#at least it is no longer a wip | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

gumnut-logic · 3 months

Text

Okay

Have a little FishTank with a background of pissed off Scotty.

Many thanks to the amazing @onereyofstarlight for all her help on this and for putting up with my crazy as usual :D

It was supposed to be something and this is what happened. I hope you enjoy it anyway.

-o-o-o-

Virgil rolled his shoulders as he stepped out of the elevator and into the comms room. He wasn’t surprised to find Scott’s commander persona firmly and concisely flaying someone via hologram at the main desk. Virgil had no doubt that several heads would roll after this incident.

But he would field Scott later. Besides it was fair to let the person responsible reap their rewards.

A pissed off Commander Scott Tracy was a weapon of precise destruction.

For the moment, Virgil had two aims. He rolled his shoulders again. Maybe three. Some paracetamol wouldn’t hurt alongside the coffee.

Both would be needed to tackle his main priority.

His little brother Gordon.

Those four words made it hurt even more.

Because Gordon was his little brother and when some asshole threatened the Fish - no matter how adult his brother would ever be, he would always be their Little Fish - and then had the nerve to physically assault Gordon…

Virgil beat down his anger. Anger wasn’t what he needed right now. Scott had enough to cover the entire family and then some. What Virgil needed was to be calm and centred so he could be there for Gords.

Because despite having the military background, the tough exterior, and a strength of will that continued to stun Virgil with its ferocity, Gordon was…

Hell, he was Virgil’s little brother and while Scott eviscerated those responsible, Virgil had to make sure he was okay.

Beyond the obvious physical injuries.

The anger had to be stomped on again.

He jogged down the kitchen stairs and grabbed the paracetamol out of the medical kit stashed under the sink. He chugged it down with some coffee, probably hotter than it should be for the meds, but he needed both so that’s what he worked with.

Gords was lying on one of the loungers by the pool. It was odd to see him out there but not actually in the water. The sling holding a broken arm, the concussion, and black eye, hidden by convenient sunglasses, were reason enough.

As with all of Gordon’s injuries in the field, Virgil was fully prepared to find a way to enable his brother to get back into the pool as soon as possible.

It was a survival instinct, after all. A Fish out of water tended to be flammable and explosive - Virgil liked their villa in one piece and minus the pranks born of boredom or frustration.

But it would be a couple of days at least before Gordon could be let into the pool this time. The broken arm was fine, it was the head injuries that weren’t conducive to swimming.

Virgil stared out at his little brother a moment while downing the remains of his coffee. Food was likely out of the question, but Gords might be able to manage a light drink, get some simple sugars and energy into him.

Turning back to the kitchen, he rustled up some tropical fruit juices, coconut cream and ice, dropping a splash of cranberry into the mostly yellow and orange concoction. A small smile and Virgil dug out one of his brother’s little cocktail umbrellas to give it the Gordon-pizazz it required.

He even made one for himself, put both of them on a tray, along with a small bowl of brightly coloured barley sugars.

Holding the tray steady, Virgil stepped softly out onto the patio and bee-lined casually in his brother’s direction.

The dark sunglasses glanced up. “Virg, I’m fine.”

Virgil ignored him, sliding the tray onto the small table next to Gordon. Not saying anything at all, Virgil grabbed the nearest empty lounger and dragged it over, dumping himself into it with a sigh.

He claimed his drink and fiddled with the umbrella. They reminded him of his fish brother, they really did.

And the drink was cool on his coffee-blasted throat.

Nothing was said for a long moment.

“Scott toasting the GDF?” Gordon didn’t even look at Virgil.

“More like roasting, after skinning and gutting.”

“Perhaps we should put warning labels on our uniforms. Warning: Commander will go medieval on your ass if you ever lay a finger on any member of International Rescue.”

“Family.”

Gordon groaned. “Way to serious a perfectly good pun, bro.”

Virgil shrugged and his shoulders ached. “It was a serious incident.”

“Yeah.” The word was mostly breath and ever so resigned. His brother looked away, out towards the sea.

“How are you feeling?”

A sigh. “As I said, I’m fine.”

Virgil sipped at his drink. “You don’t look fine.”

Gordon shifted where he sat. “What do you expect?”

“No expectations.”

His brother scoffed and turned back to looking at the ocean. There was nothing but breeze, birds and the waves for a very long moment.

“No, I didn’t expect it all.”

“Expect what?”

“The good guy to be such an asshole.”

Virgil didn’t comment, sipping his drink and waiting…

“They are supposed to help us. Supposed to be us. I didn’t expect him to do that. I would never put my life above so many. I’m in this because I believe in what we do!” Gordon’s uninjured arm was pointing and gesticulating not unlike their biggest brother inside. Virgil was often struck by how Scott and Gordon were so similar, yet so different. “We are the ones with the skills, the equipment and the vow to do everything we can to help people out of dangerous situations. There were families, Virg! Little kids! And he was willing to sacrifice them all.”

