — ♪ REMINDER : reblogs & likes are appreciated, in doing so will motivate us to continue delivering stories to you, thank you for all of your supports ~ !
✿ — ♭ ⁿᵒʷ ᶜᵃˡˡⁱⁿᵍ... : @msith
✿ — ► ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ : In The Kitchen, There is War
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The sun shines brightly across the clear blue skies, the soft chirping of the bird's song echoes throughout the neighborhood.
The patter of bare feet slapped across the kitchen floor, running around hastily as a young girl start opening many...and many cabinets, looking for something hidden inside.
"Ugh, now where the heck is that flour...I could have sworn it was here..." Letting out a grunt, moving on to the next cabinet "Ah!"
Inside the wooden space lay a small sack, seemingly untouched "Found it!" You hummed happily, reaching inside to grab the sack of flour
Closing the cabinet behind and went to grab the baking powder in one of the kitchen shelves, "Aki, can you get the butter from the refrigerator? Make sure it's the unsalted butter!"
"Sure" Grabbing the butter from the refrigerator as he turn his head towards the girl rushing around the kitchen counter, carrying some ingredients in her arms "is that all?
"Yeah, and oh! Don't forget to wear your apron" You said while placing the ingredients down on the counter "You can borrow my dad's apron, it's on the hanger next to the oven on your right"
"Alright" Akito noted.
"Okay, I think we got everything, right?" Standing in front of the kitchen counter before you are various ingredients such as flour, sugar, milk, baking powder, unsalted butter and vegetable oil.
You cheered "Now we can start the cooking!"
"Why do I have to do this?"
"Oh come on, you know it's for our school festival, it's not that bad"
"And how do you expect me to trust that you wouldn't do anything stupid?"
"Hey! I can be nice once in a while too"
"... almost never" He smirks.
"I can't believe you!" You whined, puffing your cheeks up "Just trust me this once please?"
He stare before sigh in defeat "... Alright"
-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈ Some time later...
"They actually do look good" Akito smiles proudly at the sight of a very fluffy pancakes sitting nicely on the white plate, looking very delicious to devour "We are missing the syrup, where did you put them anyways-"
He paused himself when he felt the weight of powdery all over his hair. Akito reeled back, surprised and stared at the culprit in question: you
You only narrowed your eyes, grinning "Oops?"
Oh, it's on.
Before you could act, Akito grabbed his own handful of the white powdery and start throwing them at the girl, letting out a squeak in surprised when it's successfully hitting her cheek, covering her face in white which he laugh "Oh hello, miss clown, lovely weather today?"
"Oh, why indeed, it's a nice sunny day outside, isn't it mister popsicle, lovely hair you have right there by the way!" You looked at him with a playful smile before taking more flour and tossing it at the male.
"You ask for it!" He hide behind the counter for cover and plan his next attack.
...and the next few minutes, the room is filled with laughter and running with the floor and counter being covered by a large amount of flour. So white that they can see their own footprints tracing behind them as they continue playing their cat and mice game.
“Okay, okay you win!” You raise up your hands, surrendering.
"Are you sure?" He stood up from his hiding spot, walking towards you cautiously.
He was so focused on your face that he didn't notice the sweet and thick liquid on the tip of your fingers. Good.
"Yeah, you can see I don't have anything on me right?"
"Hmmm..."
When he was close enough, you took the opportunity to smears the syrups on his nose and cheek which he stagger backwards in surprised "Wha-"
"Hehe, aren't you a sweet one?"
"Why you little minx, get over here!!"
"Nah uh!" You squealed as another heap of flour hit the back of your dress, trying to make your escape but you were easily cornered with his arms around your waist and...
"Noooo!! Stop!!!"
You start laughing uncontrollably as he started tickling your sides up and down "Okay, okay, okay I surrender!! Just please stop hahaha!!"
“Promise?” He asked, narrowing his eyes at her.
“Yeah, Promise so please!!”
"Alright" He remove his hands slowly as you take a few moments to breathe.
The whole kitchen is a complete mess as if a tornado just come in and ruin the place. The poor pancakes are probably cold by now...
"This is going to be a pain to going home like this, I hope you know that"
"Aww, don't say that, you were so into the fight too, you can't lie to me!"
"Shut up before I kiss you"
-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈ Aftermath...
"(name), we're home! What do you want to eat for dinner to-WHY IS MY KITCHEN A MESS?" The older man was staring in disbelief at the white powdery covering the room as his daughter was awkwardly standing there.
"Oh hey, mom dad...I can explain..." You mumbled under your breath. Uh oh.
Akito bow his head "I'm so sorry miss and mister (surname), I did tried to stop her from playing around with the flour"
"Oh dear..." Your mom sighs, disappointed.
"(name), you're going to help me and clean this up" Your dad said, rolling his sleeves up.
"WHAT? Mom Dad! He is lyingggg, he was playing around too!!"
"Now now, don't bully your own boyfriend now"
"I'M NOT"
...thus the loud chattering within the (surname) household into the night.
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moonlight-at-dawn · 5 years
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Anyone here got any experience or beloved resources on growing vegetables and maybe berries? I think I’ve got the basics but there could always be little tips or things that get forgotten in the bigger picture that I missed, so I always like to ask people directly if they’ve got experience, if there’s anything that I should be on the lookout for :D
Details:
-When it comes to construction of it, I’m definitely enlisting my husband, but I’d *like* to be able to manage it primarily on my own after that. Noting that I’m disabled with chronic pain but exactly what can and can’t move can vary greatly because of the nature of my pain. I already know that gardening is kind of a physical pursuit, so if there are tips on gear to reduce impact, I think that may be what I can best ask for :D
-When I say “construction” I mean that I definitely intend to make raised beds. The ground is too heavily packed and there’s lots of rocks cause we’re kinda in the side of a mountain. My understanding is they should be 12 inches deep for best use.
-I think zucchini would be a great start since those things are supposed to grow like crazy and they’re fucking delicious and versatile as fuck so hell yeah zucchini
-We have rabbits, blackbirds, sterlings jays, robins, hummingbirds, mourning doves, neighborhood outdoor cats, and there’s one raven i’ve started seeing just the past 2 months or so. Who do I watch out for!? Is the rabbit a non-issue with raised beds? Are there flowers I could/should plant among the vegetables to prevent these guys from mucking about with them? I have no idea what kind of insect pests I have to worry about with vegetables. I know we have a fuckload of boxelder bugs
-Sub-alpine, US pacific northwest. My backyard only gets truly direct sunlight from about 7am to 11am. After that the sun is in front of the house, and comes in at more of an angle. It’s fully shaded after about 4pm. (Going by about this time of year’s standards). The sun might be one of my greatest concerns, but I think the light will be good enough, if I build further back in the yard instead of closer to the house. That will allow the light to last on it longer before the house fully blocks the sun from the yard.
-Ordering seeds? !! I assume the answer will be a pretty emphatic “yes” but I think it’s still worth it to ask- Should I order seeds even as a beginner? Perhaps especially as one?
-I know we’re already getting late into the year am I too late for something like zucchini though??? Okay, this one I actually just have to look up, I just realized I forgot to research planting and growth times, I was busy looking at garden construction foremost. But I’m gonna leave this here ‘cause this... this is where I’m at with it I guess XDDD
-How big of a garden should I start with!? I was kinda thinking maybe a 4′x2′? Is that gonna turn out to be *huge* or would that be good? Hmmm....
-Garden beds!! Favored construction materials? Concrete blocks? Wood? Untreated wood, right? Might be more maintenance but is way better for soil health, right? If I’m gonna eat this food, I’d like not to put weird wood preserving chemicals into it, rightright??
#misha rambles#gardening#i would definitely love to expand the garden to have things like kitchen herbs and some other stuff too#when i say 'berries' i assume blue- and straw- because those're what i know grows in this climate#uhh with the wood i did glance at a thing that said 'untreated is better for edibles' so i assume that my train of thought on that is accur#ate but i'm just making a loose guess not a particularly well educated one#i think my lot is a quarter acre which would make my yard about half that?#i'm guessing idk i'm not looking at things and i could be off#i would say for space that i can easily and happily turn into garden space is abooouuuutttt#15' x 5'?#actually if i reappropriate the slanted back#since i'm already planning on building *raised planters* i can make use of the slant#then i could get even more space#OH YEAH#i've seen someone in my neighborhood grows pumpkin and corn!!!#........maybe i should get over myself and my anxiety and walk down there and be like#'HI I LIVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD I LIKE YOUR VEGETABLES CAN YOU TEACH ME'#lmao#...oh and i definitely missed several of the types of birds that hang out in our yard#cause there's more lol#i think one of them is called 'red tipped' or 'red winged' something#it's black with red spots on its wings#and at least one red tailed hawk calls the neighborhood part of its hunting territory#and there's little songbirds that i don't know the names of but like 3 different varieties of those i think#hopefully i'm not just mixing up the boys and girls and juvies tho lol
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anxious-allie-ren · 3 years
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Hey everyone! I’d like to introduce the new story I am writing! You can find it on both my AO3 and Wattpad. Both of which are linked in my bio. But I’ll also be posting the chapters here for you all. Be easy on me as I haven’t quite figured out how to post chapters on here and create a master list. That is something I will be working on. Alright, now in to the good stuff.
Erota
As the only daughter from a high society family, the pressure is on you to impress the ton and find a suitable match. You hope to find love, but your fate is decided for you. Your marriage is arranged to King Kylo of Chandrila. Pain and tough decisions are soon to follow.
This story is inspired by Bridgerton and regency era.
Hello everyone! I have been dreaming of writing this fic for a bit now and finally gathered the courage to do it! Like I said in the description, this story is heavily influenced by the regency era and the Netflix show Bridgerton. I've done my best to keep it accurate to both the era and the Star Wars world. I hope you enjoy!
The Ton.
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The season has finally arrived. You have officially joined the ton and are coming out into society. The debutantes of higher society are to be presented in court. This now includes you and your family.
You were the only child of the Duke of Selonia. A small territory southeast of Drall within the kingdom of Corellia. It's a quaint little area, nothing to brag about. It was cozy and calm. Many of the families had lived in the area for generations. Neighbors all knew each other. But despite its comfort and kindness it was lacking funds.
Since you had been able to remember, life was very simple. You helped in the gardens, the kitchens, and even with the laundry work. Your family took trips to town often, visiting with the people. Your mother loved to stop at the bakery and buy pastries to bring back to the estate. She told you stories from her childhood as bedtime stories. Coming from a common family and marrying into high society. Your parents married for love and not statues. Many scolded your father for marrying "below his station" but he let their words roll off his shoulders. He was attracted to your mother for her beauty, kindness, and capabilities. Your mother was no stranger to hard work, and she assured you weren't as well.
As you matured, you watched as your home aged as well. Bricks began to weather with time and vegetation started to take over. Farmers had less success each year and businesses were closing. The help your father was once so quick to provide had now dwindled into nothing. There was no help to give. The funding was nearly gone. After your mother's death, the strong and reliable man you had once called your father was gone. What replaced him was a shell of a man. He gave up on his duties as a duke and instead threw his time and money into bad habits. Gambling and drinking had become his crutch.
You lost your mother in your adolescence. Still a young girl so in need of a mother and her guidance. Her death left you confused and in desperate need of comfort. You tried to lean on your father. But in his own grief, he seemed to forget about you. Instead, you turned to your community. The maids and butlers became your family. They ensured your schooling would continue. The men even went as far as to teach you math and science. When you entered your teens, you attempted to take on the dukedom in secret. You went over all the documents and finances, trying to find a way to help your people and restore your estate. It was to no avail. Nothing could be done without your fathers signature. So you were left with no choice but to let it go. You focused on your studies and lessons with the maids. They helped bring you to maturity. Now, it was time to join society as an eligible woman.
Marriage has been heavy on your mind for many years now. The idea of meeting a man and marrying just for statues or titles didn't interest you. Neither of those things mattered to you. A marriage had become something with such a negative connotation. But love, now that was very different. You yearned for a true love match. You craved a deep connection unlike any you'd ever experienced. As a child, you'd developed small crushes on some of the neighborhood children. The butterflies and blushed looks were something you understood. But you'd never felt love before. You loved your family of course. You even loved your townspeople. But that was so different from what you hoped to find.
Becoming a debutante was not something you were looking forward to. Joining the ladies of high society was only asking for drama. But as the daughter of a Duke, it was your duty to join the ton and find a suitable husband. This had become increasingly important as your territory lost more and more money to your father's lifestyle. These thoughts scrambled around your mind as you got ready. You would be heading to the first ball of the season, your entrance into society, in moments. You were dressed in your nicest items. A deep red ball gown embroidered with golden florals along the bottom of the skirt and corset. Your hair was pinned back, allowing your face to stand out. Your maid, Jillian, was helping you put on your shoes as you looked at yourself in the mirror. Jillian had been with your family before your mother passed. She had watched you grow from a pained child to a strong young woman. She was with you every step of the way. Jillian became a motherly figure and your most trusted confidant.
Jillian pats your calf as she begins to stand, finished with clasping your heels. Her touch pulls you from your thoughts. You give her a polite smile and thank her, turning back to the mirror. Your anxiety is growing with each tick of the clock and in typical Jillian fashion, she can sense your discomfort. She comes to stand behind you, adjusting the pins in your hair.
"You know you're prepared for this. There's no need to sit and worry."
You meet her gaze in the mirror, her gentle blue eyes giving you a wave of comfort. You let out a sigh and play with your fingers.
"I felt prepared, but now that it's upon me, I'm not so sure. So much is at stake here, Jillian. The people of Selonia are relying on me to find someone who can help. What if I'm not up to standards?"
Jillian only chuckles at your words and places her hands on either of your shoulders.
"Standards? Now you're just being silly. You are a kind, intelligent, and strong young lady. Any suitor would be lucky to have you as his wife."
You turn to look at her, face scrunched in concentration.
"That's exactly the issue! It can't just be any suitor. They need to be able to fix dukedom and be the love I've been waiting for. What if that's unrealistic? How can I ever find someone to do both?"
Jillian places a comforting hand on your cheek, her thumb slowly stroking your cheekbone. She gives you a small smile before she speaks.
"Is that what you're so worried about? Dear, you're placing too much stress on yourself. Don't worry about the dukedom or Selonia. Go and find your love, everything else will fall in place."
You lean into her hand and smile, her words bringing you peace and a newfound sense of confidence. She pulls her hand away and turns towards your bedroom door. She calls back to you, "Now let's get you going! It's time."
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The carriage stopped in front of the King's summer estate. Many of the guests were already walking up the grand entrance and making their way inside. Your father hurried around and opened the door for you, holding his hand out and helping you down. Tonight he was doing his best to look and act presentable. You place your hand in his bent arm and let him lead you into the ball. Neither of you had spoken more than a few words to each other in years. You were surprised he even accompanied you tonight. His presence only made you nervous again. You weren't sure what his intent was by coming. Was he finally stepping back into his positions as father and Duke? Or was there some ulterior motive?
You found out quickly as he leaned in to speak to you, just as you were arriving at the entrance of the ballroom.
"I am expecting you to perform well tonight. I want to see gentlemen callers of high status calling on you tomorrow."
You look up at him and furrow your brows in confusion. So this is what he came for? To ensure you schmoozed with the highest titles with the most money? If so, he's going to be very disappointed.
"I'm here to find a reasonable suitor for myself, father. Not a suitor for you and Selonia."
He stops walking at your words, his head turning to look down at you. You can see his clenched jaw and anger in his eyes. His distaste for your words is written all over his face.
"Stop with your foolish girly fantasy of a love match. You're here to do as I say, and I'll be damned if you disobey me."
His words sting your heart. Your father had never spoken to you this way. When you were young, he was always so gentle and loving towards you. Now it seems you're just another pawn to be thrown around his chessboard as he pleased. You swallow the lump in your throat and move your gaze back down. Now was not the time to worry about this. You had more pressing matters.
You allowed your father to lead you to the entrance, stopping to allow the announcer to get your names. You took a deep breath as you prepared to face the ton. First impressions were everything, and you did not want to screw this up. The announcer clears his throat and stands at attention. Everyone in the room stops what they're doing to await the next debutante.
"Presented by her father, the Duke of Selonia, Miss Y/F/N."
You stare forward as your father leads you into the ballroom and towards the King and Queen of Corellia. You both stopped before them, your father unlinking your arms and bowing. You fall into a curtsy, bowing your head in respect. Your father stands back up and looks to the king. You stay still, awaiting the command to move. The king of Corellia rises from his throne and moves to stand in front of you. Everyone holds their breath, watching closely to see what unfolds. He places a gentle finger under your chin, raising your head to meet his gaze.
"Stand up for me, dear. You can relax."
You do as he says and stand quickly, giving him a polite smile as you return his intense eye contact. His finger never leaves your chin. He smiles back at you and begins to speak again.
"You are a true beauty, my dear. You know, they say the eyes are a window to the soul. I can see the love and strength living within yours. Hold onto that, they will be your biggest asset."
Your eyes widen at his words. You can't help the smile that spreads across your face.
"Thank you, your majesty."
With that, he removes his finger from your chin and climbs back to his throne. He turns his attention back to the room and declares, "Let the festivities continue."
Your father grabs ahold of your arm again and leads you away from the thrones. You can feel the crowd staring at you, but you can't find it in you to care. King Luke of Corellia spoke to you! Not only that, but he complimented you. This was a great honor bestowed on very few. You would take his advice to heart.
It seems your father had a different perspective. He leads you to a table with dance cards placed neatly in rows. You begin to search for your name as he smirks and begins talking.
"Compliments from the king will help greatly in gaining potential suitors. You'll be the most desired lady in the ton. Seems finding you a husband of high title will be easier than I thought."
You finish tying the card to your wrist and turn to look at the room. Your father continues to talk as you observe your surroundings. You look up at the elegant chandelier. It shines beautifully in the light, casting sparkles all over the room. You watch as they dance across the guests, creating an angelic and light atmosphere. A waiter comes by and offers you and your father glasses of champagne. You take a small sip and return your attention to the crowd. Many of the ladies are giving you glares or speaking with the eligible men in attendance. You take notice of their attire. Many have much more elegant gowns and jewels on. Their appearance shows how much they have to offer. Your feelings of inadequacy begin to creep back in. You don't even notice a man approaching.
Your gaze stops on a young man across the room. His dark brown curls and bright smile grabbed your attention. He was speaking to another man, seeming to be in deep conversation. His face was so expressive as he spoke, hands moving about to help prove whatever point he was trying to make. You couldn't help but be captivated by him. If there was anyone you were hoping to get a moment with this evening, it was him.
You snap from your thoughts as your father greets him and motions towards you. This man must have been reaching his thirties. Much older than any of the debutantes here. His bright ginger hair stands out like a sore thumb. He makes eye contact with you as your father talks. An uneasy feeling sweeps over you. For some reason, something about this man doesn't sit right with you.
"Y/N, I'd like you to meet the Earl of Drall, Lord Armitage Hux" your father says as he motions towards the man. Lord Hux takes your hand and raises it to his lips, kissing your knuckles. The contact makes you cringe internally. Your father looks at you expectantly and you quickly pull yourself together.
"Hello Lord Hux, it is so nice to meet you."
Your father smiles at both of you and claps a hand on Lord Hux's shoulder.
"Lord Hux here is a good friend of mine. I was hoping to introduce you both tonight."
The uneasy feeling now makes sense. Any friend of your fathers is likely a crook. Not at all the type of man you want to be speaking to. You nod politely, biting your tongue from speaking your mind freely. The men then turn away from you and begin a discussion of their own, leaving you out. You lift your glass of champagne back to your lips and turn your gaze back to the direction of the man you had spotted before.
Instead of finding the curly haired man again, you met eyes with someone else. Standing with his hands clasped behind his back was a raven haired man. He stood tall and broad, much larger than any other man in the room. His gaze pierced through you, making the hairs on the back of your neck stand. You wanted to approach him, but to do so would make you look indecent.
Your eye contact is cut off by Lord Hux coming in front of you. He holds out his arm to you in invitation.
"Would you do me the honor of a dance, Lady Y/N?"
You wanted nothing more than to say no and go speak to the mystery man. Or even go find the curly haired man from before. But you know you had no choice in the matter. To deny him would make you look bad to the ton. Plus, your father would never stand for it. So you placed your hand in his arm and nod.
"Of course, Lord Hux."
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I really hope you enjoyed this! Let me know what you think!
Love,
Allie
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shyrose57 · 3 years
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1: Exile is just Dream taking Tommy away for a week as vacation, he keeps boasting to Wilbur about how much they bonded (they actually did which makes Wilbur even angrier)
thus starting the tradition of everyone trying to one up each other.
Tommy: cool free stuff and a family
Also Shroud and Wilbur are winning (he won't admit it though)
2: Have we had Sam yet? how about making him a sort of drawf hybrid so we can another magical kingdom trying to adopt Tommy (he and Nikki made an alliance)
Nikki and Sam help him by making really fancy mashienery that helps Tommy keep up with the demand (Sam) and supplying him with material exclusive to their kingdom, accessories made from strange metals and shells made of crystals (niki)
3: I feel like we didn't have that much SBI until now, let me fox that </3
Phil met Tommy first when he wanted to visit and old fae friend in her boutique after he moved into town.
Tommy has to break the news to him.
ever since he and Phil meet up talk about them, phil doesn't notice anything strange since Tommy talks about celebrating customs exclusively to fae (Clementine just didn't care, Tommy was always her kid aswell and as such deserved to celebrate her culture aswell)
Next is Wilbur
He met Tommy because he was curious jealous about the boy his father was spending time with, talking proudly about the child and his talent in sewing.
he wanted to test that he knew he was being childish
So he commissioned the L'Manberg uniform to be made with the most hard to work with materials.
Wilbur: I need you make this uniform out of rebellion itself and courage!
Tommy, thinking he's being dramatic: we're out of stock, gotta supply the materials yourself or find another seamster for your Uniform
Wilbur, thinking he already won: sure
turns out fabric made from rebelliousness and courage really resonated with Tommy, the uniform was an absolute master piece.
it became tradition for Wilbur to try find something Tommy couldn't sew (he never succeeded), still he got one thing out of it
a little brother.
Afterwards is Techno
he had a little problem.
as a hybrid of a species living in a completely diffefent realm his needs and instincts manifested rather... interesting.
Don't get him wrong! He loved living with Phil and Will, they were his Family!
But he noticed with the heat of the nether gone and a distinct lack of gold... that he was quite short tempered, the voices of the dead that came at the natural cost of being a necromancer were not helping either.
So he figured clothing made from nether fire and gold might help.
So he took a heap of gold and the fabric and went to the seamster both Phil but especially Will swore on
It was more of a child than he thought, loud and boisterous. Annoying for his current predicament.
But he had to admit, the kid was skilled
calloused hand and confidence at all the right places (and then some)
after a few question and a short while he had sketched down a bunch of clothing exactly to his liking. Practical and yet elegant.
His favorite was a simple pair of black trousers with an white shirt. Embroidery made from fire and accessories of Gold gracefully threaded throughout. A one shoulder cape that was purely made from fire would be the mainsource of heat and a crown of gold for the voices.
It was perfect (so what if Tommy called him an extra bitch, he just had class alright?)
After a while of coming back and forth he noticed something, Tommy had absolutely no security.
He knew for a fact of all the valuable fabrics and gold the child had.
So what if he had given him an axe with several spirits bound to it? it was for protection!
Do you know how hard it is to find a seamster not burned by the fabric made of neitherfire, bested by rebellion and frightened by courage?
He could see why though, magic was always attraced to honesty and Tommy had plenty spare. He didn't need to fight the fabric, the fabric wanted to be molded by him.
A rare talent, so it was clear that he only agreed to the fencing lessons Tommy had asked for because the kid was a valuable investment...
they weren't bonding, not at all
4: Dream teaches Tommy Parcouring, he would lie if he said he didn't want Tommy to be one of the hunter in a manhunt, at the same time he would never want to hurt the child.
So he settled on getting the kid into shape so he can live past 500
it's alot of fun, they played a mortal version of manhunt called tag, it's the most fun dream had in a while with all the stressful diplomatics around.
5: Tubbo and Ranboo get together platonically after they find this child (apparently a woman they nicknamed Mother Nature gave him to them, he reckons she must be damn good gardner)
he hates it.
Don't get him wrong he's not jealous! He just misses his own family
So he wasn't upset when Tubbo and Ranboo moved next door. ("what happend to the previous Neighbours?" "Tubbo stop Smiling, it's creepy and you're stealing dreams brand")
And he wasn't sad at all when Phil asked if they could move in, something about their place burning down (they moved everything valuable into a house in a magical plane with kristen)
that all of that was just a plan made by sbi+beeduo to get him semi adopted would only be found out by him decades later. -🤡
1:
They went to a beach and ate cake, while Tubbo and Ranboo(Ranboo mostly) were left in charge of the shop.
Shroud's always gonna be number one, he is his child.
2:
Sam!! Sam and Niki friendship!!!
Ooh, maybe they also help make some decorations for the shop?? Crystal shells sound so pretty, and maybe Sam brings some magic lamps or something??
3:
Oh no, that's sad.
I do like the idea of Tommy celebrating fae holidays and stuff though! Hm, what kind of holidays and customs can we come up with though?
Phil: Where are you going?
Wilbur: To sow the seeds of failure.
*A month later*
Phil, knowingly: So what do you have there?
Wilbur, holding Tommy under an arm: A little brother.
Necromancer Techno!!! My beloved!!!
