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#and after how long they'd been friends and how much she had always emotionally supported him and barty she could've used some herself
maya-matlin · 1 month
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What do you see as the main similarities and differences between Zaya and Joey/Pacey?!
I've been waiting for this ask my entire life LOL
So first things first, I've thought Zig and Pacey were similar characters for a long time. It's not a perfect comparison. High school Pacey was a lot more emotionally mature and almost unrealistically selfless and sensitive compared to Zig who was much more like your typical, ignorant teenager. But at the same time, there are still many parallels. Both guys had complicated relationships with their families. Zig's familial life prior to being kicked out is hardly shown or given much development. We know that his mother seems to love him and he presumably has a dad still in the picture. Pacey's parents resented and abused him, both physically and emotionally. He was constantly reminded what a failure he supposedly was and that they'd prefer he wasn't around. The tense family situation led to Pacey moving out of his childhood home halfway through his junior year in favor of living with Doug, and then Gretchen. Zig's story was much different. He's assumed to have a stable, relatively loving home life prior to his gang ties directly putting his family in harm's way. After Zig fails to leave the gang, either by his own decision or because he genuinely doesn't feel as though he's able to leave (it's unclear - Degrassi did not even try with this arc), he's kicked out and basically never accepted back home. Even after Zig does his best to leave the gang, doing better in school and staying out of trouble, it's still not enough. Just the hint of Zig being in the vicinity of something dangerous, aka Tiny being stabbed, is too much for his mom to accept. So as a result, Zig spends the rest of high school living in a group home after being forced to leave the Matlins' house. Both Zig and Pacey are fundamentally changed during their formative years by the absence of their parents' support and love. Pacey has been resigned to the reality that he'll never get what he needs from his family. Not that this even stops him from accepting the teensiest amount of affection, always being quick to meet his shitty family members halfway. Zig never fully recovers on screen from the loss of his family. He almost projects the need for a family onto Maya, the closest thing he has to unconditional love for a very long time. Considering their relationship is a romantic one and prone to falling apart because of the reality of high school relationships not typically working out, Zig never quite gets this from Maya. There's a semblance of Zig having a found family with Tiny, Grace and Maya, but it's like.. we don't really get that acknowledgement. At the end of Next Class, it's Zoe who has this moment with her classmates and closest friends. Regardless, Zig becomes desperate for love and stability in the absence of having a family. He's much more prone to self doubt and putting a lot of stock in his friends' opinions of him, something he directly tells Esme when apologizing for not doing a good job defending their relationship and Esme's status as his girlfriend. Both Zig and Pacey seek out permanent love to replace the rejection they feel from their parents.
Back to the self worth issues. No matter how many people in their lives try to validate them, Zig and Pacey never fully believe that they're worth much or are capable of good things. This aspect of Pacey is at least taken seriously. In season 4, Pacey' series-long self worth problems gradually manifest into depression and self hatred, resulting in him eventually ruining his relationship with Joey in a very ugly, self destructive way. Sound familiar LOL? Zig's self worth problems don't get this treatment. On some occasions, Zig's insecurities and strong feelings for Maya are almost played for laughs. No one takes his concerning comments seriously. Even when he opens up to Esme, sharing that he feels as though he isn't good at anything, she only focuses on Zig talking about "some other girl,” displaying jealousy that the guy she's into is still preoccupied with his ex. During Zig's relationship with Maya, particularly during the first season of Next Class, he's paralyzed with a lot of insecurities and believes he's losing Maya. No matter how much affection Maya gives him or tries to reassure Zig that he's the only one she wants - both physically and emotionally, he can't make himself accept it. Much like Pacey loses it at prom when he sees Joey dancing with Dawson, Zig self destructs in his own way: he cheats on Maya with Zoe, convinced she's doing the same same thing with Jonah even though he has zero evidence of this. Though Pacey intentionally and consciously breaks up with Joey through his actions, Zig indirectly does the same? Not really, but based on his demeanor when Maya comes back, Zig almost seemed convinced prior to Maya explaining what transpired during her visit to New York that what he did WASN'T cheating and that it wouldn't have mattered because Maya was already gone. Meaning, the official breakup was merely a formality. This doesn't negate his actions and isn't meant to downplay them. Simply put, Zig's emotions were all over the place. He could no longer discern the truth or have faith in Maya's love for him because of his own deep seated self hatred. This isn't unlike Pacey, who seemed to have less and less confidence in Joey's love for him as season 4 went on.
I can't find a coherent way to introduce the Pacey/Zig parallels, so here:
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Eventually, both Pacey and Zig end up lashing out at Joey and Maya, blaming them for their bad behavior and/or the way they're feeling. Thankfully, both quickly apologize. Pacey does it more eloquently and comes across as much more sympathetic, though. But Zig at least does acknowledge he didn't actually hold Maya responsible for his impulsive, hurtful actions with Zoe.
In contrast, Maya and Joey aren't all that similar beyond spending some time in denial about their feelings and experiencing loss at a young age. Joey lost her mother to cancer while Maya's first boyfriend committed suicide. Their demeanors are very opposite. Joey is an extremely guarded person, using sarcasm and anger to keep people away. Maya is much friendlier. While she still has her guard up to some extent, particularly from the end of season 12 through halfway through season 14, she always welcomes people into her life - even if she sometimes can't let them all the way in. Much like Joey with Pacey, Maya exposes herself to Zig completely in a way she can't with other guys.
You'd think I'd be done by now, right? Sadly, I'm not. Both Zaya and Pacey/Joey had similar starts. Zig and Pacey spent a lot of time pining after Maya and Joey. Both girls claimed they didn't reciprocate the guys' feelings at one point or another. Pacey kissing Joey in season 1 only for her to reject him for Dawson could be comparable to Maya immediately getting back together with Cam after kissing Zig for the first time. But for what it's worth, it was always obvious to me that Maya had feelings for Zig that she wasn't owning up to, subconsciously or otherwise. Joey's feelings for Pacey don't appear to exist until season 3, though you could make an argument for repressed physical attraction based on the occasional comment. Not unlike how Pacey had gradually become Joey's best and closest friend during season 3, Zig served the same role in Maya's life once they started living together and moved past the messy triangle with Miles. Eventually, the tension came to the surface, and both couples shared a passionate kiss, initiated by one member of the ship.
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Then, another initiated by the other half:
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There's a brief attempt at a secret relationship. Though admittedly, Zaya's short stint (all of two seconds) as secret lovers was nothing compared to the traumatic experience that was the Dawson/Joey/Pacey love triangle. Eventually, both couples settle into a stable relationship after spending a mostly happy summer together. Being back at school and the the reality of both Maya and Joey being very ambitious people (Maya wanting to pursue her musical dreams and Joey wanting to attend a prestigious school) whereas Zig and Pacey aren't for whatever reason, perfectly content to be wherever their girlfriends are as they make zero plans for their own lives. The reality of what happens when you put so much stock into one person over your own success and self worth led to.. well, basically, my long ass rant, detailing Zig's and Pacey's issues.
Other miscellaneous moments that parallel are both Zig and Pacey having insecurities about their girlfriend's love for them because the relationships have yet to become or haven't since been, sexual. Both Maya and Joey have fears. Maya is afraid that things will get weird if she sleeps with Zig again. Joey has a whole host of sex-related fears that are barely addressed or even properly explained because this was the 2000's, and Dawson's Creek often perpetuated really gross ideas about female virginity and sexuality. But in time, both couples got on the same page and had somewhat similar love scenes.
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Bonus:
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As stated before, both Zig and Pacey plan to be with their girlfriends in the forseeable future:
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Taking joy in their girlfriend's accomplishments:
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Taking care of Maya/Joey while they're high/drunk:
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It takes a long time, but eventually both couples find each other again.
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And obviously, both thankfully ended up together! Zig moves to LA with Maya while Pacey is assumed to follow Joey to New York at some point after their reunion. Pacey eventually becomes a chef while Joey manages to get her dream, escaping Capeside and finding a fulfilling career. When we last see Zig and Maya, their lives are just starting out. But Maya is on her way to university to eventually work in the music industry. Zig's future is unknown, though it's always been clear that Zig has a talent for cooking, making it highly likely he'll also someday become a chef.
As for the differences, I'll keep it brief. Zig and Maya overall always had a pleasant, friendly sort of dynamic whereas Pacey and Joey constantly bantered, spending part of their formative years supposedly "hating" each other.
Okay, I'm officially done!