“You did good, Gords, you know that.”

“I should have done better.” Gordon’s good hand balled into a fist. “I should have seen it coming. Should have seen beyond the uniform. Should have hit him harder!”

Virgil turned on the lounger and let his feet touch the concrete so he could reach over and place a hand on Gordon’s leg. “You did everything you possibly could. None of us expected betrayal, much less from the GDF.” He drew in a breath. “It will be fixed.”

Gordon scoffed. “Of course, it will be fixed. With both Scott and John on their asses, they’ll be lucky there is any GDF left by the time they’re finished.” Gordon wilted just a little. “I hate it when you guys have to do that. Scott doesn’t need any more grey hairs, and Johnny shouldn’t have to skirt the law. I should have handled it better.”

Virgil stared at his little brother. “What John does with the law is not your responsibility.” Though Virgil would need to check on his space brother. John was as pissed as Scott. Maybe they should have a movie night tonight with all the junk food to go with it. Drag John down, corner Scott, and get the lot of them to sit down and take a breather. A few hugs would definitely not go astray either. Some reassurance that Gords was still here. “And Scott is going to kick ass regardless. That GDF officer had no right to intervene on our rescue and then to put his life above all the others he was meant to save…” Virgil let the sentence hang and he fought down his rage and outrage again. He swallowed. “You did what you always do, Gordon.” His eyes latched onto those dark sunglasses. “You did us proud.”

The sunglasses stared at him a moment. “You okay?”

“I will be.” Once his brothers were okay.

“Virg?”

Virgil slid off the lounger and onto his knees, holding his arms out a little. “C’mere.”

Gordon rolled his eyes, but smiled as Virgil enveloped him in a hug.

It was for Virgil as much as Gordon.

To find a GDF officer on the train carriage had been a blessing at first. The man had taken charge, liaised with IR, and set people at ease. But once IR made it onto the scene and Gordon, and the rescue rig, arrived to start getting people out, the man has changed.

Sure, it was a perilous situation and yes, the train could have dropped any moment despite Two securing it with grapples. But nothing excused the man’s conduct.

He had thrown fellow passengers aside and demanded to be rescued first. Gordon, of course, said no. IR had its priorities and not only was the man a trained GDF officer, but fit and healthy, and, if the emergency became more dire, he would be more likely to survive a more physical rescue attempt. Unlike the elderly and the children on that train.

And hell, the man had taken a pledge to serve and protect.

None of them had expected anger from the man, much less physical violence. He grappled with Gordon, determined to board the rescue rig first.

Gordon was well trained and an expert in self defence. However, the dynamics changed when you were hanging over an empty chasm that ended in certain death.

Gordon was thrown from the train and it was one of the worst moments in Virgil’s life. Yes, his brother was tethered, thank god, but the carriage was precarious, moving with the sudden change in weight distribution, and tangling with the safety line. Both Gordon and the rig had been dragged down with the train, forcing Two to compensate. Alerts screamed as the grapples securing the carriage strained with the sudden shift.

Virgil’s voice still ached from his yelling his brother’s name.

And the lack of an answer.

It had been Virgil who shimmied down the rescue rig cable, desperate to locate Gordon with John worrying in his ears.

He had found his brother upside down with a massive dent in the side of his helmet, faceplate cracked, unconscious.

Virgil retrieved and secured him in the rescue rig.

Then it was Virgil who had to face the rogue GDF officer. Virgil, who was considered the gentle giant who wouldn’t hurt a soul.

Virgil, who physically picked up the yelling man and, despite his struggles, strapped him into the rescue rig in a very specific unable-to-move way. Hence the aching shoulders and the bruises.

Twenty people were rescued from that train, the very last barely making it out as gravity and wind finally took their toll and John was forced to release Two, or lose them all.

Most of them were injured in some way, but none as much as his little brother.

The GDF officer spent the rest of the ride strapped in the rescue rig in Module Two.

Virgil managed to not say a single word to the man the entire time.

Gordon woke up swearing, halfway to the hospital, and didn’t let up until the doctors let him go under Virgil’s supervision several hours later.

Debrief had been explosive. Scott livid, John tight lipped and furious, Virgil…

He pulled his little brother in just that little bit tighter.

“Oof, Virg, I’m okay.” But Gordon didn’t let go.

Virgil released him a little, but rested his head on his brother’s non-injured shoulder and closed his eyes.

And tried to convince himself of Gordon’s words.