The magic of the fabric being somewhat sentient is such an amazing idea!! It just bends for Tommy, because it can. Because he nudges, but he does not force, and all of his work is made with compassion and focus. To be made anew by his hands, to become a creation greater, it is so eager.
And the Axe of Peace(?) hanging on the wall. Anyone with that connection sees spirits well at ease, happy to bob around and explore, until danger threatens.
Tommy never hears or sees anything, but he's noticed the windows have been open more recently, replacing the odd iron scent that's been lingering with something much more earthen and lighter.
4:
Fitness trainer Dream.
Next time he invites the other Manhunters to play tag too. It's a bit odd, not being able to go as far as they usually do, but it's also a good test in control, and it's nice to see both Dream and Tommy having so much fun.
5:
He asks if Tubbo could asks for some tips from her for him, and the next day wakes up to find his little garden patch overflowing with ripe herbs and vegetables.
6:
One by one, the neighborhood is slowly replaced by his clients. Dream and his team buy a house claiming to need a place to crash after Manhunts. Niki and Jack team up to buy a lakeside house that Sam ends up bunking in too whenever he stops by. Eret straight up has a manor built at the top of the hill.
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ikeromantic · 3 years
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A Mitsuhide Akechi fanfiction occurring at the midpoint of Ch. 9. Approx. 1800 words of angsty goodness.
First: Mitsuhide and the Maiden
Previous: Traitor
Mitsuhide’s days were long and the sleepless nights were longer. Though Yoshiaki depended on him to put together the details of this final strike against Nobunaga, the shogun did not trust him. There were eyes on him, always. And people listening. Nowhere was private. He dare not send any missives to his people in Kyoto lest he reveal them to Yoshiaki.
There was no room in this plot for even the slightest slip in his character. Traitor and villain, trickster kitsune. Of course, this meant there was no time to rest. Mitsuhide worked on his own to see this plot to its conclusion. His tired body protested, and his wounds pained him almost constantly. A choir of spilled blood, bruised flesh, and aching bones. But he had only to make it through one more day and night. Then all would be settled.
The knowledge lent Mitsuhide a sense of peace as he went about his work. Today he sat hidden in the shadows on a nearby building, watching the entrance to Honno-ji. The Oda would arrive soon, he knew. He had only to mark their presence and then it was back to Ashikaga to make the final plans. Mitsuhide allowed himself to rest back against the building, still and watchful. A lesser man might have fallen to sleep - and even one with the kitsune warlord’s will might be forgiven for closing his eyes during the wait. But he did not.
It did not take long for his attention to be rewarded. A small troop of men in plain clothing arrived first - clearly warriors - swords at their hip, their movements predatory. Those four were followed by three more. Two men, dressed as merchants. As if ever a merchant held his head so high or looked out at the world with such confidence. 
Nobunaga would never pass as a mere merchant, no matter his clothing, Mitsuhide thought. He could not let go the arrogance in his carnelian eyes. And the man beside him, though slouched as if he was old, could never be mistaken for other than a warlord. His amber-eyed gaze swept the courtyard, evaluating threats. His hand hovered near his hip as if ready to draw a sword that was not there.
“And this is why neither of you make good spies,” Mitsuhide chuckled to himself. One had to understand what could and couldn’t be changed about themselves to fit a role . . . that line of thought died in a gasp of surprise.
Mitsuhide’s hands went to his mouth, clamping down hard against lips that begged to call out to the last member of the Oda party. Her hair shone in the morning sunlight. Her clear-eyed gaze was bright, though today she wore no smile. He watched her lift a hand to tuck a strand of hair back into her bun. His eyes tracked her every movement, the rise and fall of her chest with each breath, the way her lashes brushed her cheeks with each blink. 
Her beauty was a physical hurt. She pulled him as a magnet does iron filings. All he could think was why - why was she here? His little mouse was supposed to be safe in Azuchi. How had Kyubei let this happen? Mitsuhide’s heart thumped against his ribs in sudden panic. He had to protect her but - his mission - hot emotions tangled his cold logic, threatening to burn his plans to ash. 
Somehow, he held himself still until his little one passed into Honno-ji with the Oda. Then he fled. The rational part of his mind told him he must report to Ashikaga. Surely the shogun was watching and new from other sources that Mitsuhide’s prediction was correct. Delay would bring suspicion. But his heart pulled him another way. He had to secure her safety. His little one. Beloved little mouse. He could not risk harm to her, not for this. Not for anything. 
Mitsuhide found an abandoned home in a nearby neighborhood. It was partially burned, but the courtyard was green and overgrown with flowers. There was a mossy stone bench in the lee of a collapsed wall. He sat there and put his head in his hands. 
His eyes felt hot and damp, but he refused to let them shed a single tear. He was the kitsune warlord, not some common love-drunk fool. There would be a way to keep her safe. He only needed to find it.
It took him several hours to plan out the various paths this could now take and to consider how best to prevent the turns that put his little one in danger. Then he set off into town to track down his contacts. It was time to take all risks, he thought. The time for caution had passed.
The sun was nearly set when he was done. There was little left that he could do, beyond returning to Yoshiaki. If the shogun had him followed, Mitsuhide was certain he could pass off his meetings and notes as part of his plot to take down Nobunaga. And if not, well. It wouldn’t matter after tonight.
He passed through the market on his way back to the Ashikaga estate, but his trek was interrupted. 
“Alright. I’ll be right here.” His little one’s voice, carrying over the marketplace chatter like distant bells. 
Mitsuhide’s eyes sought for her, his feet already moving toward the sound. And then he saw her. As beautiful as a goddess, she stood beside a shop watching the retreating form a monk. She held a cloth bag on one arm, the tops of vegetables sticking out from the top. 
Knowing her, she planned to cook for their little group tonight. Smart. The monks couldn’t be trusted - and even if they could, how easy it would be for a spy to slip some poison into the Oda dishes . . . he felt a little surge of pride. 
His little mouse leaned back against the building. She wore a tired smile. Mitsuhide knew he should continue on, but she was alone right now. It gave him the perfect opportunity to touch her kiss her hold her - no - to warn her. To get her to leave this place before she could be caught up in the violence Yoshiaki’s allies would rain down on the Oda forces.
He slipped around and into the alleyway. Quiet steps, unseen - then from the shadows, he reached for her. “You foolish little mouse -” Touching her skin was like handling fire. Warmth that threatened to consume him. 
Mitsuhide pulled her into a nearby storehouse, out of sight. “How clueless can you be,” he began. His emotions were threatening to get the better of him again. Anger with her for coming here, with himself for leaving her alone, regret, desire, grief, all churned in his heart. A bitter mix that still could not outweigh the sweetness he felt being near to her again. He inhaled her scent, and the feel of her skin beneath his fingers.
“I finally found you!” Her wide eyes were windows to her soul. A bright space so full of love that he might have had to look away, had she not thrown her arms around him and buried her face against his chest. “I missed you so much!”
His body hummed in response and for a breath, he wanted just this. To hold her. But he refused to give in. With every ounce of self control he could muster, Mitsuhide pushed her away. He met her gaze with all his feelings locked tight behind his traitor’s mask. “What do you think you’re doing in Kyoto?”
She smiled up at him. “I came after you.”
It took him a minute to respond. He had to swallow back all the words he wanted to say. Well, three of them anyhow. “. . . Did the Oda forces not reveal to you who I have sold my loyalty to?”
“Yeah, and I gotta say I don’t love your new boss.” Her light was undimmed by his dispassionate response.
He raised one perfect eyebrow. “Yet you followed me regardless?”
“Yes I did.” Her chin jutted out stubbornly, shoulders squared. “Probably for that same reason!”
Inside, Mitsuhide began to panic. This was not the conversation he should be having. She must be convinced to leave. He grunted. “Then it was my mistake trying to teach a mouse how to think. You’ve learned nothing, foolish creature.”
She shrugged. “I don’t care if I’m a foolish little mouse as long as I’m your foolish little mouse.” She poked a finger toward him to make her point, but he could see her eyes were wet with held tears. “And just like a mouse, n-not even the sight of a trap will s-stop me when I see what I want . . . Mitsuhide.”
The mask began to crack. “Did I not tell you to be good for me? Why? Why couldn’t you have - have just stayed behind?” His voice rasped painfully on the words, breath trembling. And then the dam broke. He pulled her to him, crushing his little one to his chest, arms wrapped around her. Holding her as a drowning man clung to a branch. 
All the words he wanted to say threatened to spill from his lips. An ocean of endearments and the promises of his heart. But a voice rescued him from this peril. The monk, calling from just outside. He pushed her away again, holding to her by the shoulders. “You must leave Kyoto. Now.” And then he let go, fleeing through the back door. 
Mitsuhide heard her call out to him, but he could not listen. Another word from her and his will might break. He’d come so close . . . so close to throwing it all away for her. Leave Nobunaga to his fate and let the world burn, if only he could hold her. Tell her the truths written across his heart. 
Only his ideals kept him moving away from his beloved little mouse. If she knew what she risked in pursuing him, she would not have come, he thought. His pure sweet girl could never accept the consequences of him abandoning this quest. The death and war and hardships that would follow allowing a man like Ashikaga to continue in his ambitions. 
With luck, she would heed his warning. But he knew her better than that. She would stay and see this through because she . . . she loved him. She loved him and she believed staying by his side was the right thing to do. No matter the danger to herself. 
They would both do what they believed was right. And so he could only do his best to see that she lived through tonight. Mitsuhide’s bloody path was laid out before him. There would be no turning away from it. Not for any of them.
Next: Loyalty
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tchallasbabymama · 3 years
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M’Baku’s Love- Chapter 10 (Finale)
Thanks for bearing with me on this journey, it’s been a good one. Here’s the last chapter, I hope y’all like it! Normally I would post on M’Baku Mondays, but I just couldn’t wait to share this ending with the like 5 people who read my stories. 
Don’t forget to check out my masterlist HERE to read my other stories. M’Baku fans, don’t fret, I have another M’Baku fic starting next week...well its an M’Baku x OC x T’Challa fic. That’s right, we’re going for a throuple. Check out the preview HERE. As always, let me know what y’all think and if you want to be tagged in any of my other stories.
CW: smut
Word count: 10,630
Monae fiddled with JJ’s collar as they stood on the tarmac waiting for the Talon to touch down. He loved seeing Uncle Challa’s “spaceship” and they regularly got to see him off and welcome him back. This time would be a little different though since he would be bringing M’Baku to meet his son for the first time. Monae’s nerves were shot and she vibrated with anticipation.
As the ship came into view a lump caught in Monae’s throat. She was about to see him again for the first time in years...he was about to meet their son. She could still barely process the fact that he was alive and almost needed to see it to believe it, but he was just a few moments away.
The Talon floated closer and closer to the ground and her palms grew sweaty when it finally made contact. 
JJ jumped up and down as the doors opened and he saw Okoye and Ayo exit the craft. He immediately went to go hug his aunties as he waited for his favorite uncle to come out. Pretty soon he emerged, alone, and JJ ran to him and jumped in his arms.
“Uncle Challa!”
“Igorila encinci, I’ve missed you! Are you being good for your mama?”
“Yes!” T’Challa raised an eyebrow and looked back to Monae who was steadily creeping closer. She nodded with a smile and T’Challa started tickling JJ, making him let loose the boisterous laugh he no doubt got from his father. 
Monae’s eyes travelled to the open door behind T’Challa and he noticed, giving her a soft smile. “He needs a minute.”
She nodded and looked down, twiddling her thumbs when JJ’s voice brought her out of her daze.
“Uncle Challa, who’s that?” he looked over the king’s shoulder and saw a large man hesitantly stepping through the Talon door and into the light. T’Challa set JJ down and turned to look at Monae, but her eyes were already raining tears down her face.
“That is my friend, M’Baku. Why don’t you say hi?”
M’Baku walked down the ramp and met the king on the ground, unable to take his eyes off the little boy in front of him. He looked just like a miniature version of him with a head full of locs. The pictures didn’t do him justice. 
JJ waved at the stranger and introduced himself, “Hi! I’m Jabari, but everyone calls me JJ. What’s your name?”
M’Baku’s eyes grew misty as his child smiled up at him. He cleared his throat and got down on one knee so he could be eye-level with JJ.
“My name is M’Baku, and I am-” he cut himself off, as he looked up and made eye contact with a crying Monae behind T’Challa. The king moved out of the way and gave the little family some privacy, joining his Dora near the car and trying not to be nosy and watch too intently. Monae took a step forward and that was all the permission he needed. He stood from the ground, and just as he did she threw her arms around him, crying into his chest. His head rested on top of hers as he cried and rocked her from side to side. 
“Mommy? What’s wrong?” M’Baku wiped Monae’s tears before she turned to their son and squatted down to his height.
“JJ, baby...remember how mommy told you your daddy died before you were born?”
He nodded his head silently with his brows furrowed.
“Well I was wrong...and Uncle Challa was nice enough to bring him here to us,” she looked to M’Baku and smiled, but he couldn’t take his eyes off his son. 
“You’re my dad?”
“Yes, you can call me ‘baba’ if you like.”
“Baba? What’s that mean?”
“It means ‘father’ in my language.”
“What language is that?”
“Xhosa.”
“Oh, like Umalume Challa.”
M’Baku smiled up at Monae, “He knows Xhosa?”
“T’Challa taught him some, he’s pretty good. He’s even teaching me a little bit.”
“Yeah, she’s a fast learner like me!”
“That’s right,” she tickled his sides and his infectious laughter rang out again, the most beautiful song M’Baku had ever heard. When he came down from his tickle high his eyes settled back on M’Baku.
“So if you weren’t dead where were you?”
“I do not know…”
“Baby, you remember the other day when people started appearing out of nowhere?” he nodded again, “That’s what happened to your baba.” 
He still didn’t really understand just what actually happened with those people, but knowing his baba had been one of them and wasn’t dead or just gone for no reason eased his mind. 
Both adults stood and Monae grabbed JJ’s hand as they walked back towards T’Challa, who was trying really hard to not seem like he was eavesdropping. JJ reached up and grabbed M’Baku’s hand and all the adults present struggled to keep their composure.
--------
 Every time the Wakandans came to town, they stopped by Monae’s house for dinner at least once, so the group split in two as they got in their cars to drive to Monae’s. Monae could hardly speak, so she was thankful that JJ was full of questions on the ride home.
“So do I have grandparents?”
“Yes, and my mama would love to meet you.”
“How is Ada?”
“Shaken up...she was also one of the Dusted.”
“The Dusted?” JJ asked.
“Yes, that is what we Jabari call the people who disappeared and reappeared.”
“I thought your name was M’Baku, not Jabari.”
M’Baku chuckled.
“It is, but I come from the Jabari people. In fact, I am the-”
Monae cleared her throat and subtly shook her head.
“-I am...excited for you to meet them.”
“What are they like?”
M’Baku and JJ went back and forth the entire ride home as Monae drove in a daze, her brain still trying to process being so close to M’Baku again. The drive only took about ten minutes and as they pulled up to the house M’Baku’s eyes scanned the neighborhood, taking it all in. He saw the colonizers walking their dogs by the old drunks outside the corner store, and he noticed the expensive cookie cutter townhouses right next to the smaller, old homes that had been there for decades. This was definitely not the Nashville Monae had told him about.
M’Baku couldn't help but smile as they walked into her house and he felt the same warmth and openness he felt in her apartment all those years ago. Monae headed straight for the kitchen to check on the vegetable gumbo she had going in the slow cooker all day while JJ pulled M’Baku into the living room with everyone else. Monae watched with a smile as JJ talked his baba’s ear off and showed him around, pointing out the pictures on the wall. M’Baku’s eyes wandered over the photos, but he was distracted by a loud “meow” and a paw on his pants leg.
“Juju, old friend.” He reached down to pet her and she moved away from his hand, choosing instead to go back the way she came.
“Don’t be sad, she does that sometimes,” JJ comforted his dad, whose jaw was hanging open in disbelief until he heard the tinkling of a bell. Sure enough, Juju trotted back in and dropped her favorite feather toy at M’Baku’s feet. “Hey, she likes you!”
The three of them played together for a couple minutes, all the while M’Baku kept an eye on Monae slowly pacing back and forth in the kitchen. JJ chased Juju off through the house and M’Baku took the moment to try to talk to Monae while everyone was preoccupied setting the table and securing the perimeter of the house. 
Monae stirred the gumbo and tried her best to calm her nerves, but the butterflies in her stomach weren’t going away any time soon. They weren’t helped by the heat that crept up against her back as a large shadow loomed over her. She turned around to face him and he tipped her chin up.
“Is there anything I can do?”
“I...um, it’s already done.”
“You are nervous...why?”
“M’Baku,” she sighed, “I need you to understand that you died, or I thought you were dead. I mourned you. I buried you in my mind and visit on your deathiversary every year...but you crawled back out of that grave and it’s just hard for me to wrap my mind around.”
He nodded and placed a kiss on her forehead before moving back and giving her space. Monae cleared her throat and shook herself from her daze. She needed to get a handle on herself and fast.
“JJ, come wash your hands.”
The little boy came sprinting from the back room.
“No running inside,” Monae and T’Challa echoed each other and JJ slowed down, sheepishly walking the rest of the way to the stepstool at the kitchen sink. M’Baku helped him wash his hands as Monae filled their bowls with rice and gumbo. She grabbed a bottle of hot sauce from the counter and placed it in the middle of the table before sitting down at the head. 
“So, T, how’s Nakia?”
“She’s doing well. This pregnancy has been much easier on her than the first. In fact, she and the twins will be coming back with me next time.”
“Really?!” JJ was excited to see his play cousins, it had been months since the last time Hasina and Hasani visited. They were only a few months older than him, and the three of them were inseparable whenever they got together.
M’Baku sat back and watched their interactions, feeling slightly left out. He had missed so much of their lives. What was her pregnancy like? What were his first words? He just had to know. Right as he worked up the nerve to interrupt the ongoing conversation, JJ did it for him.
“Baba?” 
M’Baku was still so unused to hearing that name, however he already loved how it sounded. 
“Yes, JJ?”
“So what did it feel like when you got Dusted?”
Monae almost choked on her gumbo.
“JJ, let’s not-”
“I did not even know I had gone anywhere...it felt like no time had passed.”
“So you...you really think it’s been two months since we last saw each other?” Monae asked him.
“Yes, although I know now that is not the case,” he smiled at JJ who gave him a snaggletoothed smile right back. He turned to T’Challa, his face turning serious. “Thank you for looking after them, brother.”
“Any time, they are family. Isn’t that right igorila encinci?”
“Yes!”
Monae chuckled as she got up to bring out his favorite pineapple upside down cake she made late the night before. She disappeared into the kitchen as the others continued to talk amongst themselves.
“You call him ‘little gorilla’, eh?”
“Well yes, he is your son.”
“Do they call you the ‘Big Gorilla’ or something?”
“No, I am the Great Gorilla, ruler of the Jabari-”
“You’re a king, too?!”
“What?!” Monae yelled from the kitchen.
Okoye, Ayo, and T’Challa all made eye contact and decided it was a good time to leave.
“Well, we do not want to intrude so we will see you tomorrow,” Okoye rushed out.
“Monae, do you need any help cleaning up or anything before we leave?” Ayo added. 
“No thank you. Y’all get to the hotel safe, see you tomorrow.” She and JJ hugged the three of them and they took their leave. As soon as Monae closed the door behind them, JJ went right back to the previous conversation.
“So if you’re a king, that makes me a prince!”
“JJ, go upstairs and start getting ready for bed, I’ll be up soon.”
He sighed, but did what his mom told him, but before he made it all the way up the stairs he turned around and asked, “Is baba staying?”
Monae turned to look at M’Baku questioningly.
“If your mother will have me.”
“Please mommy!”
“No need for all that, I want him to stay too,” she laughed as her son ran back down the stairs to hug them both before going up to his room.
“So you want me to stay?”
Monae rolled her eyes. “You shouldn’t have told him he’s a prince, M’Baku.”
“Why not? He is a prince, he should know.”
The two of them cleared the table and loaded the dishwasher as they went back and forth.
“He’s too young, that’s why. I want him to have a normal life.”
“He is not a ‘normal’ boy, Monae, he is royalty. He is my heir.”
She knew he was right, but she just didn’t want to let go of the life she and JJ had that she knew now was about to  be turned on its head. She didn’t want to have the conversation that she knew they needed to have.
“Let’s put JJ to bed and then come back to this.”
M’Baku agreed and the two of them went upstairs to do just that. After JJ’s bath, M’Baku told him the story of how the Jabari found the mountains, and he was hanging on every word until sleep overtook him and he passed out around 8:30. 
Monae was almost moved to tears by their interaction, and she kept from sniffling as both adults crept out the room and back downstairs. She went straight to the wine rack and cracked open a merlot, pouring two generous glasses for the two of them. He grabbed her hand and led her to the couch, sitting down next to her and pulling her legs across his lap. She didn’t know what to do, her mind still hadn’t caught up with her body yet, but her body melted right into him.
“I know it has not been as long for me as it has for you...but I have missed you, Babygirl.”
M’Baku heard a sniffle and looked down at her as her body shook and tears escaped her eyes. He grabbed the wine glass from her and set both glasses on the coffee table in front of them before placing his arm around her and pulling her in tight. 
The next hour or so consisted of M’Baku consoling Monae as she released five years of grief she had been holding onto. After a while, she calmed down and they sat in silence before she tore herself away from his lap and took a deep breath. She looked into his eyes and he moved in for a kiss, but she pulled away at the last second. 
“So what now?” She asked and his eyebrows furrowed as she spoke. 
“What do you mean?”
“JJ...since he’s a prince and all.”
M’Baku took a sip of his previously untouched wine, prompting Monae to do the same. 
“He will need to come be with his people, Monae.”
“He has people here too, M’Baku. He has friends and a community here.”
“So what do you suggest?”
“Coparenting.”
“Coparenting?”
“Yes. I don’t want him to lose his home here or keep him from his home there...so lets let him have both.”
“I do not want you two halfway around the world-”
“And I don’t want him so far away from me, but parenthood involves sacrifice. Welcome to the club.”
“Then come with him.”
--------
“She is being unreasonable!” M’Baku sat on the couch in T’Challa’s office, complaining to the king and queen. He had stayed with Monae for only a weekend since he needed to get back to ruling his kingdom that was still restructuring after the return of the Dusted, but in that short time he was unable to convince her to let JJ live with his people. 
“I think she was being more than generous. I don’t even like when T’Challa takes the twins with him to America without me , I can’t imagine being without them for any longer than that.”
“Yes, but she could just move here! And at first she said we would split our time 50/50, now she wants to keep him during the school year and I get summers.”
“You’d prefer to disrupt the boy’s education?” the king chimed in.
“Oh please, we both know he would have a much better education here anyway.”
“True, but you’re asking Monae to uproot her whole life,” T’Challa added.
“M’Baku, you need to look at this like a parent, not like a chief. He’s just a little boy, he’s her little boy-”
“Our little boy.”
“For like five minutes. She’s been there for five years. She’s kissed his wounds and weathered temper tantrums. She pushed that boy out in the middle of her living room, she caught her own baby despite the fact that the midwife was right there. It’s just been the two of them since her aunt died...you can’t just expect her to give in so easily. You’re asking a lot of her.”
“Maybe if they both came to visit it would ease her mind a little,” T’Challa suggested.
“Could the two of you try to talk to her?”
“Absolutely not,” Nakia said as T’Challa shook his head.
“This is between the two of you, my friend.”
“Uncle Challa and Aunt Kiki are sitting this one out, sorry.” Nakia’s hands raised in surrender.
“Aunt Kiki?”
“I couldn’t let him be the only one with a nickname.”
M’Baku nodded as he mulled over their conversation in his head. He felt they were probably right, but he needed one more opinion.
When M’Baku made it back to Jabari land he went straight to his mother’s quarters to seek her advice. He found her in the middle of braiding her hair, and sat across from her as she worked.
“So how is my grandson? Did you bring me pictures?”
“Of course, mama,” he pulled up pictures of JJ on his beads, swiping through and smiling like a fool as he looked at his son. “He is well. He is so inquisitive and joyous...Monae has done a good job on her own.”
“Of course she has, I always liked that one.”
“I know,” M’Baku chuckled before his face fell.
“What is it?”
“It is Monae...she wants to coparent. She would have him during the school year and I would have him during their summer break.”
“That sounds pretty good to me.”
M’Baku sighed and hung his head.
“That is what the queen said.”
“Smart woman, our queen.”
“That she is...mama, I do not want to be apart from him so much, but Monae refuses to move here. I do not know what to do.”
“It sounds to me like you will be making a lot more trips to America then. She never said you could not see him, just that he stays in America with her. That does not have to exclude you.”
“I have duties here-”
“M’Baku we were gone for five years and the council ran things just fine, and before that you were gone for three months. I am not saying you should move there, just that your job is much more flexible than you realize.” 
Meanwhile, on the other side of Wakanda, the king decided to go back on his word just a little and texted Monae and asked her to call him when she had the chance. Later that night, his phone rang and he looked to see it was Monae calling. He checked to make sure he was alone in his quarters before answering. Thankfully, Nakia was down the hall putting the twins to bed while he worked on some last minute paperwork, or she’d have his head for this.
“Monae, I’m glad you called. How are you today?”
“I’d be much better if the city wasn’t breathing down our necks about this block party.”
“I’ll handle them, don’t worry about it.”
“Thanks T.”
“No problem.”
“So what’s up? It sounded important.”
“Yes, well, it is. I spent the earlier half of today listening to a certain chief bemoan his new custody arrangement.”