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spikesbimbo · 3 years
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Puppy Love
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Paring: Hirugami x f!reader
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Cw: NO SMUT, FLUFF ONLY, pregnancy/family mention, subspace mention, cheating mention 
A/N: Gami brainnrot ever since @/chaotickatts said we were compatible, and thanks to @/kmorgzz for the idea
fun fact: i “stole” my first puppy and got a three year old purebred gsd for free, and also my former pug (rest in peace baby) (that i also go for free) and my best friends Pomeranian were also close as us. 
I abuse the park trope
Summary: Walking dogs with the love of your life
Word count: 1.3k
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You don't know what compelled you to let him have the little lap dogs to walk, or why you choose the biggest one, the heavy set lab, only 6 months old, dragging you around like a rope.
You two volunteered to walk the dogs at the shelter so they could get their kennels cleaned, you immediately finding the dogs that matched yourself personality, hyper and uncontrollable waiting to be ‘freed’ from the room.
The yellow lab, named honeybun, wouldn't leave your side, slapping his paw at you trying to get your attention, you immediately cooing at how cute he was.
“Hirooo, look how cute he is'' you said, batting your eyelashes at your boyfriend. You often day dreamed about adopting them all, getting a piece of land big enough to let them play in your yard, to which he supported saying, “let me get through vet school first” being in his fifth year.
You've been lucky to know him so long, becoming friends in middle school after you consoled him about his mistake in volleyball practice, not being able to walk by someone so noticeably but not visibly distraught, sitting beside him and letting him talk it out, noticing he doesn’t react well to disappointments.
 He confessed to you in your 3rd year of highschool after you realized you liked him, then distancing yourself from him for a few weeks before he knew what was wrong. It happened to be some tv drama shit of him catching you in the rain after not seeing you for a whole two weeks, running up to you, to which you started running the other way before he caught you by your wrist and dragged you into him, your two making eye contact until the tension led you two to kiss, with the rain still falling, painting a perfect picture.
Being his friend first also came with the perk of meeting his family as friends, not lovers, which you were glad because they didn't mind friends but seeing that his family was so influential, they'd probably choose someone of the same class to set him up with.
But when he announced you two were dating they welcomed you with open arms, already loving you, his sister now calling you her sister in law officially, doing it to you behind his back before you two were dating, making you avoid his eyes for the rest of the day.
In fact she was the one who convinced Hirugami that you liked him, and that's why you were shying away from him, ultimately leading to your relationship. Bless her.
You turned your head to look at him snuggling up in the corner with the pomeranian and the pug, the two being inseparable, him already making up his mind on who to walk first. You wondered how you got so blessed.
He was such a pretty man, such a good person inside and out. You knew that he had admirers besides you, and you dont blame them. I mean looking at him right now, playing with the little dogs on his lap was enough to send your heart into overdrive. 
You sometimes let your worries get to you, thinking he was with another person due to his mutable nature, even though he has given you no reason to believe that. But he always proved you wrong, putting you first, paying attention to no one except you, you being the sun to his earth. 
You were brought back to reality by honeybun’s paw slapping you once again accompanied by a whine this time, letting you know he was getting impatient.  
“Are you ready honey?” you said in a baby voice, not being able to contain yourself due to his cuteness.
 You grabbed his leash, hooking it onto his collar along with Hirugami doing the same, the two of you walk out, him holding the door for you while you get borderline dragged by the big puppy you were walking. Him holding back his laugh, trying not to get his ass beat by you later.
You tried to walk alongside him, but you failed. Honeybun being distracted by every little thing, pulling you along with him. Everything in the park was interesting, the leaves falling were interesting, the sticks on the ground were interesting, the water bowl on the ground was interesting, he pulled you once again, Your arm was definitely going to feel sore tomorrow.
He finally stopped to pee, giving you a break. Turning your head to see your boyfriend behind you, a smile on his face as he walks closer to you with the little dogs sticking by his side. Lucky him. 
Suddenly you felt you arm get pulled again but this time it was much stronger, so strong that it dragged you off your feet, you letting go of the leash, trying to see what this was all about, until you saw honeybun chasing a squirrel the fastest you ever seen him run. Luckily the park was fenced it.
You heard a mumbled giggle, followed by a laugh that he wasn't even trying to hide anymore.
“Ow” you started, standing up wiping your butt. “That's not funny” you continued, putting on a facade, your pout backing it. Did it hurt, yes. Did you care, no. But you wouldn't let him get away from it without babying you.
You loved how he took care of you, and he loved taking care of you just as much. If you didn't want to do something yourself, he would gladly do it. Your demure side coming out when he did, your innocent eyes gazing at him, putting you in an almost half-ass subspace.
He whistled and ultimately got honeybun back taking the leash in his hand, the yellow dog sniffing your butt, noticing your hurt, “You want me to take him?” he asks, rubbing your back. You look at honeybun, him sitting and his puppy eyes coming out almost in a form of sorry. 
“Nah im good, as long as you'll be a good boy” you said, bending down enough to be eye level with the dog.
You two walked back to the shelter together, hand in hand this time. Honeybun trying his best not to get distracted. The little dogs still sticking by his side until they got back to their kennels. You two said goodbye to them, the little dogs enjoying the praise and petting, and then in the end getting to honeybun, him shoving his face into your neck, giving you kisses everywhere, thanking god you didn't have any makeup on right now, then switching his attention to hirugami doing the same. You two got up and said goodbye to the workers, waving at the dogs one last time.
“I miss them already” you said walking out of the building, sad that you couldn't adopt them all right now, he unsurprisingly felt the same.
“Pinky promise love, we'll get them all one day, with a big yard just like you want” he said wrapping his finger around yours, making your heartbeat a little faster, hoping that day would soon come.
You two drove home, the both of you loving staying indoors excited to finally rest. You ordering take out with “daddy's money” and some cheap wine from the gas station, putting on some romcom that y'all were flaming the whole time.
You two were laughing at every scene, making you choke on your food leading to him slapping the shit out of your back making it go away, eventually.
Saying something along the lines of “vet and med school are similar, i know what i'm doing”. To which you disagree because that one time you had a pregnancy scare, his first thought was to get an ultrasound instead of taking a pregnancy test. Luckily you weren’t.
Your eyes got heavy, your head now resting on his chest, the food being long gone, along with him caressing your body giving you forehead kisses every once in a while, putting you in a trance. 
You were so lucky, having a spiritual and physical connection with him, emotionally bonding every chance you got. Not being afraid to express your wants and fantasies, knowing that he loved you unconditionally. You felt like you were in a dream, and you never wanted to wake up.
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© all content belongs to black-jackalsbabie 2020. do not alter or repost .
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masalateaaa · 4 years
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Pairing: Chris Evans x Reader
Warning: Angst, my bad writing and no professional.
A/N: Likes, reblogs and comments are welcome. Please do not post this anywhere without my consent.
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Lockdown has given Chris a lot of time to do things that he loved but never found time, like spending time with family, playing with his nephews and last but not the least, visiting Christopher's Heaven. Christopher's Heaven always had a special place in his heart, supporting that charity meant a lot to him but most of all it was visiting the kids there that brought peace to his heart and mind. Spending time with those kids made Chris believe how small his problems are and how big hope can be. They could be suffering from the most disease and going through back breaking treatment but they do it with a smile and hope that they'd make out of this. They'd tell their dreams to Chris and even after hanging up his boots at Marvel, Chris would pick up the shield and entertain these kids. He could do anything to bring a smile on their precious faces. It was a piece of heaven for Chris. A sanctuary.
As lockdown began, Chris tried to spend more time at Christopher's Heaven, he made time for them amidst his work for ASP and interviews. Nothing had changed in Christopher's Heaven from the last time he visited that place, same happy kids, hardworking staff and cheerful faces, except this time he was hearing about a mysterious girl named, Y/N.
Kids were absolutely head over heels in love with her and her stories. According to them she was the best storyteller as she made them smile, cry, and laugh at the same time. It would be wrong to say that Chris didn't feel jealous at first. He always thought he was the favorite of kids and the thought of someone replacing him bothered him a little. However, as time went by he started getting more curious about her because even the staff there seem to love her. They described her as someone who could calm the raging storm in anyone's heart with just her words. They told him that she somehow knew how to give hope in the most hopeless situation, tell people that to make best of what they got and be proud of the effect they will leave on others. He learned that she was not from here, she shifted to States somewhere in the end of 2019, when the world was still normal. She was working here in Boston and often spent all her free time with these kids, helping them emotionally as well as monetarily. After hearing so much about her Chris couldn't be jealous of her, in fact, he was eager to meet her. So he asked the matron to arrange a meeting with her at the premises.