-o-o-o-

#thunderbirds are go #thunderbirds #thunderbirds fanfiction #virgil tracy #gordon tracy #scott tracy #nuttyfic #fishtank #there were supposed to be more hugs in this #it was supposed to be a giftfic but isn't good enough #eh it is what it is #at least it is no longer a wip #unless a sequel starts chewing on my brain #which is always a possibility #after all Scotty is not happy #John is livid #and Virgil is a long smoldering mass of anger

58 notes · View notes

salamispots · 5 months

Text

more wips

#wip #fabrication #rug hooking #fiber art #artists on tumblr #yarn's pretty uniform at least so far compared to bg #or like not a combo of a bunch of different yarns #plus I think it's sock weight? dk? so how the overall texture/actual loops look together is interesting #I guess for comparison the white yarn is bulky #like from a farther view they kinda blend together #also might take me longer than the other two since the yarn is thinner hshjfg

10K notes · View notes

nosnexus · 1 year

Photo

Two badass princesses finally meeting

#dimension 20 #d20 #neverafter #neverafter spoilers #rosamund du prix #cinderella neverafter #my art #I just really wanted to take a crack at that armor #I'll give it a longer go another time #unfinished but still good :)#I also needed to finish up at least ONE of the WIPs I have before tonight's episode

3K notes · View notes

fearandhatred · 2 months

Text

one day this project will be done. today is not that day but look i made them hold hands

panels 1, 2, 8, and 9 of panel 2. i think this one is panel 5. idk anymore

211 notes · View notes

canibeanythingelse · 9 months

Text

arcane incantation

#GOD. the THINGS i want to do to this mans cervix... FHDSKGFHDKGFGHDS #kaname date more like can i may have my fucking life back asshole god fucking damn #hate his ass. HATE HIS ASS (<- obsessed with him)#aitsf #kaname date #ai the somnium files #my art #this is the first properly painted Thing since like...... was it the ryuki drawing i did ages ago? or like. ig i have a painted comm wip #(that i... need to work on. surprisingly this took way less time than those do! not in a bad way btw i love comms they just take way longer #(for me at least)#also lol 'arcane incantation' is the title of the date residence ost since i got the idea of this from looking at date's house replaying ai #anyways while im here. im going insane over the fucking nursery rhyme-like piano motif in parts of sinkin in the brain #and that being carried over to atrocious insanity 2 but sped up and running through the whole song instead #when those are the two key points where we're hinted/get told about date's identity and like. the major parts where they're the actual Focu #I LOVE MUSIC MOTIIIIFFFSSSSSSS im insane whatever WHAT EVER.#whatever. look at my art Boy.

233 notes · View notes

aster-draws · 4 months

Text

Hey guys it's ya boi, aster, once again concocting schemes and shenanigans in the dpxdc landscape

#dp x dc #dead tired ship #current wip #danny phantom #tim drake #i do not know when ill start posting it #im planning on getting at least 50 k of buffer written so probably in a few weeks?#but it is shaping up to be longer than wanted by. a significant factor #better halves (and other such falsehoods)#<theres the title #if you delved deep enough into my tags to find it

116 notes · View notes

mysoulremains · 1 year

Text

The first thing Hob became aware of was his headache. It started from his forehead, until slowly all he felt was the pain. He closed his eyes for a little comfort, but it barely seemed to help at all. He sat down on the edge of his bed and held his head in his hands. Damn.

It happened all of a sudden. One minute he was in his own bedroom, the next loud noises could be heard all around him, the smell of ale hit his nose and he felt the tickle of a beard between his fingers. He let go of his head and opened his eyes, much to his own surprise. He gasped, eyes wide at what he saw.

He was in The White Horse. In the 14th century.

Now, he knew this wasn't possible. It couldn't have been happening. Did he fall asleep? Was this a dream? Where was Morpheus?

One of his friends poked him with an elbow and a laugh Hob had not heard in a long time, he forgot what the man sounded like. He forgot his name. He still retained some memories of the people around him, but 633 years was a long time. He didn't keep a journal back then.

"Hey Hobsie, you alright?" asked the one across him, another voice that was buried deep in his mind, barely recalled. It was spoken in a language he had not heard in such a long time, but one that would always remain in his heart. His mother tongue, Middle English. Oh, he missed it so much.

"You went all silent on us for a moment there," added the third one at their table.

Hob decided to roll with the punches. He was immortal, he had to learn to go along with things until he could figure out what to do. Sometimes it landed him in a pile of gold, sometimes a pile of shit. He coughed a bit and laughed, trying to hide his unease.

"Uh, yeah, I was just thinking," he said and looked down at the mug in front of him. That really took him back. He decided to try the ale inside, the burn in his throat familiar as he gulped it down, and fuck — he was really in the past. Before he met Morpheus.

To be more precise, minutes before he met Morpheus. He didn't like it, he didn't like it one bit. Would he need to insult his sister to restart their entire journey? Did he need to make a fool out of himself as the two Endless entered the inn?