“You can’t talk me out of it. I don’t even want him gone during the summer, that was hard enough.”
“I wouldn’t dare. I would dare, however, to formally invite you to Wakanda. Come see it for yourself for a couple weeks, you might like it. If nothing else, it will ease your mind for when Jabari comes here by himself.”
“Me...come to Wakanda? What about my job?”
“Don’t worry about that, just worry about when you want to leave. We can have a jet there immediately if you wish.”
“Jazz is moving in on Saturday, how about next weekend?”
“Next weekend it is.”
“Can we keep this between us? I want to surprise him.”
T’Challa chuckled just as Nakia walked in the room, “It won’t be easy to keep from him.”
“Try your best.” She knew there was a good chance T’Challa would let it slip to M’Baku. Everyone knew the king was notoriously bad at keeping secrets.
He looked up and saw Nakia standing in front of him with her eyebrow raised and a hand on her hip, her belly protruding in her nightgown. He mouthed “Monae” and pointed to his phone. 
“You just couldn't help but meddle, eh?” She rolled her eyes.
“Is that Nakia? Hey Kiki girl, I miss you!” T’Challa moved the phone away from his ear before she blew his eardrums out. 
“Hey Nae! Is my husband meddling in your business?”
“Only a little, but it’s good. Thanks to him, I’ll be seeing you soon.”
“You're coming to Wakanda?! Oh thank Bast, now I don’t have to hear M’Baku-”
“It’s just for a couple weeks, sis,” Monae chuckled as Nakia deflated.
“Well that’s better than nothing.”
“Keep it between us though.”
“So you tell him?” Nakia laughed as her husband looked at her in faux offense. 
“It was his idea!” The ladies continued to laugh and talk as T’Challa’s grimace grew.
“Ok, well I know it’s late there, so see y'all in a couple weeks?”
“We’ll be here,” They ended the call and T’Challa looked to the queen, shrugging.
“I couldn’t help myself.”
Nakia laughed and crawled in bed next to her husband, both of them swiftly falling asleep after a long day of ruling a whole country. 
--------
JJ was super excited to ride in the Talon, never having seen the inside before, and even though Monae worked around Wakandan technology, she was just as much in awe of the futuristic aircraft as her son. Okoye made sure they were comfortable on their trip, but Monae’s anxiety almost got the best of her. There were times when she almost started hyperventilating, but then JJ’s bright smiling face brought her back out of it. She was leaving the country for the first time in her life and flying in a human spaceship to a formerly hidden African country with technology way more advanced than the rest of the world. If someone had told her ten years ago that this would be her life, she would’ve laughed in their face, yet here she was.
When Okoye called them to the front of the ship to watch them enter the dome, Monae’s heart almost beat out of her chest as they glided through the trees and into Wakanda. The city she saw before her blew her away, it was bigger and more beautiful than New York or Tokyo or any of those other big cities she’d seen or read about. The real life afrofuturism stunned her to silence, and it was only broken when JJ noticed the people waiting for them to land.
“Look, it’s Uncle Challa and Auntie Kiki and Auntie Shuri and Uncle Daka and Hasina and Hasani. Where’s baba? And who's that?”
“Baba isn't here, baby. We’re here to surprise him...and I think that’s T’Challa and Shuri’s mom.”
When the ship touched down and the doors opened, JJ ran out and tackled his play family in hugs and kisses. Monae carefully made her way down the stairs and joined the group, giving hugs all around.
“Long time no see, Nae!” The prince 
“How’s Oakland treating you?”
“Much worse now that I have left,” Shuri interjected, making N’Jadaka roll his eyes and mush her face. “Hey!”
“Oakland’s great, running just like before. You should come visit.”
“Only if you visit the Nashville Center.”
“Deal.”
Monae turned to see JJ walk up the one person there she didn’t know.
“Are you Uncle Challa and Auntie Shuri’s mom?”
Queen Mother chuckled and bent down closer to his level, “That I am. And you must be Jabari.”
“Or JJ!”
“Nice to meet you, JJ. My name is Ramonda.”
“Can I call you Auntie too?”
“Of course, you wouldn’t be the first,” she winked at the older prince and he smirked back. 
“Monae, dear, I’ve heard so much about you. All good things, of course. How are you?”
“Honestly, Queen Mother, I’m a little nervous to be here.”
“Trust me, you will love Wakanda. And you are family, call me Auntie.”
The group relocated to the domestic wing of the palace as the kids ran ahead and Queen Mother chatted with Monae. T’Challa showed them to their rooms, and allowed them time to get settled in before dinner in an hour.
Monae was nervous, she knew she would see M’Baku at dinner, and since T’Challa has a flair for the dramatic he had planned for her to get there a little late and make an entrance. Well, not a huge entrance, since it would be a small family dinner, but still. She fixed the collar on JJ’s shirt and then smoothed out the front of her purple dress that contrasted beautifully with her pink fade. She took a final breath before reaching for the door handle and being led down the hallway by the palace guards. They arrived at the double doors and Monae froze.
“Mommy?”
“Y-yes baby?”
“Are you ok?”
“I’m just a little nervous, that’s all.”
“Don’t be nervous, it’s just baba.”
His words echoed in her head as she thought back to their time together. It’s just M’Baku, she thought to herself before taking one last breath and opening the doors.
When M’Baku arrived he was confused to see the two extra place settings, and as the food was brought out his confusion only grew. When the doors opened and his eyes met Monae’s he felt his heart drop into his stomach. JJ ran to him and threw his arms around his neck and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
“Hi baba!”
“Hello,” M’Baku chuckled. “What are you two doing here?” He got up and went over to Monae, enclosing her in a hug.
“Someone had the idea that I should surprise you and come see Wakanda for myself. Maybe that way I’ll be less nervous about him coming out here.” Monae took in his traditional attire and tried not to make her infatuation so obvious, but she failed. He looked damn good in his chief furs.
“How long are you here for?”
“Just two weeks.”
“That is all the time I need.”
“For what?”
“To convince you to stay,” he winked and walked her to her seat, pulling it out for her as she fussed at him.
“I never said I was staying, I said we’re here to visit.”
“Tomato, potato,” M’Baku said as Monae almost spit out her drink and half of the table fell out in laughter. 
“I think you mean ‘tomayto, tomahto’ my G,” N’Jadaka corrected him with tears in his eyes from laughing so hard.
Monae grabbed M’Baku’s hand and squeezed it before he brought it to his lips for a kiss. She allowed it since she was slowly getting used to him again and he couldn’t be happier.
“So, Monae, how do you like your rooms?”
“They’re so nice! Mine alone is the size of my first floor at home, add in JJ’s and we have the whole house.”
“Wait until you sleep on the bed-”
“Wait, are you not staying with me?”
“Well I didn’t want to assume…”
“You two will always have a place with me. I can have your things moved while we eat, unless you would rather stay here.
Monae was apprehensive about the cold, but she had to remind herself why she was here. Everything was for JJ.
“Ok, we’ll stay with you.”
“Yay!” JJ cheered as a huge gap toothed smile appeared on M’Baku’s face.
--------
“I can’t believe you did this…”
Monae looked around JJ’s room and almost shed a tear. 
“I had it set up as soon as I learned I had a child. We can personalize it and change it however he wants, I have interior decorators lined up-”
“M’Baku, it’s perfect. I mean, look at him...look how happy he looks.”
JJ picked up a pretend sword and M’Baku beamed at the future warrior. Monae playfully rolled her eyes as they watched him play-fight with an imaginary assailant. 
“I will have to teach him how to fight for real one day, you know?”
Monae sighed, reminding herself yet again that this was all for JJ. “I know.”
“But you do not like it?”
“No, I don’t like the idea of my son running into battle,” Monae snipped before taking a second and centering herself. “I’m sorry, I’m just...I’m trying, ok?”
“I know. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome...so my room?”
“Yes, right next door here.”
He showed her the room and the view from her window stunned her speechless. She could see all of Wakanda.
“This view…”
“The best in all of Wakanda.”
She felt him close behind her and turned around, coming face to face with the Jabari chief.
“Better than yours?”
“No,” he smirked. “Let me show you.”
They checked in on JJ, who had already curled up with a storybook ready for bedtime.
M’Baku read to his son as his eyelids fell and he eventually drifted off to dreamland. The two adults snuck out of the room quietly and closed the door behind them, saying good night to the guards, before walking just a few doors down and entering the largest room Monae had ever seen. It sat on the corner of the palace, with a large balcony swooping around the side, looking out onto all of Wakanda. She could see even more of the beautiful country and maybe even past it to neighboring countries as well. 
“This is...wow.” 
“Sometimes I cannot believe it myself. Can I get you anything? Water, whiskey, tea?”
“Tea would be great actually,” she sat down on the couch as her eyes continued to wander around the space before they landed on his bookshelf.
“See anything you recognize?”
She got up to take a closer look and saw the books she gave him all those years ago, and a shy smile took over her face. She continued to browse his space, much like he did the first time she brought him to her place five years ago. 
“Is this you? You look just like him!” Monae stopped on a picture of a young M’Baku with his parents. JJ held a striking resemblance to young M’Baku just like how older M’Baku looked just like his father in the picture. “The Jabari must have strong genes...I thought my family all looked alike, y’all are something else. Let me guess, you look like your granddaddy, too?”
“I do, actually,” he chuckled as he handed her a cup of jasmine tea. “Have a seat, make yourself comfortable.” M’Baku disappeared into what Monae assumed was a closet and reemerged in a brown hoodie and sweatpants.
She kicked off her shoes and tucked her legs under her as she sat on the couch, sipping her tea.
“So…” she started.
“So?”
“So, I guess we should talk about JJ.”
“JJ is fine for now, let us talk about something else. Like why you are so nervous around me.”
“I’m not nervous-” he cut her off with a look. “Ok, fine, I’m nervous, but I don’t know why.”
“Monae,” he turned her jaw towards him so they could look into each other’s eyes, “I know this is hard for you, I do. And I am not asking for you to completely uproot your life for me, but I want to be with you again...even if we have to make it work across the world.”
“M’Baku, I-” her head dropped.
“Do not have to make a decision right now.”
“It’s not that, it’s just…”
“Is there someone else?”
“Wh- no! I barely have time for myself, much less anyone else. I mean, I’ve gone on dates, had a few hookups-”
“Please, spare me the details.”
“Right, sorry,” she cleared her throat. “Don’t you have some royal suitors lined up or something?”
He chuckled, “I did, until I met you. They had been trying to find a chieftess for me for years.”
“Chieftess?”
“Yes, my wife would be my chieftess.”
“And if we get back together…?”
“I told you I could give you a kingdom, Monae.”
She hadn’t noticed he’d moved closer until she felt his breath on her cheek. She turned to meet his face and their lips connected, making fireworks shoot all over Monae’s body. She pulled back and looked at him before she straddled his body and dove back in for more. Their tongues danced against each other as the kiss turned passionate and his hands explored her body. He let out a moan as his hands gripped her ass that had gotten bigger over time. Her waist was thicker and her breasts hung a little lower, and he loved every inch of her. She grinded into his lap as she sucked on his bottom lip and he let out another moan that sounded closer to a growl before pulling back.
“If you want me to stop-”
“Don’t stop.”
A fire burned behind his eyes as she pulled her dress over her head, revealing her body to him. His fingers traced over the stretch marks on her stomach and she shivered at his touch as his eyes raked up and down her naked form. When she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again, he stood with her in his hands and walked her to the bed, lightly placing her down in the middle.
“I have missed you so much Babygirl,” he said between kisses as she squeezed her legs tighter around him. She could feel his  dick hardening between his legs as she opened her legs wider to let him in. 
He kissed down her body until he reached her center, his lips ghosting over hers as he thanked Hanuman for bringing this woman back into his life before digging in like it was his last meal. Monae writhed on the bed as his tongue alternated between exploring her insides and licking her clit into submission. When his lips closed around her as he sloppily tongue kissed her entire pussy, she let out a deep moan that overwhelmed her emotionally and tears sprang from her eyes.
“Cum in my mouth.”
“Mm, yes.” her tears continued to pour out of her eyes as her body shook and tensed up before releasing a deluge onto his tongue. He didn’t stop either, he kept pushing her to her breaking point over and over again until he finally got tired and kissed his way back up her body.
“Are you ok?” he asked as he wiped her tears away.
“I’m ok,” she nodded.
“You are crying more than usual.”
“I just really missed you. It’s hard to explain how all this feels and the feelings are overwhelming as fuck...but I know I want this. I know I want you.”
He pecked her lips.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Monae, I am not just talking about sex-”
Her hands cupped his face and she pulled him into her so their foreheads rested against each other. “Neither am I.”
His thumb traced her bottom lip as he stared into her big brown eyes. Her hand made its way down his body and rested between his legs, rubbing along his thick, juicy dick that she missed oh so much. She grabbed the head and rubbed her thumb over his tip before running her fingernails up the leg of his sweatpants. She caught the bottom of his sweatshirt and pulled it up, prompting him to break their kiss and pull the hoodie over his head. His pants went next and she was met with the sight of his beautiful naked body.
He came back in for a kiss and she pulled his body over hers, opening herself to him again. He rested his forearm on the pillow next to her head and his other hand found its home under her knee, pulling her leg back even more as he leaned in to kiss her deeply.
“I love you,” he whispered in her ear as he slowly pushed inside her, working his way in one inch at a time then pulling out and pushing in deeper with each thrust. Her relatively short nails marked up his back as he filled her in a way she hadn’t been filled in years. She felt emotions swirl in her chest and escape from her eyes and he kissed her tears away one by one.
Once he was fully seated inside her he stilled to compose himself, allowing her to feel all of him inside her. Her pussy squeezed him tight and she grinded up into him.
“Move, baby.”
His hips pulled back before rolling forward, pushing deep into her wetness as she cried out to the heavens. Every thrust brought their already intertwined bodies closer together and he looked down at her with love in his eyes as he played her body like a drum. Monae couldn’t handle all the feelings and eventually they boiled over and she snapped, cumming all over him and rolling them over so that she was on top. Her hips worked him like it was her job, and her hands clawed at his shoulders. She corkscrewed her hips as she leaned her body back away from him, exposing her breasts for him to play with. And that he did, taking them into his mouth and teasing her pebbled buds before covering her entire neck and chest in kisses and light nibbles as she got up on her tiptoes and pounded her hips down onto his pelvis. 
She felt the pressure rising in her lower abdomen and circled her hips, dragging her clit along his body and letting out a moan from deep within her soul as the pressure released. 
“Let me see that arch in your back,” he said with a slap to her asscheek. Monae hopped up and kneeled down next to him before leaning forward and dropping her top half to the bed, leaving her voluptuous ass in the air for him to do as he pleased.
“Good girl.” He came up behind her and entered her in one swift motion, grabbing her hips and thrusting into her with rhythmic abandon. 
“Yes! Yes!” was all she could say as she gripped the sheets in front of her and did her best to hold her ass up for him. He could tell she was struggling, so his hands came up under her hips and lifted them for her, making sure he got the correct angle to hit her spot. His grunts of passion mixed with her high pitched moans as he tore her apart to create a symphony in the large room, their voices echoing off the walls and out into the mountains. 
His hands slipped and her body slid to the bed, prompting him to lean over her body and pull her neck back for a sloppy kiss, tongues meeting each other before their lips did. He used his other hand to grip her ass tight after slapping it. 
“I feel you getting ready to cum again,” he whispered in her ear, “I am right there with you, Babygirl. Just tell me where you want it.”
“I-inside me. Please, Daddy.”
He flipped her over and plunged back inside, kissing her deeply as he dug into her. Monae’s nails found the same indents as before as he gave her all he had to give. Their foreheads connected as her walls contracted around him and his strokes faltered. 
“M’Baku!” she cried out as she exploded all over him again, kicking his orgasm into gear as he stared deep into her eyes and emptied himself into her. The two of them fought to catch their breath as they untangled and laid next to each other. As they came down she was finally able to find the words she had buried for so long.
“M’Baku?”
“Hm?” He turned to look at her with his arm folded behind his head and she curled up at his side.
“I love you too.”
He chuckled and kissed her nose, “I know, Babygirl.”
--------
The next day, M’Baku showed his family around to the other tribes, but of course he saved the best for last. The Jabari people welcomed Monae and JJ with open arms and a week later, they held a celebration in honor of the little prince. He loved the attention, but mostly he just liked getting to play with his Panther tribe cousins and the other Jabari kids. Several elders came up to Monae to ask questions about marriage, all of which she managed to dance around like an expert, but the questions about JJ’s crowning were a little harder for her to dodge. She had hoped they would be able to put it off some, but it didn’t seem as though the elders were too keen on waiting. After the feast was over and the two parents put JJ to bed, Monae finally spoke up.
“So...the elders…”
“Yes, they seem to like you
“Oh I know they like me, each one of them asked me at least twice when I’m marrying you.”
“When are you marrying me?”
 “M’Baku I-”
“No I am serious, Monae,” he cooed as he walked towards her. “Stay with me.”
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“I just can’t.”
“That is not a good enough reason.”
“I have Jazz, and my job, and my friends.”
He grabbed her hands in his.
“Monae, Nakia did your job at the Oakland Center while living in Wakanda part time...travelling to see Jazz and your friends, or bringing them here even, would not be a problem. You are best friends with the king and queen, not to mention you yourself would be a chieftess...these problems are easily fixed, my love.”
Monae removed her hands from his and walked to the balcony, pulling the collar of her fur coat up to shield her from the elements. He followed after her and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his head on hers. 
“M’Baku, I’m not saying no...I’m saying I can’t just up and follow a man I was with for just two months to the other side of the world because he magically reappears in my life.”
“I am not just some man, Monae,” he turned her around to look at him, “I am Lord M’Baku the Great Gorilla, Chief of the Jabari. I am the father of your son. I am the man that you fell madly in love with in just two months. I do not want you to follow me, I want you to be with me...even on the other side of the world, if that is where your heart desires to be.”
“What would I even do here?” she asked, barely above a whisper.
“You could teach dance classes, or plan events, or whatever else might play to your skillset. You can even do nothing for the rest of your life if you want to-”
He was cut off by a nigga please glare from Monae.
“So basically, I can do whatever I want.”
“Yes.”
“And JJ? What will he do?”
“He will do everything Jabari children do. He will go to school, learn to fight, and when he is in his teens I will start preparing him to take over one day.”
“Teens?! Isn’t that too young still?”
“He will not be in charge then, think of it more as an apprenticeship.”
“Ok...this is a lot to take in, M’Baku. I’ll talk to JJ and see what he thinks.”
“But he is just a child.”
“And as his mom I want him to know that even though I have the final say, his voice gets to be heard.”
“You are a good mother.”
A tear came to her eye and she looked down, “Thank you.”
“If I absolutely had to accidentally abandon a child with anybody, I am glad it was you.”
They broke into laughter and he kissed her forehead.
“We will figure it out.”
The two of them fell asleep in each other’s arms, and when the next morning came Monae decided breakfast would be as good a time as any to gauge JJ’s reaction to their possible move.
M’Baku flipped the pancakes on the griddle as Monae sat at the table with JJ, both coloring away in his Blue’s Clues coloring book. They were so engrossed in their artwork that they barely even noticed him set the food down in front of them until he cleared his throat. They both looked at him and gave a sheepish grin, making M’Baku wonder how JJ could look so much like him yet so much like his mother at the same time. 
Monae made JJ’s plate and cut up his pancakes for him before digging into her own. The pancakes melted in her mouth and the eggs were perfect fluffy clouds. She had forgotten how good he was in the kitchen. “Mmm this is delicious.”
“Baba, you can really cook. You’re as good as mommy!”
The adults chuckled as M’Baku sat down and dug in, enjoying the fruits of his labor. After a few minutes of just scraping utensils silling the silence, Monae cleared her throat.
“So...JJ. How do you like it here?”
“It’s really cold, but it’s fun. I like the snowball fights.”
“You are very good at them,” M’Baku added.
“You are. So do you like it more than home?”
“No they’re both good, especially with Auntie Jazz there now.”
Monae had hoped for a clear cut answer, but it didn’t seem like she’d be getting one.
“Well what do you like about both places?” she asked.
“Here there’s baba and umakhulu and Hasani and Hasina and my aunts and uncles and rhinos and snow. Auntie Jazz is at home though, and so are my friends and Juju and the Center.”
Monae contemplated his words, still not coming to a concrete solution.
“JJ, how about you help me clean up the kitchen?” M’Baku asked after noticing the perplexed look stuck on Monae’s face.
“Ok!” JJ hopped down from his chair as M’Baku collected the plates from the table and brought them to the sink. Monae watched how the two of them interacted while they washed and dried the dishes. JJ and M’Baku had grown close in the time they had spent in Jabari land. She loved watching them laugh and goof off together, and every time she watched him read JJ a story at night, her heart felt full. When they finished washing dishes M’Baku sat back down at the table with Monae and grabbed her hand, bringing it to his lips for a kiss.
“Did that help with your decision making?”
“Not at all, he’s so diplomatic.” she groaned and put her head against the table.
M’Baku stifled a smile as he rubbed her back.
“Mommy, what’s wrong?”
“Just a little headache, baby.”
“JJ, what do you say I take you to a gorilla nest?”
Monae’s head popped up immediately, “Is that safe?!”
“Yes, the ones we will visit are used to being around humans.”
“I don’t know, M’Baku-”
“Come with us, it will ease your mind.”
Monae took a deep breath then nodded before the kimoyo beads she had been gifted upon arrival started to make noise. “It’s Jazz, I’m gonna take this in my room.” 
He nodded, knowing she needed to talk things out with her sister before she could make a decision. 
When Monae made it to her room, she answered the call and Jazz’s voice filled the room.
“Heyyyyyy!”
“Why are you awake? It’s like midnight.”
“You know I’m a night owl. So what’s up? Your text sounded like you were freaking out.”
“I am freaking out.”
“Why? The sex not as good as you remember or something?”
“No it’s definitely not that...he wants us to stay.”
“Ok...and the problem is?”
“My life is in Nashville, you’re there, my job is there, my friends are there. JJ’s friends are there.”
“He’ll make new friends. And didn’t you tell me you worked with the queen? In Oakland...on the other side of the world from her kingdom...that she ruled...while working in Oakland?”
“Ugh yes, you sound like M’Baku.”
“You got a smart babydaddy. One that I’m sure wouldn’t mind me coming to visit. It’ll be just like when I was at NYU.”
“I know, but you just moved in and now I’m abandoning you-”
“Sis, you’re not abandoning me. I. Will. Be. Fine.”
Monae took a deep breath.
“So what’s with all the excuses?”
“Huh?”
“You heard me. Why all the excuses, Nae?”
“I just want to do what’s right for JJ, but I don’t know what that is. He likes both places equally. I don’t want to uproot him, but I also don’t want to keep him from M’Baku and his side of the family.”
“All I’m hearing is that you’re too scared to make the decision you want to make. Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why are you hiding behind JJ as an excuse knowing damn well he’s going to be more than fine wherever y’all go?”
“I...damn. You’re right.” Monae had exhausted all her excuses and felt defeated. She really was the only thing standing in their way. 
“Duh, so what are you gonna do about it?”
--------
The night before their departure, M’Baku and Monae did their usual routine of getting JJ ready for bed then retiring to his quarters for tea or something stronger. 
This time was a little different though, despite the red wine poured into two glasses. Monae was usually much more talkative, but this time she seemed to be in another world.
“Is everything ok, my love?”
“Hm? Oh yeah, just thinking.”
“About what?”
“About a lot of things, really. About JJ, work, my future...us.”
“What about us?”
“I know that being with you, I'd have certain responsibilities,” she paused as M’Baku nodded. “Like what?”
“Well I am not entirely sure. We are restructuring the way we run things here. I was gone for five years and the council had no problems stepping in and ruling in my absence. The flexibility will allow me to come to America more often to visit...I don’t think I can handle just seeing him for a couple months a year, but I can come to you.”
“Isn’t that against tradition?”
“Yes, but so is having a child out of wedlock and I do not see anyone complaining about that. In fact, the people love JJ...and you,” he grabbed her hand in his and intertwined their fingers.
“I’ve noticed,” Monae deadpanned, thinking back to all the questions about marriage the council threw her way. M’Baku chuckled as he read the frustration on her face.
“Tradition got thrown out the window as soon as the aliens arrived.”
“I bet,” Monae laughed before her face turned serious. “What was it like fighting aliens?”
“Terrifying. Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw that day in battle,” he kissed her hand, “but the whole time I was praying to Hanuman that I could see your face again. When T’Challa told me how much time had passed, I was heartbroken. I just knew you had found somebody else...when you told me I had a son, my whole world changed. Now I have to raise my little boy in a world with terrifying aliens that I don’t understand and cannot explain to him.”
“I still can’t explain The Snap to him, maybe when he’s older I’ll have the words, but as for now I don't even understand it enough to answer him. He asked me the other day if you would get Dusted again...he’s worried about losing you and I can’t give him an answer because I’m worried about the same thing.”
“Is that what all this is about? Your hesitance?”
Monae burst into tears and he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her in closer.
“It-it’s just that it could happen again at any moment. What if you’re gone for another five years? What if you never come back if there’s a next time?”
“Monae, it is over. The Titan is dead, the stones are gone, the gauntlet is gone...there will be no more Snaps. I cannot promise that something else equally preposterous will not happen instead, but that worry is gone now.”
She crawled into his lap and curled up into a ball as he stroked her back.
“So...no more aliens?”