It was a sunny Saturday morning when Chris got a call from the matron telling him that Y/N would be visiting the kids that afternoon and if he can make some time to meet her he should stop by. Chris who was eager to meet her agreed instantly. He passed rest of the morning anticipation how she would be. He knew for sure that she would sweet as sugar but there was something about her attachment and her words that kept pulling Chris' thoughts towards her.
Chris pulled up outside Christopher's Heaven a little after 4 pm, he was scheduled to come early but a call from his publicist kept him busy. He walked inside excited to meet the mysterious girl and the matron told him that she was already here. She was conducting one of her story sessions in the community room where he can also find all the kids and their parents.
Chris tip toed in the community room when he heard her sugar voice for the first time and saw her telling the story of a monster of kidnapped a queen and how a king assembled and army of monkeys to save his queen. Everyone was entranced by her story telling skills, including Chris. He now understood why she was everyone's favorite. She made them sit through the edge of their seats as she arrested the story, her hands and her eyes animated every word coming out of her mouth, keeping everyone engaged.
"That was an amazing story," Chris spoke as all the kids and their parents walked out of the room to have some evening snacks, also brought by her. Y/N who was stuffing her bag turned around to see Chris. Needless to say she was shocked as she fumbled with her stuff. "Uh. Sorry," Chris chuckled nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck. "No. Its not your fault. I don't come across superheroes everyday so I got a little nervous," she tucked a tendril behind her ear as she replied.
A silence filled the room as they both stood not knowing what to say. Finally Chris broke the silence, "would you like to get some coffee?" She looked at him startled not knowing if she should say yes or no. Even Chris was taken aback because he didn't come across a woman who wouldn't want to share a coffee with him and this just fuelled his need to know her better. "I mean, here in this facility. Garden would be fine if you are okay?" She exhaled a sigh and nodded her head accepting his offer.
They spend the next couple of hours just talking, talking about his work, the places he has been, what was special about each place he went. They spoke about Christopher's Heaven and how Chris became associated with this place. They even talked about her work and her home country with which Chris has a spiritual connection.
"So I am told you know what to say to everyone. They told me you can give hope. How do you do that?" Chris asked as they sat there in garden patio watching birds fly back to their nests for the night.
"Let's just say I have been there so I know what gives hope," she has a safe smile as she spoke, while looking at the sky which was now painted in orange.
"Survivor?" Chris asked.
"You can say. I should be going now. I have some work," she picked up her bag ready to go.
"When can I meet you again?" Chris was not ready to say bye, not yet.
"I'll be here tomorrow. In fact, I'll be here every weekend." She smiled and walked away.
Days passed as Chris visited Y/N every weekend at Christopher's Heaven. Needless to say now even he was addicted to her stories. He was addicted to more than her stories. He was getting addicted her, the way she told him something's yet hid most of the things. They say her lips smiled but her eyes would grow sad time to time and she'd hide it the next moment. She gave everyone hope and strength to navigate through pain. She hand held them and lead them through pain. She was a survivor - Chris' believe grew stronger and before he knew he was falling for her.
They would sit by the gazebo and talk for hours, they would play with kids. She would cook for them sometimes and Chris was fan of her chocolate chip brownies. They all named her baking queen which she galdly accepted. He would often flirt with her which made her flustered. Her eyes would flutter down at ground and wouldn't dare to look at Chris. Chris loved this part of their relationship.
After beating around the bush for weeks Chris finally decided that it was high time to take next step. He decided to explore their relationship because he could clearly see a future with a level headed and strong girl like her.
It was another breezy Saturday evening when Chris and Y/N were having their usual weekend sesh when Chris finally decided to ask her.
"Hey, Y/N," she turned her attention from kids to him. "I was thinking if you would like to go out with me?"
"Like a date?"
"Yeah! Like a date."
There was radio silence and Chris' heart was beating at an accelerated speed. He could hear his own heartbeat and he was sure even she could hear it.
"Do you remember when we first met you asked me if I was a survivor?" Chris nodded at her question, clearly confused where it was going. "Yes, I am a survivor but from the other side." She took a picture from her diary and kept it front of him. It was her and a guy back hugging her and they both were smiling, they looked happy and in love. Chris could hear his heart breaking.
"This is or rather I should say, this was Jay. Jay was my brother's best friend. We both have been in a relationship since I was in 8th grade and he was in 10th. Everyone said we were soulmates and we were," she was looking at the sky with a happy smile dancing on her lips as if she was back in those days.
"Everything in my life was perfect as long g as i had Jay with me. He was the first guy who told me I was beautiful. He was the first and only guy who made my heart skip a beat and picked a beat at the same time, if that's even possible. We got engaged when I turned 22 and had our whole future planned ahead of us when one medical examination for his dream job crashed everything for us. Jay was diagnosed with cancer. He was given 6 months to live. We couldn't understand how a healthy man like him could get a deadly disease. My whole life with him was stricted into 6 months. Just 6 months." She broke down and Chris didn't knew how to react. A part of him was heartbroken to see her crying and a part was relieved that she was single.
"I thought he was my forever. I had planned a life with him which I couldn't get. His last 6 months were painful where he couldn't see, walk or even drink water. At one point I wished his life would end soon because it was better than the pain he was in." There was a silence in between them but it wasn't uncomfortable.
"Chris," she gently placed her hand over his, "you are a good man. You deserve happiness and love which a broken girl like me cannot give to you. Please don't hold on to someone like me." She pressed his hand gently and walked away.
It was another Sunday at Christopher's Heaven and Y/N walked into the facility as usual with her stories and brownies. After her talk with Chris last evening, she wasn't expecting him and she was disappointed. She wanted Chris to have the best and she clearly wasn't. She was disturbing brownies to kids when a familiar yet unexpected voice startled her, "I hope you saved the biggest brownie for me." She turned around to find Chris, wearing his usual charming smile as if nothing happened.
"Chris what are?" Chris placed a finger on her lips before she could complete. "Someone not so long ago told Brandon here that if we have the courage and hope to walk through pain then life will reward us with all its beauty. So I am holding on to that hope for you, me, and us. I want you to hold on to courage that you have, its that courage that brought you here and we met. Y/N, you and I were both know that I deserve the love that you can give and you deserve a happily forever and I hope its with me. There's no rush. Take your time to grieve and move on because life is about looking ahead." Chris tucked a tendril behind her ear, clicked a picture of her shocked face saying ,"I am keeping this as a momento of hope," and walked away to play with the kids.
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Divider credit: @chris-evans-indian-fanfic
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boop-le-snoot · 3 years
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PARTY FAVOURS | THE EMPEROR INTERLUDE
First time reader click here
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A look on the relationship from Tony Stark's eyes. Should give you an insight as to how his character growth was plotted - that's hard to see through a first person POV so I came and delivered the "whys" behind his behaviour.
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He felt the restless thrumming of the arc reactor between his ribs.
It was the first thing that drew focus of his mind as the situation at hand began to make sense. He was a clever man - the genius in him wasn't just for the academics; sure, he'd revolutionised the world once or twice or three times over the past ten years, but when it came to the rather delicate matters of the heart, he was as clueless as when he was a teenager.
The difference between then and now was only that he knew when to keep his mouth shut. It didn't matter how many poisonous articles the media sharks spewed out, he didn't hesitate to silence and shut every single one of them without a word to the one that started it all.
She lived blissfully by his side. The papers took their worst: without a direct statement, they speculated and called him a cradle robber, a moralless skirt chaser, every name in the book. She wasn't spared too: despite her young age, her social standing and vulture of a mother, the occasional "opportunistic gold-digger" comment made it's way into the NYC socialite column. She never uttered a peep, never shed a tear or even complained and he was utterly fascinated by it.
The world she was living in was much different that the one he was used to. The younger generation used to confuse him but now it was just terrifying; amongst her peers, only the most bitter, jaded ones expressed their disdain towards the press speculations. He'd taken to scrolling through the comments of her social media to make sure she knew what she was getting into by having a relationship with him; the outcome was bizarre - he didn't expect a positive response whatsoever but there they were, people born in the beginning of a new millennia, excited for her, showing their support for the girl who already had made a name for herself in the scientific community.
Another surprise - she was full of them, each day was like opening presents on christmas morning. Banner had nearly turned green when he found out that the "papichulosatan" he was corresponding with on an invite-only biological sciences themed forum was actually a teenager - she had been 16 at the time. Apparently, the inhabitants of the entire planet Earth except for the residents of his tower knew that she was something... Something else.