"Don't lose your head doing it now!" More laughter rang out around him table, and the conversation was going in a very familiar way.

Hob sighed. Soon, Death would enter the tavern, followed by her little brother, and after a few moments Hob would need to repeat history for them to meet. He didn't really like it, nor the idea that their relationship needed to start from the beginning all over again, but he would try. Didn't mean it wouldn't hurt to not see the recognition, familiarity and love in those starry eyes, but hey, maybe the clean start could leave to a better future.

The door opened, then in walked the siblings, Death in her own elegant robes and Dream, Morpheus in his own black clothes with the ruby hanging around his neck.

Hob's grip on his mug became desperate, and he almost looked away when Morpheus glanced at him. Did that happen the first time they met too, or was he just hoping for something unbelievable?

The conversation around him continued, and Hob knew he needed to pick it up.

Sorry Death, you're lovely, but I need to do this, he thought as he opened his mouth to speak.

"Look, I've seen Death." And this time he meant it. The family visits with her were the best, and he finally got to thank her for granting him immortality — of course that all hasn't happened yet. And would not happen if Hob didn't act like he did all those years ago. But the time for panic would only come later, he needed to focus on his current mission.

Gain immortality and get noticed by Dream.

Hob continued with as much as he could remember, he wasn't sure if he jumbled it all up (when did he fight under Burgundy? Was it before, or after, he could not recall, it had been so long) but he still tried.

"Death is... stupid," he said with a finality to his tone. I'm sorry, he added in his mind.

He saw both of them turn around towards him in the corner of his eye, and he continued with the conversation. His friends laughed at him, just like they did the first time — except for them, this was the first time.

"What would you do with immortality?" asked one of his mates, clearly tipsy, and Hob remembered the words he said to that.

"Get better friends than you, that's what." Well... He got better friends than them. And worse friends. The centuries following were ever changing, just like Hob had become, and the years of experience inside his old body didn't sit right with him.

He could see Morpheus slowly walking up to him, and he anticipated the next words, almost mouthing them alongside the man.

"Did I hear you say you have no intention of ever dying?" asked Dream and Hob looked up at him in wonder. He looked cold, more distant than ever, his eyes betraying the familiarity he saw when he looked at Hob and—

Wait.

Familiarity?

"Uh, yeah, yeah you're right." Hob squinted to try to get a better look at Morpheus and his expression, why was familiarity there? At that point in time Dream should have looked upon him with disdain, or like an experiment he wanted to fail. What was the kindness doing there? And what was the pain doing there?

"Then you must tell me what it's like," Morpheus continued. Hob wanted to laugh, because this was actually happening. He needed to start from the beginning.

"Let us meet here, Hob Gadling, in this tavern of The White Horse, in one hundred years," he said and Hob froze.

Hob Gadling?

Didn't Dream say Robert Gadling in 1389?

He gazed into Dream's eyes, and stood up suddenly, surprising both himself, his friends and Morpheus himself.

"You know who I am," Hob whispered out, eyes wide, which in turn made the man before him freeze. "Are you here as well? Or is this a dream?"

Hob knew he needed to give a clue, but he also didn't want his friends to realize what was going on. It could have been the work of a demon, or something worse. Who knew what other creatures existed?

"You... remember?" Morpheus asked, almost worried for an answer.

"Everything." Hob nodded. "We need to talk."

#the sandman #hob gadling #morpheus #dream of the endless #dream x hob #dreamling #morpheus x hob #kinda time travel?#idk this idea didn't want to leave my head #i might make it longer and put it up on ao3 but idk i need to finish my other wips first #or at least i want to finish my other wips first lmao #but yeah this didn't leave my head #and it could be such a funny concept #no idea if anyone has ever done it?

686 notes · View notes

neverevan · 5 months

Text

Wip Wednesday 🎄

I was tagged by the ever so lovely @daffi-990 @thewolvesof1998 @jamespearce9-1-1 @hippolotamus @exhuastedpigeon and @rainbow-nerdss mwuah 💛

Welp a little later than usual but here I am! And uh apparently I added another Christmas fic to the pile because why not lmao but it's just a real short one and I'm aiming for it to be posted this week. 🫡

He was just about to decide what kind of disgustingly greasy takeout food to order, when the door clicked open behind his back.

He turned to see— Eddie. Because of course it was Eddie.

“Hey,” he said gently, shutting the door behind himself and Buck knew it was a little irrational right now, but it still warmed his heart that Eddie came and went like this; that he knew no matter what, he was always welcome here.

“Hi.” Buck gave him a weak smile over the brim of his beer bottle, unsure of what to expect.

“I just wanted to see if you were okay.”

“Why, did uh did I not seem okay?” Buck scoffed, just falling short of casual.