“I cannot promise that...just no more Snaps.”
She nodded and rested her head in the crook of his neck, breathing him in and relaxing more with each inhale of his scent. 
She let out a sigh.
“Is something wrong, my love?”
“I just remembered we leave tomorrow.”
“Yes, I have been trying not to think about it.”
“I’ll miss you.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I know...but I won’t miss you long.”
M’Baku deflated.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean,” she sat up and looked him in his sad eyes, “that it’s not fair for JJ to bounce between us. He needs a home that’s not split in half, and there’s more for him here than back in Nashville.”
“You are saying-”
“That we’re gonna go home tomorrow, pack our things, then come back in a week.”
A slow smile spread across M’Baku’s face as a tear came to his eye. Monae wiped it away as he kissed her all over her face before pulling back and staring into her eyes.
“I know you are coming back for JJ’s sake, but what does this mean for us?”
“It means that although JJ comes first, and is the main reason for this move...I can’t say that being closer to you had nothing to do with it. I’ve been alone for five years, I don’t want to be without you again.”
“I am sorry that I left you, Monae.”
“You had no choice, don’t be sorry.”
“I just hate that I missed out on so much. Pictures aren’t enough.”
“You’re here now. Yes you missed his birth and his first steps, but you’ll teach him how to shave and how to be a Jabari warrior. There will still be plenty of wounds to kiss and make better, baby. Plenty more ‘firsts’.”
“Mm. Would you ever consider having another child?”
“My answer used to be ‘hell no’, but that was before you came back. I could consider it...I think JJ would make a great big brother...maybe in another year or two?”
M’Baku’s smile was wider than ever and his eyes twinkled in the light as he looked at her, studying her features. Her big doe eyes always gave her emotions away, even behind her thick tortoiseshell frames. She had laid her heart out on the table for him and he almost couldn’t believe how quickly she seemed to change her mind. He wasn’t sure exactly how their conversation went, but he knew he had Jazz to thank for this. 
“That sounds perfect.”
The two of them stayed up all night discussing their future, emptying the bottle of wine around midnight, and falling asleep on the couch shortly after. The next morning, Monae was awakened by the sound of JJ knocking on the door. She opened her eyes to see they had somehow made it to the bed and smiled picturing him carrying her while she slept peacefully in his arms. M’Baku stirred next to her and stretched as she got up to answer the door.
“What’s up baby?” she asked him, still groggy and voice cracking as she adjusted M’Baku’s t-shirt she was sleeping in...that she also did not have on when she fell asleep.
“I’m hungry, it’s late.”
Monae looked at the time and her eyes nearly bugged out of her head, “How is it already 10:30?!”
M’Baku made breakfast again while Monae rushed to get herself and their son ready for their trip. When JJ started folding his clothes to pack in his suitcase, Monae stopped him, having forgotten that he didn’t know the plan yet. She noticed he was moving slow and looked a little sad.
“What’s wrong, baby?”
“I’m gonna miss it here.”
“You like being with your baba?”
He sniffled and a tear rolled down his cheek. It was at that moment that she knew she had made the right decision. 
“JJ...honey...mommy and baba have something to tell you,” she looked to M’Baku right as he walked in the door, filling the entire frame with his body. He sat on the bed on the other side of JJ and pulled him into his lap while Monae grabbed his little hands in hers.
“What is it?” he sniffled again as M’Baku wiped his tears.
“We’re going home today, but we’re coming back...we’re gonna move here to be with baba.”
JJ’s face lit up and he stopped crying. “Really?!”
“Yes, really,” M’Baku chuckled as he tickled his son, making his infectious laughter ring out once again.
“But what about Auntie Jazz?”
“It’ll be just like before, we can go visit her or she can come visit here.”
“But I thought you didn’t like the cold?”
Monae sighed as M’Baku stifled a laugh. “I don’t, but a Jabari man stole my heart and we made a little Jabari that belongs in the mountains with his people. I’ll adjust.”
“So...we’re really moving?” The hopeful look on his face made both his parents smile.
“Yes,” she laughed, “we’re really moving.”
“I have to tell Hasina and Hasani!” he jetted off to find his beads. They were programmed without most of the normal features so that he and his cousins could talk anytime they wanted to, and sure enough he immediately spilled the beans to the twins despite the fact that they would be seeing each other in an hour’s time. As they chatted, Monae and M’Baku grabbed the few things they would actually need for the week they would be gone and in no time flat, they were ready to go.
“Is that everything?” M’Baku asked as the family of three travelled to the small jet that would take them down to the palace. It was a gloomy, overcast day and the two parents tried to not let it affect their moods as JJ said goodbye to his grandma. Neither wanted to say goodbye, even though they both knew it was temporary. Any time apart felt like a lifetime.
“I think so, but we’ll be back so it’s fine.”
“I love hearing you say that,” he leaned in and kissed her.
They arrived at the palace and they were greeted by the royal family again, minus N’Jadaka who had gone back to Oakland a few days ago. 
The cousins immediately gravitated towards each other and started chatting away as the adults did the same.
“We heard from a couple little birdies that you’re moving here. What changed?” Nakia asked.
“I had to be sure...but I’m sure now.”
“Well dear, it seems you have made the right choice,” Ramonda motioned behind them and the two of them turned around to see the three kids play fighting. “I know M’Baku must be happier than a hippo in the Nile.”
“He is,” she beamed, “and honestly I am too. I was scared, but it’s like as soon as I said ‘I’ll stay’ my worries just disappeared. I knew it was the right thing to do.”
M’Baku, Shuri, and T’Challa joined them and the two men put their arms around their loves.
“Are you ready?” M’Baku whispered to her.
“Yes,” she giggled at his breath tickling her ear.
“Enough of that, she’ll be back in a week,” Shuri playfully ribbed them and everyone laughed.
“But that is so long-“
“Five years, M’Baku.”
He conceded with a kiss and the group meandered towards the jet where Okoye and Ayo already awaited them.
Monae and JJ turned and said their goodbyes, leaving M’Baku for last.
He knelt down to JJ’s level and pulled something from his pocket before placing it around JJ’s neck. It was a wood bead necklace with a small hand-carved  gorilla pendant.
“It’s just like yours!”
“That is right, igorila encinci.” 
JJ threw his arms around M’Baku’s neck and M’Baku hugged him tight. 
“I love you, baba.”
“I love you too, Jabari.” he held him close and a tear almost came to his eye at hearing those words for the very first time. 
“Do you love mommy?”
Both parents smiled as M’Baku stood to his full height, carrying a giggling JJ with him. 
“I love you and your mommy more than anything else in this world,” he said, looking into her eyes. He leaned in for a chaste kiss and she obliged, making JJ giggle at their display before Monae reached out and started tickling him, really giving him something to laugh about.
“We’ll see you in a week?”
“I will be here,” he kissed both of their foreheads before they walked up the stairs and onto the ship. 
T’Challa and Shuri came up on either side of M’Baku as he waved at them before the Talon shimmered out of view as it went through the dome. He let out a sigh and everyone could see the dopey smile lingering on his face.
“Someone’s happy,” Shuri nudged him in his side and it broke him from his daze.
“Very.” He turned to the king, “Thank you.”
“For the ship? It is no problem, really-”
“No, for sending me to Oakland. I hated the idea of going, but I never would have met Monae otherwise...so thank you for not letting me talk you out of it.”
“You were never going to talk me out of it...but you’re welcome.”
T’Challa clapped M’Baku on the shoulder as he turned to go inside with the rest of the family.
“You coming?” Shuri asked M’Baku.
“In just a moment.”
She nodded and followed behind her brother, leaving M’Baku alone, staring up at the sky.
“Hanuman, Ancestors,” he started, “thank you for blessing me with the air in my lungs and the blood in my veins. Thank you for allowing me to be in my child’s life. Thank you for leading me to Monae, and thank you for her choosing me over Damon. I have no words to express the depths of my gratitude, thank you just does not seem like enough...but that is all I have right now, so thank you, thank you, thank you. Please, keep them safe on this journey and bring them back to me.”
Just then, the clouds moved out of the way and the sun poked through for the first time all day.
“Glory to Hanuman,” M’Baku praised before he turned and walked back into the palace with a huge, goofy smile on his face, content in knowing his family would return to him soon.
The end.  
Taglist: @devnicolee, @maddeningmayhem, @theblulife
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prouvaireafterdark · 3 years
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See Something You Like? - Malex Sex Shop AU Part 1/2
It’s FINALLY here: the Malex Sex Shop AU you’ve all been waiting for! Well, the first half anyway (Part Two will be out soon!)
I dedicate this fic to my friendly neighborhood Thigh Riding Anon™️, who inspired this fic with her galaxy brain prompt, and all of you who have been patiently waiting for me to finish this absolute monster of a smut fic. I hope you enjoy it! 💜😘
Also on AO3!
***
When Michael moved to California to start his PhD in agricultural engineering, he’d grossly underestimated how expensive the move would be. The stipend that came with his teaching assistantship just barely covers the rent on his studio apartment, and finding a roommate off Craigslist that’s desperate enough to live in such close quarters isn’t exactly an option considering how many alien skeletons Michael’s got in his closet. The vegetables he’s planning on growing in his complex’s shared community garden will help, but if he wants to eat any time soon he’s gonna have to find a part time job.
Enter Jackie and Kris, the delightful middle-aged lesbian couple who live next door and share Michael’s enthusiasm for sustainable gardening and the occasional midnight smoke.
They get to talking one night while passing a bong back and forth over the railing that divides their balconies, first about DIY organic fertilizer and then about Michael’s degree. He lets spill in a moment of weakness that his coursework is a breeze, but he’s worried he’ll run out of money before he can finish the program. As embarrassed as he is about the confession, it ends up saving his life.
Turns out, Jackie and Kris own a sex shop named Pandora’s Box around the corner and have been looking for some help running the storefront while they focus on expanding their online business and organizing safe sex workshops for the local queer and BDSM communities. The hours would be flexible around Michael’s schedule and all they really would need him to do is stand behind the register, ring people up, and answer questions about their products with “affability and professionalism.”
It’s maybe not the work he imagined himself doing when he moved to California for grad school, but for $15/hr, Michael really can’t afford to say no. He sits for an official interview the very next day and leaves Jackie’s home office with a new job and a pot brownie wrapped in tin foil, eager to get started on both.
Monday afternoons at Pandora's Box are the best. They’re notoriously slow so Michael gets to work his shift alone, which gives him ample time to grade the assignments he procrastinated on all weekend while he sits behind the counter.
It’s a Monday afternoon, in fact, about a year and a half later, when Michael hears the bell above the door chime softly to announce the arrival of a customer who would change his life forever.
The first thing Michael notices when he lifts his head from the stack of exams on the counter is the black leather jacket that’s stretched across the man’s broad shoulders. When Michael’s eyes flick up to get a look at the man’s face, he’s met with sharp cheekbones, beautifully tan skin, and a pair of trendy but understated sunglasses. He looks a little lost—unsurprising, since Michael’s certain he would have remembered it if he’d ever seen a man that pretty walk into his shop before—but when he realizes Michael’s looking at him, he flips his sunglasses up onto his artfully messy dark hair and smiles.
And oh, what a smile it is—the most beautiful one Michael has ever seen, soft and sweeter that it has any right to be, his full lips capturing Michael’s attention with ease. His heart pounds in his chest as their eyes lock together, and if Michael didn’t know any better, he’d think he’s just fallen in love with a perfect stranger.
Before Michael can do more than shoot him a dazed smile in return, the man disappears down an aisle.
As a general rule, Michael doesn’t talk to customers who don’t approach him for help first. It’s best practice in a store that sells pornography and sex toys—most customers don’t want to be questioned about their kinks, and those that do usually already know what they’re looking for—but the pull he feels toward this man is undeniable. He’s curious about him for reasons he can’t explain, and as his feet carry him off in the direction the man went, Michael decides not to question it.
Michael weaves casually through the aisles until he finds the man staring up at the floor to ceiling wall display of dildos and other anal toys—because of course he does. He sends a prayer to a god he doesn’t believe in that this man isn’t buying something for his girlfriend before he steps in line beside him.
“See something you like?” Michael asks, toning down his customer service voice into something approaching normal human speech.
Up close, he can see the man has a septum piercing, which glints a little in the light. Michael’s seen plenty of people with body jewelry come through this store, but he’s never really thought of it as cute until now.
The man smiles at him, a little shy, but Michael’s not so distracted this time that he misses the way his eyes flick over his body in naked interest, and it leaves him feeling a little hot under the collar.
“I’m not sure yet,” the stranger answers.
Even his voice is nice, Michael notes, deeper than he expects and smooth like honey.
Michael nods in understanding. He gets it—this wall can certainly be intimidating, even for someone who’s been to a sex shop before. He looks the man over again, taking in his charmingly flushed cheeks, and wonders if it’s his first time in a place like this. If maybe he needs a little help after all.
It’s a good thing Michael’s an expert, huh?
He doesn’t want to come at him too strongly, though. Encountering an overbearing sales associate isn’t any more fun than being one, and Michael certainly isn’t looking to push the guy passed his personal boundaries. He may be smitten, but he’s not an asshole.
“Well, if you have any questions about any of our products, my name’s Michael,” he says, flashing him a warm smile.
He’s about to go off in search of a nearby display to straighten up so he can give the man some space, but his voice catches Michael’s attention once more.
“And if I don’t have questions?” the man asks, and when Michael turns to look at him there’s a real smile tugging at his lips this time. “What should I call you then?”
Michael laughs, shaking his head as he shoots back, “Okay, smartass, what should I call you?”
For a single, horrible second after his own words reach his ears, Michael thinks he’s gone too far, but the sudden burst of anxiety in his chest turns out to be for nothing—the man’s grin only grows wider.
“Alex,” he says, and to Michael’s surprise he holds his hand out for him.
Alex’s palm is warm against his when he shakes it, and Michael can’t help but wonder how it would feel anchored in his curls or clutching tight to the skin of his hips.
“So, Alex,” Michael starts, emboldened by the introduction. He finds he likes the way Alex’s name feels in his mouth. “What are you in the market for today?”
Alex flushes a little and it’s so endearing Michael has to bite the inside of his bottom lip to keep from smiling.
“That’s the thing—I don’t really know,” Alex answers honestly. “There’s just so many options.”
“Okay, well, let’s start with an easier question: are you shopping for yourself or a significant other?” he asks, and, yeah, maybe he’s planning on filing the answer to his question away for later. Sue him.
Alex looks at him like maybe he suspects ulterior motives, but Michael shamelessly holds his gaze.
“No boyfriend,” Alex says, the corner of his mouth twitching up. “I’m looking for something for myself.”
“Fantastic,” Michael smiles, before he slips a little deeper into salesman mode. “So, judging by the aisle we’re standing in, I’m gonna take a leap and say that you’re looking for a toy you can use for internal anal stimulation. Is that right?”
“Yeah. Think you can help me out with that?” Alex asks, sliding his hands into his pockets.
“Definitely,” Michael answers with a smirk before he turns to the wall display. “As you can see, we have a pretty wide selection; you name it, we’ve probably either got it in stock or can have it shipped in three to five business days. Is there a particular price point you’re aiming for?”
Alex seems to think about it. “I’m not really looking to spend more than $100, but I could go up to $150 if it’ll change my life.”
“I can work with that,” Michael assures him. “Any other parameters I should keep in mind?”
“I’ve read that jelly toys can be dangerous, so definitely not anything made out of that,” Alex says, and Michael’s glad to hear he’s done his research. Jelly toys are frustratingly popular because they’re so cheap and Michael usually has to put in a little work to talk people out of buying them.
“Oh yeah, fuck that jelly shit,” Michael agrees, and Alex’s startled laugh makes his heart skip. “They’re impossible to sanitize properly and they’re full of toxic chemicals—you wouldn’t believe the horror stories I’ve heard about them since I started working here. If you’re looking for something with a softer texture, medical grade silicone is really the only way to go. Just make sure you stick to water-based lube or else you could ruin your toy.”
Alex nods thoughtfully, like he’s read that too.
“Glass and metal are also good options,” Michael continues. “They obviously feel a lot harder inside you, but they’re easy to clean, you don’t have to be as careful about what lube you use, and they’re naturally waterproof. They’re excellent for temperature play, too, if you’re into that.”
“Never tried it,” Alex confesses.
“It’s not for everyone, but it can be a fun time,” Michael says, recalling the scorching summer afternoon he spent fooling around with an ice cube tray and a girl he met on Tinder. “So, your options are metal, glass, and silicone. Any preference?”
Michael notices Alex’s eye catching on a set of stainless steel plugs, but he answers, “Silicone for now, I think.”
“Good choice,” Michael replies easily. “So, now that we know what material you’re looking for, let’s talk about your ideal experience. What are you looking to get out of your purchase?”
“An orgasm?” Alex answers, his confusion evident.
Michael laughs. “Sorry, I meant—how would you like to get there? What sort of sensation are you looking for?”
Alex looks a little lost at the question, so Michael turns to plan B.
“See, this one, for example,” Michael says, pointing to a familiar black prostate massager, “is great for when you wanna get off fast and hard. It’s not too thick, so you don’t have to spend a ton of time opening yourself up for it, and the curve puts the tip of it right up on your p-spot. It’s also got a bunch of different vibration settings and get this: It’s waterproof.”
Alex hums in interested acknowledgement, though Michael notes that the longer he talks, the more Alex’s attention is fixed on him, not the toy.
Feeling bold, Michael adds, “I’d advise caution if you’ve got thin walls though.”
“Why, does it make a lot of noise?” Alex asks curiously.
A slow grin spreads across Michael’s lips. “No,” he says with a shake of his head. “But you will.”
Michael watches Alex try and fail to suppress a smile, his full bottom lip caught between his teeth.
“You seem pretty sure of that,” Alex says when he releases it. “That from firsthand experience, or are you just a really good salesman?”
Michael laughs, equal parts delighted by Alex’s flirting and embarrassed by the memory his question brings to mind.
“What?” Alex asks, a smile building on his face.
“I probably shouldn’t tell you,” Michael hesitates, his face heating up just thinking about it. “It’s kind of embarrassing.”
“Aw, come on,” Alex goads him. “Don’t be such a tease.”
Michael gasps in mock offense. “I’ve been called a lot of things, but a tease isn’t one of them.”
“That mean you’re gonna tell me what’s got you blushing like that after all?” Alex asks.
“I’m not blushing,” Michael protests, even though he definitely is.
Alex raises an eyebrow at him. It’s stupidly attractive.
With a huff, Michael considers his options. He doesn’t usually give personal anecdotes like this to customers, but there’s just something about Alex that makes Michael want to give him whatever he wants.
“Fuck it, why not?” Michael says to himself.
Alex smiles victoriously and settles in to listen.
“So, about a year ago, I came in to work and found this box sitting on the table in the break room, which was filled with a bunch of different toys from the company that makes that massager. I asked my boss about it and she said the company sent her a bunch of free samples.”
“Does that happen often?” Alex interrupts to ask. “Companies just send you free stuff?”
“Eh, sometimes, if it’s from a new line of toys that a company wants retailers to hype up,” Michael explains. “It helps that my boss Jackie’s wife Kris has a pretty popular blog where she tests and rates toys, so she gets free stuff all the time.”
“Huh,” Alex says. “So I’m guessing you took one after your shift?”
“Oh yeah,” Michael nods. “Tried it out as soon as I got home.”
“How was it?”
“Intense is about the only word that covers it,” Michael answers. “Those vibrations can be really powerful, it was like nothing else I’d ever tried before. Definitely one of my top ten solo orgasms of all time.”
“Not number one?” Alex asks with a raised eyebrow.
“Well, I came in, like, a minute, so no, not quite,” Michael laughs.
“Is that the embarrassing part?” Alex asks. “That you came so fast?”
“Not quite,” Michael winces, his cheeks flushing. “As I was coming, I screamed so loud that the little old lady whose living room is on the other side of my bedroom called the cops on me. Apparently, she thought I was being murdered.”
“Oh no,” Alex laughs, eyes wide.
“Yeah,” Michael agrees. “Not exactly the happy ending I was after.”
Alex laughs again, but there’s heat behind his eyes too when he asks, a moment later, “Not usually a screamer, I take it?”
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that,” Michael winks.
“Mm,” Alex hums thoughtfully. He looks Michael right in the eye as he asks, “Well, what if I don’t want to get off that fast? What if I want to make it last?”
Michael tries not to smile as he gets back to business.
“Well, I should mention that this massager does also have softer levels of vibration intensity, which I only discovered after Officer ACAB knocked on my door,” Michael says.
Alex laughs before asking incredulously, “You didn’t read the instructions?”
“Uh, no,” Michael admits. “I’m more of a ‘take things apart and see how they work’ kinda guy, I’ve never been big on reading the directions.”
“Even after your little misadventure?” Alex asks.
“Hey, don’t knock my process. I got a fantastic orgasm out of that ‘misadventure,’” Michael reminds him.
“How could I forget?” Alex asks, shooting Michael a look that really tests his self-restraint.
Michael huffs a laugh and reaches up to scratch the back of his own neck so he doesn’t do something stupid, like push Alex against the fucking dildo display and kiss that look off his face.
“So, anyway,” Michael starts, shifting the topic back toward the task at hand, “you can either learn from my mistakes or you can try something that doesn’t have vibrations at all. We’ve got a great selection of dildos in all shapes and sizes.”
“Do any of them come with a story?” Alex asks cheekily.
Michael snickers in spite of himself. “Maybe,” he says noncommittally. “Let’s see what we’ve got in stock.”
Michael hums as he looks over the display, searching for another recommendation he can make, when his eye catches on a purple dildo with ribbing along the shaft.
“This one’s a good starter dildo,” he says, pointing it out. “It’s a pretty modest size, but the ribbing feels really nice and there’s a suction cup on the bottom if you wanna stick it somewhere and fuck yourself onto it. There’s also a few by the same company that have a hole that you can slide a bullet vibrator into if you wanna get something that can do both.”
“Have you tried them all?” Alex asks.
Michael laughs, looking up at the expansive display of dildos. “Not all of them,” he says, glancing over to Alex as he continues, “but the employee discount here is very generous and, as you already know, sometimes we get free shit. I’ve built up a bit of a collection since I started working here.”
“I see,” Alex replies, the corner of his mouth turning up before he sucks his bottom lip into his mouth. Michael tracks the movement hungrily when Alex releases it a moment later to ask, “Which one’s your favorite?”
“Depends,” Michael shrugs, aiming for nonchalance even though he can feel himself chubbing up in his jeans.
“On?”
“On how full I wanna feel,” Michael answers, and there’s no mistaking the heat that blazes in Alex’s eyes at those words, nor the sudden intake of breath that fills his chest.
If Alex wants him half as much as it looks like he does, Michael doesn’t even care if he gets fired for where this conversation is headed, so long as it ends with Alex’s hands on him.
“See, sometimes all I’m looking for is enough internal stimulation to get the job done,” Michael elaborates, his eyes watching Alex closely. “When I feel like that, I’ll use that prostate massager I showed you earlier on myself.”
Alex’s eyes flick over to the sleek black toy still sitting on the shelf that they’d just discussed.
“And the other times?” Alex asks when he tears his eyes away.
“Other times… other times I really wanna feel it,” Michael purrs, taking a step closer. Alex’s eyes drop right to his mouth, his tongue flicking out to wet his bottom lip, and Michael can’t stop himself from asking, “You ever get like that, Alex? Like you just need something thick and heavy filling you up, so deep you’ll be feeling it for days?”
“Yeah,” Alex rasps.
“You wanna know what I fuck myself with then?” he asks.
Alex nods, eyes still on Michael’s mouth.
Michael gives him a sly grin before he backs up a few steps to find the sample of the eight inch galaxy dildo he treated himself to a few months ago. Alex follows him, as if they’re connected by an invisible string.
“This one,” he says, removing it from the shelf and offering it up for Alex’s inspection.
Alex takes it from him, his eyes passing over it with interest as he tests the give of the silicone with his fingers. Michael wonders if he’s imagining what it would look like inside him. He hopes he is.
“It might not look like much compared to some of the fucking horse cocks we sell here, but it’s thick,” Michael says, his cock hardening further the more he thinks about it, the longer Alex stands there holding it. “Takes me some time to work up to it, but it’s always worth it when I do.”
“Yeah?” Alex asks, eyes fixed where he’s shifting his hold on the dildo to measure it’s thickness with his fingers.
“Yeah,” Michael breathes, watching how Alex wraps his thumb and forefinger in a tight circle around the toy. They only just touch around its girth.
Alex hums to himself, sounding pleased, and Michael’s gut churns with the need to hear that sound again.
“I bet this stretches you out nice, huh,” Alex wonders a moment later, and with the way he stares at Michael then, like he’s trying to picture how he would look stuffed full, his rim taught over the silicone, he just knows Alex isn’t speaking generically.
“Yeah, it does,” Michael agrees quietly, trying not to squirm under the intensity of Alex’s gaze.
“How do you use it?” Alex asks him, stoking the flames inside him further.
“If you play your cards right, you just might find out,” Michael shoots back.
“You’d let me watch?” Alex asks, a smile teasing at his lips, and it’s all Michael can do not to get lost in the idea of riding that toy while Alex watches with his hand around his cock.
“Think I’d let you do more than that,” Michael admits.
Alex full-on grins at that, but before he can open his mouth to reply someone clears their throat behind them.
Michael’s heart seizes in his chest as he whips around to see Jenna Cameron, a regular customer and occasional drinking buddy of his, standing with her thumbs tucked into her police-issue gun belt. Michael can feel his erection flag at the sight of her.