Not a child, not quite a woman. She hadn't acquired that bittersweetness that Tony associated with women his own age, like Pepper and many more he'd tried to form a relationship with. His girl was pure of heart, clear of soul, but in a way that complimented her maturity. Ever since that fateful night he spent two hours running around the NYC's trendiest clubs just to find her sitting alone with a sense of pride rivaling his own, he couldn't stop thinking about her. She was always on his mind and it was terrifying.
It wasn't like she suddenly made his life entirely something else; rather than changing him, she quietly complimented him in a way that suited them both. They didn't really fight because there wasn't anything to fight about. Sure, they disagreed on things all the time, but the unspoken rule to not force something on one another stood. He learned that with Pepper and she- she seemed to be emotionally mature on her own.
That's what his therapist had said, anyway, surprising herself and him. It was evident that the woman thought, to some extent, that he had made her up. But the honeymoon period passed - and Bruce had joined them - and shit happened, but she still stood quietly by his side, not intruding into his personal space but offering him a shoulder to lean on whenever he needed it. Ever since that, Tony began to feel truly invincible. Not a single event in his life had made him feel this powerful.
She went and made friends with Loki, the unlikeliest of people, and she stood by him, too, seemingly a neverending readiness to tear anyone, who dared to make a negative remark about him, limb from limb. Knowingly or not, she had patched the hole in the team - a gaping, bleeding one, of mistrust and unnecessary cautiousness, and continued to do so every single day without a care in the world. Not just him, Tony Stark, but all of the Avengers were invincible with a back-up like that.
Realistically, Tony knew they still had ways to go. They were begrudging friends at first but now the bonds strengthened; even as his disregard for Rogers lessened, the man himself was taking steps to control his impulsivity and temper. Tony hated that it had to be a teenager cowering in fear in front of Steve for the man to realise his good intentions didn't always get the best results. Tony was grateful to Loki he'd stepped in that time. While he didn't think Rogers would actually strike a woman, two hundred pounds of genetically engineered bulk of muscle towering and yelling over you was no less terrifying.
At least it started to turn gears in that steroid brain of his.
Everything after that seemed like a dream. Quiet and witty until provoked, his girl was insatiable for him in a way that matched his own hunger for her. It was never just sex with her, somehow, each time he was inside her it felt like revelations. They'd sit for hours, her in his lap, his half-hard cock buried deep inside her welcoming heat, sometimes working and sometimes just listening to each other's gentle breathing. All the love songs started to make sense.
Seeing Bruce, his second best friend and partner in crime, handle her like he did provoked an opposite reaction of what he was expecting of himself. Tony had been terrified of her leaving him, every single day, no matter how many times his ugly, rotten inside showed itself and she still accepted him; with time, the ache dulled, but it never fully went away.
Bruce put a gentle band-aid on it, unknowingly of course - the scientist was too busy taming his own demons to look out for Tony's - but he went to Tony and laid his cards out on the table. Not backing down and not being sorry for himself either, so neutral it made Tony's heart hurt. They both had come to an agreement, of course, but she went and shredded it and showed them fair and square that they both - all three of them - could get what they wanted only if they worked on themselves a little bit.
For the first time in their lives, the men were truly motivated. There was none of that manipulative undertone that Pepper liked to use on Tony - "you're an adult man, you should be doing and feeling this or that or I'll have to leave you" - there were just gentle hands and even gentler words and no expectations. One day at a time, every single one of them was learning, happily so.
And it wasn't until Natasha had ambushed him in his workshop that he realised, another one of many firsts, that this was what healthy love was supposed to be. There were no obligations, no covert contracts, not one thing that made the whole 'committment' shiding so toxic and terrifying.
Somehow, Natasha knew. "If you hurt her, that's on you. She won't run the first time, and the second time, it's going to be the straw that broke the camel's back... And I would pity you if that happens. Because people like her... They are dangerous when they are hurt. She would gut you like a pig."
Tony's ears were ringing; he wanted to laugh at the absurd thought of this understanding, kind human being acting maliciously. But all he could focus on was Natasha's choice of words: "If... If..." If, not when. Did the spy really think the three of them stood a chance?
Natasha had unceremoniously picked up and chugged his long-cold coffee, gracefully hopping up on the table. "You two are more alike than you think. Figured you'd be self-absorbed enough to choose a carbon copy of yourself," With that, the Russian left, leaving a gaping Tony to stare into the nearest wall. His brain registered it was a joke way too late, the fury that crawled up to burn his throat was cooled by disbelief. If Romanoff thought he was even half as kind and thoughtful as his girl, was it really an insult? Damn those puzzling Russian spies.
Bruce had come not much later, shaken and pale but not green, so deep in thought that he ran into lab equipment twice before ending up in the same place that was occupied by Romanoff minutes earlier. He muttered something about Loki and a pep-talk; things that sounded more like a discussion with his green side, so Tony left him alone.
The shift in Bruce's and Hulk's dynamic was visible to the naked eye ever since that long night in the lab where they both watched Peter and her working on something personal, perfect symbiosis, well-oiled scientific research machine, unlike themselves. Both of them choking on jealousy and acrid, ravenous envy, feelings too inappropriate but too obvious to conceal. Peter's crush on her was just as obvious and her disinterest was just as transparent. But the what-ifs had eaten at them both until they had to spew them out, and the Hulk had been the pushing force for them to begin to act like adults.
Hulk had proposed, in his limited vocabulary and much too passionate tone, to protect the puny Princess at all costs. Bruce didn't resist much and Tony jumped on the bandwagon as soon as he could. It was the only logical solution.
That's why Tony threw the party; he could not care less about Barnes' desire to see Rogers in something trashy and slutty on all Hallows Eve. He couldn't give any less fucks about the press that was raving for another Stark party. He did care a little about Strange's wounded ego: the man fascinated him, like any other strong-willed, independent character, but nothing more. Tony wanted to know what would make the sorcerer tick.
Tony wanted to give his baby girl the world.
And then, he failed.
Tony felt as if someone had poured a bucket of waste right over his head when his- their baby girl had come in, shaking and hiding behind a furious Loki and announced in a monotone voice that she'd been drugged. Something inside of him broke, snapped just like the pencil that Strange was holding next to him.
Bruce hulked out and Tony felt as if he himself would burst any second. His Princess was fearless, he knew it, yet couldn't help his heart from skipping a beat when she approached the green beast with the same kindness she treated all of her closest people. Tony didn't hesitate to follow the Hulk's orders, eager to channel the murderous rage and regretful anguish somewhere; it just spiraled out of hand. Once again, his head was underwater as his life spiraled further and further into lightless abyss and he was alone-
And then all of a sudden, he was warm. Not on the outside, but on the inside - the arms around his shoulders were comforting like an old, worn out sweater, familiar. Missing s couple of threads and spouting a couple of holes - imperfect, but utterly his. Her breathing steady but a little bit shaky, hands holding on just a little too tight.
You two are too much alike, he remembered Natasha's words. That was probably her way of showing just how scared she was. She could be as terrified of his reaction as of the person who did... That... To her. In his house. Tony wasn't stupid; he could put two and two together. That wasn't the time to mope or wallow in self-pity, it was the time to remove the foreseeable threat.
The team stood in silent agreement. A rare moment of absolute unity, all interpersonal issues pushed aside and locked away. Coulson's side-eye was of cosmic magnitude but nobody paid it any mind. It was very unlikely that even the agent himself would be able to stop Natasha and Clint from dealing with the guy; as more and more details came forward, the clouds in the room thickened.
Nobody batted an eye when Baby was, yet once again, the voice of reason and the operation Baby Thief began progressing forward smoothly. Tony reasoned what himself that letting her go with Strange was the best option - even the billionaire himself could not get a better combo than a sorcerer and a doctor that very day.
The box was retrieved; the mere presence ff it and the terse atmosphere it brought into the room reminded all of them too much of the Tesseract and it's effects. Loki was, perhaps, the worst of them all: pacing like an agitated animal, the god growled under his breath at his brother who was clouded with grief and worry. Tony found himself asking "what would Baby do" and came to a conclusion - nothing that wouldn't require him to step over his pride.
In the end, he conceded. A simple "Walk with me", but it was an obvious olive branch extended to Loki and the Asgardian knew it. He wasn't stupid enough to refuse a truce offering in a situation like that. They walked laps around the SHIELD base in neutral silence, slow steps, each lost in their respective thoughts but being finally able to breathe with a full chest. Thankfully, nobody made a remark that they both returned as soon as the box was secured and placed in temporary containment for Strange to pick it up.