Eddie averted his gaze almost guiltily before pinning Buck with a knowing look. “No.”

“Yeah, I guess that’s fair.” Buck took a long swig of his beer with a grimace.

“You know it doesn’t change anything, right?”

“Uh no, Eddie, I really don’t know that.” Buck drawled and put the bottle down on the counter top with a loud clink.

“Bu—”

“Eddie, you’re leaving the 118. That- that literally changes everything!” He spread his arms widely, as if he could indicate just how much of that everything covered.

✨no pressure tagging: @malewifediaz @spagheddiediaz @jeeyuns @ladydorian05 @disasterbuckdiaz @jesuisici33 @steadfastsaturnsrings @eowon @heartshapedvows @nmcggg @watchyourbuck @eddiebabygirldiaz @theotherbuckley @fortheloveofbuddie

#most of this is just a flashback to post 5x10 and the whole thing is barely 1.5k #I spent so much time screwing around today but at least I've got this done ugh #also I'm not 100% sure yet but the current lineup is: 510 - puppy - hospital - ski fic #so like a fic a week #but we'll see how things go #also also fun fact: I initially screwed myself over with this #because I wanted it to be short so I started writing it in present tense #which I can only hold up for like twitter threads and tumblr ficlets #but then it got longer and I had to go back and change it 🙃#it wasn't all that long but still ugh #anyway I shut up now #buddie #911 #wip #the 510 fic

76 notes · View notes

manasurge · 4 months

Text

Just the WIPs/sketches of Mourynn's Greatsword(s) progress before I start lineart and colouring. I just wanted to show how she cultivated her Greatsword from a seedling/bloom as it grew to a dagger->sword->greatsword, and then how she Reforms it with broken Caladbolg later down the line, using her parasitic vines and magic to graft them together. I figured that after doing that poll deciding which weapon she should us (which ended in a tie lmao), I thought it would work even better if it reflected her own life as she and the Scion were both grafted together as they were both broken and weak (and this is the same method she uses on her "minions"), and it's sort of bittersweet to as she loves her GS (I'll give it a name later) and seeing it get completely mangled will hurt a lot (it's her baby), and seeing as how Caladbolg was also broken, it works thematically for her to put it together (using her own unique magic). I'll probably wind up repeating what I said here in the finished drawings lsjfldk. I just wanted to provide some context. (Also for reference, this is for my Gw2 OC for non GW2 goers. I often see Gw2 stuff mislabeled as DnD when they're not specified) Also under the cut here is what her Greatsword is based on:

It's based on the Pink Quill Flower! It's funny bc it was absolutely not what I was expecting to find when I was looking for "plants/flowers shaped like blades". I mean, look at it!!!! Also I just put a compilation of my refs together into one image to make it easier for me lmao

#wipgallery #gw2 #gw2 oc #sylvari oc #also just posting this as a WiP bc I haven't posted something i a while so there we go #I just need to do her ''in the dream'' look (nakey) and her sapling look (first outfit)#then I can start drawing more lore related stuff. I just needed her early stage weapons here as well so I'm basically still doing reference #at least for a while longer since I still need a lot more (But at least it's finite)#at least after a couple more I can do actual character stuff before I go back to making more references lsjkf

55 notes · View notes

capn-twitchery · 1 month

Text

very messy grace wip i may or may not finish >:3

#not sure if i like it or not but the idea has been in my head for so long. and i finally got Something out of it at least >:3 #wips #grace #also i realise he should be much skinnier and have longer hair and a longer beard. for how long he was stranded #but i like this look more #and i need him to be at least 5% recognisable as grace bc without his muttonchops he's already a different guy #oh WOW this is darker on my phone than my laptop

46 notes · View notes

s0urfangs · 11 months

Text

*rotates a trahearne lives AU rly fast in my brain*

Sometimes a functional family can be you, your husband, a shitty little vampire you accidentally adopted 4 years ago, and-

elder dragon.

#these have been sat in my wips for at least a month and with artfight coming soon i know theyll be there even longer lmao #so. might as well hurl em here #ALSO AURENE WILL BE. SO.#BABY GIRL I LOVE YOU BUT YOUR DESIGN IS AN ARTISTS BANE #dralsin is NOT INCLUDED in this family because larry hates him and he hates larry lol #NOT a shroom approved boyfriend #wip #silvsart #oc:fedsy #oc:larry #trahearne #aurene #sylvari #gw2

107 notes · View notes

mirrortouchedsea · 19 days

Text

(CW for Suicidal Ideation)

Hinata’s breath was heavy as he landed the final move of their act. The tinny music playing from their speakers went quiet and the audience clapped politely. It was always the same song and dance as the crowd moved on with their day. A few of them tossed some yen their way but otherwise it was time for them to regroup for their next performance. Yuta knelt down by the hat with some coins and bills sticking out of it, counting their earnings thus far.