“What’s a girl gotta do to get some service around here, Guerin?” Cameron asks, somehow managing to look annoyed and amused simultaneously. He notices there’s a discreet black plastic bag dangling from her fingers. “I’ve got places to be.”
“Shit, sorry, I didn’t hear anyone else come in,” Michael apologizes, trying and failing to keep a blush off his face.
“I can see that,” she answers with a pointed glance at Alex.
Michael takes an instinctive step away from him and clears his throat.
“I’ve gotta—“ he says to Alex, jerking his thumb behind him.
“Yeah,” Alex nods, eyes on his shoelaces. It makes the pleasure that had been coiling in his belly sour further.
“I’ll be right back,” Michael tells him, soft enough that Cameron won’t overhear.
The smile Alex gives him in return is encouraging enough that Michael’s fairly certain he won’t disappear if he leaves, so he follows Cameron back toward the register, all the while pointedly ignoring the smirk he can feel her directing at the side of his face.
He walks around the other side of the cash wrap and crosses his arms over his chest before he asks her, without an ounce of enthusiasm, “What do you want?”
“Damn, you’re really earning that employee of the month trophy aren’t you, Guerin?” she jokes, tossing the bag on the table. “I bought a harness this weekend, but it was broken when I took it out of the box. Receipt’s in the bag.”
Michael takes the box the leather strap-on harness came in out of the bag along with the receipt.
“Do you want a refund or an exchange?”
“Refund,” she says. “I’m thinking about getting one of those strapless ones instead.”
“You should talk to Kris, she’s got opinions about those,” he says as he starts scanning the receipt.
“Oh?” Cameron asks. “Is she here?”
“Nope,” he says, popping the ‘p’. “You can catch her at the bondage workshop she’s running later though.”
“Perfect,” she replies before leaning forward onto the counter on her elbows. “So are you gonna tell me who the hottie with the nose ring you were talking to is?”
“Why, so you can find out if he’s got any priors?” Michael jokes, not taking his eyes off his task.
“Very funny,” Cameron deadpans. “You fuck him yet?”
“None of your business,” Michael answers.
“So that’s a no, then,” she smirks, and Michael lets out a long-suffering sigh in response.
“Don’t you have places to be? Donuts to eat?” he asks, pushing her return receipt hastily in her direction.
Before Cameron can answer, the front door swings open and in walks a short middle-aged woman with a dark brown pixie cut carrying an iced coffee and a stack of papers.
Michael startles at the sight of her, realizing it must be later in his shift than he’d thought—exactly how long had he stood there talking to Alex?—but he’s never been one to look a gift horse in the mouth.
“Kris!” Michael calls to her. “Perfect timing, Cam’s got some strap-on questions for you.”
“Well, I’ve got some strap-on answers,” Kris answers cheerfully as she walks around them to drop the stack of papers—freshly-printed but yet-to-be-folded safe sex pamphlets, Michael notices—onto the counter next to the second register. “Step into my office, baby girl.”
Cameron shoots Michael a look before she steps to the side to talk to Kris, who’s leaning patiently against the side of the cash wrap.
With Cameron finally out of his hair but Kris close enough to notice him leave, Michael starts planning his escape so he can find Alex again, but it turns out he doesn’t need one. When he looks up after putting Cam’s broken harness in the bin under the counter, he sees the man in question approaching his register with a familiar black box in his hands.
“I was gonna wait for you,” Alex explains as he sets the box on the counter, “but I’m actually supposed to be meeting my brother soon.”
“Shame,” Michael says, wishing they had more time. “I was looking forward to finishing that conversation.”
Alex glances covertly at Kris and Cameron before he leans a hair closer and says, “Don’t know that it was the conversation you were hoping to finish.”
Michael blushes, casting a look at Kris and Cameron to make sure they’re too engrossed in their conversation to notice when he leans in a little further and says, low so only Alex will hear, “What can I say? I’m very committed to customer satisfaction.”
Alex laughs, a bright and happy sound that makes Michael’s heart feel strangely full, before he asks, “You charm all your customers like this?”
“No,” Michael says honestly. “Not even a little bit.”
Alex looks at him for a long minute, trying to spot the lie, and when he finds none he merely shakes his head with an incredulous smile.
“Lucky me,” he says.
Michael winks at him before he turns his attention to the box on the counter, shifting it in his hands until he finds the barcode. He usually never comments on his customers’ purchases, but with this one he simply can’t resist.
“Went with the prostate massager, huh?” Michael asks, as he rings him up.
“What can I say?” Alex answers, a smile creeping onto his face. “You made me curious.”
“Well, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed,” Michael says.
“No,” Alex replies, and the way he looks at him then makes Michael wonder if they’re still talking about the massager. “I don’t think I will.”
Michael smiles at him before he tells him his total. Alex inserts the end of his card in the reader and his receipt prints a brief moment later.
“Can you sign here?” Michael asks, passing Alex the merchant’s copy of his receipt and the green pen he’d been grading with earlier.
“Mhm,” Alex hums, plucking the pen from his fingers and signing his name in a delicate script.
Michael ducks under the counter to find a bag adequately sized for Alex’s purchase before he places the box inside it along with Alex’s copy of the receipt.
“You’re all set,” Michael says, pushing the box in Alex’s direction.
“Thanks,” Alex smiles, holding the merchant copy of the receipt out for Michael to take. “And this is for you.”
Their fingers brush as Michael takes it from him and Michael swears he can feel the tension crackling between them at the simple touch.
“Thanks,” Michael says, mouth a little dry.
Alex glances back to Kris and Cam before he says, “Have a nice day, Michael.”
“You too,” Michael says, his eyes straying pointedly to the black bag in Alex’s hand.
“Oh, I will,” Alex says, one corner of his lips lifting up into a smile before he turns and heads for the door.
Michael can’t help but watch his ass and those broad shoulders as he leaves.
Once Alex is gone, Michael unfolds the receipt Alex left for him. He’s about to slide it into the folder they keep by the register for receipts when he notices the phone number printed neatly beside Alex’s signature. Below, Alex has also written the words: Hit me up if you want to hear my review.
“You strike out?”
Michael startles, looking up to see Cameron leaning on the counter, a lot closer than she was a moment ago. He sees Kris at the far end, folding her papers into pamphlets for her workshop later.
“Not quite,” Michael grins and pockets the receipt.
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anavrinvblog · 3 years
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The Suburbs
(Part 1 - The Suburbs)
A/N: So hello everyone! Yes, this is me starting yet another series. This is the first time I am public diving deep on August Walker because I have done it many times in the shadow of my own self. I don’t know exactly how many parts I am doing but there will be at least three so yay! I hope you enjoy this and comments and feedback are always welcomed loves.
The quiet British neighborhood in the suburbs was yours and August’s dream for retirement. A dog, kids, and a house with a backyard was your perfect vision for the future constantly delayed by August that insisted he was still yet to make the world a better place. All of these came crashing at you when August had the accident. He was desperate to keep you away from the madness and evil of the world. But he knew better. If that meant moving to the suburbs to keep you safe, August would without hesitation. So he did. One day he showed up at your apartment in London with a pair of keys and a keychain spelling “Walker’s” and the next day you were carrying boxes up the driveway of your new home. The beautiful white modern farm looking home is yours, it has a big backyard and is just down a beautiful street adorned with trees and equally beautiful tended gardens.
“I can already picture you teaching little Walker’s how to ride their bikes.” You said, knowing fully well you were teasing August.
You smiled when you earned a groan from the man carrying the boxes inside, smiling to yourself when he chose not to continue the topic even though he kept a smile hidden on his lips. You only brought your clothes and pieces of decoration you were attached to, making sure no clue was left behind in case someone was to find your apartment back in central London. You carried on making dinner while August finished unpacking your things. You had your back facing the kitchen door, making it easy for August to catch you unprepared while wrapping his arms around your waist.
"Hey, you…" you smiled, leaning back against his chest while you stirred the vegetables in the pan. 
Your moment was interrupted by the knock on the front door. You and August both turned around instantly with your sharpened senses. He gave you a nod of affirmation and walked towards the door checking the camera before he opened it. 
On the other side was a group of three women standing, dressed in a similar style. The neighbors. August took a deep breath trying to put on a nice show, rehearsing a smile before he put it on.
“Good afternoon.” 
“Mr. Walker! It’s so nice to meet you. My name is Sophia, and these are your left neighbor, Alice and the one on the right, Camille. I live two houses away, right there.” The happily looking women pointed at the white fenced home. 
August nodded and straightened his posture, feeling the eyes of the women burning through his clothing. 
“Is there any chance Mrs. Walker is in there too? We wanted to invite you both for a barbecue, tomorrow. We do it every year. It will be nice to see you there.” Camille said, appearing to be the one with most reservations and sometimes bothered by the noisy character of Sophia. 
You heard your name being called and chuckled to yourself, wondering how August was doing with the women. You cleaned your hands and showed up behind August, your hands slipping from his shoulders to his waist. He hated being the one being held, but he would always make an exception for you. 
“Hello. It’s lovely to meet you. I’m Y/N Walker.” You smiled politely. August pressed his lips softly together, feeling like the attention were all on you, and he could not blame them.
After receiving the details of the barbecue tomorrow you closed the door and giggled seeing August walk away from the door with a groan leaving his lips knowing you would have a lot of fun with August playing the suburban husband.
Taglist: @angelic-kisses13 ; @harrysthighs ; @beckster07890; @hlkwrites ; @lyrafraiser; @summersong69 ; @designedacertainway ; @darkbooksarwin
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itsuki-minamy · 3 years
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MEMORY STORIES: HEART OF THE HAIKU
* Projects & Chapters
Translation: Naru-kun Raws: Ridia
No student was more enthusiastic than Kuroh Yatogami in learning by watching. From waking up in the morning to going to bed at night, he continued to learn everything that his teacher, Miwa, did. Sometimes looking to the side of housework and work, and sometimes grasping the hem of the hakama between the dojo boards and intently watching every move.
At first glance it seemed too much.
"Ichigen-san, isn't it a bit difficult for Kuro?"
The old man who lived in the neighborhood was a little scared and worried. On the other hand, Miwa...
"No, I didn't specifically teach him to do that. Rather, I've always told him that it's better to take things a little more calmly, but... well, maybe it's his innate nature."
At first, he thought that he might have been suffering from such harsh upbringing, so he argued with Miwa and tried to induce him to relax in various ways, but he soon realized.
That would be like a form of detention.
It can be a burden on the heart to command a child whose shoulders are natural to relax more. After realizing that, he preferred to let him do whatever he wanted.
As a result, Kuro had become able to observe Miwa and learn everything he wanted. And he absorbed various things from Miwa with his concentration.
Japanese cooking technology that transforms simple ingredients into a feast with skilled cooking.
A swordsman who judges the opponent's attack like running water and hits it like a cloth.
How to grow some vegetables and how to read classical literature. In the end, how to operate a helicopter, etc.
As Kuro grew older, the variety of things he could do increased, and the quality had steadily improved.
There was only one thing that he did not imitate about his beloved master. Miwa who had noticed it for a long time, and one day asked casually.
"Kuro. Would you like to try making a haiku yourself?"
At the time, Kuro was fascinated by rereading the notebook in which he wrote Miwa's haikus. He had a habit of hastily pulling out his notebook and pencil and writing shorthand when he began to write a sentence in an informal setting of everyday life.
Kuro closed his ramshackle notebook and choked. Miwa said hurriedly...
"Oh, don't get me wrong, okay? I don't blame you for anything. Haiku isn't something you're forced to do because it doesn't affect everyday life. But all you do is imitate me. It's a bit strange."
Said that…
"Yes, Ichigen-sama."
Kuro shook his head slightly sadly.
"I have tried several times, but I have not been able to think of a worthy haiku like Ichigen-sama."
Miwa scratched his cheek with his finger as if he was in trouble.
"No, my haikus just pop up without following any rules, right? If a decent teacher listened to me, they would scold me. You shouldn't get too attached to that."
"Ah..."
Kuro looked a bit angry.
"If I want to do a haiku, I would like it to be like Ichigen-sama's, but it's difficult."
Miwa adopted a thoughtful look.
"I am sure the legs will find incompetent freedom in the troubles that govern them. It certainly seems difficult."
"Eh?"
"Oh, it's nothing. It's just a story."
Miwa had a bland expression.
"Kuro. Then maybe it's better not to try haiku by force. It's more inconvenient. I'm sure that when that time comes, you will naturally be able to recite your own haiku."
"Will I be able to do such a thing?"
Miwa smiled at Kuro, who looked uneasy.
"That's right. This is not a prophecy, but a premonition like your master."
Kuro laughed too.
"I'm happy then!"
++++++++++
"On New Year's Day of the following year, Ichigen-sama gave me this voice recorder, saying that it was a substitute for New Year's gifts."
In a corner of Gakuenjima, Kuro was showing Shiro his favorite voice recorder. The students exercised on the floor.
The two met during a break and had lunch together.
From the report that Shiro dealt with haiku in class, came the story of a memory of Ichigen Miwa.
"I guess he couldn't see the notebook about to break. Since then, I've been able to store Ichigen-sama's haikus without losing them. Of course, it's also stored in the cloud, right? However, Ichigen-sama's haikus you hear on this tape recorder is the best."
Shiro, who was a bit drawn to power and enthusiasm, had a warm expression,
"Well, Ichigen Miwa was a good person."
He commented on that without any problem. Kuro was serious. Shiro suddenly had a gentle look,
"What about you? Haven't you done your haiku yet?"
Kuro had an expression like remembering something.
"That's how it is."
At the time of the final battle with Mishakuji Yukari, he involuntarily uttered words like Miwa.
Perhaps the moment Miwa was saying had already arrived at that point.
"It may be a good idea to study everything I can from now on. To remember those days."
He suddenly said that with a simple feeling.
"Yes."
Shiro kindly said...
"I will support you, Kuro."
"Thanks, Shiro."
Kuro replied like this. From now on, he wanted to live with Shiro and Neko and infuse his own haiku into the voice recorder in the same amount as the haiku left by Ichigen Miwa.
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kittycatkrissa · 4 years
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See You Again (Aizawa Shouta x Reader)
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Hey everyone! Here is my addition to the very first BNHA Hangout SFW writing collab! The prompt was firsts! This fic is pure teeth rotting fluff so i hope you enjoy! Thank you @ohmycolie for being such a patient and wonderful beta!
Please take a look at the rest of the fics in the collab: Here
CW: Horny thoughts, established reader quirk
Word count: 6.1k
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The only thing that got Aizawa Shouta through his demanding work weeks were his days off. Between teaching during the day and his underground hero career most nights, he was thankful when his off days lined up so he could do things he enjoyed, like sleep. Shouta didn't have many hobbies, he was a simple man who enjoyed simple pleasures; those included: sleep, coffee, and cats.
The only person who loved days off as much as Shouta did was his cat Tomato. The fluffy red Maine Coone was named by his son Hitoshi and spoiled to death. Tomato adored when Shouta was there, often trying to get him to stay home from work. The cat learned how to turn off his alarms and often lay his heavy body on Shouta's chest at night. When Shouta had a day off, he turned his alarm off and curled around the fluffy cat and slept until one of them needed to eat. 
Shouta awoke one morning to Tomato's massive paw on his forehead and a loud, rumbling meow to let him know that his spoiled cat was hungry. Shouta groaned softly, suddenly realizing why Hitoshi didn't take the cat when he moved out. The insufferable spoiled brat continued to bap at his forehead until Shouta opened his eyes. 
"Tomato-chan, I wish you would stop hitting me." The cat meowed once more now that his master was awake and sat up, looking sternly at the brunette. Shouta sighed softly and pushed himself up, simultaneously scooping up Tomato and sliding off the bed. Shouta padded quietly into the kitchen, feeling Tomato settle down as he placed his pet on the counter. He went to the fridge and pulled out the ingredients for breakfast, salmon, eggs, rice, some vegetables, and some cooked chicken that he would mix with Tomato's plate. 
He talked to Tomato as he cooked, eventually serving their breakfasts. Tomato got his water bowl filled up, and Shouta had made a fresh pot of coffee, which he was enjoying as he watched his cat eat. Once they were both finished, Shouta stood to wash the dishes, watched Tomato walk over to him and headbutt his hand in thanks, and hop off the counter to find a sunny place to sleep. Shouta chuckled as he walked away with his fluffy tail in the air, returning to the dishes. As he finished and dried his hands, his phone dinged, notifying him of a text. Picking up his phone, he noticed the text message from his best friend, fellow teacher, and pro hero, Yamada Hizashi. 
"SHOUTAAA I found this cute little cafe on one of my patrols! I found their website, and I thought you might like it!" After the text was sent, a link to what Shouta assumed was the website for the new cafe appeared. He sent Hizashi a quick thanks and clicked the link. Once the link loaded Shouta couldn't believe what he saw on the screen, it was a website for a cat cafe that was a few neighborhoods over. 
Shouta bit his lip as he read through the website, looking at pictures of all the cats that lived at the cafe and reading their menu. He loved a good cafe, and the menu seemed full of sweet and savory items along with special home-brewed coffee drinks. The coffee made him decide to go, Shouta was a sucker for a good hand drip coffee, and soon he was going into his bedroom to get dressed. 
He decided on a dark pair of jeans and a black sweater, and with a pat on the head, he bid goodbye to Tomato and went on his way. The cafe's journey was quick, he knew his way around the city from his patrols, and he decided to walk there. The trip was pleasant and uneventful, just as he liked his days off and soon he arrived at the cafe. The outside was charming, with a sign covered with cats and coffee beans. He could see that there weren't many people inside as he went in, hearing the bell above the door announcing his arrival. 
"Welcome to Kitten Coffee! Please enjoy your time here." There was a bright shout from behind the counter as he saw a barista pop up, holding a kitten on their shoulder. Shouta nodded at the barista, not quite ready to order yet as he looked around the cafe. There were several cats and many surfaces and shelves for them to climb and lay upon. No cats came up to him immediately, which was expected, cats were skittish creatures, and he already smelled like one. Shouta planned on staying a while, and he wondered if any cats would come near him during his stay here. 
After a moment, he walked up to the counter to look up at the menu. He liked all the adorable art on the chalkboard style menu they had. The barista stood back, and Shouta looked down, he had an idea of what he wanted to order, but once he saw your smile, all conscious thought left his head.
You stood back, idly cleaning the counters as you watched the customer looking around the cafe. He was handsome and seemed to be infatuated with the cats you housed here. You couldn't help but stare as he came up to the counter, thankfully too distracted by the menu to notice you watching him. The angles of his face were a thing of beauty, perfectly sculpted to even his face out. 
"What can I get you, Sir?" When your eyes met, a blush settled over your face, and you couldn't help but notice that he had one that matched. You saw him looking up at the menu, obviously avoiding your gaze as he stuttered out his order. His deep, velvety voice sent shivers through you even as he stuttered through ordering a black coffee, a sweet pastry, and a savory one. When he was finished speaking, he looked down at you again, and his face flared red. You watched the skin under his stubble turn red and creep across his nose until the whole lower half of his face was a pretty pink.
"Oh! Right away, Sir, would you like to sit down and I'll bring your food out to you?" You asked him politely, trying to hide the fact that you were just staring at him. You looked at the tablet that you used to ring up his purchase and pressed the required buttons to bring up the total for payment. "May I have your name for your order?" You asked, trying to sound as confident as possible.
"Shouta." You tried not to swoon as he said his name and handed over his credit card, which you swiped to pay for his items. You forced your hands not to shake as you passed him the card back, his fingers touched yours as he took it. Was that on purpose? You looked up from your hands where you caught him looking at you. Your fingers burned where he touched you, and you watched his lip quiver before it opened.
"What's your name?" The words spilled out of Shouta's mouth before he could think about them. He knew that you were only asking his name to type it into the register, but he couldn't help the burning desire to know yours. He watched as your cheeks flared an even prettier red that crept up to your hairline. 
"Y-Y/n...My name is Y/n." You stuttered out, avoiding his gaze by turning to select a cup for his coffee. You heard his deep voice break the silence once again, the timbre of it sent a slight shiver up your spine. "It's nice to meet you, Y/n." 
You heard his footsteps as he walked away. Once you found the courage to look up, you saw he had chosen a table in the corner and was occupied with one of your more curious kittens who was creeping its way towards him. From such a distance, you could admire him easier, how the light caught the angles of his face, and how his stubble caused just enough of a shadow to make him look a tiny bit menacing. The kettle beeped, signaling the hot water was ready. The other components to the coffee were set, so you lifted the kettle and started pouring the water over the filter. Your hands were steady. You focused on making sure all the grounds were saturated with water, so focused that you didn't even notice Shouta had been watching you.
The kitten that he was attempting to call over had relented and hopped up onto the table. Shouta was overjoyed and allowed the cat to sniff him before it crawled into his lap. Cats were his favorite creatures to make friends with, and this one warmed right up to him, purring away like a freight train as it settled down for a nap. He made a mental note to ask you this kitten's name as his fingers scratched idly behind his ears. He heard a beep break the silence, and his gaze flitted over to the counter, where he caught you lifting the kettle to pour his coffee. Hand drip had to be his favorite type of coffee, it was a lost art form, and not many people knew how to do it right. Shouta was confident in your skills, if only because Hizashi had recommended this place to him. He might have been an idiot, but the blond would never recommend his best friend to a cafe with bad coffee. He watched how focused you were, how you bit your lip so intently between your teeth as you watched coffee drip into the cup. 
Once you were satisfied with the coffee, you set the kettle back onto the hot plate before going to the case to pull out his pastries. You set them on a tray and popped them in a small toaster oven for a few seconds, knowing they would taste better warm. The oven beeped as you picked out two small plates and set them and his coffee on a tray. With the pastries set down, you lifted the tray and carried it out to his table. 
"Shouta? Your order is ready!" You said as you set the tray down. You stood up straight and bowed to him in thanks before turning to walk away. Before you could fully turn, you felt a hand close around your wrist, causing you to turn back around. 
"Wait, Y/n, would you mind sitting with me? I would love your company." You heard the nervous waver in his voice but saw the genuine emotion in his dark eyes. You were taken aback, never having been asked such a thing before. You heard yourself stuttering out acceptance and pulled out the opposite chair. 
Your fingers found the edge of your apron nervously as you watched him push the sweet pastry across the table, so it sat between you two. One of your older cats hopped up into your lap, he loved it when you sat down and took every opportunity to cuddle with you. 
Those nervous fingers moved to your cat's ears as he settled down with a heavy purr, the vibrations easing your nerves a little. You found yourself able to look up at him, noticing how he watched you, and you offered a smile which he returned. "Tell me about yourself." You finally heard him ask. You looked down at the table, then to the kitty taking up most of your lap before looking up again. "Geez, I wouldn't even know what to say. I like cats... I always wanted like 20 of them when I was little. I think this is the only way that I can get away with owning that many." You chuckled softly but stopped when you heard him laugh. The sound warmed you right through, it was like warm tea with honey right down into your core.  
"That was one of my lifetime goals, too, to own as many cats as possible, alas, I only have one." You heard him say as he pulled out his phone. Set as his lock screen was a picture of a purple-haired young man with a big red cat in his lap. "That's Tomato, the one holding him is my son." 
Shouta smiled fondly, looking at the picture for a moment before looking up to gauge your reaction. You thought the picture was adorable. The cat was obviously very loved, and Shouta must care about both subjects very much to show them off as he did. 
"He's so cute and fluffy!" You exclaimed with a soft awww. Shouta smiled and put his phone down to look back up at you. "He's a spoiled brat, but I love him." You nodded in agreement, most cats were very spoiled. 
You both started picking at the pastry as you talked, breaking the ice proved to make the conversation easier. Shouta told you about his work as a teacher and a hero, and you told him about how you owned this cafe. You found you both loved cats and coffee, despised most people, loved sleep, and the comforts of solitude. You found him quite attractive, and his love for your cats only made you like him more. 
The conversation flew by, and soon both plates were empty as well as his coffee. "Oh! Oh my, I hadn't even realized how late it got!" You stuttered self consciously, feeling bad for keeping him here for so long. He only chuckled as he stood up, lifting the empty plates and cup and walking them to the counter. 
"I enjoyed every moment of it, Y/n." He said with confidence, much more than he had at the start of the conversation. You blushed and lifted the sleeping cat in your arms, bringing him to his favorite spot on the window. 
"I really enjoyed it too Shouta, I'm delighted that you came in today." You admitted bravely, walking around the counter to take the dirty plates from him and set them in the sink. You turned to face him as you rolled up your sleeves, intent on getting the dishes washed before you closed for the day. You noticed him leaning against the counter, watching you with an appreciative smile. Before you could ask why he was staring, he leaned forward on the counter and looked right at you. 
"I would like to see you again, maybe tonight?" Shouta asked, his eyes holding your gaze as all traces of nervousness from earlier disappeared. You paused on rolling your sleeves up to tilt your head in confusion, looking around comically as if you thought he might have been talking to someone else in the empty cafe. 
"You want to see me again?" You sputtered, thinking that this was way too good to be true. You watched him smile as that adorable blush settled over your cheeks once more. 
"Of course, you, there's no one else here, pretty girl." His obvious flirtatious comment made your cheeks flare an even brighter red. You searched his face for any sign that he was joking; instead, you saw a fierce look in his eyes telling you he wasn't.
Shouta searched your face for any sign of an answer as his stomach turned self consciously, betraying his confident facade. There was something about you that made him want to get to know you more, and he absolutely could not let this opportunity slip through his fingers.