For the second time in those 24 hours, Tony's arc reactor all but buzzed in response to his skyrocketing heart rate. She'd called - Loki's phone - and she sounded broken. All of them froze at the exhaustion in her voice; there was nothing but emptiness in the whispers. Nothing that made her, her.
The scene in front of them was something straight out of a B-rated horror movie. Tony thought Loki had reached the apex of his anger earlier; evidently, the engineer had been very wrong and godspeed to the people who managed to piss off the moody Asgardian. It appeared as his magic exploded out of him, all but knocking the people behind him into the walls of the Sanctum.
Their Baby, laying on the floor and the people who swore to protect her beside her, it set Tony's blood ablaze. It boiled, tipping the heat if his temper dangerously close to it's boiling point. She spoke to them, voice shaky and her own fire - it was burning at least as strong as his blood, something had happened and something had hurt her...
Belatedly, he realised Natasha had been right. She was dangerous. There was nothing of the sad, scared girl that came to Bruce whenever she had been upset; there was no desperation for validation, the very same she'd thought she hid well but it seeped through the cracks of her self-deprecating jokes.
Something... Or someone... Had threatened something vital to her. And she was going to make sure they never, ever get the chance to do that again.
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I got a comment on AO3, where I also posted this, complimenting my world building. I took a moment to think about it and I understood that to make the story more saturated I had to include some of the other's POVs. So y'all can count on more of these. And if you feel like the x doctor Strange pairing isn't being fully explored - I am aware of that, it's going to be explored more. After all, it took us 10 chapters for Bruce and Tony respectively, and Stephen is a slightly more complicated man. That said, we'll have some more interactions with him shortly. Thank you for your continuous support, guys. I may not remember every single one of your nicknames my heart but I see the likes and I definitely notice whenever a new person binges on this fic. What originally started as an excuse to write hot boomer porn has now grown into something that's a whole damn book and that's because of you guys being so amazing. I love you all 3000.
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THE TAG LIST IS NOW OPEN! @another-stark-sub ​ @mostly-marvel-musings  @vozit ​ @littlegasps ​ @pilloclock ​ @shereadsinquiet @downeyreads ​ @hermione-grangers-wife ​ @individualistfem @sleep-i-ness @capbrie @lillsxd @agustdowney @dee-vn @justanotherblonde23 @fanngirl19 @persephonehemingway @softie-socks @schemefrenzy @letsby @cutenessloading @romeo-the-cactus @jelly-fishy-babie @mikariell95
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eryiss · 4 years
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Fraxus Week 2020: Day 6 - Tarot
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Summary: After a crappy post-college first year, Laxus jumped at the opportunity to leave town for a week for a road trip with his friends. He intended it just to be a week away with his friends, but when he meets an unfamiliar stranger, the vacation turns into something much more. [Fraxus Multichapter]
This is the sixth part of my Fraxus Week admissions, hosted by @fuckyeahfraxus​. This year I’ve made the prompts into a single multi-chapter fic. You can see all the chapters in the Masterpost linked below. Hope you enjoy.
You can read this on Fanfiction, Archive of our Own, and under the cut. Read the other chapters from this masterlist.
Chapter Six – A Carnival Reading
Bickslow had claimed it was an accident, but Laxus called bullshit. To Laxus, this seemed as though it was Bickslow and Evergreen's way of giving their new relationship their blessing. But Laxus didn't particularly care, because he had woken up sharing a relatively small bed with Freed, arm wrapped around the man's waist while pulling him close, and the man nuzzled into his chest as he slept. And, although Laxus had no intention on trying, he couldn't think of a better thing to wake up to.
With a soft smile, he shuffled slightly and pulled Freed closer. The sleeping man hummed and moved his head, revealing a small smile on his face.
This was rather a charmed life, and Laxus could get used to it.
But that was wishful thinking. They'd had their first sober kiss only a day prior, and it had exhilarated Laxus to a point no other relationships had. After that, they'd spent some time atop the RV's roof, Laxus looking up at the stars while Freed continued his book. That too had been exhilarating in a way Laxus couldn't put into words. After that, they'd eaten with Bickslow and Evergreen, spoken about how they were something of a couple but hadn't yet put a label on it, but they certainly weren't platonic.
Their friends had been supportive of that. They knew both men weren't the most emotionally vulnerable people, it seemed.
And now Laxus had woken up in the small double bed at the back of the RV, with Freed in his arms. Seeing as the man was sleeping softly, Laxus leant down and pressed his lips against the crown of Freed's head, smiling down at him.
"That was adorable," Evergreen's voice cut through the silence, and made Laxus' head snap up. He didn't think she was awake. "I didn't know you had it in you to be sweet."
"Shut up," Laxus groaned, voice a tired croak. He quickly glanced through the rest of the RV and his eyes settled on Bickslow, who was curled up awkwardly in the passenger side seat snoring and drooling onto the pillow he was spooning. He was glad that only Evergreen had seen that, as Bickslow would have gone into an overly dramatic meltdown. Which would have woken Freed up and ended the situation.
Huh. Laxus really meant it when he said he cared more for Freed than his dignity.
"I won't say anything more," Evergreen said with a smile. It was annoyingly kind. "I just think its nice. Besides, after you fell asleep we took loads of pictures," Laxus glared at her, and she laughed. "I'm joking. Well, I think so. I fell asleep before Bix so you might want to check."
"Thanks for the warning," Laxus said softly, perhaps sarcastically.
"Well, I'm only really being nice because I have something else I need to tell you," Evergreen said with a small trace of guilt in her tone. "I found that we're pretty close to a well-reviewed circus carnival, and I mentioned it to Bickslow. As you can guess, we're spending the day there."
"Why d'you need to butter me up for that?" Laxus said, not aware that he was running his hands through Freed's soft hair.
"Well, Bickslow made it pretty clear that we'd be leaving the two of you alone," Evergreen sighed. "Essentially, we're forcing you on your first date. Which might be a tad annoying to your plan of not putting labels on what you are."
Laxus glanced down at the sleeping man in the bed with him, and smiled softly. While they were taking things as they came, it certainly wasn't a bad thing that they would be spending the day together.
"I'm sure we can handle it," Laxus said softly.
"You're a hero," Evergreen laughed quietly. "Well, since you're awake now, I'm going to go for a little morning walk. See you later; oh, and keep up the kisses because it's adorable."
If he weren't wrapped around Freed, he might have thrown the pillow at the woman's retreating figure. Instead he did his best to raise his middle finger at the woman without moving Freed to a point where he would awaken. Evergreen let out a quiet laugh as she left the RV, leaving Laxus as the only person awake in the truck. As he was essentially alone, he looked down at the man wrapped up against him.
Freed really was a man of many faces, all damn appealing. Right now, his contented sleeping expression was pretty damned cute. But the night before, on the roof of the RV, he had been more handsome than any man Laxus had laid eyes on. Even the smug and cocky expression he had given Laxus when challenging him to a race at the waterpark had been hot.
It was really quite unfair that he got to be that attractive in that many ways.
"Urgh," Freed murmured quietly, and Laxus looked down at him with an expression of quiet contentment.
"Morning," He greeted.
"Morning," Freed parroted, eyes fluttering open softly. He smiled when he made eye contact with Laxus. "Well you're rather cuddly, aren't you?" Freed chuckled, but cushioned the tease with a soft kiss against Laxus' jaw.
"People always get shocked by that," Laxus commented quietly. "I've never understood why."
"Oh I fully expected you to enjoy hugging, why else would you have a body like this," Freed chuckled, moving slightly so his head was level with Laxus'. "I just expected that being in the presence of the human embodiment of annoying gossip might make you a little hesitant."
"With another guy, maybe," Laxus said the words before he could think. Was that too far for their relationship?
"You're charming too," Freed replied with a soft chuckle. "I thought that was going to be my thing."
"I gotta keep you on yer toes somehow," Laxus said with a grin. "Speaking of, Ever warned me that Bix's been plotting and apparently they're taking us to some carnival or something, and they're gonna ditch us and basically put us on a date together. You okay with that?"
"Of course," Freed nodded a little, and his nose gently traced Laxus'. "Spending time alone with you is quickly becoming a pastime of mine that I love, so you can safely assume I'll enjoy any dates we might go on. Forced on us or otherwise."