“Hey aniki! We might be able to eat well tonight! There’s like 3,000 yen in here!” Yuta exclaimed. The idea of a filling dinner made Hinata’s mouth water. Oh what he wouldn’t do for even warm noodles not from a cup.

Hinata turned to grab the iPod from its place on the speaker, choosing the next song to play. He put the phone back and turned the volume up a little more to play over the evening rush. The music started and he and Yuta moved in unison around their little stage, taking in the crowd. There were some regulars that Hinata recognized, the businesswoman who was perpetually tired but always stopped for their performances and a few kids who looked up at them in awe as their parents were trying to usher them away. There were always new faces too, of course people traveled across the country all the time or took new trains or moved cities, but there was something different about the boy with the bright red hair at the back of the crowd. His sky blue eyes pierced straight through to Hinata’s heart and made him stumble when their gaze connected with his own.

“Hey, aniki focus! We’re almost done, don't fail on me now!” Yuta whispered, carefully shielding Hinata from the crowd as he regained his footing. Yuta was always so quick thinking. Hinata got back to his position and finished up the routine, eyes looking for that boy he had spotted earlier. He half hoped the boy would come talk to them afterwards while they were packing up for the evening, but when he finally saw that shock of red hair, it was moving away with the rest of the crowd.

Hinata sighed, disappointed. Maybe that boy would come back someday. There was something about him that drew Hinata in.

Someone bumped his shoulder, drawing him from his thoughts. “Hey, aniki, are you alright? You seem out of it today.” Yuta’s hand rested on his shoulder and Hinata couldn’t help but smile. Wasn’t it supposed to be the other way around, the older brother checking in on the younger one?

“Hey hey everything’s fine Yuta-kun, don’t worry about me. I was just thinking about that delicious dinner you’re treating us too~” He playfully pushed back on Yuta, the red haired blue eyed boy all but forgotten now.

“Hey! It’s technically our money so I’m not treating you to anything!” Yuta scowled but the smile in his voice was obvious to Hinata.

“Hehe, then dinner’s on me! Say ‘thank you aniki!’”

---

It was a week before Hinata saw the red headed boy in their audience again. He had all but slipped his mind, but those striking blue eyes were impossible to forget. Yuta was introducing their next performance which allowed Hinata to take a better look at the older boy who had made his way to the middle of the audience. He was tall and what Hinata could see of his outfit seemed ill-fitting at best, along with a headband holding his hair away from his eyes.

Hinata scrambled to his position as the music queued up and let his instincts take over. Every so often he found himself glancing at the red haired boy, trying to see what he thought of their performance, but his face revealed nothing.

Why was he so focused on this one boy? It’s not like they didn’t have strangers who watched them sometimes, and none of them had caught Hinata’s attention quite like this boy. He really couldn’t be much older than Hinata, maybe 17 at the oldest. Was he an older brother too? The boy’s eyes made contact with Hinata’s and it took everything in him to not look away.

Once again however, Yuta snapped him out of whatever trance he had been in and everything was forgotten.

“Are you really okay aniki? You’ve been out of it a lot recently…” Oh how it pained Hinata to see the concern on Yuta’s face. Nothing was even really wrong per se, but Hinata was distracted nonetheless.

“I’m fine, Yuta-kun. Geez, can’t your older brother have some peace?” His mouth ran faster than his brain and he immediately regretted it. Yuta’s face flipped through several emotions; hurt, confusion, exhaustion. It wasn’t like him to hide things from his brother, so why was he doing it now? “Whatever, let’s get some dinner. My treat~”

“It’s our money!”

---

The boy continued to make appearances at the twins’ performances on the street, becoming something of a regular but disappearing before Hinata could flag him down. Hinata wasn’t even sure what compelled him to want to talk to the older boy, but he wanted to say something. He had even noticed that the boy seemed happier and his clothes fit a little better, not like they were just the first thing he grabbed out of a donation pile.

Finally, after almost a month of trying to say something to the boy, Hinata saw him walk up to their hat on the ground and drop a few coins into it.

“Thank you!” He said, walking up to the boy. “Hope you enjoyed the performance!”

The boy froze as if he wasn’t expecting to be greeted like that. There was a slight flush to his face. “I-it’s nothing, don’t worry about it. You uh…you were great?” The boy seemed unsure of how to reply, though Hinata was happy with the compliment nonetheless. Maybe…

“What brings you here? I mean--agh, sorry! I just mean…I noticed you don’t have a regular schedule?” The words were practically falling out of his mouth and Hinata wasn’t really sure what they were doing. “Like you show up a few days in a row but then go three weeks without stopping by at all!” He was just digging a bigger grave for himself! Great!