"I'll cook you dinner at my place?" He tried to bribe you with a home-cooked meal. The offer of homemade food tempted you very much. You had been cooking for yourself for ages. The thought of having a meal that someone else made was too good an opportunity to pass up. 
"Welllll, ok. I close at 6 pm, and I like Italian food." You relented and accepted his offer for a date, your body buzzing with excitement. You lived close to your shop to easily go home and shower with enough time for your date. You watched Shouta's eyes light up with happiness as he shot up from his leaned over position and grinned. 
"I can't wait. I live nearby, how about you meet me at my place at seven?" He thought that should give him enough time to go grocery shopping, clean his house, then meet you. 
"I live nearby too, seven sounds great. I can't wait to see you again." You admitted with a shy smile that made his heart flutter. He handed you his phone, which you programmed your number into, promising to text you before he left to get ready for tonight. You waved him out with a huge grin, eager to close and meet him. 
The rest of your day was easy. Some of your regulars came in, consisting of some teens from a local high school who stopped by for sweets after cram school and some salarymen who came for a light snack before their trip home on the train. At five o'clock, you started to clean up, this included coaxing all the cats into the backroom where their beds were and made sure that they were all fed and their litter boxes cleaned out before you closed up.
Your thoughts strayed to Shouta multiple times before the end of your day, how easy it was to talk to him and how sweet and funny he was. As you thought about him, you felt the nerves creeping in, what if today was just a fluke? What if after the date he realized that he didn't like you? As you locked the door to the cafe and walked the couple blocks to your apartment, doubt and worry swirled in your belly. Anytime you tried to date someone it always fell through, you chalked it up to how boring you thought you were. All you really did was run your cafe and take care of your cats, you didn't really do anything exciting aside from watch anime. As you walked home, you tried to psych yourself up, slapping your face a couple of times to give yourself a little confidence. You were going to make the most out of this date, and if it didn't work out, then at least you would get a good home-cooked meal from it. 
Shouta walked out of the cat cafe feeling lighter than air, he half wondered if Hizashi set him up on purpose and decided to ask him later. As he walked, he realized that he didn't have any recipes for Italian food. All the pasta he cooked were usually from convenience stores. He pulled out his phone and began looking up recipes, eventually finding a recipe for easy-sounding meat sauce. Shouta stopped by the grocery store on his way home, finally coming out laden with bags that he had to carry home. He cursed himself for getting too much but was able to get everything back home easily enough. 
Tomato was very happy when Shouta arrived home, the furball heard the movement from beyond the door. It sat inside the apartment, staring and meowing until the door opened, and the brunette walked through. 
"Hi Tomato-Chan, I missed you too" Shouta chuckled softly as he kicked off his shoes to put on his house slippers, feeling the cat wind around his feet as he walked to the kitchen. Tomato jumped up on the large kitchen island and sat watching curiously as the man unpacked everything from the store. 
"I have a date tonight, Tomato-Chan, she's beautiful, and she loves cats. I think you'll like her." The brunette busied himself with putting away his groceries, separating the ingredients that he would need for the recipe as he spoke to Tomato. The cat watched Shouta move around the space with intelligent eyes, meowing softly in response. His big fluffy tail swished back and forth on the marble surface. 
After the groceries were put away in their respective places, he put on a pot of coffee, knowing that he would need it after cleaning his house. Not that it was dirty per se, it's just that Shouta wasn't the neatest person. He walked about, picking up the clothes and things that lay around and went to put on a load of laundry. He cleaned Tomato's litter box and swept and mopped the floors. Tomato followed his owner around the house, mewling curiously as he had hardly ever seen Shouta be so energetic. Usually, the loud blond or the tall lady with the black hair came over and cleaned. At the same time, his owner slept, the cat deduced that something important must be happening. The very intelligent cat attempted to help by finding his toys littered all over the house and bringing them to pile in his bed. He took the opportunity to sneak one or two of Shouta's socks out of the laundry room to add to his collection.
Shouta smiled as he watched the cat helping him clean, vowing to give him some extra treats tonight. Shouta retired to the kitchen to have some coffee and start cooking; it was just after six, and as time crawled by, he was getting more and more nervous. The hero didn't often date, and between teaching and being a hero, he didn't have the time, which was probably why Hizashi tried to set him up so much. The recipe was simple, and soon the house was filled with the delicious smell of the pasta.
Tomato had curled up on the marble island as Shouta cooked, he loved watching his owner cook and do things. Soon, Shouta turned down the bubbling sauce and went to take a shower and change clothes. Despite how much he wanted to put on sweatpants, he got into a pair of jeans and a fitted sweater. It got dangerously close to seven o'clock. 
You looked up from getting dressed to see you had received a message from Shouta, he sent you his address. You smiled, realizing that he wasn't that far from you at all, you decided to walk there, and if it got too late, you could take a taxi home. You chose one of your favorite and more comfortable outfits, a pair of dark jeans, and a light blouse with your favorite hoodie on top. It was black and had cat ears on the hood, and you wore it all the time. As seven came closer, you slipped on your shoes and made your way to Shouta's place. 
Shouta was just finishing up when the doorbell rang. He looked at his clock, seeing the hands just ticking seven p.m. He smiled and quickly washed his hands before walking to the door to answer it. 
If angels sang and doves flew past his head when he opened the door, he wouldn't have noticed as just how cute you were had struck him completely dumb. If you didn't look attractive enough in the apron you were wearing earlier, your jeans and hoodie made you look absolutely adorable. He didn't even notice until you looked up at him with a smile that the hood of your sweater was in the shape of cat ears. His eyes widened, and a blush covered his face as you looked up at him with a smile, holding up the box of pastry that you had brought from your shop. Your eyes roved up his form and admired how his sweater and jeans hugged his body. 
"Hi Shouta, thanks for inviting me over. I brought some sweets from the shop!" You handed him the bag as he invited you in. He had laid out a pair of slippers for you, and you were surprised to see they had little cats on them and slipped them on after taking off your shoes.
"Oh um..thank you, Y/n, and thanks for coming over. Dinner is ready." He took the bag, trying to cover up his blush and how he was staring. You stepped inside now, clad in the slippers, and walked on into the kitchen, eyes widening in surprise as you saw the space. There was a huge marble island in the middle of it that had two place settings. The lights were dim, and there were what looked like flickering candles on the countertop between then two place settings. 
"Oh..Oh my Shouta, it's lovely.." you murmured as you stepped closer, realizing the candles were actually flameless. You assumed that was because of the cat, and your heart fluttered a little at the idea that he was such a loving cat owner. Shouta moved around you into the kitchen to set the box of pastries on the counter then guided you to sit down at the counter. 
"I don't have guests over that often, so I don't have a dining table or anything, I thought this would be alright." He explained sheepishly. You thought it was perfect, it didn't seem too big or too small for him. 
"Would you like some wine?" You watched him pull out a bottle and uncork it, offering you some. You nodded, lifted the glass in front of your place setting, and held it steady as he poured some inside. You watched as he poured himself half a glass then put the bottle down on the counter. 
He held the glass up towards you then took a drink, you did the same and then set the glass down. You leaned your elbows on the counter, watching him serve the food onto two plates and bowls. He had the sleeves of his sweater pushed up, and you watched the muscles and veins move beneath his skin with rapt attention. You watched as he served salad and pasta into some bowls, his precise movements making you blush as you imagined what else he could do with those hands. You didn't notice a big fluffy red cat had jumped up onto the countertop and was staring at you in all your staring. 
"You're staring, you know."
You heard an intelligent mewl and looked up to see a big fluffy red cat watching you with its head tilted. You jumped and scowled at him with a pout as you crossed your arms over your chest. 
"I was not staring! I was just...watching..intently," You answered.
Shouta raised his brows and turned at your voice, seeing you glaring at Tomato while his cat watched you with those intelligent eyes. 
"Tomato-Chan, don't be rude, this is the guest I was telling you about earlier. Is he rude to you? I swear he's such a troublemaker." 
The cat flicked his tail upward and seemed to smirk as he turned his head towards the tall brunette and mewled again. 
"She's the rude one, staring at you like some kind of exhibit."
"I was not staring!" You frowned again and blushed softly, grumbling back at the cat with another glare. Shouta watched you talk to Tomato like he did, but he thought this was different; the cat tilted his head and responded. It seemed like you two were actually talking. 
"Y/n...can you..understand him?" Shouta asked gently. He came over and set a salad bowl in front of each of you before taking his seat. You blushed and looked down, picking at your hands nervously. This was where your dates always went bad; if they didn't think you were weird already, your quirk sealed the deal. 
"Um..yea I can..it's my quirk, I can talk to cats." You admitted with a sigh, looking down at your lap, thinking for sure that Shouta would call you an obsessed maniac or something equally horrible. 
"You.. you can talk to cats..?" You heard Shouta say. You looked up at him to see him leaning over the counter with wonder in his eyes. "Tomato-Chan! Is this true?!" He asked the cat, who nodded his head. Shouta's eyes were wide with amazement, out of all the quirks he came across during his life he had discovered his favorite. Shouta bombarded you with questions. You slowly realized that he didn't think you were a freak or had a useless quirk; in fact, this seemed to interest him even more than before. 
As the two of you ate, you opened up to him more and explained how you discovered your quirk on a school trip to the zoo when you were ten. You said hi to the big lion in the cage, and it walked right up to you and started talking back. You had quite the conversation before your teachers tried to get you away from the cage, thinking that the lion would try to hurt you. After the trip, the teacher told your mom, and she took you to an animal shelter to test their theory, and it turned out you could talk to cats. Of course, that trip ended with you taking a cat home, and you had been in love ever since. 
Before you knew it, you had both finished your salads, and Shouta was getting up to serve the pasta he had made. The cat that you now realized was Tomato, had laid down on the other end of the counter, keeping you both company as you ate. When Shouta turned around to busy himself with the food again, Tomato had gotten up and moved toward you, lifting a paw to bap your forehead.
"He likes you too, you know."
Your eyes widened up at the cat, and you blushed a bright red and glanced at Shouta, whose back was turned toward you. 
"I.. how do you..? I mean wait, what? He does? Really?" You whispered to the cat who laid down closer to you, flicking his tail back and forth. 
"Yes, he does, he never talks to anyone this much."
You looked over at Shouta, who had just turned around to place two delicious-looking bowls of pasta down in front of you. You blushed a deep red and looked down at your bowl, your thoughts racing in your head. Did Shouta really like you? You couldn't believe it, and to find out from his cat of all people. 
You couldn't help but glance up to watch Shouta as he ate. So many thoughts had run through your head from the moment you met him, he was handsome, polite, liked the same things that you did, didn't think you were a creepy cat lady, and was impressed by your useless quirk. The fact that his cat confessed how much his owner actually liked you was topping on the cake. 
"Y/n, are you ok? You're not feeling sick, are you? You haven't touched your food." Shouta asked, sounding a little concerned. You jumped at the sound of his voice, glancing at Tomato, who was snickering smugly.
"I really like you too! EEP!" You shrieked at the end, covering the lower half of your face with your hands and lowering it in embarrassment. You didn't mean to say it, you just didn't want Shouta to think there was something wrong. Shouta stared at you, his face turning a mottled red as he watched you peek at him from between your fingers. You…you liked him? He was slightly confused about how you could have figured out that he liked you until he saw the smug look on his cat's face. 
In Tomato's defense he knew how shy his owner was and that he would probably never tell Y/n how much he liked her. He felt he only did Shouta a favor by telling her first. Shouta glared at his cat, who bapped his forehead with a heavy paw. 
"I guess since he already told you I might as well say it. I was afraid I would scare you by confessing how much I liked you right away." Shouta looked up, looking into your eyes.
"I know this is an..unorthodox first date. I don't think you're supposed to confess how much you like the person before dinner is finished." He chuckled ironically, flashing you a sheepish smile that melted your heart. 
"This may sound cliche, but as soon as we began talking today, I knew that I had to see you again. You're sweet, funny, caring, and well...I think you're quite attractive." He blushed and stabbed at the food on his plate. Shouta's confession made you smile; this was definitely unlike any first date you had ever been on. 
"I must say that I've never been on a date like this before...Most people I date think I'm weird, either because of how many cats I have or because of my quirk. I haven't been on a date in ages. When you walked into my cafe today...God, I thought you were so handsome, it was like a dream when you asked me to sit with you." You admitted, twirling the pasta on your fork distractedly. 
"I'm having a lovely time, I really like you and Tomato-Chan too, and I would love to see you again. How about next time I cook for you?" You asked hopefully, lifting your fork and popping some food into your mouth. You watched Shouta's eyes widen slightly before the corners wrinkled as he smiled. 
"I would like that a lot." He answered. The tension in the room dissipated. The two of you ate as the conversation flew by without any of that typical first date awkwardness. You discovered that Shouta wasn't much of a cook usually and surprised himself by how good this meal turned out. You talked about your lives, about your dreams, and his teaching and hero job. 
You found his hero work so fascinating, he told you about his quirk and how he used it when he fought villains. He became very animated when he told you about his students, you could tell that he cared for them very deeply. You knew that you made the correct decision to accept his offer for a date. It was apparent that Shouta cared very deeply about people in every aspect of his life, a quality you thought was incredibly valuable. You enjoyed yourself so much that you hadn't even realized how late it had gotten, soon the box of pastries you brought was empty, and you were exhausted. 
"I should get going, I open really early," you admitted, knowing that you had to be there early to bake everything fresh. Shouta smiled as he cleaned up the countertop, tossing the garbage and wiping the surface down with a sponge. 
"I work tomorrow, but how about I come for a cup of coffee after school?" He asked, hopefully, making you grin as you gathered your purse. 
"I would like that! I'll prepare a special snack for you." You blushed in embarrassment but couldn't wait to see him again. As he walked you to the door, you tapped at your phone to call a cab. 
"So...I'll see you tomorrow?" you asked, seeing your cab was around the corner. He smiled and helped you down the step into the genkan to put your shoes on. He slipped into his and walked you outside to wait for the cab with you. 
"See you tomorrow, I'll text you when school lets out." He promised, seeing a vehicle slowing down and pulling up in front of his house. Shouta waved to the driver, who waved back and set his car to idle as he waited. 
"I can't wait, thank you for dinner Shouta, it was delicious." 
"I'm glad you enjoyed it, Y/n," Shouta said softly, watching as you went to turn to get in the cab. He reached down and gripped your hand, pulling you back for a moment. Before he could regret what he was about to do, he kissed your lips gently. 
You squeaked in surprise, not expecting to be pulled back or dragged right into a kiss. Your eyes widened as you felt how soft Shouta's lips were, directly contrasting how rough the stubble on his cheeks and chin were. He brought his free hand up to cup your cheek, stroking it softly with his thumb before he pulled away. You blinked up at him in surprise before you saw him smile down at you. 
"Good night, Y/n, text me when you get home, ok?" You nodded at him, standing in shock for a moment before you remembered the cab. A blush settled over your cheeks as you bid good night to Shouta with a promise to text him when you got home and slipped into the cab. 
You were in a kiss filled daze the entire ride home, letting your fingers ghost over your lips as you still somehow felt the pressure from his. After you texted Shouta that you arrived home and bid him good night, you got into bed and was suddenly way more excited to go to work tomorrow.
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sparkie96 · 4 years
Note
24, age difference
“24: I’ve never met someone who makes me feel like this.”
For the first time in a long time, Leon felt butterflies in his stomach. The college student picked up another box and carried it into the ranch style home. He had recently moved out of his dorm, and Ark had moved out as well due to a situation that nearly got Leon and Ark killed. 
And Leon felt like it had been his fault, despite everyone telling him otherwise. Sure, he didn’t lead Curtis Miller on or even show interest, but had he turned him in for stalking earlier, Curtis wouldn’t have broken into their dorm, hurt Ark and then nearly raped Leon. 
Good thing Chris hadn’t been too far from the campus and good thing Leon had been in the middle of a call with him when Curtis broke in. Chris had come from a hang-out with his own companions and taught Curtis a lesson, with his fists, before the cops showed up. The Scientist had been arrested and Leon and Ark had been checked out, Chris holding Leon protectively, reassuring him that Curtis would be going away for a while. 
Sadly, the courts disagreed, saying that Curtis needed help and something like this could “ruin a man’s future and reputation”, having done good work outside of just teaching a College Forensics and Sciences Class. He had been put on house-arrest, but Leon didn’t feel safe and he feared for himself and Ark. 
So, Ark had been moved into Piers and Finn’s apartment way off-campus, but still close enough to attend classes, and Leon moved in with Chris, not wanting to move back in with his mother and worrying her even more. She was strong, but he didn’t want to add to whatever was going on in her own life. Leon hugged Ark and promised to hang-out and game like nothing ever happened, even scheduling to set-up for their YouTube videos. Ark holding him to that. 
Which is how Leon ended up here, after a long truck ride to Chris’s house. He didn’t live as close to the campus as Piers and Finn, but it was still reasonably close. The house was in a quiet neighborhood, the residents needing to use a keycard to get into the community. There was a pool and playground, as well as a sort of Sports Club or something that held the gym, yoga classes and even a daycare center. 
All in all, Leon didn’t picture Chris living in such a normal area. The man explained that it made him feel a bit better and admittedly safer. Normal even, due to how his not-so normal job made him feel. 
Leon was also pleasantly surprised to learn that Chris had two dogs. A very big German Shepherd named Brutus, who stood on guard and watched Leon’s every move. Chris also had a shorter and chubbier English Bulldog named Flash. He was a bit more laid back and lazy, but a happy dog that seemingly loved Leon already, following Leon in and out of the house as he unpacked his things in the main bedroom. 
“Brutus is actually my friend DC’s dog,” Chris explained once Leon got settled in, “But DC and his family are visiting family in Denver and asked me to watch him for the week." 
Leon smiled, having changed into sweats and a sweatshirt, before sitting on the couch. An "oof!” left the younger as Flash dashed at the couch, nearly tackling the college student and sitting in Leon’s lap. Leon giggled as Flash showered him in kisses. 
“I think Flash likes you.” Chris chuckled.
“I like him too.” Leon laughed, petting the dog’s head before looking at Brutus, who simply watched from afar, “Brutus on the other hand…I don’t think he likes me." 
Chris waved toward Brutus, petting the dog’s head fondly, the German Shepherd making a sound of acknowledgement, "He’s not sure what to make of you. He used to be a combat and search and rescue canine for the BSAA, though he was mostly used with human targets. He’ll figure out that you’re not here to hurt anyone and he’ll warm up to you." 
Leon smiled as he continued to pet Flash, accepting Chris’s hands as the man gently shooed Flash away and helped Leon off of the couch, "Why don’t I give you a proper tour?" 
Leon beamed as he got up, following Chris around as the man showed him where everything was. He had seen and known about a lot of this stuff due to how often he stayed over, but it was the first time seeing Chris’s office, garage, basement / family room. He even got to see the pool and the small hide-out shed. Just in case Claire or someone volunteered his home for the next Christmas Party or something. 
"I also kind of, sort of, have a fortified "panic room”.“ Chris admitted sheepishly, "That’s in the basement behind the freezer. That’s also where one of my gun safes is." 
Leon gave a curious look, "Panic Room? And one of your gun stages? How many do you have?" 
Chris gave a nervous chuckle and scratched the back of his neck, ”…uh…maybe I shouldn’t tell you. You would think I was weird, especially if you found out where they were.“ 
"Well, given what you do, I think it would be pretty rational.” Leon pointed out, “C'mon, you can tell me." 
Chris gave a contemplating look before giving a defeated sigh, ”…I have a gun safe in the basement, two in the living room, one in each of my bedside tables, one in the office and one in the shed. I also always have a weapon in reach…even in the bathroom.“ 
Leon blinked, taking a moment to process the information before giving a small shrug, "Well…gotta always be prepared." 
Chris raised a brow and a small smile, "Really?" 
Leon gave a nod, "Yup. So, no one would mess with you if they broke into your home.” He reassured the elder.
That made Chris’s smile even bigger, and Leon couldn’t get enough of it or the man who wore it. Leon couldn’t deny that he kind of looked up to Chris in a way…admired him even. This man was the one he never wanted to lose and he would be damned if he let anyone hurt him. 
…was it weird to inadvertently threaten harm to anyone who dared hurt a man he was only dating? It wasn’t weird, right? 
After another brief tour of the house, Chris and Leon had decided that it was time to start making dinner. Leon felt like they were in sync as he and Chris both agreed on grilling up some burgers and hot dogs for dinner. Luckily, Chris had some ground beef in the freezer and a pack of hot dogs in the drawer in the fridge. He also picked up some rolls ahead of time, thinking of making burgers and dogs earlier this week. 
He and Leon had a grand old time in the kitchen making the burgers and cutting up some vegetables. Chris playfully scolded Leon, telling the younger to stop eating all the pickles or else he wouldn’t have any leftover for dinner. 
“Any preferences on how you like your burgers?” Chris asked, firing up the grill. 
Leon sat at the patio table, enjoying the sun and the nice weather that they had been having recently. He tapped his chin thoughtfully, “Hm…I usually get mine done medium rare.” He admitted, “So, I guess medium rare.” 
Chris chuckled, “A man after my own heart.” 
Leon beamed up at him, watching as Chris threw the patties and the hot dogs on the grill. Flash and Brutus sat at Chris’s feet, Brutus taking on a guard position while Flash stared up at the man, waiting for him to drop some food. 
Leon chuckled, “I think you got yourself an audience.” 
The elder laughed as well, “Yeah, Flash is my grilling buddy because he usually gets something out of it.” Chris looked down at the bulldog, “But Stacy at the vet says I can’t give you anymore table food because you’re supposed to be on a diet, buddy.” 
Flash made a noise that was a mix of a groan and a whine of disapproval, a chubby paw gently scratching at Chris’s pant-leg. Chris gave him a look, and then a smile, cutting one of the hot dogs in half. He blew on one of the halves before handing it to the dog, Flash happily and excitedly gobbling it up. Chris patted him on his head, telling the dog not to tell Stacy. Chris looked to Brutus handing him the other half. Brutus turned his nose at it at first, taking another sniff before gently taking it from Chris’s fingers. He ate his more slowly, only eating a part of it before leaving the other piece untouched. Flash sneakily waddled over and ate the rest of it. 
Chris looked to Leon over his shoulder, “You saw nothing.” he chuckled. 
Leon canted his head with a mock look of confusion, “Saw what?” 
“Exactly.” 
The burgers and hot dogs were done in no time, Chris and Leon having dinner outside. Once the table was set and the grill was turned off, Chris sat across from Leon. They served each other food, talking about what they liked and didn’t like on their burgers and hot dogs, Leon poking fun at the fact that Chris liked relish and mustard on his hot dogs but not ketchup. Chris on the other hand couldn’t understand why Leon didn’t like relish at all. 
“You like pickles, right?” Chris asked. 
Leon gave a nod, digging into his hot dog first, chewing and swallowing before speaking, “Yup.” 
“Well, it’s pretty much the same thing…just mashed.” Chris explained.
“No it’s not.” Leon disagreed, wrinkling his nose, “It’s more like a sweetened cucumber mash with a weird taste and an even weirder aftertaste.” 
Chris gave a playful look of disbelief, “You’re crazy.” 
They gave each other serious looks before breaking out into a fit of laughter, the laughter dying down into chuckles before they both sighed, staring at each other lovingly while they ate. Leon turned away first, a rosy blush on his cheeks and a shy smile on his lips. He felt his heart flutter in his chest and felt like there were butterflies fluttering around in his stomach. 
Unbeknownst to Leon, Chris felt the same, a happy smile on his own lips and a fluttering feeling in his chest and stomach. He couldn’t believe that any of this was real, that this beautiful man loved him and actually felt comfortable enough to move in with him. He trusted him enough to let Chris handle the asshole harassing him. Chris would never let anything happen to Leon. He would protect him. He loved him. 
They looked up at each other once more, “I-oh…” They said at the same time, but stopped to let the other speak. 
“You first.” Chris insisted. 
Leon smiled, “I wanted to thank you…for everything. For always being there and helping me…and with Curtis. I don’t know what I would do without you.” 
Chris smiled as well, a light blush on his cheeks at the younger’s admission, “I don’t know what I would do without you either…I’ve never met someone who made me feel this way…” 
The college student reached over and set his hand on top of Chris’s, turning it over to hold it in his own, making Chris flush an even deeper shade of red, “I love you.” Leon admitted. 
Chris looked up at him with surprised eyes. Though, he didn’t know why he was surprised, he had always sort of known. He just hadn’t expected Leon to say it first. 
He gently squeezed Leon’s hand in return, bringing it to his lips and kissing the back of it softly, “I love you too, Leon.” 
Leon sat up a bit straighter in his chair, a smile that was both one of relief and happiness on his lips. He leaned forward slightly, pulling Chris’s hand to his own lips and doing the same. It was their own little ritual in a way. Their own way of letting the other that they loved them without always saying it out loud. They didn’t need to say it out loud for it to be true. They just knew. 
After giving each other one more reassuring squeeze, they went back to eating their dinners, talking about plans for the upcoming weekend. 
——————
Ao3, Ko-Fi
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purplesurveys · 4 years
Text
831
When you were a kid...
Were you happy or sad when you found out your babysitter was coming? I didn’t have a babysitter. My grandparents took care of me and my siblings and cousins when we were growing up; and if they were both busy I was usually the one expected to care for everyone. Which was okay with me, since I was the most ~motherly~ one in our little group anyway.