"I'm glad," Laxus smiled, jutting his chin forward so he could press his lips against Freed's in a chaste kiss. It sent a shock through him. "And I'll get to kick your ass at carnival games."
"Rather cocky attitude there, Laxus," Freed chuckled. "Misplaced, too."
"You said something similar when you challenged me to the water park race," Laxus grinned. "And remind me, who's got their lock screen as a picture of them on a waterslide screaming like they're about to piss themself."
"True, but in a carnival, you can't repeatedly push me into water and trip me up just to get your way," Freed said with a good-natured smile.
"You're really underestimating how much I like winning," Laxus grinned. "But if your so confident, we can make a bet."
"You truly are a competitive man, Mr Dreyar. I like it," Freed chuckled. "How about the loser pays for our first real date, and the winner choses what the date is."
"Sounds fun," Laxus smiled, leaning down, and pressing their lips together.
It was a slow and somewhat sloppy kiss, and both men melted into it without any difficulty. Laxus brought up one of his hands to cup Freed's cheek, smiling as the man in his arms pushed further into the embrace. Even in his half-awake state, Laxus felt a thrilling rush of excitement flow through him. Freed really did have some kind of effect on him that he couldn't describe, nor did he care to try. Because that moment was perfect.
Well, it would have been perfect. But then they heard the sound of Bickslow's phone taking a picture, followed by a loud cackling.
~~~
"I feel this is what Bickslow's mind must be like."
At Freed's comment, Laxus let out an undignified snort. The two men were walking side by side in the carnival, looking forward at the large and flashy spectacle before them. Multiple stalls lined a long pathway leading towards a circus tent, of which Bickslow was dragging Evergreen towards. Past the tent were large attractions and rides, each blurting out energetic music. It was somewhat overwhelming, but was helped by the fact the mass crowds had yet to arrive.
"I always thought it'd be a nightclub," Laxus commented, grinning. "A really loud and tacky one."
"I can see that," Freed agreed, and Laxus felt a chill run down his spine as Freed's hand grazed his own. "I haven't been to a carnival like this in years. The town I grew up in used to host one once a year."
"You used to enjoy it?" Laxus asked, looking down at the other man with a smile.
"Not exactly," Freed said with a chuckle. "It only started when I was a teenager, and I deemed myself too educated and adult to enjoy myself. So I mostly spent them in my bedroom reading, and wishing death on the people who turned the music up so loud that I could hear it half a mile away."
"So you were an edgy teenager huh?" Laxus asked with a teasing grin. "You know if you had a goth phase then you have to show me pictures so I can laugh at ya."
"Fortunately, I didn't," Freed said with a smile. "But the same goes for you. If you've any embarrassing childhood photos then it's required I see them."
"That's fair, I guess," Laxus nodded. "But don't think I didn't see what you just did. I asked for goth pics, you asked for embarrassing pics. So if I show you anything embarrassing, you gotta compensate."
"I had hoped you hadn't noticed that" Freed chuckled good naturedly.
The two continued walking down the row of stalls, eyeing the food vendors. It was a little after when they usually ate lunch, and they had decided that they'd get something to eat before playing any of the games or visiting any other attractions. That way there were nothing to distract them from the bet they had made, and neither man could blame their losses on being hungry. Laxus paled a little when Freed suggested that, as feigning weakness from hunger had been an option if he lost at a game he should have won.
After eventually settling on a food vendor with sweet smelling meat wafting from their stall, they had a quick meal and further discussed the rules of their gamble. They would both play every game available in a clockwise pattern, and would work with a points system. In the event of a draw, they would flip a coin.
The first game they played was an archery range, which was relatively simple. Laxus had gone first, claiming he had earned that by winning their race at the water park. He had done okay, managing to hit the target with each of his arrows, though with a wide range of points. He ended up with sixteen over his four arrows, which was a serviceable score. But the look on Freed's face told Laxus that the man was confident that he could win.
He did.
He got eighteen points, and even Laxus could see that there was a lot less luck in Freed's performance. Laxus would have focused on that, had he not been distracted by the confident posture, determined expression and flexing arms as he pulled the string back and took aim.
"That was," Laxus began when Freed returned with a satisfied expression. "Kinda hot, honestly."
"I'm glad you think so," Freed said, and his voice was just slightly deeper than normal. He leant forward so that their faces were almost touching, but stopped just short. "Consider it a consolation prize, as I'm winning."
The smug expression on the man's face drove Laxus almost as crazy as his teasing had. And he could do was let out a muttered 'asshole' before following in his footsteps.
They continued making their way through the games at a leisurely pace, playing each of them and teasing each other as they did so. They fell into a quick pattern where the winner of the individual game would flaunt their victory in a flirtatious and teasing way, and the loser would have to stand there and take it. Laxus felt a rush every time, because the ease at which he could be his competitive self with the other man shocked him. The fact Freed was just as confident in himself was an added bonus.
None of his past attempts at relationships had been like this. In fact, he had been so busy trying not to show the more flawed side of himself that he often forgot to be himself. With Freed, it felt like the inverse of that.
After the archery game, they had moved onto a game where they had a minute to score as many points with a basketball hoop. They had been relatively evenly matched, but Laxus' high school year as a basketball player gave him an edge. He gloated his victory by rolling up his sleeve and flexing his bicep, with a teasing 'these ain't just to look at' aimed at Freed. He didn't miss the other man's smirk at the movement.
Next was a game wherein you threw darts at balloons, and each balloon you popped had a certain score inside of it. They had five darts each, and Laxus managed to win that too. He had wrapped an arm around Freed's shoulders and made a gloating show about how he had won two games in a row, and Freed had not.
The next game had them both aiming water pistols at moving targets. The person who inflated their target's balloon fasted would win, and Freed proved to have better aim. Rather than gloating, he had twisted his water gun to the side so that a cold splash of water hit Laxus on the side.
"I'm gonna get you back for that," Laxus promised, grinning.
"Why," Freed feigned innocence. "I thought you might need some cooling off. Losing that badly got you rather heated."
"So, you thought I looked hot, huh?" Laxus said, crossing his arms.
"No," Freed said, not shying from Laxus' gaze. "I thought you looked warm. You looking hot is a… continuing issue."
Laxus grinned at the compliment, but shunted his own water gun to the side so a stream of water hit the other man. Freed let out a small noise of protest, but laughed it off as the owner of the stall asked them both to move along for the next customers. Laxus wrapped an arm around Freed's shoulders as they walked, and murmured into his ear.
"You looked pretty hot yourself," He said with a grin.
"I'm aware," Freed snarked back, and Laxus laughed with a grinned.
This was new as well, the ease of flirtation. It was ridiculous to think that a day ago, Laxus had been beating himself up for the idea of having some kind of crush on Freed, and now he was openly calling the guy hot in public. It was a testament to how comfortable Freed had managed to make him, Laxus supposed.
As they walked to the next stall, they noticed how different it was. Whereas the others were open and painted with bright colours, this stall was a small purple tent with dark colours and candles surrounding it. A sign beside the door claimed 'Mistress Cana Alberona's Tarot.' Laxus rolled his eyes.
"You don't believe in fortune telling?" Freed asked, apparently having seen the eye movement.
"Nah," Laxus shrugged, then looked down at Freed curiously. "Do you?"
"No, I think it's absurd. The idea that some cards magically know the intricate futures of everyone, or the fact your personality and what you'll do is written on your hand is ridiculous," Laxus chuckled a little at Freed's dismissal of the subject. "For whatever reason, it seems like everyone I know believes in it though."
"I know," Laxus grinned. "Ever once dragged me to a psychic. We got kicked out when I found her 'one of a kind crystal ball' on Amazon for twelve dollars."
"A merciful escape for you, then," Freed smirked.
Laxus agreed, but was then struck with an idea. He reached into his pocket and fished out a coin, flipping it in the air and catching it quickly. He covered it before he or Freed could see which side it had landed on, and looked to the other man with a challenging smile. Freed looked back at him with confusion.
"Heads or tails," Laxus demanded. "You get it right; I'll get a fortune. Get it wrong, you have to get one."
"Okay," Freed nodded. "Heads."
Laxus revealed the coin, and deflated at the sight of a clear head facing upwards. Freed sent him a grin that rivalled Bickslow's for its enjoyment of suffering, and he had the balls to pat the man on the shoulder in a faux comforting way. Laxus looked at the tent with a pained expression; he really couldn't be bothered to deal with the overly dramatic lies of someone with a deck of cards and an inflated sense of self-importance.