“Ah uhm…I’m not from around here.” The boy scratched at the back of his neck. Maybe Hinata should back off.

“O-oh, yeah of course. Duh. Are you visiting family or something?”

“Not quite. I really should get going though. See you…later?”

“Yeah, see you later.”

“Hey Aniki, are you coming or not? The food’s gonna get cold!”

“Coming!”

---

It was almost a month before the boy appeared again. In the time between, Hinata had come up with a million different ideas for what his life was like. Was he a delinquent who skipped school to hang out on the street with gangs (how scary! But he looked strong enough to fit in)? Or was he a runaway from a city far away, somewhere Hinata only dreamed of visiting like Okinawa? Maybe he had a bad relationship with his dad and ran away, a thought that Hinata hated to admit had crossed his mind more than once. Or maybe he just passed through the city on the way to somewhere else. That seemed to be the most likely option, especially if he couldn’t come very often.

When the boy did finally show up again, Hinata had to hold himself back from practically jumping him after the performance. Something looked…different about him though. His eyes seemed more tired? Like he hadn’t been sleeping well. Hinata thought of a fight he had with his dad a few weeks ago that made it hard for him to sleep and thought maybe this boy was the same as him in that regard.

Hinata decided to wave him down after the performance, hat in hand (they had done pretty well! It felt heavier than normal and even without counting everything, they’d probably have enough for breakfast too).

“Hey! You look tired, are you--did you want to get something to eat?” Please say yes please say yes please say yes--

The boy’s mouth opened, then closed, then opened again. Did Hinata mess up? Oh he overstepped and now there really wasn’t any chance of getting to know him. Why was he so interested in talking to the boy anyway? Hinata had been asking himself that for a while now and he still had no answer.

“I…I can’t. I need to go.” The boy turned and ran off before Hinata could ask more. He just kept messing up, didn’t he? Maybe he really was just a burden to Yuta and their dad and the restaurant owner. He shouldn’t have been born and Yuta would’ve been better off--

“Aniki! Sheesh, get your head out of the clouds. How much did we make?” Yuta grabbed the hat out of Hinata’s hand and quickly counted out the coins and bills. “Woah! We could eat a whole five course meal with this…”

“Think with your head a little Yuta-kun. We’ve got breakfast paid for if we don’t blow it all tonight!”

Yuta nodded before handing the hat back to Hinata. “So, my pick tonight?”

---

Hinata signed the note, trying his best to keep the tears from dripping on it and smudging the ink. After his blunder with the red haired boy, he hadn’t shown up to their performances for over two months. Hinata was certain that he had messed up and was too forward. He didn’t even know the kid’s name! Why did he think the two of them could ever be friends?

And on top of all of that, Yuta had become more and more distant from Hinata, as if Hinata just existing was dragging him back from his full potential. Yuta would have been better off as an only child and maybe Hinata deserved this life. Thirteen years living with their father, who had treated them as nothing but monsters, blaming them for their mother’s death and everything bad that had happened since, Hinata had resolved to run away. He’d make his way to the mountains and maybe he’d find someone willing to help him or maybe he’d slip into an endless sleep.

Dear Yuta-kun, the letter had started. I’m sorry that I’m leaving like this, but I know that I’m just a burden to you. I’m sorry for that. I wish I had more to say but I just want you to be happy and maybe father will treat you better without me. I love you.

The other letter, already folded and placed on the table, was much shorter, addressed to his father.

Dear Father, I’m sorry I couldn’t be a better son. Please don’t take this out on Yuta-kun, it was my decision.

The less words he spent on that man, the better. Hinata folded Yuta’s note and placed it on top before quietly exiting through the front door.

---

Everything was cold. Hinata slumped against a tree, head between his knees in a last ditch effort to keep warm. Sleep should come soon and he could painlessly move on, at least that’s what he hoped. He barely registered someone approaching him, but didn’t look up.

“Hey.” The voice was vaguely familiar, but where did he remember it from? A warm hand shook at Hinata’s shoulder.

“‘M fine.” The words were barely a whisper. The other voice grunted before walking away. It was another minute before Hinata felt something drape around his shoulders and a cup shoved in his hand. Whatever was in it was steaming, warming his fingers.

“Drink.” The voice said. And he did, the tea was very, very bitter. That voice…

Hinata looked up, meeting a pair of bright, sky blue eyes. That’s where he recognized the voice from. Did he…live? In the mountains? The boy seemed to recognize him too. He was wearing a headband and what looked like very warm clothes that Hinata wished he had. Hinata finished the tea, trying not to focus on the flavor. It helped at least, in warming him up a bit.

“Why are you here?” The boy finally spoke again. It sounded like he was unsure if he should be mad or concerned, or both, but he offered Hinata another cup of tea, which he accepted if only to warm his fingers up. He pulled the blanket closer around his body.