Did you have a boyfriend in kindergarten? I studied in an all-girls school from kinder to high school. Outside of school, also no boyfriends. The boys at my neighborhood were super rowdy and hated girls, so I didn’t like hanging out with them.
Did you ever play hopscotch at school? For sure. I was a little mischievous - I would steal a bunch of chalk from the classroom so I can doodle a hopscotch court on school grounds for me and my friends to play on. I definitely wasn’t the most goody-two-shoes kid in the beginning, lol.
Did you refuse to eat your vegetables? Yeah, hated them. We have this local brand of instant noodles that have pieces of carrot in it, and I remember grouping all the tiny carrot bits at the edge of my plate. I didn’t learn to feed myself until I was around 8 or 9 though, so prior to that my elders would just include vegetables in all my meals and I’d have no choice.
What did you usually dress up as on Halloween? Some basic costume like a witch or pirate. My mom wasn’t super into Halloween and would just get us costume packs from the toy store. I wanna be the complete opposite for my kids.
What was your favorite television show? As a much younger kid I was into Hi-5. When I got a bit older I liked Pokemon, SpongeBob, The Fairly OddParents, My Life as a Teenage Robot, etc. Then when I got slightly older I started watching the real-life shows too, so like That’s So Raven, Suite Life, Drake and Josh, Zoey 101, Hannah Montana. Did you have D.E.A.R. time in school? (Drop Everything and Read) Yes, a few times each year. When I was still a bookworm it had been one of my favorite segments in school because I got to see other kids reading, which was my favorite hobby then. But by the time I was in high school and stopped reading, I remember always struggling to find a book to bring because I didn’t read anything anymore D: If I remember correctly, I think Athenna lent me most of the books I brought for DEAR time since at the time she was into John Green and YA in general. Did you ever read the 'Magic Treehouse' series? No. I googled it to see the cover, and I know as a kid it wouldn’t have interested me enough to pull it out of its shelf. How about the 'Bailey School Kids' series? Nope. Kids my age were into the Geronimo Stilton and Mr Men/Little Miss series. Do you remember the first movie you ever saw in theaters? Yes, it was a Stuart Little movie when I was maybe 3 or 4. I’m guessing it’s Stuart Little 2, because Google says it came out in 2002 and I was 4 years old then, so it checks out. Who was your best friend in elementary school? Angela was my best friend in some grades, but you know how kids are...once they vibe with someone else, they’ll hang out with them 24/7. Angela was a way more sociable kid so she got close with everyone, while I remained terrible at making friends. If she wasn’t my best friend at the time, I had no one. Did they continue to be your best friend in middle school? We don’t have middle school but I’ll guess that this is like Grade 6 and 7 for us? Anyway, no. ~Middle school~ was worse for me because this was when cliques started to form and material trends became the basis for being visible, e.g. owning a Blackberry, wearing Nike Roshes, getting side bangs lol, etc. I had none of those, so I was left behind both in terms of visibility and having friends. I only had a best friend again by the time I entered Grade 7, in which time I met Gabie and the ball started rolling from there. Did you ever watch 'The Land Before Time' movies? No, I didn’t. Did you ever watch the show 'Arthur'? I don’t think it aired here, so no. I did read Arthur books though; they were one of my favorites. Did the tooth fairy give you a lot of money? I honestly thought the tooth fairy was real. I never told my parents whenever a tooth would come out because I thought it was none of their business. That said, they just genuinely never knew to put money under my pillow because my dumbass never told them hahaha. I’ll never forget how crestfallen I was when I woke up to no money though. How often did you visit your nearest grandparents? I lived with them until I was 10. I only visited my other set of grandparents whenever my dad would come home from abroad, so I didn’t and haven’t ended up being close to them. Did you ever play with 'Little People' toys? Never heard of them but when I looked it up the toys looked familiar, so we probably did. How about Polly Pockets? Yes. Did you collect anything when you were a kid? Pokemon cards and pogs, heh. I also had my fair share of notebooks. Did you get an allowance? No, my parents didn’t teach me how money worked early on. I was a packed lunch kid until high school, and when I did ask for money I – and I’m not kidding – would only get a ₱20 bill, which was only enough to get me a tiny snack. What was your favorite sport to play? What is it now? Track, but then it shifted to table tennis when I joined the table tennis club initially out of peer pressure. What foods did you not like then that you do like now? Chicken curry, definitely. Were you into American Girl dolls? No. What was your first pet and what did you name it? It was a goldfish but I don’t remember whether I named it Goldie or Fishy, lol. Did you ever read the 'Junie B. Jones' books? No. What did you want to be when you were a kid? All the things I wante to be were astronaut, firefighter, veterinarian, and writer. What was your first word? Your first sentence? (If you remember) My parents didn’t keep track of either...I definitely would with my own kids. Have you moved into a new house since you were a kid? Yes, several times. When I was an infant we briefly lived with my dad’s parents in Manila. My mom couldn’t take the poverty and pollution there so we moved to a city in Rizal, where my mom’s parents + some extended family live in a duplex. At one point we switched houses in that duplex, and the unit that we switched to was where I lived for most of my childhood until we moved to our present house by the time I was 10. Were you friends with your neighbors? As a child, yeah. I was mostly friends with the girls though because like I said, the boys were super rowdy and sexist in that they never let us play basketball with them and stuff. Did you enjoy exploring your backyard? We didn’t have a backyard. Did you bake cookies with your grandparents? Sometimes! I would mix the dough and turn them into balls. :) What was your biggest fear when you were a kid? Flying cockroaches, because we had a lot of them in our old duplex unit. I also had an irrational fear of catching TV ads at night because I found them too loud and too vibrant. Who did you look up to most? My dad because I barely saw him as a kid. When he was lower down the ladder at his job he’d be gone six months and only stay with us for one. It wasn’t until I got to high school and he had a much higher position that he was away for only four months and home for one and a half.   Did you ever play the 'Reader Rabbit' computer games? I don’t think I’ve heard of that. Did you have a swing set in your backyard? No but we had a relative who had a playground at their place, and we’d go over there often. I spent a good amount of my childhood going as high as I can on their swings. How about a sandbox? Same relative had a sandbox too! It’s my favorite part of a playground and even during playtime in school I would usually be found alone in the sandbox. How old were you when you learned how to ride a bike? I’m 22 and still don’t know how... Did you ever spy on your neighbors through the window? Sometimes. Our houses were very close to each other and their open window is right across the part of our house that also has an open window, so sometimes we’ll fool around and peek. Were you a teacher's pet in kindergarten? No, but I gave my teachers a reason to remember me because I was the kid that peed their underwear everyday and had to go home in shorts. I’ve always been shy and even as a kid I was unable to ask permission to go to the washroom. Did you ever build a treehouse or a fort in your yard? No, ours was too small to build anything like that. Did you ever find anything interesting in your yard? No, just different types of bugs and caterpillars. Did you ever have 'themed birthdays'? Kinda? My 7th birthday party was mostly a plain, theme-less birthday party, but so much of the decorations and giveaways were Bratz-themed because I was into Bratz at the time. Did your parents let you drink soda? They would have let me but I personally never liked it. Did you ever watch 'The Powerpuff Girls' or 'Dexter's Laboratory'? I watched Powerpuff Girls but not Dexter’s Laboratory. Did you sleep with a blanket or stuffed animal? For the most part I preferred cuddling with a pillow. Did you ever have a night light? For some points in my childhood, yeah. Ultimately, I preferred lights out though. Did you watch 'Winnie the Pooh'? Nope, just read Winnie the Pooh books. Did you ever have an imaginary friend? What was their name? I named them Katrina but I wasn’t imaginative/creative enough, so when seven minutes passed after I created her and she still wasn’t talking back to me, I gave it up haha. What kinds of games did you play with your friends during Recess? Dodgeball was a favorite. We had a big field just right outside our classroom so we’d all go out, pick our teams, and play for the whole 30 minutes. We’d do it for lunch, too. Fortunately our teachers never barred us from playing, because I guess they knew it counts as exercise for us too. Did you dream of being a princess or did you not really care about that? Not really. I wanted to be an astronaut more haha. The only princess-y things I did were to wear my blanket around my neck like a cape, and to wear a tiara on my 7th birthday party. Did you have a special name for your pacifier? What was it? No. Did you watch 'Blues Clues'? Yesssssss. I grew up with Steve and Joe. It was such a fun show to watch. What kind of car did your parents have? I don’t remember the make anymore but we had a black sedan until I was around five. It was mostly broken-down and had no aircon, but it was my dad’s first car so it was his absolute baby and I never had the heart to complain about the car’s flaws to him. He eventually sold it and we had a blue Mitsubishi Lancer after. Did you ever flush anything down the toilet by mistake? I don’t remember ever doing that, thankfully lol. Were you afraid to sleep by yourself? No, I think I was excited to start doing it. Growing up in a cramped duplex, I shared one bedroom with my entire family until I was around 9; so when we moved to our own home, I was the first one to call dibs on a bedroom. What was your favorite subject in elementary school? Language, which is a class where we were just taught basic English grammar. I loved reading as a kid and got fluent in English early on, so I was always a top student in that subject. How often did you go to the park? We don’t have parks. What was your favorite kind of cake as a kid? Chocolate cake from Red Ribbon. Did you ever want to grow up? I never actively ‘wanted’ it because I was already kinda forced to grow up early, what with all the issues happening at home and me having to shield my siblings and cousins from whatever screaming match was happening inside.
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egg-and-koji · 4 years
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“Shadows of a Legacy” A LoK Re-Write - Ch 1
KORRA
“I’m the Avatar, you gotta deal with it!” 
Those were Korra's first words to the White Lotus when they came to investigate the claims of the new Avatar being reborn at the Southern Water Tribe. Sure it might have been a bit cocky but at age six she could already bend earth, water, and fire; although she wasn’t able to bend more than a short puff of flames and levitate a few stones, she did have a good grasp on waterbending thanks to father, Tonraq. 
The previous Avatar, Aang, tasked the Order of the White Lotus with safeguarding the next Avatar until they’d master all four elements. Little did Korra know she’d be locked away with almost no freedom at a compound the order built miles from her home village. Not even her mother, Senna could get the White Lotus assigned to her daughter's care to loosen their grip on said freedom. Korra was grateful, however, to at least have her parents there; she may have still been in the South, but their presence made it feel more like home. 
And since her father was her original waterbending teacher and she accepted his advice openly, it was decided there was no point in anyone replacing him. Korra was tasked with learning the more spiritual and medicinal aspects of waterbending from Master Katara. However, those lessons weren’t very long. In part to Korra lacking any sort of spiritual connection and to Katara’s...withdrawal from the world. 
During her years in training, Korra learned from the best earthbending and firebending masters. Many of them claimed she lacked restraint and discipline. They cited much like Master Katara that she would not become a fully realized Avatar until she mastered the spiritual aspect of the title as well. And yet, she continued to beat every task they expected of her, mastering three of the four elements at seventeen. 
Korra’s hopes of being free of her prison were shattered when her airbending teacher, Master Tenzin, had to, unfortunately, postpone her training. 
Which is why she took matters into her own hands and left the compound for Republic City. She had always heard stories from the fishermen coming back to the tribe after selling their hauls at the city’s port. They said the city had a glow you can see from miles and miles away. 
 And it was breathtaking! The light, the sounds. She’d never seen buildings so tall. They pierced the sky and she swears some of them never stopped growing. The streets were crowded with all kinds of Satomobiles and vendors and all types of people. She figured most who came to the city would abandon their roots, but she couldn’t believe the number of people wearing clothes inspired by the styles of their nations. Everything about the city was amazing and she found herself… a bit disheartened; Master Tenzin and The White Lotus had made it seem like the city was dangerous, but Korra hadn’t run into anything questionable yet.
She did get scolded out by a food vendor when she had no money to pay for a snack-in but her defense, Korra always had someone else take care of that. Then, she met her first homeless guy in the park, and surprisingly, he wasn’t the only one. He explained that it wasn’t unusual for people to live out on the streets. And there she thought everyone in the city was “living it up”. Then was when she met her first Equalist; an anti bender protesting in the park. How easily he got her riled up!
Korra paid him little mind and thought, ‘Whatever people like him are entitled to their stupidity. If you aren’t born a bender than that’s too bad.’
She continued her tour of the city. Momentarily struck by the distinct neighborhoods representing the three major nations. Little Ba Sing Se was not at all that “little” and the Arctic Heights were almost like home, except those buildings were made of white stone to look like ice instead. She wondered if it snowed in the city. 
When she got to the Fire Nation neighborhood, she honestly thought it was going to be “fierier”; at least with a better fitting name than Wuzho Village. But one could understand why the city decided against it. 
Even though Avatar Aang and his friends stopped Fire Lord Ozai and ended The Hundred Year War, the rest of the world needed time to recover and rebuild. After more than 50 years, some people were still mistrustful of Fire Nation citizens, more so firebenders. 
Still, some progress between the populations was being made as Korra met two brothers from a multicultural family; Bolin and Mako; an earthbender and a firebender. Bolin, she decided she could very easily get along with. His brother was in her thoughts, ‘a giant whale-walrus dick’. 
But that was before she stopped a group of thugs from harassing an older man’s business. ‘Listen, you can’t be the Avatar if you’re not ready to give an Avatar beat down’. After that, Bolin invited her to see one of their pro-bending games. 
And the criminals? Yes, she took care of them, but...might have been a bit too aggressive in the process. 
Which ended up with her destroying some prosperity…
And then getting arrested for it…
And almost being sent back to the South Pole…
But thankfully, Councilman Tenzin changed his mind. Korra thanked him profusely and expressed her excitement to begin her airbending training...until he said she had to make her first public appearance as the Avatar. 
And as best as she could remember, The White Lotus did not teach her “public speaking for Avatars.”
170AG - The Next Day
Korra barely ate dinner; not feeling quite herself.  A shame too as Tenzin’s wife made wonderful smelling food; vegetable seaweed wraps, sweet red bean buns, tofu curry. Hmm, I might have to sneak out for fish once in a while. But her stomach probably couldn't have handled any food then. Not unless she wanted it coming back up. She didn’t talk much either, as much as Tenzin’s youngest daughter, Ikki, pestered Korra with a million questions?
“Can you really eat a whole whale?  How does your house not melt if you have a fire in them? Do you have any siblings? Do you turn into a block of ice if you take a bath?”
“Uh, I dunno,” Korra shrugged. A few half-eaten pieces of food lingered on her plate that she pushes around with chopsticks then excused herself from the table early. Her heavy fur boots shuffled along with her steps as she walked out the main building to the female dormitory. The air acolytes bowed to as she passed before continuing on their way. 
Korra chews on her dry bottom lip. Give me someone to fight any day, have me talk in front of a crowd, and well…
She's careful with the sliding door to her room, and changes out of her clothes then flops onto the bed. A knock softly rattles the door to her guest room, pulling her out of worrying thoughts.
“Korra?” Tenzin’s voice comes through the paper panels, “I came to see if you’re alright, you left dinner rather early.”
She jumps up and goes to the door. “Uh, yeah all good,” she says, sliding and leaning on the frame. “Just, uh, wanted to get extra sleep,  ya know ... for the meetings and interviews tomorrow.”
She does her best to appear calm and collected. Her new mentor eyes her suspiciously; aging bluish-grey eyes searching for signs of doubt. “There’s no shame in being anxious to speak to the media. Although, I strongly recommend you stick to the notes we’ve written for you.”
“Oh come on, I’m pretty sure they’ll want to hear what I as the Avatar have to say instead of what somebody else thinks I should say.” She says with a flourish of her wrist.
“Given your  eventful  introduction to the city,” his greying bushy eyebrow arched as he spoke, “It’s in your best interest to gain the peoples’ trust.”
 “Pft,  who doesn’t trust the  Avatar ?”
Tenzin sighs, “As I’m sure you’re now aware that the situation between benders and non-benders has escalated in the past few years. The rise of the Equalists only serves to fan the flames.”
Eh, he does have a point. Remembering the protestor and his crowd at the park makes her veins boil. She grumbles, “Yeah, I know.”
Tenzin’s concern is clear on his face. He places a hand on her shoulder and gives a reassuring pat. She chews on her lip again. Sometimes I forget this whole anti-bender thing has him all worked up. Sure, I'm the reincarnation of Avatar Aang, but...Tenzin's his son; that pressure can’t be easy to deal with.’
She clicks her tongue and gives him a crooked grin, “I’ll do my best.”
With Korra’s confidence, Tenzin relaxes, looking a few years younger. He bows his head and turns to leave.
She throws herself back on the bed. Okay Republic City, let’s see what you got!
The next morning, a crowd of news reporters gathers on the steps of City Hall waiting for Korra to come out. Her polar bear-dog, Naga sticks her head through the open window in Tenzin’s office. The building has a strict “no animals allowed” rule. That’s seal crap. Her eyes follow Korra as she paces. Naga’s ears twitch occasionally and when Korra turns to face her, her tongue flops out the side of her jaws making Korra chuckle. She scratches behind her best friend’s ears, “Oh, to be a polar bear-dog and not have a care in the world.” 
Tenzin and the Republic City Police Chief, Lin Beifong are talking to a few White Lotus sentries out in the hallway. Apparently, they are working with the police to increase security in case any anti-bender protestors show up to disrupt the event. Korra grumbles and leans closer to Naga, “I say let them, I’d be more than happy to prove them wrong on any of their arguments!”
The door opens and Tenzin comes in. “They’re ready for us Korra.”
Korra gently nudges Naga to pull her head back from the window, “I’ll see you outside girl.”
Lights flash as Korra and her escorts walk out of the building. 
“Avatar! Avatar over here!” Several reports shout immediately.
Korra holds her arm over her eyes to block out more flashing lights. Being disoriented isn’t how I planned to make my big debut. Through her hazy vision, she can make out a podium with several microphones strapped around the edge set up at the top of the building’s main steps. 
Tenzin walks up and raises his hands, calming the buzz from the anxious crowd. “Good morning to you all. As I’m sure you’ve heard, the new Avatar has recently arrived in Republic City. We’ve gathered you all to hear her public announcement and to put to rest any... troubling  headlines that may be circulating.” Then he motions for her to step up and moves back to her right. Naga and the chief are at her left. 
Tenzin left the notes for her at the podium. She clears her throat before speaking, “Hello... I'm Korra, your new Avatar.”
More cameras flash and the barrage of questions come flying in faster than she can answer. 
“Avatar, does this mean you've moved to Republic City?” One asks.
“Er, well sort of-”
“Were you trying to send a message to the Triads yesterday?” Another interrupts.
“I thought that was pretty obvious-”
Then another, “Will you be fighting crime or the anti-bending revolution or both?”
“Both?”
“Will you be working with Chief Beifong and the police?”
Korra visibly cringes and whispers to herself. “Not unless I have to…”
She grips the podium, feeling Tenzin’s stress and Chief Beifong’s disapproval. Hoping to backtrack, she flips through the cards. The reporters continue their pressure. “I-uh am honored...to-” She gives up on that card and picks another. Then another. None of these sound like me.
Ugh, forget it!
She takes a deep breath, “Uh, yes, I am definitely here to stay, but honestly... I don't exactly have a plan yet. “See I'm still in training... but-"
Quite murmurs spread through the crowd. Korra continues, deciding on brutal honesty, “look... all I know is Avatar Aang meant for this city to be the center of peace and balance in the world, and I believe we can make his dream a reality. I look forward to serving you! I am so happy to be here. Thank you Republic City!”
Tenzin cuts off any more questions and ushers her away quickly. When they're in his office he pinches the bridge of his nose and says, “I’m not sure why I expected you to stick to the cues.”
“Eh,” Korra shrugs, “I thought I’d wing it. Isn’t that how Aang sort of dealt with things sometimes?”
“I suppose,” he gives it some thought, “but he did have trusted friends and allies for help.”
She bawls her fists to crack her knuckles, “Well, looks like I’m just gonna have to make a new team. And I think I know the first two members.”
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vannahfanfics · 4 years
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Before you read, here’s the previous chapter. New? Start from the beginning!
Rise of the Guardians: Earthsong
Ao3
Chapter 9: Always
With a miserable sniffle, Nat leaned over to begin picking the herb leaves from the floor, only letting out an occasional hiccup or poorly stifled sob. Jack watched in pure agony as the tears continued to roll down her cheeks and drop down to the floor below, like puddles of paint melting from a wall. How could someone as smart and talented as Nat be so isolated from everyone?
The incorporeal Jack and the crying Nat both jumped nearly a foot in the air as there came loud, persistent knocking at her door. Those boys couldn’t have come to mess with her some more, right? Or worse, could it be someone from the village to harass her? He thought and poked his ghostly head through the wall to investigate. To his shock, it was his human self, smiling and unaware of the abuse Nat had just suffered. Jack couldn’t remember much about his past life, but surely he too was not in the business of beating up on the girl, right? Thankfully his question was answered almost instantly because Nat didn’t hesitate to open the door.
“Hello, Jack.” The melancholy in her voice was painfully obvious. He watched as his brown-haired self gasped in horror before his hand flew up to push her tousled blonde strands away from the gaping wound.
“Oh, no! Did those boys come throw rocks at you again?” So it was a daily occurrence. Rage burned up Jack’s insides like a bubbling volcano. His human form scowled and whirled on a heel while rolling up to sleeves of his simple brown shirt. “Those punks! I’m gonna go teach ‘em a lesson!” Nat’s slender arm wound around his, pulling him back as he tried to set off to do just that.
“No! Please! They’ll only get angry and come back!” she insisted. Her voice was high-pitched with pure fright, and the tears had begun to spill over her emerald eyes again. She dropped her head miserably, bottom lip wobbling. It was such a strange thing, to see the strong and capable girl a meek, timid crying mess before him. “Please… I’ll be okay… Just keep coming to see me, Jack,” she said softly and looked up. Even though it was only indirectly for him, Jack felt his heart twist into pretzel knots. God, she was beautiful, even the way she was- disheveled and bleeding and dejected. That smile of hers carried more warmth and affection than anything Jack had seen in his life, and he would’ve been an idiot to deny it.
Nat was in love with him. That instant, as the memory of past feelings revived, Jack knew that he was in love with her, too.
“Always, Nat,” his human self laughed good-naturedly, and Nat smiled broader as she pulled him inside. As the door swung closed in his face, Jack twisted his fingers into the blue fabric of his hoodie.
“Always.”
The landscape blurred around him before reforming. It was now summer, based on the smothering heat and the abundance of near-ripe crops dominating the various vegetable plots alongside the quaint cottages. Something was off, however. The streets were devoid of citizens enjoying the pleasant atmosphere of a summer’s day; they huddled close to their homesteads or peeked out from windows. As Jack looked around, he noted several buildings that had every window and door boarded tightly shut. The children were not playing or chasing the butterflies that fluttered along tasting the last of the flower’s nectar, but were clutched close to their mother’s sides or staring with frightful eyes through small gaps in curtains. The world was alive, but the village was the epitome of a graveyard.
“What is going on?” he wondered aloud. He gasped as half of his misty body was blasted through by a horse’s thundering form, hauling a large wagon with a man in a thick black coat and a silver bird beak mask. A plague doctor?! Jack thought and dashed after the carriage, which was shuddering down the uneven road at alarming speed. The doctor snapped the reigns to bid the horse halt in front of the large building at the end of the way, and as Jack approached, he raised his arm to cover his nose, for he was greeted by the overwhelming stench of death and misery.
“Doctor, please!” begged a man standing on the steps, seemingly an authority figure given by his slightly more formal clothing. “Nearly the entire village has been infected. We have resorted to cremating the bodies because we simply can’t dig graves fast enough! Please tell me you have news from afar!” He sank to his knees on the wooden steps, and Jack could see his glittering tears even from the small distance. “My wife… She does not have much longer.”
“I am afraid that the surrounding settlements are no better,” the doctor’s voice echoed from within the mask. “There is no cure. Quarantine is your only hope.” With a strangled sob, the man curled up and pounded his fists against the wood. His memory began to tug at him, prying free of the bars that had locked it for nearly four hundred years. He recalled it now… A vicious respiratory plague had swept through the village late one summer. He had caught it, and his sister too. It had been so painful, hacking until his chest muscles burned like fire, shivering as a high fever had gripped his body with icy claws, unable to move or eat or drink or even think for the delirium… but it wasn’t the doctor who had saved them.
“Doctor! Mayor! Please!” Jack whirled about as she came bounding down the street, bare feet cracked from harsh contact with the sandy stone ground. A basket full to the brim with herbs swung on her arm. She had various bandages covering parts of her body, and far more scrapes and bruises than the last time he had seen her human form. Right, he remembered; since the spring of that year, the abuse had escalated dramatically, to the point that if Nat ever entered town, she had to sneak around in a cloak. Jack had resorted to bringing her various things and standing sentry at the entrance to her little enclosed bubble of a home because the neighborhood children tortured her viciously. “I can save them!”
“You witch! You aren’t coming anywhere near this sick house! I’ll have you burned!” the man snarled viciously, making Nat halt in her tracks with an alarmed recoil. Tears brimmed in her bright green eyes, wide with fear and hope.
“Please! These herbs produce a special compound that-”
“Enough of your witchcraft!”
“Doctor!” Nat cried insistently and looked at the medical professional. His cold glasses glittered lifelessly above the intimidating mask.
“Leave, girl, lest you catch the plague as well. Herbs can only prevent illness; they cannot save those who are already ill. They will live or die by God’s will alone.” Nat’s shoulders hunched up to her ears as rage contorted her expression into a monstrosity that Jack never wanted to look upon again. It was almost demon-like, with the cold fire that flashed like an emerald’s gleaming gemstone and the ruby-red hue to her flushing face.