"Have fun," Freed taunted, giving him a gentle push towards the tent.
All but trudging towards his destination, Laxus placed the money in the bucket outside and rolled his eyes at the overly mysterious sounding demand that he enter the tent. He walked in, and saw a heavily cushioned room with a low table, and a woman mainly covered by purple scarves sitting at it.
They weren't scared of stereotypes, it seemed.
"Hello, lost one," The woman greeted, still forcing a weird voice. "Take a seat, my child."
Laxus did as he was told, biting his tongue when he realised that he was probably older than the woman performing the reading. He was glad this wasn't a palm reading, having a stranger grope at his hands would be too weird.
"You wish to have your unlived days laid before you?" The woman asked.
"Sure," Laxus said without enthusiasm, not entirely wanting to play along.
"You don't believe in this stuff, do ya," The woman asked suddenly, her voice a lot more normal now. Laxus, momentarily shocked by the sudden change in atmosphere, took a second to reply.
"Not really," Laxus shrugged. "Made a deal I'd come here though."
"That's fair," The woman said, and started to remove the scarves from her face. She was certainly younger than Laxus. "You don't mind do you. This place is hot enough without the candles surrounding it and the scarves. You have no idea how sweaty it gets."
"No, that's fine," Laxus said, at a loss for words when the woman pulled a beer from behind one of the cushions and took a swig from it.
"Okay, so you don't believe in this stuff, so there's no reason to lay it on thick," She said after taking her drink. "But you did pay, and just because you don't believe in something doesn't mean it's not true. So, you wanna do this without all the added on stuff that makes the experience better, get it over and done with?"
"I guess," Laxus frowned. He wasn't entirely sure what was happening.
"Okay," The woman began, picking up her tarot deck and shuffling it like a poker player. "I'm gonna spread these you, you have to pick three. Usually I'd say there's spirit guardians guiding you, which there is but I doubt you'll care about that. Once you've picked them out, we'll turn them over and I'll explain what they mean. First individually, then as a whole."
Laxus nodded in understanding and watched as the woman laid out the cards in a smooth curve. With more care than was probably needed, he looked over the cards before picking three of them at random. Or maybe it wasn't random. Maybe it was a spirit guide.
He almost laughed at the thought.
Watching absently, Laxus saw the woman turn the left most card over, revealing an image of someone in odd clothing standing at the end of a cliff.
"The fool," The woman explained, and Laxus felt slightly offended by it. "Each card has a wide range of interpretations. In its most pure form, it can mean you'll make an ass out of yourself soon," Laxus glared at the woman for that. "But in a more spiritual sense, it speaks of a greater acceptance of the self. You will embrace the fool within you, becoming more of your real self and less burdened by your anxieties. You will find that you don't second guess your actions. You'll be as much a fool as you need to be."
Laxus almost scoffed, and tried to ignore the fact he had been considering just how much his interactions with Freed were devoid of his second-guessing nature. He didn't say anything as the woman turned the next card.
"The sun," She commented. "In its most literal sense, it means brightness is coming to your world. There will be light and growth and nurturing in your future, a new sense of happiness perhaps. But it also means the start of a new cycle. Rebirth if you will. It seems to be that you might be starting a new chapter in your life."
It was annoying, but Laxus found himself wondering if Freed would play a big part in this new chapter. He remained silent as the final card of his choice was flipped over.
"The world," The woman said, and she was smiling now. "This can mean a lot of things. Often it's further a signifier of growth and nature. But it also means that the world is literally open to you. New pathways, new experiences, a new life. That's all coming towards you, and coming soon."
"So, err," Laxus began, embarrassed that he was even entertaining the possibility of this being real. "What do they all mean together."
"I think something big's happening in your life, and pretty soon. It might have already happened. Something life changing. Something that'll open up a whole new world of possibilities, that restarts your life with something new, that allows you to be your true self in a way that you've never been before. Maybe it's an event, maybe it's a revelation or an epiphany. Maybe it's a person. But you're in for some change, and I think it's for the better."
Laxus mind forced him to think of the man waiting outside of the tent for him. The handsome stubborn man that had already had an affect on Laxus that nobody else had. The man who allowed him to have fun, and seemed to energise Laxus in a way he couldn't describe.
Maybe Freed was the change in his life.
He dismissed the thought instantly; this whole this was pointless, and wrong. He bid the woman a goodbye, and started to leave the tent. Even with his surety that fortune telling wasn't real, Laxus couldn't help but notice the similarities of what he'd been told.
Not could he help the smile that those similarities caused.
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Just ONE more...until I think of yet another question I'm dying to ask you a few minutes from now! What do you see as Buffy's greatest traits and worst flaws? Angel's greatest traits and worst flaws? In what ways (assuming they were human) do you see them as compatible? In what ways do think they're similar to each other, and what are their complementary differences? What jobs do you think they'd have as humans? What would they each be like as parents? What would they do in their spare time?!
Buffy’s greatest traits and worst flaws
Buffy is a very complex character with so many strengths, but equally, many flaws. Without a doubt her greatest strengths are her resillience and inner-strength. No matter what life throws at her she seems to have an incredible ability to keep moving forward. Even after Joyce’s death - which is undoubtedly one of the greatest tragedies anyone in this world will face - she’s able to compartmentalise in order to take responsbility of the household and step up to be a parental figure for Dawn when she’s still a child herself. Not to mention that she dies and is resurrected and somehow manages to find a way to keep going. What strikes me about Buffy is that even when she’s clearly struggling mentally and emotionally she never wallows in self pity. She accepts that the world is unfair and cruel and that everybody suffers in different ways and she does the best she can to carry on. Her other strengths include her leadership, confidence, determination and decisiveness. In every situation she finds herself in, Buffy is able to make tough decisions for herself and others. She never shies away from the responsibilities that go with being the Slayer, she owns it. She’s the one that everybody looks to when shit hits the fan and that’s a huge burden, but she never treats it as one despite feeling that way deep down inside. It takes so much courage to be able to make hard and fast decisions, particularly when those decisions impact the people around you, but Buffy does it all the time. Her morality is also a strength of Buffy’s. She has a strong sense of right and wrong, and although that view can sometimes be a little bit too black and white, she is never afraid to stand up and fight for what she believes is right no matter what it takes. Once again, that takes great courage. Speaking of courage, the courage and bravery Buffy has is staggering. Even when she’s afraid she doesn’t let it show, she always goes into a fight ready and raring to go. She’s also incredibly loyal and although she has a strong belief in justice, she has an ability to forgive others even when they sometimes aren’t necessarily deserving of her forgiveness.
As for her flaws, they’re very much the flip-side of her strengths. Her resillience and inner-strength can sometimes lead to her being emotionally unavailable and closed off. Her way of dealing with the responsibility of being the Slayer and the trauma, depression, grief and other powerfully negative emotions she faces is to isolate herself, shut away her feelings and focus on tasks. This means that she often doesn’t process or deal with her emotions in a healthy way resulting in her taking it out on others, or more commonly taking it out on herself (this is particularly the case in season 6). The way she would shut herself off emotionally also sometimes led to her not being perceptive of how others around her were feeling and being insenstive or dismissive of them. Simirlarly, her leadership and confidence means that she can be condescending and belittle the opinions and knowledge of others, believing that she’s superior. Sometimes her confidence can drift over to arrogance and she can’t always admit when she’s wrong or take the advice of others. Statements such as “There’s only me. I am the law” really show that. Furthermore, her decisiveness and leadership means that she sometimes makes decisions for others that aren’t hers to make or she doesn’t take the feelings of others into consideration as much as she should. Her courage and bravery can occassionally transform into recklessness and impulsivity whereby she throws herself into potentially harmful situations with little regard for her well-being.