“I…ran away.” Hinata looked downward, as if admitting this out loud was a cardinal sin. The boy gestured for him to continue. “I guess I just…I was dragging my brother down. I’m not really talented at anything like he is and I’m the reason our dad sees us as monsters. He shouldn’t have to deal with a brother like me.” Hinata wasn’t really sure why he was spilling this so easily. The boy was a good listener though, hanging on every word Hinata spoke. Was he shaking? He’d never admitted this out loud before and it felt oddly freeing to say it to someone.

He waited for a response, anything to chase away the uncomfortable silence Hinata had created with his confession. He really fucked up, didn’t he. He should have just kept that to himself like he always did instead of burdening a stranger like this!

“I…” The boy started, barely audible above Hinata’s racing heartbeat. “I’m glad you’re alive.” He sounded unsure of his words. Was he just trying to be nice? Of course he was, how else do you respond to a kid telling you something like this?

“You don’t have to pretend.”

“I’m not. When I saw you singing and dancing…I think I realized something--” The boy cut himself off, the suddenness of it making Hinata look up. A moment later he heard his brother calling out from the woods behind him.

“Aniki! There you are!” Yuta tackled him to the ground, squeezing Hinata like he might just blow away in the wind if they weren’t careful. “You scared me! I can’t believe you’d do something like that!”

Tears pricked at Hinata’s eyes again. “I’m sorry, Yuta-kun. I’m really sorry.” He buried his face in Yuta’s jacket. His nose started to run, from the cold or the tears he couldn’t tell.

“You aren’t a burden to me. I don’t know what I’d do without you around Aniki!” Yuta pulled back, hands gripping Hinata’s shoulders. “Promise you won’t do something that stupid again.”

Hinata wiped the tears from his eyes, sparing a glance where the boy had been. It was as if he had never been there at all and Hinata had just hallucinated the whole interaction. He looked back at his twin brother. “I promise.”

“Now let's get you home and warmed up. Where’d you get this blanket anyway? It doesn’t look like one of ours.”

“I…” The boy had been real, and he told Hinata he was glad he was alive (even if his explanation was cut short by Hinata’s brother rushing in). “I guess I just found it. There must be people living nearby or something.”

---

The chatter of the night club died down for the night as everyone was getting ready to go home. Hinata’s feet were sore from running around, but it was satisfying to be back in a restaurant like this. It reminded him of his childhood working for the Chinese restaurant with Yuta.

Rinne, the leader of Crazy:B who had wanted to get closer to Hinata, and by extension 2wink, slid a drink down the bar. It looked like a horrible mix of syrups and club soda, but one sip was all it took for Hinata to drink it all down.

“Great job tonight Hina! You’re a real natural at this stuff.” Rinne was washing the other glasses behind the bar now as Hinata finished the rest of his soda.

“Yuta-kun and I used to work in a restaurant so it comes pretty naturally to us!”

“That so?”

“Mhm!” Hinata slid the empty glass back to Rinne, who quickly dumped the ice and washed it before tossing the towel over his shoulder. The entire week they’d been working the club together, there had been something bugging Hinata at the back of his mind. “Hey, Rinne-senpai…did you ever watch our shows?”

“Huh? ‘Course I have, vice prez wants us to work together so I’ve seen a few of ‘em.”

“That’s not what I mean. I mean like…back when Yuta-kun and I did street performances.”

Rinne paused for a moment. “Why’re you askin’?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. You just reminded me of someone who used to watch them.”

“Well I’m sure whoever it was is proud to see you singin’ and dancin’ on stage.” Rinne had come around the bar and stood next to Hinata, ruffling his hair. “Let’s get goin’ or I’m never gonna hear the end of it from Niki-kun.”

#shay writes #enstars #ensemble stars #hinata aoi #yuta aoi #rinne amagi #OKAY ITS DONE I'M NOT THINKING ABOUT THIS PIECE ANYMORE. FUCK MAN #its at least finally no longer a wip. that's all i can say #got one person who said they liked it so to the blog it goes!!!#one less wip to worry about yippie!!!#2.8k words of me being a bit silly. that's what this is.#i probably could have extended the end a bit but augh if i thought about it any longer i would literally pass away #fuck that shit #so here we go. enjoy. i have a whole essay about aoi and amagi parallels i need to write one of these days when i reread mainstory #i'm working on reading boarding live rn i have like 9 chapters left. i'd keep working rn but augh eepy #probably just gonna watch an ep of a3 and go to bed or smth #anyway enjoy!!!! feels good to finish something a bit longer #probably no wip wednesday tomorrow just bc this is all i worked on this week...#also this is a second draft i never do that. well not never i've done it before #and this is i think a significant improvement on the first #okay i'm done tag talking for realsies byeeeeeee enjoy

24 notes · View notes