“You place your hopes in God and ignore the power in your own hands!” she screamed and thrust out the basket of herbs so forcefully that a few of the leaves jumped out and fluttered to the ground. “Sometimes, we have to save ourselves! Mayor, your wife is inside! Doctor, your daughter is inside! My best friend is inside! Please! I can save them!”
“Quiet, girl, with your blasphemy! It was your vile existence that has brought God’s wrath upon us!” the mayor screamed at her. Jack’s fists curled into tight balls; how could these people be so impossibly backward? Nat was nothing like that. She was sweet, and kind, and had only ever wanted to help people. Nat’s face scrunched up in further agony, and then hung her head in defeat. He could see her entire body shaking with anger and dismay, and the tears rolling down her dirty cheeks to drop down to the dry, dusty ground below.
“Why… Why don’t you understand?”
The landscape blurred like paint smearing across an easel as she whirled to run back to her cabin. The next scene was a drastic change; night had fallen over the forest. Compared to the daytime, it was very much alive with life, though not human. The crickets were singing in a loud symphony in the long grasses, accompanied by the occasional resonating hoot of an owl. The wind shook the branches lightly to fill the air with a consistent fluttering of leaves. Jack even spied the horned form of a stag grazing beside one of the boarded-up cabins. Suddenly, it reared its massive head to peer with glittering eyes down the pathway, before its powerful legs sent it in a springing leap back into the depths of the wood. Jack turned to find Nat creeping through the shadows, with her little herb basket clutched tightly to her side. The sick house had no guard. He wondered if everyone in the village had fallen ill, aside from Nat.
The wooden steps of the sick house creaked loudly as Nat hopped up them, and she paused for a moment, wildly looking around to see if anyone had been alerted. After a minute or so of continuous quiet, she ascended the rest of the steps and entered the building. Jack followed her inside, phasing through the wood, and instantly recoiled in revile. The stench of illness and death was ten times more pungent inside, and the sounds of nature did not penetrate there. No, the only symphony to be had was a dismal one of coughs and groans and pleas to Heaven.
Nat made her rounds through the patients quickly and efficiently. She kneeled beside the fever-gripped men, women, and children, mixing what he recognized as a fever reducer and a cocktail of herbs she had said would accelerate healing and drive away illness. That’s what Jack used to visit her for; he would inquire all about the various herbs that she grew and what they did. He had only ever understood it on a surface level, but he just loved the way her eyes would sparkle and alight as she told him everything she knew. Nat would always jump up with her hands clasped and announce that her herbs were the key to medicine; she said that illness wasn’t God’s wrath or miasma, but a natural phenomenon caused by something that man knew nothing of yet. “One day, it will come to light! The world is growing smaller every day, Jack, as humanity takes each step closer to discovery. I want to use my knowledge to help people! One day they will know I am not a witch, but a form of doctor, too!” She would proclaim that, and every fiber of his being would agree. She had been destined for greatness.
What had cut her life so short? It trembled on the edge of his memory, but for the life of him, he could not will it forth.
His attention was wrested back as Nat scurried over to someone curled up alongside the wall. Like a ghostly fairy, he skipped over to find himself again; it was kind of humbling and distressing, seeing himself in the grips of the strange illness, gaunt and sweaty and groaning. Nat kneeled beside him to roll him onto his back, while the phantom Jack crouched down to eagerly watch her administer the medicine. Everything was so hazy from that time; he very barely remembered her visit to the sick house, but the delirious fever had him in such wild thralls that his memory failed him for the most part.
“Nat… No… You shouldn’t be here…” His voice was weak and feeble and raspy. After forcing out the words, he instantly dissolved into a series of wracking, rattling coughs that shook his entire frail body. Nat gently shushed him and brushed a few strands of his oak-brown hair from his slick forehead.
“Be at ease, Jack. I am going to save you and everybody else,” she assured him with such gentleness he had never heard from her before. It was a complete dichotomy from the Nat that he knew, who held him at arm’s length with a cold, calculated meaning. God, he wished the present her would look at him the way her past self was looking at his living body; her smile was so pure and warm like the radiating rays of the sun, and her green eyes were filled to the brim with the most potent love he had ever seen. She wasn’t even looking at him directly. Yet the fact that she had looked at him like that once was both liberating and gut-wrenching. What had happened in the span of four hundred years? Surely she had learned of his true identity at some point. Why hide? Why lie? Jack just couldn’t figure it out… Or maybe he didn’t want to.
Nat crushed a mixture of the herbs in a little bowl into a thick, succulent paste. “Jack, I need you to eat this,” she commanded and scooped up a bit of the gum with her finger, holding it to his mouth. His past self groaned and shook his head weakly, panting as his fever continued to mount.
“Nat… I… I am done for… Save yourself.” Nat’s shoulders sagged as she sighed lightly, a hint of a wistful smile on her lips.
“Oh, Jack. I was saved a long time ago.” Her whisper was like a breath of the wind, fleeting and barely audible, but powerful enough to knock Jack right off his feet. She popped the paste into her mouth before leaning over, grabbing Jack’s face gently to part his lips before enveloping them with her own. Jack knew that she was only forcing the concoction into his mouth to force him to swallow it, but that fact didn’t seem to want to register in his mind. His ghostly fingers feathered over his deathly pale lips, which seemed to recall the sensation of her mouth against his own, tingling and titillated. She kissed me. She saved me.
Jack wasn’t prepared for the landscape to shift again; he gasped and fell back on his haunches as it dissolved around him. He was out in the street again, and this time it was eerily familiar to him; the village was in the claws of a savage winter, with snow piled high on the thatch roofs and sweeping in gross waves alongside the street to form high drifts. A great crowd had gathered in the small courtyard in front of what was once the sick house, which Jack remembered served as the community doctor’s office. The community physician had sought the aid of a traveling plague doctor, who took over once the old doctor succumbed to the respiratory illness. Jack phased through the crowd until he came to the front and was very alarmed to see the mayor with a kneeling Nat before him, for he had her arm twisted painfully behind her back. Her cascade of blonde hair lay in sheared streams about her knees; it had been sliced through just below her ears. It was an act of dishonor.
“This has gone on long enough!” the mayor was hollering. By the wild, beastly look in his injected eyes and the tomato hue to his face, Jack could instantly see the man had become deranged. “The winter should have long since been over! This is God’s judgment upon us for allowing this witch to live among us!”
“Please, doctor, she saved us- and you! Because of her, all the children survived!” a woman shouted from the crowd. A ripple of agreement chorused through them, but Jack was alarmed to hear that it was fainter than he would expect.
“Her witchcraft was an act against God! She had no right to act against his will and use her pagan arts in his temple!” Nat said nothing as he twisted her arm further, only cried out in pain, and hung her head. He could see streaks of bright red blood in the blonde curls where she had been struck with a blunt object. “Look around you! You know it to be true! Unless we be rid of the witch, this endless winter will continue, and we shall truly perish! God is giving us the chance to repent!”
“Stop this! You’re a madman!” It was Jack’s voice this time. Beside him, his lean brown-haired form shoved the adults to stay front and center.
“Silence, boy!” The mayor snarled at him with all the viciousness of a feral wolf. Both Jack and his ghostly counterpart took involuntary steps back in the face of such venom. “Are you in league with this witch?”
“No! No!” Nat suddenly screamed, writhing in the man’s iron grip. “I will confess! I will confess! Just leave Jack out of it!” She calmed down after her desperate fit as the entire town looked upon her in shock, most of all Jack, who’s chest was heaving as he fought against everything he knew to allow her to sacrifice herself. Suddenly the adults began to take up the chant, pumping fists and pitchforks into the air- “Kill the witch! Kill the witch!” The mayor grinned demonically as his victory was all but handed to him.
He wrested Nat up by her arm and began half-pushing, half-dragging her down the street, with the crowd surging around him to chuck stones or whatever piece of debris they could at the hapless girl. Jack’s ghostly self could run alongside them just fine, merely phasing through whatever impeded his path, but his real person was left in the dust, on his hands and knees screaming.
“Nat! Don’t do this! Nathalie!” Her feet scrabbled uselessly in the cold-packed dirt as she was hauled towards her solitary cabin in the woods. Her lingering blond strands flashed in the white moonlight as she whipped her head to look at him, through the ghostly apparition of the pale boy of the future to the ghost of his past self wailing her name.
“Thank you… for everything.”
Jack was forced to follow as the landscape shifted to the cottage, though everything within him didn’t want to witness what happened next. Nat was shoved into her cabin, and a piece of thick wood lodged under the doorknob so she could not escape… and then they brought the torches. Jack jumped through the building walls, expecting to find Nat screaming, crying, terrified, and desperate for a way to escape. Instead, he found her sitting calmly against one of the walls, tenderly holding a little potted flower that bloomed despite the winter’s incessant chill.
“Nat…” he whispered, his thick voice choking his throat more than the smoke that was now billowing in the ceiling. Nat let out a quiet cough as she gently stroked the bright pink petals of the small flower; a single tear rolled down her cheek to splash down onto its silky surface.
“I wish I could have told him,” she sighed quietly to the flower. The flames began to crackle as they eagerly licked at the wooden walls of the cottage, climbing to stretch their red fingers to the black night sky. The smoke blanketed the ceiling like a puffy dark comforter, while smaller wisps weaved about the lower latitude, diving into Nat’s failing lungs eagerly. She began to cough like the citizens had during the plague, doubling over and knocking the pot over. It shattered, and soil spilled out like blood, with the flower’s frail roots now poking out of the dark substance. Nat collapsed onto her side as she fought for breath and reached out with a trembling had to cup it ever-so-gently and hold it to her chest.
The blooming flower perfectly aligned with her heart, which was beating slower and slower by the second. Jack watched helplessly. He had never felt so useless in his entire life; even though he knew this had already happened, that there was nothing that he could do, Jack could not fight the overwhelming urge to do something, anything. She doesn’t deserve to die like this! Nat let out a deep, contented sigh and closed her eyes, embracing the end while Jack looked on as an unwilling spectator.
“I love you… Always.”
The ceiling could bear no more. With a sickening crunch, the weight-bearing beam snapped right up the middle. Everything collapsed in on itself, an inferno of red and orange and yellow and ashy black, and Jack just stood there, a pale white ghost enshrined in the roaring flames, a spirit who could not even touch Nat’s beautiful, rosy skin as her life burned away.
It was close to dawn by the time the fire finally died. Jack sat with his knees drawn up beside the smoldering wreckage, number and more chill than the instant he plunged into the freezing waters of the lake four hundred years ago. His pale eyes watched unseeing as the smoke trails slowly rose in ethereal wisps to the heavens. They looked down with cold indifference; the world did not weep for Nathalie. The stars still shone with all their brilliance. The pale moon said nothing; it refused to cast its lovely white rays upon the scene to illuminate her final resting place. Jack’s stomach was so twisted and sickened that nausea threatened to do him in at any moment. He had never imagined it would’ve been like this. Never. He would never be able to look her the same way again, knowing this grave injustice haunted her. Now, at least, he was haunted too.
“Tsk. Humans always were such barbaric creatures, never to know what a plague they are upon the Earth and each other.” Jack glanced over his shoulder as a woman spoke, her voice as smooth as velvet and carrying the authority of a queen. She stood a few feet behind him, looking upon the embers with eyes like fresh-cut diamond, harsh and yet loving at the same time. They were precisely like Nat’s emerald eyes in that way. Her dress wasn’t white, but the color of red maple leaves and luxurious roses and ripened apples; her hair trailed down to her calves, curling cascades of ringlets the shade of hardy oak and hard tree nuts. She was every bit of gorgeous as he imagined Nat’s predecessor would be, but yet she still couldn’t hold a candle to Nat’s angel-like beauty. Jack watched from his little perch as she strode across the small clearing to stop in front of the wreckage. She waved her hand over the smoking mess, and Jack watched in awe as the little pink flower budded from the ashes, soaking up the moon’s brilliance to shine like a pink opal in the bleak night. “Rise, little one. Your story doesn’t end here.”
Jack inhaled sharply as the ashes shifted about, and Nat sat up, blinking blearily as the gray powder rained down from her hair and body. She was holding the small flower in its little mound of soil in her hands, and her blonde hair had re-grown to its waterfall length, streaming behind her like rivers of gold cutting through the black ash. She looked up with confused green eyes at the regal woman before her.
“Who… Are you?”
“I am Mother Nature… And you, kind child who bears the Earth’s soul, shall succeed me.”
That was where it ended. The light came with the rising of the spring sun, sending Jack back into the present. It took a moment for him to adjust to the bright light and scent of wildflowers gracing his nose instead of the bitter tang of burned wood; he was sitting on the mosaic, the container of Nat’s memories held in a white-knuckled grip. He felt something wet sliding down his cheeks and swept his finger over his face to see them come away with sparkling tears. He looked down at the box, then with a disgusted shout, flung it aside. It landed in a thick sprig of grass a few yards away. Jack fisted his fluffy white hair as he curled up, shaking at the gravity of the sequence of events he had just witnessed. He wanted to be sick. Nat had been shouldering for all her life. No wonder she couldn’t be near him. It brought all that back, all that pain and suffering and that gruesome, God-awful-
“Jack…?” He gasped in shock and jerked up, eyes flashing wildly in panic. She stood at the edge of the clearing, wary but concerned. Beautiful, she was so beautiful, like a goddess descended to the mortal plane. Her green eyes slowly trailed to the box, which was turned at just the right angle to show the small drawing of child Nat on the cover. As her emerald eyes drifted back to meet his like ice, he shivered and averted his gaze, squeezing his eyes shut for the guilt that prevented him from looking at her. What would she say now? He betrayed her trust. He should have waited for her to trust him, to be willing to face what had happened. Now, he had all but forced her hand, forced her to confront that bitter end to her life. He didn’t even care about finding out about why they couldn’t be near each other now. He grabbed his staff, preparing to take off. He couldn’t bear it. He needed to get away, give her some time, yeah, that was it-
“I meant what I said that night. Always.”
Here’s the next chapter! Want more stories? Check out my Table of Contents!
Tag List: @deliathedork​
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siribear · 4 years
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they agree to leave early the next morning. alice manages a few hours of sleep before waking from another nightmare - another memory. she’s weighing a short hunting rifle in her hands when preston retrieves her from her home. surprisingly, the rest of the survivors are awake, except mama murphy.
alice eats from a box of stale sugar bombs instead of marcy’s mystery meat for breakfast. by the time she and preston set out, the sun is barely rising over the neighborhood. sturges gives her an encouraging thumbs up when they leave.
they take a familiar left turn at the red rocket. preston is quiet as he leads, carrying his musket in his hands. alice’s pistol still hangs from her hip while her new rifle rests strapped to her back. she turns on the radio to fill the silence, lowering the volume when preston looks back at her over her shoulder.
it feels... different, traveling with someone familiar with the new commonwealth. codsworth knew - knows - her. knows that she came from a time when the only danger on the road was an incoming car. preston carries himself like he’s ready for raiders to pop out of the ground to ambush them. he reminds her of nate when he came back from leave for that last time. jumping at shadows.
alice slips her pistol from its holster to carry it in one hand.
they pass by the quarry, and this time she sees a lone person moving in the distance. she steps off the road to get a better look, but preston stops her. ‘that place has been flooded forever. i’d like to help, but i don’t exactly have any radaways with me. you?’
considering she doesn’t even know what radaway is, she shakes her head.
turns out, the settlement is close to the satellite station. a giant dish looms over the hill as preston leads her to what he describes as tenpines bluff. the bluff consists of a shack near the edge of the cliff, barely bigger than the outhouse on the other side of a small pond. just outside the shack are three rows of vegetables she recognizes from abernathy farm. behind that, the ruins of a wooden house with the roof blown clean off.
for the second time, she’s greeted with the barrel of a gun. the man behind it is thin, his ragged clothes hanging off his frame. alice notices he circles her and preston, putting himself between them and a woman working the land.
‘that’s close enough. you’ve taken enough from us. we don’t have anything left to give.’
they put away their weapons, hands held aloft. preston looks to her. ‘we’re with the minutemen. we heard you needed some help?’
the man blinks once, then lowers his own pistol. ‘the minutemen? we sent word with a caravan weeks ago.’ he gestures to the woman in the field. ‘we didn’t think anyone was coming.’
alice shrugs and continues before preston can let it get to him. ‘sorry about the delay. what can we do to help?’
‘well, a group of raiders has been after us for weeks now. taking food, water, anything they can get. we know they’re holed up in that old satellite station, but there’s no way we can take them out ourselves.’
she grins. ‘you’re in luck. i just cleared that place out the other day for the abernathys.’
his jaw drops, and preston looks at her, equally surprised. ‘really? one of them had a minigun and you just - ?’ he takes a deep breath. ‘well, all right then. say, how is old blake abernathy?’
alice hooks her thumbs in her pockets. ‘he’s okay. they’re starting to grow melons this season.’ she tilts her head in preston’s direction. ‘and they’re now under protection of the minutemen.’
he whistles. ‘you weren’t kidding then. the minutemen are back?’ he looks preston over, from his hat to his musket. ‘if the abernathys have joined the minutemen, then count us in also. it’s about time someone started clearing out the commonwealth.’ he upends a pouch of bottle caps into alice’s hands. ‘and you tell blake joseph tenpine said hello.’
alice pockets the caps and clears her throat. ‘no problem. anything else we can help with, since we’re in the area?’
the woman joins the rest of them, brushing dirt off her hands. ‘i saw a group of raiders head down to the border. couldn’t have been a day or two before you took down the others.’
‘a scouting party?’ preston asks.
joseph nods. ‘anne and i think they’re expanding their territory.’
‘probably using the supplies they got from the satellite station and what they took from you,’ alice figures.
‘which still leaves us in danger,’ continues the anne.
preston turns to alice. ‘there’s an outpost to the northeast. that’s likely where they went.’
‘all right. looks like that’s where we’re headed next.’
‘be careful,’ anne warns them before they leave. ‘one of them was wearing a suit of power armor.’
-
preston helps her down the cliff to the train tracks below. box cars litter the tracks and the area around them, cargo long since picked clean.
‘i’ve been thinking about that power armor,’ alice begins. she remembers the beating hers took from the deathclaw in concord. but she also remembers the stories nate used to tell from the war. ‘i think that fusion core is the key. it’s a clear shot from the back.’
‘like how the brotherhood of steel burns out their armor. that could work.’
she doesn’t know who the brotherhood of steel is, but she nods. ‘it’s our best bet. unless you’ve got a missile launcher hidden under that coat of yours.’
he chuckles. ‘afraid not. think you can make the shot with that?’ he nods to her rifle on her back.
she unslings it. ‘not sure, honestly. i’m more familiar with pistols.’
preston looks toward the sky, to the sun reaching just past noon. ‘we’re probably better off attacking closer to night. harder for them to see us coming, but you can still see that fusion core.’
‘couldn’t you take the shot?’
‘i - no. i’m not sure i could. i watched you take out those raiders in the museum; you’re a better shot than i am.’ he coughs awkwardly. alice narrows her eyes, but doesn’t press him. ‘do you have any cans in your pack?’
‘hm? no, i left them with sturges.’ for codsworth, she adds to herself.
he begins gathering rocks and bricks, lining them up on the edge of a box car. together, they put some distance between them and the makeshift targets until she can barely see their blurry silhouettes. ‘well, the fusion core would be a small target anyway,’ she reasons. her first shot misses, passing through two bricks and sending sparks off the floor of the box car at the impact.
‘close. and you don’t even have a scope on that, either.’ preston corrects her stance and her shoulder placement, teaches her to hold her breath and exhale with the shot. it takes some time before she actually hits her mark, but even then it’s just grazing the edges. the first time she sends a rock flying, she lets out a loud yes! that has preston laughing.
her excitement is cut short when a figure slowly makes its way around one of the cars. its body is green and bloated, littered with open sores long since infected and begun to rot. it lifts its bald head to reveal small, yellow eyes. when it opens its mouth to rotten teeth, its scream is inhuman.
preston swears, lifting his musket. alice fumbles to reload, firing the second she can. she severs its leg with one shot and a spray of red. it collapses on one side, but the thing keeps coming. it drags itself forward, clawing the ground as it advances toward them. preston finishes it off with a shot to the neck, the laser cauterizing the wound as its head rolls to the side.
‘what,’ alice says, gasping, ‘the hell was that?’
‘you really aren’t from around here, huh? that was a ghoul. we should... keep moving. they normally travel in packs.’
alice nods, and preston leads them toward the outpost, steering them clear of the pack of ghouls congregated further down the tracks.
‘ghouls are... irradiated people,’ preston explains when they’re far enough away. ‘they’re just like you and me, but they look... different. and they live a long time. but sometimes the radiation rots their brains and they go feral.’
‘and then they turn into zombies. great.’
-
they reach the outpost just as the sun begins to dip below the horizon. a towering pre-war relay sits atop a concrete base, surrounded by wooden and metal shacks and guard posts shoddily put together post-war. the outpost itself lies in a small bowl bracketed by two cliffs. alice spots two raiders huddled together underneath a cloth canopy. preston gestures to a turret at the edge of the camp.
anne had been telling the truth - a raider in a suit of power armor walks toward the others from behind the relay. at their angle, she can’t see the fusion core.
alice slowly moves down the back side of the cliff, away from the camp. in the faint light of her pip-boy, she gestures to preston. other side. keep an eye out. he turns away with a slight nod.
she takes the long way around, giving the camp a wide berth. the bare, fall trees near the camp give her little cover, and the piles of leaves would give her away. on elbows and knees, she crawls to the edge of the opposite cliff. the raiders are still there, though one breaks off toward one of the guard posts. still. two in one, she can do this. alice rises to one knee, braces the stock against her shoulder like preston showed her, aims for the middle of the frame where the fusion core sits, and fires.
she misses. hears the ping of her bullet ricochet off the frame and the swears of the raiders as they try to find her. in the darkness, she can see the silhouette of a weapon that makes her blood run cold.
a goddamn fat man.
flashes of red laser fire turn their attention toward preston’s side, and alice watches as the raider loads a mininuke into the launcher. alice holds her breath and fires.
something knocks her to the ground, hard. at first she thinks its the shock wave as a small mushroom cloud erupts over the edge of the cliff, but then she’s stricken in the face. and then again, and again. rifle fallen just out of her reach, alice lifts her arms and braces herself against the blows. 
‘you shouldn’t,’ one punch hits her in the side, ‘have done,’ another against her bicep, ‘that,’ the last is a cut clear across her forearm, the raider’s knife glowing orange as it reflects the cloud. a bright red light knocks the weight off her chest, and she sits up to see preston running toward her.
‘i didn’t see the third one in the explosion,’ he says, carefully lifting her. she cradles her arm against her chest. ‘you okay?’
‘just got the wind knocked out of me. you?’
‘think the edge of my hat got singed, but i’m - ’
a gunshot cuts him off, and it’s too familiar. the dread, the pain. alice turns to her left, to the raider clutching her side and the rags of her armor seared against her skin, and shoots her in the head with her pistol. she turns to preston, still standing there, no bullet in his chest.
she falls to her knees, nearly dragging preston down with her as he holds onto her arm.
‘hey, hey. hold on.’
her vision sways as she watches him fiddle with the pipboy on her wrist. her vitals display on the first screen. losing blood, but not bleeding out. bullet wound - bullet wound? - in left shoulder. she’s blinded momentarily when he finally finds the flashlight. ‘when did i get shot? that wasn’t supposed to happen,’ she mutters. it’s a wonderful time to remember she’s got a low pain tolerance.
‘it’s not - ’ he tries to hide his grimace, but fails in the bright light, ‘it’s not bad. i’ve got a few stimpaks. just try not to move too much.’
she doesn’t have time to wonder before she feels the needle slide into her skin near the gash on her arm. the tightness in her chest eases, just a little. already she can feel her skin begin to heal. maybe it’ll leave a scar.
‘now for the bad one,’ he says, prodding her shoulder.
‘talk me through it,’ she says. ‘field medicine. i’ve-i’ve never had to.’ never had a reason to, not between her suburban life and autodocs in the city for the worst of it. ‘always traveled alone. never anything worse than a bandage.’
he does, every detail. from the alcohol he fishes out of her pack to the bullet extraction. she pays attention to most of it, drowning out the instinctual urge to shove him away every time her wound stings. she feels another stimpak enter her shoulder, then the paid recedes to a dull ache.
by the time he’s finished, the sun has completely set. he gives her another moment to recover before they head down to the scorched camp. the geiger counter on her pipboy ticks once, then goes silent. surprisingly most of the camp is still intact, aside from the small crater near the cliff and warped power armor frame left from the aftermath.
‘i have a theory,’ she starts, but giving preston no time to reply as she heads up a small staircase up to the relay. at the base of one of the legs, a ham radio just barely warped from the heat. she fiddles with the dials and finds a channel of static and dead air.
‘your theory?’ preston asks from below.
‘five people does not a sanctuary make,’ she says. ‘we take a station and broadcast a message encouraging people to come to sanctuary.’ she looks around at the shacks, the guard posts. ‘or wherever we can defend and call a settlement. even here, right at the border.’
he makes a thoughtful noise that carries. ‘a waystation for caravans to and from the commonwealth.’
‘exactly. there’s not much north of here, but the more areas we own and the less areas raiders own, the better, right?’
‘of course, general.’
she barely hears him as she begins recording the transmission.
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