Angel’s greatest traits and worst flaws
Angel’s greatest traits are definitley his compassion, dedication and selflessness. Angel will lay his life on the line to save the life of anybody, whether it’s his son or a stranger that he’s just met. He is fiercely dedicated to helping others and is genuinely able to empathise and sympathise with people in order to provide that help. Because of the uniqueness of Angel as a vampire with a soul he has an inherent ability to empathise with people (despite the fact that he believes he’s disconnected from them), because he’s lived for so long, has such a wealth of life experience, has experienced the darkest parts of humanity as a soulless demon and now feels the pure emotion that comes from having a soul. He’s able to see the good in everybody and to remain open-minded and non-judgemental in order to understand people’s lives, motivations and feelings. Despite how much good he does, he’s very humble and never seeks fame, glory or praise. There’s a lot to be said for the fact that every person Angel helps he does so because he wants to help. It’s that simple. He doesn’t do it because of some ulterior motive, it’s completely selfless. I mean, this is a man(pire) that was willing to die fighting an unwinnable battle. Angel is also a great leader, but in a very different way from Buffy. Angel isn’t a self-elected leader, he’s a natural leader that his friends look to because they trust his judgement and have faith in his decisions and ability to lead. Angel doesn’t assume responsibility because he believes he has the authority, power or skill to do so more than anybody else, he does it because that’s what his friends expect of him. As a result of this, he’s able to listen to the advice of his friends and even delegate responsibility, letting them to take the lead sometimes. This is all part of Angel’s kindness and ability to see the good in everyone. Angel has an ability to inspire and motivate those around him based purely on his actions and philosophy. He’s able to bring characters like Faith, Cordy, Wes, Gunn and Fred - all of whom felt disconnected, lonely, unappreciated and had very little self-belief when he first met them - and transform their perception of themselves. With Angel’s mission statement and leadership to provide them with direction and his care and support, they were all able to come into their own and hone their strengths, skills and abilities (which hadn’t been acknowledged previously) to make a difference in the world.
In regards to his flaws, I’d say that he can be very depressive and pessimistic, which is only to be expected from a vampire with a soul. Sometimes he can be prone to falling into a dark spiral and when he starts that descent there’s very little that can stop him. A lot like Buffy, this can sometimes be part of him hitting self-destruct. Angel carries a lot of guilt and self-loathing for his past actions, and in the moments that that catches up to him he struggles to put things into perspective and acknowledge the person he is now and all of the good he’s doing. He also has a tendency to fixate on certain things which causes him to lose sight of the bigger picture. This happens at various points with Buffy, Darla, Cordelia, Connor, Lindsey W&H and Spike. A lot of the time I think this stems from his  persistent fear that threats to those he loves are lurking just around the corner and doom is imminent (which, to be fair to him, it’s usually true haha). Angel also lacks confidence in his own abilities and is too humble. Being humble can never really be a negative thing, but I think that in the context of Angel’s character he’s too hard on himself and doesn’t give himself as much credit as he should for all the good he does. He often diminishes the huge importance he plays in fighting the good fight and the impact he has on people’s lives. Similarly, But Angel’s most obvious flaw (if we can even refer to it as such) is Angelus. Soulless vampires are evil, plain and simple, but Angelus takes this to the extreme. He’s a callous, vindictive, cruel, merciless monster that takes pleasure in inflicting pain on others and exploiting their weaknesses. Although Angelus is an entirely different character, it has an impact on how Angel acts. He constantly lives in fear of Angelus returning and with the guilt of Angelus’ actions. This results in him having a huge amount of self-hatred which festers inside him no matter how much time passes and which he can never get past or forgive himself for. However, Angel’s understanding and acceptance of this part of himself actually makes this somewhat of a strength of his. He hates that side of himself and repeatedly tells his friends that if he’s ever to lose his soul again they should kill him immediately.
In what ways (assuming they were human) do you see Bangel as compatible?
This is a very tricky question to answer, because I genuinely struggle to imagine Buffy and Angel as humans. The supernatural is such a huge part of their lives and such a definitive aspect of their relationship that if you take that away they become entirely different people and their relationship transforms as a result. Ultimately, what brings them together is their shared sense of isolation which comes from them being the only one of their kind - Buffy being the Slayer and Angel being a Vampire with a Soul. In addition, their fight against supernatural bads and desire to help others is a mission they share which unites them. There’s not very much that Buffy and Angel bond over outside of this, no shared interests, hobbies or commonalities that could be considered “human” that I can think of. So, I apologise, but I actually don’t know how to answer this question!
In what ways do think Bangel are similar to each other, and what are their complementary differences?
They’re both leaders who take immense responsibility onto their shoulders and have an ability to bring people together, to motivate and inspire them. Emotionally, they share similiar feelings of loneliness and depression that come from the traumas they face, the pressure of being a leader and feeling disconnected from the world they fight to protect. They’re resillient and have an astounding amount of strength which enables them to go on even after the worst has happened - Buffy has to endure killing Angel, losing her mother, dying and being resurrected; Angel has to endure dying, going to a hell dimension and being resurrected, losing Buffy, watching the mother of his child die in front of his eyes, having his son kidnapped by his own best friend, losing his son to evil, the woman he loves being possessed and impregnanted by an evil entity, losing his son forever as he wipes his memory, losing Cordy and Fred. I could continue, but you get the point. Buffy and Angel are able to keep moving forward when anyone else would simply lie down on the ground and give up. On a lighter note, they’re both goofy and have this adorkableness that seems to pop up during the most random times.
As for their differences, they have a lot but I wouldn’t necessarily consider them complimentary. I’d say that Buffy’s extroversion makes for a good contrast to Angel’s introversion. Angel keeps Buffy grounded and centered, whilst Buffy’s free-spirit captures Angel. Angel is also more able to remain open-minded to the possibility that demons have a capacity for goodness, whilst Buffy is usually much quicker to condemn demons without considering that they may not always be wholly evil. This means that Angel is able to encourage Buffy to reconsider her black and white view on the world and to give chances to those she may not have naturally, and on the flip side, Buffy’s outlook can remind Angel that not everybody always deserves a second chance or has a capacity to redeem themselves and set themselves on the right path.
Besides this, I can’t really think of any differences they have that are complimentary. The main differences I see between them come from the fact that Angel is so much older than Buffy and has completely different experiences as a vampire. Ths means that his motivations and priorities are quite different from Buffy’s, despite them being dedicated to a similar cause. Although Buffy accepts being the Slayer and fulfils her duties, she’s resistant to it on more than one occassion and when an oppourutnity arises to create more Slayers so that she’s not the only one she does so because she doesn’t want to carry that burden of being the Chosen One. In comparison, Angel is a self-elected hero. He’s not pre-ordained or chosen, he willingly dedicates himself to helping the helpless because he believes that’s his calling and he wants to repent for his previous sins. In an ideal world, Buffy doesn’t want to be the Slayer, she wants to be an ordinary girl, but Angel wouldn’t willingly choose to be human even if it was offered to him on a silver platter (which it is in ‘I Will Remember You’). Buffy, despite being the Slayer, is a human girl who longs for the things that most human girls do; to hang out with her friends, have fun, go shopping, spend time with family, graduate, get a car, go on holiday and do everything else that young people do. Angel naturally doesn’t care about any of that. He doesn’t think in terms of his future or building a life like Buffy does, he lives for the here and now and works off the idea that he will do everything he can today to make his life count for something.
What jobs do you think Bangel would have as humans?
I think Angel would be a Private Investigator. I know this is a bit of a cop out, because he was a PI on AtS, but it’s exactly the sort of job that suits him. He needs something where he can actively be out in the world making a difference to people’s lives but where he has freedom to make his own decisions and take on his own cases. He also needs to have action in his life and to have independence. Although he works well with his friends on AtS, he isn’t the sort of guy that necessarily works well in a team, particularly if he’s forced to work with people that he doesn’t know very well.
Buffy would be in fashion. I don’t just say this because she has great fashion sense, but because she’s able to see the essence of people and I feel she would know exactly how to use fashion and image to project that to the outside world. I also think that a creative and vocational career where Buffy can use her hands and put her ideas into practice would suit her personality down to a T.
What would Bangel each be like as parents? What would they do in their spare time?!
Well, we saw Angel as a father and Buffy as a kind-of-mother to Dawn, but I suppose as a co-parenting team I’d imagine them to be fun-loving but over-protective parents. They would definitley teach their kids self-defence; Angel would encourage them to read books and go to the ballet and theatre and musuems to ensure they’re attuned to the world around them and culturally aware; Buffy would be the discplinarian because lets face it Angel is just a softie; they’d attend ice hockey games every weekend where Angel would embarass the kids by yellling out all the time; Angel would tell the worst dad jokes in the world; Buffy would always try to make things fun and take any oppourtunity she could to have a family barbeque, parties or celebration; they’d sit down to eat dinner together every evening and Angel would cook (because Buffy’s cooking skills only extend to cheese toasties); Buffy would be the cool hip parent that every parent at the school playground would admire and envy; Angel would take on the domestic duties like cleaning, washing clothes and cooking but the kids would have a strict chore schedule that they’d get pocket money for; Buffy would be incredibly affectionate always smothering the kids with hugs and kisses and beaming about how proud she is of them.
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